They sought only power.
The Orchid Sect's genetic skill was limited. Even if they created Hyūga clones with the Byakugan, the eyes would soon fade—and the bodies would not live long.
The Hyūga clan's caged bird seal ensured no enemy could ever steal their dōjutsu. Removing the eyes not only killed the host instantly but rendered the Byakugan useless once the host died.
The Orchid Sect knew this. So instead of stealing eyes, they harvested cells—hoping to cultivate a new being born with the Byakugan. If successful, they could study its potential to "reach the heavens" and establish direct contact with the celestial race.
Two years of experiments. All failures.
The only "survivor" was the old shrine maiden now in Shigeo's grasp—a two-year-old who looked like a shriveled hag. Even she was a failed product.
Shigeo exhaled slowly, then ripped her soul out with one hand and crushed her brain with the other.
He turned and left the island.
Following the coordinates he extracted from her memories, he headed roughly two hundred li northwest of Moon City—to Mount Dahei. According to what he'd seen in her mind, the Orchid Sect's main base lay there, and their leader had already fled to it.
The Orchid Sect had only two headquarters: the sea island temple and this mountain fortress.
Mount Dahei rose sheer above the sea—cliffs on one side, untouched forest on the other. It was a place few ever visited, making it perfect for secrecy. Within the cliffs they'd carved a passage leading from the ocean floor into the mountain's heart, turning it into a heavily warded laboratory.
The undersea tunnel was guarded and sealed with chakra-suppressing talismans. No one could enter by swimming or Iwayō no Jutsu (Rock Concealment Technique).
But Shigeo had his Ishikūkan Ten'i (Dimensional Transfer).
In the blink of an eye, he emerged directly inside the chamber from the shrine maiden's memory.
Dressed in the robe of an Orchid Sect disciple, he stood silently, scanning the room.
Rows of glass incubation tanks lined the walls, each containing a floating fetus—a "clone," a genetically engineered artificial human. Their forms were twisted but alive.
Shigeo's pupils burned crimson. The sight made his blood run cold. He recalled the so-called "priestess" he had slain moments ago.
He stepped to a nearby console and read the tags attached to the tanks. Each record noted the use of hormone accelerants to force rapid growth.
These beings were not born—they were manufactured. Their existence was nothing but suffering disguised as science.
"Orchid Sect…" His voice turned to ice. "Must be erased."
He clenched his fist. His gaze shifted to the heavy stone door.
"Hmph." His hands formed seals. "Jinton: Genkai Hakuri no Jutsu! (Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!)"
For the first time, Shigeo unleashed the technique on such a vast scale. The cubical field expanded, enveloping every tank in the room.
Even if these creatures survived, they would never be human again. Better to end their torment now.
"Perish."
At his command, everything inside the cube disintegrated into particles—gone without trace.
Just then, the stone door creaked open. Several men in white coats stepped inside, talking casually, oblivious to the devastation.
When they finally noticed the empty room, one blinked in confusion. "Wait—what? Did we… come to the wrong lab?"
Another poked his head out into the corridor. "No, this is it! The specimens—where are the specimens?!"
Only then did they notice the figure standing silently in the corner.
A tall man, long dark hair falling over his shoulders, deep blue eyes glowing faintly in the gloom.
He didn't answer.
A single heartbeat later, the scientists lay lifeless on the floor.
Shigeo's fists tightened again. When he had probed the priestess's mind earlier, he had learned every chant and sigil of their forbidden rites—including how to summon spirits.
He took out the Inkonrei (Soul-Summoning Bell).
"So the priestess wasn't the only successful creation," he murmured coldly. "And this ritual of yours—let's see how you like it turned against you."
He infused the bell with chakra and shook it sharply. The shrill tone pierced the corridors like a blade.
All across the underground base, black shadows poured from the walls—ghosts, summoned by the cursed bell.
The weaker researchers screamed as the phantoms tore through their minds, devouring consciousness and spirit alike.
Within moments, half the facility was dead. The other half rallied and charged toward Shigeo.
He didn't move.
Streams of magnetic iron sand rose behind him, swirling into spears and blades. The corridor became a slaughterhouse.
Blood sprayed like fountains, coating the stone walls in red. Shrieks, curses, the howls of ghosts—all merged into a single cacophony.
The Orchid Sect's followers had no idea who this man was or how he had infiltrated their stronghold. They only knew that death followed wherever he walked.
Bodies piled thick across the floor—then twitched.
Under the bell's control, the corpses stood back up, now puppets of the dead.
Ghosts and corpses attacked the living alike. The corridor became true hell.
Then the bell fell silent.
Every body collapsed. The phantoms dispersed into smoke. The man who had summoned them vanished as well.
"Where is he?!" someone shouted in panic.
The battle had lasted barely ten minutes. The passageways were stacked with corpses, yet the intruder was gone.
"Lab One is destroyed!"
Alarm klaxons blared throughout the mountain. Panic spread.
"Find him! The long-haired man—find him!" yelled one of the senior researchers.
"Lab Two destroyed!"
"Fifth and Seventh Labs on fire! Put it out, now!"
"Wait—the lowest level! That's where the prisoners are! He'll go there next!"
Chaos engulfed the Orchid Sect's base.
One by one, explosions erupted through the mountain.
Rooms burned, collapsed, or simply vanished—
but the man responsible had already become a shadow among shadows.
(End of Chapter)
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