Inside the Forging Blades Workshop, in the chairman's room.
The lamplight cast flickering shadows, projecting the silhouettes of three men onto the wall.
Maya continued, "Back when Oikawa Genzo was being pursued, very few people knew about the operation plan. Besides those involved, the only other person who knew was Yukino."
He looked up at the ceiling, gazing at the bright light. "Your teacher isn't afraid to be honest; I really suspected my own daughter."
"So…" Tetsuya, who had been silent all along, spoke, his voice a little hoarse, "You chose your own daughter for a political marriage just as a test?"
Maya met his gaze. "That's right."
"What's the point of that? Are you really willing to sacrifice Yukino's happiness!" Tetsuya's eyes were bloodshot.
"Of course, there's a point. Isn't this just to lure… you out?"
!!!
Tetsuya's breath hitched.
Maya clasped his hands behind his back and said, "Ever since I announced this news, Yukino hasn't been as hysterical as I imagined. Instead, she calmly accepted everything, only crying secretly at night. She has always been a sensible child."
"But you, my disciple, your reaction really exceeded my expectations."
"Not only did you repeatedly ask me to retract my order, but you also incited the heads of various departments to undermine my authority. And those little tricks you've been playing with those nobles in secret—do you really think I can't see them?"
"Clues… signs…" Maya sighed wistfully, and with the reminder from that noble, "It occurred to me that the person Yukino has been closest to lately is you, Tetsuya."
Tetsuya frowned. "Master suspects me?"
Maya stared into his eyes. "That day, you learned the route from Yukino. Besides you, I can't think of anyone else who would betray us."
"Also… how did you know that I was discussing matters with young friend Shin'yu late at night?"
Maya took a step forward. "Or… have you been following Yukino all along!?"
"Could it be… everything you just said was to lure me out…?" Tetsuya instantly understood, and said resentfully, "Niwa Maya! For the sake of the guild, you really will stop at nothing!"
"Tetsuya! What are you saying!" Ryunosuke tugged at Tetsuya's pants leg, rebuking him in a low voice, "How can you speak to Master like that!"
"Kneel down, kneel down now!"
He glared fiercely at his junior brother, but Tetsuya remained unmoved.
"Tetsuya, you!"
At that moment, Tetsuya suddenly kicked out, sending Ryunosuke flying, smashing into the sword rack in the room.
Tetsuya's eyes suddenly turned fierce as he drew a Wakizashi from his sleeve, the sharp blade thrusting straight out.
Maya clasped his hands behind his back, exposing his defenseless back to Tetsuya, and closed his eyes in disappointment.
"Clang!!"
Tetsuya's wrist went numb, the blade snapped, and a huge black bone palm was placed horizontally behind Maya, separating them like an impassable abyss.
A handsome young man stepped out from beside Maya. No one knew when he had appeared there, but the huge, dark ribs, and the giant palm exuding black gas that stood between them, shocked Tetsuya beyond compare.
Shin'yu stretched out a hand from afar, and with a grip in the air, Tetsuya suddenly felt suffocated. A terrifying pressure came from all over his body, as if an invisible hand was tightly clenching him, making even moving a finger a luxury.
"What... is this!" He tried his best to widen his eyes, but his lips couldn't move at all, and immense fear ignited in his eyes.
"My feeling was right..." Shin'yu slightly rotated his palm, and Tetsuya's body also turned stiffly, "There's something wrong with your body..."
He suddenly raised his sword fingers, and in response, a large bulge appeared on Tetsuya's right hand, surging like flowing water, spreading along his arm until his whole body rippled like the surface of water, looking strange and eerie.
"Disperse!" Shin'yu shouted.
With a "poof," Tetsuya's entire right arm suddenly exploded, liquid splattering all over the wall, and a few droplets even splashed on Ryunosuke's face.
Ryunosuke wiped his face in a panic, only to realize that it wasn't blood, but transparent... water!
Shin'yu casually retracted his hand, and Tetsuya's body instantly lost support, kneeling on the ground with a "thump."
Invisible streams of water emerged from the severed arm, reforming into a right arm in a wriggling motion, restoring it to its original state.
This scene stunned Ryunosuke and shocked Niwa Maya.
"I was right, wasn't I? Your second disciple is not simple." Shin'yu sneered, "He's not from the Land of Iron at all."
In the distorted black mist, Maya slowly turned around, a turbid tear streaking across the corner of his eye.
"What a pity, Tetsuya, among these three disciples, the one I valued the most... was you."
"Kill him?" Shin'yu tilted his head and asked.
"Yes." Maya nodded calmly, his eyes were incomparably calm at this moment, like an executioner wielding a sword, "Please leave him a complete corpse."
"Understood."
Shin'yu dispelled the Susanoo, the black mist dissipated, but a pure and light spiritual body shot out, instantly entering Tetsuya's brow.
In the next instant, the spiritual body entered and returned.
Shin'yu's expression suddenly became complicated, staring at Tetsuya, who had no breath left. His black clothes fluttered, and he turned and left.
Just now, before killing the other party's soul, he had still interrogated him for information as usual.
Hozuki Tetsuya, a person from the Land of Water, had infiltrated the Niwa family as a spy since childhood, in order to plunder the Land of Iron's excellent forging techniques, and collude with the Land of Iron nobles who had been corrupted by the Land of Water's money, gradually eroding the "Three Iron Traditions."
Three months ago, under the guise of assistance, he secretly tampered with the forging furnace in the Oikawa family and replaced the "Hundred Hands Tradition" forging manual, causing the Daimyo's Residence's order of three thousand famous swords to fail, all of which shattered after delivery, enraging the Daimyo, and the Forging Blades Workshop began to disintegrate as a result.
He secretly planned to have the Hidden Mist Village take in the desperate Oikawa family and sent Ninja to snipe the Land of Iron's pursuers...
He incited the Niwa family to marry off Sugawara Shoko, the only daughter, and bought off the powerful in advance, predetermining the winner...
Until... Niwa Maya changed the person to be married off to his beloved Niwa Yukino.
From this, he began to panic.
Announced his participation in the competition...
Designed to intercept and kill Sugawara Shoko...
Although he concealed it very well, he was still noticed by the shrewd and calculating Maya.
If he hadn't been discovered, then he would have revealed his identity in the upcoming martial arts tournament, overwhelmed the heroes to win the championship, united with the bribed nobles to annex the chamber of commerce, and then seized the opportunity to assassinate Niwa Maya, completely disintegrating the "Three Iron Traditions" and incorporating them into the hands of the Land of Water.
More importantly... he could also rightfully marry Niwa Yukino as his wife.
...
Shin'yu returned to his room and lay sprawled on the bed, staring blankly at the night sky outside the window.
"So many feelings..."
"The plan was originally flawless, but because of emotional involvement, everything was lost..."
He turned over, facing the cold moonlight, his pupils flashed red, and exquisite patterns changed in his eyes, the Mangekyo opened instantly.
He stretched out his hand, his slender fingertips gently stroking his eye sockets, "Hozuki Tetsuya, this child has deep schemes and far-reaching plans, but even the deepest schemes and the most insidious calculations are nowhere to hide in front of these eyes of mine..."
"The chaotic world is coming, strength is paramount... In the face of absolute power, all schemes seem so ridiculous..."
Shin'yu stared at his palm, muttering to himself, "This is the feeling of controlling the fate of others?"
That night, he tossed and turned, unable to meditate.
"Compared to Lord Madara, who has the world in his heart, I... am still far behind."
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