Whoosh!

It was like the wind, blowing through the shattered void.

Hanakaiin Itsuki, Hanakaiin Haru, Tsuchimikado Motoharu, Komichi Yuhachi, and Hu Qiandai were instantly immobilized.

Suppression!

Absolute suppression!

A suppression at the level of existence itself!

As if facing a natural predator, a deep-seated fear involuntarily took root in their hearts, along with trembling and dread.

And then…

It began to grow, quickly.

He fixed his eyes firmly on that broken void.

He gazed at the massive figure, slowly approaching the fractured space.

“You… do you realize what you’ve done?”

Under the immense pressure, Tsuchimikado Motoharu’s voice faltered, but he still managed to stammer out the words.

“I do.”

“Summoned a monster… to destroy the world.”

Hanakaiin Ro said with a smile.

At this moment, Hanakaiin Ro was also being suppressed.

Yet, the Family Head of the Hanakaiin still smiled.

A bright, jubilant smile.

“Are you insane?”

Hu Qiandai asked.

To the heiress of the Uesugi Family, this was utterly inconceivable.

As the head of the Hanakaiin Family, he was intent on destroying the entire world?

Such a person could only be a born madman–there was no other explanation.

In her era, there were many such lunatics.

Back then, amidst scarcity of resources and relentless catastrophes, certain “doctrines” gained traction, nourishing evil cults. Time and again, she had battled those scoundrels and pitiful zealots.

But that was then.

Now?

Resources were plentiful, and as long as you worked hard, you wouldn’t starve.

You could even live rather well.

Why would lunatics like this still appear?

Especially a madman from such a distinguished family?

Hu Qiandai couldn’t understand.

Neither could anyone else around them.

None of them could fathom why Hanakaiin Ro did what he did.

Seeing their collective bewilderment, Hanakaiin Rs smile only grew brighter.

Let them be confused.

It didn’t matter.

Because he had succeeded.

That was enough.

“You want to strip the ‘Mystical’ of its mystery, to unveil the ‘Inside World’ for everyone to see, don’t you?”

Suddenly, Komichi Yuhachi spoke up.

Hanakaiin Ro looked at the young Onmyoji with surprise.

“You can divine that too?”

Hanakaiin Ro asked curiously.

“Not entirely divination, just a bit of reasoning as well.”

“You are the head of the Hanakaiin Family, and also the Leader of ‘Blossom Cherry.’ Combining the two, some conclusions are natural.”

“And then

“You’re deeply dissatisfied, aren’t you?”

Komichi Yuhachi suddenly asked.

“Oh? And what else have you deduced or divined?”

Hanakaiin Ro asked with a smile.

“The advent of gunpowder made you feel utterly resentful, didn’t it?”

Komichi Yuhachi asked in a deep voice.

The moment those words were spoken, everyone’s eyes turned toward Hanakaiin Ro. Tsuchimikado Motoharu’s expression grew thoughtful, while Hanakaiin Haru and Hanakaiin Itsuki appeared as though they had pieced something together.

Even Hu Qiandai’s face was filled with disbelief.

Only Hui Lijing looked slightly bewildered.

This unique expression caught Hanakaiin Rs attention.

“When you first learned about the ‘Mystical Side’ and the ‘Inside World,’ were you ever afraid?”

Hanakaiin Ro suddenly asked.

“Yes, I was afraid.”

“Jason mentioned to me that this is a world of jungle law.”

“A single mistake here could truly lead to death.”

Hui Lijing nodded honestly.

“Indeed. Anyone facing a foreign world would feel fear. But when confronted with gunpowder weapons, they wouldn’t–people only think of them as tools, only fear the person holding the gun.”

“As for the firearms themselves?”

“Many people genuinely admire them.”

Hanakaiin Ro sighed, and then asked again, “When you gained mystical, transcendent power, did you feel joy?”

Hanakaiin Ro questioned Hui Lijing once more.

Her answer remained the same.

“Yes, immense joy!”

“I was delighted!”

Seeing the sincerity in Hui Lijing’s expression, Hanakaiin Ro smiled again.

“That’s good.”

After speaking, the head of the Hanakaiin Family raised his head, gazing at the shattered void in the distance.

The invisible wind swept through his cloak.

The green hair tie fluttered wildly.

“Hey! You bastard!”

“Destroying the world? Spouting such far-fetched words, just to fully expose the ‘Mystical Side’ and the ‘Inside World,’ forcing everyone to accept it, making it as commonplace as gunpowder weapons?”

“Don’t think too highly of yourself!”

“Do you really think everything will go according to your plans?”

Hanakaiin Itsuki shouted lowly at the Family Head.

“A gas explosion? That excuse won’t cover it, over there!”

Tsuchimikado Motoharu pointed toward the shattered void.

A gas explosion wouldn’t reach the heavens.

Especially not on this scale–with such height and magnitude, the entire Kinki region would be able to see it.

This was beyond explanation by any conventional measure.

What’s more!

The opponent’s preparations extended far beyond that.

“He’s truly calculated everything–haven’t you noticed that none of those old-timers from the ‘Inside World’ have shown up recently?”

“Without their interference, this kind of plan might actually work.”

“Of course, it’s undeniable that he’s also a madman.”

Tsuchimikado Motoharu remarked.

Those old-timers?

Hanakaiin Itsuki froze.

Indeed!

He really hadn’t seen those pesky old folks recently. At first, he thought it was due to some issue like the “Flag of Fear” keeping them occupied, leaving them no time to target him.

But now, it seemed Hanakaiin Ro had orchestrated something else entirely.