Chapter 116: Silver Soul (Earth Arc)

"She's been caught!"
"The Ghost Relic clan leader has been caught!"

Hardly had they stepped into the small town when a group of Bujiu tribesmen rushed over to gawk at Okakura Take and her companions. This made Okakura Take feel deeply uncomfortable.

"Please come with us to meet our master now," Kurosaki Ichigo said to Okakura Take. In truth, to Okakura Take, all the Bujiu looked more or less the same; the only two she could distinguish were Kurosaki Ichigo and Yamazaki Ayako.

"What about them?" Okakura Take asked, pointing at the other Ghost Relic tribesmen.

"Rest assured, they will be fine, as long as you behave and come with us. If you try to resist, then they will..." Yamazaki Ayako said, making a slicing motion across her throat.

"..." Okakura Take felt frustrated. Cursed, she had been coerced again!

"Let's go, then," Okakura Take said, knitting her brows.

"Leader!" Toboji called out to Okakura Take with concern.

"It's alright, stay here for now," Okakura Take replied.

She thought to herself: the Ghost Relic clan was inherently weak, the Bujiu had firearms, and there was also this master whose depth was unknown. In such a situation, it was better to endure for now, wait until she could ascertain the circumstances, and then act, so as to reduce unnecessary sacrifices.

And so, Okakura Take left the main group with Kurosaki Ichigo and Yamazaki Ayako, who led her toward the front.

Okakura Take noticed that as they moved further ahead, the two grew increasingly tense, their bodies stiffening. They seemed... deathly afraid of this master.

Finally, they reached their destination: a two-story western-style house. After exchanging a look, Kurosaki Ichigo and Yamazaki Ayako rang the doorbell.

A minute later, a Bujiu tribesman in a white robe came to open the door. He bowed to Kurosaki Ichigo and Yamazaki Ayako and said, "Greetings, honorable ones."

Kurosaki Ichigo and Yamazaki Ayako also bowed to the Bujiu tribesman and asked, "Is the master in?"

"Yes, he has been waiting for you both for a long time," the Bujiu tribesman replied.

"Leader Okakura, come with us to meet the guardian deity of our Bujiu tribe—Master Shuki," Kurosaki Ichigo said, turning to look at Okakura Take with a smug expression.

A guardian deity? Okakura Take felt puzzled. Why was he called a guardian deity instead of a clan leader? Filled with questions, she followed Kurosaki Ichigo and Yamazaki Ayako into the two-story building.

The Bujiu tribesman led the three of them through the foyer and up the stairs to the second floor, finally stopping in front of a closed door.

"Master Shuki, they have arrived," the Bujiu tribesman said, knocking on the door.

Creak. The door opened. Kurosaki Ichigo and Yamazaki Ayako immediately bowed low and exclaimed, "Master Shuki!"

"Come in," a hoarse voice drifted from within. The voice was discordant, impossible to pin to a gender. Besides, in the universe, many races were hermaphroditic; speculating on gender was meaningless.

Okakura Take clenched her fists, held her breath, and followed Kurosaki Ichigo and Yamazaki Ayako into the room. Then, she saw the Master Shuki whom everyone revered.

"It's you!" Okakura Take exclaimed in surprise. She never expected this Master Shuki to be someone she knew. Kimura Yasuo, the coward who had fled during the Joi War, was Shuki!

"Kimura, how did you end up like this?" Okakura Take asked, astonished. Compared to the past, Kimura’s face had not changed much, but his lower body had transformed into a long, serpentine tail, and his hands had become two pitch-black, long claws. He looked incredibly ferocious.

"Oh? You recognize my original name? Okakura... Okakura Take. Hahaha, so it was you all along." Shuki laughed aloud at Okakura Take and waved his hand, signaling the others to leave.

Kurosaki Ichigo and Yamazaki Ayako exchanged a glance and exited. Only Okakura Take and Shuki remained in the room. Okakura Take stared at Shuki vigilantly, worried he might suddenly attack.

"To think that after so many years, I would encounter a comrade from the Joi War. Okakura, I still remember the smug look on your face when you knocked me to the ground back then, heh heh." Shuki stared at Okakura Take with a cold sneer. His expression was incredibly gloomy, and his eyes were filled with murderous intent toward her.

"I also never expected to see a coward like you after all these years. I haven't even settled the score with you for abandoning your comrades and fleeing on your own. After all these years, do you not feel any shame?" Okakura Take asked, glaring at Shuki.

She recalled the year the Amanto ambushed the Joi army's main camp. She, Ando, and Kimura had been ordered to protect the wounded. Yet, in the end, Shuki had abandoned the wounded and fled secretly. His actions back then had filled her with such rage, and that anger reignited the moment she saw him.

"Okakura, you're still the same, spouting those empty principles at every turn. And now? You've been caught by me, haven't you? You must be curious about how I became this way. Let me tell you how I, Master Shuki, became this magnificent being. Okakura, I want you to know the suffering of the weakling who was once knocked to the ground by you!" Shuki laughed as he watched her. The thick, oppressive killing intent radiating from him made Okakura Take involuntarily take a step back.

This fellow Kimura had become very strong!

Back then, after fleeing the battlefield of the Joi War, Kimura, who was still just a weak human, had intended to run back to his hometown. However, halfway through his flight, he was captured by a squad of Amanto soldiers.

This squad of Amanto had also fled the battlefield; they didn't want to fight anymore and instead planned to seize humans to sell on other planets, as that was a quicker way to make money. Thus, Shuki was sold to outer space after being captured.

He was bought by a mad alien scientist who was very interested in Earth humans at the time and had purchased a large batch of them. Kimura was one of them.

The scientist conducted cruel physical modification experiments on the humans, but Kimura was the only one who survived. After the transformation was successful, Kimura killed the scientist and escaped.

During his flight, he coincidentally encountered the Bujiu tribe. The deity worshipped by the Bujiu tribe was depicted with a human head and a snake body, named Shuki. Thus, the former Kimura was hailed as Shuki by the Bujiu tribe and became their guardian deity.

"Okakura, do you know? I am now the god who rules this planet!" Kimura said with a laugh.

"Is that so? Then why did you send people to capture me?" Okakura Take asked coldly.

"Why? Because I discovered the greatest secret of this planet, and you, Leader Okakura, are the key to unlocking this mystery!" Shuki said with a wicked grin.

The greatest secret of the planet Mitojiguli? What secret could this desolate planet have that related to her? She didn't even grow up on this planet. Okakura Take was confused. What on earth did Kimura want to capture her for?

"Do you really think I would stay here obediently, Kimura?" After saying this, Okakura Take reached into her pocket, intending to pull out her weapon. If she could take care of Kimura first, the problem should be resolved.

"Oh, Okakura, did you truly not feel anything when you stepped onto this planet?" A glint of craftiness flashed in the depths of Kimura's eyes.

Feel anything... Okakura Take’s expression changed abruptly. She remembered: the moment she stepped onto this planet, she had felt a sense of dread and oppression.

"You've remembered, haven't you, Okakura? From the moment you set foot on this planet, you had no chance of winning. If you are obedient now, I might spare your tribesmen. If you continue to oppose me, don't blame me if I can't restrain my Bujiu tribesmen from slaughtering those ugly creatures." Kimura stared at Okakura Take and sneered, "Come, tell me, what is your choice?"

"..." Okakura Take looked at Kimura. A flash crossed her eyes as she pulled her compressed kanabo from her bosom and swung it fiercely at him.

"My choice is to smash you flat!" Okakura Take roared as she swung toward him...

Bang! A minute later, Okakura Take was sent flying. Kimura’s long snake tail coiled around her neck, lifting her into the air. Okakura Take was suffocating, her limbs flailing in the air as she struggled.

Recalling the scene just now, a trace of despair flashed in her eyes. This was truly bad; for some reason, her strength had diminished—she didn't even have half of what she usually possessed.

Okakura Take recalled Kimura's words: "Okakura, from the moment you set foot on this planet, you had no chance of winning."

What had this bastard done to her! Okakura Take struggled even more violently.

"Stop moving. You are no match for me now, Okakura Take. I can finally knock you to the ground; it feels so good." After saying this, Kimura flicked his snake tail, slamming Okakura Take hard against the ground and creating a large crater.

"..." Okakura Take felt as if every bone in her body was shattering. She felt this fight was even worse than the one against Housen. At least then she could still exert force, but now she couldn't even summon her strength.

Okakura Take couldn't help but look at her palms. Why had her strength vanished? She hadn't eaten any food from this planet since arriving, nor had she touched anything. So, what was the reason for her weakness?

"Very well, lock her up. There is no time to lose; we shall begin the ritual this evening," Kimura said, looking toward the corner.

"Master Shuki..." Kurosaki Ichigo and Yamazaki Ayako emerged from the corner.

"Watch her well until evening. She is the key to the prosperity of our Bujiu tribe," Kimura said to Kurosaki Ichigo and Yamazaki Ayako with a smile.

"Yes! Master Shuki!" After saying this, Kurosaki Ichigo and Yamazaki Ayako each grabbed one of Okakura Take's arms and carried her away.

Before leaving, Okakura Take slowly raised her head to look at Kimura. She saw that his eyes were filled with smugness. She couldn't help but clench her fists tightly. Kimura Yasuo, even if you have become this so-called guardian deity Shuki, you are still the same despicable person you were in the past!