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"Yes, he\'s right over here," Odysseus replied.

"Oh, Mi\'lord, please wait a moment. I\'ll quickly find Lady Koyuki. And please, do not start the invasion or fire an orbital cannon. I know it\'s tempting, but let us relocate Lady Koyuki first before you begin any hostilities, okay?" Maria\'s tone was cheerful yet tinged with a hint of worry before she cut the connection.

Daniel tilted his head in confusion, then turned toward Envy. "Do I look like a genocidal maniac?" he asked.

"You know... No one in their right mind brings a colossal super submarine with enough firepower to turn the entire planet into a wasteland just for the effect of gunboat diplomacy," Envy replied with a sigh.

"I don\'t think so. In order for it to be called gunboat diplomacy, the opposition needs to know what we want and understand the immediate consequences. In our case, they know both what we want and the consequences. Right now, we are the consequence," Daniel said, half jokingly.

Envy let out a long sigh before lightly hitting Daniel\'s arm. "You missed the step of negotiation. We haven\'t negotiated with them yet. Formality is important in diplomacy, don\'t you know?" Envy admonished Daniel, then sighed again.

"Please, promise me that you won\'t do a side-parted hairdo and a toothbrush mustache. I hated it," Envy said half-jokingly, her concern still evident on her face.

Daniel smiled reassuringly before speaking in a soothing tone. "Okay, you don\'t need to worry too much. I have my limits too. I\'m just teasing you. Besides, worrying too much will age you prematurely, won\'t it..." Daniel stopped mid-sentence as a sharp pain shot through his side.

With a pout, Envy twisted the soft spot at the side of his waist.

— Maria\'s POV —

Currently, I\'m staying with the locals, hidden in the secret room of the Todo Clan. Akihiro Todo\'s mannerisms and speech indicate that he is a Schemer type, but a Schemer with a bottom line.

I encountered him during my brief investigation here, following rumors and conducting some interrogations at the Shogun castle. People mentioned that Akihiro Todo is dissatisfied with the Shogun he serves. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Approaching him, I believed this person might hold the key to my investigation in finding Lady Koyuki\'s whereabouts. Initially, I considered resorting to turning him into a thrall and commanding him to speak, but to my surprise, he quickly cooperated by telling the truth.

Yes, I even checked his pulse and heartbeat. Being a vampire, my senses are much sharper than a human\'s, allowing me to discern whether he\'s lying to me or not.

"So, Any chance of changing your mind to change your master?" I ask him. I spoke with Lord Daniel a moment ago because I wanted Todo to hear what I said. I wanted him to be afraid of what lord Daniel might do if things went awry.

"I\'m sorry, Maria-dono, but the best you could hope for is my head. My honor dictates loyalty to my homeland, and that\'s something I can\'t compromise. Even if the regime were to change and Lord Tokugawa\'s son were reinstated as Shogun, I would still serve under the puppet, not under your lord. I apologize," Todo answered.

Yet, the man remained stubborn. I couldn\'t understand why he was so obstinate. Was it a matter of honor or simply racial bias? I couldn\'t say for certain, but I could acknowledge that he spoke the truth. He was loyal, in his own way. I had to give him that.

"You\'re quite a weirdo, you know that?" I remarked.

"You don\'t understand, Maria-dono. I may betray a power-hungry man, but I will not betray my homeland," Todo replied, still seated in seiza and sipping his tea.

"Very well, have it your way. But remember, it\'s your loss," I pointed out.

"Now it\'s time for me to proceed with the rescue mission. I entered another room where I found an elderly man in a black kimono, leaning on a cane. Beside him stood a man with only one eye, his body wrapped in bandages like a mummy.

He was Takayuki Matsudaira, once among the elite samurai under the Tokugawa clan, now a shadow of his former self. Many warriors and loyalists had abandoned the clan, leaving only a few behind. Matsudaira had become the way he was by holding the line against the Hojo army to ensure his master\'s escape, sacrificing his right eye in the process.

"We will commence the operation tonight, Master Atlanteus," I informed the venerable old man, who was my lord teacher.

"No need for formalities, young lady. I\'m glad you\'ve come from Europe to assist me," Atlanteus replied warmly. "I heard that my pupil brought Oceanos here," he added, inquiring about the massive submarine.

"Yes, sir. That information is confirmed. Our lord is aboard Oceanos, just a few kilometers away from the shore, awaiting the success of our operation," I affirmed.

"Very well! Let\'s go and assist Lady Koyuki!" Matsudaira exclaimed, rising with the aid of his sword. However, his movements were unsteady, a consequence of his numerous battles on the frontline, diverting attention from the Hojo clan to himself to aid Atlanteus in his rescue attempts for Lady Koyuki.

Observing Matsudaira\'s condition, Atlanteus cast a spell, causing the samurai to lose consciousness and collapse.

"Now, let\'s adjust the plan slightly. I\'ll be the one drawing attention, as this entire coup began because of me. Nobunari Hojo sought my methods of creating the Atlantean artifacts," Atlanteus explained.

"But, sir, you shouldn\'t... You\'re our lord teacher. If anything were to happen to you..." I attempted to reason with him.

"Didn\'t you mention that my pupil is just a few kilometers away from the shore within Oceanos? With Oceanos, anything is possible. I won\'t die. Trust me. Let me contact him," Atlanteus insisted, borrowing my communicator to reach out to Oceanos.

"This is Atlanteus. Daniel, can you leave one of Oceanos\' infinite manufacturer chambers available for me? I have something in mind to create. Don\'t worry; I designed Oceanos myself, remember?" Atlanteus conveyed his request to Daniel.

"Ok! See you!" Atlanteus concluded the call and returned my communicator.

"Let\'s proceed," he said, leading me toward a secret passage within the Todo clan\'s hidden chamber.

— Night - Shogun Castle —

Under the moonlit sky, the Shogun Castle loomed large, its silhouette casting imposing shadows over the surrounding landscape. Guard towers dotted the perimeter, their searchlights flickering in the darkness as vigilant samurai patrolled the fortified walls.

The castle grounds buzzed with activity, yet an air of tension lingered in the night air. Soldiers moved swiftly from post to post, their armor gleaming faintly in the dim light as they maintained watch for any signs of intrusion. The clank of armor and hushed commands echoed through the courtyard, blending with the distant roar of crashing waves against the shore.

In the depths of the castle\'s basement, a man with an ambitious glint in his eyes stood before magic boundaries designed and created solely to contain powerful beings in human form. Despite the constraints, there was enough space for the prisoner within to sit and move around, a sign of respect.

Seated inside, Koyuki wore a noble red kimono adorned with a Yamata No Orochi pattern. She calmly observed the man before her, who stood with a futile attempt to exert authority over her.

Yet, Koyuki sensed his fear and uncertainty. As a half-monster, her connection to the fragments of Yamata No Orochi\'s soul made it easy for her to detect fear in others.

She remembered how the man had once been consumed by ambition and greed, seeking to rule Japan as Shogun and conquer the world by exploiting Atlanteus\'s presence to capture him and harness the power of the Atlantean artifacts.

Now, he appeared as a fool, blinded by his sudden rise to power and influence after a successful coup, only to have it crumble when news arrived that Daniel had come for him and Koyuki.

For Koyuki, the situation was frustrating. She found herself once again in the role of damsel in distress, her soul completely controlled by the Onmyoji who had established what we called a back door while mending her soul with the soul of Orochi. They held the power to manipulate and destroy her soul at will.

"Lady Koyuki, please relinquish control of the Orochi. If you do, I\'ll release you immediately and withdraw my accusations against Atlanteus. He will no longer be considered a criminal," the Shogun pleaded.

The intriguing aspect of Orochi is his dual nature as a demigod and a monster. With a monstrous form resembling a colossal snake with eight heads, he wields dominion over the elements, particularly natural calamities such as earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, and typhoons.

This inherent power grants Orochi immortality, making it nearly impossible for him to be vanquished, the same as it is impossible for humans to vanquish nature, and the calamity that comes with it.

The most Yamato Takeru could achieve was to divide Orochi\'s soul into eight pieces. Interestingly, one of these Orochi soul fragments was utilized to mend Koyuki soul, a process facilitated by her perfect compatibility with it, even surpassing that of the fragment of Satan\'s soul.