"Mirai-sama, all I can say is… you're just too powerful. Even a monster like Mōryō was no match for you."
"I was the one being short-sighted. Please forgive my ignorance."
Shion spoke slowly, her voice tinged with awe.
What she had originally believed to be a crisis that could destroy the entire shinobi world… had been resolved with astonishing ease by Uchiha Mirai.
Mōryō hadn't even lasted a full minute before him.
With just a single exchange—it was over.
It could only be said that Mirai's strength had reached a terrifyingly overwhelming level.
Maybe the rumors were true. Maybe this Emperor had truly transcended humanity... and become something closer to a god.
Mirai looked at her and asked calmly, "Is there anything else you need me to handle?"
Shion thought for a moment, then said,
"What you destroyed just now was only Mōryō's soul. Its body is still sealed in another temple within the Land of Demons."
"But now that its soul has been wiped out, its body won't last long. It will soon rot away."
"Mirai-sama, you've removed a massive hidden threat from the shinobi world!"
A curse that had plagued generations of shrine maidens had finally been broken.
At her praise, Mirai just waved a hand casually. "It was nothing."
Seeing how effortlessly he brushed it off, Shion's admiration for him only deepened.
In front of a man this powerful, was there anything in the world that couldn't be solved?
And more than that—he had a heart full of compassion. He'd rather risk his own life than let the people of his divine nation suffer in vain.
With such a man leading the shinobi world, it was bound to become a better place.
...
Hinata Hyūga, Kurotsuchi, and Ino Yamanaka stepped forward with some hesitation. They looked up at Uchiha Mirai and said quietly,
"Sensei... we failed you."
They were his students, yet they had come so close to dying without even seeing the real body of the enemy.
It was nothing short of shameful.
They had let their teacher down.
But what they didn't expect—was that Mirai didn't scold them. In fact, he smiled reassuringly.
"You did well. I'm not disappointed in you at all."
"Even facing death, you didn't retreat. That alone proves you're qualified to be true shinobi."
It was during life-and-death moments that a person's character truly showed.
Even when they were barely holding on, Hinata and the others still chose to follow orders and block Mōryō's army.
Three years since their graduation from the Academy—they hadn't become pampered flowers sheltered from reality.
They had passed his test.
Hearing Mirai's words, the girls couldn't help but light up with joy.
"And besides…" he continued, "if it weren't for the fact that you held Mōryō's army at bay in advance, the Land of Demons might already be in ruins."
Embarrassed by the praise, Hinata, Ino, and Kurotsuchi scratched their heads, flustered.
"Sensei, we really didn't do much... You're the one who resolved the crisis. Even without us, you would've taken care of Mōryō easily."
"We were just... lucky to be along for the ride."
Mirai frowned slightly and said with a firm tone, "Don't focus only on the results. That mindset will cheapen your efforts."
"It's the process that matters. Do you understand?"
His words warmed the girls' hearts.
That was just like their teacher—always so thoughtful, always with a lesson buried in wisdom.
If even Mirai-sensei acknowledged their worth, then from now on, they absolutely wouldn't belittle themselves again!
...
Back at the palace.
Asui was pacing inside, clearly anxious. His brow was furrowed so tightly, it looked like it might never smooth out.
Lady Shion... please, you must be safe!
Just then, a dark spatial portal appeared, and Mirai, Shion, and the others stepped out one after another.
The moment he saw Shion unharmed, Asui let out a huge breath of relief.
He quickly walked up and said in a low voice, "Lord Emperor, Lady Shion… I assume you've seen Mōryō's power firsthand."
"There's still time to retreat. I'll stay behind to cover your escape."
Shion smiled at his worry. "Asui, Mōryō has already been destroyed."
"What?!"
Asui's jaw dropped. "But Lady Shion, how are you…"
It was common knowledge: the shrine maiden had to sacrifice her life to seal Mōryō.
If it had truly been defeated—how was Lady Shion still alive?
Noticing the confusion in his eyes, Shion explained, "I didn't do anything. Mirai-sama was the one who defeated Mōryō."
Gasp!
Asui drew in a sharp breath, staring at Mirai with a gaze full of awe.
No shrine maiden bloodline, no inherited techniques… and yet he had defeated a monster like Mōryō?
And they had only left an hour ago at most.
To end it all in such a short time—this Emperor truly lived up to his name.
Asui's face lit up, and he immediately said, "Lady Shion, now that Mōryō's been sealed, it's time you and the Emperor consider having children."
...
"Only by passing down the bloodline of the shrine maidens can we prevent disasters like today from happening again."
Shion's face flushed crimson. "Asui! Mōryō wasn't sealed—it was completely destroyed."
"That kind of monster… will never appear in the shinobi world again."
"Huh?!"
Asui pinched his own thigh hard. The sharp pain made him wince.
Mōryō was... gone?
How was that possible?
Wasn't Mōryō supposed to be immortal?
For a moment, he stood frozen, completely stunned.
His worldview felt like it was crumbling.
Shion turned to him and said gently, "You've never seen Mirai-sama's power for yourself, so it's normal that you can't process this right away."
"But Mōryō really is gone. I can feel it—I'm certain."
"And as for that whole 'having a child' matter... please don't bring that up again. In front of someone as noble as Mirai-sama, it's deeply inappropriate."
Shion glanced anxiously at Mirai, her heart pounding.
After everything that happened with Mōryō, she couldn't deny that she'd developed strong feelings for him.
But he was the Emperor—an exalted figure. Compared to him, even as the priestess of the Land of Demons, she was… insignificant.
But just as her voice trailed off, Uchiha Mirai suddenly spoke:
"I actually think Asui makes a good point."
"Shion, you mentioned it yourself—what I destroyed was only Mōryō's soul, right?"
"Its body still exists in the world. For all we know, it might possess some means of resurrection."
"Even destroying its soul took a toll on me. If it returns again, it'll be a serious problem."
"When it comes to the safety of the shinobi world, we can't be too careful."
"So…"
He placed both hands on Shion's shoulders, who was now completely stunned.
"For the sake of the future—let's take Asui's suggestion."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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