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*****
Daken's ability was almost identical to Logan's, but he possessed one very special ability that Logan did not.
Pheromone manipulation.
This was a very unique ability. Daken could control his pheromones to suppress his own scent, and he could also use his pheromones to manipulate the emotions and sensory perceptions of others. He could instill strong feelings of fear, pleasure, loss, sexual impulse, and even a false sense of security.
Interestingly, his pheromone ability was a natural, reality-based power, not a psychic one.
In addition to this, he had a strong recognition ability for the pheromones of ordinary people, as well as their smells and tastes. By combining his super-senses with his mastery over pheromones, he could skillfully ascertain the emotional state and physical condition of those around him, whether they were animal or human.
He was using this very ability to judge the emotions of Mike and Emma.
Looking at Mike Kent and Emma, Daken wanted to manipulate his pheromones, to instill them with ambiguous feelings in order to confuse them, but... he didn't dare.
White Queen Emma was one of the most powerful psychic ability users in the world. Attempting to control her emotions and senses was an extremely difficult matter. Even though his ability was based in natural reality and didn't involve the psychic plane, he had no confidence of success. Not even thirty percent.
As for Mike Kent, he didn't even entertain the thought of trying.
And the key to finding Logan also lay with this ability.
By using the pheromonal scent that Logan had left behind, he could discern the time and direction of Logan's departure. It would not be difficult to find Logan using this information.
After he agreed to help Mike and Emma find Logan, he decided to set off immediately.
Daken casually ripped off the already tattered outer jacket he was wearing, found his motorcycle parked not far away, and then whistled at the two of them. "Hey! Which one of you is sitting on the back?"
Emma took a deep breath and said to Mike, "You should have a way to find Logan, right? You must have a way!"
Before Mike could answer, Daken's expression tightened, and he hurriedly said, "I'm leaving right now!"
With that said, he sped away on his motorcycle.
Mike was momentarily stunned.
"This bastard isn't completely unafraid of death, after all," he muttered. A card appeared in his hand, and after he materialized it, a beam of light landed on Emma.
Emma felt her body become weightless, and she began to slowly float up.
"This is the ability of flight. It should last until we find Logan."
Emma nodded, and her body took to the air, chasing after Daken.
Daken, riding his sports bike, was like a stampeding beast, weaving rapidly through the night.
Every time he traveled a certain distance, he would stop to reorient himself, and then continue onward.
But this speed was still too slow. Mike pondered for a moment, then descended from the sky. He grabbed one of Daken's legs and, holding him upside down, flew back into the air.
Daken screamed, "Can we please change positions?"
"No."
Mike said flatly. Just as Daken was about to protest again, Mike's speed exploded. The ferocious wind instantly blasted into Daken's mouth, distorting his face as they disappeared from their original spot.
Watching this scene, Emma revealed a smile. Her mood had finally brightened, just a little.
At the same time, in the suburbs of Tokyo.
Under the bright moonlight, a tower with a simple, ancient appearance stood tall.
Although the tower looked like an ancient structure from the outside, it was, in reality, a high-tech experimental base. It was a base built at great expense by the "deceased" Ichirō Yashida.
Ichirō Yashida... he had known Logan for a very long time.
During World War II, Logan had saved Ichirō Yashida, a defeated Japanese officer. And because of this, Ichirō had witnessed Logan's abilities.
From that day forward, he came to view Logan's ability as a gift from the heavens.
Later, after the war ended, he returned to his family, inherited the family business, and caused it to flourish under his control, becoming one of the most prominent corporations in Japan, and even in all of Asia.
But, growing the family business was not what he truly wanted. It was merely a means to achieve his ultimate goal. Researching mutant abilities, obtaining powers similar to Logan's longevity and rapid healing, and even achieving true immortality—this was his final objective.
But, he had not completed his goal, even after growing into an old man.
Faced with this situation, he spent massive amounts of money, utilizing a great deal of technology to extend his own life. He was even willing to risk the bankruptcy of his corporation, and he finally developed a technology capable of seizing a mutant's abilities.
And so, he had his people find Logan. He put on the guise of wanting to help Logan find release from the pain of his long life, all because he wanted Logan to give him his abilities.
But the Logan of today... he had a wife, a child on the way, students, and friends. His life could be considered happy and fulfilling. How could he possibly agree to Ichirō's request?
And after Logan refused his request, Ichirō Yashida "died" the very next day.
Of course, he had not truly died. He had merely chosen to fake his death. Then, adopting the posture of entrusting his granddaughter's care, he "entrusted" Mariko to Logan, asking Logan to protect her, and using this as an excuse to temporarily keep Logan in Japan.
He knew that as long as he showed even the slightest intention of having Mariko inherit the Yashida Group, his ruthless son would not spare his own daughter. This would inevitably bring his son into conflict with Logan.
At that time, he, hidden in the shadows, would find an opportunity to use his granddaughter, luring Logan—who was protecting her—to his laboratory. Then, he would use the device he had developed to transfer Logan's abilities away.
Listening as Ichirō slowly laid out his entire plan, Logan's face was calm.
"Are you finished talking?"
Logan's voice was icy. Looking at the despicable villain before him, he felt an overwhelming sense of disgust.
Mariko Yashida stood to the side, her gaze shifting back and forth between Logan and her grandfather. Inside, she felt not only anxiety and helplessness, but also the sorrow and anger of being used as a pawn, as well as a deep worry for Logan.
Ichirō Yashida looked at Logan, sighed, and said in a sorrowful tone, "You saved me back then. Why won't you save me now?"
Logan's mouth twitched. "This is the first time I've ever felt regret over saving someone."
Ichirō stated calmly, "I will not allow you to regret it. So, give me your abilities."
Logan grinned. "In your dreams!"
Along with his roar, Adamantium claws extended from between his knuckles, and he charged at Ichirō like a man possessed.
Seeing this, the ninjas who had been cultivated by the Yashida family, and who were guarding Ichirō, rushed forward to kill Logan.
Sh-chkt! Sh-chkt!
The moment the two sides made contact, the blood-curdling sound of flesh being torn apart rang out.
One after another, shurikens flew toward Logan. Logan was fearless. He only shielded his eyes, allowing the projectiles to lodge in his body.
Thk, thk!
The scalp-numbing sounds rang out. The intense pain madly stimulated Logan's nerves, but not only did it fail to slow his movements in the slightest, it actually caused Logan's speed to surge. He spread his arms and pounced into the midst of the ninjas like a vicious wolf.
Instantly, one katana after another was severed, and following this was a spray of flying blood.
Watching this scene, Ichirō Yashida sighed.
"I truly did not want to see this. Why can't he just quietly accept his fate? He has lived for so long. He should have lived enough by now, shouldn't he?"
Hearing Ichirō's mumbling, the woman standing beside him—with long, golden hair, a sensual figure poured into a green bodysuit—flicked her snake-like tongue. A trace of disdain flashed in her eyes.
If Ichirō Yashida hadn't offered her a price she couldn't refuse, she would never have agreed to work for this old thing, who reeked of rot and decay.
Hearing no response, Ichirō Yashida frowned. "Viper?"
The woman known as Viper swayed her serpentine waist. She leaned in close to Ichirō's ear and, in a soft, bewitching voice, said slowly, "Whatever you say is right, boss."
"Hmph!"
Ichirō was highly dissatisfied with Viper's perfunctory response. But when he saw that the wounds on Logan's body were not healing, he couldn't help but reveal a smile. He praised, "The device you researched has been made quite well."
When Logan had gone to the Yashida estate to see him, he had instructed Viper to find an opportunity to place a mechanical parasite—one that could suppress Logan's healing ability—inside Logan's body.
From the looks of it now, that device was taking effect. And it was precisely because of this device's existence that Emma had been unable to sense Logan's presence with her brainwave scanner.
At the same time, Logan, in the midst of the fight, had also discovered this strange situation.
Schk!
He retracted his claws, unstained by even a trace of blood, from a ninja's jaw. Logan looked at Ichirō, who was now unobstructed in the distance, and panted lightly.
He looked down at the wounds on his own body, and his eyes flashed with shock.
His ability? What was going on?
Logan was stunned for a second, then he looked furiously at Ichirō.
Although he didn't know the reason yet, this abnormal situation was definitely related to him.
But regardless of the reason, it no longer mattered, because he was about to eliminate the person responsible for this situation.
Logan took a deep breath, the muscles all over his body tensing and releasing in a steady rhythm. He then slowly exhaled and said to Ichirō with a sneer, "Is this all you've got? And you dared to say you'd make me not regret it?"
Ichirō's eyes flickered. Just as Logan was about to charge him, he whispered, "Do it."
As his voice fell, a new group of ninjas in black uniforms appeared, as if from nowhere, silently forming a wall that once again stood between Logan and Ichirō.
Seeing this, Logan's mouth twitched, and he cursed under his breath, "Fuck!"
Could they just pretend he hadn't said anything a second ago?
But the next second, Logan's strength exploded, and he charged out once again.
The current situation was very disadvantageous for him.
His wounds couldn't heal. If this dragged on any longer, he might pass out from blood loss.
I have to take out Ichirō before I pass out.
Logan once again plunged into the crowd. His Adamantium claws made him unstoppable. After paying the price of several more wounds on his body, he finally broke through the ninjas' defensive line. Accompanied by a furious roar, his entire body, like a beast pouncing on its prey, leaped violently toward Ichirō.
Ichirō let out a weak breath. He moved his finger with great difficulty and pressed a button by his hand.
The next second, just as Logan's claws were about to land on Ichirō, a giant, all-silver figure appeared from behind Ichirō, using its own metal body to block Logan's Adamantium claws.
Logan looked at the metal body, which was completely unscratched, and a trace of confusion flashed in his eyes.
It can block his claws. Is this metal Vibranium? Or Adamantium?
Before the question in his mind could be settled, the giant silver samurai spun around and swung its sword, slashing down at Logan.
Logan dodged backward, but the movement pulled on his wounds. His body lost its balance, and he only barely managed to avoid the sharp blade.
But the rapidly swinging katana slashed down once more.
Logan hurriedly used his claws to parry, but the terrifying force of the blow directly buckled his legs, forcing him to a single knee, where he struggled just to support the weight.
"Logan-kun, as a reward for giving me your ability, I shall grant you death, solving your long-lasting pain of eternal life."
As Ichirō spoke, a series of silver, metallic tubes connecting him and the silver samurai pulled him, drawing him toward the silver suit.
This suit of Adamantium armor was not only the weapon he had created to deal with Wolverine, but it could also sustain his very life.
Logan struggled to block the falling sword. The bleeding wounds on his body were like fountains, gushing blood, turning him into a crimson figure.
Just then, two cold lights seemed to flash from within the silver samurai's helmet; Ichirō had now fully donned the silver samurai armor.
Although he was an old man who could draw his last breath at any moment, as long as he wore this armor, he would be an extremely powerful enemy.
"Give it to me, Logan-kun!"
Ichirō murmured. As Logan's pupils contracted violently, the armor's other hand drew a second katana and stabbed it deep into Logan's stomach.
Logan roared, but he could feel the strength continuously draining from his body. He had lost too much blood.
Gently flicking the sword in his hand, Ichirō flung Logan away and then strode over to him.
He tightly gripped the katana in his hand, and after triggering a switch, the silver blade, forged from Adamantium, was dyed with the orange-red glow of extreme heat.
"Be grateful!"
Ichirō said in a low voice, and swung the blade down at Logan's claws.
As long as he cut off Logan's claws, he could use the ability extraction device built into the silver samurai armor. By absorbing Logan's bone marrow, he could transfer Logan's ability to himself.
Just as the red-hot blade was about to slash down, Mariko Yashida suddenly appeared, throwing herself in front of Ichirō's sword.
Ichirō's blade paused slightly. "Move aside, Mariko."
"No!"
Mariko Yashida shook her head firmly.
Just then, Yukio, the one who had brought Logan to Japan, also rushed out, drawing her own sword and pointing it at Ichirō.
Ichirō looked at the two of them. "Do you have any idea what this means?"
These two... one was an orphan he had adopted and raised as a daughter, the other was his own biological granddaughter. And now, they both stood in his way, blocking him from the immortality that was just within his grasp?
A cold sneer appeared on Ichirō Yashida's ancient, bark-like face.
(End of this chapter)