Chapter 31: You are not Erii, who are you?!

Tachibana Masamune looked down at his chest, his face frozen in utter bewilderment. Bright red blood stained his white kimono, eventually dripping onto the floor like blooming red plum blossoms.

The expression on "Erii's" face remained unchanged. With a backhand motion, she withdrew Gungnir. Tachibana staggered backward, collapsing to the floor and knocking over the table and chairs behind him.

Gen Tachibana's pupils contracted sharply; his face was a mask of disbelief. Unable to process what he had just witnessed, he let out an involuntary roar: "Erii! What are you doing?!"

But the girl did not spare him a single glance, her gaze locked firmly onto the fallen Tachibana.

"Do you like this surprise I prepared for you, Doctor Dragon?" Tang Xi whispered, watching the shock in the man's eyes as the corners of her mouth curled upward. "This is a welcome gift I prepared especially for you."

Tachibana's pupils trembled violently, his expression shifting from astonishment to fury. Realizing something, he instinctively gasped, "You... you are not..."

*You are not Erii. Who are you?*

Unfortunately, before he could finish his sentence, Tang Xi swung Gungnir again. The sharp tip of the spear slashed across his throat, silencing him forever.

Tang Xi did not hold back. A moment later, his head rolled onto the floor, and hot blood quickly stained the ground.

Everything happened too quickly and too suddenly. By the time Gen Tachibana reacted, it was already too late.

The man’s eyes were bloodshot, filled with a dense web of ruptured vessels. He charged forward like a madman, letting out a pained roar, but nothing could be changed.

Those outside, alerted by the commotion, rushed in with caution. They froze at the sight, paralyzed by nothing but pure, unadulterated shock.

Tachibana Masamune was the patriarch of the Katana-Kigi (Snake Clan Eight Families), the equivalent of a national emperor. He held absolute control over the organization, and his methods were far from amateur; the clan had long respected and acknowledged his leadership.

Yet, this stern and efficient patriarch now lay in a pool of blood, his head severed from his body, his eyes wide open in death.

Someone, overcome with terror, instinctively retreated and fled, shouting, "The Patriarch has been assassinated!"

Tang Xi made no move to stop them; in fact, this was exactly the effect she desired.

There was no doubt that the persona of Tachibana Masamune, adopted by Herzog, had been a massive success. The "Doctor Dragon" had spent over a decade laying his plans, climbing step-by-step to his current position without anyone suspecting his true nature. In the original story, had it not been for a final protagonist-fueled intervention, he would have surely emerged as the ultimate victor.

Even so, he had effectively toyed with all of Japan, playing two sides—Tachibana Masamune and the King—to divide the Japanese half-breeds, pitting them against one another and keeping them all under his thumb.

Gen Tachibana, Gen Chime, and Erii—the three "monster" siblings all perished at his hands, until the Katana-Kigi were left with barely enough survivors to count.

All these tragedies, all this misery, led back to this one man.

Upon discovering that her new host would be Erii, Tang Xi knew she would inevitably become entangled with the Katana-Kigi. The design of Gungnir was too distinct, and the Doctor's intuition was too sharp; it was only a matter of time before she was exposed.

Hiding was meaningless, as it would simply surrender the initiative. Since that was the case, it was better to seize control—by eliminating Tachibana Masamune in front of everyone.

While there was a high probability that this was not his true body, his status as the patriarch was what mattered. Dying before so many witnesses meant he could not simply replace himself with another shadow warrior, unlike the "King" persona, which merely required a change of mask.

The true significance of Tang Xi killing Tachibana was to sever his ability to manipulate the Katana-Kigi under the guise of the patriarch.

Her strike had been sudden. Not only had Herzog failed to anticipate it, but even Gen Tachibana and the rest of the clan were too slow to react.

"Erii!" Gen Tachibana dropped the corpse. Covered in blood, his face twisted in pain and rage. "What have you done?! Why would you do this?"

Only then did Tang Xi turn her gaze toward Gen. She felt a slight headache coming on.

How was she supposed to handle this stubborn "Elephant Tortoise"?

"Don't get excited yet," Tang Xi said. "I can explain. Just listen."

The shock on Gen's face deepened. He had always believed Erii was mute. Having spent so many years with her, practically watching her grow up, he had never once heard her speak.

It was this familiarity that allowed him to snap out of the shock of the assassination. He realized something was wrong.

"You... you aren't Erii!"

His eyes locked onto the girl before him. He scanned her up and down; it was the same familiar face, and she was even wearing the outfit she had worn when they went out earlier that day.

Despite her appearance being unchanged, Gen knew—something was different.

It wasn't just that Erii never spoke, nor that she would never kill Tachibana. It was her eyes.

Erii had beautiful eyes, but they always seemed veiled by a fog, lacking true vitality. But now, it was different. Gen could clearly see the light of thought in those eyes.

It felt as if the shell remained, but the soul within had been swapped.

Tang Xi did not answer his question, mostly because it was difficult to explain. The real Erii had been knocked unconscious by gas; while she was the one "logging in," the body was indeed Erii's.

So, she wasn't even sure if she was Erii herself.

But that didn't matter.

What mattered was that, thanks to the element of surprise, she had effortlessly eliminated the patriarch. Now, Tachibana was dead, but the situation was beginning to spiral out of control. How could she stabilize it?

Tang Xi's brain raced. At that moment, Gen caught sight of Gungnir in her hand.

He immediately recalled what Erii had told him that afternoon: "This thing can talk."

An ornament that could talk? He had thought it strange at the time, but now, the implication was terrifying.

And it seemed that Erii had only begun to act strangely after seeing this object.

Gen's eyes hardened. He moved suddenly, reaching out to snatch Gungnir. Tang Xi instinctively dodged, watching the darkening man with vigilance.

"I knew it," Gen said, his voice hoarse and low, squeezed through gritted teeth with bone-chilling coldness. "There is something wrong with this thing. It’s this damn spear—it’s controlling you."

"I don't care who you are, I will... tear you to pieces!"