The cold of the Glacial Mine Tunnel seeped into the marrow.
Hyuga Xiao sat cross-legged in a recess in the rock wall. The azure glow of the Tenseigan Prototype flowed deep within his pupils as he repeatedly analyzed the memory images projected by the Covenant Stone Fragments. Those scenes—the Lunar Grand Elder's indifferent face, the Giant Lunar Tenseigan devouring Byakugan, the vague horror of the starry sky beyond the seal—were branded into the depths of his consciousness.
"Observer..."
He repeated the word softly, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the rough surface of the Covenant Stone Fragments. They felt icy, like the bones of some ancient creature.
Kurenai Yuhi leaned against the opposite rock wall, her breathing steady, but her eyelashes trembled faintly—she was pretending to sleep. Since the memory shock, the way she looked at him had gained a cautious scrutiny, as though she were confirming whether the boy before her, who was gradually becoming datafied, was still the one she knew.
Xiao did not expose her.
He needed that scrutiny. He needed someone to pull him back before he completely slid into the abyss of divinity. Hong was one of the Humanity Anchors he had deliberately cultivated, but she was not enough. The truth revealed by the Covenant Stone memories was too heavy: the entire Hyuga Clan had been a carefully designed Breeding Farm for a thousand years. The Branch House were batteries for ocular power, the Main House were harvesting tools, and the Lunar Ōtsutsuki Branch Family were the true beneficiaries.
Then what about the Observer?
Were they guards sent by the moon to ensure the "farm" functioned normally? Or... something on an even higher level?
"System." Xiao called out in his mind.
[The Fate-Breaking System has been activated]
[Current Main Quest: Completely remove the Caged Bird Seal (Progress: