Uchiha Gen was briefly consumed by rage, but after realizing he truly could not get out, he calmed down a little.
"You should be able to tell. It's not that I don't want to get out—I really can't."
"...Where did you get this Formation Disk?"
"The heart of the Dragon Vein!"
Hearing that name, Utaka pondered for quite a while before finally recalling where it came from.
He let out a dejected sigh.
"Ah, treasures, lucky encounters, beautiful women—you didn't miss out on any of them."
"Heh. Wouldn't those things be yours for the taking if you wanted them? You're always going on about the protagonist's halo, Utaka. You're too hung up on appearances."
"..."
In the end, Utaka did not use those women as leverage to threaten Uchiha Gen, because he understood that if things truly reached that point, it would no longer be mere hatred. It would shake the very foundation of their humanity.
Nothing worked. Utaka idly chatted with Uchiha Gen inside the Formation Disk for a long while, yet still failed to come up with a solution.
"Fellow countryman, don't say I never looked out for you. If you can truly break through your limits and surpass yourself again, then if you can leave, sorry for the trouble, but take me with you."
"...What do you mean?"
Uchiha Gen was still pondering the meaning behind Utaka's words when Utaka suddenly hurled the Bagua Array Disc toward the evolving Giant Star.
This abrupt action made Uchiha Gen panic. He turned to look at Utaka and saw the resolve on his face, making his heart turn cold.
This time... it was success or death. No! Perhaps even death would be out of reach.
There was no time to think further. The array disc had already merged into the