Traces

He remained in the enhanced state granted by Sage Mode, sitting cross-legged.

He activated Heavenly Secrets Calculation, first divining how to save Princess Kaguya.

A hazy vision came to him.

He once again slipped into that void-like space.

This time, the same girl appeared.

Behind her, however, stood a strange ruin.

And... a book?

The book's title... was written in strange symbols.

Even Yuya could not recognize them.

Still, he committed everything in the vision, along with its many details, to memory.

The vision ended there.

[You suffered backlash from Heavenly Secrets Calculation. Health -10]

"Could the reason for finding this girl be to obtain this book?"

"Does it contain a way to save Princess Kaguya?"

Yuya frowned.

Without pausing, he continued his divination.

This time, he sought the girl's whereabouts.

Another hazy vision came to him.

The scene showed an even more mysterious and eerie place.

The presence of the elements was exceptionally strong, and figures even floated in the air.

There were also strange beasts that had never appeared before.

Yuya was certain.

This was nowhere on Earth.

Even its geology, terrain, and environment did not match.

"Could it be the Alternate Dimension?"

Yuya frowned.

If it was the Alternate Dimension, he would have to learn Space-Time Ninjutsu.

Then he would need to find a weak point in space that connected to the Alternate Dimension.

But how would that help? By the time he learned Space-Time Ninjutsu,

and then found it, who knew how long would have passed...

And by then, Princess Kaguya...

Yuya's heart grew heavier than ever before, sinking into despair for the first time.

"It shouldn't be like this... Heavenly Secrets Calculation couldn't possibly give me useless information..."

Yuya murmured.

Yet a chilling, terrifying aura began to emanate from him.

The world grew oppressive in that instant.

The surrounding flowers, grass, and trees seemed to wail under Yuya's influence.

Yuya activated Heavenly Secrets Calculation again.

He began trying other angles, such as a way to enter the Alternate Dimension,

other possibilities for saving Princess Kaguya, or a way to obtain the book,

or to enter those ruins...

But every attempt yielded the same result.

It was as though he had fallen into an endless loop.

"No... how could this be..."

Yuya murmured. Even with the absolute rationality of Sage Mode,

violent turmoil began to stir within his heart.

Just then, another hazy vision came to him.

At some unknown point, the girl had actually emerged from the Alternate Dimension.

Ripples spread through space as she entered the outside world.

And that outside world... was Earth!

Yuya's pupils contracted sharply as he committed the place where the girl appeared,

along with every detail and distinguishing feature, to memory with perfect accuracy.

He withdrew from Heavenly Secrets Calculation.

[You suffered backlash from Heavenly Secrets Calculation. Health -50]

He had performed too many divinations just now, but fortunately, he had not triggered anything indescribable.

This little backlash was already negligible to him.

With the recovery provided by his sage body and Sage Mode,

his slightly weakened aura recovered in the very next instant.

Only when he came out of the state of Heavenly Secrets Calculation

did he notice that great swaths of the surrounding vegetation had withered.

Even the trees he had created with Wood Release were beginning to lose their vitality.

"Does it affect nature this much?"

Yuya murmured to himself.

In Sage Mode, even the slightest trace of emotion he released seemed capable of affecting the natural world.

"With a single thought, flowers bloom and wither?"

Yuya gained a measure of understanding.

The next instant, at Yuya's thought,

the withered flowers and grass truly regained their vitality.

They flourished freely, seeming to leap for joy.

A thoughtful look flashed through Yuya's eyes, and he stopped experimenting.

The next instant, the earth churned, and countless clones made of wood appeared.

Every one of them bore an ancient, weathered aura and an ethereal, otherworldly air.

Their expressions were cold and indifferent.

They seemed to have returned from a distant age.

[Due to your extraordinary comprehension, you automatically comprehended Wood Clone]

These were Wood Clones with Sage Mode activated.

As soon as they appeared,

they rose on the wind and scattered toward the distant horizon.

Combining Sage Mode with Wood Clones allowed him to expand his perception to its utmost limit,

making it easier to find the girl.

Even if she might be in the Alternate Dimension, he still could not abandon the other possibilities.

"Roar!"

At the same time, a beast's roar steeped in an ancient air

began to echo through the area.

Countless birds panicked in that instant.

Every beast prostrated itself, trembling.

An enormous Wood Dragon suddenly surged out of the ground.

It radiated an astonishing aura and vitality,

as though it were alive.

With its appearance, the entire forest seemed to tremble.

Bearing Yuya, it soared straight upward,

whipping up fierce winds.

It broke through layer after layer of clouds and sped into the distance.

[Due to your extraordinary comprehension, you automatically comprehended Wood Dragon Technique]

Yuya's original body lingered no longer.

Riding the Wood Dragon, he hurried toward the place where the girl would appear.

The Wood Dragon's form was better suited to flight than his own body,

and it was more comfortable and stable as well.

High in the sky, clouds and mist drifted,

but a Wood Dragon bore a figure through them,

racing away amid the clouds.

Traveling at full speed,

he crossed the Land of Ancestors in almost no time.

He headed toward the scene revealed by his divination.

After Yuya crossed the nearby Land of Swamps, the Land of Hī, and several other small nations in succession,

he came to a stop in a remote area.

The Wood Dragon began to descend.

The place was uninhabited, its woods dense.

The Wood Dragon's landing drew no one's attention.

Yuya leaped off its back.

He floated in the air, as though taking a leisurely stroll,

stepping downward one step at a time.

At last, he stood suspended three feet above the ground.

"This should be the place..."

Yuya murmured, closing his eyes to carefully sense his surroundings.

He did indeed discover that space here was relatively weak,

and powerful elemental fluctuations poured out from it.

He began to wait quietly.

Yet he waited from afternoon until dusk,

and there was still no change in the space.

"Could she appear at a different time?"

Yuya frowned.

He activated Heavenly Secrets Calculation to divine the exact time of the girl's appearance.

Yet no matter how he tried, he saw the same scene.

The time shown in the vision, however, was afternoon.

It was already dusk now, which meant she was almost certain not to appear today.

Meanwhile, a clone seemed to have sent word of a change in Princess Kaguya's condition.

After a moment's consideration,

he ultimately left a clone here to wait,

while his original body departed.

When he arrived before Princess Kaguya's hall,

he found the clone shut outside, its aura faint and weak.

It was on the verge of breaking apart.

Seeing him arrive, the clone gave a bitter smile.

The next instant, it dissolved into smoke.

At the same time, a flood of memories came to him.

For some unknown reason, Princess Kaguya had flown into a fit of temper,

suddenly destroying everything in her room.

Yet her aura had gradually weakened.

Worried, Yuya's clone had rushed inside,

only to provoke even fiercer emotions from Princess Kaguya.

In the end, the clone had been driven out.

After absorbing the clone's memories,

Yuya stood where he was for a long time, his heart heavy.

At last, he stepped inside.

Fragments lay scattered all around.

The bookcase, table, and chairs had all been utterly destroyed by a powerful repulsive force.

Princess Kaguya sat on the floor with her hair disheveled, hugging her knees like a little girl.

Before her stood a mirror, its surface now covered in cracks.

Hearing the noise, she lifted her head.

The creases of tree bark spread across half her face.

The other half was unblemished.

The shattered mirror reflected her ravaged face.

Looking at Yuya, she smiled brightly.

"Ye'er, you're here. Let's play chess."

Yuya felt a sting in his nose.

As though he had noticed nothing amiss, he walked softly over.

He lifted her from the ground into his arms.

"All right..."