What she sought
A commotion arose around her, Chiyome woke up from her drunken stupor. She saw that the Emperor had already passed out, while the concubine was trembling and hiding to the side.
"Your Majesty, Nobunaga has arrived with his men!"
The shouts of the guards outside were not heard. The guards would not enter this courtyard, after all, the Emperor's pleasures were not confined to the house. To prevent any sudden impulses, the attendants would usually only shout messages from outside.
It was this sound that woke the drunken Chiyome from her sleep. Drowsy, she looked at the absurd scene in the room, and the sound from the outside world caused her heart to stop.
The Magnetic Field Power pierced the brains of the Emperor and his concubines like steel needles, erasing their memories. Chiyome hurriedly fled the palace without even untying herself.
Concealing herself, she fled the scene as fast as she could. The evening breeze brushed against her cheeks, calming her racing heart and racing mind.
Reeking of alcohol, she ran wildly across the rooftops, panting as she questioned herself:
"What... what happened? Why did I do such a thing? How could I be such a person... I... I..."
As her mind gradually cooled down, Chiyome stopped in her tracks, an uncontrollable smile creeping onto her lips. Then, she began to laugh.
Roaring laughter!
Like the triumphant laughter of a survivor, like the laughter of a victor. Why did they run? Given the situation just now, let alone Oda Nobunaga, even if you added Takeda Shingen and Tokugawa Ieyasu...
They, not themselves, should be the ones fleeing in disarray.
She wasn't sure if she was mocking herself, subconsciously still thinking of herself as the leader of the Mochizuki, a mere female ninja, or if she had a deeper understanding of the changes brought about by the Magnetic Field Power.
With a wild laugh, Chiyome unleashed a punch towards the sky, channeling the power of 80,000 horsepower. She savored the feeling of that power, enough to shatter this era and allow her to act with impunity.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but Kyoto had disappeared, and she returned to Kaizu Castle.
On this night, Chiyome walked step by step toward the clinic. She did not use any Magnetic Field Power, as if she were performing a sacred ritual.
Meanwhile, Bai Mo and Shi had returned to their room, where the two were flipping through books, the pages rustling softly.
Suddenly, Shi spoke up without any apparent reason:
"Bai Mo."
"Um?"
Do you think Chiyome is usually very repressed?
"Do you want to listen to what you're saying?"
Bai Mo put down his book and looked at the copy of Flaubert's * Madame Bovary * in Shi's hand. Seeing Bai Mo's reaction, Shi also put down his book, leaned on the desk, and asked:
"It's just a spontaneous thought. After all, for humans, constant repression will inevitably lead to an explosion eventually, just like what happened to Chiyome."
"Although what you're describing isn't the core of the book, judging from the story, Emma, who had always endured an ordinary life, was indeed corrupted by the allure of luxury and decadence, and her repressed emotions finally erupted."
But does this have anything to do with Chiyome?
Shi revealed a faint smile and said:
"Of course there is. After all, that child looks very repressed. As a female ninja, she spends all her time teaching those ninjas how to survive in the wilderness and how to treat men."
However, due to his status as the leader of the Mochizuki clan and the power he had unexpectedly gained, he had absolutely no connection with such matters.
Bai Mo assumed she was simply expressing her thoughts after reading the book, watching Shi speak eloquently like an impromptu commentator:
"At home, I'm often scolded by the senior staff for being weak, and outside, I'm subjected to all sorts of ridicule and sarcasm. I can only ever put on a submissive and submissive act; even my body is like that, that petite body, lacking nutrition and always being restrained."
This suggests that the woman must have been incredibly repressed. For her, sliding into the abyss only required a single glance at the object of her deepest longing...
Shi blinked her big eyes, as if she were simply waiting for the teacher's comments on an excellent reading response. Bai Mo couldn't find any rebuttal, including anything about that aspect.
Romantic feelings between men and women are perfectly normal. Life secretes hormones from the brain to reproduce, but Chiyome was always under high pressure, so these hormones were never clearly manifested.
"I can't deny your point. As for her situation, I won't comment. After all, from the day the Source of Power appeared, her fate was beyond my knowledge."
But at least she still has Mochizuki she wants to protect, and she knows her limits; she probably won't act recklessly just because she gains power.
Upon hearing Bai Mo's words, Shi came to Bai Mo's side, leaning forward until they were very close. She gave him a somewhat alluring smile, and the two continued their discussion.
A crow cawed outside, and Shi raised his hand to shut out the entire room.
"It can't be that bad."
"The library needs quiet."
Shi made a "shh" gesture to Bai Mo, then sat down next to him, and the two continued to flip through the book, discussing the plot and story.
Bai Mo was puzzled as to why Shi suddenly wanted to sit next to him. He wanted to ask, but Shi directly raised his teacup and covered his mouth.
Perhaps having recognized her quirky nature, Bai Mo stopped thinking about it and let her be.
Meanwhile, Chiyome stared blankly at the idyllic garden, where birds sang and flowers bloomed. Just moments before, she had entered Bai Mo's clinic in Kaizu Castle and opened the back door.
In her mind, with her breath-concealing technique and the power of her Magnetic Field Rotation, Bai Mo, who was only Electric Current Push, would not notice anything. She could already see the final result in her mind.
The whispers in my ear kept urging me on.
Go ahead. You've done enough to protect Mochizuki; you only need to spare a little effort. The rest of your time and life are yours to command.
Follow your heart's desire and love unconditionally the person who pulled you back from the abyss three times in your most perilous moments.
If he resists, the long night will surely make him understand his feelings. If he accepts and doesn't despise her body, she will be like a fawn pinned down by a wild beast, submitting and surrendering her life.
Her cheeks were already flushed as she opened the back door of the clinic.
But what appeared was not Bai Mo sleeping soundly in the back room, but this luxurious, otherworldly building. She seemed like a mortal who had mistakenly entered Realm of Immortals. If it weren't for the flow of Magnetic Field Power within her body, Chiyome would probably have fled without looking back.
She spotted the brightly lit library at a glance. Chiyome timidly approached the window, and everything that was happening inside dimmed her eyes.
The room had just been sealed off by Shiki under the pretext of noise, and Bai Mo wouldn't bother to use his senses to break through the seal for no reason. Naturally, he didn't know that Chiyome, whom they had just finished discussing, was right outside the window.
Chiyome looked at the two people inside. Beside him was a woman who seemed to belong to another world. Both of them wore relaxed and at ease expressions when they were together.
The way they acted when they were with themselves was completely different... it was like a respectful married couple.
"Why did this happen..."
Chiyome leaned against the wall, which emanated a faint warmth that contrasted sharply with the cold wind outside.
Yeah... Is it strange that someone like him has a lover? No wonder he always kept his distance from women before.
Unbeknownst to her, two lines of tears fell, and the power within her began to surge involuntarily. The familiar voice rang in her ears once more:
What's the use of crying? Can you get what you can't with your own hands by crying? Is your strength just for show?
Yes, she is no longer that frail female ninja. She will tear down this fragile wall, regardless of any envy or resentment, to take him back...
With a thud, Chiyome sat down against the wall, the strength she had just mustered completely dissipated.
What are you doing?! Why are you still standing here doing nothing? You all opened the back door with that kind of resolve, and now what is this?
"No, it won't work..."
Chiyome, like a patient recovering from a serious illness, weakly clutched her head and curled up into a ball.
"I... don't want this to happen, but this is the one thing I can't do. I can't allow myself to ruin his happiness... this is the one thing I just can't do."
A small white beast emerged from around the corner. Cathy Palug looked at Chiyome, licking her lips as if she were eyeing a delicious meal.
Listening to the conversation between the two people inside the room, Chiyome gave a somewhat bitter smile.
At this moment, she felt that she, as the emperor, was bound and watching his concubines pour wine for him, was not much better off.
The burning sensation of making that resolve still lingered within her body, even boiling and distorting. A trace of sadness and shame flashed in the female ninja's eyes as she stretched out her hand and looked at her ten fingers.
These hands, capable of destroying the entire Japan, were now incredibly weak and powerless, like the fingers of an ordinary woman.
At least the emperor had a title and had taken that concubine with him; what did I have?
Only hands!
Then, under Cathy Palug's shocked gaze, the female ninja, filled with humiliation, let the suppressed flames burn, spreading continuously until the firewood was reduced to ashes, the heat dissipated, leaving only a trace.