Public and Private

Faced with an urgent situation, the first thing to go was the pretentious, elegant way of speaking.

“W-wait! Your disciple! You said that mid-level ninja was your disciple! I spared his life!”

“I am grateful for that! However, public matters are public and private matters are private! Even if you had killed my disciple, the lad would not have had a single regret. Born as a ninja, dying by the blade of a peerless master - would that not truly be a profound end! Nakamura-san, it must surely be the same for you!”

The same my ass, not at all!

“Enough stalling! We have met here to cross blades, making this the greatest battlefield of our lives. Receive the blade of this Commu-Jōnin, master Thief. Ha-ap!”

Swish. An invisible, imperceptible blade brushed past the nape of my neck. I barely managed to step back and dodge it, but that was just a stroke of beginner’s luck. There wouldn’t be a second time.

The next strike would definitely kill me. The difference in our levels was palpably clear.

In my desperation, I looked behind me. Since I stood no chance against him with my own strength, I instinctively searched for someone to help.

Kali Haywood! If I joined forces with her, even if we couldn’t beat the high-ranking ninja, wouldn’t we at least be able to hold out for a few seconds?

But the moment I turned my head, I realized my mistake.

If she could have helped, she would have done so already.

Ms. Kali had already been subdued and tied up.

…By the Commu-ninjas in pitch-black stealth suits swarming densely behind me!

Unlike the Chrome monster Rodrick Smith, the communist high-ranking ninja was the type to utilize his subordinates much more actively.

There had been nowhere to run from the very beginning!

Interpreting my rotting expression however he pleased, the high-ranking ninja shouted.

“Pay them no mind! This is a battle between just the two of us, so I swear they will not interfere in the slightest!”

No, I really wish they would interfere!

Swoosh.

The high-ranking ninja swung his sword once more. The blade, which clearly had substance at the end of his arm, melted into the air and vanished at some point.

I had no way of knowing when, how, or where that blade would cut my body. All I could do was frantically throw my body out of the way or attempt a desperate struggle!

I chose the latter.

I swung The Deep blue condensed plasma blade down from above. Blindly, without seeing anything, I squeezed out my last remaining ounce of strength and slashed forcefully.

I could hear the high-ranking ninja’s breathing, filled with joy and excitement at finally clashing blades with me in the final moment.

“Damn it.”

There was no miracle.

Only the foregone conclusion of what could hardly even be called a fight unfolded.

Unable to use the microchip, I was currently nothing more than an idiot holding a good sword.

laser aura blade? It was pearls before swine.

What I thought was the high-ranking ninja turned into a gray afterimage and disappeared the moment I cut it. The ninja had already stuck close behind me, bringing his transparent blade to bear.

“Sayonara (Goodbye).”

The katana seemed to say so.

The sensation of death’s damp silver tongue licking the nape of my neck reached all the way to my spinal cord…

The tip of the blade touched my skin, and I squeezed my eyes shut while standing.

Eternal darkness unfolded.

More accurately, I only thought it would be eternal.

“…?”

There wasn’t even a stinging sensation on my neck. A mosquito bite would have had more feeling than this.

At first, I thought, 'I’m being sliced by a sword and I don’t feel any pain at all? The skill of a Master, is that it? He’s not a high-ranking ninja for nothing. At least I’ll go peacefully.'

Next, I wondered, “Wait, why can I still think, beggar? Am I not dead? Is this the afterlife?” and eventually opened my eyes.

I opened my eyes to find I had returned to my hometown, 21st century Korea - it would have been nice if it went like that, but it didn’t.

It was still 22nd century Dusk City, the ruined luxury lounge of Mirror Castle. I was still alive, not dead.

It was because the high-ranking ninja had stopped the blade he was about to swing at the last moment, literally a nanometer away.

I awkwardly turned my stiff neck, which had frozen stiff at the premonition of death, and looked at the Communist Ninja.

'Why didn’t he kill me?'

Was it a momentary whim? What on earth caused this change of heart? Artist I wanted to ask for the reason, but I couldn’t bring myself to open my lips, thinking he might actually kill me if I did.

Suddenly, I felt dizzy, and a tingling sensation flashed through my head.

Along with the sensation of something sweeping through my body, the high-ranking ninja spoke.

“No wonder you seemed to have no will for combat… You, Nakamura-san.”

I swallowed hard in tension.

What kind of story was going to pop out? He wasn’t going to give me hope like this and then try to kill me again, was he?

“Now that I look, you were a comrade. And one who receives the protection of the exalted Secretary at that…”

comrade? And what’s this about the Secretary’s protection?

“Namu-san! Even if this Commu-Jōnin, master Thief were a beast that would betray his master and destroy his ancestors, I cannot stain this blade with the blood of a comrade. I have committed a great discourtesy. I hope there will be a day to repay this debt. Well then, farewell!”

Saying so, the high-ranking ninja retreated far away in the blink of an eye, as if using a space-compressing technique.

At his single shout of 'Withdraw!', the other ninjas also moved in perfect order, darting this way and that, and disappeared into the darkness, beyond the broken walls, and above the ceiling in less than ten seconds.

The high-ranking ninja offered me one last pressing palms together before his form wavered and vanished, as if seeping into the terrain…

That was the end of it. The Communist ninjas were just as swift and stealthy when they disappeared as when they first appeared.

Just as I was about to let go of my tension and heave a deep sigh, a whisper from out of nowhere brushed past my ear one last time.

“One piece of advice. If you intend to go to the innermost part, be careful. Something unusual is happening; it seems that place is currently no different from a tiger dungeon…”

It was definitely the high-ranking ninja.

I wanted to ask what kind of bullshit a tiger dungeon was, but I didn’t have the courage left to spout such things to that terrifying Monster.

I waited for about a minute, anxiously worrying that he might come back, before collapsing weakly.

It seemed he was really gone now.

“…I lived.”

I touched my face with trembling hands. Eyes, nose, mouth, ears. Arms and legs… everything was perfectly intact.

I did it. I survived!

I wanted to shout in joy, but I didn’t even have the strength for that.

I sprawled my body, damp with cold sweat, out on the floor and let out a hollow laugh.

I really, truly thought I was going to die. It wouldn’t have been strange at all if I had died.

A high-ranking ninja right after the Chrome Monster. It was the biggest crisis I had faced since falling into Dusk City.

I still couldn’t quite believe I had survived.

I thought I was slowly escaping the nightmares of the cyborg ninja, but from now on, it seemed I would be dreaming of the Chrome Monster and the High-ranking Ninja every night instead.

Of course, that would only be if I managed to get out of here safely.

“And to get out…”

I needed Prezen Meredith. I also had to bring Alexandra back.

I had to go to the innermost part of Mirror Castle, the Meredith Family’s secret vault.

“Ughhh…”

My body felt terribly heavy. Even trying to move a little made my full body muscles feel like they were screaming.

I wanted to just close my eyes and rest right now, but I couldn’t stop yet.

Even after overcoming so many near-death experiences, my work was still not done.

I barely managed to pick myself up and approached Ms. Kali.

The High-ranking Ninja had warned that the innermost part of Mirror Castle was a tiger dungeon… in other words, no different from a tiger’s den.

Of course, even without his warning, I wouldn’t have let my guard down.

Because I had already been thinking that Prezen Meredith was up to something.

With Prezen Meredith currently in the innermost part with Alexandra, I, exhausted in both body and mind, needed information before heading there.

And to get that information, I needed to hear the story of Phantom Thief Zodiac, who seemed to have joined hands with Prezen Meredith.

Conveniently, her current state was optimal for an interrogation.

I stood in front of Ms. Kali, who was kneeling, tightly bound by the ninjas with cables in a tortoise shell tie.

“…Are you just going to keep staring? Untie this!”

“Hold on a second. I have something I want to ask you first.”

Ms. Kali twisted her body and shouted to be untied, but the more she did, the tighter the cables constricted her.

I had absolutely no intention of granting her request just like that.

It was true that Ms. Kali had risked her life to fight the Chrome Monster alongside me. And her saying she cared for Young Lady Alexandra seemed to be undeniably sincere.

But at the same time, she was Phantom Thief Zodiac. While claiming to cherish Alexandra, she had kidnapped Alexandra and impersonated her.

And even if she cared for Alexandra, that didn’t mean she cared for me.

If her kleptomania and judgment aligned, she would be more than willing to harm me.

While I had the initiative, I needed to find out as much as possible and tie up the loose ends of this imperfect cooperative relationship.

I opened my mouth.

Many things came to mind. There were more than just one or two questions that had arisen since coming here to Mirror Castle.

What should I ask first? For now…

“The command authority for the prototype artificial intelligence. Do you really have it, Ms. Kali?”

I asked that, recalling Phantom Thief Zodiac’s declaration.

I didn’t think she did.