Nippon was a silk-wrapped hell for Clara and me.

  A week had passed since we first entered. A week of constant fleeing, like terrified rats in a maze of blossoms and blood.

  The Kina Foxes in the forest were everywhere, hiding like us, but whenever they saw us, they treated us like monsters. As for the Samurai, they were worse. They didn't just guard the villages; they combed the forest with their blue blades, searching for "Oni" and foxes.

  We were trapped. We couldn't stay in the forest, and we couldn't leave it.

  And then there was another problem... the godforsaken beasts. We saw everything: ogres with twisted horns, the four-armed Yajuro, tigers with flaming tails. The forest was boiling with life that wanted us dead.

  One single thought kept recurring, growing every day like a cancerous tumor in my mind: I want to burn this forest. I want to burn all of Nippon.

  During this week, thanks to (404), I managed to analyze their language. I tried to communicate with them, shouting, "I am not an enemy!", but it was futile. The only word they understood was "Oni." It means demon. To them, I wasn't a living being. I was a curse that had to be purified.

  We were sitting by a small lake, its black waters reflecting my ugly stone face.

  I snapped. I let out a scream that shook the trees: "Curse it! Curse it! I can't find any solution!" I struck the water with my hand, sending a spray into the air. "If only I were stronger... I would have killed them all! I’m still fleeing! Still the coward who runs I’ll kill them... I’ll kill them one by one... Jack, the Jacobins, the Samurai... all of them!"

  I looked at my stone hand with pure hatred. "If only I could use 'External Energy Control'... I would have crushed them from afar. They wouldn't have been able to get close to me. But no matter how hard I try, I can't! Why?! What happened to my body? Why has it become different?!"

  "Dio." Her voice came calm amidst my storm. "I have the solution."

  I looked at (Clara) in shock. She sat there, as still as death. "What is it?" She said: "Dio... you stay here. I will go to the village to gather information."

  I went mad. I stood up and shouted: "Clara! There is no way I'm leaving you alone! That is literally a stupid idea!" "Gather information? What if someone recognizes you? How will you escape? What will you even gather? Will we find a magical solution to my demon-like appearance in a riverside village?"

  (Clara) replied in her flat voice: "This is the only plan. Staying here will not have a positive impact. We will die slowly."

  Inside my mind, the 404 chip intervened with its cold voice: < Analysis: This plan is the most probable to find a solution to the current problem. Success rate: 45%. The other solution is learning Mana control to use shape-shifting magic, but it will take at least two years, and there is not enough time. >

  I screamed, clutching my head: "Shut up! A damn chip dares to order me?!" Hong Min was sitting in the corner of my mind, looking at me with eyes I hadn't understood my whole life.

  Then I looked at Clara. Doubt began to gnaw at my heart. "You want to leave me... don't you?!" I approached her, my eyes burning with madness. "All of you... one by one... you want to leave me. Even you, Clara... you want to escape from me."

  (Clara) replied as she backed away slightly: "My love... I didn't mean it that way..."

  I screamed again and grabbed her by the neck with one hand. "Don't call me by that name!" I brought my face close to hers, my breath fanning over her: "Do you think I don't know? You are a fake. Yes... a fake! The real Clara would never call me 'MY LOVEEEEE' in that cold tone. This forest is fake... you are fake... I am fake!" "The real ones wouldn't want to leave me!!!"

  I looked at her face. I saw the fear. I saw tears pooling in her eyes. I felt her face was deeply sad. My anger broke suddenly. "Clara... I didn't mean those words... I'm sorry." I let go of her neck and hugged her tightly, burying my face in her chest. "I'm sorry... I was wrong... it’s just this place is driving me insane... You won't leave me, right?"

  I began to kiss her. It was a desperate devouring. I was touching her everywhere, searching for physical proof of her existence, of my ownership of her. I leaned into her neck to catch her scent, the scent of rain and flowers that I adore...

  But... A different scent wafted into my nose. A strange, sharp smell. It wasn't the smell of flowers. It was the smell of mineral oil (used for cleaning daggers), the smell of cold iron, and the smell of salty, cold sweat... the sweat of repressed fear.

  My mind ignored this contradiction. It’s the smell of the forest... yes... the forest changed her. I felt her resisting this time. Her body stiffened like a taut string, her hands pushing weakly against my chest. But I didn't care. She was always like this... shy...

  She screamed: "Stop!" But I didn't care. "Stop! I beg you, Dio! Stop, it hurts!" "Dream... I beg you!"

  I didn't care. I continued. I told myself: She just likes to play rough. She likes it when we act out this play. I continued, and I felt her body trembling beneath me. She’s trembling with pleasure. It seems she finally liked it. I looked at her face; she was crying. There she is, crying with happiness. She was whispering in a choked voice: "It hurts..."

  After I finished, I stood up and kissed her forehead, which was damp with that cold sweat. "Clara... it seems you enjoyed it very much, my love." I smiled at her: "Come... you must be hungry. Let's go. Forget about that stupid plan. I will find another solution. I will protect you."

  A few hours later, I told (Clara) to wait for me by a large rock. I wanted to see if anyone was ahead—a quick scout. I returned after a few minutes... And I didn't find her. "Clara?" The rock was empty. "Clara! Where are you?" I ran in circles. "Clara!! Clara!!" I screamed with a broken voice: "Did you leave me?"

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  No matter how much I called, she wasn't there. I couldn't see her. "Where is she? Clara... come back, I beg you!" "Come back! Don't leave me, please! I don't want to be alone again!" "Please!"

  I was crying and screaming as I searched for her among the trees, breaking branches with my hands, striking rocks with my head. From the intensity of my shouting, some Kina foxes heard me. A man and a woman emerged from the bushes and looked at me with curiosity. The Kina woman said: "Do Oni cry?" The man said: "Don't let his appearance deceive you... he's just acting."

  I froze. I looked at them, tears covering my stone face. "Did you take Clara?" I screamed at them: "Did you take Clara?! It’s all because of you! All of it! One by one... because of you, Clara is lost!"

  Then my mind stopped working. The last thread snapped. I attacked. I didn't care if they were stronger than me. I didn't care about anything. Not about the wounds they inflicted with their claws, not about their shouting at each other, not about the man's scream when I killed the woman by tearing her throat with my teeth.

  I didn't care about anything at that moment except that I wanted to kill them. I truly wanted to burn them. I kept stabbing and cutting them even after they were dead. I turned them into a pile of meat. I screamed: "Bring Clara back! Bring her back! Bring her back!" I screamed and screamed... but (Clara) did not return. "Where is she? Where is she? I must find her... Did she go to the village?"

  At that moment, the "Chip" (404) decided to intervene. I felt a coldness invading my burning mind, as if an electric current had turned off the light. I screamed at him inside: "What are you doing?!" His voice appeared cold and decisive, devoid of any pity: < Your madness has peaked. The organic unit is in a state of total collapse. I will take control. This is the most effective option. >

  "You treacherous bastard! Didn't you say you couldn't control the body except during a breakdown?!" He replied coldly: < Your mind... has already collapsed. >

  Dream vanished at that moment, sinking into merciful darkness. And the control of (404) returned.

  [System Operational] < Status Analysis: Efficiency 98%... Injuries moderate. > 404 began the analysis: < Main Mission: Control Nippon. > < Sub-mission: Find (Kage). > < Most likely probability: She went to the village at a rate of 70%. >

  The village. I cannot enter in my current form. I can kill the Samurai there, but this would threaten the progress of the main mission (Integration and Control). < Solution: Shape-shifting. >

  But into what form? A Samurai? Ineffective. Eventually, they will know this person is not a Samurai (no clan). A peasant? Ineffective. It won't grant access to many places. < Optimal Choice: Ronin (a masterless wandering samurai). > I had seen some in the forest; they were dead and had some journals that helped us analyze reading and writing to 100%.

  Dream's form began to change. Snap... Creak... The stone plates moved, shrinking against each other with a sound like grinding gravel. The skin color changed from stony gray to a bronze skin tone. He took on a human form... a wandering Ronin. A wide straw hat covering the face and hiding the black eyes. Tied black hair, harsh Nipponese features, and normal height.

  Immediately, I used the ability to fly (Wind) and reached the edge of the forest, then descended and began walking. I analyzed everything I saw... from birds to people and everything else.

  I entered the village. This time, no one started screaming "Oni." I passed among them like a ghost, like one of them. I began walking and analyzing. Then I saw a wall with "Wanted" posters and "Monster Hunting" notices. < Analysis: The best option for rising to a high status is through hunting criminals and monsters. > I took some posters for some criminals and monsters that resembled the beasts in the forest.

  < Analysis: That building resembles a tavern. The most likely option is that (Kage) entered there and searched for information. >

  I entered. And I found her immediately. She was sitting in front of the bartender, talking to him in a low voice. And there was only a young man sitting at one of the tables, alone, drunk, with his head on the table. < Classification: Unimportant. > < Sub-mission: Completed. >

  I sat next to her. I leaned in and whispered in her ear in Dream's real voice, the deep stony voice: "Kage... it’s me. Dream."

  Her face turned white instantly. Her hand trembled and she spilled a bit of the drink. < Analysis: She is afraid. > Then I continued the conversation and said with mechanical coldness: "I am the entity within Dream's body. I am not the same person." < Analysis: Her pulse returned to normal gradually; she sighed in relief. > I said: "Come... follow me."

  I stood up and was about to leave, but the bartender shouted angrily: "Hey girl! You sat there all that time asking without buying anything? Didn't you say you'd give me some money if I answered you?"

  I looked at him. Then I approached. I placed my hand on his shoulder. I funneled some "Rei" into him. He fell to the ground unconscious without a sound. I continued my way as if nothing had happened.

  As we stepped out, I felt a change in atmospheric pressure. A very powerful presence in the sky was approaching at a terrifying speed. < Analysis: Immense energy signature. High temperature. >

  I looked at the sky... and the people were looking at the sky too, screaming in terror: "Ryu!!! (Dragon!)" "Run! The Red Dragon!"

  The presence in the sky was majestic. A giant red dragon, its scales were plates of molten ruby gleaming under the sun like embers. Its eyes were spheres of liquid gold. When it opened its mouth, I saw the air rippling around it from the intensity of the heat even before it breathed fire. < Analysis: Power level: Unknown. Defeat probability: Moderate. > < Option: Escape? Failed. Its attack range covers the entire village. > < Best Option: Combat. >

  Immediately, I flew into the sky at the speed of a bullet toward it. I drew my sword and slashed at it. But... no effect. Its skin was as hard as reinforced steel. The sword bounced back with a high-pitched screech. The dragon let out a mighty roar. It wasn't an ordinary sound, but a destructive sonic wave that shook my bones. From the intensity of the roar, I was pushed back in the sky several meters; my eardrums burst. < Instant self-repair. >

  Then it struck me with its claw at great speed. I managed to block it, but the strike was powerful and sent me crashing to the ground like a meteor. I created a crater in the street, and dust and stones flew everywhere. < Work Efficiency Rate: 70%... Injuries: Moderate. >

  I summoned ice bullets quickly using (Mana) and began firing them at it, and used earth magic to reinforce the ice (stone spears encased in ice). But the dragon was unaffected. Its scales were immune to basic elements. Then it looked at me and opened its mouth. White flame gathered in its throat, boiling and making a sound like the roar of a furnace. It decided to release the fire.

  < Current Option: Dodge? Data insufficient. Entity: High defeat rate without a plan. > < Option: Escape? Success rate 4%). >

  I looked quickly to find (Kage), but it seems she had retreated while I was fighting it. I was about to retreat, but the dragon released its fire. A pillar of white hell descending toward me. I thought coldly within myself: No... I must find feelings... I must live...

  At that moment... a man appeared from behind me. The same drunk man who was in the tavern, staggering, in tattered clothes. He said in a staggering, heavy voice: "Hic... I wanted to drink in peace."

  The man was holding a jar of sake in one hand and a sword in the other—a sword that looked very ordinary. < Analysis: Power... unknown... weak? >

  Then... He threw the sake jar into the air. And with the speed of light, at the same time the dragon's fire arrived... A flash.

  I didn't see the sword move. My sensors did not record the movement. I only saw the dragon's fire split into two halves and vanish around us like smoke. And I saw the dragon's head... separating from its body and falling to the ground with the sound of an earthquake, blood flooding the street.

  The drunkard stood, caught the sake jar before it hit the ground, took a long swig, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and said with boredom: "Now... where were we?"