Mary had finally cooled down and rushed out the gates of the Shiranui Dojo, but Qin Ming was already gone. She watched his car vanish into the distance, driving off with several of the Shiranui disciples. This made her stomp in frustration, clutching her dalmatian tightly. How could he make friends so quickly? And who were these people who'd come out of nowhere? How did he even find them so fast?
Meanwhile, on the road, Qin Ming sat in the backseat of the car, eyes closed, attempting to maintain his "master" persona. In front and on either side of him were the adventurers who hadn't figured out his identity. They thought he was a character from the storyline, and Qin Ming had no intention of correcting their misunderstanding. They'd even offered to help—why not take advantage of some free labor?
Armed with healing items and protective skills, Qin Ming didn't feel especially worried about the low-level adventurers; he only needed to be slightly cautious. Used well, they could even be a significant help, possibly drawing enemy fire and keeping them off him. This mission, which could lead to skill acquisition—possibly even an A-rank skill or an entire skillset—had to go smoothly. And with these six unexpected but eager helpers, he felt ready to cause some serious damage.
After consulting the map, the group soon arrived at their destination: the territory of the Tsukimi Clan. As they stepped out of the car, they looked up and found themselves at a shrine.
"So the Tsukimi Clan, who are enemies of the Shiranui school, aren't even ninjas—they're priests?" They exchanged puzzled glances, then turned back to Qin Ming, waiting for orders.
"What's the plan, Brother Qin?" one of them asked.
Qin Ming looked at the shrine on the hill, a sly smile creeping onto his face. "We'll stick to the shadows, pick them off quietly. Isn't that what ninjas do? You take the lead. If you encounter any masters, let me know."
"But—"
"What, you guys aren't cut out for this? I thought you were mercenaries. Are you telling me that mercenaries can't handle an ambush?" Qin Ming's eyes narrowed, daring them to question him further. "Or was that all just a lie?"
The group looked at each other, and Long, their leader, quickly waved his hands in apology. "Of course not, Brother Qin! We're more than capable of taking down a few targets in silence. If we meet a high-level target, we'll call you over right away."
"Good." Qin Ming nodded. "Once this is done, if I become the Shiranui's disciple, I'll be sure to ask the master to teach you a technique or two."
With that, Qin Ming found a large tree, lay back, and closed his eyes, looking every bit as if he had no intention of lifting a finger himself. This display didn't go unnoticed by the six-man team, who frowned before walking away to plan.
Out of earshot, one of them muttered, "So what now, Captain? Are we really just doing his dirty work? I thought the plan was to take him down and claim the quest for ourselves."
"Patience. Let's kill a few of them first and get his trust. The more we kill, the greater the chance we'll lure out the masters. Once that happens, we'll let him face them alone and step in if we can. The goal is to take the mission from him," Long replied.
"Brilliant plan, Captain!"
"Save the flattery. Keep your heads down, stay sharp, and don't let him catch on."
As the six adventurers took their positions, lying in wait on the path to the shrine, time passed slowly. Half an hour later, the sound of footsteps echoed from afar. A man wearing a straw hat, a walking staff in hand and a traveling bag on his back, walked toward them, his breathing steady and controlled—a clear indication of his martial skills.
From his resting spot, Qin Ming lazily tilted his head and peeked through his glasses at the traveler. One glance at the data made him raise his eyebrows.
Name: Onizuka Tsukimi (Fatal Fury World)
Strength: 16
Constitution: 20
Agility: 12
Spirit: 32
Skill: True Traditional Musha Arts (D~C Rank)
Description: A disciple of the Tsukimi Clan, specializing in hunting rogue fighters.
Qin Ming reached into his coat, pulled out the list from his mission, and compared it to the man's features. With a satisfied smirk, he gestured to the adventurers.
"He's one of the targets. Go."
The six adventurers didn't hesitate, immediately charging at Onizuka with surprisingly bold tactics. One of them burst out of the bushes, wielding a light machine gun, and started shooting with abandon—a blue-grade weapon from Metal Slug's world, the "H-Model Light Machine Gun."
As bullets sprayed, the others joined in, each deploying their own unique methods. One brandished twin swords, another seemed to vanish using invisibility, and the leader, Long, jumped forward, unleashing a skill from the Shiranui school—the famous "Ninja Bee."
This powerful attack allowed him to dash at high speed, delivering sustained damage to any opponent in his path. However, it quickly became apparent that Long's version was incomplete and much weaker since he didn't have the Shiranui bloodline needed to channel the iconic flames.
Onizuka, taken aback, quickly composed himself. He formed a hand seal, and an overwhelming aura of psychic energy surged from him, materializing into a semi-transparent duplicate that looked exactly like him. With a flick of his staff, the spectral figure lunged at the adventurers, its staff swinging down to deliver six consecutive strikes that sent two of the attackers flying.
It was the Tsukimi Clan's signature technique: Spirit Summoning!
Skill: Demon Staff Dance (C Rank)
The phantom effortlessly deflected the machine gun fire, disrupting the group's planned assault. Onizuka's real body then cast another technique, pointing forward with a hand seal.
A ghostly crow shot toward Long, who had been attempting to strike from behind. Upon impact, the crow dissolved into spectral energy, and Long found himself engulfed by darkness. Massive, ghostly hands formed in front of him, intertwining their fingers and closing tightly around him.
Skill: Beast Hunting Grasp (C Rank)
Long's body creaked under the pressure, and he screamed in pain. Thankfully, the others jumped in to disrupt Onizuka's spell, forcing him to release Long.
In the aftermath of using two back-to-back skills, Onizuka spun his staff like a whirlwind, countering each adventurer with deadly precision. Alone, he faced off against all six of them without faltering. Meanwhile, from the shade of his tree, Qin Ming observed the battle intently, intrigued by Onizuka's unusual moves.
The Tsukimi Clan's abilities were indeed bizarre—clearly leaning toward a strange fusion of combat and spirit conjuration, almost like the techniques of a mystical onmyoji.