Kai didn't waste any time. Back in his apartment, he cleared the clutter off his workbench and placed the katana in the center. The blade hummed faintly, as if alive, its glow pulsating like a heartbeat. He pulled up his AR interface, using every diagnostic tool he had to scan the weapon.
"This thing is like... a quantum Rubik's Cube," he muttered, watching streams of data scroll across his visor. "Riko, you still with me?"
Her voice crackled through the comm. "Unfortunately, yes. What are you doing now?"
"I'm trying to figure out how to control this time-jumping nonsense. My dad wouldn't have made this thing without leaving some kind of user manual."
"Well, good luck with that. Also, heads up—I've been monitoring Kurogane's chatter. They're not just after you; they're after anyone who might know about the blade. People like your dad's old colleagues."
Kai froze. "You mean the ones Ishida didn't sell out yet?"
"Exactly. I've already cross-referenced the data you pulled from Ishida's lab. There's one name that keeps popping up: Dr. Naomi Okabe. She's a cryptographer who worked with your dad on embedding data into physical objects. Sound familiar?"
Kai nodded. "Yeah, Dad used to talk about her. Said she was a genius, but paranoid. Where is she now?"
"According to the net, she's living off-grid in Kyoto. Good luck finding her, though. Kurogane's already sniffing around her last known location."
Kai smirked, gripping the katana. "Then I'll just have to be faster than them."
The Journey to Kyoto
Kai didn't wait for the next jump. He booked the fastest transport to Japan, keeping his head down and using his tech skills to stay ahead of Kurogane's surveillance. The game UI transitioned into a stealth-focused sequence, with players needing to avoid checkpoints, hack travel systems, and gather intel about Okabe's hideout.
Upon arriving in Kyoto, the scenery shifted dramatically. Neon-lit skyscrapers clashed with ancient temples, and the streets buzzed with the hum of hovercrafts and traditional rickshaws alike. Kai felt an odd sense of déjà vu, like he was walking through a dream he couldn't quite place.
He followed Riko's coordinates to a secluded shrine on the outskirts of the city. The path was lined with cherry blossoms, their petals drifting lazily in the air.
"Why is it always the creepy, out-of-the-way places?" Kai muttered as he approached the shrine.
The katana's glow intensified, almost as if it were guiding him.
Dr. Naomi Okabe
The shrine was deserted—at least at first glance. But Kai wasn't alone.
A soft voice echoed from the shadows. "You're either very brave or very foolish to come here."
Kai turned to see a woman stepping out of the darkness. She was older, with streaks of gray in her hair, but her sharp eyes radiated intelligence. She held a small device in one hand, its screen flashing with cryptic symbols.
"Dr. Okabe, I presume?"
She raised an eyebrow. "And you must be Hiroshi's son. You look just like him. Except... more reckless."
Kai winced. "Yeah, that tracks. Listen, I need your help. My dad built something into this blade, and now Kurogane's tearing apart the timeline to get it."
Okabe's expression darkened. "So it's begun."
"What's begun?"
She gestured for him to follow her into the shrine. Inside, the walls were lined with monitors displaying streams of data. A large hologram in the center of the room depicted a spinning fractal—a visual representation of the timeline.
"Hiroshi's work wasn't just about protecting data," Okabe explained. "He was trying to stabilize the timeline. Every time someone like Kurogane tampers with it, fractures form. If they push too hard, the whole thing collapses. And that blade—" she pointed at the katana, "—is the anchor holding it together."
Kai's grip tightened on the hilt. "So how do I use it?"
Okabe sighed. "It's not that simple. The blade is a key, but it needs the right locks to work. The first is encoded in its design, but the rest... those are scattered across time."
Optional Quest Unlocked: Researching the Past
Kai studied the hologram, which now displayed a glowing node in feudal Japan. A memory stirred in his mind—the battlefield from his last time jump.
"Let me guess," he said. "I have to go back there."
Okabe nodded. "That's one of the locks. But it won't be easy. Each time you jump, the timeline resists. The longer you stay, the harder it is to come back."
Kai took a deep breath. "Story of my life."
"Before you go," Okabe said, handing him a small device, "take this. It's a tether—something to help you find your way back."
The Next Jump
Kai left the shrine and activated the blade's power. The air shimmered around him as the timeline stretched and bent, pulling him toward feudal Japan.
He landed in the middle of the battlefield once again, but this time, he was prepared. The game UI transitioned into combat mode, with Kai navigating the chaos to locate the red-glowing katana wielder.
The masked samurai appeared once more, his blade humming with malice.
"You return," the figure said, his voice low and menacing. "But you still do not understand."
Kai drew his own blade, the glow intensifying as if responding to its counterpart. "Then maybe you should explain before I kick your ass."
The samurai laughed, his voice echoing unnaturally. "You're not fighting me, child. You're fighting time itself."
The chapter ends with Kai lunging at the figure, their blades clashing in a burst of light.