A noble pointed at the way of the samurai and said,
"Samurai, I order you—go and rescue the daimyo at once!"
The samurai curled his lips, removed his armor and katana, and said,
"If you can do it, then you go!"
They were samurai who had just fled from the inner city. Kairen had utterly shattered their courage; they no longer even believed in the way of the samurai.
"You—"
The noble was furious, but cowardly as they were, they did not dare step forward.
They could only watch helplessly as Susanoo pinched the Fire Country's daimyo, as if squeezing a little chick.
Voices clamored as everyone discussed why the flaming giant had seized the daimyo.
Some believed the Fire Country's daimyo had provoked heavenly punishment, and that a god had descended to execute him.
Some believed it was merely a layer of genjutsu, telling everyone to hurry home—lying on their wives would dispel the illusion.
Someone nodded repeatedly, saying he thought the same.
Kairen stood within a fiery red rhombus crystal, controlling Susanoo as it descended. The surrounding civilians scattered at once, clearing a space for Kairen.
Only from a lofty height does one understand the vastness of all living beings. Only standing upon high mountains can one look down upon the mediocre ravines.
Kairen shook his head, dispersing the swelling in his heart.
In this universe, no matter how strong you are, there is always someone stronger; no matter how weak you are, someone weaker; no matter how fierce you are, someone fiercer…
Kairen gazed at the crowd below. Though they all shared the same form, their essence had already changed.
He no longer worried about food, clothing, shelter, or travel, and could step out of the vortex of fate.
The essence of life had already changed. Even wearing human skin, he could feel a separation from the crowd.
They were afraid, or in awe of this power that transcended nature.
Kairen straightened his bearing. A faint aura of the Six Paths of Pain spread from him, as if he were teaching people to feel pain and carry sacks of rice up the stairs.
"My name is Moku Kairen."
The voice was grand and majestic, carrying a metallic texture, devoid of human emotion—like the murmurs of the heavens.
The discussions below came to a halt. Everyone raised their heads to look at the towering giant.
Hidden among the civilians were spies from various countries, as well as a liaison from Konoha Village—among them a strange person who revealed only dark green pupils.
Kairen bent Susanoo's elbow, placing the Fire Country's daimyo atop it like an ant to be judged at will.
Kairen continued, "This is your ruler. He angered me and even led soldiers to besiege me. Tell me… as a god, how should I deal with him?!"
Susanoo looked down, and a volcano-like pressure settled upon everyone's hearts.
It was as if endless flames were scorching their minds, cold sweat pouring down.
A minister who did not know life from death jumped out, pointing at Susanoo and cursing,
"Playing tricks of gods and ghosts—you are not a god at all! Release the daimyo at once, or the Fire Country's million-strong samurai army will slaughter you!"
As his words fell, a flaming halberd descended from the sky, piercing straight through the minister's chest. In agony, the minister turned into a pile of charred ash.
Kairen withdrew his Uchiha fork, thinking that there truly were people who did not know when to die.
Kairen looked at his steel fork!
With a thought, the fork slowly changed shape. The three prongs transformed into blades, with the central one most prominent.
The end Kairen held also formed a complex tail sheath.
"From now on… you shall be called the Fire Trident!"
"Hmm… a halberd?!"
Kairen shook his head. Since he had decided to play god and ghost, the weapon could not be called the Uchiha Fork.
He swept his gaze below. After the earlier show of might, everyone had fallen silent, staring at Susanoo without daring to breathe.
A god was not asking for their opinions. Those who defied a god would die.
Most people had already begun to believe that Kairen was the Fire God.
Kairen's emotional perception clearly understood the thoughts of the crowd below.
Some reverence, some disdain, some fanaticism…
Kairen sighed inwardly. If only he had a system that could convert emotions into experience points.
Then he would not have become like a pervert, thinking every day about how to commit suicide and how to feel pain!
The system detected Kairen's emotional fluctuation, and a mechanical voice immediately sounded:
"Host's needs detected. The system adds an auxiliary function—collect emotional values to feedback experience!"
Kairen was stunned. The system truly was his family; whatever he wanted, it gave.
Kairen tore off his usual mask of arrogance and said to the system,
"System, from now on we will address each other as father and son."
"You call me Host, I'll call you Dad—each on our own terms!"
"Is that okay? Dad!"
"Good son! It's fine!"
The system suddenly became mischievous. It did not even call him Host anymore, directly calling him good son.
Kairen was stunned again. "Huh?! You—"
In an instant, Kairen accepted his new identity.
"That works too. From now on we're father and son. Dad, quickly turn on my emotion collection function!"
"Alright! Good son!"
Kairen looked down. The voice in his mind fell silent—seemed their emotions had not yet fluctuated significantly.
"The god will annihilate all living beings!"
Kairen roared. The Fire Trident suddenly burst forth with blazing flames.
He swung it toward the ground. The over-hundred-meter-long halberd carried flames, exerting immense pressure.
The crowd below widened their eyes, as if death were right before them.
Finally, a voice sounded in Kairen's mind.
"Ding!"
"Civilian A generates 1 point of fear toward you and licks your shoe soles, saying: God! I was wrong!"
"Civilian B generates 1 point of fear toward you and wipes your leather shoes, saying: Dad, I was wrong!"
"Civilian C…"
...
"Experience +1000!"
Kairen withdrew the Fire Trident that was about to fall, and everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Kairen stood within the crystal, snickering.
It was just a scare, yet he had already collected 1000 experience points—far better than painfully engaging in self-harm as before.
"Ding!"
"Noble A generates 1 point of resentment toward you and pats your butt, saying you are a beast!"
Kairen cast his gaze downward.
Within the nobles' crowd, a young man stared at him with hatred, his eyes filled with malice—the look of revenge.
With a swift thrust, Kairen's halberd shot down, piercing Noble A straight through, turning him into ashes in the blink of an eye.
Kairen withdrew the long halberd and did not explain his actions to the crowd.
Kairen then looked toward the crowd again.