"Does your ninja village have electricity and compulsory education?"
Ryuji's question left her completely stunned.
"What is compulsory education?"
"Do you know what physics and chemistry are?"
"What are those?"
"Have you ever watched television?"
"I'm a clone. And besides, things like television weaken a person's fighting spirit and make people soft. The Shiranui-ryu declined because it became too secularized. So we don't have those."
Ryuji: "....."
He couldn't help but scratch his head. Alhough the Japanese were already abstract enough, he had never imagined that there could be someone even more extreme. In a country that was already absurd enough, these people had somehow created a completely isolated ninja community whose level of education seemed to have remained stuck in the Sengoku/Warring States period.
But while he was still speechless, 'Kasumi' spoke again.
"Enough. You don't need to waste any more words."
"My life was stolen. My body is fake. I don't want to betray the Mugen Tenshin clan either. Even if everything is fake, it is still the only meaning my existence has ever had."
"So, just let me die here. Let me avoid seeing the things that are destined to break my heart."
Looking up at the sky, 'Kasumi' no longer wanted to say anything. Her heart was already dead.
The things I care about didn't exist. I am just a false creation, an artificial existence no different from a clone produced by illusion techniques.
And I shouldn't exist in this world in the first place.
Rather than leaving the real Kasumi lost and confused and causing Hayate-niisan pain, it would be better for me to die here.
After all, if she became involved in any of DOATEC's other schemes, then DOATEC's plans would succeed. So, it would be better for me to simply die here.
"Besides, I just tried to kill you earlier. So, kill me."
"Whether you pull out my intestines, skewer me through the ass with a bamboo pole and skin me alive, or cut off the top of my skull, roast my brain with fire, and eat it, I won't resist at all."
"And if you want me to commit seppuku, that's acceptable too."
She spoke of things that no minor should ever know with complete nonchalance, leaving Ryuji speechless.
"You ninjas really take things that far?"
He had heard before that some Japanese methods of torture were rather extreme, but Chinese history wasn't exactly lacking in brutal punishments either, so he had never paid much attention to that side of things.
But is it really that extreme?
'Kasumi' opened her eyes again, somewhat speechless, and turned to look at Ryuji.
"Isn't this just common knowledge? When a female ninja is captured, isn't that usually what happens?"
Ryuji fell silent once more. It took him quite a while before he finally spoke.
"Could you people modernize a little? This world is already in the 20th century. Can you try doing things like normal human beings?"
He was genuinely at a loss for words.
The scum at DOATEC were already inhuman enough, but these ninjas somehow managed to be even worse.
Is this a joke?
Which side is supposed to be the villains here?
"Think whatever you want. In any case, I'll leave myself to your disposal. I'll let you do whatever you want with me, consider it my apology. After all, it's the only thing I can do now."
She closed her eyes.
Looking at 'Kasumi' after hearing those words, Ryuji stroked his chin. His gaze swept over her curvaceous figure, then he sensed Mai's location and abandoned a rather bold idea. Still, a little teasing wasn't a problem.
"Say, how about giving me a child?"
Ryuji's words caused 'Kasumi' to snap her tightly shut eyes open once again. She stared at him in complete disbelief.
"Why are you looking at me like that? You're a beautiful woman, and you just said I could do whatever I wanted. You don't even seem to care about your own life anymore, so if I use your body to satisfy a bit of desire and then have you bear me a child, that's not unreasonable, is it?"
After speaking, Ryuji pointed at Kasumi's belly.
"You said this was your way of apologizing. And while your emotions may have been borrowed and your appearance may belong to someone else, creating a new life and deciding how to raise that life; that's something only you can choose for yourself, isn't it?"
After saying that, he looked directly into her eyes.
"You know very well that I'm not afraid of your so-called Mugen Tenshin clan. Wouldn't it be better to choose a new beginning?"
Even if 'Kasumi' hadn't been a beauty, Ryuji would still have tried to help her. As long as it was within his ability, he was willing to lend people a hand.
Back in his original world, he and many others had gradually come to believe that being a good person simply meant becoming a sucker. But now he was traveling through infinite worlds, with countless worlds behind him as backups. Several world wills favored him, and he possessed cheats that would make many people green with envy.
He also had the strength to fight against an entire nation alone, along with superhuman powers and other abilities.
If, even after all that, he was still afraid to do the things he wanted to do because he might suffer a loss...
That would be far too pathetic.
For a transmigrator, the whole point was simple:
Do whatever you wanted to do.
Especially when the person involved was a beautiful woman.
"I... you..."
'Kasumi' was completely dumbfounded. Within the false memories she possessed, she couldn't find a reason to refute him.
Nor could her own ability to think come up with one.
She really had attacked Ryuji and should pay a price for it. Even death was acceptable to her. She was willing to accept the consequences of her actions.
Looking at it that way, Ryuji asking her to bear him a child was actually sparing her life. She should be grateful for it.
But... but there was definitely something wrong with this logic!
'Kasumi' felt her brain starting to shut down.
~~~~~~~~~~
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