Amber sat upright in a chair, his tall and sturdy body casting a shadow across the wooden floor. The light of the lantern flickered against the scars that crisscrossed his arms and neck—reminders of countless battles survived. His right eye was blind, hidden beneath a faint scar, while his hair had only just begun to regrow after being shaven short.
He leaned forward, his voice firm yet respectful.
"I just want to help you. Everyone in Hope Village has been training diligently—ripples, ninjutsu, swordsmanship. We've all worked hard."
His gaze didn't falter as he continued.
"In the past, when we were children, it was Master Logan who stood before us and shielded us from the storms. But now we've grown. It's our turn to contribute. Our turn to carry the burden. We want you to rest, even if only for a while."
Amber's thoughts were pure, his resolve simple. He wasn't seeking glory or recognition. All he wanted was for Logan, their protector, their leader, to finally take a step back.
Because a leader could charge at the front—but if the leader was always the one at the very front, while everyone else hid behind him, wasn't that backwards? Wasn't that shameful?
Logan, however, spoke with his usual calmness.
"But Hope Village has barely thirty people left."
Amber smiled faintly, a rough warmth in his voice.
"Since the unrest in the Land of Water began, more people have come to us. Of course, without your permission, we haven't taught them ripple techniques or ninjutsu. But if you give the word… we'll have the manpower for a legion."
Not ninjas.
Not samurai.
A legion—born from the ashes of the past, standing as a new force.
Logan was silent for a long time, pondering. His sharp eyes reflected the weight of the decision. Finally, he nodded slowly, agreeing to Amber's proposal.
He alone could not resolve all the chaos spreading across the Land of Water. Distance and time—two insurmountable obstacles—always limited him. Even if he pushed his body to the extreme, even if he flew tirelessly across the small country, he could barely respond to the countless sparks of unrest. But what about in the future, when wars spilled across borders, when he faced the armies of other nations?
Even with the support of Kirigakure's shinobi, it wasn't enough.
"…Then do it," Logan said at last. His tone carried finality.
"You choose the personnel. Once the candidates are confirmed, I'll use the White Snake to check them myself. I'll write the binding 'order' that ripple techniques must never spread outside. When the legion is ready…"
He reached into a drawer and pulled it open.
Inside was a thick stack of discs—ninjutsu, swordsmanship, secret techniques he had obtained in recent days while suppressing riots. Weapons in the shape of knowledge, each capable of instantly turning an ordinary person into a combatant.
"These," Logan said, placing the stack on the table, "can be distributed."
Amber straightened, his expression bright with determination.
"Yes, Master Logan!"
He turned to leave, ready to give orders, but Logan called him back.
"Wait. Since it's a legion, it must have a name. Do you have one in mind?"
Amber scratched his head sheepishly. "We thought… to be your sword, Master Logan. Your weapon is the Destruction Sword. And we fight to eradicate despair from the world. So I thought of the name…"
His scarred face softened with a simple, genuine smile.
"…The Army of Extinction."
Logan froze.
The name sounded ominous—almost villainous. Yet the meaning… was correct. It carried the essence of their purpose. After a moment's thought, Logan sighed and nodded. "Very well. Use that name—for now. We can adjust it later."
---
Perhaps it was because Amber, Mayuri, and the others were simply too efficient. Or perhaps it was because Logan's reputation now rang louder than thunder. But whatever the reason, the Army of Extinction came into being with astonishing speed.
In just ten days, its first prototype stood ready.
From the initial team of 150, after the White Snake's thorough review and elimination, 89 remained. They became the First Unit of the Army of Extinction.
When deployed, they shocked the world.
They were not yet suited for the highest battlefields where Kage and legends clashed, but in the middle and lower tiers of war, they were unrivaled. Ripple techniques, combined with the discs Logan had tailored to battlefield needs, turned them into a crushing force.
Casualties came, as they always did. Death could not be avoided. Yet each loss hardened the survivors, forged them stronger, more resolute.
With the Army of Extinction's support, Logan's shoulders felt lighter. His burden was no longer so crushing, and he could focus on the larger picture: preparing for the inevitable counterattacks of the financial conglomerates.
---
Four months passed.
The air grew cool, and leaves in the Land of Water began to yellow.
Logan sat atop the Mizukage building, gazing at the glittering stars. In one hand, a steaming cup of coffee; in the other, a small plate of biscuits. Mayuri had baked them herself. Their rich, creamy flavor paired perfectly with the bitterness of the Americano.
Below him, the city of Kirigakure bustled like never before.
The turmoil of the Land of Water had finally settled.
The great financial groups had been forced to surrender—whether sincerely or with hidden resentment. Others had packed up and moved, abandoning the country altogether.
For the first time, the veins of the Land of Water—from commerce to military, from ideology to governance—flowed in unison. All of it now lay firmly within Logan's grasp.
From brokenness, a new nation had been born.
But Logan did not smile in triumph. He only murmured to himself:
"…This is just the beginning."
They had only cleared away the visible enemies. The greater task still loomed: strengthening production capacity, deepening ideology, preventing tragedies like the Hori Masaji Incident from ever recurring.
Fortunately, much of that responsibility lay with Oda Ieyasu. For now, Logan could finally rest—if only briefly.
---
It was then he opened his system interface, for the first time in a long while.
Stands:
Star Platinum: The World (Six-Star, Max Level)
White Snake (Five-Star, Level 4)
Killer Queen (Five-Star, Level 3)
Aerosmith (Five-Star, Level 2)
Hermit Purple (Four-Star, Level 2)
Burning Down the House (Four-Star, Level 1)
Rainbow Catcher (Four-Star, Level 1)
Resources:
Ascending Dimension Star Core ×1
Soul Fragments: 15,497
Logan's lips curved faintly. The number was vast. His efforts had borne fruit.
After defeating the Fourth Raikage Ai, he had 1,900 fragments left after upgrading White Snake. Training for three months on Mount Myōboku, while four great villages—Konoha, Kirigakure, Sunagakure, and Kumogakure—spread the doctrine of awakening thought, he gained about 40 fragments per day. That meant 3,600 fragments in total.
From the battles in Kyoto, defeating Kakuzu and Hidan earned him 1,840. Recruiting Oda Ieyasu, altering the world line, granted him another 1,000.
With the Land of Water's reforms, its daily output rose from 10 to 20 fragments. Combined with the other villages, that made an average of 50 per day—another 6,000 over four months.
Add in recent small skirmishes and kills: 15,497 fragments.
Enough to summon, enough to evolve, enough to gamble on destiny.
He could pull from the card pool over 1,500 times. On average, that meant seven or eight new five-star stands. Or, he could attempt the rare six-star summon.
But Logan already knew the wisest path. Evolution.
White Snake. Killer Queen. Aerosmith.
All three could ascend further. White Snake and Killer Queen had known evolutionary lines—terrifying ones. Crescent Moon. Killer Queen: Bites the Dust.
Logan chewed on his final cookie, sipped his coffee, and let the bitter warmth steady him. His mind settled.
He had enough raw strength for frontal combat. What he needed was insurance—an ultimate trump card. Something that could reverse fate itself.
He made his choice.
"…Killer Queen will evolve."
White Snake's utility was great, but compared to the potential of Killer Queen, there was no contest. The Land of Water had stabilized, but the shadows beyond had not disappeared. He still had enemies lurking in the dark. And should disaster strike, only Bites the Dust could serve as his last, desperate safeguard.
"Then… let's begin."
His voice was calm, but inside, his pulse quickened.
"System. Upgrade White Snake and Killer Queen to maximum level."
The pleasant chime of falling coins echoed in his ears. Ten thousand soul fragments vanished. Both stands surged in power, climbing to their peak.
Logan pulled out the Ascending Star Core. Its radiance pulsed like the beating of a heart.
"Target: Killer Queen."
He tossed it forward. The core merged with the stand, vanishing in a burst of light.
A system prompt appeared before his eyes:
Killer Queen: Trial Stage Initiated
Trial Difficulty: Extremely High
Objective: Travel alone to Morioh Town and kill Kira Yoshikage.
Condition: Death equals failure. The Ascending Star Core will be lost.
Final reminder flashed in crimson letters:
Warning: This trial is extremely difficult. Prepare thoroughly before entering.
Logan's brow furrowed. He whispered under his breath.
"Extremely high difficulty… When I fought Dio, it was only marked as 'high.'"
His eyes narrowed, cold light glinting.
"So Kira Yoshikage… is stronger than Dio?"
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