The warm, humid sea breeze carried a salty tang, replacing the suffocating cold and strong wind at high altitude. Sunlight filtered through the swaying coconut leaves, casting dappled shadows on the beach. Waves lapped gently at the shore, creating a soothing rumble. Everything was in stark contrast to the airborne purgatory moments ago.
Eriri was gently placed in the shade of a coconut tree by Genji. Her legs gave way, and she nearly sat down, hastily grabbing the rough trunk, her fingertips still trembling uncontrollably. Her stomach was still doing flips, and she felt as if she could still smell the scorched and bloody scent in her nasal cavity. She looked at the survivors sitting or lying on the beach with various expressions, overwhelmed by a strong sense of unreality.
They had survived... they had actually survived.
But then a cold question pierced her thoughts.
"Genji..." she said hoarsely, tugging at the sleeve of Genji, who was checking on a dazed passenger beside her. Lowering her voice, her blue eyes full of anxiety. "Those people... they saw everything. The shadows, the chains, and you... These... this isn't something ordinary people can comprehend. If they talk after being rescued..."
The primary principle of the jujutsu world was secrecy from ordinary people. This was common sense repeatedly instilled in her at the college recently. And everything that had just happened had undoubtedly torn that principle to shreds. Dozens of ordinary people had witnessed shikigami, cursed chains, and supernatural rescue operations at high altitude. If word got out, the consequences were unimaginable.
Having checked the passenger (who had simply fainted from sheer terror), Genji straightened up and nodded. His deep indigo eyes swept over the crowd on the beach, calm and untroubled.
"Indeed," he admitted. "Memory processing is necessary. Witnessing supernatural events, especially deep memories associated with life, death, and fear, can cause long-term psychological trauma and cognitive dissonance, and can also attract cursed spirits sensitive to 'anomalies,' or become a medium for certain curses."
Eriri's heart jumped. Memory processing? That sounded like some kind of profound technique. Was it like in the movies, where a flash of light makes you forget? Or comprehensive hypnosis? She was a bit nervous and a bit curious. What kind of magical means would this thousand-year-old god of curses use to erase or alter the memories of so many people?
She watched as Genji raised his hands to his chest and quickly formed a hand seal she had never seen before, one that seemed extraordinarily simple and plain. There was no earth-shattering burst of cursed energy, no dazzling light. Only the shadow beneath his feet, like clear water turning into thick ink, suddenly became deeper and darker, silently spreading across the beach.
From the shadows, so deep they seemed to absorb all light, well-proportioned and energetic "figures" silently "stood" up, one after another. They were covered in matte, dark gray soft armor, with flexible joints, their faces smooth black masks without any features, only two faint red points of light in the eye area. With short swords crossed on their backs, their movements were precise and uniform, light as cats, making not a sound—it was the black ninja Eriri had seen in her dream!
Hundreds of black ninjas, like a phantom army detaching from Genji's shadow, lined up behind him in an instant, kneeling on one knee, in absolute silence and obedience.
"..." Eriri opened her mouth, looking at this group of shikigami that had suddenly shifted from fantastical sorcery to a ninja assassination film, and for a long time, she couldn't react to what Genji was about to do.
She watched as the shadow ninjas bowed simultaneously, then dispersed like phantoms, silently approaching their targets with astonishing speed—the survivors who were still immersed in post-disaster emotions, unaware of the impending "memory processing."
Then, before Eriri's wide eyes—
Behind a weeping woman, a ninja appeared silently. Its right hand, fingers like a knife, quickly, precisely, ruthlessly, and without waste of energy, lightly tapped somewhere on the back of her head.
"Mm..." The woman's body went limp, her eyes glazed over, and she collapsed right on the beach.
On the other side, a ninja approached a man trying to bandage a wound with torn cloth, also using a clean hand strike.
Thud. The man fell.
Nearby, a couple comforting each other were "dealt with" from behind by two ninjas, both falling into a "childlike" sleep.
The corners of Eriri's mouth twitched uncontrollably, a black line hanging from her forehead. She pointed at the passengers now "lying" on the ground, then looked calmly at Genji, as if this were just a dream, her voice a bit strained:
"This... this is what you call 'memory processing'?! Try to be more gentle!" She almost screamed. "Isn't this just causing physical amnesia?! Knocking them out?! How is this different from a gangster knocking out a victim before silencing them?!"
Genji clapped his hands together and smiled. "As long as it works."
He paused and added, "Don't worry, I control the force, plus the protection of cursed energy, it won't cause serious brain damage. At most, they'll wake up with a slight headache and short-term fuzzy memories, quickly adapting to new 'survival' memories. It's a proven and effective method."
Eriri felt powerless to complain, looking at the "sleeping beauties" scattered on the ground, and could only accept this simple and crude reality. Forget it. As long as the people are fine, memory... it's better to blur it than to remember those horrific images.
"Next," Genji ignored Eriri's complex expression, his gaze turning towards the dense tropical jungle deeper on the island. "We need to assess the situation on this island and find a way to settle them. We can't take ordinary people deeper to investigate the Naraku Sect."
His mind shifted slightly, and he issued a new order to the reformed shadow ninjas: "Using the landing point as the center, spread out across the island. Focus on searching for signs of human activity, fresh water sources, places suitable for temporary shelter... and any signs of indigenous people or rescue forces. If any anomalies are found, report them immediately. The rest stay here, secure the perimeter, and protect these unconscious people from wild animals or accidents."
Without hesitation, the shadow ninjas turned, like ink blending into the forest's shadows, instantly vanishing into the dense vegetation, moving swiftly and silently.
After everything was done, Genji walked under a coconut tree, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes to rest.
---
About half an hour later, a gray shadow seemed to rise from the earth, quietly appearing before Genji, kneeling on one knee—one of the shadow ninjas sent to investigate.
Genji opened his eyes.
"No indigenous people, no rescue teams... but you found man-made structures? And an anomalous cursed energy signature?" Genji frowned slightly. This was different from what he had expected. A seemingly uninhabited desert island, yet with artifacts and a cursed reaction hidden in its depths?
He stood up and said to Eriri, "I'll go check it out. Stay here, protected by the ninjas, and stay safe. If you encounter a situation you can't handle, focus on calling me using the method I taught you, and I'll perceive it."
Eriri nodded quickly, worried, but she knew following him would just hold him back.
Genji's figure flickered, seeming to blend into the deepening dusk, and instantly vanished from the spot, leaving only a faint breeze. He sped through the dense jungle, following the trail of cursed energy left by the shadow ninjas—visible only to him—fast as a phantom, yet not disturbing a single bird or beast.
╔══════════════════════╗
📘 Want more?
Join me on Patreon for bonus chapters
and early access!
🔗 https://www.patreon.com/cw/OverlordD
╚══════════════════════╝