Chapter 9: Understanding

“Is this boy actually an assassin?!” Wakaba felt a flicker of surprise in her heart.

Carefully examining the memories in the boy’s mind, she learned that his name was Kiyoshi Shiratori, a second-year student at Sakai Sixth High School and also an assassin.

“No wonder last night’s fight was so ruthless,” Wakaba recalled as she thought back to the encounter with the bald man.

She had acted almost entirely on the instincts stored within the boy’s body—what one might call subconscious reflexes. This was the strength of the system.

The more intact a corpse, the more complete the abilities inherited by the clone created from it. Given the completeness of Kiyoshi Shiratori’s body, the system had directly inherited his memories, skills, instincts, and more.

Aside from the consciousness not being the original one, it was practically indistinguishable from the real Kiyoshi Shiratori.

Wakaba also discovered that the boy had not been trained as an assassin from childhood but had only entered this line of work a year ago.

To compensate for his lack of combat experience, he had to learn quickly.

His attacks targeted the most vulnerable parts of the human body: groin strikes, eye gouges, nose pokes, neck bites—each move precise and brutal.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Wakaba looked around and caught sight of the towering building in the city center. Its futuristic metallic sheen resembled a massive crystal grown naturally from the earth.

Following the directions from Kiyoshi’s memories, she briskly made her way home, her eyes darting around curiously.

This was the outskirts of Sekawa City, where skyscrapers were sparse and mostly office buildings.

Nevertheless, the streets were brimming with technological marvels: rolling 3D projection banners above the roads, ten-meter-tall three-dimensional holographic advertisements—each scene making Wakaba feel as if she were in a dream.

Passing through a bustling three-way intersection in the city, she suddenly stopped, her gaze fixed on the enormous screen covering the side of an office building to her right.

A news replay was playing.

“…At 9:21 p.m. on June 5th, the city’s Security Bureau, personally led by Director Miyakawa, successfully dismantled an international human trafficking ring…”

“These are aerial shots from the scene, showing that the criminals had no intention to negotiate.”

“They detonated bombs, killing all hostages, in a desperate attempt to escape.”

“At the critical moment, Director Miyakawa, despite the heavy sorrow of losing hostages, discerned the criminals’ motives and engaged in fierce gunfire, narrowly escaping death. Fortunately, the situation was ultimately brought under control…”

Wakaba watched the screen, the footage dark, blurry, and shaky, illuminated only by flashes of explosions.

Yet she recognized the place—it was where she had been kidnapped.

She sighed to herself, “If I weren’t involved, I might have actually believed the nonsense on the news.”

“How can people be so shameless?” she muttered quietly, looking at the righteous, self-assured figure of Shie Miyakawa speaking before reporters on the screen.

Turning her gaze away, she was about to continue when her attention was caught by the scrolling news ticker beneath the screen.

The information there was far more valuable than any tales of the Security Bureau director’s heroic exploits.

“International mining giant—Korn Group—has reported a collapse accident at the Shina Mine in Ishihara Town, southwest of Sekawa City. Casualties are unknown. Korn Group has held an emergency press conference.”

“Nishizawa District—Lord Oda is about to celebrate his 170th birthday, inviting dignitaries from all sectors. It is rumored that Princess Maki of the royal family will attend.”

“The esteemed envoy from Mars is scheduled to visit the Earth Union soon to discuss joint development of the asteroid belt mining operations.”

As Wakaba read through this, memories related to these facts surfaced in her clone’s mind.

Only then did she realize that her homeland, the Eastern Fu Kingdom, actually had a royal family!

Not only that, but it had an emperor!

Moreover, unlike the figurehead emperors of her previous life’s Japan, this emperor wielded absolute power as the undisputed ruler of the Eastern Fu Kingdom.

“So, this country is an empire?” Wakaba was speechless.

It was supposed to be an advanced future world—why was it still an empire?

Unable to make sense of it, she decided not to dwell on it; after all, it was none of her concern.

“Also, there are Martians in this world.”

She searched the clone’s brain for information about Martians but only found scattered, fragmentary data from the internet.

It seemed such knowledge was strictly restricted for ordinary people.

“Information is tightly controlled for the public…” Wakaba murmured. “What a pity—I was hoping to see an alien.”

Disappointed, she shook her head and continued walking home.

Time flowed slowly as Wakaba passed street after street.

She noticed that despite the city’s advanced appearance, homeless people and street urchins occasionally appeared on the streets.

Peering down alleys between office buildings, she saw carelessly discarded garbage bags, black rats, and cockroaches scurrying through the filth.

Wakaba realized that beneath the city’s glittering facade, reality was far less idyllic than she had imagined.

Along the way, pedestrians avoided her with disdain.

Her clothes and shorts were not only wet but tattered and emitted a faint stench of decay, resembling a beggar’s garb.

This was unsurprising, as she had scavenged these clothes from a garbage mountain.

Turning a corner onto a crowded street, she suddenly heard what sounded like a stifled girl’s sob coming from a silver luxury car nearby.

“Is it my imagination?” Wakaba halted and glanced at the car.

The window was closed.

Listening carefully, the sound had ceased.

She withdrew her gaze and resumed walking home.

Inside the luxury car, the air was heavy and sultry.

A strong, well-proportioned stag stood with majestic, branching antlers raised high.

Its sturdy hooves pressed into the partially thawed stream of early spring, where clear water flowed gently through winding crevices…

“Who is that beggar? Why did you get so nervous when you saw him?” a handsome young man asked the beautiful girl beside him.

Though his tone seemed inquisitive, there was an undeniable authority in his voice.

The girl hesitated before finally speaking honestly.

“He’s a student at our school, named Shiratori something.”

“He has a crush on me and once secretly followed me. To win my favor, he even staged a ‘hero saving the beauty’ act.”

“I saw through his clumsy performance at once, but to spare his pride, I didn’t expose him directly. Instead, I deliberately distanced myself afterward.”

“He must have realized I saw through his act and, feeling ashamed, stopped bothering me.”

Hearing this, the handsome man was astonished.

“That beggar went to such lengths for you?”

“Yeah,” the young girl nodded, then quickly added, “But all that was just his self-delusion. I never liked him from the start.”