"What nonsense are you spouting?!"
'Kasumi's' eyes widened instantly. Although she refused to believe a single word Ryuji had said, a sudden and inexplicable panic caused her heart to pound violently.
Because she...
"No! I am the real Kasumi!"
'Kasumi' roared and charged straight at Ryuji.
She couldn't allow the man before her to continue speaking such nonsense. Those cloned 'Kasumis' all had the same face, the same body, and even the same techniques as her. She absolutely could not allow him to keep talking and cause her brother and her other companions to mistakenly believe that she was one of the clones.
Absolutely not!
"So, it really is the Mugen Tenshin style!"
Mai Shiranui cried out in shock.
She knew of this school. The Mugen Tenshin clan was also a ninja clan that had been passed down for a thousand years. Long ago, their Shiranui-ryū had maintained ties and alliances with them.
Although she had only met the heir of the Mugen Tenshin clan when she was a child, there was no doubt that she could still recognize the techniques of the Mugen Tenshin style.
But the current 'Kasumi' paid no attention to Mai whatsoever.
Right now, she wanted only one thing...
To tear apart Ryuji's mouth apart for talking nonsense.
"Hm. As expected, it is a clone."
Ryuji observed every movement of 'Kasumi' through his perception before calmly reaching his conclusion.
"The hormonal balance inside your body is severely abnormal. You're excessively sensitive and prone to anger. Your internal organs are already operating beyond their limits. There are obvious discontinuities between your techniques as well. As expected, you were trained as a biological weapon."
His conclusion wasn't based solely on the abnormalities of her body.
It was also because the 'Kasumi' before him was constantly overtaxing her own physical limits.
When she attacked, Ryuji could clearly sense her muscles crying out in agony. Yet her expression remained relaxed and natural, as if those movements were causing no damage to her body at all.
But the reality was quite different.
In the short term, there would be no problems. However, if she fought continuously for more than ten minutes, her body would suffer severe damage. She would need substantial rest before she could continue fighting.
The problem was that she couldn't properly feel it herself.
Her nervous system had clearly been tampered with, preventing her from accurately perceiving the pain and damage occurring within her body.
Originally, Ryuji had only been 80% sure that she was a clone, but now he was 100% certain.
"I have no reason to deceive you. But I understand why you can't accept it."
Ryuji looked at the 'Kasumi' before him and spoke calmly.
"For someone like you, the truth really is something akin to an abyss. You have the same memories and the same body, yet you'll never receive the love of the brother in those memories. And there's a very high probability that you'll eventually be killed by your original self."
As he spoke, Ryuji couldn't help shaking his head.
That was the tragedy of biological weapons.
If they had no memories, things would be somewhat better. But when they possessed memories...
Then it truly became a tragedy. A tragedy for everyone involved.
Because for these clones, they also inherited the love that belonged to the original person. The problem was that such love would never be reciprocated.
And more often than not, they would end up being killed or cast aside by the very people the original cared about most.
Because those people loved only the original. When faced with clones who might replace or even kill the original, no matter how reluctant they were, they would ultimately choose to kill these clones.
It was also a problem for the original person.
Which was why, for these clones, death was often the best ending they could hope for. Or perhaps, if they lacked the original's memories, they might at least be accepted as sisters.
But if they possessed those memories...
Then a tragic ending was almost inevitable.
"However... that still isn't a valid reason for you to come looking for trouble with me."
The dragon fire in Ryuji's hand rapidly expanded. He actually didn't want to use dragon fire in this world.
Because dragon fire was simply too overpowered.
But for the 'Kasumi' in front of him, the best approach was to make her understand her own situation.
"What nonsense are you talking about now?! I am the real Kasumi! You lapdog of DOATEC!"
The agitated 'Kasumi' had already decided to kill him. Drawing the ninja blade from her back, she launched a nearly frenzied assault against Ryuji.
She didn't even know why she was reacting so violently. But her instincts told her that if Ryuji continued speaking, she would be forced to confront a terrifying reality.
But...
"A lapdog of DOATEC? You think far too highly of them."
Ryuji casually caught the ninja blade she swung at him with two fingers. Given his mastery of swordsmanship, Kasumi's level of skill was practically nonexistent in his eyes.
Kasumi herself clearly hadn't expected Ryuji to stop her blade with nothing but two fingers, and she froze for a moment in shock.
Ryuji didn't know whether the original Kasumi suffered from the same issue, but this cloned 'Kasumi' definitely did.
Although modifications to her body had granted her considerable strength, it was merely a false power.
Without his intervention, her best possible outcome would likely be dying from physical deterioration within a year or two.
So, he didn't hesitate. His palm, wrapped in dragon fire, shot forward and struck her heart in the instant she was distracted by shock.
The first thing he felt was softness.
Even though she was a clone, her chest felt incomparably real. The softness and elasticity beneath his palm were so genuine that they were not much inferior to Mai's.
Its softness was even greater, in fact, though Ryuji suspected that was because the internal fat and tissue had not yet fully matured.
And perhaps due to the extensive use of various hormones...
For a brief instant, when Ryuji struck 'Kasumi' in the chest, he distinctly felt something spray out.
Wait, is it really mil...
Ryuji didn't allow himself to be distracted. Instead, he immediately poured his dragon fire throughout 'Kasumi's' entire body.
He couldn't be bothered with lengthy explanations or arguments. Once her body was healed, 'Kasumi' would be able to understand her own identity for herself.
The moment 'Kasumi' felt the flames rush into her heart; however, she became convinced that she was about to die.
The fire had struck her heart instantly. An unbearable sensation of burning and stabbing pain spread throughout her entire body. The agony was so intense that she trembled uncontrollably and collapsed to the floor, unable to move even a single finger.
"I'm sorry, Hayate-niisan... I won't be able to come back and see you..."
As the image of her brother Hayate's stern face flashed through her mind. A faint smile appeared on 'Kasumi's' face.
Because she knew that although her brother appeared rigid and old-fashioned, he was actually a very good person. As long as he was there, she never had to worry.
"I'm sorry... I can't..."
Lying on the floor, 'Kasumi' tried to recall memories of her life in the ninja village. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember them.
Her eyes widened instantly. She had some memories of leaving the village, but she couldn't remember the other people who had lived there. She couldn't remember the scenery of the village. She couldn't remember her childhood.
She couldn't even remember what her brother looked like as a child!
~~~~~~~~~~
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