Naruto: Kagurazaka

As I stood in my dimly lit basement laboratory, the subtle hum of tools and faint metallic smells filled the space. My thoughts wandered into the curious realm of energy production—electricity existed here, but it was undeniably limited.

They might still be relying on electrochemical cells or boiling water with coal or natural gas to drive turbines through magnetic induction, I mused, my fingers tapping rhythmically against the lead-encased box on the table. Nuclear power plants? Probably not a thing here. Makes sense, though.

With a faint smirk, I flipped the latch on the box, recalling my recent commission from Kenta. The man was a skilled craftsman and surprisingly efficient. I had asked if he handled projects beyond just weapons, and though he initially seemed surprised by the request, he delivered. Within half a day, he produced the stainless-steel-covered lead box exactly to my specifications. Simple but sturdy—a commendable effort.

I should give Kenta credit for the fast work. Then again, it's just a box.

After securing that, I spent some time roaming the village and hunting down additional materials for my experiment. Tungsten was a fortunate find—dense, heat-resistant, and notoriously difficult to work with. Most people here wouldn't even bother with it. But I wasn't "most people."

Making compounds with tungsten is already hard enough, but it's worth seeing if I can combine it with Nullium, I thought, tapping my chin thoughtfully. Still... doing this the conventional way would take too long.

Chemistry, despite its fascinating intricacies, had limitations when tools and pure ingredients were scarce. I didn't have that kind of time or patience. No point in wasting energy when I've got better options, I mused.

The familiar voice echoed suddenly in my mind—a mechanical resonance that transcended the boundaries of ordinary sound.

«Confirm: Extra Skill, 『Law Manipulation』 has been acquired.»

I let out a soft chuckle. "Finally."

The evolution of Gravity Manipulation into Law Manipulation wasn't exactly unprecedented. Plenty of demi-spiritual beings, proclaimed demon lords, or demon lord seeds had the former, while higher Spiritual beings had the later.

It was common enough for those who understood the underlying mechanics of existence. Though, grasping the basic principles of Einstein's theory of relativity is actually enough to made the leap trivial. Add a few loops of wielding Veldanava's power, and recreating the core of the skill felt almost inevitable.

Law Manipulation... A skill that bends the rules of the world from either a magical or scientific angle. Whether it's effective depends entirely on the user's knowledge and affinity.

For me? Child's play.

I didn't need an ultimate skill like Rimuru's so-called Wisdom King Raphael to make this work, though, a skill that would do all these calculations for me should be great if I were to get it.

Or wait... was it Ciel? I remembered that odd phase when Rimuru stopped calling it Raphael and named it Ciel instead, indicating it had evolved into a Manas.

«Confirm: Extra Skill, 『Thought Acceleration』 has been acquired.»

Huh. Must've been fun.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I focused back on the task at hand. The lead box gleamed under the dim light as I lifted the lid and gently placed the chunk of tungsten inside. Activating Law Manipulation, I visualized the bonds holding the dense metal together and broke them apart with ease. The tungsten liquefied smoothly, shimmering like molten silver in the bottom of the box.

I worked quickly—if I stopped the skill, it would resolidify instantly. With my free hand, I grabbed the crystal-like Nullium powder and poured it carefully into the molten tungsten, stirring with precise movements.

The mixture hissed and crackled as the two materials met. Sparks flickered faintly around the surface, dancing like fleeting stars. The compounds resisted each other at first, but under the guiding force of Law Manipulation, they began to meld into a uniform, shimmering alloy.

Sweat beaded on my forehead as I maintained focus, knowing the next step was critical.

All that's left now... is magicules.

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The morning light had barely touched the Hyuga estate as Renji and I made our way back to Elder Matsu's residence. The air was thick with a silence broken only by Renji's persistent questions.

"How's the experiment going?" he asked, glancing sideways at me.

I kept my pace steady, ignoring him as I often did when his curiosity became overbearing.

"I mean," he continued, "you sealed it in a lead box, labeled it 'Dangerous,' and wrote Highly Radioactive on the side. What exactly are you messing with, Akai-sama?"

His concern was palpable—even through the silent stream of thoughts lingering just beneath the surface.

Thought Communication Translation: If he's going this far, something seriously dangerous is going on.

Renji was right to be wary, but I wasn't about to explain the intricacies of radioactive chakra metals to him. Magicules may act like radiation, but unlike prolonged exposure to gamma or beta radiation, magicules lean toward mutation and adaptation rather than poisoning the body. It still can give you cancer from radiation poisoning, but it is better than most radiation from Uranium exposure.

If this were a superhero comic, your chance of gaining superpowers from radiation would be decimal points, I mused inwardly. Magicules? A solid 40% chance of adapting naturally. 50% if guided by a regular mage, 80% if it's an advanced elf, and 100% with me.

I wasn't worried about myself. My body is that of a Mid-level Majin, so magicules is already overflowing in me. I didn't need a hazmat suit, but I still indulged Renji's paranoia by labeling the box.

He grumbled under his breath, likely debating whether to press me further, but I kept walking, expression bored, until we reached Matsu's residence.

We descended once again into the basement, bypassing the dusty archives and stepping into the pristine lab chamber I had painstakingly created. The white walls gleamed under the glow of new lighting fixtures, ventilations hummed softly, and every corner was meticulously arranged with equipment, sealed containers, and reinforced furniture.

Renji and Matsu had both reacted comically when I first blasted through the adjacent storage room, clearing walls and soil with precision akin to Minecraft. I left the structural reinforcement to Matsu, who grumbled but ultimately followed orders, while I installed ventilation systems, furniture, and everything necessary for a proper laboratory.

Now, dressed in lab coats—Renji begrudgingly wearing a hazmat suit while I remained in my usual attire—we stood before the lead box.

"You sure about not wearing a suit, Akai-sama?" Renji asked cautiously, sweat already forming beneath his protective gear.

"I don't need it," I replied flatly, unlatching the box with ease.

The contents gleamed as I lifted them out—a shimmering compound of tungsten, Nullium, and infused magicules, radiating vibrant, colorful light. It had become crystalline and beautiful, far beyond its initial rough form.

Renji's eyes widened beneath his visor. "You're touching that barehanded?!"

I ignored him, observing the strange properties of the metal in my hand. The compound was surprisingly light—too light. Tungsten was supposed to be dense and heavy, yet this alloy floated effortlessly as though gravity held no sway over it.

Why is it so light?

Curiosity piqued, I retrieved a pure sample of Nullium from the shelf. Pouring magicules into it instead of chakra, I watched as the material shimmered and defied gravity entirely, slowly falling like a feather.

Renji, despite sweating profusely in his suit, couldn't hide his astonishment. "It's floating...?"

I nudged the Nullium with a finger, and it immediately shifted in the air, moving freely as though in a zero-gravity environment. This blatant defiance of Einstein's law of relativity sparked a brilliant idea in my mind.

Without hesitation, I gathered all the Nullium samples and infused them with magicules. The room filled with radiant energy as the highly radioactive Nullium floated freely, shimmering like stars in orbit.

A wide grin spread across my face—not the calculated smirk I often wore, but the genuine joy of discovery, like a child learning to ride a bike for the first time.

Then came the next step. I extended my hands, palms open, as if reaching for the floating materials. Almost immediately, the metals converged toward me, pulled by an unseen gravitational force. Sparks danced violently in the air as I activated Law Manipulation, channeling an overwhelming surge of power.

Heat rose sharply as nuclear fission ignited within the small lab.

"Akai! Stop!" Renji shouted, struggling to move in his heavy suit.

But I was beyond hearing him. The air thickened, shimmering waves of heat radiating outward. The energy surged uncontrollably, culminating in a blinding explosion of light and heat—a flashbang magnified a thousandfold.

The lab quaked violently as the space near my outstretched hand cracked open, tearing into reality itself.

A portal—or rather, a spatial rift—formed before my eyes.

Through the shimmering fracture, I saw it—a town square teeming with life. The abundance of magicules pouring through the crack was staggering. Green-skinned goblins scurried about, their sharp voices blending with the grunts of towering orcs and the melodic tones of horned Onis.

Tempest...

My heart clenched painfully.

A familiar goblin with a round face and carefree smile approached the rift, waving cheerfully. "Hey, uh... are you the one causing this portal thingy?" he called out casually.

Renji, alarmed, began tearing off his hazmat suit, ready to intercept any potential threat. But before he could act, the rift began to close.

The goblin scratched his head in confusion. "Uh, goodbye, I guess-ssu?"

The rift sealed with a final snap, leaving only silence in its wake. The materials I had been working with vanished as though they had never existed.

My breathing grew rough, each inhale labored. My teeth clenched tightly, rage simmering beneath my calm facade. My hands trembled violently as realization dawned.

Renji's voice broke through the fog. "Akai-sama? What's wrong—"

Before he could finish, I slammed both hands onto the nearby tray table. Metal and glass shattered under the force, fragments scattering across the lab floor.

My throat burned from the scream I hadn't realized I was releasing. The surge of magicules and Haki radiating from my body made it nearly impossible for Renji to breathe.

It hurts, I choked out between ragged breaths. My hands throbbed, blood dripping from fresh wounds. My voice was raw, shredded from the unrelenting scream.

Renji desperately called my name, but his body crumbled to the ground, unable to withstand the oppressive energy I was emitting.

Finally, my rage subsided, leaving me hollow. Silence settled over the lab as I stared at Renji, who struggled to his feet, drenched in cold sweat.

"You... okay?" he asked hoarsely, placing a trembling hand on my shoulder. "It's okay to fail sometimes..."

I clenched my fists, biting back the urge to correct his misunderstanding. It wasn't failure, I thought bitterly. That portal wasn't something I wanted to create in the first place.

Renji assumed I had been trying to open a portal to another world and simply lacked the materials. But the truth was far worse—I had hoped never to create it.

When I stood frozen before the shimmering rift, the overwhelming energy pouring through it had clouded my senses. The crack in space was unlike anything I had ever seen—raw, volatile, and radiating more magicules than should have been possible in a stable dimension.

Instinctively, I had poured my entire reserve of energy into my Magic Perception, amplifying it beyond safe limits. The flood of information had hit me like a tidal wave.

Magicules had surged outward from my body, spreading rapidly through the crack like an unstoppable pulse. Within mere moments, they had bounced back, painting an intricate map of the world on the other side. The feedback had been instantaneous—like a cosmic echolocation that had scanned the entire world in seconds.

Vast continents had bloomed in my mind's eye, each terrain illuminated by the reflection of magicules. I had sensed sprawling forests dense with mana, deserts shimmering with latent magical energy, and mountains fortified by ancient, indomitable power.

There had been voids too—dark spots where my magicules had been repelled or devoured entirely. Demon Lord territories. Their presence had been unmistakable, like black holes in a sea of radiance, impenetrable even to my enhanced perception.

A world wide Magic perception, it was enough for me to turn back into a low rank Majin, dispersing most of the Magicules I have obtain.

And then...

A familiar signature had emerged amidst the chaos—a beacon pulsing faintly but unmistakably. My heart had skipped a beat.

Seated in a bright, orderly room within Ingracia's Free Guild Academy was none other than him.

Dressed in simple white attire, he had the typical appearance of a Japanese boy. Beside him sat an elf, equally aware that despite the city's formidable anti-monster barrier, someone was spreading their presence through Magic Perception.

This was the real Yuuki Kagurazaka.

The loop is still ongoing.

I'm not Yuuki. I'm just his Angra Mainyu.

A mere copy that simply obtain all his corrupted desire and memories. This is all make sense, but... I hate it. I fucking hate it!

"Akai-sama! S-stay with me! Please stay awake!"

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To be continued.

Next up: Angra Mainyu