Chapter 190: The Puppet Master Standing Above All

Yuko's face was as pale as a sheet. She struggled to steady her trembling body, her cold gaze fixed on the scene before her. Everything seemed real, yet it was so blatantly false that it made her stomach churn. On the perfect, unblemished screens, protected by the Watchers, the images of Shingin and his companions were magnified, painted as reckless destroyers and heartless murderers. Meanwhile, the "benevolent" Watcher played the role of a savior, a hero rescuing innocents—a farce of the highest order.

Yuko let out a bitter laugh, her voice sharp like a blade.

"Even though I've broken through and dismantled the illusionary maze, everything in front of me is still a lie. To create such multi-layered illusions... no one could possibly achieve this."

A mocking laugh echoed in response. Watcher 19 appeared slowly, her smile both eerie and disdainful. Crossing her arms, she looked down at Yuko, her tone dripping with derision.

"Just because you can't do it doesn't mean others can't. It's a pity—you've arrived far too late. Your leader, William, is already dead. Elder Kasamaki too. Your pitiful Revolutionaries… they're nothing more than scraps now."

Yuko gritted her teeth hard, her lips splitting and bleeding. Her nails dug deep into her palms, blood dripping onto the ground, mirroring the crimson of her bloodshot eyes. The crushing weight of the fourfold illusions had left her body drained. Her vision blurred, her breathing labored.

"Damn you… you're despicable!" Her hoarse voice was filled with agony and despair. But at this moment, she seemed trapped in an invisible cage, her limbs weak, her mind on the brink of collapse.

Meanwhile, Riyugi sprinted through the ruins, dust swirling around her feet. Her panting nearly drowned out the howling wind. When she finally reached the eye of the storm, a swirling vortex of purple and yellow energy, her legs gave out, and she almost collapsed.

What lay before her was hell on earth. The ground was split open, buildings had crumbled, and the thick, oppressive energy coiled in the air like venomous snakes. She spotted Shingin amidst the chaos—a figure once so familiar, now unbearably solitary. He knelt on the ground, clutching Ryuosho's cold corpse in his arms, his face buried in his knees, his shoulders trembling. Nearby, Biyu's fallen form lay motionless, blood soaking into the earth.

Riyugi's chest heaved, the choking air of the vortex pressing down on her, but the sight before her pained her far more. Her mind pieced together the fragmented images—the fake broadcasts, the false crimes piled upon them—and she finally understood.

"Conspiracy… it's all a conspiracy…" she murmured, her voice so faint it was almost inaudible.

Her gaze lost focus, and she collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by guilt and remorse. A memory resurfaced—a moment of impulse where she had struck Shingin across the face. The sting of that slap lingered in her hand as if it were branded on her soul.

"Shingin…" Riyugi choked out, her voice trembling as fresh tears streamed down her face.

Suddenly, a cold, familiar laugh pierced the air.

"How dramatic."

Riyugi's head snapped up, her eyes locking onto a figure within the swirling purple and yellow storm. The storm's energies writhed like a harbinger of the apocalypse, yet amidst the chaos stood a slender figure.

It was a woman.

Her short hair was disheveled, blown by the wind, her sharp features exuding a cold elegance. Her gaze was calm yet tinged with mockery, her lips curled into a faint smirk as if everything was under her control. Beside her, Yuko knelt weakly on the ground, her pale face drenched in sweat, clearly at her limit. And next to them stood a boy with a lazy demeanor, watching nonchalantly—this was the shape-shifter, Watcher 18, masquerading as Ryuosho.

Riyugi's pupils contracted sharply. The familiar face and unyielding strength—it was someone she knew all too well. Her chest tightened, her throat dry as she forced out a shaky voice.

"Si-sister? Yuko-sister? Ryuosho?"

The woman's smirk deepened as she stepped forward, her footsteps light against the cracked ground.

"Is this someone you know?" Her voice was calm, tinged with mockery, as though Riyugi's shock was nothing more than an amusing sideshow. Turning her gaze back to Riyugi, the woman continued, her tone teasing.

"Sister, it's been so long. To meet again like this—how poetic. And you've resisted the illusions this far? Impressive."

She was none other than Riyugi's cousin—Chiga Kaga.

Riyugi felt a storm raging within her. Her eyes darted between Yuko's frail form and Ryuosho's indifferent stance, confirming over and over again—it was her cousin.

"Ryuosho… who are you?" Riyugi's voice trembled with a mix of unease and rage. "Ryuosho is dead, isn't he? What are you?"

The shape-shifter chuckled softly, their gaze cold and pitiful.

"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is this—Ryuosho is truly dead. I killed him."

Yuko, still kneeling, looked up at Kaga in shock, her trembling voice breaking the silence.

"Watcher 19… you're her cousin?!"

Kaga laughed lightly, unfazed by the revelation, her mocking gaze sweeping over Riyugi.

"You're clever. Surely you've realized by now? All of this… it's a carefully orchestrated game."

Riyugi's mind reeled as the truth hit her like a tidal wave.