Chapter 11: A Spider's Eye, A King's Blade

Vermilion Palace – Subterranean Mirror Network Chamber

The air was thick with the scent of ink, copper, and faint sulfur.

Kisuke Urahara crouched beside a whisper-spider array etched into the polished stone floor. The glyphs pulsed softly—steady, like a heartbeat beneath the marble.

"They're working," Kisuke said without looking up."One noble laughed too loud in a sealed room. We caught six keywords and two traitors by noon."

Li Tianming's eyes scanned the spider-webbed mirror wall. Each glyph flickered alive with shadowy images: merchant corridors, city gates, treasury halls, estate courtyards.

"Every move they make," he murmured, voice low, "I'll see it before they even breathe."

He turned to Kisuke. "And if I want them dead before they even blink?"

Kisuke smirked, eyes glinting with mischief. "Then I've got just the plan."

Tianming spread a worn scroll—the kingdom's supply routes from the old Vault ledgers. Thick red ink traced the Heartline Corridor, the vital artery bringing grain and spiritual ore from the northern mountain cities.

"They've already started raiding the northern outposts. If they choke the Heartline, we lose two cities by winter," Tianming said sharply. "The local commanders are green, and most veteran generals are dead or scattered."

Kisuke tapped a ring resting on the map. The sects won't openly invade, it's too risky. Instead, they'll send rats—bandits, rebels—plausible deniability."

Tianming's gaze hardened. "Then we build a wall. A wall smarter than any enemy."

He drew a crimson-streaked summoning scroll from his sleeve.

"System," he commanded quietly, "show me summoning paths specializing in tactical defense, command infrastructure, and autonomous response units."

System Prompt – Gold Tier Summoning Path: Strategic Bastion Class

Query received: Defensive Command-Type summon required.

Filtering summon pool by conditions:

Role fit: Defensive / Infrastructure / Tactical command

Resources available

Kill Points: 6,300

Catalyst: Sunsteel Fragment + Sovereign Fang + 3 Vermilion Essence Drops

Recommended Summon: Shikamaru NaraRank: Gold Tier 

"Power: Shadow manipulation, battlefield analysis, autonomous trap weaving.""Loyalty: Conditional — logic, strategy alignment, nation-building intent."

Required Offering:

5,000 Kill Points

1 Royal-grade Mental Focus Crystal (from Vault III)

3 drops Vermilion Essence

1 Favorable Battlefield Plan (prepared in advance)

System notice:"Would you like to initiate Shikamaru Nara's summoning? Warning: summon comes with laziness, sarcasm, and world-class tactical viability."

Without hesitation, Tianming answered,"Summon."

The summoning circle flared, spirals of shadow weaving through golden fire. Candles flickered and dimmed. The chamber chilled. From the smoke stepped a figure—tall, ponytailed, eyes half-lidded in boredom.

He surveyed the room, sighed deeply."Troublesome... Another world?"

Tianming smiled, calm and sharp."You're not here to fight. You're here to build."

Shikamaru scratched the back of his head."That's even worse."

He paused. Then asked, "So... I'm dealing with idiots?"

"More or less," Tianming replied.

Shikamaru gave a reluctant nod."Fine. Show me the map—and bring me some tea. I'll build you a wall they'll choke on."

Deployment Plan: Operation Shadow Bastion

Hours later, Shikamaru bent over the Heartline Corridor terrain scroll."The enemy won't attack frontally. They'll use caves, abandoned mines. Sabotage with plausible deniability."

"So what's the plan?" Tianming asked.

"We don't just guard," Shikamaru said, drawing sigils and formations."We predict." He sketched trap glyphs, rotation formations, decoy trade routes, then fed a fake caravan schedule into the mirror network. "Give them bait. Then snap the trap shut."

Tianming watched quietly. "You hate war. But you're brilliant at it."

"That's exactly why I hate it," Shikamaru replied flatly."But if you're building something meant to last—something that won't crumble the moment you're gone... I'll help. For now."

Later, Kisuke approached Tianming, carrying a small box. Inside there is a mental focus crystal, harvested from Vault III's northern annex—once discarded as "unsuitable."

"Funny thing," Kisuke said, "this crystal was deemed useless—just tuned wrong. Not for combat cultivators."

Tianming smiled."Perfect for a tactician."

Kisuke grinned."Almost like your ancestors hoarded pieces just for you."

"Or someone like me," Tianming said softly. "They just never came."

That night, Tianming walked alone through the palace garden. His body ached with fatigue, but his mind was razor sharp. The new summon had stabilized the north, mirror networks expanded. Sect activity was recorded faster than it could be plotted.

"Power is noise," he whispered. "But strategy is silence."

Beneath the quiet, the Vermilion Kingdom stopped bleeding.