"The dragon vein must be protected..."
In a quiet corner far away from the chaos and noise of the city, Sarah sat curled up with her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. She softly sang a sorrowful melody that echoed through the empty space—her voice trembling, almost like a whisper in the wind.
"That song is quite nice," a familiar voice suddenly said.
Sarah looked up and saw Kakashi walking toward her. He stopped about a meter away and sat down beside her, maintaining a respectful distance.
"It's the song my mother always used to sing to me," Sarah replied quietly, a touch of emotion surfacing in her voice. Hearing Kakashi's compliment brought her a small sense of comfort, lifting a bit of the sadness that weighed heavily on her heart.
"She had so many dreams," she continued, looking off into the distance. "An Lushan advised her to harness the power of the dragon vein to improve the lives of our people. My mother believed him. With the energy of the dragon vein and the technology he introduced, Loulan quickly evolved into a thriving city—thousands of towers rose into the sky."
She paused, her voice softening.
"But she never lived long enough to see it all come true…"
Tears shimmered in Sarah's eyes, though she blinked them away.
"After she passed, An Lushan was the only one left by my side. No one else stayed… no one else cared."
Her voice grew faint, almost inaudible, as she was drawn deeper into the painful memories.
Kakashi listened patiently, his gaze fixed on the ground.
"I also became alone very early in my life," he said softly, his tone full of quiet understanding. "So I think I can relate to how you're feeling right now. When someone you love dearly—someone who's always been part of your world—is suddenly gone… the world feels unfamiliar. You feel lost, confused, and helpless."
He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing.
"But I believe that our parents leave us more than just memories. My parents, for example—they taught me values that still guide me today: to be kind, to be honest, to never give up, and to take responsibility no matter how difficult the situation."
He turned his head to look at her.
"I'm sure your mother also left you something valuable, something more than just a city to protect. Don't you think so?"
Sarah remained quiet for a moment, then gave a faint nod.
"Yes… she did."
"Then think carefully about what she treasured most," Kakashi said seriously. "If you understand that, you'll know what you must do now."
He stood up slowly, brushing the dust off his knees. "Don't let pain or failure break you. Stand up and move forward. Do what needs to be done."
Sarah's expression shifted. Her once-lost gaze became clearer. She clenched her fists tightly, her determination reigniting. She stood up, facing Kakashi with resolve in her eyes.
"First, we need to understand the real situation in this town," she said. "As Queen, I have a special ability to sense the flow of the dragon vein. If we can find out where the energy pipes lead…"
She pointed to the massive network of energy pipelines in the sky—pipes Kakashi had already expressed interest in exploring.
"Good idea," Kakashi nodded with approval. He was glad to see that Sarah had regained her courage. He knew from experience that the best way to recover from emotional wounds was to refocus and take action.
And now, their goals aligned perfectly.
The two of them followed the energy pipelines. The massive metallic tubes eventually converged at a towering cylindrical building that resembled a massive reservoir.
"All of these pipelines connect to this structure," Sarah explained, pointing to a large exhaust port on the ground. "This must be where the energy from the dragon vein gathers before it's redirected throughout the city."
Beep~
Kakashi stepped forward and placed his right hand on the iron fence covering the exhaust vent. Suddenly, the screws securing the corners of the fence began to unscrew themselves, floating away with a soft metallic hum.
Sarah gasped in amazement as the iron fence lifted itself and hovered to the side along with the screws. Kakashi simply gave her a calm look.
"It's just a little trick I picked up on the Sand Shinobi battlefield. Magnet Release: Magnetization Technique."
With that, he climbed down the vertical iron ladder inside the vent. The floating iron fence followed behind him, enlarged just enough to serve as a safe platform for a person to stand on.
Thanks to Kakashi's control over metal, every obstacle in their way was effortlessly cleared. When they reached deeper sections that required jumps from the ceiling, instead of catching Sarah from below, he used the floating iron slab to carry her safely down.
Eventually, they reached an underground space cloaked in thick steam.
They crept forward and were soon greeted by a disturbing sight—dozens of ragged, exhausted men were pushing giant rollers, shackled and enslaved, their faces numb with fatigue and despair.
Guarding them were combat puppets—cold, lifeless machines fully armed and patrolling the area. As the prisoners toiled away, their labor fed a towering machine bathed in a pulsating purple glow. From this monstrous device, new combat puppets were being manufactured in an endless assembly line.
Sarah covered her mouth to stop herself from crying out.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "This is it—the war factory I told you about. The place where all those weapons were being mass-produced."
The machinery, the automation, the sheer scale—it was a grotesque blend of magic and technology.
"I can't believe it…" Sarah whispered, her voice trembling with shock. "An Lushan enslaved my people… for this? Just to build weapons?"
Her sorrow turned into rage.
"I have to stop him! Right now!"
She looked around, inspecting the complicated structure of the machine. Her eyes scanned each piece of piping, every control node, until finally—her gaze landed on something specific.
"There! That's the energy convergence point of the dragon vein!"
She pointed toward a square-shaped formation embedded with strange, glowing patterns.
"If I can get to that seal, I should be able to cut off the dragon vein energy from reaching the factory!"
"Understood."
Kakashi summoned the iron slab, and Sarah stepped onto it without hesitation. He floated her across the massive room and placed her gently on the platform near the sealing formation.
As for himself, he could reach her with a simple teleportation if needed.
Sarah turned to Kakashi. "Please keep your distance for a moment."
Then she walked into the center of the formation alone, kneeling down with both hands pressed together in a prayer-like gesture.
"I command you in the name of the Queen… cut off the dragon vein's flow and suppress your power!"
A burst of purple light surged from the center of the formation.
Her hands moved apart and pressed down onto the glowing orb of light.
"Obey me now!"
Ripples of energy spread outward in waves. The entire formation responded, lines of light racing outward like a spider web.
Kakashi's eyes widened. Inside the light orb was something unexpected—it was an eye, made of condensed purple energy, now slowly closing.
As it did, the formation collapsed inward and vanished entirely.
Chi~
The immense war machine that filled the underground chamber shuddered… and shut down with a final hiss. Its lights dimmed, and the sound of grinding gears stopped completely.
Sarah exhaled with relief. "It's done. I've cut off the dragon vein's energy supply to the factory."
But just as she spoke, a terrifying new sight unfolded before them.
From above, countless purple energy threads dropped from the ceiling, latching onto the freshly built combat puppets. As the threads connected, their dull metallic eyes flickered to life—glowing with a menacing purple hue.
Ta-da, ta-da, ta-da…
The synchronized marching of multiple puppets echoed through the space.
And then, a cold, menacing voice rang out from a high platform above.
"Well, well… Your Majesty. What are you doing down here in a place like this?"
Sarah's blood ran cold.
She slowly turned toward the voice. Standing in the shadows on the upper level was none other than An Lushan, his presence radiating an eerie calm.