Chapter 32: I Only Wanted to Persuade You, Yet You Forced Me to Beat You Into Submission
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“Don’t get worked up. Listen to me first. Tachibana Masamune isn’t Japanese at all, and Tachibana Masamune isn’t even his real name. His true purpose in becoming the Head of the Family was to control the Snake Fork Eight Houses.”
“He raised you only as a pawn. From beginning to end, this was all part of a vast conspiracy!”
Sensing Genji Shōsei’s emotions surging violently, Tang Xi finished everything she needed to say as quickly as possible. Yet Genji merely glared at her, the hand gripping the sword at his waist creaking with force.
If this had not been Eri’s body, he probably would have attacked long ago. Even so, he would never let the person who had killed his adoptive father escape.
The doorway had long since been surrounded. Everyone was staring at Eri with undisguised hostility, waiting for the command of Genji, the heir apparent.
The moment Genji gave the order, they would seize the traitor who had killed the Head of the Family.
“I don’t know how you managed to control Eri,” Genji said slowly. He seemed to be suppressing his rage; the veins on his forehead throbbed, and his eyes were webbed with blood vessels.
He stared fixedly at the girl before him and forced the words through clenched teeth, each one deliberate and distinct.
“But I’ll destroy this damned spear first.”
“I will never, ever forgive you.”
Tang Xi raised an eyebrow. So this tortoise was rather clever after all—he had immediately identified the crux of the matter.
If Gungnir were destroyed, she, as its weapon spirit, would presumably cease to exist as well. But the problem was…
“You?”
Tang Xi shrugged. With a twist of her wrist, Gungnir, which had originally been as small and delicate as a decorative figurine, suddenly expanded and lengthened, finally transforming into a curved spear as tall as a man.
She slowly raised the weapon and tilted her head slightly.
“Since you refuse to listen when I reason with you, I know a little martial arts too.”
“Come on. Let me see what you’re capable of.”
…
A Rolls-Royce came speeding toward Genji Heavy Industries and swung around to stop in front of the entrance. Its brilliant headlights illuminated the pitch-black gate. The convoy of Mercedes-Benz vehicles following behind pulled to a halt nearby, and men in black poured out. They formed a wall of bodies around the Rolls-Royce, their hands reaching inside their jackets.
Everyone nearby had heard the violent gunfire erupting from within Genji Heavy Industries. The police were already on their way.
The car door was pushed open from within, and Inuyama He hurried out in his kimono. The Head of the Inuyama Family, who normally greeted everyone with a smile, now wore a grave expression, his eyes filled with concern.
This was a day destined to go down in the history of Japan’s underworld.
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Only a few dozen minutes earlier, Tachibana Masamune, the seventy-third Head of the Snake Fork Eight Houses, had died at the hands of the Head of the Uesugi Family, who had suddenly gone on a rampage.
The news could not possibly be contained. It spread as swiftly as if it had grown wings, shaking the upper echelons of Japan’s underworld. The heads of every family immediately set aside everything in their hands and hurried over.
They arrived quickly, each one fully prepared. One after another, they entered the Temple of Awakening within Genji Heavy Industries, yet not a single one of them sent back any word.
No one knew what had happened inside. That hidden corner built into the skyscraper seemed to have become a forbidden ground. Everyone who entered vanished without a trace.
Inuyama He was the last family head to arrive, and the only one who had not yet entered the Temple of Awakening.
“Do we still have no idea what’s happening inside?” Inuyama He asked in a low voice as he strode toward the building, accompanied by his attendant.
“None of the family heads who entered the Temple of Awakening has sent back any word. We haven’t heard any sounds of fighting, either. The only exception was when the Head of the Fuma Family went in—we heard gunshots from inside, and then everything went quiet.”
The attendant paused, then lowered his voice further.
“Every family head instructed us not to act rashly when they entered. We haven’t dared to do anything.”
Inuyama He nodded, his expression growing even graver.
He could more or less understand what the other family heads were thinking. The Head of the Family had died without warning, and another family head had been the one to do it. If the matter was not handled properly, the entire Snake Fork Eight Houses might fracture and collapse.
It would be disastrous to let too many unrelated people learn of such a secret. Besides, those left outside might not possess much combat power; the high-blooded and powerful ones were all trusted confidants.
Thus, each family head had chosen to bring only their closest aides inside. They had made thorough preparations, yet all of them had subsequently disappeared without a word. No one knew what they had experienced.
When he reached the entrance to the Temple of Awakening, Inuyama He took a deep breath and composed himself. Like the others, he quickly selected a squad of trusted aides and had them fully arm themselves.
The only difference was that he told those remaining outside, “If I haven’t come out after a while, seal this place off completely. Don’t enter until the police arrive.”
Inuyama He had considerable confidence in his own strength. His Word Spirit was Instant, which could greatly increase his speed. Even if he could not defeat whoever was inside, he was confident that he could escape.
For now, the most urgent matter was to find out what had happened inside—and whether the missing family heads were alive or dead.
Drawing a deep breath, Inuyama He pushed open the doors of the Temple of Awakening. A thick smell of blood rushed into his nostrils. The temple was utterly silent, as though no one were inside at all.
Inuyama He stepped in cautiously. His trusted aides surrounded him, each one’s eyes glimmering faintly gold, firearms held ready as they watched every direction with utmost vigilance.
But there was nothing. Nothing at all.
Frowning, Inuyama He could only continue deeper inside. At last, in the main hall, he saw the missing family heads.
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Every family head lay sprawled on the floor. They appeared to be injured, but, unexpectedly, all of them were still conscious. Not one had died; they seemed merely to have temporarily lost the ability to fight.
And the Head of the Uesugi Family, who was normally a woman of few words, was sitting beside them, speaking earnestly about something. In her hands was a strangely shaped spear.
“It was perfectly possible to discuss this calmly, so why did you have to resort to violence? I killed Tachibana Masamune for your own good. Just listen to my explanation. I’m not an unreasonable person…”
As though noticing Inuyama He’s arrival, the girl raised her head in surprise.
“Why is there another one? Just how many family heads are there? Never mind, never mind. I’ll have to explain it all over again.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but Inuyama He’s gaze sharpened. In the next instant, his body turned into a series of overlapping afterimages.
He knew the danger he was facing. From the very beginning, he unleashed his full strength.
Seventh-Level Instant! One hundred and twenty-eight times speed!
Time seemed to expand dozens of times over. No one could see his movements. They heard only the howling of wind—the sound of a blade slicing through the air.
But Tang Xi merely sighed and threw the spear in her hand.
In the next moment, the figure that had vanished into thin air suddenly reappeared.
Inuyama He looked down in disbelief. A spear had pierced straight through his shoulder, and its tremendous momentum sent him staggering backward before pinning him firmly to the ancient wooden wall.
His trusted aides had not even had time to react. When they tried to raise their guns, agonizing pain erupted from every part of their bodies. Massive wounds tore open, and they instantly lost all ability to fight, collapsing uselessly to the ground.
Tang Xi merely raised a hand slightly.
Word Spirit: Judgment.
“All right. Now everyone’s here. We can sit down and listen to me properly, can’t we?”
Tang Xi shifted into an even lazier sitting position. She remained there like an emperor seated upon a throne, looking down on this group of treacherous ministers who had attempted to rebel. There was even a trace of exasperation in her gaze, as though she could not understand why they were so hopelessly foolish.
“I only wanted to persuade you. Why did you insist on making me beat the lesson into you? At last, it’s quiet. Now listen to what I have to say…”
“You have all been deceived by Tachibana Masamune.”
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