Chapter 33: Evidence Is Possible

The Night Watcher’s forum was originally just an internal bulletin board for Cassel College, a place for students to gossip, check class schedules, or rate the pretty girls on campus. Over time, however, its popularity surged. Once the Press Department was officially established, all sorts of outlandish news began to emerge, eventually turning it into a staple; every graduate of Cassel College kept their old ID, remaining permanent residents of the board.

Eventually, the forum transcended the college, becoming arguably the second-largest communication hub in the hybrid society, second only to the Hunter’s website.

It was the dead of night in American time, the peak of traffic. Tens of thousands of users were posting and scrolling through various sub-forums, but the most discussed topic—the one generating the most traffic—remained the rivalry between the three freshmen.

Chu Zihang and Caesar were like two incompatible chemical reagents; the moment they touched, an explosive reaction was guaranteed. This phenomenon became even more pronounced after Caesar joined the Student Union and gained considerable influence. The Lionheart Society and the Student Union had long been at odds, and now that both major factions had recruited such gifted freshmen, it felt as though they were locked in a path toward an inevitable, decisive clash.

For now, Chu Zihang held a temporary advantage in terms of bloodline and combat prowess, but Caesar showed no signs of admitting defeat. On the contrary, he seemed to grow more valiant with every battle.

Beyond Chu Zihang, the other S-rank student, Ivana, remained remarkably low-key. Hardly anyone ever saw her on campus, and she skipped most of her classes. If not for her extremely rare appearances, people might have doubted she was still at Cassel College at all. Because she was so reclusive, there was little discussion about her; the spotlight remained firmly fixed on Chu Zihang and Caesar.

"Is there anyone from the Student Union who can chime in? It seems Caesar has been obsessively training his swordsmanship lately. Is he planning to defeat Chu Zihang using the very weapon Chu is best at?"

"Why the obsession with the blade? Just because it's Chu Zihang's specialty? Does he have to clash with his opponent's strongest skill?"

"You don't understand. That's the pride of a heavyweight. But to be fair, Caesar’s talent is truly something else. I caught a glimpse of him training once from afar, and his presence was staggering."

"But Chu Zihang is no slouch either. One has an S-rank bloodline, the other an A-rank. The gap is still significant; it’s not that easy to bridge."

...

Caesar closed the Night Watcher’s forum. He held a cup of coffee, his expression calm and composed, showing no signs of distress. The incessant, angry rambling of an old man blared from the phone beside him.

"That Chu Zihang’s bloodline is definitely problematic! The family will handle him for you; such a dangerous existence has no business being at Cassel College! And you shouldn't have been so impulsive as to duel him!"

"Pasi died by his hand! We were lucky it was only Pasi—if it had been you, if he hadn't held back... Damn it! Damn that Angers!"

Caesar didn't speak. He could imagine his uncle pacing back and forth in a fit of rage just by the tone of his voice.

"No, I must deal with him. I will not allow such a dangerous bloodline to remain at Cassel College! I am convening a meeting of the Board of Trustees. If Angers tries to stop me, I'll fire him, too!"

At this point, he seemed to realize he had been talking to himself the entire time. He forcibly suppressed his anger and lowered his voice. "Caesar, what do you think?"

"I don't believe he is a dangerous person," Caesar said, taking a slow sip of his coffee. "I've been practicing my swordsmanship lately. I intend to challenge him again."

"What?!" Frost’s voice on the other end spiked in pitch. "I disagree! You cannot let anything happen to you! You must stay away from that monster!"

Hearing this, Caesar let out a soft, amused sound. He slowed his speech, enunciating every word. "Uncle, you seem to have misunderstood something."

"When it comes to my affairs, your opinion doesn't count."

"Caesar! This is no time to be acting like a child—" Frost’s furious roar was cut short; Caesar had hung up the phone without a second thought.

Frost had been incredibly irritable these days, and not just because the family had lost a highly capable secretary. It was mostly because Caesar had actually dared to challenge that monster. Frost was overcome with lingering fear; he couldn't bear to imagine the consequences if Caesar had died at Chu Zihang’s hands. It only hardened his resolve to eliminate the boy.

However, for some unknown reason, Angers was determined to protect Chu Zihang. This had led to an awkward stalemate where Frost found himself temporarily unable to touch the boy. The Secret Party could easily crush any freshman without a background, but they couldn't just get rid of Angers, the leader of the Secret Party. Thus, Frost was forced to watch as Chu Zihang remained at Cassel College, his reputation only continuing to soar.

But none of that mattered to Caesar.

Just as he told Frost, he didn't view Chu Zihang as a dangerous monster. Granted, Chu Zihang’s bloodline was anomalous and his strength formidable, but what did that really prove?

Caesar only remembered that during their duel, Chu Zihang had instinctively pulled back his blade—he had been afraid of accidentally hurting him.

Could a monster be that considerate? Caesar didn't believe it. He was certainly arrogant, and he didn't believe any hybrid in the world was stronger than him, but that didn't mean he couldn't accept it if one truly appeared.

All he wanted was to surpass him.

Picking up his sharp hunting blade, he thought to himself: it would not be long now. Once his swordsmanship was sufficiently honed, he would challenge Chu Zihang again. He didn't ask for total domination, but at the very least, he would stand toe-to-toe with him in the art he excelled at most.

As for Frost’s worries and concerns... nobody cared.

...

Meanwhile, in Japan, at the Awakening Temple.

Tang Xi had talked until her throat was dry, finally laying out everything she knew about Herzog’s conspiracy. She included specific locations, names, approximate timelines, and the development of the entire incident. The heads of the Niigata Eight Families had been filled with hatred at first, refusing to listen, but eventually, they were drawn in by the convoluted story.

Tang Xi delivered her final summary: "So, in truth, I killed Tachibana Masamune for your own good."

"That man was a despicable, shameless villain. You were all deceived."

Inuyama Hitomi, the most pro-Secret Party member among the Japanese clan heads and the one most subjectively willing to listen, asked, "All of this is too bizarre. Do you have any evidence?"

Tang Xi replied, "I can provide evidence, but before that, you should probably deal with the police outside. It seems they’re here to arrest me."

The clan heads: "?"

She wore a look of helplessness. "Look at this mess. We could have settled this over a cup of tea, but you forced me to make such a scene. Honestly, what a waste of time."

"So, if you want evidence, fine. We can chat at our leisure, but please, deal with the police first. And this corpse."

She nudged Tachibana Masamune’s cold body with a look of disdain. "It’s a bit gruesome to look at. If the police see it, it’ll be hard to explain. Or, would one of you like to take the fall for it?"

The clan heads: "..."