Ch.95I Just Want to Receive an Apology

Today, there was an important announcement at a ball attended by major figures from around the world.

That’s why I had gone to see the current family head beforehand to get permission.

But who would have thought such chaos would break out in that brief moment.

“Was it all because I lacked ‘power’…”

Katsuo had immediately headed to the ballroom after hearing the extraordinary news that a monster had appeared within the family territory.

And he could see it.

A being of a completely different level of strength, pretending to challenge Inari, one of the Kitsune family’s four guardian monsters, while quickly moving outside the territory.

Just watching from a distance made cold sweat pour down his entire body.

Even when he had faced Kurumi’s Amaterasu, his heart hadn’t pounded this hard—he had nearly suffocated from being unable to breathe.

That’s how absurdly powerful this monster was.

‘Indeed… I can’t let my guard down.’

The world is vast.

And there are far too many powerful beings.

That’s why Katsuo thought they needed to hold the true family head succession ceremony quickly, even in this situation.

So when reporters swarmed them shortly after, he revealed what would normally have been internal family business shared only with key figures from each country.

“I’ll say this just once.”

He disclosed everything.

“Within the next three days, the Kitsune family will determine its new head.”

“W-what?!”

“Is that statement true?”

“Yes, it’s true. The reason our Kitsune family couldn’t perfectly protect the important figures from each country during this incident was because we lacked sufficient power. I’ve already received permission from the current family head, so next time we will greet you as stronger members of the Kitsune family.”

The confusion caused by the terrorist acts of fallen Hunter families was momentarily forgotten.

With Katsuo’s bombshell announcement, the reporters’ attention quickly shifted to the new family head.

This was shocking news not only for all Japanese citizens watching the news but for the entire Hunter-related world.

And simultaneously.

“A new family head…”

The Kitsune family’s new head.

While everyone was interested in the numerous articles with such headlines,

“Haaah…”

“Sigh…”

“Finally…”

“……”

The direct descendants of the family who knew how cruel and brutal the selection process for the new head would be…

“If only I survive…”

Sakura could only pray with her eyes tightly closed.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!”

Rokyu cursed at the thought that someone in the family would soon die.

“Inhale, exhale…”

Asuna took deep breaths as always before practice in the training hall.

“……”

Katsuo sat alone in meditation in a tatami room.

“Are you going through with it? The family head selection?”

“Shinwoo?!”

Just as Kurumi, having gained power, was about to leave the annex to find the current family head, unable to simply stand by and watch…

The morning after the ballroom attack incident.

As if seeing through Kurumi’s thoughts, Shinwoo had woken up even earlier than her, who had risen early in the morning.

The content known as the main story of the Japan map in <Hunter’s Blood>.

The themed dungeon – Kitsune Family episode was divided into three parts, and having cleared the first part, the ballroom attack incident, there were two parts remaining.

The family head selection part and the Amaterasu rampage part.

‘Since Amaterasu won’t be going on a rampage…’

In reality, unlike the original story, there was only one remaining storyline in the Kitsune family episode.

It was the family head selection part, which had given me the biggest shock.

“You’ve had a troubled expression ever since you spoke with Princess Asuna.”

“W-what?! M-me?”

“Yes. You looked very distressed.”

“I see. So it showed on my face…”

Of course, that was a lie.

Princess Kurumi only showed her usual bright smile, never making such an expression.

But people have intuition.

“You want to become the family head to protect Princess Asuna, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Then, you’re saying you’ll kill your other siblings for Asuna’s sake. Can you really do that?”

“It’s not a question of whether I can… I must.”

Princess Kurumi answered my question with determination.

But I could see it.

In her eyes.

All that was there was mere ‘resolve’ to kill people, nothing more.

‘I can’t let the princess go to the family head selection like this.’

The abyss within me was a resolve paid for with a soul that could make me function normally even after killing dozens or thousands of people.

A mindset easily obtained due to being half-monster.

People like me and the Villain’s Troupe had such ‘pitch-black resolve,’ which allowed us to kill people and still walk around normally, justifying our actions.

But the princess’s resolve was just ordinary resolve.

As precarious as a candle in the wind.

Looking at her still bright eyes despite talking about killing people, I could immediately tell.

If Princess Kurumi were sent to the family head selection like this, she would no longer be able to smile normally.

I knew all too well that she would slowly go mad, bearing the burden of her two brothers’ and sister’s lives while serving as family head.

“Princess Kurumi. You want to protect Princess Asuna, right?”

“…Yes.”

“May I ask why?”

I first asked for her reason.

Like a kind adult soothing a child.

And just as there’s no one in the world who truly wants to kill people…

“…When I was young, I grew up alone without a family.”

“Yes.”

“And the people of this family were the ones who offered me as a sacrifice to Amaterasu and tormented me all my life.”

“Yes.”

“But there were exactly two people in the family who never bothered me.”

This was a forgotten story that didn’t even appear in the original work.

However, I listened attentively until the end.

“They were Asuna and brother Katsuo.”

“I see.”

“Brother Katsuo was probably busy receiving various forms of education as the family’s eldest. But Asuna was different. Whenever she looked down at me being bullied, she would mumble something, as if wanting to say something to me.”

Conversation was not allowed with an illegitimate child.

If any family member spoke with her, they would be treated the same as the illegitimate child.

Therefore, under the supervision of the elders, Kurumi had never had a conversation with anyone during her childhood.

But she could always see it in Asuna’s lip movements.

“She always told me with her lips, ‘I’m sorry’…”

“……”

“Although she only watched and we weren’t particularly close, she was the only family member who worried about me. That’s why I don’t want to see Asuna die.”

In simple terms, she meant she would kill all other family members to protect her younger sister.

However, this conversation made it even clearer.

Princess Kurumi definitely shouldn’t participate in this family head selection.

More precisely, going in her current state would be futile.

“You want to become the family head for Princess Asuna?”

“Yes.”

“Then, can you really kill all the other family members who have mistreated you?”

“…! Yes, yes!”

“That’s a lie.”

“?!”

“Don’t lie. It’s obvious you’ll regret it for the rest of your life after killing them.”

Princess Kurumi tried to retort but closed her mouth.

She knew this fact as well.

But because there was no other way, she still planned to participate in the family head selection.

However, this world was no longer just a game made up of choices.

“What if…”

“…?”

“What if there’s a way to win the family head selection without killing anyone, though it would be much harder and more roundabout?”

“What? Such a method…”

“Exists. Well, more precisely, I’m going to make it exist…”

This was merely a player-imagined route that I, as a veteran of the original game, had created because I wanted to somehow save Asuna.

In other words, it wasn’t a perfect strategy as always.

Moreover, would Princess Kurumi even consider my suggestion…

“Let’s do it.”

“…Pardon?”

“Let’s try your method right now.”

I was worried she wouldn’t listen to me at all due to her sense of duty and desire for revenge.

“Shinwoo. Although they tormented me to death in my childhood, I don’t want to kill those family members if possible.”

“Princess…”

“What I want isn’t ‘slaughter’ but their ‘apology’.”

“…!”

The princess looked at me with her bright eyes as she spoke.

“I want to see all three of them sincerely kneeling before me and asking for forgiveness. I don’t want to kill them; I want to forgive them too.”

Even though they were hateful and felt like mortal enemies, they were still family, so she wanted to end it at that level.

“Bring more alcohol!”

Honestly, I couldn’t understand this feeling.

But if it meant Princess Kurumi could remain as she was…

“Yes, I’ll do my best to help make that happen.”

I could only smile and answer Princess Kurumi.

And three days later.

<Family Head Selection Round 1>

Kitsune Katsuo (Bye)

Kitsune Asuna VS Kitsune Sakura

Kitsune Rokyu VS Kitsune Kurumi

In the underground fighting arena built beneath the Kitsune family territory, traditionally used for the family head selection, the signal announcing the beginning of the slaughter between siblings finally rang out.