Ch.99Do Not Approach Mother Any Further

The mission assigned by the family elders was very simple.

Cut all the tendons of Rokyu, the dim-witted second young master of the Kitsune Family, and bring him back.

For the ninjas who routinely handled all sorts of dirty work for the family, dealing with Young Master Rokyu was like taking candy from a baby—though Young Master Katsuo might have been a different story.

But what on earth was happening now?

“Let’s fight!”

“Don’t be so obvious about it!”

“Civilians, please throw stones from behind if possible!”

A blonde boy with a sword on his back.

The Villain’s Troupe members and their leader.

Even the servants who should have disappeared after being fired from their positions as Beast Hunters, once called Asia’s rising stars.

The ninja leader stared blankly at his subordinates who were falling one after another to these opponents.

“Leader!”

“The ninja squads arriving in succession are being picked off one by one!”

“Picked off? Are you saying each of those people is equal to one of our ninja squads?”

“Th-that’s…!”

The Kitsune Family’s ninja squads were formed by secretly bringing orphans from Japan and training them brutally from infancy.

They were problem-solvers who existed solely for the family’s loyalty and commands, forcibly imbued with power regardless of talent.

Since babies who couldn’t survive the harsh training died, the combat ability of the surviving ninjas should be at least equivalent to C-rank Hunters from the Hunter Association.

Yet these trained fighters were being thoroughly thrashed by civilians who couldn’t even fight properly?

The reason was obviously those people over there.

“I struck with the back of my blade, so they won’t die.”

“Ugh…!”

“Leader. Are we really not allowed to kill them?”

“Ookami! The moment we do that, we’ll be crossing a river we shouldn’t cross!”

“…? Our combined bounties are nearly 200 billion dollars, yet there’s still a river we haven’t crossed?”

“There is! It’s the river of romance!”

“……”

“L-Leader! Ookami sir! P-please protect me while fighting!!”

“You two! I appreciate your help, but please protect the people while fighting!”

“Ah, due to our occupational characteristics, we’re not really suited for bodyguard work…”

“Ugh, what occupation does a criminal have? And if you’re criminals, stay away from my brother!”

“Lady Lia, Lady Sophia. Let’s calm down and deal with those guys first.”

This newly formed dream team was decimating the ninja squad he had cultivated for decades.

Moreover, if they lost this fight, the dark aspects of the Kitsune Family that had been hidden until now might surface.

‘In that case, I’ll at least complete my mission!’

Fortunately, the leader slipped through the remaining ninja forces, passing by his pathetic subordinates who kept falling in battle.

“Ninja Art – Shadow Step Technique.”

He immediately leaped behind Rokyu and was about to draw his sword when…

Clang!

…at that moment.

“I never thought I’d witness someone trying to stab another person in the back.”

“You…?!”

“People of this era truly were peaceful. So leisurely that they fought amongst their own kind.”

Han Jaewon stopped the leader’s blade aimed at Rokyu’s wrist with Arondight, which he had drawn from behind.

Startled to realize he’d been followed, Rokyu immediately stepped back and looked at the blonde boy who had saved him.

“Th-thank you! I would have been in big trouble without you.”

“……”

“I’ll make sure to reward you handsomely later!”

However, Jaewon felt somewhat regretful looking at Rokyu’s bright smile despite having protected him.

That was because this bastard…

Was the kind of guy who would blush at married women, just like Cao Cao from Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

But still.

“Jaewon, well done!”

“Ah, yes, Mother!”

Jaewon’s face bloomed with a smile at his mother’s praise.

And then.

“M-mother…?”

Wait, Lady Sophia is younger than me.

Yet she already has a child that big?

Rokyu’s mind was overloading with incomprehension.

“L-Lady Sophia is married…? W-well, she is beautiful enough… B-but that child is too big… O-or perhaps in Korea, there’s a culture of calling younger brothers ‘son’?”

“Oh, there is! Young Master, in Korea, you absolutely must pour sauce over sweet and sour pork before eating! So when you visit Korea, make sure to pour the sauce in front of everyone to create a good atmosphere~!”

“…Leader, do you really want to joke around at a time like this?”

The surrounding ninja squads were already nearly annihilated thanks to Sophia, Lia, and especially Katarina and Ookami.

In such a situation, Katarina was still making lighthearted wordplay.

Meanwhile, the ninja leader tried to launch another surprise attack in this atmosphere, but…

“I’ve been watching you the whole time.”

“You…!”

“I remember everything you’ve done since you first appeared. As soon as my mother emerged from among the servants, you tried to kill her first, didn’t you?”

Shing.

“So now I’ll kill you.”

“…!!”

Looking at the blonde boy who wouldn’t take his eyes off him…

“Then you die too.”

As if he had nothing to lose, the ninja leader formed several hand signs and…

“Ninja Art – Shadow Clone Technique!”

Used his secret technique.

A technique he had never shown anyone before, instantly transforming into a thousand ninjas surrounding Rokyu’s hundred-plus people.

“S-suddenly there are so many people…!”

“This is the secret ninja art – Shadow Clone Technique.”

“W-what should we do…?”

“They seem to be real bodies, not just illusions.”

The servants who had been fighting well were now terrified as they saw the ninja leader approaching them from all directions.

Rokyu was in the same state, and Lia, Sophia, and Dorothy were also sweating nervously, unsure how to deal with the situation.

Only Katarina and Ookami calmly asked Jaewon:

“Hey, young master. Need help?”

“I’ll join if it’s difficult.”

But he shook his head.

“Never mind that, everyone get down!”

“…What?”

“Everyone press yourselves flat against the ground!!”

Han Jaewon took a large horizontal slash stance, pressing his sword arm tightly against his side.

It seemed doubtful whether this would work against enemies surrounding them from all directions, but…

“Everyone, do as Jaewon says and get down!”

“Lady Sophia…?”

“You too, Young Master! Everyone hurry and get down!”

At his mother’s cry of faith in her son, everyone on Rokyu’s side finally ducked down as instructed.

At the same time.

“It’s useless. I’ll end this.”

“The one who’s finished is you.”

As the ninja leaders rushed in all at once, black smoke began to rise from Jaewon’s body.

“Partial Kaijufication power control 30%…”

“Die!”

“Arondight – Over Buster!!”

Swoosh.

It moved instantly with a blue light, making a sound like cutting through space and wind.

A flash that seemed to contain moonlight.

As that slash made one complete circle around the mansion…

“Gack…?!”

“The…”

“The mansion?!”

Within the Kitsune Family’s territory.

All buildings in Rokyu’s estate, including the mansion and garden, were perfectly split in two at the swordsman’s eye level.

Clank.

“The match is decided.”

Even if one of the clones was the real body, if all of them died, it made no difference.

As the clones disappeared into smoke, only the upper body of the ninja leader remained in the yard, collapsed with his lower half severed.

Seeing this, Han Jaewon quickly drew the black energy back into his body.

“Phew…”

Then, as he strapped the holy sword to his back and Katarina slowly straightened up, he calmly asked:

“So since he killed this guy, we’ve essentially crossed the line, right?”

“Well… yes, but it would have been harder to subdue him without killing him. Let’s just say it couldn’t be helped.”

“Well, that works too.”

The Kitsune Family’s ninja leader.

In national terms, it was essentially equivalent to personally assassinating the Minister of Defense.

Yet how could they remain so dignified after doing something like this?

Rokyu swallowed hard as he sensed their overwhelming presence, but…

“I-I’ll vouch for you!”

“Huh?”

“You protected me and my people, so it’s only fair that I take responsibility and protect you!”

What did it matter if they were the Villain’s Troupe or if they had declared war on the Kitsune Family?

He had already sided with Kurumi anyway.

So he would fight alongside her until the end.

And the fact that the ninja squad had been sent after him meant he had already broken with the family.

“Please stay within the territory until the family head succession ceremony! That’s the only way I can protect you.”

“…Offering to let villains stay in the family territory. Can you handle the consequences, Young Master?”

“Even if I can’t, I will. So please stay with us until Kurumi becomes the family head.”

Despite Katarina’s playful words, Rokyu was serious.

Although his legs were already trembling like crab legs from nervousness.

“Forget it, shut up and I’ll protect you, so stop approaching my mother any further.”

“Ugh…!”

“What’s with the ‘ugh’?!”

Rokyu’s face fell as he looked at Han Jaewon standing between him and Sophia.

Meanwhile, Katsuo, the next head of the Kitsune Family, was watching this scene from the rooftop of his mansion with his exceptional vision.

“…Everything will soon come to an end.”

With an expressionless face, he simply closed his eyes once, opened them again, and quietly gazed up at the night sky.