While Yuki savored the warmth of his dinner, far from his notice, the great wheels of fate continued turning elsewhere in the Akio household. Deep in the clan's main hall, Shadow—known to outsiders as the loyal retainer, but to a select few as Kenji Akio—stood silently before the patriarch, Hayate Akio, in the dimly lit study.
The flicker of candlelight danced against the lacquered shelves filled with ancient tomes, making the room look less like a study and more like a shrine to secrets.
"My liege," Shadow's voice broke the silence, calm yet carrying an unusual weight. "I have something to report. It concerns the young master."
Hayate, seated behind his heavy oak desk, didn't even look up from the scroll he was reviewing. "Hmm," he murmured, as though he already knew. "Has he begun… awakening?"
Shadow shook his head. "Not in full, my liege. But his strength, his talents… they are beginning to unseal themselves. In our spar today, at first he could not even follow my movements. But as the fight dragged on… he adapted. His eyes sharpened. His body adjusted. By the end, he could track me, and even deflect strikes that would have landed clean before."
A faint glimmer passed through Hayate's eyes. Not surprise—more like recognition. But instead of pressing the topic, his lips curved faintly. "Ken, you know we're alone. You can drop the formalities. I've told you many times—stop with this 'my liege' nonsense."
Shadow chuckled softly, a rare sound in this world. To anyone else, the cold, silent figure known as Shadow had no warmth, no humanity. Only Hayate and his wife had ever seen that side of him.
"I have my reasons," Shadow deflected, his eyes narrowing in mild amusement.
"Reasons, huh?" Hayate leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Don't play games with me. Everyone else may buy your stoic act, but I've known you far too long. It's because of Yuki, isn't it? You've played the role of subordinate all these years—refusing to call me by name—so the boy would never suspect the truth. But now that his awakening is close, don't you think it's time to drop the act, Kenji Akio?"
Shadow's eyes widened faintly. To anyone else, that expression would have gone unnoticed, but Hayate knew better.
"You…" Hayate smirked. "Do you really think you can fool me after all this time? If you don't promise me now to call me by my name again, I won't continue this conversation."
Shadow sighed. He had never won a verbal battle against Hayate. "Very well," he relented. "I promise. Perhaps it's time I get used to it again. Right, Ya—Hayate?"
Hayate grunted in satisfaction. "Much better."
The atmosphere grew heavier as he straightened his posture. "Back to the real matter. I'll get straight to it. I intend to send Yuki away from the clan. Likely to the Meister Academy in the Yamauchi Kingdom."
Shadow's eyes flashed sharply. "Hayate, you can't mean—you want to delay his awakening? He's on the verge of—"
Before he could finish, the door slid open.
A voice, sweet yet firm, carried through the room. "Yuki is not leaving this house."
Both men turned, startled, as Suzume Akio entered, carrying herself with the grace of a noblewoman yet the fire of a mother. She rarely involved herself in their endless discussions, but tonight her presence radiated a rare steel.
"Darling," Hayate muttered, surprised. "You never—"
"Spare me the excuses," she cut him off, her tone sharp. "I already know what you intend. And I refuse. Yuki stays with me."
For once, the mighty patriarch faltered. Hayate, who had stared down enemies that could freeze armies and shatter mountains, looked away awkwardly. He had known Suzume would resist, but not this swiftly.
"Listen," he began carefully, "sending him away is for his benefit. He isn't ready to face his awakening. And…" Hayate's eyes narrowed, "…don't you feel it? He's different. Ever since that incident, doesn't he seem… merged with another self? As if his soul carries memories of another world?"
The room grew silent. Suzume's lips pressed into a thin line. She couldn't deny it—she had noticed too. The way Yuki spoke sometimes, with strange words. The way he regarded the world, as though both familiar and foreign.
"That's very true," Shadow admitted, breaking the silence.
Suzume's eyes snapped to him, hurt flickering behind her gaze. "You, too? Why do you both want to send him away? Doesn't it pain you? To separate from him again?"
Her words struck like arrows. For a moment, both Hayate and Shadow looked away, their silence saying more than words could.
Finally, Hayate spoke again, voice firm. "It's because I don't want him surrounded by endless trouble. If people discover who he truly is, his identity as the young master… the wolves will gather."
He leaned forward, eyes blazing. "That's why I'll keep his identity hidden. He'll attend the academy under a false name. And Ken will accompany him. That way, he'll be protected."
Shadow nodded once, sharp and unwavering. "I will guard him."
Suzume hesitated. His reasoning was sound, and with Shadow at Yuki's side, the boy would not be alone. But still…
"Alright," she relented at last, though her voice was tinged with sorrow. "But only on two conditions: he must be treated well, and he must be protected. Always."
"Of course," Hayate promised, relief washing over his face. "I'll call in every favor, use every connection. He'll be cared for."
Shadow smirked faintly. "You agreed so easily, Suzume. Is the sun rising from the south?"
Suzume's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What? Are you calling me unreasonable?"
Shadow's composure slipped for once. "N-no one would dare! Forgive me, sister-in-law. No—Suzu-chan!" he corrected hastily.
Hayate burst into laughter, shaking his head. "Enough, enough. Suzu, would you call the servants? It's been too long since Ken and I shared a drink."
Though she gave them a look of exasperation, Suzume eventually sighed. "Fine. But only tonight."
When she left, both men exhaled in relief.
Later, Suzume herself brought the wine and side dishes, a testament to the value she placed on their bond. As the night stretched on, Hayate and Shadow—brothers not by blood but by shared destiny—drank deeply, for the first time in years. Their laughter and drunken bickering echoed faintly down the corridors.
Yet behind their merriment, the weight of tomorrow's decision hung heavily. For the boy they called son, master, and hope—Yukiharu Akio—the Accursed Soul—was walking a path they could no longer fully protect him from.