"Alright," Noah said finally, his tone still cold but no longer actively murderous. "Here's what's going to happen."
Sand looked up hopefully, recognizing that he might actually survive this encounter.
"You're going to take me to meet your father within the next hours," Noah stated firmly. "You'll explain the situation honestly, including the fact that I could have killed you but chose mercy. You'll negotiate the partnership you mentioned, with all terms favorable to me. And you'll make it clear to your father that attempting revenge would result in your entire family's destruction."
"Yes, absolutely," Sand agreed immediately.
"Second," Noah continued, "you're going back to Master Tanaka's dojo with me right now. You're going to apologize to him and every single student personally. You're going to offer compensation that they find acceptable. And you're going to do it with genuine contrition, not the fake apology of someone who got caught."
"I will," Sand promised.
