A thick black fog seeped out from the ring on Haruki's finger.
The ninjas' relaxed mood didn't even last a second.
An icy aura instantly enveloped everything.
The ninjas in the shadows simultaneously felt a cold, invisible gaze lock onto them. They were frozen in place, their bodies stiff and unable to move.
"Yuta..."
"Don't bully Yuta..."
A piercing shriek instantly exploded from the depths of everyone's soul. The roar shook the entire Nibi no Utsu as if it were trembling.
A colossal figure materialized within the black fog. The house was instantly torn open by Rika's gigantic form. Wood splinters flew everywhere, and in the twilight, screams rose and fell. Rika's colossal form was fully exposed under the moonlight.
Everyone in the inn frantically fled from their rooms, running in the opposite direction of the inn. Many even fainted on the way. The inn was reduced to a pile of rubble beneath Rika.
The ninjas in the shadows were completely exposed to Rika's gaze.
Rika let out a deafening shriek, and from her gaping maw, sharp fangs gleamed coldly in the night, like countless long blades inverted in her mouth.
"I advise you not to act rashly."
Haruki's gaze swept over the ninjas who were attempting to sneak away.
Rika stood beside Haruki, looking down at the group of ninjas before her. A soul-freezing chill emanated from her body.
The ninjas and samurai were stiff and unable to move. They all knew that whoever moved would provoke the giant monster before them.
Soon, apart from these ninjas and samurai who launched the night raid, everyone else in the vicinity had fled, leaving no one behind.
In the darkness of the night, there was a deathly silence.
Konan stared at Rika, who was taller than a building, her mouth agape in surprise.
Rika had grown so tall!
So amazing!
In just a short year, Rika had already grown this tall.
Yahiko stared dumbfounded at the colossal Rika before him. Rika, who was already enormous, had grown even larger. They could now only reach her small tail tip.
With Rika watching these uninvited guests, Haruki was at ease. He believed that if anyone dared to make a move, Rika would swiftly act, flattening them into a Rika-brand meat patty.
Haruki looked at Konan and said, "Konan, you shouldn't have actively sought death just now. In battle, you must never give up as long as there's a glimmer of hope."
Even biting a ninja's wrist would be better than actively running into a kunai. Even if it didn't succeed, at least she would have tried to live.
Konan lowered her head in shame. "I understand. I will definitely train hard from now on. I won't be a burden to everyone."
Tears welled up in Konan's eyes.
After a scolding, a sweet treat.
Haruki said earnestly, "I don't want to lose any of you. I hope each of you cherishes your life."
Konan nodded, her voice already tinged with a sob. "Mm."
Only now did she feel a sense of relief at having escaped death.
She wasn't crying because of Haruki's lecture. She was moved by the chance to live again.
"And you, Yahiko." Haruki shifted his target, his gaze falling on Yahiko.
Although Yahiko was actually the oldest among the four, standing before Haruki at this moment, he looked like Haruki's son. That wasn't wrong. Haruki had always treated Yahiko and Nagato as his sons, and Konan as his daughter.
Yahiko lowered his head, embarrassed.
"How can you be swayed by a single word from the enemy? I know Konan is very important to us, but precisely because Konan is so important to us, our first reaction should be to figure out how to save her, not to trade your own life for her's."
"Did you ever think..."
Haruki paused, speaking too quickly and with too much emotion, getting choked by his own saliva.
"Did you ever think of me, Nagato, and Konan?"
"If you die, the three of us will live in eternal pain."
Haruki stared intently at Yahiko, speaking each word distinctly.
Yahiko's eyes reddened, and he sniffled.
Yes, Haruki was right. After his emotions calmed down, he realized what a foolish mistake he had made.
"Haruki!"
"Don't cry! I know I was wrong! I won't do it again!" Yahiko rushed forward and hugged Haruki tightly.
[Ding!]
[System detected Yahiko's Affection Value +3000]
[Your Love Curse Growth Value has risen to 51.6%]
Haruki blinked.
When did he cry? He had just been choked by his saliva.
Let this beautiful misunderstanding continue.
Haruki patted Yahiko's back, signaling him to let go.
There was still one most serious problem to address.
"Don't get close to Yuta!" Rika shrieked at Yahiko.
Haruki: "..."
Can you please not add to the chaos right now?
Rika.
Yahiko's lips turned down, but he still released Haruki.
Rika was too jealous!
"Nagato."
As soon as Haruki called Nagato's name, Nagato trembled. He raised his head blankly, as if finally awakening from his own world.
Seeing Nagato's confused look, as if he didn't even know what day it was, a surge of irritation flared in Haruki's heart.
What on earth was Nagato always daydreaming about?
Was it a lingering effect from his parents' death when he was young?
Making him fall into a state of blocking everything whenever a tragedy occurred, only to awaken after the tragedy was over.
"Why were you stunned just now?"
"Huh?"
Haruki's tone softened considerably. Nagato's heart was quite fragile, and he was afraid of accidentally making him withdraw again.
"Shouldn't you have taken advantage of Yahiko distracting the ninjas to stealthily circle around them and attack, saving Konan?" Haruki asked.
"I..."
Nagato opened his mouth, his mind a blank.
Yes!
He should have done that.
But what was he doing at the time?
He had been consumed by the fear that Konan and Yahiko might die, unable to even move his body.