"Demolition?"
Kuzeha narrowed his brows as he studied the strikingly cold, elegant woman seated before him.
"That's right. The Yukinoshita Group intends to requisition this plot of land."
"Once this run-down orphanage is torn down, we'll build a shopping complex here. The profits it will bring to the surrounding area are beyond your imagination."
Awashima Seri's cool gaze locked on the handsome young man across from her as she spoke in a detached, businesslike tone.
But in her words lingered an air of condescension that rubbed against the nerves, as though the orphanage Kuzeha had fought to maintain was nothing more than refuse waiting to be swept aside.
"Kuzeha-kun, you're still in your second year of high school, aren't you?"
"Clinging to this orphanage won't do your future any favors."
"On the other hand, the Yukinoshita Group is prepared to give you a generous relocation payment—enough not only to resettle the children left here, but to guarantee you a lifetime free of financial worry."
Awashima's hand brushed lightly against the hilt of the longsword at her hip.
Even in this world, where danger lurked behind every shadow, carrying a blade at one's side remained a mark of authority and power.
Her voice carried the same cutting edge as her posture—unyielding, unquestionable, absolute.
"A lifetime free of worry, huh…"
Kuzeha's gaze turned distant for a moment.
Somehow, without realizing it, he had already spent more than ten years in this strange composite anime world.
At seven years old, his biological father had passed away. Traumatized by the loss, Kuzeha's memories of his past life awakened—along with a gift, the mysterious Entry System.
Instead of accepting the care of his mother's powerful Suō family, he chose to inherit the orphanage his father left behind.
And so the years passed.
By leaning on the "traditional skills" of transmigrators—borrowing knowledge from his past life's literature—Kuzeha earned just enough to keep things afloat. He took in homeless girls one by one, raising them under his roof.
The once-empty halls had grown lively, bursting with warmth and the noise of daily life. For Kuzeha, that energy brought a satisfaction no amount of wealth could replace.
Ten years of this life.
The orphanage was no longer just a building. It was home—for him and for them.
And no amount of money would make him abandon it.
"The Yukinoshita Group, huh…"
Within this country, the Yukinoshita name carried immense weight.
Its influence rivaled even the Suō family from his mother's side. In fact, the Yukinoshita Group ranked among the nation's top ten conglomerates.
And their roots lay in real estate.
Everyone knew: in that industry, you couldn't thrive without dealing in both the white and the black.
Without overwhelming power, you couldn't rise to the top.
The proof sat before him now—Awashima Seri, with her sharp aura and razor-edged poise.
The two sat across from each other, legs folded formally beneath them. Her back remained perfectly straight, her very presence a blade sheathed but never dulled.
Without a doubt, she was a master of the sword.
"No wonder they call Mrs. Yukinoshita the Iron-Blooded Matriarch of the business world…"
Kuzeha's mind raced.
Instead of giving up the orphanage and walking away with money, perhaps there was another path.
A way to secure his future without compromise.
His thoughts drifted to Mrs. Yukinoshita herself—the regal woman who ruled the conglomerate with steel resolve—and to her two beautiful daughters.
"Where should I strike first?"
He mused quietly to himself.
At that moment, Awashima slid a sealed envelope across the table.
"Kuzeha-kun, this is the official demolition notice."
With that, she rose to her feet, her gaze bearing down on him like a drawn blade.
"You have two weeks to make your decision. This land is something the Yukinoshita Group will not yield."
From his seated position, Kuzeha lifted his eyes. Past the curve of her figure, all he could see was her sharp, uncompromising stare.
It wasn't a negotiation. From beginning to end, it had been nothing but a declaration.
"Two weeks, huh…"
To Awashima's surprise, a smile curved across Kuzeha's lips. Rising, he extended his hand toward her.
"I'll make the most of that time."
Her eyes widened, caught off guard by the sudden shift in his demeanor.
"I hope, for your sake, that you make the right choice."
To her, Kuzeha was still just a seventeen-year-old boy.
Of course he'd bow to money—anyone would.
After all, who wouldn't want to skip decades of struggle and leap straight to comfort?
With that assumption firmly in place, she shook his hand, then turned to leave.
Kuzeha's eyes followed her graceful retreating figure, a spark of excitement burning within them.
Because in that instant, a familiar chime had rung out in his mind.
[Swordsmanship Entry Triggered!]
[Congratulations. Host has obtained Golden Entry: Divine Evasion!]
[Congratulations. Linked Entry unlocked: Conqueror's Haki!]
Golden entries!
Kuzeha's heart pounded with joy.
The hierarchy of entries ran from lowest to highest: white, green, blue, purple, gold, and at the peak—red.
Entries triggered at random through contact with others, though the exact probabilities remained a mystery.
Still, from his years of experimentation, Kuzeha had learned one rule: the longer and more frequent the contact, the greater the chance of triggering an entry.
And each entry's ability usually reflected something of the person it was drawn from.
He had farmed plenty of entries from the girls under his care. Most never rose above blue.
Up until now, he'd only ever held a single golden entry.
But a fleeting handshake with Awashima Seri had yielded not just one—
[Golden Entry] Conqueror's Haki: The innate aura of a king. By sheer force of will, causes enemies to faint and delivers real, tangible attacks.
[Golden Entry] Divine Evasion: Unleashes Conqueror's Haki as a devastating shockwave.
"Two golden entries at once…"
"Awashima Seri, you really are my goddess of fortune!"
As her cold, indifferent face flashed through his mind, Kuzeha's chest swelled with elation.
He made a quiet vow: once he had the Yukinoshita family in his grasp, he'd be sure to reward her properly.