Lady Yukinoshita shook her head. Japan was a country where guns were banned. Even as the head of the Yukinoshita family, she couldn't carry a gun openly in public. What if something happened?
Though she had no gun, Lady Yukinoshita had other ways to test Kael's strength. She gave her daughter a look. Haruno understood, went into the kitchen, and returned with a kitchen knife.
"I've heard that some powerful martial artists can crush iron into powder. Can you do that, Renjou-kun?"
Kael smiled, took the sharp knife from her hand. "Crushing iron into powder is nothing. Let me show you what true strength is."
He flicked the blade with his finger, and the knife instantly turned into a pile of iron sand, scattering onto the floor.
Lady Yukinoshita's breath quickened as she stared at the sand. Kael flicked his finger again, this time at the coffee table in front of him. Made of volcanic rock, it was extremely hard. Yet under Kael's finger strength, it silently crumbled into sand, spilling across the floor.
Haruno was stunned. Such power was beyond comprehension. What was a fragile human body compared to this force?
Lady Yukinoshita forced herself to remain calm, a faint smile appearing on her cold face. "Renjou-kun, you are indeed strong."
Kael nodded. This was no time for modesty. "You're right. I am strong. I don't know who Shinomiya's fighter is, but I have full confidence in helping the Yukinoshita family win."
Lady Yukinoshita didn't argue. His casual demonstration had given her hope. She had seen Shinomiya's fighters before, and none were as impressive as Kael's strike. With him in the match, her family's chances of victory exceeded ninety percent.
Winning would not only repel Shinomiya Un'yo's attack but also allow them to take a piece of his power. That piece would be enough to enrich the Yukinoshita family greatly. So no matter the cost, she had to secure Kael as their fighter.
"Renjou-kun, I won't waste words. I want you to be our fighter. Will you accept?"
Kael replied calmly: "In principle, no problem. But it depends on what you're willing to pay."
Instead of naming her terms, Lady Yukinoshita turned the question back to him. "What do you want, Renjou-kun?"
He said: "Your daughter offered me five percent of the Yukinoshita Group's shares, claiming it was the family's bottom line."
Lady Yukinoshita answered evenly: "Haruno was right. Five percent was our bottom line before. But for someone like you, we can negotiate."
Kael waved his hand. "No need to negotiate. Five percent is fine. But I want something extra."
"Oh? What is it?" Lady Yukinoshita asked curiously.
"You." Kael said bluntly.
Lady Yukinoshita froze, almost thinking she misheard.
Haruno was dumbfounded, nearly laughing in disbelief. "Renjou-kun, are you joking?"
"I'm not joking."
Kael said calmly: "I want Lady Yukinoshita. If she agrees, I won't even take the five percent."
Lady Yukinoshita raised her hand to stop Haruno from cursing him, narrowing her eyes as she stared at Kael.
He met her gaze without flinching. The air grew heavy, silence filling the room.
After a long pause, Lady Yukinoshita said slowly: "I'm already old. If you want a woman, I can let you be with Haruno."
Haruno's lips twitched, wanting to speak but holding back.
Kael shook his head. "Haruno-san is fine, but she doesn't compare to you."
"Me?"
Lady Yukinoshita was surprised. She hadn't expected Kael to admire her so much. She asked curiously: "Why are you so interested in me, Renjou-kun? I'm already an older woman."
Though she disliked admitting it, time was merciless. Compared to her youthful daughter, her beauty had faded.
Kael said: "You don't realize it, Lady Yukinoshita, but you have the Inner Charm Body. This constitution is perfect for cultivating dual cultivation arts. Practicing with you would benefit me greatly."
Kael knew he wasn't a natural prodigy with effortless breakthroughs. When advancing from Second to Third Rank, he had faced bottlenecks. From Third to Fourth Rank, he would face them again.
So he planned to repeat his earlier method: first cultivate a new demonic art, then merge it with the Primordial Heavenly Demon Chapter during breakthrough, refining his mana further. At the same time, gather resources to absorb during the breakthrough. Twofold effort would ensure success.
As for which art to cultivate, Kael hadn't decided—until he saw Lady Yukinoshita. Her Inner Charm Body was perfect for dual cultivation.
Among his knowledge of demonic arts, dual cultivation techniques were rare. Most were exploitative, draining one partner to benefit the other. But there were exceptions. The Flying Together Manual was one of them.
Though its name sounded elegant, it was still a demonic art. Better than exploitative techniques, but not by much. Normally, dual cultivation benefited both partners equally. But with the Flying Together Manual, the man gained far more—eight parts to the woman's two.
Though unequal, the woman still benefited. It was far better than exploitative arts. But it was still called a demonic art because once practiced, the woman would grow dependent on the man, unable to desire any other. That was why it was named Flying Together.