"Why are you here?" Akira demanded, her tone clipped and dangerous.
Before Hayato could give his answer,
"I was the one who called him, Akira," the Commander intercepted, his voice carrying an absolute, quiet authority.
The visible irritation vanished from Akira's face in a fraction of a second, replaced by a disciplined, formal nod of compliance.
"Wow. No killing? What an absolute miracle, Your Father, I acknowledge him, he can make you sto-" Hayato chimed in, leaning back casually.
Akira snapped her head toward him, her crimson eyes narrowing into sharp slits of pure rage.
"Just kidding, just kidding," Hayato added smoothly, raising his hands in mock surrender.
"If Father requested your presence, then there would be reason for it," Akira stated, ignoring his antics.
Hayato's expression shifted, his posture straightening slightly as he nodded. "Well, yes. The reason is quite important."
Akira turned her focus back to her father.
"Akira. Hayato. Accompany me," the Commander ordered, rising from his cushion.
The veteran general led the way out of the estate's corridor, navigating a stone path that wound through the manicured traditional gardens. Akira and Hayato matched his pace a few steps behind.
Hayato immediately closed the distance to Akira's flank, leaning in with a persistent grin. "So, Akira... regarding that dinner—"
A single, freezing glare from her completely severed his sentence mid-syllable.
"Ugh! The anger again!" Hayato sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "Constant anger is bad to your health, beautiful. If something happen to you from high blood pressure, who's going to save me from boredom?"
A faint, microscopic smile tugged at the corner of Akira's lips before she could catch herself.
What an absolute idiot, she thought.
She instantly accelerated her stride by a fraction, lengthening the gap so Hayato couldn't see her expression.
The Commander halted at the edge of the estate's private perimeter, where the garden met a rocky, isolated sea shoreline.
The morning tide lapped against the stone foundation. He stood perfectly still, taking a deep, heavy breath of the salt air before exhaling slowly.
"Commander, is there a structural anomaly with the terrain?" Hayato asked, his voice dropping serious.
The Commander offered a slow nod, taking a deliberate step closer to the breaking waves.
"Whoa, hold on, Commander!" Hayato interjected, waving his arms frantically. "Do not plunge into the water. Well, I will personally take absolute, premium care of Akira."
The Commander paused, turned back toward them, and let out a deep, booming laugh that echoed across the shore.
Father... laughed? Akira analyzed, her eyes widening slightly in genuine surprise. It had been years since she heard that sound.
"I was merely checking temperature of the water," the Commander clarified, his eyes crinkling with amusement.
"My mistake," Hayato laughed, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.
Suddenly, a localized spike of raw killing intent radiated from his immediate flank. He turned his head slowly, locking eyes with Akira.
Damn, Hayato calculated internally, a cold sweat breaking out across his collarbone. Her face literally says that, If I had my Katana here you would be dead.
The Commander's amusement vanished instantly, his features settling back into the severe mask of a patriarch. "Akira, Hayato... a severe destabilization is actively rising from within the Family."
"What kind of problem?" Akira asked, stepping forward.
"The Family Head, Takashi Yamamoto, has remained in absolute isolation for several years," the Commander explained, his eyes scanning the horizon.
"Throughout this prolonged period, I have been managing the entirety of the clan's global infrastructure. However, according to recent field intelligence, several subordinate branch families directly under the Yamamoto Family are actively consolidating resources to execute, against the main family. And frankly, it does not surprise me."
Akira's crimson eyes dilated. "Father, is this intelligence verified?"
The Commander gave a nod.
"We need to immediately interrogate the intelligence asset responsible for extracting this data," Akira pressed, her tactical mindset taking over. "Who exactly delivered this information to you, Father?"
The Commander slowly raised his hand, pointing directly at the one standing adjacent to her. Akira followed the trajectory of her father's finger until her icy gaze landed squarely on the cheerful, smiling face of Hayato.
"Father, are you entirely certain this slacker's intel is accurate?" Akira asked, her voice flat.
"Rest completely assured, my intel is true," Hayato countered, his grin turning sharp and confident as he stepped into her space. "If this intelligence contains even a single fabrication, I will gladly offer up my own throat to the edge of your katana."
"Deal," Akira responded instantly without a single frame of hesitation.
"Father, what is our plan?" Akira asked, turning away from Hayato.
Before the Commander could outline the protocol, a clan maid approached the edge of the garden path, bowing deeply to request an audience.