Hayato walked calmly toward an empty table near the center of the room. As he crossed the floor, he could feel every eye in the building burning into his back. Ignoring the heavy silence, he took his seat and gestured casually for the waiter.
A young server hurried over, trembling slightly. Hayato extended a friendly hand with a relaxed smile.
"Little man! How have you been, man?" Hayato greeted smoothly. He made a point of being on good terms with everyone in the district.
The waiter nodded nervously, ignoring Hayato's hand completely. Before Hayato could say another word, the boy blurted out, "W-What would you like to order?"
Why does it feel like he's trying to run for his life? Hayato thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. He kept his smile intact. "Bring me your peakiest sushi."
The waiter gave a quick nod and practically sprinted back toward the kitchen.
Hayato leaned back, in the suffocating atmosphere. Heavy, silent hostility hung in the air like smoke. People would occasionally glare sideways at him; Hayato simply met their gaze with a cool, unbothered stare.
A few minutes later, the platter of fresh sushi was placed on his table. Hayato picked up his chopsticks, but before he could take a single bite, the heavy wooden doors of the restaurant swung wide open.
Three figures stepped inside—a sharp-featured woman flanked by two tall men. One of the men was completely bald, his arms covered in traditional ink.
Hayato's eyes locked onto them. What are those three doing here?
The trio spotted Hayato immediately and marched straight toward his table.
Riku Yoshida, Head of the Yoshida Family... and the bald guy is Renji Nakamura, Head of the Nakamura Family, Hayato analyzed silently,
Then, his eyes shifting to the woman in the lead. And Yui Tanaka, a woman whose sword skill is so lethal she's considered Akira's only true equal and rival.
The three clan heads came to a stop right in front of his table, looking down at him like a condemned man.
Hayato set his chopsticks down and looked up at them casually. "Hi, folks?"
"Hayato Yamamoto," Riku spoke first, his voice hard as iron. "Join us."
"For what?" Hayato asked, feigning complete innocence.
"Today, the Yamamoto main family falls by our hands," Renji growled, stepping forward. "Join our coalition now, and we will grant you your life."
Hayato shook his head without a second thought. "I refuse."
The three leaders exchanged a cold look.
"Are you certain?" Yui Tanaka asked, her voice dangerously smooth. "Think about the consequences, Hayato. Takashi Yamamoto is no longer in his prime—he is a walking corpse hiding in isolation. As for the Supreme Commander, he's an old man past his peak. The main house cannot save you."
"I refuse," Hayato repeated, his easygoing smile still present.
"As you wish," Riku said softly. "Then prepare to die."
At his command, every single men in the restaurant pulled back their black hoods, exposing their weapons and locking their eyes on Hayato.
"Ah... I get it now," Hayato murmured, looking around the crowded room. "Every last one of you belongs to the rebelling subordinate families."
He let out a slow sigh, casting a long, tragic glance down at his untouched food. "Looks like we're about to throw hands. It's a real shame... I'll come back for you later, my beautiful sushi."
Meanwhile, back at the main estate, Akira stood in the center of her dojo, practicing her kata with a wooden sword. Her eyes were closed, her breathing slow and measured, extending her senses until she could feel the wind rustling the paper doors.
Suddenly, a wave of raw, suffocating bloodlust washed over the room.
Her eyes snapped open just as the heavy sliding doors slammed wide. Dozens of heavily armed warriors flooded the dojo, forming an impenetrable perimeter. Every man wore suit armor forged from the world's highest-grade metals.
The subordinate families... why are they striking so suddenly? Akira thought, her grip tightening on her wooden blade.
A tall man stepped through the crowd. He was dressed in traditional samurai garments, carrying an ornate nodachi on his shoulder.
"Well, well... look what we have here," the man chuckled, scanning the room. "I expected to find Sasaki in his dojo, but I find his daughter instead. Though... you're an important piece of puzzle."
"Do not speak my father's name with that filthy tongue," Akira snapped, her voice cutting through the hall like ice.
"Oh? Are you angry on behalf of your half-dead old man?" he mocked.
"At least he is someone I can be proud to have as a father," Akira replied coldly. "Unlike you, Mr. Endo. I heard your faction was practically cast out, years ago."
Endo's smile vanished, his jaw clenching tight. "You truly are Sasaki's daughter."
Before he could draw his blade, a scout burst through the side entrance, bowing low. "Master Endo! Intelligence reports that Master Sasaki, the Supreme Commander, is currently inside the Family Head's isolation chamber!"
Endo's bitter smirk returned. "Is that so? How fitting. Let the two sworn brothers die together." He turned his gaze back to Akira. "Any last words?"
"Why are you doing this?" Akira demanded, her eyes searching for any weakness in his perimeter. "Do you honestly believe you can survive the fallout of an open rebellion?"
"Fallout?" Endo threw his head back and laughed. "Hahaha! Such a beautiful girl, but so utterly naïve! The main Yamamoto line is weakened, fractured, and barely holding itself together. Who is left to punish us? We are the ones delivering judgment today!"
Endo took a slow, deliberate step toward her. Akira shifted her stance, raising her wooden sword.
"Sweetheart, why don't you surrender?" Endo offered, his eyes scanning her up and down. "A woman with your beauty and talent... yield now, and once I wipe out the rest of the Yamamotos, I'll make you the head bride for my eldest son. You'll command the inner court."
"I refuse," she said, her voice dropping an octave.
"Then you die right here."
Akira's mind raced as she calculated their numbers. Why strike today? Of all days...
Then, her father's words from earlier echoed in her mind: 'Many of our finest warriors have been dispatched on missions away from the estate.'
Her eyes widened slightly as the trap became clear. "You timed this... because our primary combat units were sent off-site."
Endo nodded approvingly. "Precisely. Only a handful of you high-tier fighters remain on the grounds. You, your old man, Takashi Yamamoto, Shisui... and that absolute clown, Hayato."
Akira held her head high. "The four of us are more than enough to put you in the dirt."
Endo sneered. "Don't worry, little girl. I've already sent specialized execution squads for every single one of them."
Deep within the heart of the estate, silent corridors began to ring with the heavy cadence of marching boots.
A massive execution legion—clad in impenetrable tactical armor and bearing an arsenal of katanas, war axes, spears, and longbows—advanced toward the quiet chamber of the Family Head, Takashi Yamamoto.