Clutching Ai Hayasaka's hem tightly, wherever she went, she followed.
This was Kaguya Shinomiya's last bit of stubbornness.
After all, it was her best friend's dream, and she didn't want her best friend's dream to be broken by herself.
But she couldn't bear for her friend to disappear from her side the next morning, so she could only use this method to keep her friend for a while longer.
However, she also knew that this method wouldn't be able to delay things for long.
One day, Ai Hayasaka would still disappear from her side.
However, this situation still attracted the attention of many people.
Especially the students at Shuchiin.
After all, where had they ever seen the school's famous gal Ai Hayasaka and Kaguya Shinomiya so close before?
Various rumors began to spread throughout the school.
And Shirogane Miyuki looked at this scene with an expression of 'everything doesn't matter anymore'.
After all, the troll Chika Fujiwara had long ago told him the truth that Hayasaka and Sakasaka were the same person.
Including the fact that this person was once Kaguya Shinomiya's personal attendant.
On the other side, Albedo, who had already taken over most of the assets of the Shinomiya Conglomerate, stepped up her offensive.
The enemy was the only remaining member of the Shinomiya Family, Shikoku Untaka.
As for Seiryu... he had already run away two hours after Shinomiya Oko disappeared.
After all, trusting Big Brother means survival!
And at this time, Shikoku Untaka had already arrived at the hospital room of the head of the Shinomiya Family, Shinomiya Ganan.
"Old man, good news, your daughter Kaguya will be able to gain her freedom in not too long."
"Old man, by the way, let me tell you some bad news, the Shinomiya Family and the Shinomiya Conglomerate probably won't last a few days before they change owners."
Watching Shinomiya Ganan, who originally had a cold face on the hospital bed, go from confusion to shock to stupefaction, a feeling of gratification suddenly welled up in Shikoku Untaka's heart.
It wasn't yet time for him to be at death's door, so Shinomiya Ganan could still move and speak.
"What on earth is going on, Untaka." Examining his third son in front of him with gloomy eyes, Shinomiya Ganan spoke.
"I'd better tell you the situation now first." Shikoku Untaka pulled a chair to the hospital bed and looked at Shinomiya Ganan, saying, "First is the situation with my two older brothers."
"Big brother took several hundred billion yen from the Shinomiya Conglomerate and ran."
The look of astonishment on Shinomiya Ganan's face made Shikoku Untaka grin uncontrollably.
"Second brother disappeared right after the news about Big Brother came, only he didn't have Big Brother's guts and foresight, and only took away a few tens of millions of yen."
"Although I haven't found out where those two are going next, there's a high probability that the two of them will be missing for the rest of their lives." Shikoku Untaka's fingers twitched involuntarily, "Now, the only people from the Shinomiya Family left in the open, besides you and me, are Kaguya of my generation."
"By the way, those little ones from the next generation are all still here." Shikoku Untaka sneered, "Probably because they were abandoned by their dads as cannon fodder and bait in the open."
Shinomiya Ganan was very patient, even though Shikoku Untaka had brought the importance of the situation to this point, he still did not interrupt, just listening with his expression changing constantly.
"Hmm, as for the cause, it goes back to a month ago."
"Suddenly one day, visitors from nowhere descended upon Kaguya's mansion."
"I didn't use the wrong word, they did descend." Shikoku Untaka added, "It was like teleportation, they suddenly appeared there."
"Then they showed their inhuman power."
"It seems they possess the power to destroy the entire Tokyo metropolis, I'm not too sure about the specifics, because the person who knew their power best has already run away and is missing."
"Although I and Big Brother went to visit them, they were clearly more interested in Kaguya than in us, and I don't know if Big Brother noticed something I didn't, but he was wary of that group to an abnormally high degree."
"Furthermore, over this past month, he hasn't paid the slightest attention to the predatory behavior of those guests he allowed into the Shinomiya Conglomerate, but instead, he has been constantly selling off the assets in his hands."
"Until two days ago, when over seventy percent of the Shinomiya Conglomerate's assets were controlled by that woman, Shinomiya Oko took all the money from his sales and vanished without a trace."
We found his close attendant within an hour, and he explained the reason for his flight.
"It's ridiculous, isn't it? That eldest brother of mine, who feared nothing in heaven or earth except for you, Father, was actually afraid of a woman... Oh, no, to be accurate, it was four women and one man. He was so terrified that he ran away without even caring about this massive family fortune."
"Of course, whether he really ran away or not is unknown. After all, his whereabouts are currently unknown."
"Then, just a few hours ago, the last twenty percent of the Shinomiya Conglomerate's assets were still under the control of our Shinomiya Family—yes, that's right, just the little bit that I finally controlled."
"But the opponent is an entity that even my eldest brother feared enough to run away from, and one that devoured most of the Shinomiya Conglomerate in just one month. I don't think I have the ability to preserve these final assets. If nothing goes wrong, I should be announcing my withdrawal from the Shinomiya Conglomerate and declaring bankruptcy in the next few days."
Shinomiya Ganan's face had turned ashen, making one worry if he might suddenly pass away at any moment.
"How about it? Hearing the current state of the Shinomiya Conglomerate and the Shinomiya Family, what are your thoughts?" Shikoku Untaka leaned forward, asking face-to-face with Shinomiya Ganan.
His deep eyes made even Shinomiya Ganan feel a sense of dread.
"This is the consequence of entrusting the Shinomiya Conglomerate and the Shinomiya Family to my eldest brother."
"Do you have even a shred of regret in your heart right now?"
"Untaka, it won't be yours," Shinomiya Ganan replied after steadying his breathing and closing his eyes. "No matter how useless Kouka is, the position of Chairman of the Shinomiya Conglomerate and Head of the Shinomiya Family will never be yours."
"Heh, I thought as much." The corner of Shikoku Untaka's mouth twitched slightly, and a strange smile appeared on his face. "After all, the Shinomiya Family is just that old-fashioned and stubborn."
"Then let the Shinomiya Family decline in this decay, and let it come to an end," Shikoku Untaka said as he slowly stood up.
"Oh, right, I've already prepaid a year's worth of hospitalization and medical expenses for you." When he reached the door of the hospital room, Shikoku Untaka said with his back to Shinomiya Ganan, "Consider this the final act of filial piety from me, your third son, to you, old man."
After saying this, Shikoku Untaka left without a hint of reluctance.
Leaving behind only that frail, elderly man in the hospital room.
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