Shiro Sakamaki shook his head not understanding why she was so afraid.
"While the Spencer family may be an old noble house, they don't even rank among the lowest of the Twenty-Eight Clans. To me, they're no more than pebbles."
"They may wield significant influence in the mundane world, but here, strength is the only truth—and that truth is defined by the fist!"
"Their so-called power? Forget matching me—they wouldn't even stand a chance against Kanna."
The Twenty-Eight Clans—ancient houses rooted in the whole world—each possessed their own inherited magic and had produced Tier 6-level specialists throughout history. Their heritage far outclassed that of the Spencer family.
Of course, time had worn away the luster of these once-glorious clans. Most of them now existed in name only.
Only a few of the top clans were still qualified to be part of what was now called the Twenty-One Clans.
Shiro then took the time to explain the hierarchy of the supernatural world to Sayuri Sawamura. When she learned that Shiro was one of the few recognized as a "national pillar"—a peak existence on a global scale—she couldn't hide her astonishment.
Her gaze toward him softened. The more she looked, the more pleasing he became. With Shiro's strength and the affection he held for Eriri, as long as her daughter didn't self-destruct, her future was set to be far better than her own.
"In that case, I'm relieved," Sayuri said gently. "I'll notify the families and arrange the funeral when dawn breaks."
It was only then she realized Shiro's hand had been covering hers all along. His warm, solid touch gave her a rare sense of peace—something Spencer had never brought her.
Still, considering their roles and identities, the gesture felt improper. Sayuri calmly withdrew her hand.
Realizing his lapse, Shiro quickly retracted his hand, his expression awkward. Facing down hordes of monsters never made him nervous—but now, he felt a rare flutter of unease.
"Well then, Sister Sayuri, please rest early. I'll head upstairs."
With that, he made a hasty retreat from the living room.
Sayuri watched his embarrassed back as he left and couldn't help but smile knowingly.
…
The next morning, Shiro woke up.
Sayuri was already gone—unsurprising, given the chaos from the night before. She had to handle matters with both families.
Eriri and Misaki were still asleep. Kanna was also lounging in bed.
After a quick wash, he found breakfast prepared by Sayuri and sat down to eat while watching the news.
With all the devastation and nearly three thousand dead, he was curious how the media would spin it.
"According to reports, a severe earthquake struck the XX area in the early morning, leading to a gas pipeline rupture and a massive explosion. The resulting destruction was widespread."
"So far, confirmed casualties have reached 2,893…"
Shiro munched on his sandwich, silently impressed.
These guys move fast. Setting up the scene and covering the truth with a polished excuse—all done in just a few hours.
They must be pretty used to this kind of thing. I wonder if 'gas explosion' is their go-to cover-up, just like Fuyuki City.
After finishing breakfast, Shiro headed to Shuchiin Academy as usual.
But something felt off. The atmosphere was strange.
Upon asking around, he learned the grim news—many of the deceased were students from the academy.
It made sense. The incident had occurred in a wealthy district, and Shuchiin was a prestigious school for the elite. Still, the number shocked him.
Over two hundred students gone in one night.
He thought back. Maybe some of them were caught in the crossfire... or maybe I even knocked a few out myself.
After class, Shiro was summoned to the faculty office by Hiratsuka Shizuka.
The smell of smoke hit him the moment he stepped in. Clearly, she had been chain-smoking again.
Without a word, Shiro extinguished her cigarette, opened a window, and used a bit of spiritual energy to clear the air.
He glanced at her tired face.
"Teacher Hiratsuka, you don't look so good. What happened?"
She glared at him. "You've got some nerve asking that. Do you know how late I had to work because of you guys?"
"Huh? Wait, were you on cleanup duty last night?"
"Hah—what else did you think?" she snapped. "You people completely leveled the area. It was like a war zone!"
Shiro raised his hands defensively.
"Wasn't my fault! The enemy numbers were insane."
"And anyway, most of the mess was Gojo Satoru's fault, not mine."
Shizuka gave a cold laugh. "You think we're blind? That giant lightning beam that pierced the sky—what, was that a firecracker?"
"And don't think I didn't hear about you idiots sparring for fun after the battle was already over. Unbelievable."
"Again," Shiro insisted, "most of the damage was from Gojo's cursed technique. I kept things pretty contained."
"Really?" she said, eyes narrowing. "You call a hundred-meter-deep crater 'contained'? Just a few hundred meters of destruction?"
Shiro chuckled sheepishly.
"You know how hard it was to fill that pit? We had to mobilize every earth-aligned extraordinary we could find. Overnight!"
"That's why Gojo came to me in the first place. I told him I wasn't cleaning up someone else's mess."
Noticing her frustration, Shiro decided to offer a small peace token.
He pulled out a talisman and handed it to her.
"Alright, alright. Here. This charm can defend against a high level attack once. Think of it as my apology."
"But just once, so use it wisely."
Truthfully, it was one of his failed practice attempts. He had dozens lying around his room. Even the materials were from the Supernatural Bureau—thanks to Shizuka herself.
Seeing his casual attitude, Shizuka gritted her teeth.
This brat…
She had hoped to rope him into helping with the cover-up, but clearly, that wasn't happening.
Still, she tucked the talisman into her coat without a word.
PS: 𝘔𝘺 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘕𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘐𝘴 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘦𝘵 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘭! 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘐𝘵 𝘖𝘶𝘵!!
(𝘛𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸: Fairy Tail: Voyage Through One Piece)
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