"We meet again, Mr. Jaden..."
Kure Fuki looked at Jaden.
He was younger than her.
Subconsciously, she scratched her cheek, her posture restrained, her tone cautious.
She still hadn't forgotten the feeling from last time.
That sense of complete powerlessness.
Her body weakened, her movements sealed, while the other party looked down at her calmly.
On top of that, this mission was different from the ones she usually handled.
That made her nervous.
Beside her, Kure Karura reacted very differently.
The moment she saw Jaden, her eyes lit up.
She ran straight toward him.
Before she could even speak, Jaden reached out, grabbed her by the head, and pushed her back several steps.
"Too close."
He didn't sound angry.
Just flat.
"And get to the point. If you start talking nonsense like last time, I'll report it to Clan Head Erioh Kure and have you transferred."
He glanced at both of them.
"After all, you're here on a mission, right? Or does the Kure Clan not take missions seriously anymore?"
"Ugh..."
Karura blinked.
She paused.
Then she nodded slowly.
"You're right... Grandpa did say that maintaining the Kure Clan's contract spirit is what a Clan Head should do..."
She clenched her fists with visible effort.
"Alright then. Let's put the matter of having children aside for now and focus on the mission..."
She said it like she was making a painful sacrifice.
Erina, who had been silent until now, raised an eyebrow.
Just slightly.
Jaden noticed.
He opened his mouth to say something-
And stopped.
Erina was smiling.
Sweetly.
Jaden fell silent.
Only then did Erina exhale, regaining her composure, and turn her attention to Kure Fuki and Karura.
"In that case, I'll leave the bodyguard work to you."
Her tone was polite and composed.
"Totsuki has hired professionals in this field, but I imagine their level of expertise doesn't amount to much in your eyes."
She didn't hesitate.
Nor did she question their qualifications.
She simply handed over authority.
And realistically speaking, this was the correct decision.
Kure Fuki and Kure Karura were professionals.
True professionals.
Although they came from an assassin background, that was precisely why they were experts at preventing assassinations.
Kure Fuki specialized in sniping.
She had an excellent grasp of long-range positioning and sightlines.
She reorganized the sentry placements, identified blind spots, and determined optimal hiding positions for close-range coverage.
As for Karura-
She was assigned as an independent close-protection guard.
Her appearance was deceptive.
So deceptive that even Erina's original bodyguards doubted her combat ability.
They suggested a test.
Ten seconds later, all of them were on the ground.
"Oh dear..."
Karura tilted her head, looking slightly troubled.
"It's actually pretty hard not to kill them. If I went all out, it would probably only take five seconds~"
Stare-
The moment she finished speaking, Karura locked her gaze onto Jaden and started blinking at him repeatedly.
"Umm..."
Jaden felt a very clear realization settle in.
This girl's understanding of romance was probably on the same level as a primitive tribe.
She saw that he was strong.
So she assumed their offspring would be strong.
Then she confessed.
When that didn't work, she showed off her strength, apparently believing that would be more persuasive.
How should he put it...
Jaden felt conflicted.
Erina, on the other hand, looked amused.
"Alright."
Erina nodded calmly.
"In that case, I'll leave the protection work to you."
She glanced at the bodyguards sprawled across the ground, then looked back at Kure Fuki and Karura.
"Jaden, let's leave things here to them. We should go."
Jaden naturally had no objections.
He walked alongside Erina.
Karura immediately tried to follow.
She was stopped.
Kure Fuki grabbed her by the shoulder.
"Karura."
Her voice was low and urgent.
"You need to learn how to read the room. Read the room!"
Karura blinked.
"I'm here as a close-protection guard, right? The employer is leaving alone, so of course I should follow. What's wrong with the room?"
Kure Fuki stared at her.
Then sighed.
She couldn't refute the logic.
But she still didn't let Karura go.
She knew.
She knew exactly what kind of relationship Jaden and Erina had.
And she had just watched Karura openly show affection toward Jaden-twice-in front of Erina.
Her heart had nearly jumped out of her chest.
Because she had seen Jaden fight.
She had seen what kind of existence he was.
If Karura kept acting like this, she would eventually die by Jaden's hand.
Without even realizing why.
Kure Fuki looked at Karura again.
So clumsy.
So hopelessly straightforward.
She sighed and spoke with visible frustration.
"Karura, things don't work the way you imagine."
"Your way of attracting the opposite sex is so clumsy that it makes me question whether you're really a member of the Kure Clan."
She pressed her fingers to her temple.
"You're practically insulting our clan's 1300 years of history. What do you think the Kure Clan is?"
Karura thought about it seriously.
"Aren't we an assassin clan skilled in combat?"
"...That's true."
Kure Fuki exhaled.
"But assassins also need skills when it comes to attraction."
She shook her head.
"You've been protected too well by the Clan Head. If you really want something to happen with Jaden, listen to me."
She emphasized each word.
"Don't follow them now. Take it one step at a time."
Karura blinked again.
Then nodded firmly.
"Hm. Alright! I'll listen to you!"
...
"Erina, about Karura and me..."
As soon as they were alone, Jaden instinctively tried to explain.
"Nothing happened, right?"
Erina finished his sentence calmly.
Jaden froze.
He could only nod.
Seeing his rare expression, Erina let out a light laugh.
"You don't need to explain."
She walked beside him, her steps unhurried.
"Hm... this might not be very logical, but even though we haven't known each other for long..."
Her voice softened slightly.
"For some reason, I feel like I understand you better than I understand Hisako."
Her face flushed faintly.
She glanced at Jaden, then looked forward again.
"And besides..."
She slowed to a stop.
"We don't have any special relationship, do we?"
"This..."
Jaden turned his head.
Their eyes met.
Erina stood there, her cheeks faintly red, her gaze carrying a trace of expectation.
She hadn't said it outright.
But the meaning was there.
Clear enough.
Jaden took a deep breath.
Under the moonlight, he felt that saying what he wanted to say might be harder-and more exhausting-than fighting Takeshi Wakatsuki in a Kengan match again.
Still.
At least something like saying the moon is beautiful...
He pressed his lips together.
Gathered his resolve.
And just as he was about to speak-
A large, bald man suddenly emerged from the bushes in the courtyard.
Jaden reacted instantly.
He pulled Erina into his arms and shielded her behind him.
All that resolve-
Gone.
Completely wasted.
Jaden was furious.
Erina sighed helplessly once she understood what was happening.
The bald man stepped forward.
Muteba.
The King of Mercenaries.
The man hired by Azami Nakiri.
He smiled as he spoke.
"My apologies, young man. If I had the choice, I wouldn't want to interrupt what you two were doing."
His tone was polite.
Almost friendly.
"But you're alone right now. Your bodyguards seem to be in the middle of a shift change, and this area isn't being watched carefully."
He continued walking forward.
"There's no better opportunity than this."
As he spoke, he was already preparing.
This was a kidnapping mission.
If possible, he wanted to keep things simple.
He thought about what to do if Jaden shouted.
What to do if the other party tried to stall.
How to escape after succeeding.
But-
What he didn't expect was this.
The moment he stepped into range, something hit his face.
Fast.
Violent.
The impact slammed his entire body backward.
At the same time, he heard Jaden's voice.
Cold.
Filled with killing intent.
"So you knew everything."
"And still came anyway."
Jaden clicked his tongue.
"Then there's nothing left to say."
"I'm killing you."
In Muteba's perception, he could clearly sense Jaden approaching again.
At terrifying speed.
He raised his guard instinctively.
Still, the force drove him backward uncontrollably.
It felt like being hit by a small car.
And based on the sensory feedback-
This wasn't a kick.
Not a technique.
Not anything special.
Just a normal punch.
You're telling me this is the world's best chef!?
That bastard wanted me to kidnap a monster like this and didn't say a word about it beforehand!?
If I had known, I would've used tranquilizers or poison!
But now-
Muteba sensed that Jaden had no intention of stopping.
He cursed Azami Nakiri's entire bloodline in his mind.
At the same time, he focused harder on Jaden's condition.
Based on the power of those two blows alone-
Things had just become complicated.
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