So without hesitation, Umihiko, gripping his double-edged giant sword tightly in his left hand, swung with all his might toward Antares, hoping to catch him off guard with a surprise attack. But the strike was utterly futile. Antares, his claws gleaming like sharpened steel, closed the distance effortlessly. With a swift motion, he grabbed the giant sword in his clawed hands. The weapon did nothing—no scratch, no dent—against Antares's hardened scales. Instead, with a deliberate press of his strength, he snapped the sword clean in half. The sound of shattering metal echoed across the empty streets, leaving Umihiko momentarily stunned, unable to recover.
Seizing the opportunity, Antares closed the remaining distance with predatory precision. His right hand, now twisted into a deadly claw from his half-dragon form, lunged forward and pierced Umihiko's chest. In an instant, it stabbed straight through the heart, tearing it free and holding it aloft for Umihiko to see. The blood ran hot and sticky along his claw, the scent mingling with the aroma of cherry blossoms.
Antares's draconic pupils locked onto Umihiko's shark-like eyes, cold and unyielding. "I also felt pain in my heart the day my uncle died," he said, his voice low, resonant with cruelty. "So today… you should also feel pain in your heart. Don't you think?"
With deliberate force, he crushed Umihiko's heart in his claws. The light in Umihiko's eyes dimmed as he saw this final, horrifying scene before death claimed him.
Antares tossed the lifeless body aside like a ragdoll onto the ground. Then, with a subtle shift, his monstrous features melted away, and he returned to his normal human form.
Then, without a moment's hesitation, Antares turned and began running back toward Harunobu's mansion, his feet striking the ground with relentless purpose. The night air seemed to tremble beneath him as he surged forward, and soon, the familiar silhouette of the mansion loomed before him.
Inside, the scene was grim. Only a handful of Harunobu's weak, pitiful guards and few servants remained, shivering in fear. The guards' swords were trembling extensions of their desperate resolve, but they posed no threat to Antares. He stepped into the grand hall, the sound of his boots echoing off the marble floors, and walked with calm, unhurried precision. Soon enough, he spotted a servant, pale and shaking, and demanded to be taken to Harunobu.
Though Antares had reverted to his human form, the sheer devastation he had caused on his way into the mansion was obvious. Any intruder who could reach this far, almost completely unharmed—almost? No, he was entirely unharmed—meant only one thing: every guard stationed outside had been annihilated. The servant, eyes wide and trembling, nodded silently and led him toward Harunobu's chamber, his footsteps faltering under the weight of dread.
Outside the door, the guard who had earlier reported the attack now stepped forward, sword drawn, hands shaking as he attempted to assert some semblance of authority. "Stop right there. Do not move any further," he commanded, his voice cracking under strain.
Antares's reaction was instantaneous. Moving with blinding speed, he closed the distance before the guard could even blink. In a single fluid motion, he appeared beside him and, with the back of his hand, struck the guard with crushing force. The impact sent the man flying into the wall, embedding him with a sickening thud. The echo of his collapse reverberated through the corridor, leaving nothing but silence—and the unmistakable presence of Antares advancing forward.
Harunobu, seated in his room, froze as the commotion outside reached his ears. His face drained of colour, paling to a ghostly white. If even the guards at the gate were under attack, it could only mean one terrifying thing: the enemy had already breached the mansion. And if they were this close to his private chamber… the situation was dire, almost hopeless.
Without a moment's hesitation, Harunobu's hand darted to the drawer of the ornate table beside him. From it, he drew a short dagger, its blade glinting faintly in the dim light. Yet even as he gripped the weapon, a cold knot of dread settled in his chest. He knew, deep down, that any enemy capable of cutting through the guards and ninjas of Kirigakure so effortlessly could only be unimaginably powerful.
Before he could steel himself further, the door to his chamber was violently kicked open. Through it stepped a boy, no older than sixteen or seventeen, with hair the unmistakable, fiery red of the Uzumaki clan. The sheer presence of the boy radiated lethal confidence, and the subtle gleam in his eyes made it clear he was far from an ordinary adolescent.
Harunobu rose slowly, dagger raised, his hands trembling slightly. Antares's gaze fixed on him, calm yet unnerving, as he took a deliberate step forward into the room.
"Don't worry," Antares said, his voice steady and low, echoing slightly in the spacious chamber. "I am not here to kill you. I am only here to destroy the forces under you… so that in the future, you can never even hope to think about usurping the throne of the Daimyo."
After hearing Antares's words, Harunobu's face went even paler, the colour draining until he looked almost corpse-like. His fingers loosened around the dagger, and it clattered to the floor with a sharp metallic sound, echoing faintly through the room. He staggered back a step, eyes wide as he struggled to comprehend the revelation before him.
"Who… who are you?" he stammered, his voice trembling. "Were you sent by my eldest brother, the Daimyo of the Land of Sea?"
Antares's gaze remained steady, unflinching. "No," he said calmly, his tone deliberate and measured. "I was not sent by anyone. I came here to the Land of Sea to change the Daimyo of this country. And we, the Uzumaki, have chosen your youngest brother to be the next Daimyo."
The words struck Harunobu like a blow. Shock and disbelief washed over him in equal measure. Slowly, the pieces of the situation began to fall into place. The Uzumaki clan must have learned about his eldest brother's collaboration with Kirigakure—their scheme to disrupt the Uzumaki village and sabotage the celebration of their reestablishment day. That act of betrayal had clearly incited the clan's wrath. In punishment, they had resolved to replace the current Daimyo with someone more loyal, someone worthy, and the choice had fallen on his youngest brother.
Harunobu's mind raced, his chest tightening with a mixture of fear, anger, and disbelief. He looked directly at Antares, voice rising with incredulity. "Why… why didn't you choose me?" he demanded, a tremor of desperation in his tone. "If you had chosen me, I would have been a better candidate! I possess more power than my younger brother. I command far more forces than him. I am second only to the Daimyo in strength in the entire Land of Sea—why him?"
His eyes, wide and frantic, searched Antares's calm expression, hoping to find some reason, some justification.
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