Sensing the hostility, Kaguya was the first to raise her voice.
"Head of the Takagi family, how dare you attempt to assassinate my husband?! Stand down at once!"
"..."
Soichiro ignored her, his gaze pressing heavily onto Akuto instead.
Akuto folded away his devil wings, smiling lightly at Soichiro.
All things considered, he was quite satisfied with Soichiro's actions.
The reason he hadn't killed Takashi earlier was precisely so the boy would run to Soichiro with the report.
"Uncle Soichiro, do you even know what you're doing?"
"Of course I do, Akuto-kun."
"I am purging a high-level zombie that has developed human intelligence!"
With that, Soichiro slashed again, only for his blade to be brushed aside with ease.
"Everyone saw it, didn't you?! This man named Akuto has mutated into some kind of zombie!"
"Even Princess Kaguya has fallen under his sway!"
"Destroy the zombie disguised as a human! Rescue the Princess! Now is the time!"
Soichiro's words carried the spirit of Fusō's ancient tradition of gekokujo—the lower overthrowing the higher.
As long as one claimed that the lord was deceived by a villain, rebellion could be justified.
History was filled with examples of so-called "loyal uprisings" that were in truth blatant coups.
...
"Oh? So you're hunting high-level zombies, are you~~"
Akuto shook his head with a smile.
"Attack!"
At Soichiro's command, the awakened ones encircling Akuto struck all at once.
[Boost!]
Activating the Red Dragon Emperor's Boosted Gear, Akuto's power soared to mid-level demon class. He drew in a steady breath.
The Leviathan essence within him roared to life, bursting into pure, overwhelming magic that wrapped around his body and blade.
[True Water Breathing – Seventh Form: Ripple Thrust!]
The fastest thrusting technique among Water Breathing forms.
Akuto's water blade slashed at an angle, carving a flowing arc across the battlefield.
Wherever it touched, blood blossomed like ripples spreading across a pond.
A single strike!
In just one stroke, a third of his attackers were annihilated.
Using the Boosted Gear against mere low-level demon class opponents felt wasteful—
But sometimes, the only way to teach fools was with the rawest, most primal violence.
[True Water Breathing – Fourth Form: Striking Tide!]
His arms surged like crashing waves, his blade flashing in ceaseless arcs.
Each shimmer of steel unleashed a fresh spray of blood.
Each spray marked another life cut short.
...
Within mere seconds, the battlefield fell silent.
Only Soichiro remained.
His katana of forged steel was shattered. One of his calves had been sliced apart. He could do nothing but sit there, dumbstruck.
No way...
This was a zombie?
Even if Akuto had evolved a step ahead of other high-level zombies, how could he be this strong?
In his estimation, humans and zombies had been evolving together.
He himself was among the first to reach the second stage of awakening. By rights, a second-stage awakened like him, backed by a crowd of first-stagers, should have easily overwhelmed Akuto.
So why... why had it turned out like this?
Standing before the stunned Soichiro, Akuto smiled faintly.
"Uncle Soichiro, your wife and daughter—I'll take care of them."
"You can rest in peace."
Truthfully, Akuto almost pitied Soichiro, who hadn't even gotten to taste a bite of flesh.
But his ambition had been too great. Worse, he had raised his blade against him. And so, Akuto had no choice but to end him here and now.
"You—!"
Before Soichiro could even finish, a flash of white light severed his throat.
"Gyaaahhh!!!~"
So much had happened in barely half a minute.
It was only when Soichiro fell dead on the spot that the crowd began to stir into chaotic noise.
"Kaguya, I'll leave the cleanup to you."
Akuto never liked handling aftermath himself unless absolutely necessary. Training Saya and Kaguya was exactly so he could keep his own hands free.
"Yes, my lord."
"You there—you should be familiar with the management of this estate, correct?"
Kaguya turned to the few awakened ones who had not dared attack Akuto.
Though she planned to eventually replace them with her own people, for the sake of immediate stability, it was best to promote some of the old retainers for now.
...
Elsewhere.
A few minutes later, inside Yuriko's room.
Saya gently shook her awake.
"Saya? Why are you here? Don't tell me… Soichiro already acted?" Yuriko asked in a panic.
"Yes. He did. As for the result… you can see for yourself from the balcony," Saya replied calmly.
Half a minute later, on the balcony.
Yuriko gazed at the bloodstains, at Soichiro's corpse being carried away. Her heart sank into a storm of emotions.
At her side, Saya handed her a bottle of champagne and the saber used to uncork it.
"Mother, that man named Soichiro is dead. Shouldn't you pop a bottle to celebrate?"
"Saya! As his daughter, how could you say such a thing?!" Yuriko turned, ready to scold her for her heartless words.
But then she met Saya's unwavering eyes.
"Is that so, Mother? Are you certain that's the truth? That I really am his daughter?"
"..."
Yuriko fell silent. For half a minute, she could not speak. At last, she whispered:
"Saya… you already know?"
"Yes." Saya nodded quietly.
"When did you learn it?"
"Back in high school."
"I noticed his strange habits, how he never acted affectionate toward you. So I bought hidden cameras and installed them in his room."
"And then… I saw him bringing men back into his chamber."
Saya's situation was different from Rei's.
Rei had only come to terms with reality after her mother had already taken Akuto as her man.
But Saya… Saya had known Soichiro's true nature from the very start.
"..."
Yuriko was silent, unsure how to respond.
Saya only shook her head, smiling softly as she raised the champagne saber.
"So, Mother… care for a drink?"
Pop!
Fizz…
The cork burst free, bubbles spraying across the floor.
Yuriko accepted the glass and downed it in one gulp.
...
As she drank the drugged champagne, Saya's lips curled into a delighted smile.
Yuriko noticed the strange twist to her daughter's grin. A wave of drowsiness suddenly washed over her.
"Mother, Saya will make sure you find happiness," Saya whispered gently into her ear.
"Saya… you—"
Before Yuriko could finish, she collapsed into her daughter's arms.
(End of Chapter)
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