"Stop! I'm your uncle! I even held you when you were a baby…"
Due to the blood loss from his severed arm, Ogi felt dizzy and weak, like a candle flickering in the wind. His vision blurred, yet he didn't dare close his eyes. He feared that once he did, it would be forever.
The instinct to survive and the terror of that overwhelming power made him play the family card again. His desperation grew so absurd that he began spouting whatever came to mind.
His body was already reaching its limit.
Mukuro tilted his head slightly. "What a pity. I actually preferred your old stubborn attitude."
With a flick of his wrist, Ogi's body was flung from the tip of the trident. He crashed through the wall of a nearby house and hit the floor with a dull thud, unable to move.
Behind that shattered wall, a woman in a kimono was crouching low and secretly observing everything. She was now paralyzed with fear on the ground.
"S-save... me..." Ogi struggled to lift his head, and used the last of his strength to beg his wife for help with a humility he had never shown before.
But the woman didn't move. Her body kept shaking, her breath coming in sharp, uneven gasps. Sweat streamed down her face, dripping onto the floor. Inside, her mind was in chaos.
As Ogi's wife, a woman married into this corrupt, oppressive clan, she feared what would happen if he died here. Yet as a mother, part of her wished for it.
Because she was aware what kind of man her husband truly was. He'd never hidden his disgust toward their daughters. Worse, he had actually considered killing little Maki, who was barely over two years old.
At last, she shakily pushed herself up to stand and looked at Mukuro. She ignored her husband's pleading eyes.
"Have you said thank you?"
Mukuro had no interest in this pitiful woman. He simply raised his trident and asked teasingly. But his gaze was fixed on his "uncle" lying on the ground like a dead dog.
"Th… thank you, Mukuro-sama!" the woman stammered and bowed toward the brothers.
This bow contained emotions far beyond just fear.
She understood her life in this family would likely remain the same. She would still have to live quietly, keep her head low, and endure. But without her husband, in the Zenin clan where Naobito was the head, maybe her two daughters could breathe a little easier.
"..."
Ogi's bloodshot eyes widened in disbelief. He could hardly believe that this woman would dare defy him. His mouth opened as if to yell, to scold her like he always did.
But no sound came out. His words died with him.
That familiar, disgusting expression froze on his face as his eyes dimmed completely.
"Let's go," Toji muttered as he passed by Mukuro, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him along. Their goal was not yet complete.
Behind them, the woman collapsed to her knees. Sweat soaked through her clothes. Her vision blurred with tears, but she pressed her forehead to the ground, bowing deeply again in the direction the two men had left.
"Thank... you..." she whispered.
* * *
Elsewhere, in another courtyard, Naoki Zenin sat calmly cross-legged in front of his house door. His breathing was steady and his eyes were closed as if he were resting.
When he sensed the brothers entering the yard, he finally opened his eyes and spoke, "You came after all. Even if you tried to hide it, that stench of blood on you gives it away. Did you slaughter the Kukuru? Or did you kill the members of Hei as well?"
His tone was indifferent, like he was speaking about slaughtered animals rather than his own clansmen.
This was the Zenin clan's philosophy: survival of the fittest. The only difference was that before today, no real bloodshed had occurred internally.
"Who'd bother remembering that kind of thing?" Toji replied flatly, resting the back of his blade on his shoulder.
After all, who counted how many ants they crushed beneath their feet while walking?
"True," Naoki said, standing up slowly. His neck cracked as he rolled his shoulders. "You do have Zenin blood. I suppose it's natural for you to think that way. If the two of you had any real talent, perhaps we wouldn't have come to this."
Even now, he still believed all of this was caused by these two disappointing sons before him. And today, he was going to sever this bond with his own hands.
"Too bad," Toji responded, pointing the blade at him, "I'm no longer part of the Zenin clan."
From the time Onshin was nearly killed, old grudges combined with new ones. He had already completely rejected this family. Whatever promise he had made with Naobito was gone now. He would never let Megumi return to this garbage dump, even if that man offered him the title of clan head.
"You can say that all you want, but the blood flowing through your veins cannot be changed. Now… repent properly! Without you two, I would be the clan head right now instead of only becoming Hei's leader after that bastard took the position!" Naoki shouted as cursed energy surged wildly through his body.
He activated Projection Sorcery. In an instant, he appeared right before Mukuro, intending to use his technique to force him into paralysis.
Two against one wasn't in his favor. And whether his youngest son actually possessed cursed energy and techniques remained unknown.
So, he decided to launch a surprise attack. He would kill the seemingly weaker Mukuro first, then turn back to deal with Toji who had special grade 1 strength…
With that plan in mind, he extended his right hand.
Unfortunately, imagination was always beautiful.
"Eh?"
For a brief moment, Naoki stiffened.
With his technique active, the world should've been moving in slow motion. Yet somehow, Mukuro moved even within that slowed perception. He leaned back slightly, dodging by mere inches.
A bad feeling crept up Naoki's spine. But the trajectory set by Projection Sorcery hadn't fully completed. He could only bite the bullet and continue.
The two brothers didn't press the attack, however. They just watched him like spectators enjoying a show as he stopped and then quickly pulled back.
'Absolutely cannot fight them alone!'
This thought took root in Naoki's mind and wouldn't go away.
Could a human without cursed energy dodge an attack launched at Projection Sorcery's speed? His youngest son's speed was already unimaginably fast to him, not to mention the battle-hardened Toji beside him.
Naoki actually felt the urge to retreat.
"What's wrong?" Mukuro said quietly, planting the trident upright into the ground. His fingers curled, motioning for Naoki to try again. "Is that all the so-called leader of Hei and special grade 1 sorcerer can do?"
Naoki's teeth ground together. "You damn brat..." His voice shook with fury and humiliation.
He turned his head toward outside the courtyard and called out, "What are you waiting for?! How long are you going to just stand there?! The Zenin clan's fate is on the line!"
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