"I suppose you could say that. As for why you've never seen me—it's because I left the Partas Clan before you were even born."
Haruki replied with a touch of nostalgia.
"'Suppose'? What kind of answer is that? Be serious! You're only a few years older than me, aren't you? What, did you leave the tribe the moment you were born? I've never heard of any clansman leaving the tribe!"
Esdeath snapped, clearly annoyed.
But then, the corner of her mouth curved into a faint smile.
"Forget it. Doesn't matter anymore. From now on, I'm declaring you mine."
"Huh? I never agreed to that!"
Haruki raised an eyebrow. As expected of the sadistic queen from the original story—doing whatever she pleased without a second thought.
"Hmph! This world runs on survival of the fittest. The weak exist to be ruled by the strong, don't they?"
Still unable to sense any overwhelming power from Haruki and puzzled as to why the usually domineering Prime Minister treated him with such reverence, Esdeath struck without warning.
She wanted to show Haruki exactly how powerful she was.
As she lifted her leg and aimed a kick at him, the Prime Minister, who had been standing nearby, panicked and moved to stop her. But Haruki simply waved him off.
Bang!
In that moment, Gin—who had been quietly standing behind Haruki—suddenly kicked off the ground with incredible speed, using Soru, one of the Rokushiki techniques. She moved in a blur, intercepting Esdeath's attack the instant her leg flew out, returning it with a kick of her own. The two long, slender legs collided mid-air with a resounding clash.
Both women quickly retreated. Judging by the serious expressions on their faces, neither had the upper hand.
For the past three years, Gin had trained directly under Haruki. Already gifted by nature, she followed a regimen Haruki had personally tailored for her. Combined with her training in the Rokushiki, a combat style that pushed human limits, the Gin of today was far beyond the one from the original story. Her strength now ranked among the very top even within the Imperial Capital.
Yet what surprised Haruki was that, even with all that, their initial clash ended in a draw.
Esdeath, on the other hand, had never undergone any formal training. All her techniques were forged in deadly combat with Danger Beasts—practical, efficient, and lethal.
That she could fight Gin to a standstill with pure instinct and experience alone spoke volumes about her monstrous talent and raw power.
Still, Haruki knew that if the fight continued, Gin would eventually win. After all, she had spent years mastering pure physical combat, and that was exactly what they were trading in now.
"Hmph! If you want to lay a hand on my brother, you'll have to get through me first."
Gin said coldly.
With those words, she vanished again, using Rokushiki to appear in front of Esdeath at a speed invisible to the naked eye. The two exchanged blows at a blistering pace—over a hundred moves in just a few seconds. Then Gin launched another powerful kick.
Esdeath refused to back down and raised her leg to block.
But in that instant, a sharp sense of danger surged in her chest. Years of hunting Danger Beasts had sharpened her instincts, and without hesitation, she twisted her body and dodged to the side, avoiding a direct clash.
The moment she moved, a white air blade—about two meters wide—exploded from Gin's kick, tearing through the spot Esdeath had just occupied and slicing backward with force.
"Puff, puff, puff... Boom!"
Everything in the path of the air blade—regardless of its material—was sliced cleanly in two. The blade finally crashed into the wall behind Esdeath, shattering the once-sturdy structure into pieces.
Gin had already mastered the Six Styles to a high level. Compared to Kurome and Nina, her power was on a completely different scale.
The move stunned both Esdeath, who was in the middle of the fight, and the Prime Minister watching from nearby. With their sharp eyes, they could immediately tell that Gin wasn't using any Teigu. That attack had come purely from her body. Neither of them had ever seen such physical skill before.
Knowing that stepping in now wouldn't change the outcome, Esdeath stood silently in place, her thoughts unreadable.
Seeing her back down, Gin quietly returned to stand behind Haruki. Earlier, she'd heard Haruki acknowledge Esdeath as his only remaining family, so she had no intention of fighting her to the death.
Noticing the tense atmosphere, the Prime Minister spoke up.
"It seems Lord Haruki has no shortage of capable people by his side! Lady Esdeath and I will take our leave. We only came to pay our respects. If there's anything you need in the future, don't hesitate to ask this old man."
With that, he prepared to leave with Esdeath.
"Wait."
Haruki, who had been watching from the side, finally spoke.
"Esdeath, from now on, you'll stay here with me."
"Why should I stay here?"
Esdeath responded with displeasure.
"Didn't you say the weak should be ruled by the strong? You couldn't even beat my disciple. That makes you the weak one. So shouldn't you follow my orders?"
Haruki threw her own words right back at her.
"Hmph! Fine, I'll stay. What's the big deal? Since I lost, I'm yours now. Do as you like. But once I surpass you, I'll make you mine."
Esdeath, who had always lived by the law of the jungle, didn't refute Haruki's words. It was only natural.
"Honest, Esdeath will be staying here from now on. But I won't restrict her freedom—she'll continue her military career. Understood?"
Haruki addressed the Prime Minister still standing at the doorway.
"Yes."
The Prime Minister responded at once. He could barely contain his joy. His original plan had been to use Esdeath to win Haruki's favor, and if she stayed active in the military, she could also serve as a counterbalance to Great General Budo.
Now both goals had been achieved. Not only would Esdeath be staying at Haruki's residence, she would also continue to develop her career in the army.
With that, the Prime Minister left Haruki's estate in high spirits.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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