"If that's how it's gonna be, then maybe my old man should throw me into the mix as well. I'm the one who kicked off this whole mess, dragging Haruki and Axel-sama into this gang war."
Kenji declared, his voice trembling with fear but carrying the weight of righteousness. He couldn't stand the thought of sacrificing Axel and Haruki. After all, Axel was just doing his thing when him and his crew stumbled into the chaos.
'That's his father? Size does check out.'
"Oh, abomination, shut up! The adults are talking here."
Kenji's father barked, trying to silence the boy. But Kenji wasn't backing down. If he gave in now, it meant signing Axel and Haruki's death warrants, and he couldn't live with that on his conscience.
"When adults forget honor and truth, they no longer deserve respect."
'Oh damn. My mother would've killed me if I said those words to her.'
Kenji's father grumbled under his breath and slumped back into his seat, shooting his son a venomous glare. But even he couldn't deny the truth of Kenji's words. Deep down, though, even he couldn't deny the truth of Kenji's words. They'd all seen it for themselves.
"Not just him, Uncle. Count me in too. This whole mess started because I opened my mouth to Axel. If anyone's to blame, it's me. Handing me over should be more than enough punishment, and maybe it'll even spare my brothers' lives."
Raiden or Takeshi spoke up, offering himself as the sacrificial lamb. His words echoed through the room, leaving everyone stunned. Raiden or Takeshi was Lord Kuro's son and the prince of the Kuro clan. His willingness to take the fall was something nobody had anticipated.
Axel gazed at the boy before him, seeing not just a prince, but a young man with a rare blend of beauty and kindness. That Raiden, a prince, would consider sacrificing himself and his dreams for someone as ordinary as Axel, struck him deeply.
'You really are my best friendo, aren't you, Raiden-kun?'
Raiden felt a weird sensation wash over him as Axel's eyes bore into his, as if he were being regarded as some kind of savior descended from the heavens. Nervously, Raiden offered a shaky smile and took a step back, feeling the weight of Axel's gaze.
"If we can't find a way out of this predicament, it means war. Are you prepared to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of lives for this, Takeshi?"
The lord's question hung heavy in the air, his demeanor calm but commanding. The room fell silent, the weight of the inquiry settling on Takeshi's shoulders like a heavy burden. The truth was, the lord didn't need an answer; he already knew that nobody would agree to such a sacrifice.
The safest option seemed to be handing over Axel and Haruki to the Tsuki clan, but even that posed a new set of threats and challenges for them all to navigate.
"If we surrender Haruki and that vermin to the Tsuki clan, it'll brand us as cowards. A lord who can't defend his own subject is no lord at all."
Axel's jaw nearly dropped at the unexpected words coming from someone he'd imagined would kill him without a second thought.
It was Akira. She stood tall, arms folded, her gaze downward, emanating an aura of authority as if she were an emperor making a decree.
'Difference...'
Axel couldn't shake the same warm, familiar feeling that washed over him when he first laid eyes on her. She was a force to be reckoned with—strong, dangerous, and capable of killing him with just a glance. Yet, there was something captivating about her, drawing him in despite the danger.
But Axel knew better than to act on his feelings. After all, he knows about her madness, even her own brother acknowledged it. Still, he couldn't help but feel intrigued, wondering what had twisted her mind so profoundly.
"Akira! Mind your tongue!"
Kenji's father's voice thundered, rising from his seat, his face flushed with anger. The room bristled with tension as almost everyone shot her sharp glares, some even clenching their teeth.
But Akira remained unfazed, as if she had already made up her mind that Axel and Haruki were to remain untouched, and she was resolved to see it through.
Not that she particularly liked either of them, but rather, she seemed to be thirsting for conflict—a chance to wield her katana against real warriors, a craving for battle she'd yet to satisfy.
Amidst the chaos, a soft laughter pierced through the tension, causing the commotion to fade as all eyes turned to the source of the sound.
Lord Kuro shook his head, trying to suppress a chuckle, and then took a deep breath.
"Take a good look, my brothers and sisters, my own kids, barely out of their teens, gearing up for battle while we, the older lot, crave nothing but peace and quiet. What's gone wrong here? What's turned us into such schemers? Such...self-centered beings."
His words held weight, spoken with strength yet a sense of dignity and restraint. Lord Kuro closed his eyes briefly before reopening them.
"It was bound to happen. All five clans have been primed and waiting, itching to cleanse our katanas with our enemies' blood. It's as if we've been sitting around, waiting for someone to light the fuse, and now that spark's been ignited, all our century-long preparations are about to pay off."
A heavy silence settled over the room.
Axel shifted his focus from Raiden to Lord Kuro, anticipation hanging in the air.
"This kid," he gestured towards Axel, "this Sensou o Motarasu Mono (warbringer), his arrival is like an omen, and for the past ten hours, he's been nothing but trouble. He stormed into our territory without a by-your-leave, and ever since then, it's been one mishap after another."
Axel's stomach churned with nerves, his breath caught in his throat as he hung on every word from Lord Kuro. It felt like time was playing games, teasing him with its slow crawl as he waited for the verdict that could either make or break his entire existence.