Blake felt his blood boil. The audacity of the drunk hooligans and the lecherous gaze they had when they looked at his wife had pissed him off.
Blake considered himself a good guy since he would help the old ladies in the neighborhood cross the street and he even helped his fellow classmates from bullies.
However, even kindness has its limits.
He had trained in not only cookery but also martial arts for years, preparing to protect his future wife, and now was the time to put that training to use.
"I think you've had enough fun for one night," he said, his voice steady. "I've trained to protect her, and I won't hesitate to take you down."
The hooligans laughed, clearly underestimating him. Blake dropped into a fighting stance, his movements fluid and confident.
The first hooligan lunged at him, but Blake sidestepped, delivering a swift punch to the jaw that sent the man sprawling.
Two more rushed him simultaneously. Blake's training took over as he executed a series of precise moves, knocking them out one by one. His adrenaline was pumping, and he felt invincible.
But in the heat of the moment, he failed to notice one of the hooligans pulling out a knife.
Before he could react, the blade sank into his gut, the pain searing through his body. He stumbled back, clutching his stomach as blood seeped through his fingers.
Ayame's eyes went cold but she didn't do anything, and the hooligans laughed, thinking they had won.
As Ayame expected, something incredible happened. Blake's Adaptation Sage Authority took effect.
The pain began to fade, and he could feel his body healing at an unnatural rate. The wound closed up, and his skin hardened, becoming more resistant to sharp objects.
The hooligans' laughter turned to confusion and fear as they saw Blake stand tall, the injury gone as if it had never happened.
"What the hell?" the leader muttered, stepping back.
"Fuck! This guy is a monster!" one of the hooligans exclaimed in fear.
Blake's eyes were cold and focused. "I told you, I trained to protect my wife. And now, you're going to regret ever crossing our path."
With renewed strength and determination, Blake moved faster than before. He disarmed the knife-wielding hooligan with a swift kick, sending the blade clattering to the ground.
One by one, he incapacitated the remaining hooligans, leaving them groaning on the pavement.
Ayame rushed to his side, her eyes wide with concern. "Blake, are you okay?"
He nodded, his breathing steady. "I'm fine, Ayame. Let's get out of here."
In response, Ayame didn't leave yet. Her eyes turned cold as she looked at the unconscious hooligans.
With a determined and cold expression, she stepped forward, raising one hand. "They dared to harm you. They must pay with their worthless lives!"
Drawing on the ancient power of the Tengu, Ayame summoned a fierce wind.
In Japanese mythology, the Tengu's wind is a force of nature, capable of uprooting trees and tearing apart buildings.
The air around her began to swirl, and within moments, it transformed into a violent, cutting gale.
The wind howled with the fury of a storm, invisible blades slicing through the air. The unconscious hooligans lay helpless as Ayame's power unleashed upon them.
The wind tore into their flesh, reducing their bodies to a bloody mess. Bones snapped like twigs, and blood sprayed in all directions, the gruesome scene hidden within the chaos of the windstorm.
Ayame's expression remained cold and resolute. In mythology, the Tengu were feared not only for their martial prowess but for their control over the elements.
Their wind was said to be able to carve mountains and change the course of rivers. In this moment, Ayame wielded that same legendary power with devastating effect.
Within seconds, the wind died down, leaving nothing but a gory aftermath. The bodies of the hooligans were unrecognizable, torn apart by the relentless force of Ayame's wind. She turned back to Blake, her eyes softening once more.
"Now, it's safe," she said quietly, her voice steady.
Blake, having witnessed the sheer power of Ayame's abilities, felt a mixture of awe and gratitude. He reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. "Thank you, Ayame. Let's go home."
Together, they walked away from the scene, the street eerily quiet after the storm of Ayame's wrath. As they headed back home, Blake knew that with Ayame by his side, they could face any threat that came their way.
He didn't worry about whether the murder would cause them any trouble. After all, Ayame was the Princess of the Tengus. If someone like her were easily detained by the police, the humans would have long locked up the supernatural races and experimented on them.
But it went to show that the human race and the supernatural races had made an agreement with each other. The peace on the surface was proof of that.
As for Ayame's ruthlessness, Blake didn't care about that since Ayame was his wife.
If he, as her husband, got frightened by her ruthlessness and didn't accept her, then who will?
Even if she were to force him to choose between the human race and her, Blake wouldn't hesitate to choose Ayame.
Being kind was one thing, but sacrificing his wife for the greater good was something that he couldn't do. It would be his failure as her husband if he were to do that.
Soon enough, Blake and Ayame arrived at his house.
But when Ayame saw the house, she suggested, "Darling, do you want to live with me at my mansion instead? It has various facilities and we also don't have to worry about exposing our power to those mortals."
"Although my mansion is not in the Tengu Realm, it's still a land owned by the Tengus in the human world. Even the Sages of the human race wouldn't dare to step foot on it unless they wanted to wage war against the Tengus."
Hearing Ayame's suggestion, Blake smiled, "Yes, I'd love that. Home to me is wherever you are."
"I don't care wherever I am or wherever I lived as long as you are with me."