CHAPTER 547: Kazumi’s Resolve
“No! This is too dangerous!”
Inside the room, Fukada Akihiko tightened his brows without looking up. Before Kazumi could finish speaking, he slammed his fist heavily onto the table. The force of the blow sent the coffee pot on the tray toppling over, spilling onto the soft carpet, emitting a faint warmth.
He looked up, his eyes filled with a mixture of worry and anger, staring directly at Kazumi. His tone held an irrefutable firmness. “Little Kazumi, you cannot go!”
It was the first time Kazumi had seen Fukada Akihiko react so uncontrollably. Fukada Akihiko’s reason for saying these words was simply that he wanted to get some help from her side. He never expected his uncle to oppose her so strongly.
She quickly explained, “Uncle Fukada, I know it’s dangerous, but Hyōsetsu Ken said…”
“Hyōsetsu Ken!” Fukada Akihiko interrupted her, a flicker of disgust appearing on his face. “That bastard was never a good person! You can’t believe everything he says! He lost all his emotions due to some ability issue. I thought he was just thanking you for what happened before, but I didn’t expect him to set his sights on you after such a short period of contact.”
Fukada Akihiko’s tone was filled with helplessness and anger. He walked to Kazumi’s side, his voice softening slightly. “Little Kazumi, listen to me: The Great General’s power is far greater than you can imagine. It’s completely different from any battle you’ve encountered before. At your current level, if you get caught in such a battle, there will only be one outcome.”
“But I don’t have any other choice, Uncle Fukada.”
Kazumi calmly shook her head and replied. “I know Hyōsetsu Ken isn’t a good person, but there’s no reason for him to deceive me about this matter. My ability… if it truly has some connection to White Bone, now is the time when White Bone is at its weakest. If we miss this window, even you, Uncle Fukada, won’t be able to protect me from the Great General.”
The girl’s incredibly calm demeanor and her still icy tone gradually soothed the anxiety in Fukada Akihiko’s heart. Looking at the astonishingly mature girl before him, Fukada Akihiko let out a long sigh, regaining his usual composure and said, “I understand. I’ll help you confirm the authenticity of the information. After I joined the Dark organization, there was no longer a Great General rank, only Executives below the leaders. If we have to draw a comparison, the strength of the Spike ability circulated among the Executives should be able to reach the Great General level.”
“What about Blade Warrior compared to the organization’s Great General?”
Kazumi nodded as a matter of course. Fukada Akihiko certainly wouldn’t understand the secrets of White Bone’s ability. Otherwise, given how protective Uncle Fukada was, he would never allow her to truly join the organization if such a thing were to happen.
According to Kazumi’s deduction, the so-called Great Generals were sealed in the years before Thundery’s era of peace ended. That period was too long ago. It was difficult for both Uncle Fukada and her parents to understand the core secrets of the abilities of people who had long since passed away.
Moreover, Kazumi’s summoning ability at that time was just summoning ordinary wooden frames. Even if White Bone were still in the organization, they wouldn’t have targeted someone like her.
“As for Blade Warrior, his offensive capabilities have always been there, but his physical strength is his weakness. If he doesn’t have other abilities, he will lose most of his mobility if he is directly hit in a vital spot.”
Fukada Akihiko answered Kazumi’s question, and as if recalling something unpleasant, his originally fair complexion darkened a shade.
“Mhm, I understand. Thank you, Uncle Fukada.”
He pursed his lips. “I can send a trustworthy subordinate to help you. And about those things you asked me for before, I’m not sure about killing innocent people, but I can find a way to get some.”
“Kazumi…”
“Alas, it’s uncle’s fault for being useless…”
A torrent of words poured out of Fukada Akihiko’s mouth like a string of fireballs, but his voice grew quieter and quieter, eventually fading into a moment of silence and an incredibly long sigh.
Fukada Akihiko had thought about persuading the girl, who looked somewhat childish in both form and appearance, to give up her abilities, abandon everything here, and live a civilian’s life. However, the girl’s mature demeanor, which was even calmer than his own, dispelled Fukada Akihiko’s thought at that moment. He could only let out a long sigh.
“Uncle Fukada!”
A cold yet soft touch came from his hand. A small pair of palms had grabbed his right hand at some point. Fukada Akihiko looked up, his lonely gaze meeting the girl’s deep and determined eyes.
“This is the path I chose for myself. Uncle, as an elder, you have already sacrificed a lot for me. I can feel your intentions and your worries, but it’s alright. With the information you provided, and with the opponent at their weakest moment, I’m confident I can protect myself with my current abilities. At this point, if I can’t even get past this hurdle, how can I ever gain control of my own power?”
The girl’s words were cold and calm, but the determination in her tone was unshakable.
“Furthermore, Uncle, you have your own mission to complete. I have no right to ask you to sacrifice anything for me, and I will never allow another family member to leave me.”
“Kazumi, you…”
Her resolute words dispelled the last decision in Fukada Akihiko’s heart. He shook his head with a look of helplessness, then stood up and walked towards the door.
“Wait for my news.”
As Fukada Akihiko opened the room door, a tall figure appeared before the two of them, seemingly having waited by the entrance for a while. Kurokawa Iori was still as handsome and gentle as ever, but his expression was not very good at this moment, having lost his usual gentle demeanor.
“Uncle Fukada.”
“Mm.”
He nodded and politely greeted Fukada Akihiko. Fukada Akihiko was not surprised. After all, with his abilities, he had already sensed that the other party was waiting at the door. He simply nodded at him and walked away without looking back.
Only then did Kurokawa Iori speak to Kazumi inside. “Kazumi, things are finished. It’s time to go.”
