Chapter 290: An Irrefutable Fact!
Kurogane Ikki was taken away.
The other party used the words, "An order from the head of Kurogane Family, Kurogane Ikki's biological father, Kurogane Itsuki," and directly shut everyone's mouths.
After all, no one had the right to stop a father from seeing his own son.
With this little episode happening, Stella, Touka, and the others also lost their mood to chat.
After everyone finished dinner, they soon went to rest.
Early the next morning, they set off and returned to Hagun Academy.
…
The next few days were extremely ordinary.
The only thing worth mentioning was that Ikki had been taken back to the Kurogane Family and still had not returned.
Fortunately, the selection battles had already entered their final stage. There were not many battles left, and the interval between each match had also grown longer and longer.
So Ikki would not lose his qualification to compete because of this yet.
Until three days later, Luke, who was in the dormitory, suddenly heard the sound of the door opening.
Then he saw Ikki walk in somewhat dispiritedly.
"What, judging by that expression of yours, are you planning to give up?"
With just one glance, Luke roughly knew what had happened to Ikki.
This incident had appeared in the original work, and as the core part of the anime's ending, Luke naturally would not be unaware of it.
Although Stella was no longer the reason, so Ikki had not suffered the same harsh blame and difficulties as in the original work, it was clear that his father, Kurogane Itsuki, had still said something 'harsh' to him.
In the original work, it had actually already been expressed. What truly made Ikki lose heart was nothing else, but his biological father's attitude toward him.
"I don't know either…"
Ikki looked at Luke somewhat blankly.
"I just suddenly realized… I can't find the direction for my sword anymore…"
…
That day, after Ikki was taken away by Akaza, he was brought directly back to the Kurogane main house, which he had not returned to even once in several years.
After resting for one night, the next day, which was also the day Luke and the others returned from Okutama to Hagun Academy…
Ikki met his father, Kurogane Itsuki.
Kurogane Itsuki sat behind the desk in his room, while Ikki stood opposite him.
"…"
"…"
The two of them faced each other across a desk and looked at each other for a full five minutes. During that time, not a single word was exchanged.
'…This is so awkward.'
Ikki felt like cold sweat was about to seep out of his back.
There was nothing he could do about it.
After all, ever since Ikki's fifth birthday, he had never seen this biological father of his even once.
Even when he was still at home, the two of them had never met, let alone spoken.
To be honest, now that Ikki suddenly saw him, he had no idea what to say for a while, nor did he know what kind of expression he should show.
'At this point, just why did this person call me here to meet him?'
Kurogane Ikki could not see through his biological father's thoughts at all, while Kurogane Itsuki simply gazed at him calmly with those cold gray eyes.
"Ikki."
As time slowly passed, Kurogane Itsuki finally broke the silence first.
"Uh, yes!"
Ikki replied to his father in an extremely nervous instant.
His voice was much higher than usual. The sweat on his back flowed down directly, and the heart inside his chest began beating violently.
'What is this person going to say?'
'He is too distant from me. I really can't predict his…'
Just as Ikki's thoughts were running wild, his father's words entered his ears, simple and direct.
"Do you see Shizuku as a woman?"
"Pfft—!"
"Incest is not a good thing. Aside from moral issues, it would also have a major impact on Shizuku's reputation. Also, the descendants born from it would have poor immunity and genetic defects…"
"Wait, wait, wait, wait a second?!?!"
"Why did it suddenly become this?!"
"Although I do value Shizuku very much, I really only see her as my younger sister! There is no way I could see her as someone of the opposite sex!"
Ikki was directly startled by this sudden question from his biological father.
He had simulated the scene of meeting his father countless times in his mind.
Just now, after actually meeting him, he had also rapidly thought about what this father of his might say.
But in the end, it was actually a soul-piercing interrogation???
However, although he was extremely shocked, Ikki still denied it immediately.
"I absolutely do not have any improper thoughts toward Shizuku!"
"…"
"…"
Kurogane Itsuki stared at this son of his with a scrutinizing gaze, once again entering a silent state.
Along with his silence and gaze, the pressure weighing on Ikki suddenly increased sharply.
But he also did not know what he should say at this moment to explain, so he could only brace himself and respond with a firm gaze.
After a long while, seemingly realizing that this son of his was somewhat "unrepentant," Kurogane Itsuki spoke once again.
"…A subordinate reported to me."
When he said the word reported, even Kurogane Itsuki could not help pausing for a moment.
After hesitating so faintly that it was almost impossible to notice, he finally continued.
"A subordinate reported to me that you and Shizuku… engaged in some intimate behavior beyond the relationship of siblings."
"Is that… true?"
Shock!!!
Ikki was immediately stunned by his father's words.
Subconsciously, he immediately wanted to refute it.
However, after opening his mouth, before the words could come out, Ikki suddenly realized… this matter seemed to be true?
Although Shizuku had been the one to forcefully kiss him, from a factual perspective, they had indeed engaged in behavior beyond the relationship of siblings.
Ikki sucked in a breath of cold air, and a feeling of panic instantly surged into his heart.
'It's over. At this rate, I'll be treated as a dangerous person!!!'
The next moment, driven by his survival instinct, Ikki chose to lie almost without hesitation.
"N-no, there was no such thing!"
"Father, your subordinate must have s-seen wrong, right?"
Faced with his son's sophistry, Kurogane Itsuki coldly snorted. His right hand slammed heavily onto the desk, producing a loud bang before he shouted,
"You two have done that kind of thing more than once!"
"Nonsense! It was only that one time! There was never a second time!"
"Hmph! So it really was true!"
"?!?! U-ughh!"
"Now, do you still have anything to say!"
Ikki, who had been tricked by his father's words into revealing the truth, instantly broke out in cold sweat.
He stood there awkwardly and nervously, stammering for a long time without being able to say anything.
"I never expected that after you left the Kurogane Family, you would actually become this kind of person…"
Kurogane Itsuki's slightly sighing words pierced straight into Ikki's heart like a blade.
"I'm not! I didn't! I…"
"You still call this 'didn't'?! Then what would count as 'did'?! Only after things between you two become irreversible?"
"I…"
Listening to his father's questioning, Ikki instantly sank into despair.
And what made him feel even more despair was that he had no way to refute what the other party said.
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