The air in the banquet hall was already heavy when the furious young Komabami heir slammed his hand against the wall.
"Bodyguards!" he barked.
Three figures emerged at once.
The first radiated with flaming arcs of heat, a Fire Mage bloodline burning through his arms.
The second cracked his fists, muscles swelling unnaturally as his skin hardened, a physical brute-type bloodline.
The third shimmered faintly, his outline unstable — an illusion-type bloodline, ready to distort sight and mind.
Gasps filled the hall. Several nobles muttered:
"They'll crush him…"
"This will end it now…"
But Haruko didn't even raise his hands.
The three lunged. Fire streamed across the marble, shadows bent, and bone-shattering fists cracked toward Haruko's chest.
Haruko simply looked at them. His crimson-gold Vampire eyes pulsed. His aura shifted.
Then, in a voice low but carrying through the bones of everyone present, he spoke one word:
"Kneel."
The ground itself answered.
The entire premises shook — chandeliers rattled, dishes clattered off tables, stone split beneath feet. Haruko's soul authority erupted like a storm of pressure.
The fire mage's flames guttered into sparks, crushed. The brute gagged, unable to even breathe, bones giving way. The illusion weaver screamed, his phantoms shattering into fading smoke as his real body hit the ground.
One by one, they slammed to their knees, groaning, eyes wide with terror.
But it didn't stop there.
The aura rolled outward like a tidal wave. Entire families across the estate — guards, servants, heirs — shuddered and dropped, pressed by the intangible dominance of Haruko's bloodline.
Hundreds of knees struck the floor.
And the whispers began, fearful, trembling:
"It feels like… a demon…"
"The demon kid… grown into something worse…"
From every corner of the clan estate, members of the Mombami family proper rushed toward the disturbance. When they reached the main hall, they froze: bodyguards broken, heirs trembling, and Haruko standing calm in the center, tail weaving idly behind him.
For the clan, the message was clear — the "exiled boy" had returned not as an heir, but with authority stronger than any current head.
Later, in the private chambers, his grandfather Gian Mombami and grandmother pressed him for answers.
"What happened?" Gian's tone demanded clarity.
"My second grandfather is missing," Haruko said simply. "I will go to Hanma Island. Something is happening there."
He paused. "Also… one of their heirs tried hypnotism on me. I broke his fingers."
Both elders nodded grimly.
Moments later, family leaders from the banquet stormed out, their voices furious.
"If the Mombami clan allows this brat's savagery," one spat, "then the Six Families withdraw every political tie. We will pressure you from all sides — you'll collapse within a month without our backing!"
For long seconds, Gian said nothing. His silence was heavier than any threat.
Then he leaned forward and said coldly:
"You families can go f**k yourselves. From this day, there is no alliance between us. If you dare pressure us, you will regret standing on the wrong side."
The corridor shook with the anger of their departure.
After they were gone, Gian turned back to Haruko. "Grandson, what do you think? Should we make them pay more?"
Haruko shook his head slightly. "Later. My heart isn't here. Grandpa… can I go see Grandma Selina? I don't like it here."
For the first time, Gian exhaled softly, stepping closer and pulling Haruko into an embrace — brief but real.
"Go," Gian said, his voice calmer now. "Tell your Grandma Selina and your maternal grandfather Zenny that we send them our greetings. You don't need to come back. After sorting these clan matters, we'll come to you. I'll even buy a mansion near theirs."
Haruko's face stayed composed, but the weight lifted slightly from his shoulders.
The Mombami banquet was over. His path pointed toward Selina — and beyond, to Yuuichiro's trail.
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