This sword was none other than Tenseiga, one of the three supreme blades from Inuyasha, which Haruki had exchanged from the System a thousand years ago.
Although Tenseiga is often referred to as a blade that cannot kill, that reputation stems from people being too focused on its miraculous life-saving ability—reviving hundreds with a single swing—and overlooking its destructive potential.
Tenseiga possesses two primary offensive techniques:
Sōryūha (Azure Dragon Wave): By compressing his own demonic energy and channeling it through Tenseiga, the user can unleash multiple dragon-shaped blasts of demonic energy. The power of the attack depends on the user's strength and the nature of their demonic energy.
Meidō Zangetsuha (Dark Path of the Dawn's Moon Wave): Tenseiga can tear open space to create a gateway to the Underworld. The resulting vortex produces a powerful suction force that draws in enemies, trapping them in the netherworld for eternity. The closer the rift resembles a perfect circle, the greater its pull.
As the security guards charging at him froze mid-step in shock, Haruki didn't hesitate for a second. Mercy had no place in how he dealt with enemies.
He raised his hand and drew Tenseiga from the golden vortex. With a casual flick of his wrist, he slashed toward the advancing guards. Though the motion looked graceful, its impact was anything but.
From the sword's blade burst several blood-red dragons radiating fierce light. Accompanied by thunderous roars, they surged forward with overwhelming pressure.
Boom...
"Ahhh—!"
A deafening blast was followed by agonized screams echoing through the alley.
The sound struck fear into the hearts of the officers and guards who had chosen to stand behind Haruki. Every cry from the other side reinforced how right their decision had been.
Looking toward the source of the screams, they saw that only the Minister of Security and Tina remained standing—along with Feld, still unconscious, leaning limply against Tina for support.
Of the dozens who had charged at Haruki, only a few still lay twitching on the ground, clinging to the last moments of life. The rest had been torn to pieces, their shattered limbs scattered—no intact bodies remained.
Because Sōryūha was fueled by Haruki's own demonic energy, he had perfect control over its power and trajectory.
At the last second, he'd made the blood dragons veer around the Minister and Tina, but the sheer force of the attack still brought them face-to-face with death. Now, though they remained on their feet, their former arrogance had vanished. They stood trembling, pale and broken.
"Ugh... ahh... aahhh..."
Right then, likely roused by the blast, Feld suddenly regained consciousness. But the searing pain that followed left him howling in torment.
"Mother! Father! You're here—hurry! Arrest those filthy bitches and that pretty-boy bastard! They crippled my hands! I want to torture them! I'll make them beg for death—ahhh!"
Realizing his mother was by his side—someone who had always shielded him no matter what trouble he caused—Feld, still oblivious to the situation, broke into sobs, whining to Tina as if he were the victim of some great injustice.
After shouting, Feld turned to glare at Haruki and the others, his face twisted in a vicious sneer.
"You're all done for! My mother and father are here now. Even if you begged me, I still wouldn't let you off!"
He still hadn't realized that his parents were trembling in fear nearby. Nor had he noticed that the security forces now standing behind Haruki weren't helping his father arrest Haruki's group at all.
"Shut your mouth!"
For once, the usually reserved Minister of Security couldn't hold back and roared at Feld, who was still cluelessly shouting without any sense of the situation. Even Tina, normally domineering and fiercely protective of her son, stayed silent this time.
The security officers standing behind Haruki were completely stunned by Feld's idiocy. This guy must have a death wish—he was practically dragging the entire family down with him! No one could believe that such a shrewd man as the Minister of Security had ended up with such a useless son.
"Your Excellency, don't you think you've gone too far? Daring to kill imperial security forces in broad daylight?"
Despite his fear, the Minister of Security mustered his courage to question Haruki, though the confidence in his voice was gone.
"Oh? The law? You want to talk to me about the law now? Let's see. It was your good-for-nothing son who tried to harass my woman and got crippled by Gin. Did you arrest him for that? No—you called your troops to come after me. And let's not forget, the Prime Minister is the highest-ranking civil official in the Empire, well above you. Yet you had the audacity to attack a noble carrying the token that symbolizes his authority. That's blatant insubordination. What punishment do you think you deserve?"
"Don't think I don't know what you were planning. You figured that if you got me locked up first, you could do whatever you wanted with me afterward. And when the Prime Minister came asking questions, all you'd need to do is deny everything—he wouldn't be able to touch you without proof, right?"
Haruki's voice was calm and steady as he spoke, holding Tenseiga loosely at his side.
"This..."
The Minister of Security hadn't expected Haruki to list so many incriminating charges in such a short span—and to reveal his true intentions so openly in front of everyone. For a moment, he was completely speechless.
"How about this? We've both made mistakes. Yes, you crippled my son, but it was his own fault—he brought it on himself. I can't blame anyone else for that. But you did kill quite a few of my men in public. If someone decides to press charges later, it won't look good for you either. So let's both take a step back and pretend none of this ever happened. What do you say?"
The Minister was clearly backing down. Judging by Haruki's overwhelming display just now, wiping them out would be no trouble at all. Preserving his own life came first. He'd wait until Great General Budo arrived—then it would be time to settle the score.
That was the thought running through his mind. Even now, he still believed that all of this stemmed from a simple grudge. And now that he had offered a truce, Haruki should be grateful.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake