"Father, we can't let him go! Look at the state I'm in! And those girls with him—they can't be spared either!"
"That's right, dear. You're the Minister of Security. He wouldn't dare touch us. We absolutely cannot let him off so easily."
What the Minister of Security didn't expect was that his own useless son would stab him in the back again at such a crucial moment—and to top it off, his airheaded wife was actually backing him up.
"Hmph. In my eyes, your son isn't even worth a pile of shit. Just for daring to lust after my woman, he deserves to die a hundred times over. Back down? Don't make me laugh. That trash aside—just for the fact that you two dared to threaten Nina—neither of you are walking out of here today."
Feld and Tina's words were like throwing fuel on an already blazing fire. Haruki's rage exploded, and he turned on the entire family without hesitation.
The Minister of Security knew then and there that things wouldn't end peacefully. Haruki's terrifying power left him trembling inside, and he couldn't help but resent Feld for starting this mess. But there was no time for regrets. Seeing Haruki about to strike again, he shouted,
"Your Excellency, don't act recklessly! I've already sent someone to call for Great General Budo—he should be arriving any moment now! If you kill us, the general won't let you get away with it!"
"Oh? Is that a threat? Even if Budo shows up today, he won't be able to save you. In fact, I doubt you'll live to see him. Enough talk. Time to send you on your way. Next time, be smart enough not to provoke me."
Haruki's voice was cold.
"No, you can't kill me! I'm a high-ranking official of the Empire—killing me won't do you any good! Besides, it was that bastard son of mine who harassed your woman, and that shrew who threatened Princess Nina! I had nothing to do with it! Spare me, and I'll give you whatever you want..."
"You—Father, how could you..."
"Ah! You bastard! You'll die a miserable death! I arranged for Princess Nina to marry Feld for your benefit, didn't I?! If not for me, would you have even become Minister of Security? You ungrateful traitor!"
There's an old saying: "Husband and wife are like birds in the same forest—when disaster strikes, they fly apart." The disgrace of this family was on full display in their final moments.
Haruki ignored their pitiful attempts to shift blame, and the women beside him looked on with disgust at their pathetic end.
Without hesitation, Haruki raised Tenseiga and slashed. All anyone saw was a flash of the blade, and then the sky itself seemed to tear open. A circular, dark purple vortex formed and hurtled toward the family with blinding speed.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
It all happened in an instant.
Three heavy thuds followed. When the dust settled, only the lower halves of the Minister of Security, Tina, and Feld remained. The upper portions of their bodies had been sucked into the void the moment they touched the portal created by Tenseiga.
Haruki could've sent them in whole, but he chose a more brutal end to make a statement. He wanted to warn everyone: the women beside him—each of them stunning, powerful, and alluring—would inevitably draw dangerous attention. But Haruki couldn't always be by their side.
Though the girls were strong, they weren't invincible. If someone used dirty tricks, even they could be caught off guard.
This was Haruki's way of telling the world: it doesn't matter how powerful or well-connected you are—even the Minister of Security's family will die if they lay a finger on my women.
The guards and officers standing behind Haruki still hadn't recovered. Everything that had happened felt like a dream. Who could've imagined that their commanding officer, once so feared and authoritative, would be reduced to a pile of severed limbs in under an hour?
That day, Haruki had planted a deep seed of fear in their hearts. Once they returned, word of what had happened would spread quickly. From that moment on, Haruki—and the women around him—became people no one in the Imperial Capital would dare to provoke.
Seeing their reactions, Haruki was pleased.
That meant his message had been received loud and clear.
"Alright, snap out of it. Time to head back."
Haruki turned to the girls beside him.
They were all still stunned. Unlike the others from the Security Department, these girls had trained alongside Haruki and had a much deeper understanding of martial arts. So while most people were simply dazzled by the beauty of techniques like Sōryūha and Meidō Zangetsuha, the girls fully grasped how terrifying those moves truly were—summoning multiple blood dragons with a casual swing or tearing open space to form a gateway to the underworld wasn't just flashy, it was monstrous.
They had always known Haruki was one of the key founders of the Empire a thousand years ago, and that he must be incredibly powerful. But until now, he'd never fully revealed his strength. Seeing him wipe out the entire family of the Security Minister so effortlessly gave them a vivid, undeniable sense of just how strong he really was.
"Mm..."
They responded softly, voices tinged with shyness. Haruki had just declared in front of everyone that they were his women, and the embarrassment was clear on their faces. Still, beneath the bashfulness was unmistakable joy. Over the years, they'd known Haruki cared for them, but he'd never actually said it out loud. Gin, the eldest among them, was already fifteen—an age where many in the Empire were already mothers. The others weren't much younger either. Naturally, their feelings had long been brimming.
"If Budo comes, tell him to find me at my residence. Oh, and the owner of the clothing shop is a good man—don't let me hear that anyone's giving him trouble. You all know what the consequences will be."
With that, Haruki didn't spare another glance at anyone else. Carrying the bundle of clothes the girls had just bought, he casually led Gin and the others home.
The shift in atmosphere was jarring. One moment, he was a cold, ruthless executioner. The next, he was a calm, doting figure walking his girls home. The sudden change left everyone watching in stunned silence.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake