As an ice-cold voice that could pierce through everyone’s souls echoed, all those present felt a killing intent, forged from pure rage, gradually surge through the air.
They all knew the person who had instilled fear into the hearts of the entire Eastern Island Nation had returned.
At the entrance of the courtyard, Nogawa Sagyu, clad in red, opened her blood-red eyes, countless malevolent energies erupting from within her. With each step she took, the bloody hue of the world intensified. Even the ground itself began to tremble slightly.
Cracks, like a spiderweb, spread wantonly across the ground. From every fissure emanated the scent of death.
At this moment, Sagyu’s black hair, which had been tied back, was seemingly torn free by her terrifying power. It danced in the wind, infused with a touch of madness.
This, perhaps, was the true form of the Blood Asura.
Beautiful!
But a beauty that bloomed upon a bed of blood.
Watching Sagyu, whose intent to kill was no longer concealed, the members of the Nogawa family instinctively retreated. Those with weaker mental fortitude even collapsed to the ground.
As the head of the family, Nogawa Ryuichi had no choice but to face the onslaught.
“Sagyu! Calm down first, I…”
*Boom!*
“Ah!”
Ryuichi had barely uttered a few words when a flash of blood streaked before his eyes. Before his body could even react, he was sent flying dozens of meters away.
He crashed into the wall, sliding down with falling debris, copious amounts of blood spilling from his mouth, his face contorted in pain.
This single blow had taken half his life.
Of course!
This was only because she had held back.
Otherwise, with her power, she likely would have reduced him to a bloody pulp with a single palm strike.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk! Sagyu! He’s your uncle! You actually have it in you to do that!”
Despite his outwardly lamenting tone regarding Ryuichi’s attack, the young man’s expression betrayed no such sentiment.
“Die!”
*Swish!*
The long saber was drawn, its blood-red blade reflecting a chilling, daunting gleam. Its appearance caused the air temperature to plummet.
Sagyu wasted no words. Saber in front, her pupils filled with ferocity, the aura she exuded became even more wild.
“Slash!”
No fancy sword techniques, just the most unadorned strike, as if capable of ending the entire world.
Yet, facing Sagyu’s attack, the young man made no move to dodge. He let her strike come at him.
But just as Sagyu’s blade tip was half an inch away from him, she abruptly reeled in all her power, daring not to let her attack advance another fraction.
*Puff!*
Such a grand, all-encompassing strike, followed by such a timely retraction, clearly placed an immense strain on her body.
A mouthful of blood erupted from her lips, her complexion paling considerably.
“What! I thought you were truly ruthless, cutting ties with everyone!” the young man taunted with a wicked grin, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
At this moment, his right hand was clamped around someone’s neck.
And that person was Sagyu’s mother.
“Sagyu! Didn’t I tell you it would have been better if you had simply accepted my invitation earlier?”
The young man seemed unashamed of his tactics, rather, he appeared quite pleased with himself. “Now that things have come to this, what’s the point?”
However, judging by his expression, reaching this point didn't seem to be a bad outcome for him.
On the contrary, it saved him a lot of time.
“Yanagawa Tei, let… her… go!”
Sagyu gripped the hilt of her saber tightly, her voice hoarse and suppressed.
“Let her go! Hahaha!”
Hearing such a naive request, Yanagawa Tei couldn’t help but laugh. “Indeed! Your power is formidable, but your mind seems a bit slow!”
“Do you think I went to all this trouble to take over the Nogawa family for nothing?”
For what?
Naturally, it was to keep Sagyu in check.
“I will kill you!”
The flames of fury in Sagyu’s blood-red eyes seemed to have condensed into a tangible form, making her appear even more dangerous and terrifying.
“Oh really?”
Yanagawa Tei felt no intimidation from her words.
For he had already learned from Nogawa Ryuichi that Sagyu’s only vulnerability was her mother.
And now, her mother's life hung in the balance of his whim. With this card in hand, Yanagawa Tei had no fear of Sagyu acting rashly.
“Whether you can kill me aside, what you should be thinking about now is how to save your mother,” Yanagawa Tei said with a sinister smile. “How about I point you in the right direction!”
“You want me to join you?”
Sagyu, suppressing her emotions with great effort, responded coldly.
“No, no, no!”
But her answer was flatly rejected by Yanagawa Tei.
“Now that we’ve reached this point, I wouldn’t dare let you join us!” Yanagawa Tei shook his head. “If you were to stab me in the back later, I wouldn’t be able to bear it!”
That seemed to hold some logic.
“What do you want?”
Sagyu asked again.
“As for what I want, it’s actually very simple.”
Saying this, Yanagawa Tei scrutinized Sagyu, missing no detail, and a knowing smile spread across his face. “As long as you become mine, I naturally won’t harm your future mother-in-law.”
Yes!
His goal all along had been to possess Sagyu herself.
His previous invitation for her to join the “Shadow Stream” was for this purpose. Now, holding Nogawa Kyoko hostage was also for this purpose.
Since the first plan had failed, he would try another path.
And look!
He had succeeded!
It remained to be seen if Yanagawa Tei had considered whether he could bear the consequences if this path also went awry.
“You want me? You think you’re worthy?”
Upon hearing these words, a clear trace of disgust, and more so, indifference, appeared in Sagyu’s pupils.
“Hahaha! Yes! Exactly! I love this expression of yours right now!”
Yanagawa Tei seemed captivated by Sagyu’s current demeanor. “The more you are unwilling, the greater the sense of accomplishment I will feel when I finally conquer you. So, please continue to maintain your disgust and resistance towards me!”
“???”
Yanagawa Tei’s twisted psychology directly struck Sagyu’s blind spot.
She genuinely couldn’t comprehend how such a perverted person could exist in this world.
“Come here!”
At this moment, Yanagawa Tei suddenly roared at Sagyu in a commanding tone. Simultaneously, he tightened his grip on Nogawa Kyoko’s neck.
His intention was simple: if Sagyu didn’t come, he would immediately strangle her mother to death.
However, what surprised Yanagawa Tei was that Sagyu seemed unfazed.
Instead, Sagyu uttered something perplexing: “Let’s make another deal!”
“???” Yanagawa Tei.