Vol3 Chapter 14: The head of the family
Precisely because Eri’s room door was so easily destroyed by her, Genji had installed a 20cm-thick alloy door. Such a door, typically found only in bank vaults, underscored the high-risk nature of being Eri’s door.
Yet it couldn’t stop her. She could tear it apart with her bare hands.
But brute force wouldn’t do—it’d be noticed immediately.
“We can’t hurt others,” Eri wrote in her notebook.
If Eri wanted to escape Genji Heavy Industries with violence, she’d have been free long ago. Her ability to rip apart security doors proved her raw power.
But unwilling to harm anyone, Eri relied on her “ordinary girl” skills, not her superhuman hybrid abilities, leading to repeated failed escapes.
Except for tearing down the door, of course.
If she truly wanted out, no one could stop her, could they?
Bai Ci chewed her finger, thinking hard. Genji had sent her a message explaining why Eri couldn’t stray far—her dangerously potent dragon blood required constant medication, or she’d become a threat.
Though Eri planned to sneak out after breakfast, she didn’t know how to do it without alerting others.
Such a hassle…
The ventilation ducts were out—not because of Eri, but because of Bai Ci… her chest was too large to fit.
Frustrated, Bai Ci raked her dark hair, fingertips still marked from her chewing. “No breaking through, no violence, no vents…” She glanced down at her full chest, sighing in defeat.
Eri tilted her head, not quite grasping Bai Ci’s dilemma.
Bai Ci wracked her brain, digging through her limited “ordinary girl” experience for a viable plan. Disguise as staff? Eri’s striking red hair and ethereal aura were too distinctive. Create a diversion? Genji Heavy Industries’ tight security and full surveillance made it nearly impossible.
As her mind churned with half-baked ideas, a steady knock sounded.
Tap, tap, tap.
It was Sakura Yabuki, Genji’s silent but hyper-efficient aide.
“Young Lady,” Sakura’s voice came through the door, respectful yet firm, “the Director requests your immediate presence at the top-floor meeting room. The Patriarch wishes you to familiarize yourself with family affairs. Today, you’ll formally meet the other five family heads and pay respects to Patriarch Tachibana.”
Bai Ci sighed. What a pain.
Tachibana Masamune—the stern yet kind father figure who ruled Japan’s hybrid world, as Genji described. She felt an instinctive awe and a vague sense of distance toward the name.
She wasn’t good with big shots.
Nodding, she turned to Eri, gesturing an apology.
Eri’s lashes fluttered, the spark of anticipation in her eyes dimming, but she nodded obediently.
It tugged at Bai Ci’s heart.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. Sakura bowed slightly, leading the way.
The elevator to the top floor was eerily quiet, save for the faint hum of machinery.
As the doors slid open, Genji stood nearby, clad in a crisp black Executive Bureau uniform, his white shirt impeccable, exuding a steady, sharp aura like an unsheathed blade. His attention snapped to the elevator, then to Bai Ci’s red-and-white miko outfit. He froze, then looked away. “Eri’s clothes… don’t quite suit you. If you like them, I can have a set made for you.”
“Uh… it’s not that I like them,” Bai Ci’s cheeks warmed, tugging awkwardly at the oversized sleeves. “In Eri’s room, she gave them to me, so I… just put them on. Didn’t think much of it.” Her voice was soft, explanatory.
Genji studied her silently for a moment, his gaze flickering with a mix of exasperation and faint softness. He said no more, only nodding slightly. “It’s fine. Let’s go.” He turned, motioning her to follow.
Bai Ci nodded, trying to ignore the awkwardness of the ill-fitting miko outfit, and hurried to match Genji’s stride into the oppressively solemn meeting room.
At the massive mahogany table, five piercing gazes locked onto her like spotlights—filled with the authority of high-ranking figures, the restraint of ancient families, and unabashed scrutiny. Several lingered noticeably on her conspicuous miko outfit.
The air seemed to solidify, the invisible pressure amplifying her heartbeat. She instinctively edged closer to Genji.
Then, from the head of the room, a refined figure in a dark gray kimono turned. Tachibana Masamune’s gentle gaze swept the room, settling on Bai Ci. His signature warm smile didn’t waver, but she caught a fleeting glint in his eyes as they passed over her outfit—not reproach, but a knowing, intrigued curiosity.
“Oh?” His rich, warm voice broke the silence. “It seems our newly returned young lady has… unique tastes?” His tone carried a teasing elder’s warmth, masking his true feelings.
Bai Ci’s cheeks burned, and she lowered her head as the other family heads chuckled.
She opened her mouth to explain but found no words, her voice catching in a faint whimper.
Genji’s steady voice cut in: “Patriarch, my sister is new here and lacked proper clothing. The outfit is from Lady Uesugi. My oversight for not preparing for her.”
Tachibana waved dismissively, his gaze still on Bai Ci, warm and all-encompassing. “No matter, no matter. A bit of individuality is good in the young. No need to be strict, Genji.” He paused, his tone subtly guiding. “But family duty and decorum must always be kept in mind. The Uesugi bloodline carries the future and honor of the Snake Eight Families. Attire matters.”
Bai Ci met Tachibana’s fathomless, gentle gaze. Warm as a spring breeze, without a trace of malice.
A kind old man.
“The Patriarch is right. Time was short, and I was negligent. I’ll ensure she learns proper etiquette and decorum for next time,” Genji said, bowing flawlessly.
“Good, good.” Tachibana nodded, satisfied, as if guiding a wayward junior. “Now, let’s begin. Genji, formally introduce your sister, the Uesugi bloodline.”
Genji stepped aside, presenting Bai Ci clearly. His voice was steady and clear: “Family Heads, this is Bai Ci, raised in China, my blood sister.”
Bai Ci barely followed the meeting’s content—mostly trivial matters, little about the Japan branch.
She was, after all, still an “outsider.”
And she gained a Japanese name.
As the lost Uesugi bloodline now returned, she’d be called “Ho” (Phoenix), symbolizing nobility and immortality.
So said the Patriarch.
…
The mountain world was always quiet.
A boy sat in his room, hair loosely falling, lazily flipping through a plain-covered book, poised like a scholar-prince from ancient times.
As someone slid open the wooden door, the boy stood. If he’d seemed a shy, delicate youth a moment ago, now he embodied “bewitching allure,” his red-lined eyes like blood-dripping curved blades.
The man was Genji Uesugi’s younger brother, also known as Ryūji Kazama.
“You should get out more. Things have been happening in Japan,” the visitor said, stepping in.
“Japan? You mean the Snake Eight Families,” Ryūji’s voice was cool.
“Same thing. In hybrid society, the Snake Eight Families are Japan. They hold the highest power,” the visitor rasped, like a rattlesnake in the shadows.
“You wouldn’t come to me with good news, General. What’s up with the Snake Eight Families?”
“Someone from Cassell College arrived yesterday. Genji confirmed she’s his blood sister. She could be an asset—or a hindrance. You need to investigate.”
“Blood sister?” Ryūji paused, then chuckled. “I doubt anyone can help us. You said you’d find a god to make the ultimate evolution drug, but it’s been nearly a decade, and we’re still skulking in shadows with vile schemes, no progress.”
“She’s S-rank, with high clearance at Cassell. They’ve delved deep into dragon lore and recently killed the Earth and Mountain King. Her help could push us forward.”
“General, you know Cassell sees us as monsters to be caged or killed. If our people approach her, she’d likely slay us as Deadpool on sight.”
“That’s why we need you.” The General placed a small wooden box on the table. His mask’s fixed grin seemed to twitch, the red paint almost peeling.
Ryūji took the box, opening it to reveal an amber liquid in a glass vial, beside a syringe glinting in the candlelight.
“Have her use this… or kill her.”