Chapter 126 - Another Layer Of Deception

"Nee-san." Fumio calls out to Sayuri who despite getting over her shock at everything she witnessed earlier, is still muddleheaded with questions that have immediately brewed in her mind.

"Y-yes…" Sayuri responds in panic.

Looking at Fumio, who she now assumes to be at least a high tier B-Class Superiori based on the speed he displayed earlier, she no longer certain of how to act.

"I'm still your brother." Fuimo says, a bit bitter of Sayuri's change in attitude.

"Of course." Sayuri nods, feeling a bit relieved by Fumio's words.

Seeing that Sayuri is ready to listen, Fumio takes a deep breath.

"First of all. I owe you an apology." He starts.

"Apology? For what?" Sayuri asks.

"Is it because you've kept… your abilities from me?" While she feels a bit betrayed by Fumio keeping his ability secret, she feels that it is Fumio's right to do so.

"No. It's… Because of me, you had to suffer under Hideki." Fumio looks down at the cold food on the table, not knowing where else to look.

"What do you…" Sayuri is about to wave off the apology, but when she sees Fumio's guilty expression, and an idea suddenly clicks in her mind.

"Hideki… It was really you?" She asks in incredulity.

"Yes. It was me." Fumio admits.

Sayuri looks at Fumio with conflicting emotions, not knowing what to say.

"I was so blinded by revenge that I didn't think of the consequences. I'm sorry." Fumio continues to apologize.

"Just…" While Sayuri feels that Fumio is a bit at fault with what happened to her with the clan, she does not feel that it is right to blame Fumio.

She knows how much Fumio has suffered under Hideki, and also knows about his special female friend who died under Hideki's hands.

"What was her name? ... I guess you loved her more than I thought." She can only conclude, accepting that she just happened to be collateral damage.

"It was not only about Ine." Fumio shakes his head.

"I wouldn't even have touched Hideki if he didn't try to destroy my life outside the clan."

"What do you mean?" Sayuri gets curious at what exactly happened.

"Did he ever tell anyone that we met each other by accident months before … his accident?" Fumio asks.

"I didn't hear anything about it." Sayuri is surprised at the information.

"We did. Around September last year, I was living my peaceful life in this city like usual. I was walking back to work when he appeared, insulted me, and attacked me. With the lethal injury he inflicted on me, I was left by him in some back alley to die like a stray dog. It's actually just a few blocks away from here....." Fumio starts recounting.

Sayuri, listening to every detail of the encounter, starts getting angry for Fumio.

"... Thankfully, my boss found where I was, and sent me to be healed by people he knows." Even though Fumio is changing the events in his story, the emotions he is feeling remembering that day, is still fresh in his heart and mind.

"Who would have thought that that incident awakened my superioris ability. And not only awaken, but also grow very fast with the help of some people." He pauses for Sayuri to process.

"T-that's possible?" Sayuri is mystified.

"Of course, it is…" She answers her own question however, seeing the evidence in front of her.

"What happened to me is what people who are in the know, call a 'Late Awakening'." Fumio starts making it up on the fly.

"I've not heard of this happen before." Sayuri's world view is upended by the information.

"They are cited in some books. But they're very rare and happen usually late in childhood." Fumio adds.

"But you're not a child…" Sayuri's eyebrows raise.

"Yes. Late Awakening in early adulthood is even rarer." Fumio nods.

"And to grow this fast and this strong, is unheard of." He adds.

"It's… a miracle then." Sayuri has no other words to describe Fumio.

"You can say that." Fumio shrugs.

"Talking about growing fast and strong…" Sayuri changes the subject.

"May I know by how much?" She asks, intensely curious at the extent of Fumio's abilities.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Seeing that Sayuri is now asking a sensitive question , which is a sign that she is back in her more frank self, Fumio is relieved.

"Low A-Class." He undersells his real ability.

"A-Class…" Sayuri is shocked.

"No need to react so strongly, nee-san. I'm low-tier." Fumio feels that he should have undersold his abilities more, seeing Sayuri's face.

"You're still A-Class! One of the few hundred in the country!" Sayuri feels as though Fumio has no idea of how big deal being an A-Class is.

"I am. But I'm still hiding my abilities. I'm still an unregistered superioris." Fumio shrugs.

"Why?" Sayuri's one word question expresses the amount of answer she requires. 

"Would the clans really believe that I'm someone who awakened late? They'd simply think that I've hidden my powers my whole life." Fumio explains.

"That's true…" Sayuri realizes Fumio's predicament.

"But more importantly, once the Hasegawa find out, then Hideki's claims will all become true. What will happen then? To mother? To father? To Yuuki-nii?" Fumio adds.

"Oh…" Sayuri realizes that Fumio still cares about not only her, but to their family, and it comes as a surprise to her.

"But you're already powerful enough to take over the leadership of the clan. If you kick out the main family, wouldn't that solve all of your problems? You can assure the safety of our family and you'll be able to rewrite your records in the clans as you see fit." She suggests in excitement.

"The main family has cultivated many alliances outside the clan. The clan will not be the clan without them." Fumio shakes his head.

"..." This stumps Sayuri.

"Also, the Hasegawa is just a subservient clan. What if someone in the Date Clan feels threatened and accuse me of being possessed by a demon or an angel?" Fumio explains.

"D-demon… You." Sayuri's eyes widen in suspicion.

Fumio simply drags the collar of his kimono down, exposing his chest.

"I see…" Sayuri drops her suspicion seeing the familiar anti-possession sigils drawn as tattoos in Fumio's chest.

"But that's the proof right there. Nobody can accuse you." She then goes back to the topic.

"But I'm no longer a clan member. If I make a move on the main family, it will not just be a Hasegawa issue, but an attack on the Clan system… The ally clans will help the main family in stopping me. The Date Clan might even interfere to protect their authority." Fumio explains.

"…" Sayuri is stumped.

"What's the problem, nee-san? We're already living peacefully. While waiting for the clan's restriction on you contacting the family, you can just build a career." Fumio asks.

"It's just… Without the stability of a clan, these things can be easily taken away. What if some clan stops the coffee shops before they even get built? What happens to my job then?

"What if the house that you're paying mortgage for, whichever clan that 'really' owns it might make it harder for you to really own it? Even if you really buy out the house, it can be taken away." Sayuri states her fears with a sigh.

"I don't think that will happen." Fumio shakes his head.

"Your boss has a much more powerful background than you think. And me, I've also made some powerful friends." He assures Sayuri.

"You really think so?" Sayuri asks.

"Yes." Fumio nods.

"And. Who knows? I might establish my own clan someday in the countryside." He adds.

Somehow, Fumio's certainty assures Sayuri, at least for now.

"You're not really some agent to some celebrity, aren't you?" Sayuri asks.

"I am. At least that was my full-time job before I awakened my powers." Fumio explains.

"But where I'm getting my money these days are these…" He then takes out the three demon cores he collected from Galgredol and her soldiers.

"Demon cores…" Sayuri knows that they are valuable.

"So you kill demons regularly?." She asks in surprise.

"Yes. My job currently is hunting them." Fumio nods, coming up with a fake job.

"I see… That's why you spotted them immediately, and killed them rather easily." Sayuri feels that it makes perfect sense.

"The demons that came earlier were after me. They knew one of the demons I hunted. I'm sorry you had to get involved." Fumio apologizes.

He is willing to take blame for Tezguniuth's mistake, at least for Sayuri.

"It's okay." Sayuri waves off the apology.

"At least because of them, I got to find out…" She smirks at Fumio.

"Indeed." Fumio chuckles, feeling better even though he came out to Sayuri with twisted truths.

"But… I'm worried. Do you work alone? It's very dangerous." Sayuri raises her concern.

"Don't worry. I belong to a team. And this is the first and only time that I was ambushed after more than a year on the job." Fumio assures.

"Still. Be careful." Sayuri is not entirely comforted.

"I always am. But for you, I'll take extra care." Fumio promises.

"And besides, I only go out for a hunt twice a month on average with information from my team." He adds.

"Okay." Sayuri can only accept. Her worry is breaking Fumio's heart however.

"You said team, right? May I join in?" She asks suddenly.

"No. My team does not accept anyone under B-Class." Fumio says.

"Oh…" Sayuri is disappointed.

*murmur*

*murmur*

*murmur*

The two suddenly hear commotion coming from outside their room's door and their window.

"Looks like everyone's starting to wake up." Sayuri guesses.

"Yeah. Being woken up by superheroes maybe." Fumio says, basing on what he can feel with his scan of the atmospheric spiritual energy.

"The cops will be here at any minute too." He can hear a faint sound of sirens too.

"I can't believe I have to do this." Sayuri sighs.

"We don't have a choice. We'll be suspicious if we go missing." Fumio says as he lies down on the floor and pretend to be unconscious.

Sayuri can only follow Fumio's example.

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

"Is anybody in there?!"