Chapter 295 - 295 Intent Of War
"Oh, the Hyu? They are mostly loan sharks. There's no underhanded loaning of money in Eyrin that happens without their knowledge," Michael said as if it were obvious. Everyone had heard about the Hyu Family and how they owned the banks, but a certain boy hadn't.
"What did you just say?" As he heard those words, Michael felt an enormous presence behind him that made him turn aprehensive. It felt to him like the boss of a B Rank fortress was standing inches from him. It wasn't clear to him how, but the voice made it clear to him this was Noah's. He'd never felt this kind of primal fear when facing any Blessed before, even those of higher rank than his, but this time he realized someone had pissed Noah off to the point he no longer saw them as human. One thing was clear in his mind, it wasn't any good to cross this monster, and he felt sorry for those who did.
"The Hyu family's most profitable and largest marked is overseeing loan sharks in this city. They monopolized it over the years," Michael controlled himself, seeing all the blessed in the room had turned around to the source of the terrifying aura.
Noah was out of his mind. What he'd heard right now was, "the people who killed your mother, those are the people." He had always put the full blame of the methods used by his uncle on himself, but now, Michael had told him there was someone behind that man, and that if he did what he did, he did with their blessing. The Hyu family had allowed him to kill his mother, torture him and his sister with harassment over the years, and take all those abusive values from him every week. They were the bigger fish behind him. They were the ones who allowed all of it to happen. But as his anger increased, and his terrifying aura tickened, he felt a hand touch his armor.
"Is everything okay?" It was the healer. As Noah looked at her with the corner of his eye, he could see how afraid she was. She looked around and she was not the only one, so he realized what he had been doing. It took him a few deep breaths, but calming down seemed to also supress the pressure he was exerting on everyone around him.
"It is, I just heard something that lit up a memory that should not be touched," he said, smiling at her. It was the first time the healer saw him smile at her like this, it wasn't like he was happy, or had a false smile, he was honestly trying to reassure her, which made her blush while putting her hand on her chest.
"Thank god, I got worried for a second." Noah watched with a blank expression as the healer looked down while saying so, like ae maiden in love. 'There's absolutely no way, right?' he thought, finally somewhat realizing what everyone else around them had already seen. 'Nope, no way she actually has feelings for me, she's probably just a bit needy,' but Noah once again brushed his suspicions off. If anyone knew what was going on inside this man's head, they would probably facepalm. Noah was that kind of man when it came to romance. But inwardly, he also felt a bit happy. Even if she was just a needy girl, this proved she saw him as a good person, and that alone was proof to him that he was starting to better grasp social situations.
'',
"So, can you talk about it?" but Michael's question fired from the blue made even the bearded warrior frown. This was not just a mistake, it was a bit of a lack of consideration from his part, but Michael was more worried about what this memory meant for his next fight.
"Not now, we can talk later." Noah broke his poker face into a frown for the first time in a while. Even while holding back, the pressure he was emitting was enough to make those in the group feel the same overpowering sensation from before, but to Michael, him holding it back proved that the target was unrelated to him. "I'll tell you in private after the fight, just know that now I need to send a message to the higher-ups of the Hyu family."
"Good," Michael smile broadly. "I was afraid what I had said made you angry because you had some background, if it's like that, I'm happy even if you don't tell me anything," he shrugged.
"Never again think I will or would ever have any sort of connection to that kind of people." Noah's seriousness and deadly stare was enough to make Michael finally realize he'd poked a bear with a stick. Even the bearded warrior's gaze was that of disaproval, which made him wary. "I despise all those involved in that kind of transaction." But Noah's next words and the expression on his face made him swallow his saliva. That was not the face of someone who was merely angry. This was hate, pure and distilled hate, enough he pittied those of the Hyu Family for what would happen next.
Meanwhile, as the Khan Family blessed had a conversation like that, a lot of confusion and running was happening in the luxurious cabins above.
"What the fuck is that man of the Hyu Family thinking?! We have to punish him!"
"He's the son of the head, that's a direct message from the Hyu family. We should fall back immediately and contact the other heads. This is more important than just a matter of our XXXX Family."
"No way! You want him to get away with what he's doing to her? He's torturing her on stage for us to see. That's a declaration of war!"
Some of the elders of the XXXX family had a heated discussion on what to do. Behind them, a woman watched the scene taking place on the arena with a blank expression.
'',
"Head, we need to punish them! We cannot let them be," one of the man addressed her directly, making her stare at him with annoyance.
"Why should I deal with this? Didn't those kids join the arena willingly? This is not the kind of place we can punish people for fighting. However, next arena we will respond in kin, that's all I can p—" while speaking, her voice was interrupted by a notification on her phone. This made all the elders and escorts of the XXXX family have shivers going up their spine. Few people would dare send the head of the XXXX family a message. This was the ultimate form of disrespect, but as they saw a wicked smile form on her face, they knew this was bad news for the Hyu Family.
"I have received a message from the next head of the Khan Family," she said, with a vein popping on her temple. The woman was beautiful, her fine traces and purplish black hair were the marks that made her unforgettable among those of the nine families. But above all, she had unrivaled beauty that was her gift from birth, not god. From god, this woman had a power feared by even her allies, she was officially an A Rank Blessed, but those who knew her were aware that it was but a facade, put up by her mother's family from another planet. This woman was the most powerful individual in Eyrin, if not for the high limitations of her blessing. In a one-on-one, she was undefeatable, or so ran the word.
"The Khan? What can that powerless family do? Are they trying to humiliate us?" one of the elders responded angrily, making the Head take a sigh to calm down.
"Relax. If they cannot, I will do as I said. But they say they are going to deal with those people without issue. Apparently, there's a new member of the Khan Family that is raring to teach them a leasson," she said while smirking.
"What? A new member? Someone who is not even in the inner circle of their family? What can such a green-leaf do to those B Rank Blessed they sent?" another elder complained, the same who said it was a declaration of war from the Hyu family. He was clearly despising and looking down on the Khan Family, but the head knew very well some names inside the khan's new generation who were worthy of respect. And the only person who would dare message her like this was one such people. The kid she considered to be almost like a nephew.
"Do not look down on the Khan Family. The storm they are going through is just a way to uproot weeds in the family. Do not think they have lost heir standing. I'm afraid they will have grown a lot by the time this whole thing ends," she turned at him with scorn, making the man flush up in embarrassment. "We should wait and see what they have to show in this arena, the kid was very confident they would deal with them easily."
"The kid?! You mean the former head's kid? You still favor him that highly even after what happened to the previous head of the Khan?" This man's words made her angry, but not just because he was doubting her nephew, but because he was doubting her judgement as the leader of the XXXX family.
"Yongju Elder! I will ask you politely to stop saying such idiocy in front of me. I have still not forgotten how you tried to swipe the head position from me just because I am a woman. If you try anything again, be sure you will not see another sunrise, I promise you as Sibai Yangshu of the CCCC Family, not Sishi of the XXXX Family. Do you understand?" she said with all the calmness in the world, but the heft of her words alone was enough to make the man fall to the ground on his knees, sweating.
"I apologize, Head of the Family. My words were unrequited."
"Good, now, let's wait for this god-forsaken battle to end and watch the end of this arena," she said with a serious expression, while smiling inwardly. 'Let's see what you have to show me so eagerly, little boy Marcel,'