Chapter 94: So Close and Yet So Far

Chapter 94: So Close and Yet So Far

September 10th, 2089

Terras POVNew novel chapters are published on

Hello, Im Daiki Hayashi. Im your grandfather. A man with piercing black eyes and short, cropped brown hair spoke to me as he introduced himself. My mother, normally a strong and confident woman, was radiating anxiety. She put on an excellent front, but it was excruciatingly obvious to my senses that she was uncomfortable being here. I too was uncomfortable, as I saw my grandfathers eyes clearly assessing me. How did I end up here on a random Wednesday?

I had woken up early in the morning, took a sadistic pleasure in rousing the girls for their early-morning training, and then tortured, ahem, trained them for the subsequent hour. I took a shower, had breakfast, and then went to school with the gang. I left Irene and Rin to continue fighting out their differences and to work on their teamwork. Theres no point sending them out to fight Pandemonium yet if they are too busy fighting each other.

Class was uneventful, although during one of the breaks Veronica discovered what a Santas Elf was. Im not sure how that topic came up in September, but I digress. Her reaction was priceless. Kira couldnt resist teasing her about it until lunch, where she finally pushed Veronica over the edge. Hikari nearly busted a gut laughing at the aftermath, I had to devise a new charm to fix the damage, and Kira discovered what superglue is. She was rather intrigued by the substance, which only made the clean-up more difficult.

After the amusing lunch, I was called out of class to see my mother in the principals office along with a black-suited chauffeur. One car ride later and here we are, at the top of a high-rise in the heart of Tokyo. Apparently, things have progressed between my mother and her family to the point of meeting face to face. My father is gone on business (the health department has inexplicably been cracking down on the restaurants recently), so I suspect I am being brought along mainly as emotional support.

I watched as my daughter and grandson left. It was intriguing to see the calm poise that Minato exuded throughout the meeting. He has an excellent grasp on his emotions. He reminds me a bit of myself, dare I say that this is grandfatherly pride I am feeling right now? Its a shame his blood is tainted, but at least the Hayashi side appears dominant in him.

The door to my office opened as my 3 oclock arrived. He was dressed impeccably in a black suit with a red tie, sunglasses, and a black bowler hat. The one mar in his outfit was a gaudy neon pink pin on his lapel with gold letters that read Rin Yamamotos Number #1 Fan. He sat with a flourish, taking off his hat and glasses to reveal crimson eyes and hair that matched his tie perfectly. The air suddenly seemed to gain a cutting chill to it.

Hello, Mr. Hayashi. I heard from some friends in low places that you are looking for a cleaner, so Ive taken the liberty to come over. Im Dante. So, it looks like the 47 Ronin group has been taken over by Pandemonium. He doesnt seem to be here to kill me, but with unstable individuals its always an uncertainty as to their motives. Nevertheless, I can use this. I maintained my composure as I stared down the wildly infamous Demon Lord Dante. The head of Pandemonium himself comes to visit me, I must say Im surprised. Dante lightly smiled, giving me the impression of a predator looking at prey. Well, chaos and mass murder isnt cheap, so the group has been branching out into more unsavory enterprises other than good ol fashioned terrorism.

His words confirmed my suspicions. Any secret organization would require copious amounts of money to operate as successfully as they have. Since you are here, you must know what I am requesting, correct? I continued after Dante nodded Very well. Name your price. Dante put a finger to his chin and tilted his head as he thought. It was disconcerting seeing an adult male doing that gesture.

He came to a decision and then spoke I dont want your money, what I want is your reach. Elaborate. Im in love. Pardon? Theres this lovely girl that has caught my attention, but shes proven rather adept at hiding. He pointed at his pin Its impressive, given how famous she was getting. I cant allocate the necessary resources to find her myself. I see, so you wish instead to utilize the Hayashi Groups reach here in Japan. Yep. Ill take care of your problem in exchange for agreeing to help. When you find her, Ill throw in one more free contract. I paused to consider the proposition.

Pandemoniums record of completely random attacks make them an excellent choice for my problems. No one would suspect motive in a Pandemonium attack. Its perfect. I can accelerate my plans even further with this and start more forcefully suppressing Yuuna and her husbands livelihoods. I agree to your proposal. Timing is everything with the first contract, Ill contact you when I believe the moment is right. Okey dokey! Just use the usual number, everyone is working for me now anyways. Dante donned his hat and sunglasses once more as he turned to leave. Toooo~dles!

And just like that, the Demon Lord left. I released my breath which I hadnt even realized I was holding in. I then noticed the cold sweat I was in and that my heart rate was accelerated. Although I intend to use this Dante for my own ends, I must remember to tread carefully. He is clearly someone not to be antagonized.