Chapter 37

[Sanlunxia]: "Mr. Kurosawa, are you there?"

[Kurosawa Ren]: "Sanlun, what's going on?"

[Sanlunxia]: "It's like this..."

Accompanied by a long string of messages.

The boy behind the screen fell into brief contemplation.

Across from her, Yukinoshita Haruno clenched her fists tightly, gritting her teeth unconsciously.

Placing one's fate in someone else's hands was truly excruciating.

But she had exhausted every option. There was no way out.

This desperate gamble was her final move.

At last, after what felt like an eternity, the blue-haired girl's phone vibrated.

"Whew... Miss Haruno, good news—Saber agreed."

"He'll be arriving at your family estate tomorrow to eliminate those illegal curse users."

Sanlunxia lowered her phone.

A bright smile bloomed on her beautiful face.

"Thank goodness..."

Yukinoshita Haruno visibly relaxed. Her tension seemed to evaporate all at once, and her body swayed slightly from the release.

"Thank you, Miss Miwa. From today on, you're a friend of the Yukinoshita family. If you ever need help or have a request, we will go through fire and water for you without hesitation."

The short-haired young lady expressed her gratitude with heartfelt sincerity.

Now, with a powerful sorcerer offering his protection, her journey to Tokyo had fulfilled her mother's hopes.

That Night — A Battle Brews

The night sky was pitch black, not even a sliver of moonlight.

The chill of night hung like thick ink, casting a heavy veil over the land.

"Cawww—!"

A crow, black-feathered and thick-bodied, let out a sharp cry as it circled high overhead.

Moments later...

It locked onto its target below.

With a sudden dive, it shot through the air like a missile, smashing into the chest of a heavily armed thug with lethal force.

"AAAAAHHH—!"

A scream echoed.

The moment of impact was explosive.

The man had no time to react before the self-destructing crow blew him apart, leaving only blood and bits of flesh scattered across the pavement.

The area was instantly stained red with gore.

"Watch out, that woman's spell is incoming again!"

"Stay alert! Those damn crows detonate as soon as they find a target—they're fast! Protect yourselves!"

"Where are the cursed-users?!" someone shouted in panic.

"Stop whining, you worthless trash," barked a deep voice. "Let her burn through more of her curse energy."

A bald man strode out from the Sumiyoshi estate, clad in a black leather apron, a monstrous axe slung over one shoulder.

His eyes were sunken with deep dark circles. He looked like a deranged killer ripped straight from a violent manga.

He smirked as he saw the crows wheeling overhead.

"Soon. That woman's power is almost depleted."

"I hear the Yukinoshita women are all real beauties."

He remembered the instructions—everyone in the Yukinoshita family was to be exterminated. No survivors.

But before that?

He intended to have some fun.

In this corrupt underworld, curse users like him made their living on blood money.

They were pariahs to proper sorcerers—mercenaries for hire, loyal only to their contracts.

Tonight, HDB Tanzao, his partner Haruta Chongmen, and several other powerful cursed-users had been hired by the Sumiyoshi-kai to destroy the Yukinoshita family.

Meanwhile, in the Heart of Battle—

"Dammit... there are too many of them!"

Miwa Kasumi—known in the underground as Mingming, the white-haired queen—was breathing hard.

Her curse energy was nearly depleted from constant battle.

Pale-faced and unsteady, she barely stayed on her feet.

Mingming's signature ability, the Black Bird Manipulation Technique, allowed her to control crows and share their vision.

Its most devastating feature, however, was "Divine Wind"—sacrificing her summoned crows in suicide attacks.

But curse energy had its limits.

Even the strongest sorcerers could be worn down in drawn-out combat.

"Mrs. Yukinoshita, where's Saber? How much longer?" Mingming asked, rubbing her temple as the pain throbbed from overuse.

The woman next to her was a picture of noble grace.

Wearing an elegant kimono, her posture was refined, her beauty mature and timeless—like a blooming cereus under moonlight.

But even her poised expression faltered.

"Soon," she replied. "Yōno said she's bringing the one they call Saber."

"I can hold out for five more minutes. No longer," Mingming said frankly. "If they're not here by then, I'm leaving."

She finished her drink, her tone ice-cold.

"Miss Mingming, please try to endure a little longer. I swear, Yōno and the others will arrive any moment now," pleaded Mrs. Yukinoshita.

Her calm mask remained, but beneath the folds of her kimono, her hands clenched into fists.

"No," said Mingming flatly. "I was paid to do a job, not die for your family."

"There are at least twenty to thirty cursed-users out there—and several first-rankers. All I have on this side are a handful of level-four sorcerers..."

"It's clear the ones behind this want your family wiped off the map."

The words hit like thunder.

Mrs. Yukinoshita's face paled, her composure cracking.

She watched as her family's forces crumbled under the assault, hopelessly outmatched.

Was the Yukinoshita family truly doomed to fall in her generation?

"CAW—!"

Suddenly, the night sky trembled.

A vast shadow surged across the battlefield.

A massive black bird, its wings wide enough to block out the stars, swooped down in a blur.

Perched atop its back—

Yukinoshita Haruno.

And a young man the Lady Yukinoshita had never seen before—handsome, calm, and radiating an aura of terrifying strength.

Author's Note:

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Chapter 53 — Noble Phantasm: Kayebog | Shocking Lady Yukinoshita

"This is worse than I expected."

Kurosawa Ren stood with his arms behind his back, balanced atop the massive black bird created by his projection magic.

Below, chaos reigned.

The Sumiyoshi-kai's cursed-users were many and powerful.

Their ranks were bolstered by gunmen armed with live rounds, suppressing the Yukinoshita forces.

Only a few fourth-level sorcerers defended the estate—and they were rapidly being overwhelmed.

Had they arrived just minutes later, it might have been too late.

"Mother!"

Yukinoshita Haruno leapt from the bird and embraced her mother.

"Yōno... is this the man you summoned?"

Lady Yukinoshita eyed the young man warily. Though clearly powerful, he looked so young—handsome and calm, but unproven.

If she hadn't trusted her daughter's judgment, she might have suspected Yōno of using the crisis to siphon off the family's assets.

"Trust me, Mother," Yōno said, resting her hand over her heaving chest. "With Kurosawa Ren here, none of them stand a chance."

On the battlefield, chaos intensified.

Tanzao, wielding a monstrous axe, let out a mad laugh.

"There's nothing better than getting paid to kill and plunder! Hahaha!"

With flame-like cursed energy swirling around him, he soared into the air, swinging his axe with savage force.

"SLASH!" — "CRACK!"

Two sorcerers from the Yukinoshita side were cleaved in an instant.

Their bodies crumpled to the ground, blood spraying like fountains, heads rolling to their comrades' feet.

The sight was too much.

The remaining defenders turned and fled, overwhelmed by fear.

"Run for your lives!"

"Hahaha! Die, all of you!"

Tanzao grinned with sadistic glee, readying his axe for another brutal strike.

But now...

Kurosawa Ren had arrived.

And the tide of battle was about to change.