Chapter 41

Even now, my legs still feel weak, and I tremble slightly as I walk.

I thought it was late enough that everyone in the house would be asleep by now.

Unexpectedly, this girl—Yono—is still awake.

"Mom? You can't sleep either?"

Seeing her mother walking unsteadily, Yukinoshita Yono instinctively moved to support her.

But Mrs. Yukinoshita raised her hand to stop her, speaking in a serious tone.

"It's late, Yono. Go back to bed."

"I was just headed to the bathroom," she added casually.

"Me too," Yono replied.

Thanks to the size of their mansion and the benefits of having a big household, the two were able to pass the situation off naturally.

But in the moment they brushed past each other in the quiet hallway, two inner monologues—eerily similar—echoed silently in their minds.

"Mom, I'll protect you no matter what."

"Yono… I'll protect you, no matter the cost."

Knock knock knock...

A soft knock came at the door.

Kurosawa Ren, having just finished an intense "round one" of exercise, stretched lazily before getting up to answer it.

He opened the door, and there stood Yukinoshita Yono, who stepped in without a word.

"Kurosawa-kun… I hope you'll keep your promise," she said softly.

There was no doubt—Haruno Yukinoshita was a beautiful woman in every sense.

Her jet-black hair shimmered under the light.

Her skin was porcelain-smooth, fair as snow.

Her elegant expression and gentle smile gave her a radiance that lit up the room.

Tonight, she wore a professional outfit: a crisp white blouse paired with sleek black trousers, adding a mature, intellectual charm.

Especially striking was the way her shirt curved around her chest, modest yet enticing, amplifying the elegance of her slender figure.

Sensing Kurosawa Ren's frank and intense gaze, Yono subconsciously took half a step back.

Before she could react, he reached out and seized her waist in a sudden, fluid motion, pulling her into a posture reminiscent of a tango.

"Then I'll gladly accept your offer, Miss Haruno," he said with a sly smile.

With that, his hand slid upward.

"Wait—ah…!"

Yono's first reaction was resistance, her voice flustered. But with her waist already in his grasp and her body betrayed by its own warmth, she turned away, her cheeks reddening.

[55 Humanoid Saint Quartz Gift Pack — Geto Suguru]

The night passed in speechless silence.

It wasn't until the burning sun pushed away the moonlight that a new day quietly began.

When Kurosawa Ren opened his eyes again, the beauty who had lain beside him was already gone.

Only the lingering scent of camellia remained, drifting softly through the air.

Last night, after a rather intense ride with both Mrs. Yukinoshita and Haruno Yukinoshita—each of them giving it their all—he still felt unsatisfied.

One of them left carrying her high heels, unable to walk straight.

The other? She fainted outright.

Only Ren, with the resilient body of a "Red Dragon" awakened, felt as if things had ended prematurely.

"Hmph. This proves the women of the Yukinoshita family are still too delicate. If I get the chance in the future… I'll have to train them properly."

It wasn't until 4 p.m. that the Yukinoshita mother and daughter finally arrived—belatedly—for the family conference.

Mrs. Yukinoshita, being older, managed to recover fairly well, save for a lingering ache in her waist.

Yono, on the other hand, looked distinctly out of sorts.

Her walk was noticeably unnatural, betraying signs of fatigue.

"Yono, are you okay?" her mother asked with concern, noting her daughter's awkward gait.

"I'm fine, Mom. Just sore from doing yoga yesterday," Yono replied quickly, her cheeks turning slightly red.

"And you?" she added, trying to deflect, "Did you…?"

"I was doing morning stretches," Mrs. Yukinoshita answered calmly, her expression completely composed.

But when Kurosawa Ren glanced at her, he could read the subtle shift in her gaze—tenderness mixed with a trace of embarrassment.

With everyone present, the family held an impromptu emergency meeting.

It was formally agreed that Kurosawa Ren would now serve as the de facto controller of the Yukinoshita family.

In exchange for offering his protection, the family would give him a significant share of its assets, as well as operational control.

After the devastating encounter with the Sumiyoshi Syndicate, no one dared raise any objection.

Even if they wanted to, a quick look at the boy smiling from the podium was enough to make them swallow their concerns.

At Ren's suggestion, most of the Yukinoshita family's industries would be moved to Tokyo for redevelopment.

Mrs. Yukinoshita and Yono would both relocate there and work under his direct guidance to expand operations.

Time passed quickly.

Soon, the day arrived—known as the "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons," the time when Geto Suguru was expected to make his move.

"Hey, your account just received 90 million yen from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government."

Early that morning—

After finishing his usual "exercise" with Yukinoshita Yukino—

Kurosawa Ren opened the front door, accepted a package from a man in black, and returned to the living room, where Yukino peeked her head out shyly from behind the wall.

"Master, who was that?" she asked curiously, blinking her big, gentle eyes.

"That was my official reward for taking out the Demon Mother Goddess," he replied casually.

Inside the package lay a sleek, slender sword—grayish-black in color.

Clearly, it was a high-grade magic tool.

In the world of curses, such tools are classified into grades 4, 3, 2, 1, and Special.

The higher the grade, the more powerful—and expensive—they are.

Some rare tools, like the Special-Grade Youyun Blade, are priceless and can be used even without imbuing them with cursed energy.

"Let's take this for a spin," Ren said.

He stepped out into the courtyard of the luxury villa he had just purchased.

Crackling...

A terrifying surge of cursed energy burst from his body.

His grip on the sword tightened.

Crimson-black lightning danced wildly along the blade, distorting the space around it.

With a calm, steady motion, Ren raised the blade—and brought it down lightly.

Whoosh!

A clean slash tore through the lawn like paper, carving a terrifying scar into the earth.

"'Senko Muramasa's Trial Cut'—no joke. Maximizes the potential of any blade. Even as a first-grade cursed tool, this thing packs near-special-grade power."

Ren gave a satisfied nod and sheathed the sword.

"Still, for someone like me who can manifest an entire arsenal through the Infinite Sword System, it's more useful as a gift."

He smiled.

"If I ever add a curse-user girl to the harem, this will suit her nicely."

Ding dong...

Just then, the doorbell rang again.

Yukino opened the door—and there stood Bao Yue Yashiro, her schoolbag slung over her back.

"Little Yashiro? What brings you here?" Ren asked, stepping forward and seeing the young girl struggling with a large suitcase.

"Ren-nii, I brought a gift for you—a cursed tool forged entirely from the body of the Demon Mother Goddess: the Stone Statue Magic Arrows."

The little girl dropped her heavy backpack and breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Stone Statue Magic Arrows—a set of cursed tools, ranked Special Grade.

Despite their name, they weren't just arrows—but a full set of heavy projectiles made from the petrified flesh of the goddess herself.

Knowing how massive the Demon Mother's body had been, it was no wonder the little girl nearly collapsed under their weight.

Ren took one of the arrows in his hand, roughly the thickness of a baby's arm.

"These must've been a nightmare to craft…"

"It took me a long time, but I wanted to help," Yashiro replied proudly.

Moved by her sincerity, Yukino stepped forward, gently ruffling the little girl's hair.

The mature woman helped her sort the arrows, her plump yet graceful figure moving smoothly toward the kitchen.

"Sis will get you a juice, okay?"

"Yashiro, you brought me so many arrows. But what about you?" Ren asked, touched.

The little girl puffed out her cheeks.

"I've got more on the way. I want to help you win!"

Ren smiled warmly at the determined loli.

Things were getting serious.

The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons was just beginning.

And this time, the stakes were sky-high.