Cultivator in a World of Angels, Demons, and Super Heroes

(cont'd)

"Haneda… Chibana… It doesn't matter. I can wipe them out if they come looking." Yoshiko shrugs.

"And us?" Samuel cuts in.

"Are you willing to incur the wrath of the Little and Fowler families? We are just foot soldiers of our families, but this mission was entrusted to us by our patriarchs, both being S-Class Superiori." He challenges.

Originally, he is proud and confident to complete his mission with his high-tier B-Class strength, but after the appearance of Jamshid the angel, and subsequently, the mysterious Yoshiko, he swallows his pride, his ego has taken a hit. At this point, he knows that his background is the only thing that can potentially save him. 

"I also represent the highest members of the Brotherhood of Adam. If I meet my end here, they will find out not long after. Can you handle a global organization alone?" Heydar challenges too.

This time, Yoshiko is stumped. While she is not sure if Samuel and Eliza are telling the truth, she knows she cannot offend the Brotherhood of Adam.

After reading about angels in the documents provided by Red, some of which were taken from Brotherhood of Adam members and annexes, it was inevitable for her to also read about the organization itself.

"Will I be able to trust that if I let you all go today, you won't be coming back bringing more people, disturbing our peaceful life?" Yoshiko asks.

She then spots Eliza put her hand in her pocket, so she sends a spiritual energy blade to the Australian's arm, stopping it.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Samuel forces himself to stop taking action against Yoshiko and attends to his wife's bleeding hand immediately instead.

"I'm a bit jumpy and paranoid. What were you doing just now?" Yoshiko ignores Samuel and asks Eliza.

"…" Eliza grits her teeth and simply glares back as a response.

"Is that it, miss? You will kill us simply because you might be… inconvenienced?" Reynante asks, feeling indignant at the situation.

Looking at the superiori in front of her who have backgrounds she always envied, Kotone cannot help but be a bit angry at their sense of entitlement. Growing up as an orphan, among orphans, and working with orphans, she knows that many powerless people, the non-superiori especially, suffered and died simply because they were at the wrong place and at the wrong time, orphaning too many children.

She has long accepted that it is how the world works and she could do nothing about it, until now.

"You all talk to me like civilians. Tell me. How many people have died simply because they ended up… in your way? Simply because you found them inconvenient?" She asks Reynante and the other visitors.

"…" Reynante and the rest are speechless.

"What gave you the right to come waltzing in here and destroy property? It never even crossed your minds that maybe we don't want you here?" She asks again.

"…" And the rest are speechless again.

"Right." Yoshiko scoffs.

"Now that it comes around you, the rules of the world change? HOW RICH…" She says through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry. But just like the people who suffered as collateral damage by your whims, I will have to remove you too, simply because it's inconvenient for me to let you all go." She then slowly walks towards the visitors.

Masuo, while he did not understand the exchange of words in English, is quick enough on his feet to know that danger is coming.

He activates his earth telekinetic ability and propels himself in the air. He is too slow however. Yoshiko's figure zooms above him, and he gets hit on the head, making him fall back down, crashing to the ground unconscious.

The next to flee is Samuel, carrying Eliza. Only two seconds after lifting off the ground however, they come crashing back down, the impact of their fall incapacitating them immediately, their consciousness leaving them for the moment.

Reynante, who has not been in a fight in decades, freezes, so he cannot even attempt to flee with Marites. Heydar, who relied on Jamshid's ability of flight, to move around, cannot flee too. Jotaro, who is a thinker superioris, knows that he cannot even dare to flee by running.

And Daigo, the only civilian in the group, is already sprinting away. He is but an F Class Superiori however, basically an ordinary person only with superb hearing. He gets hit in the back of the head with something that Yoshiko has thrown and he falls to the ground unconscious.

With four intruders down, Yoshiko lands back to the ground. The four left, Jotaro, Reynante, Marites, and Heydar, watch nervously as Yoshiko simply stares at them.

Ichiki meanwhile, cannot believe that the dainty, soft-looking school teacher has become this strong.

"Young lady." Marites calls out.

"Me and my brother are just retirees who are just enjoying our remaining time. We even brought our grandchildren with us here in Japan."

To her relief, Yoshiko seems willing to listen.

She then pulls out the ceramic spearhead from her bag, breaks it, and reveals a wood chip that was once in her father's possession.

"This here, although has been in my family's possession for generations, seems to obviously belong to you. Although we have no use for it, and would rather not find out what it's really used for, this has been treated by my father as his lucky charm. He believed that he would not have survived deadly battles had this thing not been in his possession. If he was alive today, I bet he would be thanking you for lending it to him." She offers her wood chip to Yoshiko.

Yoshiko then snatches the wood chip with her spiritual energy.

The display, although she has showed it not too long ago, still mystifies the wood chip holders.

"Do you really have no idea what this thing is for?" Yoshiko asks.

"No. It was just my father's necklace until three weeks ago." Marites tries to look as convincing as she can.

"…" Yoshiko simply stares blankly, hoping that it will make the old woman uncomfortable that she becomes honest.

"…" Marites meanwhile, has a clear conscience and has no problem having a staring battle with Yoshiko.

A few seconds later, "Very well." Yoshiko nods.

She decides to not touch the Filipino duo for the moment and she is planning on tailing them later.

"Thank you." Marites sighs in relief.

"Young miss." Heydar takes the attention.

"I won't even attempt to get it back." He starts, referring to the wood chip Yoshiko took from his pocket earlier.

"I'm from the Brotherhood of Adam, a scholar with great curiosity, and it is not my intention to start a conflict. As for what happened with your demon, you know how it is between angels and demons. The angel's desire overwhelmed my control for a moment." Heydar starts making his case.

He no longer thinks that he can rely on his status to scare off Yoshiko as Yoshiko seems not to care about the Little and Fowler families, evidenced by her actions towards the Australian couple.

"I know it's not my place to ask, but as a scholar, I have to know why we were brought here even if it cost me my life." He concludes his request with a bluff.

"Even if it costs you your life?" Yoshiko is not sure if she heard it right.

"Yes. Similar to the case of these two siblings..." He points at Marites and Reynante.

"… my wood chip has been held and passed on by generations of of scholars from the Brotherhood for hundreds of years. I should be the current holder of it in my generation. Me and my predecessors know what it is used for, and used it conservatively. This however is the first time since we have known about their existence, that they can act on their own accord. I want to know why. I want to bargain the answer with any information you might be looking for as long as it is within the scope of my authority." He concludes his newly made-up plan.

"And if I don't want any information from you?" Yoshiko asks.

"That's why I said 'even if it costs me my life'. I can die satisfied to know why something so ancient suddenly became alive." Heydar says.

"I see." Yoshiko nods.

"Unfortunately, I do not have any use for your life. You are more valuable to me dead than alive."

With that, at a speed Heydar can barely keep up with, Yoshiko appears in front of the man and knocks him out with a strike to the neck.

"H-hey…" Jotaro does not know what else to say as Yoshiko's attention gets to him next.

"Hey yourself." Yoshiko says before knocking out Jotaro too.

"My… Lady." Ichiki immediately comes up with what to call Yoshiko, while avoiding calling her with her real name.

"What do we do with them?" He asks.

"You know me." Yoshiko sighs.

"While my head tells me that they should be eliminated, I'm not the type to kill my fellow humans. May I entrust the task to you?" She asks the demon.

"Of course, my lady." Ichiki is happy to be of service, and to eat Masuo and Daigo's souls.

Daigo's F-Class soul for appetizer, and Masuo's C-Class soul for the main course, almost brings tears of joy to his eyes.

Unfortunately, he cannot absorb any more souls aside from those two's, which he finds a shame.

After Yoshiko collects Nana's demon core, Jamshid's angel crystal, and Samuel's wood chip, Yoshiko feels that her job is done.

"Then I leave them to you." She orders Ichiki before leaving the scene, rushing to go back to the children, to resume consoling them.

After Yoshiko left, "*Phew*" Reynante and Marites, the only ones who are left unharmed and standing, sigh in relief.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice, says in English, behind them.

"Ahhh, children … they grow up so fast, don't they."

They look behind them and they find a man and a young woman standing. The siblings do not care about the woman, and their eyes are focused instead on the man and his clothes.

After their initial confusion at the man's outfit, they are stunned, their eyes go wide in recognition.

"M-Mr. F-fool…" Reynante gets his words back.

"Hey there." Red greets the two.

"Why don't you two forget everything that happened here? If I hear some babble about what happened here, it can only be you two who talked. By then, the consequences will not only be carried by you two. If that happens, then I'll make sure that anyone who carries the Tabal blood will be purged from this world. Am I clear?" He tells them.

He decides to let the two go because he feels that they are decent people.

Marites and Reynante meanwhile, both start trembling, feeling a sliver of Red's bloody aura.

"Y-Yes." "T-that much is obvious." The two answers both out of fear and sincerity.

"Good. Now go back to your grandchildren and enjoy the rest of your vacation here." Red says in finality.

Reynante and Marites start their flight, trying their best to look as casual as possible, avoiding quick movements that might alert Red or Ichiki.

"Master, Kotone-san." Ichiki finally greets Red and his disciple.

"Ichiki-san." Kotone greets back while Red simply nods.

"Ah. Poor Alvannath." Kotone laments Nana's fate, and calls the demon in the demon's real name.

"It's her luck. An angel. Who would have thought?" Ichiki sighs.

"Kichirou-san. What do we do now?" Kotone asks as she looks at the unconscious Jotaro, Masuo, Daigo, Samuel, and Eliza on the road.

"I'll deal with them." Red says.

"Will you end them?" Kotone asks. Although she is still uncomfortable talking about murder, she has gotten more used to it.

"No." Red shakes his head.

"I find them more valuable alive than dead." He says.

"I see." Kotone figures that Red will do what he did with Ippei and Amon.

"Unfortunately, I can't give a soul to you today, Ichiki." Red smirks at Ichiki.

"Oh. That's fine, master." Ichiki simply accepts even though he is a bit disappointed.

"So… Yoshiko acquired three all at once. You said you caught two more wood chips while I was inside the dimension?" Red asks.

"Yes. Here they are." Kotone hands Red two wood fragments that came to the hill on their own, without owners, which she collected.

"Wanna have your own dimension?" Red asks Kotone.

"C-Can I?" Kotone is not sure if she heard right. "If you can assure me that you can protect it." Red shrugs.

"I'm not ready." Kotone finds it a shame, but she knows that she does not deserve what Red is offering, at least not for now..

Even though Red now has a total of seven wood chips, she knows how valuable they are, and the dangers of one activated fragment will attract.