Chapter 35: CHAPTER 34 - Secrets Unveiled (3)
The next few days were marked by a series of misfortunes for Ichiro. He had thought that his family wouldn't be crazy enough to kill him, but it turned out they were. Poisoned foods, accidents, and all sorts of dangerous schemes were being thrown his way. He hadn't anticipated that his family would go to such extreme lengths to end his life.
"You useless pieces of trash! Get out of my sight!" Hiroshi cursed and angrily hurled a stack of documents towards his servants. His frustration had reached its peak due to the numerous failed attempts on Ichiro's life.
"I told you this would be pointless," Tomoko remarked, looking at her husband with disappointment. She nonchalantly took a sip of her tea, rolling her eyes in exasperation.
"You—Is that all you have to say?" Hiroshi glared at his wife, bewildered by why he had married her in the first place when she offered him no support whatsoever.
"What? What do you want me to say? Well done, you did so well..." Tomoko gazed at her husband with deep disappointment. If he hadn't come from a prestigious family, she would never have married him. But now she saw him for what he truly was—a complete failure. "You're just a coward."
"What did you say?" Hiroshi despised being called a coward. He was the eldest son, yet he had never faced a battle. Despite his sister already being on the battlefield, he always made excuses, claiming that he needed to take care of their parents. However, all he did was waste his time and their money.
"You're a cow—"
In an instant, Tomoko found herself dumbfounded. She had never expected him to lay a hand on her. "You dare?"
"I am your husband. I can do whatever I want with you," Hiroshi asserted, delivering another slap to her cheek. "Be grateful that I'm only slapping you."
Tomoko was in disbelief, shock painted across her face as if she were in the midst of a nightmare. She had never imagined that anyone would raise a hand against her. "You're out of your mind!" Her rage erupted, and she began to strike Hiroshi repeatedly on his chest. "You crazy bastard! Because you lack the courage, you stoop so low as to do all these insane things."
"What insane things? Didn't you want the kid dead as well?" Hiroshi pointed out, revealing that it was partly her insistence that had led him to engage in these nefarious activities. If she hadn't been so demanding, he wouldn't have sunk so low, including stealing money from his own nephew, or worse, from his deceased sister.
"Ha-ha, you've lost your mind," Tomoko said, staring at Hiroshi in disbelief. "You'll do anything to maintain your position. But once the elders find out about this, you'll never be able to hold your head high."
"They'll never find out," Hiroshi replied with an indifferent look on his face, as if he were privy to information she wasn't. His expression seemed to suggest that something had happened to the two elders.
"What have you done?" Tomoko paled, fearing that her husband had done something to her in-laws.
"What crazy thoughts are you having? I would never harm my own parents," Hiroshi stated, telling the truth but failing to hide the fact that something had indeed occurred involving the two elders.
"You... do what you have to do, but make sure it doesn't ruin the children's reputation. I don't want any of us to be involved," Tomoko said, calming down as she took a seat. She wondered what her husband had done to the two elders.
"Calm down, I ain't stupid enough to get caught," Hiroshi assured her, having carefully planned everything. If things were to take a turn for the worse, he wouldn't be the one blamed; someone else would take the fall.
Meanwhile, Ichiro found himself in another mock battle. This time, no one was surprised when Emi decided to team up with him. Many wanted to pair up with them, but Emi refused.
"Seriously, you can go with anyone you know," Ichiro said, hoping to avoid the deadly stares directed at him.
"Just focus, I don't need to win," Emi declared, although she secretly harbored a desire to win this time. She knew Ichiro's capabilities, and they could certainly secure victory without any worries. "Oh, and if possible, beat them up."
"What?" Ichiro asked, staring at Emi as if she were being unreasonable, forgetting the fact that he was an ordinary person with extreme speed. "And how am I gonna do that?"
"Well, punch them, kick them, do whatever you have to do," Emi replied as she began to summon her mech-beast. This time, she released two wild cats. They were the same size as regular animals, but the difference lay in the fact that one's claws were covered in flames, while the other cat was surrounded by an electric voltage.
Emi and Ichiro's opponents, a group of four students, didn't know what hit them. They had underestimated the duo, thinking that Ichiro, an apparently ordinary student, couldn't pose a threat.
Ichiro faced one student in a one-on-one combat. His opponent, brimming with overconfidence, charged at him. With astonishing speed, Ichiro sidestepped the attack effortlessly. It was like he had vanished and reappeared in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, Emi's fiery mech-beast cat pounced onto one of the opposing students. With burning claws, it tore through the student's defenses, leaving behind singed armor and a bewildered expression.
The electrically charged mech-beast cat darted towards another student, its crackling aura making it almost impossible to approach. Sparks flew as it struck the student's mechanical shield, causing it to malfunction and emit sparks of electricity. The student was forced to retreat, cursing their bad luck.
Ichiro's speed was a sight to behold. He moved with such agility that his opponent couldn't land a single blow. Frustration painted the student's face as Ichiro continued to evade their attacks effortlessly.
Emi and her mech-beasts maintained their dominance, relentlessly pursuing their foes. The two remaining students were overwhelmed by the twin threats of fire and electricity, unable to counter their combined might.
As the battle unfolded, it became clear that Emi and Ichiro weren't just formidable individually but also made a fearsome team. The fiery and electric mech-beasts coordinated their attacks, creating chaos and panic among their opponents.
Finally, with a powerful blow, Ichiro disarmed his opponent and sent them sprawling to the ground. The four students lay defeated.
Emi and Ichiro stood victorious, their teamwork and unexpected abilities leaving the audience stunned. While Emi had initially declared that they didn't need to win, victory tastes sweet. The mock battle had become an impressive showcase of their prowess, and it was clear that they were not to be underestimated.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone