Chương 234: 233
Haruto stood over Aika, his breath still coming in shallow bursts, though the anger that had fueled him was giving way to something far more dangerous—cold calculation. She lay crumpled at his feet, broken and bleeding, her once-mocking smile replaced with ragged breaths and groans of pain. He had used his lightning affinity with terrifying precision, each jolt crafted to bring her to the edge but never push her over. None of it mattered if he didn't get what he came for.
She was going to die, and that was certain. But not before she told him the truth.
"Who sent you?" His voice was flat, devoid of the rage that had burned in him moments ago, but colder now, far more lethal.
Aika's body trembled from the aftershocks, her shallow breathing labored, her face contorted with pain. Blood trickled from her mouth as she raised her head to meet his gaze, her eyes wide with terror. But even through her fear, Haruto saw that flicker of defiance, the tiny spark of control she still thought she held.
"P-please…" she whimpered, her voice shaky and broken. "I… I don't know…"
Haruto's fists clenched, his knuckles white with restrained fury. She was lying. He knew it. She wasn't just some random assassin thrown his way by chance. No, this was intentional. Deliberate. Obaa-chan's death wasn't some mugging gone wrong. Aika had come for him. And she had simply killed Abaa-Chan to make angry?
"Don't lie to me," he growled, dropping down beside her, his eyes narrowing with impatience. "Who sent you?"
Aika's eyes flickered, panic flashing in her gaze as she tried to look away. Haruto wasn't fooled. She was stalling, desperate to regain some semblance of control. But he wouldn't let her. He let a faint crackle of lightning dance between his fingertips, just close enough for her to feel the heat of the threat.
"Tell me now, or this gets worse."
Her body jerked with fear, her voice trembling even more. "I-I don't know… I don't… I don't know who…"
Haruto's eyes bore into her, seeing through the lie. The fear in her voice wasn't because she didn't know—it was because she couldn't tell him. Something was holding her back. Something stronger than fear.
His mind worked furiously, piecing together the events that led him here. Who had he angered? The essay… the mission… the silver reward…
Danzo.
Had he offended Danzo more than he realized? Could this really be the consequence of his defiance? The essay had been a calculated risk, but this? This was something else. This wasn't about ruffling feathers—this was personal.
Danzo had sent her. The attack wasn't aimed at Obaa-chan; it was aimed at him. She had just gotten caught in the crossfire.
Haruto's chest tightened with icy rage. Danzo had tried to kill him. And Obaa-chan—someone he cared for—had paid the price for it.
How could he confirm that Danzo sent her? He thought back to the anime…
"Show me your tongue," Haruto ordered, his voice low, dangerous.
Aika blinked, her good eye widening in confusion. "W-what?"
"Show me your tongue," Haruto repeated, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "Or I'll break your jaw and pull it out myself."
Aika froze, terror flashing across her face. Slowly, she opened her mouth, trembling as she stuck out her bloodied tongue.
Haruto felt his heart sink as he summoned water to clean the blood from her mouth. And there it was—the confirmation he had dreaded but expected.
A curse seal, the black markings twisted across her tongue like a brand. Danzo's mark of silence. She couldn't have told him the truth, even if she wanted to.
The realization hit him hard, the truth settling deep in his chest like a stone. This wasn't just an attack—it was a message. Danzo had tried to kill him, and Obaa-chan had been the collateral damage. She had died because of him. Because of what he had written. For a system reward.
Haruto's fists tightened, the coldness of his anger solidifying into something far darker. Danzo. The name burned in his mind, a promise that this wasn't over. Not by a long shot. Even if it took years, even if it took a decade, he would find a way to destroy Danzo and everything he had built.
Without another word, Haruto turned away from Aika, leaving her broken and beaten on the ground. As Shisui and Daichi arrived, their faces filled with confusion and concern, Haruto didn't stop. His mind was already focused on what came next.
He reached into his pouch, pulled out an explosive tag, and without looking back, tossed it onto Aika's body.
The explosion echoed through the forest as they walked away, the sound marking the end of Aika's mission.
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