Chapter 34: A Grand Escape Toward the Sun

This was perhaps the most absurd meeting of clan heads in the history of the Nii-gata Eight Families.

Not only were all the attending clan heads wounded and deathly pale, but the person presiding over the meeting was not the Patriarch. In fact, not only was it not the Patriarch, but the person had also just recently decapitated the Patriarch.

Vague sounds of sirens could be heard from beneath the Gen-shi Heavy Industries building. Gunshots had drawn a large number of police officers, and the area was currently under complete lockdown; the clan heads had no choice but to dispatch their own people to resolve the situation. Yet, at this moment, such matters seemed trivial.

Tang Xi was currently using Erii’s body. In their eyes, she might even be the suddenly deranged Erii, who naturally would have the ability to connect to Kaguya-hime. Thus, Tang Xi had Kaguya-hime retrieve those ancient archives: fragmented reports about Black Swan Bay, files on Dr. Herzog, photographs of Colonel Bondarev, and even the distress signals sent out when the Lenin went down. There wasn’t enough time to dig up more evidence, but this was already enough to prove a great deal.

"I know you are all high-ranking elders of the Nii-gata Eight Families, so you must surely remember when Tachibana Masamune first appeared, right?"

"If you study it carefully, you will find that he only surfaced after the destruction of Black Swan Bay—that is, after the Lenin sank in Japan. Before that, such a person simply did not exist."

"It was also after his appearance that the organization known as the Violent Ghost Crowd emerged. Furthermore, I believe Herzog is not dead; the Tachibana Masamune who died was merely one of his pawns."

Silence—a deathly, suffocating silence. No one spoke. Everyone was deeply shocked, unable to even imagine that these things could be true, yet compelled to believe them.

Except for Gen Chisato.

Gen Chisato was an exceptionally stubborn man. To keep him calm, Tang Xi had directly broken both his legs and arms. Even with the bloodline of an Emperor, fractures do not heal easily, and the pain was inevitable. Yet, this agonizing pain seemed not to exist for him; the man maintained a cold face, looking at Tang Xi as if she were a corpse.

Seeing that everyone was silent, he said coldly, "How do you know these things? And who are you?"

"That’s none of your concern," Tang Xi replied. "I am merely telling you the truth so that you aren't led around by the nose. Do you all understand what I have said? Or do I need to explain it again?"

Gen Chisato shut his mouth, and the others looked at one another in dismay.

"Emotionally, I want to say this is impossible," Fuma Kotaro said in a hoarse voice. "But logically, I feel that the possibility you speak of does exist."

"But... this is truly hard to believe."

The other clan heads nodded one after another. Every one of them found it preposterous. They had spent over a decade with Tachibana Masamune and had witnessed his devotion to the Nii-gata Eight Families; they simply could not believe that a man like that had been calculating everything from the very beginning.

"No, no, no. I think you clan heads might have misunderstood something."

Tang Xi stood up, stretched, and swept her gaze across the room with a playful look. "I only told you this to give you a warning."

"As for whether you believe it or not, that has nothing to do with me."

Everyone froze, staring at her blankly, as if they didn't understand what she was saying and found it utterly ridiculous. You beat so many people into the ground and caused such a huge scene just to tell us this earth-shattering secret, and now that you’re done, you tell us it doesn't matter if we believe you? Then what was the point of saying anything at all?

As if sensing their thoughts, Tang Xi shrugged. "I have told you the whole story just as it happened. If you still can't uncover the truth, then the Nii-gata Eight Families might as well disband."

"Now, the matter is settled. The floor is yours."

Tang Xi walked toward the exit with a swagger. As she passed Inuyama賀, she tilted her head. "Oh, by the way, be careful regarding Cassel College. Try to keep today’s events under wraps."

"After all... you wouldn't want the fact that the Japanese hybrids are descendants of the White King to become common knowledge, would you?"

Watching the expressions of the clan heads change drastically, Tang Xi was quite satisfied. She reached out, swiped the Rolls-Royce keys from Inuyama賀's pocket, and turned to leave without looking back. Everyone watched the girl’s casual silhouette, but no one dared to speak, left only to watch her disappear into the distance.

...

When Erii woke up, she found herself sitting in a speeding sports car, with beautiful neon lights flashing outside the window. Her eyes lit up instantly, but she soon realized she couldn't move and let out a confused, "Hm?"

"You'll be able to move in a moment," Tang Xi said. "You don't know how to drive. Once we arrive, I'll let you out."

Erii was a bit dazed, but she agreed obediently, looking out the window with curiosity. She could hardly believe she had actually escaped.

"Big brother, aren't they chasing us?" Erii asked softly. "I've escaped before, but big brother always caught me and brought me back."

"It's fine," Tang Xi tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Your brother should be very busy right now; he doesn't have time to worry about us. We can play outside for a long time."

Erii's eyes brightened even more. Tang Xi could feel her excitement and couldn't help but deepen her smile. "So happy?"

"Mmhmm!" Erii said loudly. "I've always wanted to come out and play. I'm finally out!"

Tang Xi was infected by her emotions and laughed as well. "Yes, you are free."

"And I am free, too."

The sky had brightened at some point, and the orange-red dawn formed a striking color on the horizon. They drove recklessly across Tokyo, the sunlight spilling over the girl’s delicate face as her fire-red hair fluttered in the wind. Tang Xi didn't care if the car was being tracked, nor did she care if such arrogance would draw attention, because she knew that from the moment she killed Tachibana Masamune, Japan was destined for chaos.

At the very least, the Nii-gata Eight Families had no time to deal with her, the traitor who killed the Patriarch. Gen Chisato probably wanted to, but with his broken hands and legs, he likely wouldn't be able to get out of bed for quite some time.

Watching the ever-changing scenery outside the window, Tang Xi’s plans for her next move continued to refine in her mind. Having done something of this magnitude, the immediate priority was to hide in the shadows and observe the developments. But she couldn't just hide; her durability was dropping, and she needed to keep farming experience. Since she had finished wreaking havoc on the Nii-gata Eight Families, her thoughts naturally shifted to another organization.

So she asked Erii, "Have you ever been to Kabukicho?"

Erii, in her mind, answered honestly, "No."

"Good. Today, I'll take you to experience the adult world." With a stomp on the accelerator, her fire-red hair flying, Tang Xi laughed: "Let's go find some host boys to play with."

Erii cheered immediately: "Yay!"