Chapter 170: Natsuba Genryū Takes the First Round
A look of astonishment flashed across Natsuba Genryū’s eyes.
Even with his shrewdness and experience, he was still shocked by Natsuba Rinrei’s current realm.
A peak B-rank or even a B-rank critical point, for him, who had reached the absolute peak of A-rank in his prime, but was now at the peak of A-rank, posed no threat.
And once she posed a threat, it meant she had completely reached A-rank.
However, the flame that had scorched Natsuba Naoto before was far from the terrifying surge of this punch now. He didn’t know if Natsuba Rinrei had done this to make him lower his guard.
For a moment, Natsuba Genryū felt that this daughter, whom he had regarded as a piece of goods, was a little strange.
And things…
Were already out of his control.
Something out of control was an extremely annoying existence for someone in a high position, an existence that needed to be eliminated.
Thinking of this, a dense red killing intent appeared in Natsuba Genryū’s half-opened pale golden pupils. Unlike the killing intent he had used before, this killing intent was from the bottom of his heart.
Unfortunately, in the main residence, killing Natsuba Rinrei was undoubtedly a fool’s dream.
The will of the gods did not allow it.
If he were to forcefully attack her, he might even be attacked by the gods and be seriously injured.
If that really happened, it would be extremely unfavorable for the current situation of the Natsuba conglomerate.
With two heirs dead and missing, and the family head seriously injured, although the other organizations would not and would not dare to attack the Natsuba main residence, the Natsuba conglomerate’s power would surely shrink rapidly.
Anyone would come and step on them.
As for…
Training Natsuba Rinrei to be the heir, to be the future head of the family?
Heh, that possibility, Natsuba Genryū hadn’t even thought of it.
To him, a bastard, a piece of goods, if she became the heir to the Natsuba conglomerate, the future head of the family, that would be a huge joke.
If the decline of the Natsuba conglomerate was a problem he was trying to avoid, then to have a woman as the heir was a matter of the Natsuba conglomerate’s foundation, a matter of face.
It could be said that in the current Natsuba conglomerate, Natsuba Kouryu and Natsuba Taiga’s contempt for women was also from Natsuba Genryū.
Moreover, in the history of the Natsuba conglomerate, there had never been a record of a woman becoming the head of the family.
They had always been used as bargaining chips in transactions, to be traded away for the benefit of the Natsuba conglomerate.
And to treat Natsuba Hanae and Natsuba Rinrei as marriage tools was naturally his doing.
Even now, knowing that Natsuba Rinrei was an A-rank supernatural user, he didn’t regret the transaction, because to him, this was a matter of the present.
He hadn’t known at the time that Natsuba Rinrei would become so powerful.
Not only that, but even if he were to regret it, he wouldn’t regret this transaction. He would only regret that he hadn’t asked for enough bargaining chips from the Kujō family.
The idea that women were lowly and humble was deeply ingrained in Natsuba Genryū’s bones, in his heart, in his mind, in every drop of his blood and every cell.
This deep-rooted idea originated from his most essential bloodline and soul.
In the next moment, Natsuba Genryū restrained the killing intent in his eyes.
However, the killing intent in his heart did not dissipate, but grew even more vigorous, as vast as a sea of clouds.
An idea arose in him.
Perhaps he could do this…
Although he couldn’t kill Natsuba Rinrei in the Natsuba main residence, but within a controllable range, without being seriously injured, but with a certain injury, he could sever her tendons and leave her helpless before taking her out of the main residence!
Feasible!
Natsuba Genryū’s various thoughts flowed through his mind like a stream.
And in reality, Natsuba Rinrei’s flaming fist had already arrived, its speed incredible.
But in Natsuba Genryū’s eyes, it was like a slow-motion replay. His killing intent had even locked onto her movement trajectory.
As long as he took one step to the left, he could easily dodge this seemingly powerful attack.
But he wouldn’t dodge!
With so many stewards watching, in the Natsuba main residence, as the head of the family, he had no intention of dodging!
And he didn’t need to dodge.
In his slightly open pale golden pupils, Natsuba Rinrei’s figure was reflected as if in a sword’s heart. The sharp light within made her fist feel a stinging pain.
She forcibly endured this stinging pain, her right fist burning, and continued to punch.
Then, she saw Natsuba Genryū’s right hand rapidly deform, transforming into a clanging steel claw that gleamed with a cold, metallic luster.
Swordsmanship was his ultimate skill. “Human Sword Saint” was his title in his early years.
But as a butcher, he was proficient in the use of various weapons. Although his strength had declined from his peak A-rank due to his age, his combat skills were constantly being perfected.
Now, he had reached the pinnacle of perfection.
Facing Natsuba Rinrei’s fierce punch, Natsuba Genryū’s aged face was unprecedentedly calm. He didn’t retreat, but took a big step forward.
A heavy step, stomping on the ground, letting out a muffled explosion.
However, the ground did not collapse in the slightest. This was his ultimate control over his strength.
Then, he twisted his hips, raised his arm, and his muscles bulged, as hard as a rock. He clenched his fist into a fist, and as if he were going to smash the air, he let out a series of fierce, golden roars.
And fiercely threw his punch!
The fire fist and the steel fist collided!
“Boom————————!!!”
A world-shaking sound echoed, impacting the eardrums of everyone present.
A fierce gale erupted from nowhere, and a shockwave spread outwards, impacting the barriers created by the stewards, and a soft, rustling sound was heard.
Natsuba Rinrei’s silver twintails swayed wildly. She felt a huge force pushing her back, but she gritted her teeth, and the flames on her fist grew even more crimson and surging. She continued to step forward.
Facing the pressure, she gave Natsuba Genryū a sense of urgency. This was a release of her decade of stubbornness!
And as the roaring sound spread, Chikari Makoto’s agile eyes shifted, and she quickly stood in front of Natsuba Hanae and covered her ears with her hands.
In that instant of skin contact, she pursed her lips, and a faint blush appeared on her pretty face.
But all of this was to protect her mother from being exposed, and even more so, to protect her eardrums!
Thank you, Natsuba Rinrei, for the wonderful opportunity!
However…
She looked up slightly and saw Natsuba Hanae’s red, glass-like beautiful eyes, so merciless, with a hint of helplessness.
She couldn’t help but be taken aback.
But she saw Natsuba Hanae purse her lips and say,
“Makoto, you’re blocking my view of the battle.”
“Oh…………”
Hearing this, Chikari Makoto was a little dejected and prepared to retract her hands and go back behind Natsuba Hanae.
However, she saw Natsuba Hanae extend her hands and cover Chikari Makoto’s hands, not letting her move them away.
She continued,
“I’m very happy that you have this heart. And that you know my current identity as the Second Miss and need your protection.”
“You don’t have to take your hands away. Just move half a step so I can see the battle.”
Natsuba Hanae showed a gentle and affectionate smile.
Chikari Makoto was a good daughter. Among the abnormal group of daughters, her symptoms were the mildest.
She needed to use warm, motherly love to guide her out of her abnormality. And what she was showing now was undoubtedly a mother’s affirmation of her daughter, a recognition of her actions.
Her motherly power had greatly increased.
And Chikari Makoto, hearing Natsuba Hanae’s words, her originally somewhat dim beautiful eyes suddenly shone like gold, dazzlingly bright.
“Yes!”
She answered heavily.
And she prepared not to wash these hands for the rest of her life.
If they got dirty, she would just pull out a hair and wish for the dirt to be removed!
Speaking of which…
The black dress that her mother had given her to repair, she hadn’t taken it to be repaired yet. It was on her bed as a hug pillow, to make her bed also smell like her mother.
Let the black dress stay on the bed for another… three days!
Then she would take it to be repaired.
No!!
Why didn’t she just use a Golden Feather to create a black dress and give it back to her mother, and then keep the dress with her mother’s scent for herself?
Although her mother’s dress, due to long-term wear, was stained with a trace of her own supernatural aura…
And the three Golden Feathers were still needed to enhance her own strength, to relieve fatigue, and to reach A-rank as soon as possible. She couldn’t use them on this kind of thing.
Then…
She could only use her hair. It would probably take a lot of hair to create a similar dress with a supernatural aura, so that her mother wouldn’t notice the exchange.
But it didn’t matter. She had plenty of hair anyway.
Going bald was impossible.
Chikari Makoto moved half a step, and with Natsuba Hanae, they continued to watch the battlefield. They saw that the situation was a stalemate for a while, and Natsuba Rinrei and Natsuba Genryū were fighting with their fists.
Of course, the two could have changed their moves long ago.
This process was more like Natsuba Rinrei proving her current strength, and Natsuba Genryū was unwilling to retreat.
Although strength was only a part of one’s strength…
But undoubtedly, strength was the most direct expression of an individual’s strength. Natsuba Genryū didn’t want to be at a disadvantage in terms of strength in front of everyone.
This would be a loss of face for the head of the family.
However, the power of the Red Dragon was beyond his expectations.
He wouldn’t admit Natsuba Rinrei’s strength. He would only admit that it was the enhancement brought by an extremely dangerous ability.
Although Natsuba Rinrei was still in her growth period, she was already a young adult. And Natsuba Genryū was already old, and his strength had declined considerably from his prime.
Even though he was at the peak of A-rank, in a normal state, although his strength was currently on par, his stamina was slightly lacking.
His heart’s continuous supply of blood was not as good as hers.
And without using his normal state, but using a single thought, it was another matter whether he was making a big deal out of nothing. The key was that every time he used it, the old injuries in his body would worsen.
And the old injuries caused by this killing intent could not be healed.
At this point, he could only resort to other means.
After all…
Why had Natsuba Taiga and Natsuba Kouryu become such people? They had learned it from him.
When he had been competing for the head position, the things he had experienced were even more cruel than now. It was just that those methods were not needed now.
And when he really needed to use them, he would not be rusty.
His hundred martial arts were not divided into high and low.
As the steel fist and the fire fist were in a stalemate, Natsuba Genryū willed it, and the front end of the steel fist suddenly extended into five sharp, short steel spikes.
Covered in a powerful and dense killing intent, they instantly pierced Natsuba Rinrei’s right fist, which was wrapped in crimson dragon scales, and the killing intent took the opportunity to drill in.
An intense pain suddenly came.
Natsuba Rinrei’s brow furrowed slightly, and she suddenly retreated a step.
In an instant, blood dripped on the ground. She looked at her fist and saw that on the back of her five fingers, there were five bloody holes that had been drilled out.
The white bones could be vaguely seen.
The killing intent was still boiling. Natsuba Rinrei’s body immediately surged with a crimson flame and forced the killing intent out of her body.
Looking at Natsuba Genryū before her…
Natsuba Rinrei’s crimson dragon pupils narrowed slightly, and she gritted her silver teeth.
“As expected of my brothers’ good father. In terms of being despicable, you are also their guide.”
In the eyes of the stewards, it was Natsuba Genryū’s power that was a step higher, and had forced Natsuba Rinrei back.
But the real situation was only known to Natsuba Rinrei herself.
It could only be said that in the art of sneak attacks, Natsuba Taiga was not even worthy of carrying Natsuba Genryū’s shoes.
Natsuba Taiga’s previous sneak attack was because Natsuba Rinrei hadn’t discovered him, and that was why he had succeeded. But Natsuba Genryū’s kind of open sneak attack was the first time.
Natsuba Genryū remained silent. After Natsuba Rinrei had retreated, he stepped forward and pursued her, one after another.
His steel fist had at some point transformed into a sharp claw.
Under the light of the flame, it looked extremely sharp, and a faint luster appeared. He raised it high and slashed at Natsuba Rinrei’s head.
Seeing this, Natsuba Rinrei quickly raised her right arm to block.
The sharp claw went all the way down, and fiercely rubbed against the back of her crimson scale-covered right arm.
“Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!”
A sound like metal being cut was heard. Although it was a flesh-and-blood skin, it made a sound like a spark, and it left a not-so-deep, not-so-shallow scratch on Natsuba Rinrei’s scale arm.
Just a little more, and it would have broken through the scales and reached her skin.
Just now, Natsuba Rinrei’s attention had been on offense, and she had poured all her strength into her power. Her defensive ability had decreased, and that was why her red dragon scales had been broken through.
But when she defended with all her might, even Natsuba Genryū’s sharp claws couldn’t easily break through her dragon scale defense!
“Besides being despicable, you’re nothing special!”
To be able to defend against Natsuba Genryū’s attack meant that she had a chance of winning.
Natsuba Rinrei prepared to pursue her victory. Her right arm deflected Natsuba Genryū’s sharp claw, and the flame re-condensed on her fist, preparing to strike.
However, just then, Natsuba Genryū’s old voice said,
“Too naive.”
Suddenly!
His free left arm behind him underwent a dramatic change, transforming into a long spear that gleamed with a mottled alloy.
The wandering killing intent in the air was frantically poured into it, dyeing the silver spear blood red.
The long spear was now extremely sharp.
The sound of it cutting through the air was heard, and it fiercely stabbed at Natsuba Rinrei’s right wrist!
“I’ll sever your tendons first.”
His cold voice was filled with a cruel and ruthless tone.
Facing his so-called daughter, he showed no mercy.
…
