The reason Antovan used the jiu-jitsu technique last was that it required less endurance and strength than the first two, relying more on agility and technique. To his surprise, Sven did not seem to be familiar with the danger of jiu-jitsu, which allowed him to draw closer. It would be the best chance for Antovan to kill Sven. He strongly believed once he got a grip on Sven, no one could break him free. He would eventually strangle Sven to death like a giant python. Unfortunately, he was soon disappointed when he realized Sven’s body was as hard as steel. No matter how hard he pulled or twisted, he was not able to move Sven at all. “What the hell?” Antovan was losing his calm. He exhausted most of his strength and it would be dangerous for him if the fight continued. Without further ado, he wanted to draw distance from Sven to regroup and rethink the situation. Sven did not give him the chance to retreat this time. “My turn.” The defensive Sven looked into Antov
Sonny did not break eye contact with Kaze, his face grimacing. A student of Gunter, Sonny knew best what these two legati were made of. Though they were a lot weaker than Mosiah, not many in Glowmoss could defeat them.Yet, they were crushed. Niko found it the hardest to accept reality. He was convinced that the Three Great Legati would make Kaze grovel at his feet and submit to him. Reality told a different story. The weight of the situation came crashing down on Niko. “That’s impossible. No way.“Uncle Gunter took the legati under his wing. They couldn’t possibly be killed easily. I bet he played dirty,” Niko yelled menacingly. He seemed to be at breaking point. “Played dirty? Ha.” Kaze scoffed and drew close to slap Niko in the face. Wham!Niko crashed to the ground, his jaw dropped as blood gushed out. Kaze did not hold back his strength, nearly whipping the life out of Niko. Unable to take it anymore, Sonny stepped forward and said grimly, “Niko belongs to
Sonny’s death struck fear in Niko and Cosmo. They did not expect Kaze to get blood on his hands. Sonny was Gunter’s most cherished student. Yet, Kaze killed him without hesitation. Even though Niko and Cosmo were no saints, they would never hurt Sonny. Fear finally sunk in for Niko and Cosmo. Thump! They fell to their knees. “Don’t kill me, Kaze. Please don’t kill me.“Just name your price.” They crouched low, laying their heads down before Kaze in a plea for forgiveness. “I can spare your lives, but you can’t escape a punishment.” Kaze, aloof as a god delivering final judgment, said, “You prey on the weak, and for that, I’ll strip off your manhood.” “Thank you.” Niko and Cosmo were overjoyed by Kaze’s show of mercy, but the punishment threw them for a loop. “No! Please, Kaze. Don’t do this.” They begged desperately. Niko and Cosmo would rather die than live without being men. “The punishment fits the crime.” Kaze shook his head and left those words
After driving the Hornbergs out, Gunter occupied the Hornberg Manor in Sunrise City. Gunter was having his usual tea. Mosiah, the top Great Legatus, stood quietly by the wall, his presence still. It would be hard to notice a person standing there. Gunter took a sip and tilted his head at Mosiah before sighing. “It’s a shame. Looks like you might not be put to use on this Arcadian trip.” Niko and Sonny took the two of the Great Legati to Lilyrose. Gunter kept track of Niko and Sonny’s every move in Lilyrose. He had utmost trust in Sonny’s competence too. Niko stood out among his peers in the Powell family. Gunter believed Sonny and Niko would have no problems with their journey to Lilyrose. “Not much is worth my time in Arcadia.” Mosiah was a man of few words. After a brief silence, he gave such a response and ended the conversation there. He only responded because it was Gunter. Mosiah would ignore anyone else, and that included Antovan and Gustav. Knowing t
Gunter stood there, staring blankly at the three coffins without a word. He would grimace at times, a clear sign that he was not as composed as he seemed. Even without opening the coffins, Gunter realized the inevitable and mentally prepared himself for the outcome. “My condolences, Mr. Powell,” George, the head of the Lees, approached with his men and uttered. The Lees escorted the three coffins from Lilyrose. George received the tragic news that revolved around his son, Cosmo, who had turned out to incite Sonny to wreak havoc in Lilyrose.To prevent Gunter from getting the wrong idea and resenting the Lees, George swallowed his grief and fetched the coffins back to Hornberg Manor. Brushing George off, Gunter took a deep breath after a long, stifling silence and spoke, “Open them.” Mosiah went up without a word and whacked his palm on the covers of three coffins, slamming the lids off the caskets. Gunter drew close and scanned each coffin emotionlessly. They were
“So the boy from the Butterworth Queens is involved too?“I heard the Queens were the biggest shareholders of Sky Ocean Corporation, and Kaze’s wife was merely working for them. It seems to me that the Queens are highly supportive of Kaze. “It explains why the bastard was able to reach power in Lilyrose so quickly.” Gunter sneered, reflecting his indifference toward the Butterworth Queens in his words. The Lees might dread old money like the Queens because both families established themselves in Arcadia. The Queens had businesses in South River State while the Lees built an empire in Butterworth. Both families would risk retaliation if they engaged in open conflict.The clashes between powerful and wealthy families were often kept under the table as the consequences could be damaging. Conflict, in fact, would present vulnerabilities that outside entities can exploit.However, the Powells made their mark overseas. Gunter could attack the Queens without any reservations
“Kaze is hosting a send-off party at the mayor’s office to formally step down from his position, Mr. Powell. “All the important people in Lilyrose have received an invitation.” George relayed the latest news with a smile. There they were, racking their brains to remove Kaze from office and kill him without repercussions from the Arcadian government. To their surprise, Kaze turned around and resigned from his position. The news could not have come at a better time. Gunter raised a brow. “Why is the bastard stepping down out of the blue?” By right, Kaze should not give up on a huge political achievement and on gaining resources and connections in return following the launch of the Lilyrose New City project.Anyone with a sane mind would cling to the leadership role in Lilyrose. Something did not seem right. George said with a smile, “The governor appoints the mayor. Perhaps someone is doing you a favor and making things easier for you. “Maybe someone else is looking
Everybody, including George, had a hair-raising moment. The whole thing just blew up. They could already imagine the outcome. Kaze’s send-off would only be attended by the employees at the mayor’s office and no one else. Meanwhile, Sonny would have a grand funeral. This was not just Gunter’s revenge. It was also a flex in preparation for the Glowmoss Powells’ expansion into the Arcadian market. “Find a nice spot for Sonny’s burial in Lilyrose.” Gunter waved his arm. “Yes, sir.” Luis wiped away his cold sweat and responded with his head down. … The communities in the South River State were huge. Yet, Gunter’s message spread across the state in less than an hour. A small city like Lilyrose became the focus of the state. Parties from either side of the law were taken aback by the news. The Glowmoss Powells were painted like royalty due to their success overseas. Yet, the family was ready to pull all the stops to attack a guy who took his wife’s last name in
“Mr. Tenby, I thought you were speaking out for your friend, but you were just looking for an excuse to ask me out.“Try your luck with another girl. Here is not the place for you to pick up chicks.” The crowd gave Draig strange looks. Draig turned red. He glared at Buffy, tempted to lash out. Fuck. He got played. Buffy hit on him, and he simply responded. She turned things around and made it sound like he was picking her up. Unbothered by Draig’s rage, Buffy smiled charmingly. “Besides, a nice gentleman has invited me for dinner.” The crowd made guesses about who would be having dinner with Buffy. Buffy sauntered toward Kaze and sat next to him. As the crowd watched on in disbelief, Buffy hooked her arm around Kaze’s. Um… It was an eye-bulging moment. Nothing more needed to be said. It was unbelievable. Instead of steering clear, Buffy showed her fondness toward Kaze, a dumped divorcée. Buffy would make herself a laughingstock. Besides, Kaze did no
“Should I defend you instead?” Buffy pointed at Cyan. “I heard you mocking Kaze. You better watch it. “Otherwise, you can kiss your career online goodbye. I don’t care whether you’re with Golden Scale Corporation.” Cyan turned pale. She would not doubt Buffy’s words. Buffy’s father was the former deputy chief. Jude still held influence within the organization. She had access to wealth and resources through control over Gwake Corporation. It would not take much for Buffy to get Cyan canceled. All Buffy needed to do was bribe her way to the higher management of Golden Scale Corporation.Cyan held her tongue. Unable to stand Buffy’s arrogance, Draig stepped forward in disgruntlement. “You must be Ms. Gwake. Even if Cyan was a little harsh about Kaze, she was only looking out for Kaze. You are taking things far by assaulting Cyan.“Cyan is my friend. Shouldn’t you answer to me? “Oh, I should introduce myself.” Draig looked at Buffy and said indifferently, “I am Draig
“I’m telling you, Kaze. We won’t stand by and watch you prey on these socialites,” Cyan uttered indignantly as if she stood on the path of justice. Kaze sighed. “I really want to slap you awake if not for your dad, Cyan. “Draig, you’re something else to dig your own grave in your father’s name.” “Tsk!” “Who do you think you are?” Draig and Cyan turned their noses up at Kaze’s remark. Cyan clamored, “Come on. Show me what you got.“You’re a joke. I exposed you for who you are, and you, in turn, want to slap me? “I’d love to see you try—” A woman stormed into the place and raised her hand. “Smack!” The slap echoed through the silent room, and the crowd stirred. “Buffy?” “She’s the only daughter of Jude, the former deputy chief of the Viper’s Den South River State Branch. She’s the chairwoman of Gwake Corporation.” “She’s the one rumored to be dating Lee.” Chatters filled the room. The crowd looked at Buffy in shock. Buffy showed up out of nowhere and slappe
Kaze was definitely the only one to show up to Bronze Sparrow on a bicycle. It took guts to do so. Kaze grabbed his carbonated drink from the table and took a sip before turning to Draig. He said indifferently, “I didn’t know there was a rule that a divorcee can’t attend today’s celebration. “Is there a rule that guests can’t attend the party on a bike? “Who makes the rules?” Faced with Kaze’s questioning, Draig and the others were lost for words. The guests exchanged looks. There were no such rules. However, Kaze should know his place. Kaze was asking for a beatdown by crashing a high-profile party when he was just a nobody. Draig nodded furiously. “You never learn, Kaze.”“He’s hopeless now. He’s hit rock bottom, so he’ll stay put no matter what we say.” Cyan gritted her teeth. It was frustrating to deal with someone like Kaze. No one was getting through to him. Without looking at the pair, Kaze said blankly, “Are you done? You can leave if you’re done.”
Since the branch leader would show up, Cyan did not want the branch leader to know that she was associated with Kaze. It would only be damaging to her reputation. While the group sought Kaze out, the latter sat alone in a living room corner, snacking and scrolling on his phone. Kaze was too hungry to care about what anyone else thought of him. His cheeks were full. The rich and powerful furrowed their brows in disdain, keeping their distance from Kaze. For some reason, Cyan saw red. “Kaze!” She angrily yelled and got up in his face, “Why are you eating like you’ve been starving for days? “Why are you stealing food here? “Do you know where you are? You’re an embarrassment!” Cyan’s voice attracted a lot of attention. The crowd gathered and gossiped among themselves about Kaze. Kaze was just chilling on his own, eating, and playing a mobile game. Cyan and her friends came at him out of the blue. He was beyond annoyed. If Cyan was not Lock’s daughter, he would’ve sl
“Mr. Ettinger!” the Viper’s Den members greeted Collier with their heads down. Collier buttoned up his suit and nodded. “Ms. Delmore is still in the office. I came ahead of her to see if there’s anything more to do.” Since Kaze would be attending the celebration, Hannah and Collier wanted to make sure everything was in order. Cyan beamed at the sight of Collier and exclaimed, “Mr. Ettinger!” Recognizing Cyan, Collier greeted her with a smile, “It’s you, Ms. Yemen. Welcome. Why aren’t you heading inside? Are you waiting for someone?” Cyan was delighted by Collier’s warm welcome. She pointed at the head of the Viper’s Den members in charge of gatekeeping. “I want to get in but your people said we can’t enter without an invite. “I guess the other guests who went in didn’t need an invite.” That was the reason why Cyan and Draig seethed in a corner. They realized that no one produced an invitation to get into Bronze Sparrow. In other words, the Viper’s Den members were jus
As the air crackled with deadly intent, Draig’s heart pounded with dread. He was horrified that the Viper’s Den members were just as strong, if not stronger than him. Draig had no idea that these members were Viper’s Den South River State Branch’s key players. They were the elites of the elites in the South River State. “Easy there, gentlemen. Mr. Tenby is from abroad. He doesn’t know the rules of Arcadia. Please cut him some slack.” With Draig caught in a spot, Cyan came to the rescue. Since Cyan was nice about it, the leader of the pack scoffed and waved his arm. His companions quickly put away their weapons. “I don’t care where you came from, but you need to keep to the Arcadian rules since you’re here. You don’t get special favors here.” The leader stared at Draig and said icily, “This should not happen again. Now, get lost!” Draig burned with rage. The people, except for Kaze, had been bending over backward for Draig since his arrival in Arcadia. To think he
The Viper’s Den members yelled at Draig while pulling out their weapons. The air was thick with tension. Draig knew that it was not wise of him to fight during Hannah’s celebration. The Viper’s Den members would not stand by and let the commotion stew. Draig was caught between a rock and a hard place. By throwing the punch, he would be at odds with the Viper’s Den, but he could not turn the other cheek on the matter. “Just forget it, Mr. Tenby. Don’t get into it with a dropped loser. You’re only insulting yourself.” Cyan gave Draig an out. Draig retrieved his arm and scoffed. “Consider yourself lucky, Kaze.” A shadow of regret fleeted across Kaze’s eyes. If Draig were to start a fight, Kaze would have reason to finish him off and get rid of the annoyance. It was a shame that the Viper’s Den members stopped anything from happening. Cyan criticized, “Mr. Tenby is only looking out for you, Kaze. Yet, you stomped on his car key. You went too far. Hurry up and apologiz
“Nevermind. Why are we wasting our time with the likes of him? We don’t belong in the same world anyway.” Draig waved his arm. “Come on. Let’s get inside.” Dumping his car on the side of the road, Draig led Cyan and her friends into Bronze Sparrow. “Huh? How did Kaze get in? Can he get in?” one influencer exclaimed. The crowd watched in shock as Kaze stepped through the door. “Branch Leader!” The members of the Viper’s Den South River State Branch perked up when Kaze showed up. They, Hannah’s trusted aides, knew who Kaze was. Kaze acknowledged the greeting. “Is everybody here?” The head of the pack said in respect, “Many guests have arrived. Ms. Delmore and Mr. Ettinger will be here once they are done with work. Should I inform them to keep you company, sir?” “No, I’ll sit and wait.” Kaze waved his arm and made his way inside. “Hold it right there, Kaze!” Cyan’s angry voice came from behind. “Are you aware of the event at Bronze Sparrow? Do you know who the