“Hi Buffy. Dayton is worried about you when he knows that you are in trouble, so he contacted us and we came as soon as we could.” “Yeah, Dayton is fully focused on training and barely pays attention to anything else. He’s so uninterested in romance that we even thought he might like men. This is the first time we’ve seen him pay so much attention to a woman.”The five men and women looked up to Dayton. When they saw Buffy and realized how beautiful she was, they understood why Dayton urged them to come to Riverbank in a hurry. They became the best wingmen that one could ask for and made sure Buffy knew Dayton cared about her. Buffy nodded indifferently and said with a smile, “Thank you, Dayton. I appreciate your kind gesture.” “Buffy, we are beyond saying thank you.” Dayton waved his hand heartily. “Your mother is my master’s junior and they have been close since they were young. Once my master received your call for help, he sent me to protect you. “I bet you know my m
“Dayton! No!” Buffy took a step back and responded with anger. Dayton was left stunned on the spot. He looked awkward. He did not expect Buffy, who he thought liked him, would reject him without any consideration. “Buffy, what’s the matter? Dayton came here right after he heard about your situation. Do you know how much he cares about you?” “Dayton is young, handsome, and is the disciple of the ex-branch chief of Butterworth Branch. He’s one of the best there is. If you reject him, you’ll regret it.” “Do you know how many women are trying to chase him in Butterworth? Yet he only cares about you. Are you really going to turn him down just like that?” The men and women behind Dayton spoke up, supporting their friend. They described Dayton as the best man in the world and if Buffy rejected his proposal, then she would be labeled ungrateful. Buffy furrowed her brows. She looked angry and wanted to argue but since Dayton came on such short notice just to help her, she did no
Kaze had no good impression of Buffy’s senior, Dayton. The man was unreasonable and arrogant. He also seemed to take advantage of Buffy’s misfortune. If he was not concerned about Buffy's position, he would have kicked Dayton out of the door right away. Hmph! Dayton did not anticipate an argument from Kaze. His expression darkened as he strode over to glare at him. “Delivery Boy, I bet you’ve heard who I am. I ask you to leave with the tip because I respect Buffy. “If you don’t appreciate it, then don’t blame me for being rude! Believe me when I say my friends will break your limbs and throw you out, and you can’t even do anything about it.” Dayton raised his fists, seemingly trying to attack. Kaze’s expression turned frosty and was ready to retaliate. Buffy immediately stepped in between them to prevent the situation from going out of hand. She said, “Dayton, calm down. This is Kaze, the friend that I mentioned on the phone with your master. “He has helped me many
Kaze did not say a word and looked at Buffy. Buffy said, “It’s okay, Dayton. I don’t want to have a feast. Since Kaze brought food for me, I’ll just eat at home.” Dayton’s expression darkened. He turned around and glanced at his friends, signaling them to do something. One of the women, Linda, went over to the table and swept the food to the floor. Splatter! The food fell off the table and splattered all over the floor. Kaze’s gaze turned cold. Buffy was shocked. Annoyed, she looked at Dayton. “Dayton, what is this?” “Buffy, calm down.” Linda said with a smile, “Don’t you understand? Since Dayton is responsible for your daily needs now, then he has to consider whether it is safe to consume food brought by an outsider. He’s just concerned about you.” “Kaze is my friend! If he’s trying to hurt me, I would have been dead a long time ago!” Buffy argued. The anger on her face was brazen. She knew Dayton was trying to give Kaze a hard time. “Buffy, calm down. I’m no
“Is it funny?” Kaze asked with a soft grin. “Of course it is.” Linda scoffed. “Kaze, I’m trying to make things clear for you. I am looking down on you just because you have no money. You are poor! If you can fork out ten million, then you will have the right to talk to me. “If you have a hundred million, I’ll apologize; if you don’t have the money, then shut the hell up.” Kaze laughed. “One hundred million and you’ll apologize? Does it mean if I take out all my money, I make you kneel and clean the mess up like a dog?” His words made Dayton, Linda, and the others exchange glances before bursting into laughter. “Hahaha! You?” “You are full of yourself!” “If you are that rich, you wouldn’t buy roadside food in the first place!” They cackled loudly, looking at Kaze as if he was a clown. “Everyone can brag but do you have what it takes?” “Kaze, it’s not that we want to look down on you, and I’m not asking you to take out that much money.” Linda went up closer and sm
“Then let him explain what the hell is going on!” Dayton’s expression darkened and sounded cold. “Or else, don’t blame me for being rude.” If Kaze could not provide a satisfying answer, he would attack and break all his limbs. Kaze stood still and said casually, “Nothing in particular. I just don’t like her.” “Aaaaah! Dayton! Beat him! I want him dead! Kill him!” Linda cried like a mad woman, especially with her hair covered with gravy and rice. Kaze’s words agitated her even more. Dayton looked gloomy. He rolled his sleeves up. “Buffy, you heard him. Don’t blame me for not showing any respect!” Buffy got even more anxious. She turned around and said to Kaze, “Kaze, hurry up and apologize! I ask Dayton to be here not just to protect me but also to protect you! “Casius is influential, powerful, and has a lot of men. Leron is just one of them! “Leron failed to hurt you the other day and he will come back. No matter how strong you are, you are alone and you can’t possi
“Dayton, beat him up! This clown sucker slapped me! Let him have a taste of true power!” Dayton’s friends cheered on him at the side. To them, Kaze was able to slap Linda because it was an ambush, or else there was no way she would fall to the floor. They might not be as powerful as Dayton but they were considered some of the strongest among their peers. Kaze ignored the noise and focused on moving nimbly to dodge the attacks. Although his movements were subtle, he was able to dodge every slap with the slightest movement. Then, he countered with a slap. Slap! The loud slap silenced the air. Kaze swung his hand casually as he stood still on the spot. Dayton was sent staggering backward, leaving several footprints on his trail before he regained his balance. He managed to stand still on his feet but his face had a clear slap mark. “W-What?! What the hell happened?!” Dayton’s friends were shocked. Dayton had always been unbeatable, at least to them. However, no
“I know Casius Weather. He’s one of the Riverbank Seven and he’s also a well-known figure in Butterworth. “He’s ambitious. He has been using Bronze Sparrow as a base to gather people with different talents, mostly criminals. “His man, Leron, also known as Hydro Dragon, roamed the waters freely. All shipping companies were forced to pay him to get their goods to their destination. “He’s also known as the Sharpshooter, possessing unmatched accuracy when wielding a gun. No one knows where he will show up next. “Kaze, you might be good but you are no match for Leron.” Dayton looked at Kaze as if he was already shot in the head. To him, Kaze was just all brawn and no brains. He wanted to be the hero to save the damsel in distress but going up against Casius and his men was suicidal. He could be the hero but he had to know his place and limitations. Dayton viewed Kaze as a dumb moron who was overconfident. Kaze was unfazed and simply ignored what Dayton said about Leron.
Robin fell into contemplation before uttering, “I know what to do. “Bring me Ms. Delmore’s trusty sword.” A member retrieved Hannah’s sword and handed it to her respectfully. “Come on.” Kaze turned on his heel and left River Watcher Inn together with Hannah and Collier. As Kaze disappeared from the building, Robin sighed. “I didn’t expect the Chief to appoint a moocher to be the branch leader.” Robin knew that the revelation of Kaze’s identity would be a total shocker. Kaze took Hannah and Collier to Herbal Spring and wrote them a prescription. Hannah suffered internal injuries from Robin’s attack, and Collier sustained mental trauma from Robin’s music. Though the injuries were not serious, they were not in the best shape. Recovery would take time. Medicine could only do so much. While waiting for the medicine, Collier glanced at his phone and said, “The story is out, Kaze. Siberian attempted to kill Robin, and the Roads died protecting him.“There is nothing abou
Kaze smiled pretentiously. “Are you still trying to recruit me, Chief Hill?”Robin hung his head low in shame and replied, “I wouldn’t dare.” It finally dawned on him why Kaze would not accept his offer. Kaze even kept things hush-hush to spare him the embarrassment. However, Robin mistook Kaze’s intention as arrogance. It was true. Robin was unfit to engage in a fight with Kaze. Kaze was more powerful in strength and rank. “Rise,” Kaze uttered indifferently, not putting the blame on Robin. Robin was taken aback, but he quickly responded, “Thank you for overlooking my mistakes.” He rose to his feet. The members of the execution hall stayed in position, their faces pale. They were scared. Just minutes ago, they taunted and mocked Kaze. They had insulted the branch leader. If only there was a hole in the ground they could sink into. “Slap yourselves ten times before you can get up.” Kaze directed the comment at the execution hall members. He pointed at the
Silence filled the air on the ninth floor of River Watcher Inn. Robin stood frozen, his discolored face carrying a look of shock. The clamoring members of the execution hall looked at Kaze with their jaws dropped too. They did not see how Kaze did it. However, they picked up on the vanishing flicker. Robin’s reaction was all the answer they needed. Kaze delivered a blow when Robin attacked. Kaze clearly deterred Robin from launching another attack. Um… It was impossible. The outcome left emotions running high. While Robin killed Siberian with ease, he was no match for Kaze. Robin looked Kaze dead in the eye, his eyes unreadable. He felt that he was a tiny step away from death when Kaze struck him. It had been many years since Robin was consumed by that feeling. Robin knew from experience what it meant. Kaze could kill him if he wanted to. Robin would end up lifeless just like Siberian. Robin cocked his head back stiffly and glanced at the dagger that sank
“Not interested in becoming the deputy chief of the execution hall? Are you kidding me?” “Have you contributed anything to the Viper’s Den? Have you bled for the Viper’s Den? You’re getting a lifetime deal.” “You naïve and cocky! You don’t know what’s good for you, clown!” The members of the execution hall tore into Kaze furiously. They were not fond of Kaze, to begin with. After what Kaze had said, there was no way the members could accept him as their leader. Hence, they did not hold back from tearing him down. “You are the ones being insolent.” Collier said angrily, “Kaze has a choice whether to take up on Chief Hill’s offer. You’re taking things far by criticizing his choice.“You are all unworthy of Kaze anyway.” The execution hall members turned ashen in fury. “So you’re saying that Chief Hill is unfit to recruit Kaze?“Is Chief Hill unworthy of Kaze too?” The female member, who spoke up previously, made a snide remark. Kaze was full of himself. Robin should
The female member of the execution hall went on a tirade. She was basically telling Kaze that he should be honored that Robin recruited him and that he should be wise to make the right choice. “Don’t try to play hard to get. It doesn’t work for everyone or any situation. “The position for the deputy chief of the execution doesn’t come by every day. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “Don’t let your pride get in the way. You might end up with nothing.” …The other members of Robin’s entourage gave Kaze a piece of their minds too. They were Robin’s trusted aides. They were not afraid of upsetting Kaze. “Chief Hill even captured the deputy chief of the South River State Branch and lost her sword.“Chief Hill was kind enough not to make things difficult for her.“Shouldn’t you ask Chief Hill before taking her away, Kaze?“Aren’t you disrespecting Chief Hill?” The same female member remarked harshly. Driven by jealousy, the female member put Hannah down. Hanna
“Bam!” Robin dumped Siberian’s body on the ground. Siberian, one of the Eight Tigers, was the strongest leader in the Steelclaw Guild. He was nothing more than a lifeless corpse now. Collier and the Viper’s Den members looked at Robin in reverence. Without glancing at his kill, Robin took a handkerchief from a female member, wiped his hands, and waved his arm. Soon, the Viper’s Den members cleaned up the scene. The injured members were taken to receive medical care. Robin, flanked by his crew, strode to the ninth floor. Taking a seat, Robin took a sip of his drink and looked at Kaze. He said callously, “Am I good enough to recruit you as the deputy chief of the execution hall now?” The Viper’s Den members looked at Kaze enviously. They thought that Robin’s display of strength was to intimidate Kaze into accepting the job. Amazingly, Robin was not upset by Kaze’s silence. He simply asked nicely if Kaze would join his division. It went to show that Robin appreciat
“That’s amazing, Chief Hill!” The execution hall members cheered Robin on with admiration. Ignoring his crew’s praises, Robin disappeared at the moment of landing. Before everybody knew it, Robin appeared before Siberian. Siberian scowled at the menacing aura coming from Robin. He felt as though he was in the depths of hell. “Swoosh!” Siberian dodged to the side while swiping his knife multiple times. The air crackled with tension as Siberian’s attack headed toward Robin. Robin reached out his hand and snapped his fingers. Siberian’s knife that took the lives of dozens of Viper’s Den members broke.The broken blade boomeranged and shot toward Siberian’s chest. Siberian managed to shy away from a direct hit, but the broken blade took his arm off. As blood spurted, Siberian grimaced hard. In fact, Siberian had not taken Robin lightly. Siberian was a prominent killer in the South River State. He knew better than anyone that it took more than guts to be a leade
Siberian was strong. No one could stop him. Siberian was one ferocious beast. “Siberian, your sister tried to assassinate me. I was kind not to kill her then. “Take your problems up with me,” Kaze said curtly, his presence at the railing upstairs. Kaze could not ignore the killing spree happening right outside River Watcher Inn even though he did not know these Viper’s Den members. The whole thing started because of him anyway. Siberian looked up murderously at Kaze and laughed menacingly. “Don’t worry. You’ll die. They’ll die too. “Anyone linked to you must die. “I will kill your family and your friends to avenge my sister.” Siberian’s voice was brutal. He was known for his cold-bloodedness as a professional killer. Kaze narrowed his eyes dangerously. “Kill us all?” Robin, keeping an emotionless face throughout, grinned. “Aren’t you cocky, Siberian?” “Cocky?” Siberian looked at Robin in defiance and said with a smirk, “Who do you think you are? Who are
“Kaze, get your ass down here to face your death.” Not sparing another glance at the Viper’s Den members, Siberian looked up and shouted, “Weren’t you cocky when you tortured my sister? Why are you scared now?“Do you think you can hide from me?” Siberian’s angry voice filled the air. Kaze pissed the long-time killer off. Anzu was Siberian’s sister, and Anzu suffered at the hands of Kaze. Siberian wanted to tear Kaze apart, limb by limb. On the ninth floor of River Watcher Inn, Kaze narrowed his eyes dangerously and got up to head down. “Just enjoy your drink.” Robin stopped Kaze, looked at him, and said, “Don’t you want to see if I have what it takes to recruit you? Well, here’s your chance.”He poured Kaze a drink before holding his cup while looking at the situation downstairs. With Robin showing up near the railing, the young group got the message. “Kill him!” The group yelled before charging toward Siberian with the remaining dozens of Viper’s Den members.