Tension ran high in the Gwakes’ living room once more. Casius fixed on Kaze, his gaze intense. He thought his clash with Kaze was a result of jealousy over Buffy. Now it appeared that there was more to the feud between them. Casius read Kaze’s bloodthirst from his tone. It seemed important to Kaze whether Casius was working for Sanwell Finances. The moment Casius was confirmed to be the traitor to the nation, Kaze would go for his kill. “Hahaha…” Casius burst out laughing, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Is it funny?” Kaze asked aloofly. “Hehe…” Casius stopped laughing and wiped a single teardrop from his eyes. “I was laughing because I didn’t expect you and Mr. Gwake to be patriotic. “The great deputy chief was hesitant to turn his back on the country by working with the Ryokanians.“When I told him I could make him the branch chief, tsk, tsk… “You're more precarious than Mr. Gwake.“At least he’s a long-standing deputy. The only thing he stands to lose is
Casius was dumbstruck. Kaze and the Powells kept the information from the public as the identity of the God of War was exposed, and the Glowmoss Powells had a reputation to protect. Hence, the upper crust of Riverbank had heard about the Powells’ operation in Lilyrose. However, barely anybody knew the details. Casius was now aware that Kaze was involved. He had heard about the Glowmoss Powells. Casius understood that the family held authority in the Glowmoss military and the family extensions all across Arcadia. It was said that Neegan, who was going to be the governor of the South River State, was one of the Powells. Kaze made the Glowmoss Powells grovel at his feet back in Lilyrose, and Casius could not believe it. Casius got an idea why Kaze had become the Viper’s Den West State Branch leader. “Go on,” Casius stared at Kaze and uttered.He could tell that Kaze had more to say. Kaze said, “Before getting to Riverbank, I happened to be in charge of Lilyrose’s priv
Picking up on Kaze’s intent to kill, Casius grimaced. In the end, Casius made an amused look. “I guess you’re out for my life today.“But I love life too much. I still have a lot to live for. “So I don’t want to die. “Besides, I don’t know what makes you think that I’d die at your hands—” “Swoosh!” Kaze got right in Casius’ face before the latter could finish his sentence. He got Casius by the throat right away. Hank and the other suited men could not react to the change in time. They raised their weapons and aimed at Kaze with grimaces. “Let Mr. Weather go.” Hank hissed through clenched teeth. Hannah clenched her sword and said to Hank, her eyes fixating on him, “You better not point that thing at the branch leader.” Hank had a flashback of Hannah hurling her sword just moments ago. Still, he pointed at Kaze firmly. “What do you think now, Mr. Weather?” Without looking at Hank and his party, Kaze fixed on Casius’ purple lips. He smiled pretentiously. “My han
“Thud!” Rio went for a downward blow, slicing down on Hannah. The sheer force of the attack enveloped Hannah. Faced with the magnitude of the impact, Hannah grimaced. Without time to think, she flinched back and thrust her sword forward. They were both trained in great swordsmanship. The blades met with a burst of intensity. “Clang!”Sparks exploded in the air, and the grating of metal could make anybody’s skin crawl. Hannah dropped back, nearly slamming her weight on the floor. She made a face, unable to shake the lingering impact from the slash of Rio’s blade. The sheer force hung heavily over Hannah, even bending her sword. While descending from mid-air, Rio sank his weight down. Hannah hunkered down, her back nearly touching the floor. Still, she stayed rooted to her feet. Rio remained indifferent. He pressed on, coming on with stronger force. Rio pinned Hannah to the ground with his sword. Hannah had been to hell and back many times before. She re
“Damn it!”With Hannah surviving the attack, Casius grimaced. Hannah was strong, but Casius could see that Rio had her cornered. Hannah was just one step away from death. Yet, she managed to turn things around. It was true that Hannah was most likely to succeed within the Viper’s Den West State Branch, but Rio was one of the elites of the Refined Blades. They ranked high in their field. Rio’s strong attack did not kill Hannah, making her a powerful opponent. That was not the point, though. Hannah’s death was beneficial to Casius’ situation and his upcoming plan. That was the problem. Hannah was not dead. Since the ambush did not work, Rio would find it harder to kill a potent fighter like Hannah. Nevertheless, Hannah seemed incapacitated, at least for now. She would not be able to go on with the fight tonight. Though disappointed, Casius felt lighter in mood. He turned to Kaze with a smile. “How about it, Kaze? What do you think of my backup? Good enough fo
Kaze released his grip and smiled faintly. “Are you that confident that the Ryokanian can save you? “Have you ever wondered why I didn’t kill you on the spot? Instead, I waited until he showed up.” Casius’ gaze became shifty. “Are you trying to tell me that you delayed killing me to lure Mr. Sho out?” “I see that you have redeeming qualities.” Kaze said callously, “Jude lost everything, and I trashed your Bronze Sparrow. Neely and Granny Snake died at the hands of South. I’d say the odds aren’t in Jude’s favor too. “Yet, you are confident that Jude will make branch chief, so you must be turning to external forces. “With your connections, your only choice is to grovel at the feet of Ryokanians. “In that case, why wait tonight for the Ryokanian? I’m better off luring him out and killing him all at once.” Kaze spoke emotionlessly as if he was talking about the weather. Stunned at first, Casius quickly sneered. “You can talk a big game, Kaze. “But can you back it up?
Upon getting close to Kaze, Rio pulled out his sword. “Clang!”As the sword was drawn, a powerful energy came from within the shining blade. A wave of dread washed over the crowd. Channeling his rage, Rio unleashed his full power. He launched his most devastating blow to slice Kaze in half. Only a good revenge could quell his rage and prove his dominance over the Arcadian. Hannah, having faced Rio head-on, blurted, “Watch out, Mr. Lee. There’s something weird about this Ryokanian’s technique…” “Swoosh!” Kaze raised his arm and struck with his broken sword. The blinding flicker of the blade carried a low humming sound. The crowd wondered if their ears were deceiving them. Kaze retrieved his blade while Rio stopped advancing. As no one made a sound, a shadow of dread loomed over. “What’s the matter, Mr. Sho? Why aren’t you moving?” Casius, Hank, and the others were taken aback, oblivious to what was going on. The strangest thing then happened. A stark, whit
Casius would kill one of the best fighters if he could draw his sword quickly enough.The words sounded like sarcasm to Casius, and he froze. It was like a Harvard grad telling a community college dropout. “Getting into Harvard is easy, anyone can do it.”Casius was lost for words. The gap between him and Kaze just struck him, at least when it came to combat prowess.With Casius turning pale, Kaze said indifferently, “Now do you finally know why I let you go, Mr. Weather?“I don’t need to hold you hostage. “You and your people are no threat. “I’d suggest that you don’t fight back because it’s pointless.“Now kneel and tell me everything about you and the Ryokanians that is important and not privy to me. “I might spare your life for now if you come to use for me,” Kaze said with a smile while throwing the broken sword back to Hannah. It appeared Kaze’s streak of violence ended after Rio was dead. “Kneel and explain my ties with Sanwell Finances?” Snapping back to re
Hannah, Collier, and the others were shocked. They did not expect Jude to possess the Nether Viper Sword and even revealed it to all the agents. They lost the advantage over the situation as soon as the sword was revealed. They even noticed some of the Viper’s Den agents showed murderous intent when looking at Kaze. Only Kaze remained unfazed in the gym. He smiled and said, “Jude Gwake, do you think that sword makes you the branch leader of the West State Viper’s Den?” “Hmph! Stop with your nonsense!” Jude grunted with disdain and said, “I have the sword and you have nothing. “Kneel before me and I might consider leaving your body intact. You should know that from what you did to me, this is already considered merciful.” Looking at the frantic Jude, Buffy’s eyes teared up. Her father transformed into a monster hungry for power before she even realized it. Now, the greed for power had driven him mad completely. “Is that so?” Kaze smiled and then walked toward Jud
As doubts spread across the room, Jude put his hands behind his back casually, and his stiffened expression finally showed a hint of delight. He wanted to use the crowd’s anger to create chaos. If he could incite the crowd to attack Kaze, the sheer number would overwhelm him no matter how strong he was physically. Moreover, his reinforcement was on the way. The reinforcements he called were Casius and Rio, one of the ten strongest of the Refined Blade Clan. When his reinforcements arrived, he would reveal the fact that he had been working with the Ryokanians if it meant killing Kaze. If he could become the branch leader, he would have the power to cover it up easily. Then, he would become the hero who exposed the fraud who impersonated the late ex-branch leader! To bring someone to their downfall, the first step would be driving them mad. Jude was already one step away from his grave, the situation cornering him and fueling an even greater ambition within him. He wa
At this moment, the faces of Jude’s followers, who spoke up earlier, paled and their bodies were shaking. Kaze was indeed appointed as the branch leader by Autumn, the Viper Queen. Who else dared to question the legitimacy of his identity? Not even Jude dared to oppose the superior Viper Queen. More importantly, Kaze revealed that he was tasked by the Viper Queen to cleanse the West State Viper’s Den. Cleanse? Despite being a word related to cleaning, it reeked of blood. Lives would be lost and blood would flow like rivers. Kaze made himself clear enough. His cleansing operation started with the South River Branch and Jude and his loyal followers were the targets. At that very moment, in their eyes, Kaze had transformed into a monster with bloody fangs, ready to devour them. The thought frightened them. Those who berated and criticized Kaze earlier wanted to kneel and beg for mercy, hoping that Kaze would spare them. Hannah’s agents also quickly secured all the exit
“You’ve committed such atrocity and still have the nerve to meddle with the Viper’s Den affair? “You dare claim to be the new branch leader? Do you think we’re fools? We won’t fall for this charade with your hired actors playing along! “If you know what’s good for you, be honest and tell us why you killed the ex-branch leader! How dare you come here and mess with our affairs?!” Jude pointed at Kaze angrily, shouting his questions at him. Kaze looked at Jude as if he was a clown. He then looked at the other upset agents and said, “First of all, I didn’t kill Magnus Fuller. I simply broke him and crippled him.” He did not kill Magnus but only broke him? What kind of ridiculous nonsense was that? Many of the agents could not accept such a ludicrous answer. However, when they recalled how Kaze had sent Bruce flying with just one slap, no one dared to voice their doubts. Magnus was certainly stronger than Bruce, and Kaze might have sent Bruce flying with just one slap, but i
All sorts of voices echoed in the gym. Even the agents who served Jude started to look at Kaze with reverence and respect. When Jude gave the order, many instinctively prepared to act, driven by their loyalty to him. However, now that they found out Kaze was the branch leader, the thought of carrying out Jude’s order vanished. The branch leader and the branch chief might sound similar, and one might assume they shared the same authority, but both positions were worlds apart. There was only one branch leader in the entire West State while more than a dozen individuals held the branch chief position. It was likened to the mayors of cities within a state with one governor—both positions were incomparable. “How did he become the branch leader all of a sudden?” “This is bad! This is over! Jude’s career is over!” Hope fell back onto her chair in shock, her face paled. She recalled the scenes with Kaze and then it hit her that Kaze had always treated and looked at her and
Seeing Hannah and Collier kneel, the other agents of the South River Branch immediately mirrored the action. “Branch Leader!” “If the branch leader isn’t a part of the Viper’s Den and has no right to be in the ring, then who else in the West State Viper’s Den has the right?” As Hannah and Collier revealed Kaze’s identity, the other agents chanted his name fanatically. The entire gym was once again stunned. The air froze. It felt even stiffer when Kaze slapped Bruce away. Branch leader of the West State Viper’s Den, Kaze Lee?! Everyone was shocked when Hannah and Collier referred to Kaze as the branch leader. They could neither comprehend the situation nor contain their shock. Hope, who was glaring at Kaze with her friends in the VIP seat, widened her mouth in shock. Her body was shaking instinctively and her face paled. Did she hear Hannah and Collier correctly? Kaze was not a branch chief but the branch leader? There were only so many branch leaders in the Vipe
Survival of the fittest. Only the strong were worshiped within the Viper’s Den. Kaze was able to send Bruce flying with just a slap, solid proof of his unrivaled strength that was worthy of their respect and reverence. Kaze raised his hand and gradually silenced the entire gym. The audience going silent when signaled was proof that Kaze had earned their respect through the fight. “Deputy Chief Gwake, I believe you will have to be deputy for the rest of your life.” Kaze turned around to Jude and looked at him with a smirk. Jude’s expression ashened and Kaze’s words made his face twitch uncontrollably. Kaze’s strength once again surprised him. He even started to suspect that the whole match was a show that Kaze and Bruce put on just to fool him. However, he realized the thought was ridiculous because if he voiced his concerns, he would only embarrass himself even more. He was deeply aggrieved as well because after Kaze defeated Bruce with one slap, he had no one els
Kabaam! The two palms collided with extreme speed, causing the air to explode like a bomb. “He even met Bruce’s palm with his own? He’s full of himself.” “His arm is certainly broken now.” “He’s going to be a cripple!” Even though it was surprising that Kaze was able to dodge the first punch, the audience still mocked and sneered at him when he decided to exchange palm strikes with Bruce. To them, Kaze foolishly exposed his weakness and did not know how to utilize his position. He must have lost his mind. However, what happened next was not Kaze’s arm breaking or him being sent flying away by Bruce’s palm strike. It was Bruce who looked pale and shocked, fear then covered his face. His arm which contained explosive power that could punch a bull to death started to weaken and soften. Then, Kaze’s slap penetrated Bruce’s defense without any delay and landed on his face. Slap! The hit echoed across the gym. At the next moment, Bruce’s body was sent flying out of
“Kaze Lee?” Bruce was taken aback for a moment before he cackled viciously. Intense murderous intentions erupted from him. The temperature in the gym felt even colder. The noise in the audience went silent. People’s eyes widened, glued to the ring as they held their breaths. With the murderous aura, Bruce was like a monster from the night. His aura swept the field, overwhelming everything. It was a rare opportunity for them to witness someone as powerful as Bruce in action. Many of them believed Kaze would eventually be defeated, or killed. They widened their eyes, hoping to capture every bit of detail in the upcoming action. “Die!” Without wasting time, the angry Bruce charged forward at Kaze like a steam train. The force and momentum of his charge could easily crush an adult bull. Despite the murderous intent attacking his face, Kaze remained unfazed and did not even enter a defensive stance. “He must be stunned by Bruce’s attack!” “What gave him the ner