Taylor knew right there and then. Kaze was not leaving her with any choice. After all, she had done a lot of harm. Kaze was a man of power. She could not refuse his requests. “Come on, Rose.” Not wanting to see the disgusting woman anymore, Kaze left Emperor Hall without looking back. Rose even glanced at Taylor in disdain on her way out. The earlier conversation introduced Rose to a whole new world. Rose thought that Taylor was no different than ordinary folks. She was probably a bit of a snob. It never occurred to Rose that Taylor had committed such an unforgivable thing. Once out of Dynasty Hotel, Kaze gave Snow a call. “Snow, get Shane to investigate the real reason behind James’ death. I believe he didn’t jump off the building.” The police wrote off James’ death as suicide because he was depressed from the car crash and career downfall. Everybody even called James a coward. Kaze knew something was fishy right from the start. James was expelled from s
The two women quickly met with Frank. Frank felt a tingle in his loin when he saw Taylor looking vulnerable in tears. “What’s wrong, Taylor?” Frank asked. Taylor recounted the story once more. Frank looked solemn. For the person to gain access to Emperor Hall, they must be untouchable even to the upper society. That included the Goldings. Frank said frustratedly, “I’m not aware of anyone important in Lilyrose. What does he look like? Let me see.” Alisa pulled out a thumb drive. She had all her bases covered. Prior to coming, Alisa requested a surveillance video of Emperor Hall from Dynasty Hotel to keep as evidence. “Hahaha!” Frank burst out laughing when Kaze appeared in the video. “Do you know him, Mr. Golding?” Taylor and Alisa looked at him, wondering why he was laughing. Frank enjoyed a good laugh before uttering, “Taylor, I’ve missed you. It’s been two years since we got it on. “I hold the key to your survival, but perhaps one more taste of that shar
Alisa dragged Taylor back to Dynasty Hotel. The fans who attended the meet-and-greet were still hanging around the venue. Noticing Taylor’s return, they were overjoyed. “Is that a new outfit, Taylor?” “She must have taken a shower. Her hair isn’t dry yet, and she’s already in a rush to see us. She’s too good to us fans.” Feeling moved, the fans kept screaming. To their surprise, Taylor went up on stage and solemnly announced that she would be having an immediate press conference which would be broadcast live. The local press from various agencies soon entered the scene. The press conference began. Without wasting a lot of time on words, an edited clip was projected on the screen. In the video, Taylor kneeled before a young man, explaining something in tears. Holy shit! Gasps filled the room. Taylor was a top-rated celebrity with a huge following. The Internet went wild in less than a minute. With Alicia pumping money into the publicity campaign, Taylor quick
Taylor’s words stirred an uproar. It went crazy online. The God of War was more popular than any A-list celebrity. Alisa did not have to throw money into publicity to make the issue a huge deal anymore. Taylor was trending on social media for crying to the God of War on her knees. Her name and other keywords were trending. The usual breakups, divorces, and scandals that the public loved to hate were no longer going viral. “The God of War’s buddy, James White, assaulted Taylor.”“The God of War’s face exposed.” All terms related to the incident occupied the top ten hashtags. All of Arcadia had their attention at the press conference. The server of all social media platforms went down. The network engineers were summoned late into the night to fix the servers urgently. The press put in the extra shift to publish articles about the press conference. They could expect huge traffic on their sites. “Taylor, are you going to apologize to Shangrila Group and pay your r
That night, the Internet broke. Kaze became famous overnight.“He’s just a loser who takes his wife’s family name. How dare he impersonate the God of War! Who does he think he is?” “This is an insult to the God of War and all citizens.” “I don’t approve of you voicing your opinion for all of us, but I agree that the guy should be executed.” “Kaze doesn’t represent all men who take their wives’ names, but I agree that he should be executed.” Such comments went rampant online. Most of the public spent their night in a rage. They were filled with kindness and a sense of justice. The public could not stand to have the God of War, the national hero, insulted and discredited by a mere son-in-law of a somewhat wealthy family. A petition was set up that night itself. Millions of citizens signed the petition, calling for punishment for Kaze. Some had expressed that they had bought flight tickets to Lilyrose. They summoned the public to protest the city government today
Everybody glared at Kaze. The Quints found themselves blameless for once. Trouble came looking for them when they did nothing at all. For no reason, the public tore into them because of Kaze. “The idiot has ruined our family. He must separate from Darcy now.” “Darcy shouldn’t just divorce. She needs to throw the idiot out. It’s the only way to save our family.” The Quints clamored. They rushed over to force Kaze to cut ties with the Quints. “Don’t think you can talk your way out of it this time, Darcy. Either you divorce the fool, or I’ll have to disown you too,” Master Quint said ruthlessly. “Just do it, Darcy. Why are you still hesitating?” Agnes and Agatha urged. Only Sky and Rose did not want Darcy and Kaze to separate. Nevertheless, their opinions did not matter because they were not taken seriously being the youngest in the family. “Alright. I have made up my mind.” Darcy turned to Kaze with a heart-wrenching smile. “I’ve decided to leave the family wit
“You want me to apologize to the God of War publicly? Did I hear that right?” Kaze was shocked. Was he supposed to issue a public apology to himself? That was dumb. “What? What’s wrong with apologizing to the God of War?” Sky said with pursed lips, “I know you’re badass, Kaze. You’re not a loser like everybody claims you are, but compared to the God of War… “Just forget it. The God of War is in a whole different realm.” Kaze turned to Rose. “Do you think so too, Rose?” “Yeah.” Rose nodded. “I didn’t know much about the God of War before, but after this incident, I realized how terrifying the God of War’s influence is. “Let’s not talk about Taylor, but A-list celebrities like Andrew and Liv can’t compare to the God of War.” The girl uttered with thrill, and at the end of her speech, she solemnly announced, “I’ve announced that the God of War will be my only idol.” “Forget it. I don’t want fans.” Kaze waved his arm. Rose rolled her eyes. Kaze must be out of
The next day, a commotion invaded the quiet area of Skylar View District first thing in the morning. Both families in the villa were woken up by the noise. “Oh, no. Don’t tell me the God of War wants him arrested.” Agnes glared at Kaze anxiously and walked out. Everybody followed suit to see what was going on. Once at the neighborhood entrance, they noticed the gate was crowded.A few Tiger Fang Militia soldiers on duty kept watch of the gate, not letting anybody in. “I’m sorry, Ms. Quint. These people showed no intention of attacking, and they were outside the district. We did not take measures to tighten the security.” With Darcy’s family approaching, the leader of the security team explained. “It’s alright. Sorry to trouble you.” Darcy sighed. Being neighbors with the chief commander had its perks. The area enjoyed enhanced security thanks to the military presence.Otherwise, these people would have broken into the place. Darcy walked over and peeked through
To the young group’s surprise, Kaze pulled through without a hitch. That was not the only thing. Kaze retaliated against Robin and destroyed his beloved harp. The group speculated that Kaze could be stronger than Hannah. They looked at Kaze in horror. Still, it never once occurred to the group that Kaze was more powerful than Robin. Robin raised his arm. The young group got their act together and saluted Robin before taking two steps back. Robin narrowed his eyes at Kaze before uttering, “Not bad.“I didn’t think I’d meet someone of your caliber in Riverbank. “You have a stronger will than most of my men. “Despite your age, you put even the most experienced to shame with that determination of yours.” The young group felt alarmed and ashamed. The members of the execution hall were the elites in the West State Branch. They were the crème de la crème. However, they swayed under the sound wave attack. Though the group was around Kaze’s age, they did not possess h
“Get out!” Kaze gave Hannah the look. Hannah quietly turned around and stumbled her way out. Robin glanced at Kaze as his fingers danced around the harp. “I will behead the general, and once it’s over, tears will fall and fade away.” The tempest of sound took over the room by storm. Kaze felt sent back to his time during the war. He watched his comrades fall. Time lost meaning as the war came to an end. The battle cries subsided, replaced by silence. His brothers-in-arms were no more than a pile of unidentified bones. Even Kaze’s faithful steed whined its farewell. Darkness swallowed the last light over the desolate desert, and he was alone. There was nothing left in the world worth fighting for. No one would remember his death in a faraway land. It was better to die with honor than live in shame. The thought filled Kaze’s head, and emotions overcame him. He was better off dead. Life was not worth living anyway. A voice within tempted Kaze. The craz
Robin did not even look at Collier.Saying nothing, Robin extended his fingers and plucked the harp. “Clang!” A jarring, high-pitched sound wave pierced through everybody’s eardrums. The air was filled with a chilling aura of menace.The serenity on the ninth floor was shattered by the sound of the harp and replaced with malice. Collier and the young group turned pale. Only Robin, Kaze, and Hannah remained unfazed by the attack. “Amid the sweeping wind, the flute’s song echoes in the night. The desert sun descends for the crescent moon above. “To the sound of camel bells, I long for my home. I hold onto my sword, leaving letters where I lay my head.” The wind danced along the melody of General’s Order played by the harp, dropping the temperature down on the ninth floor. Robin’s clothes and hair fluttered against the wind, his face unreadable through it all. His eyes remained cold and distant. General’s Order was a piece known for its unsettling tone. Robin playe
The man’s hypocrisy was sickening. No one stood up for Kaze when Naomi and Rhys slandered him and their fighters tried to end him. When Kaze fought back, there were voices standing on high moral ground to reproach him. “You…” The middle-aged man twitched and breathed his last. The crowd was scared. Kaze was one mean killing machine. Sure, Kaze eliminated the Roads. The Roads were not going to rest until he was dead anyway. However, one man died because of what he had said. It was a clear message not to upset Kaze. Kaze had the taste of blood. He would not stop now. “Get Boris’ head.” Kaze tilted his head at Collier. “Bring it to Robin.” As the crowd watched on with a mix of emotions, Kaze carried the broken sword, the tip dripping with blood, and strode over Boris’ body and into River Watch Inn’s park. Collier led the way, taking Kaze to the ninth floor of River Watcher Inn. The furious wind and swirling clouds added to the building’s height and presence
Boris stumbled back and crashed into the door. The metal door ripped from its hinges and hit the ground. Once the dust settled, the crowd was horrified to find Boris lying limp on the floor. Kaze stood right in front of Boris, his foot on his chest.“Do you have any last words?” Kaze looked down on Boris amusedly, his tone carrying no arrogance. The victory over Boris was no big deal. Boris looked at Kaze in a daze. Kaze was stronger than he could ever imagine. Given another chance, Boris would never upset Kaze at Four Ocean Auction. Boris would not try to retaliate against Kaze even when his son lost his legs. It was a shame that he could not press the reset button. Even if Boris could turn back time, it was highly unlikely that he would show mercy to a moocher. “Ugh…” Boris coughed out blood and said with a struggle, “Kaze, I saved the Godfather before. If you kill me, you will be dead—” “Slash!” Kaze cut Boris off with a stab in the heart. Blood spur
Following the clash of metal, Kaze moved away several feet. The sword in his grasp broke in half, and the tip fell off. Boris grunted, his composed face turning crimson. He staggered and fell back tens of feet too. The crowd was shocked at the thirty-feet shallow pit under Boris’ feet. It was impossible. Twenty years ago, Boris basically had Riverbank in the palm of his hand. Yet, Kaze pushed him back. Anyone could tell that Boris was on the losing end. Boris was in utter disbelief because his wired gloves were splintered by the seams. Reminded by Kaze’s attack at Four Ocean Auction, Boris finally realized how terrifying Kaze was. “I underestimated you, Kaze. “But you killed my wife and son. There’s no going back. You must die today.” Boris looked Kaze dead in the eye and hissed through clenched teeth, “I will kill you!” Kaze raised his sword. The broken sword was still a powerful weapon to Kaze. The air was thick with tension. Boris scowled and flung his
Kaze looked up to Boris barging through the door with his trusted aides. The crowd shied away, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire. The deaths of his son and wife had driven Boris into insanity, and he was out for blood. Anyone would go crazy in the same situation. Boris stared at the bodies of his son and wife menacingly. His eyes turned red at Naomi’s headless corpse.Kaze killed his son, murdered his wife, and beheaded her right in front of Boris. Boris would not stop until Kaze was dead. “Kill him! Kill him!”Boris pointed at Kaze and shouted maniacally, “I don’t care what it takes, but I want him dead!” The deaths of his wife and son were infuriating enough. Boris was aware that Naomi and Rhys would go to Kaze, looking for trouble. He deliberately stayed behind the scenes, giving his wife a chance to punish and kill Kaze. To buy his wife some time to take care of business, Boris stayed on to have drinks with Robin. However, Naomi and Rhys were killed
The security team recoiled in screams and dropped their weapons. Before the musclemen knew it, Kaze raised his sword and inched closer. The blade flashed, its motion a blur.“Slash!” The menacing blade flickered across the throats of the musclemen. A dozen Roads’ fighters fell limp amid the high-pitched squawking. Blood spewed out of the thin slits of their throats. One dozen men breathed their last. The bodies on the floor scared the crowd stiff. No one expected Kaze to be so strong. Kaze was able to come on his own despite the siege. “Get him! Kill him!” Naomi had completely lost it. She yelled at the veteran bruisers, “Kill the asshole! Avenge my son!” The senior fighters were so eager to frame Kaze before. Now, they were scared stiff. Naomi’s order put them in the spot. While they hesitated and even released their grip on their weapons, Kaze struck. “Swoosh!” Kaze swung the sword at the senior fighters. The fighters collapsed to the ground, wailing
Rhys lay limp on the floor, his face forever frozen in disbelief.The crowd was stunned, feeling chills down their spines. One minute ago, Rhys was alive and kicking. However, Kaze took his life with just one squeeze. Kaze’s aggression and hostility when ending Rhys scared them. “Ah! My son!” Reality sunk in after a brief pause. Naomi plunged toward her son’s body with a pale face. Despite shaking Rhys, Naomi shuddered to find that he was no more. She fell on her bottom. It was every parent’s worst nightmare. Besides, she was there to witness the death of her son. The feeling could drive her over the edge. Moments later, Naomi lifted her head, bloody tears running down her eyes. She yelled at Kaze hysterically, “You did this, Kaze! You did this!“Kill him! Kill the jerk!“I want his life for taking my son’s!” Losing her head, Naomi commanded the Roads’ musclemen. The crowd backed away so as not to be caught in the line of fire. “Kill him!” The Roads’ secu