The old factory was thick with the smell of blood. Outside, a mastiff went wild at the noise, its howls growing scarier by the second, enough to send shivers down everyone's spine. Elio watched from the sidelines with a cool detachment, impressed by Felix and his crew. They were proving to be top-notch bodyguards, handling the thugs with no sweat. He was pretty pleased with their performance. However, there was one guy who did not get the memo, a scruffy man with a hint of a beard, trying to pull a fast one. He crept up to Elio, flicked open a switchblade, and lunged for his chest with a chilling flash of metal. Elio, spotting the sneak out of the corner of his eye, dodged the blade with a quick sidestep, grabbed the guy's wrist with an iron grip, yanked the knife away, and jabbed it into his shoulder before stepping back to avoid the blood spray. The move was lightning-fast and brutal; the bearded guy did not stand a chance. He screamed, clutching his bleeding shoulder, staggeri
Wendell, gritting his teeth through the pain, growled, "I'm not letting this go. I'm not a man if I do. Get on it and dig up everything on this punk. Then we'll hit back.""Got it... understood."His crew scrambled to agree, though some were secretly thinking this kid was bad news and not someone to mess with lightly.On the highway, Elio sat in the Land Cruiser's passenger seat, his expression stormy. It was not the tough guy Wendell that got to him—he was nothing. No, it was the way Old Master Jones and Charlie had smeared his name that stuck in his craw.He had been through worse, though. After all, he had survived over a year as the butt of every joke, living under his in-laws' roof. Nothing fazed him anymore.Seeing Evelyn, his girl, treated so badly, her heart in pieces—that he could not stand. No one messed with his woman. They would all pay.After a moment of thought, Elio gave his orders, "Payne, Andy, start tonight. Keep tabs on Old Master Jones and Charlie. I want upda
The Kaze no Aji restaurant, a jewel of the Auton family, had stood in Cloudsea for years. Its staff, thirty strong, were ninjas all, placed there by Susanne, the Auton Group's matriarch, to serve as her son's hidden guardians—a blade in the dark.Profit was a secondary concern; their true mission was to shield Elio, the heir, from unseen dangers.All this was kept from Elio, a secret held close by Susanne until his decade of trials neared its end.Now that Elio was stepping into his role as Master Rinz, the veil of secrecy was lifted. Susanne's parting words to her son: use the ninjas well. In the cutthroat world of business, enemies lurked, and one must always be ready for the unexpected.In the shadowed hallway, a sea of ninjas knelt, a silent testament to their reverence for Master Rinz. By day, they were the picture of normalcy: elegant shop owners, chefs with killer authentic moves, and lively young waitresses. When the sun set, however, they traded aprons for stealth, honing
Among them was Kaori Hashimoto, a petite girl with a sweet face and the team captain's badge. She put on her game face and asked, "Master Rinz, are we doing this one-on-one, or is it an all-in rumble like old times?"Elio's grin was all confidence. "Come on, every single one of you. I've got this. And hey, if you manage to beat me, I'll give each of you a cool gift. Deal?"A chorus of excited squeals rang out as more than ten girls huddled up, whispering and plotting their next move like they were gearing up for a secret mission.With a casual flick of his wrist, Elio signaled for his weapon. The quick-stepping Yoshiko was right there, handing him a bamboo sword that was every bit as long and hefty as a katana but made for training. Gripping it firmly, he swung through the air, the blade cutting a whooshing sound that promised a challenge."Bring it on!"At Master Rinz's command, Kaori's voice cut through the air, "Get ready, team. Attack mode, now!"Like a burst of starlings, th
The crowd was a mix of seasoned ninjas who, by daylight, played the roles of shopkeeper, chef, and jack-of-all-trades. Now, they were all chuckling and whooping it up, clapping their hands and dancing around in pure glee.Their ringleader, Yoshiko, chided them with a chuckle, "Come on, you rascals, get up! Don't squash Master Rinz flat!"A gaggle of girls, still eager for more fun, sassily shot back, "As if! Master Rinz isn't some clay figurine—we cannot squish him!""Let's just bunk down like this tonight. With Master Rinz as our mattress, we're in for some sweet dreams, teehee..."Lucky for Elio, these ninja gals were light as feathers, each barely tipping the scales at a hundred pounds. Otherwise, he would be pancaked by now.As they giggled, they got to their feet, untied Elio, and could not resist sneaking in a few playful pinches. After all, it wasn't every day they got to be this up close and personal with Master Rinz.Elio rose, his cheeks tinged with pink, thinking these
The girls snickered behind their hands, eagerly anticipating Master Rinz's response. They were all love-struck teens who had not yet had their own romances, and they were totally into this kind of gossip.Elio thought back to his own "marriage" – if you could call it that. He had been bunking on the floor, technically married but as untouched by love as he was on his wedding day. At twenty-five, he was still a bachelor, his first kiss yet to be claimed. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Man, it was complicated!Admitting the truth would be way too mortifying. So Elio puffed up his chest and boasted, "Oh, absolutely! My wife isn't just a knockout; she's sweet as pie. Every night, she starts with a foot wash, follows up with a massage, and let's just say... she's amazing in every way, if you catch my drift..."The girls burst into giggles, throwing out compliments like confetti. "Wow, your lady sounds like the perfect wife and mom. She's incredible!"Grinning, Nami Fujiwara said
Elio's suite was a stone's throw from his office, a combo of living room, bedroom, and study that screamed luxury—almost on par with a five-star hotel and way beyond the Jones family's place. It was like comparing the earth to the sky.Elio slipped into the study and nudged the towering bookshelf aside to unveil the secret safe tucked away behind it. He punched in the code and pressed his thumb against the scanner. With a heavy thunk, the towering safe swung open, revealing stacks of cash worth millions and a trove of property titles and assorted papers.Elio had eyes only for one thing. He reached into the heart of the safe and pulled out a small cloth bundle, then he carefully locked everything up again and slid the bookshelf back into place.He laid the bundle on his desk and unwrapped it, revealing a collection of thirty-three silver instruments, each about the length of his hand, and five gold instruments that were something else entirely. The silver ones were just your averag
Old Madam Jones was pushing seventy, her hair a crown of silver, her face smooth and her bearing regal. One look at her, and you knew she had been a knockout back in the day. She lit up with a smile when she saw Elio. Though she was the old master's wife, she had a soft spot for her grandson-in-law. Indeed, it was her decision to go against the grain and bless the marriage between Evelyn and Elio, welcoming him into the family with open arms.Fate has a funny way of bringing people together!Three years back, May, the housemaid, was out at the market picking up groceries when a pair of motorbike-riding thugs snatched her wallet. Elio, who happened to be making deliveries nearby, sprang into action. He chased the crooks down and got May's wallet back.Old Madam Jones got wind of Elio's heroics and would not rest until she had thanked him personally. She insisted on having him over for dinner, and Elio, with no way to politely refuse, showed up at the grand Jones estate for the meal.