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

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

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

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 could not help but laugh, playfully raising her hand as if to swat him. "You little scamp, always teasing your old grandma. Looks like someone's asking for a timeout. Let's see how I'm going to straighten you out."To everyone else, he might be the son-in-law who could not do anything right, but to Old Madam Jones, Elio was her golden boy. She might talk tough, but her eyes were soft with affection, just like he was her own flesh and blood.Ever since she got sick, which of her grandkids, besides Evelyn, actually took the time to drop by? Elio was there for her more than her own grandkids. Her heart was not made of stone; the old lady knew who really had her back.Elio grinned. "Grandma, you wouldn't really smack me, would you? After all, I'm the grandson-in-law you handpicked.""Hmph, always playing the charmer, aren't you? Evelyn's still sore at me, thinking I did her wrong by matching her up with you."Old Madam Jones teased, but then she softened. "Don't hold i