A half-hour later, a brisk knock preceded Hana's entrance. She slipped inside, carrying a small bag of groceries, but her expression was unusually tense.
"Update," Hana said, keeping her voice low as she glanced at Luna, who was now sitting by Yuki's feet. "My aunt—the landlady—is back from her trip. She's already downstairs complaining about the dust in the hallway."
Yuki stiffened. "Does she suspect anything?"
"No. She thinks I'm just helping you out with meals because you're a 'clueless teen,'" Hana whispered, rolling her eyes. "She's completely oblivious to our 'Ghost' guest, and I intend to keep it that way. But it means we have to be silent. No loud noises, no running water late at night. If she hears a child's voice in here, she'll be up with a spare key in five seconds."
Hana settled all the groceries down and looked directly into Yuki's eyes. "Why are you hiding Luna?"
He tilted his head, confused. "To protect her."
"Is this really the best way? You should just hand this case over to another club in the Vanguard. This is too much for us to handle." Hana tightly clenched her fists and looked down at her feet. "I'm scared, Kinatarou-kun. This is dangerous; we could end up dead. Seri Kyorin has her family backing her up, but me and you could get killed. My aunt could get dragged into this." Hana's voice became shaky and it was visible that she was scared.
She had no idea Yuki was from a powerful Royal family. She knew about the powerful Kinatarou family, the legendary warrior bloodline, but she thought Yuki only had the same last name as coincidence.
Yuki looked at Hana and realized that she was really scared. The entire situation was dangerous and he has dragged her into it without thinking.
"I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Koshaku-san." He said while holding Luna's hand. "You've done a lot for me and Luna but I'm not going to hand her over to a club in the Vanguard. If the Crimson Hawks are capable of something like this, then the other clubs are too. I can't trust anyone right now. I'm thinking of asking my brother for help tomorrow. He's Satoshi Kinatarou."
"Satoshi.... Kinatarou?" Hana's memory flashed back to seeing a young man with black hair that had blue tips. She had watched him battle several enemies and come out on top. "The Captain of the number one club is your brother?"
Yuki nodded.
"You're a Kinatarou? Part of the warrior bloodline?" Hana's eyes widened with curiosity.
"You should know this. You call me by my last name all the time."
"I didn't know you were an heir. You're a Royal. But why are you living here?" Hana gestured towards the entire apartment. Her knees grew weak upon this realization.
"Don't pry." Yuki stated in the most playful tone ever. But Hana felt like she had just received the most dangerous warning ever.
"Okay, I'll let you decide what to do with Luna. But please, I'd like that me and my aunt don't get hurt. I also don't want Luna to get hurt either."
"What about me?" Yuki pointed at himself and asked.
"You can die for all I care." She said while going into the kitchen to prepare some food.
Yuki and Luna looked at each other after her last statement, they both definitely saw her as a scary big sister.
The next morning Yuki set out incredibly early just to get to the Kyorin mansion on time.
The air was bitingly cold when Yuki reached the outskirts of the city where the estates began. The Kyorin Mansion didn't have a driveway; it had a forest path that shouldn't have existed in the middle of an industrial district.
At the entrance stood two massive pillars of stone, but they were strangled by thick, pulsating vines that glowed with a faint, bioluminescent green. As Yuki stepped forward, the vines uncoiled with a sound like grinding teeth, the "Ironwood" gates swinging open without a single hinge.
Seri was waiting just inside the courtyard. She was dressed in a traditional training gi, her green hair tied back. She looked different here—less like a schoolgirl and more like a soldier.
"You look rather different." Seri commented while pointing at Yuki's outfit. He was wearing black shorts that covered his knees and a black sleeveless shirt. He topped it off with white running shoes.
"You have no idea how different you look." Yuki retorted.
"I told my father about you and your request. He said he'd consider it because you're a Royal, but he has to meet you first." Seri informed.
"He's in the inner garden," she said. "Remember, Yuki. Don't try to impress him with words. He can hear the rhythm of your heart through the ground. If you lie, or if you're weak, he'll know before you even speak."
They walked through a path of towering bamboo that seemed to lean in toward Yuki as he passed. Finally, they reached a wide, stone-floored dojo that was open to the elements.
In the center sat Lord Genji Kyorin.
He was massive, his presence so heavy that Yuki felt like the gravity in the room had doubled. Genji was pruning a small bonsai tree with a pair of shears that looked like they could snip through steel. He didn't look up, but the moment Yuki's foot touched the dojo floor, a ripple of green energy shivered through the moss at the edge of the stones.
Genji's voice boomed, deep and resonant. "My daughter says you have a 'burning desire.' But fire is easy to start, boy. It's the frost that survives the winter. Tell me... why should I waste my breath on a failure of a Kinatarou like you?"
Yuki clenched his fists tightly upon hearing his last statement. He smiled brightly and spoke slowly. "I'm going to become one of the strongest kizo users. I need your help to achieve this dream." Yuki bowed deeply. "Please accept me as your student."