It must be said that Leo's opening move, a preemptive strike, truly stunned everyone in the Yuuki Family.
After calming down, weighing all the pros and cons, and considering all possible paths forward and back, the Yuuki Family ultimately accepted the conditions Leo proposed, allowing Yuuki Asuna to transfer to Chiba and attend Sobu High School.
Kyoko Yuuki had initially objected, believing that even if Yuuki Asuna had to transfer to Chiba, there was no need for her to live in Leo's house. Her worries were clear as day, but Leo simply repeated his earlier statement.
"Your daughter is already mine, so anything I do is only natural," Leo said slowly, causing Kyoko Yuuki to frown deeply and Yuuki Asuna's pretty face to flush slightly.
As a prominent family from Tokyo, these people probably never expected to encounter someone like Leo, who was impervious to reason yet someone they couldn't do anything about, forcing them to swallow all the bitter consequences.
Seeing that they still looked uncertain, unable to fully accept the sudden shift in circumstances, Leo spoke calmly.
"From the moment Asuna became my Retainer, she has already left the world you belong to."
"She is destined to embark on a path completely different from your world in the future. Even if she doesn't become a devil, she will be recruited by one of the three factions."
"Because she is a born Sacred Gear Holder, and the Sacred Gear she possesses is extremely powerful. Once the Sacred Gear within her awakens, even if no dangerous Rogue Demon comes for her, more dangerous devils or Fallen Angels will, and she might even be abducted by some dark, evil organizations. Do you want to see that happen?"
These words plunged the three members of the Yuuki Family into complete silence.
After a long while, they finally reluctantly accepted all of Leo's arrangements, completely entrusting Yuuki Asuna to him.
"A wise choice." Leo nodded in satisfaction, saying, "Don't worry, I will take good care of Asuna. Whenever she has time, I will let her return to see you."
The discussion had reached its end.
At least, on the topic of Yuuki Asuna, it was.
However, to Leo's surprise, Shozo Yuuki cautiously asked him a question afterwards.
"Mr. Leo, is there a way for ordinary humans like us to master supernatural powers without being reincarnated as a devil like Asuna?"
This nationally renowned capitalist actually asked such a question, causing Kyoko Yuuki and Koichiro Yuuki, who were beside him, to unconsciously hold their breath.
"Quite ambitious, Mr. Yuuki." Leo looked at Shozo Yuuki with a hint of amusement and said, "What? You really want power?"
"...If possible." Shozo Yuuki hesitated repeatedly but ultimately decided to speak truthfully, saying to Leo, "Since there are beings like you and supernatural powers in this world, it proves that everything we possess could be easily overturned."
"But humans have remained the dominant life form in this world until now, so even if it's only on the surface, there must be a reason for it."
"For example, the Church you mentioned. Since they can fight against devils and Fallen Angels alongside angels, they must possess supernatural powers not inferior to the latter, right?"
"They are also human, aren't they?"
When Shozo Yuuki said these words, he didn't show any expression of longing or greed; instead, there was a sense of worry.
His demeanor suggested that rather than wanting supernatural powers, he was more concerned about everything he currently possessed being destroyed by such power.
Leo's consistent assertiveness and unquestionable authority made him feel helpless, but also generated a very strong sense of crisis.
He couldn't help but wonder what he would do if he encountered a similar situation in the future.
Would he still helplessly accept it, as he did today?
But not every transcendent race that wields supernatural power is like Leo, who only wanted their daughter.
What if the next person who came wanted more? Or even wanted everything he had?
Shozo Yuuki inevitably had such thoughts, such a sense of crisis.
This was the kind of foresight a person in a high position should have: being prepared for danger in times of peace, not waiting for things to happen before reacting, which would only drive oneself into a desperate situation.
From this, it could be seen that Shozo Yuuki indeed had a certain breadth of vision.
"Since you are Asuna's father, I will enlighten you." Leo picked up the tea Yuuki Asuna had brewed for him, took a sip, and calmly said, "Humans can indeed master supernatural powers, and fighting against devils and Fallen Angels is not a dream."
"Sacred Gears, magic, immortal arts... as long as one has the correct methods, humans can also cultivate and possess their own supernatural powers."
"It is precisely because of this that everything humans possess has not been easily overturned as you said, and they hold a superficial dominant position."
"The Church is one place where such power can be obtained. Besides that, various reclusive mage organizations are also an option, but their quality varies. If one accidentally joins an organization with bad intentions, they will only suffer for it."
Seeing the Yuuki Family listening attentively, Leo thought for a moment and finally decided to give them a bit of an opportunity.
"If you are truly interested in supernatural powers, I suggest you try to contact the local reclusive families."
These words made the members of the Yuuki Family pause, then their spirits lifted.
"Local reclusive families?" Koichiro Yuuki quickly asked, "Are there still reclusive families in this country that possess supernatural powers?"
"Yes," Leo nodded, saying, "Since ancient times, this country has had a group of extraordinary individuals, such as exorcists or sorcerers, who specialize in hunting aberrations."
"They maintain the orthodoxy of Shintoism while slaying demons and monsters, eliminating or suppressing many native yokai to prevent them from harming the human world."
"Some of them live in seclusion, while others have close ties with the mundane world, maintaining contact with many important figures, secretly protecting them and the safety of the country."
"To be honest, your Yuuki Family has considerable influence in Tokyo. I originally investigated you to see if you had any connections with reclusive families, but the result is obvious: the Yuuki Family has not yet come into contact with such existences."
Hearing this, Kyoko Yuuki, whose expression had been poor, no longer cared about anything else and asked Leo for guidance.
"Are there any prominent families that have close ties with these reclusive families?"
This was an interesting question. It seemed this university professor wanted to know if she could use her connections to reach out to these people and have them provide an introduction.
However... "That question is a bit difficult for me, as I haven't paid much attention to that kind of thing," Leo glanced at Kyoko Yuuki, then said, "I only know that one family definitely has connections with those reclusive families, and they also have many capable individuals working for them."
"Who?"
The members of the Yuuki Family immediately asked in unison, including Yuuki Asuna, who also showed a curious expression.
Then, Leo uttered a name.
"The Shinomiyas."
Hearing this name, the faces of the Yuuki Family members changed.
Shinomiya, this was a surname that anyone living in this country could not possibly not know.
It was a zaibatsu, and a very, very large zaibatsu, said to own over a thousand subsidiaries, with total group assets exceeding 200 trillion Japanese yen. It was a behemoth that could make the country tremble with just a slight movement, and whose every action through the global financial system could potentially trigger chain reactions affecting the entire international market.
Compared to the Shinomiya Family, the Yuuki Family was just a minor player.
At least, if the Yuuki Family fell, there would be many capitalists to replace it, but if the Shinomiya Family fell, this country would likely suffer a severe blow.
Therefore, the Shinomiya Family was also called the heart of the nation, the most prominent among prominent families, the most distinguished among prestigious families, an existence at the very top.
In this country, the only power greater than the Shinomiya Family was the national government itself, which showed how formidable this zaibatsu was.
"I once heard it said that the Shinomiya Family has connections with many reclusive families, including even the Five Great Clans."
Leo's voice slowly rang out.
"Doumon, Kushihashi, Shinra, Himejima, Hyakki... These are the leaders of all extraordinary individuals in this country's industry. It is said that the Shinomiya Family has maintained good relations with them for a very long time, and even secretly funded them. Therefore, many people from the Five Great Clans have been recruited and employed by the Shinomiya Family, specifically responsible for the personal safety of important figures in the Shinomiya Family."
Shinra Tsubaki had once told Leo this; otherwise, Leo would not have known.
And why Shinra Tsubaki knew these things... her surname revealed it.
Shinra Tsubaki was a member of the Shinra Family, one of the Five Great Clans.
Leo merely relayed what Shinra Tsubaki had once mentioned to him to the Yuuki Family, which was like offering a borrowed flower.
As for why Shinra Tsubaki told him these things, it was at Sona Sitri's behest.
"I don't want you to suddenly go to the Shinomiya Family one day to recruit Retainers and then clash with the people of the Five Great Clans."
These were Sona Sitri's exact words.
"You can try talking to the Shinomiya Family. Perhaps you will find something?"
Leo ended the topic with a single sentence, not continuing the conversation.
The members of the Yuuki Family looked at each other, and finally firmly remembered Leo's words.
No matter what, they had to try, didn't they?
Although the Yuuki Family was nothing in front of the Shinomiya Family, being in the same business world, there would always be some channels to establish connections.
If it succeeded, the Yuuki Family could also gain access to supernatural powers.
That way, perhaps the Yuuki Family could reach a higher level.