Campione: Strongest# 419: Do You Want to Know the End?

After mercilessly dismissing another overconfident suitor, Ryougi Shiki finally found some peace.

In the corner of the grand banquet hall, she sat expressionlessly in a soft, white armchair, her empty gaze fixed on the bustling crowd.

The lecherous young heirs of the various families, having learned that she was not to be trifled with, now steered clear of her, giving the young woman the quiet she desired.

Ryougi Shiki stared ahead, her expression blank, silently calculating the time until the banquet ended. On any other day, she would have long since left such a boring gathering. But this was her older brother’s birthday party. As his younger sister, she couldn't just leave. So, she had no choice but to endure.

—————

“Disgusting humans.” Her delicate ears twitched. Shiki turned her head and looked at the young men chatting nearby. Though she didn't want to, her hearing, sharper than a normal person’s, allowed her to clearly hear their conversation.

“Sai, have you tried the kimono-clad beauty in the west? I hear she's the sister of the party's host.”

“Sigh, don’t even mention it. She’s beautiful, but she’s too cold. It feels like talking to a block of ice. I couldn’t stand it. Compared to her, I prefer the daughter of the Ogura family. That figure, that gentle personality, tsk tsk...”

“Oh, so you’ve tried? Then I’ll go and test the ‘waters’ myself.”

“Hey, quick, look at the door. See that girl? Which family is she from?”

“Hiss! She’s gorgeous. Wait, isn't that the second son of the Asagami family beside her?”

“Who cares? I’m going to give it a try.”

“Too late. The man of the hour has already made his move. Didn’t they say he was a gentleman? Heh, he’s one of us, isn't he?”

“Hmm?” Her dark eyebrows twitched. Shiki looked at the main entrance with a hint of surprise.

Her usually submissive older brother seemed to have found a new purpose. For the first time, he was exuding a sense of masculinity, his arms wrapped around a beautiful, black-haired woman who... seemed somehow off.

Though to a normal person, Kaname Ryougi just looked gentle and helpful, as his younger sister, she keenly noticed the arm that was wrapped possessively around the other’s waist.

“So, my brother has found someone he likes.” Though she was a little shocked, Shiki quickly calmed down.

She was quite fond of this brother who had always taken care of her. Since he had found someone he liked, she was inclined to support him, even if she keenly sensed that there was something wrong with that woman.

Just then, a figure behind her brother caught her eye.

He wore clothing slightly different from a kimono, seemingly the traditional dress of the mainland. He was about 1.75 meters tall, with silver, ear-length hair. Though his face leaned towards the feminine, it was filled with a powerful, oppressive force that made one keenly aware he was a man.

However, Shiki’s focus was not on any of that.

An inexplicable impulse surged from her heart to her mind. It was an impulse she had known since childhood, but this was more ferocious, more intense than ever before.

That person... that man... I want to... I really want to—

—kill him!

Her bright, agate-like eyes were now filled with a sharp, murderous intent. Shiki, who was already as cold as ice to others, now had an added touch of gloomy, bewitching danger.

In her line of sight, the moment before she unleashed her killing intent, the youth opposite her had already noticed it, meeting her eyes with a sharp gaze of his own.

He's not a normal person!

A bolt of lightning flashed through her mind. Shiki stared at his deep gray pupils, a hint of astonishment in her eyes.

—————

Haru silently stared at Shiki.

She wore a ladies’ furisode kimono with a white background and red trim. At first glance, she had a masculine air, but on closer inspection, her face was as delicate as that of a classical beauty.

Though young, her developed figure was like a rare, untouchable flower blooming on a remote mountain peak, exuding a coldness that kept people at a distance.

“How strange,” Haru thought, his expression curious. How could the murderous intent of a young predator escape the keen intuition of a God-Slayer?

The moment her killing intent had arisen, Haru had locked onto her figure in the crowd of hundreds.

When he saw her, his mood had been exceptionally strange. Though the style had shifted from 2D to reality, her distinctive appearance and clothing immediately gave away her identity. She was even more beautiful than any artistic depiction of her.

But this inexplicable murderous intent?

‘To be targeted by Ryougi Shiki, who claims she can kill anything... What kind of coffin should I buy? Taking suggestions. It's urgent,’ Haru thought with a playful expression.

He shook his head, clearing the chaotic thoughts, and strode straight towards her.

Since he was attending a Japanese-style banquet, he was currently wearing a Hanfu, so his steps were measured and small, reminiscent of a scholar from ancient times.

As he approached, Shiki slowly lowered her head. The young woman, sitting in the chair, began to tremble slightly, as if she were suppressing something.

In his perception, her face, hidden in the shadows, had already begun to ooze sweat. The beads slid down her smooth skin to her slightly pointed chin before slowly dripping off.

Haru finally stopped before her.

“In three seconds, the small knife in your sleeve will stab at my heart. The blade is about thirty centimeters long. Is it a Japanese tanto?” Haru said, his tone flat.

Her whole body trembled, and the slight shaking came to an abrupt halt.

“Do you want to know the end?” Haru chuckled softly, but without waiting for a reply, he continued, “The moment the tanto is revealed, your head will be smashed into your chest by my hand. The next second, a hidden force will liquefy your insides.”

Haru’s tone was almost joking, but the seriousness in his words made her unable to laugh. Instead, a chill ran from the end of her spine, up her back, and into her mind, filling her with a wave of horror.

“What he said is the future—” an inexplicable thought echoed in her mind.

Haru’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Then, I’ll let you off the hook this time. In return, you belong to me.”