Chapter Thirteen: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Ten Years Later / Chapter Fourteen: Jack Is My Daughter-No One Else Gets to Say a Word About Her

Although Jack's voice was clearly right beside him, Kikunojo Tendo could not determine its direction. He frowned deeply.

The mist around him was affecting him. This was no ordinary fog—it was one of Jack's Noble Phantasms.

The Mist, a fog barrier created from magical energy, not only harmed those within it but also robbed them of their sense of direction.

After the Industrial Revolution, the immense amounts of coal smoke released into the air became sulfuric acid fog in London during the 1850s, causing a massive disaster. The Mist was a Noble Phantasm that recreated that "fog of death."

To escape this fog barrier, one needed a considerable degree of intuition or some means of countering it.

Though Kikunojo Tendo possessed decent combat skills, he lacked the ability to leave this fog or find Jack.

He slowly rose to his feet and said calmly, "What kind of animal-derived special ability is this? What a revolting stench. That is why I hate monsters like you."

Whoosh!

Jack's dagger suddenly appeared at his side. Relying on his swift reflexes, Kikunojo Tendo narrowly avoided a vital strike, suffering only a wound of unknown depth on his arm.

Blood slowly seeped out, staining his robe red.

After launching her attack, Jack revealed herself. She wore a tattered cloak and held two small, sharp daggers. Her childish face bore an innocent smile.

"So it was you. Did Yuxian send you to assassinate me?"

Kikunojo Tendo recognized Jack. He had seen the little girl beside Yuxian before.

"No. We have to protect Mama. Anyone who hurts Mama has to be killed."

Jack spun the daggers in her hands, switching them from a forward grip to a reverse grip.

"Then let us see whether you have what it takes!" Kikunojo Tendo took up a stance and focused fully on the enemy before him. With Jack exposed, he felt far less threatened.

Jack blinked. She, too, realized that the person before her would not be easy to handle.

"We're getting serious now."

She lowered her body and tensed her calves, deciding to go all out and end the enemy before her as quickly as possible. Otherwise, Mama would get angry if she could not find them by dawn.

As her clear voice fell, dense magical mist rose beneath Jack's feet and concealed her figure.

This place is hell. We are flames, rain, and strength—slaughter descends upon this place.

Maria the Ripper!

Jack's figure darted rapidly back and forth through the fog. Her sharp daggers continuously carved into Kikunojo Tendo's body, making countless passes in a short span of time.

This was Jack's Noble Phantasm. The resentment of those "children who could not be born" clung to her four daggers, and its power increased when three conditions were met: "night," "fog," and "the target is female."

If all conditions were fulfilled, it would become a curse that could even be activated from a distance.

It was currently midnight, and they were inside The Mist barrier, fulfilling the first two conditions. Though its power was not at its maximum, it was still beyond what Kikunojo Tendo could endure.

Repeated muffled bursts came from Kikunojo Tendo's body. His body shattered into pieces and scattered across the ground.

"Now Mama will be safe." Jack put away her daggers, dispersed the fog, and left.

Leaving behind a complete mess...

After returning to their residence, Jack climbed in through the window and lowered her head to inspect herself. Only after confirming that she had not gotten any stains on her did she change back into her cute pajamas.

She squeezed Gretel aside, lay down beside Yuxian, curled up, and slowly fell asleep with a sweet smile on her face.

PS:

Gudako: I miss that red-clothed, dark-skinned, white-haired Servant so much!~~~

Emiya: Is Master hungry?

The gentleman's revenge may wait ten years

The next day, Jack followed everyone as usual, without showing the slightest sign of anything unusual because of what had happened the night before.

Perhaps, to her, it had merely been an utterly insignificant matter.

Everyone had gathered in the office of the Tendo Civil Security Company.

Now that they had income, everyone was in high spirits, and laughter filled the office.

Kisaragi Tendo received a phone call, and her expression changed drastically in an instant.

After hanging up, her eyes lit up as she eagerly began searching on the computer on the desk.

"Hahahaha!"

Kisaragi Tendo suddenly stopped moving and burst into wild laughter as she stared at the computer screen. Her laughter was frenzied, and her face became twisted and terrifying.

She covered her face with one hand. Her excitement was impossible to suppress, and her body trembled continuously with laughter.

"Kisaragi, what's wrong? What happened?" Rentaro asked urgently when he saw her like this.

Kisaragi Tendo turned the computer screen toward Rentaro and said in an unusually excited tone, "He's dead! Kikunojo Tendo is dead! He was assassinated in his own home and got what he deserved!"

Hearing this, Yuxian immediately leaned over to look at the news on the computer screen.

The news of Kikunojo Tendo's death surprised him greatly. In his memory, the most powerful man in the Tokyo Area should not have been so easily killed.

As he looked at the news on the screen, the photo of the crime scene made his heart skip a beat.

Kikunojo Tendo's shattered corpse and the brutal method of murder instantly made him think of a very troubling possibility.

From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Jack, who was playing with her friends. There was nothing different on Jack's face; she still looked as innocent as ever.

But Yuxian knew that the suspicion in his heart was very likely the real answer.

There were not many people capable of assassinating Kikunojo Tendo, let alone silently dismembering him like this. Yuxian truly could not think of any other possibility.

His mind raced. The deed was already done. Jack could be educated later; figuring out how to deal with this sudden situation was the priority.

He would never voice his suspicion. He was not a selfless person, and Kikunojo Tendo was certainly no good man. If he was dead, then he was dead.

Yuxian narrowed his eyes and made a decision in an instant. He said to the still-laughing Kisaragi Tendo and the stunned Rentaro, "Kikunojo Tendo's death will inevitably cause a reshuffling of the Tokyo Area's political forces. You are his family. What you need to do now is immediately take over the resources he controlled and secure the greatest possible benefit."

"I don't need anything from that filthy family!" Kisaragi Tendo rejected him without a second thought.

"No. You do." Yuxian stared at her and said sternly, "He is not your only enemy. You need those resources and that power to help you complete your revenge."

Kisaragi Tendo looked deeply at Yuxian, then left the office in quick strides without saying a word.

Yuxian knew she had accepted his suggestion. The look she gave him as she left was full of meaning. Someone as clever as Kisaragi Tendo could not possibly have missed the manipulative intent in Yuxian's words.

She accepted Yuxian's suggestion because it had always been her greatest wish.

But at the same time, she had become wary of Yuxian and began to suspect his true purpose.

How could Yuxian not know that doing this would create a rift between them? But he would not let this opportunity slip away. Kikunojo Tendo's death was outside the plan. If Kisaragi Tendo could gain greater authority, it would bring enormous benefits in the future.

"You actually let her do that?!" Rentaro roared himself hoarse.

He did not want Kisaragi Tendo to sink into hatred. He was extremely dissatisfied with Yuxian's manipulative words and glared at him as if he wanted to devour him alive, demanding an answer in furious rage.

Yuxian gently closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming his turbulent emotions.

He opened his eyes again and said in an exceptionally cold tone, "Rentaro, do you truly love President Tendo? You should know what she wants most in her heart."

"Revenge will only drag her into even deeper darkness!" Rentaro continued to roar.

"You are right. Those who seek revenge never come to a good end," Yuxian said, following his words. "But Rentaro, do you plan to use love to reform President Tendo and make her let go of the hatred in her heart? You should know better than anyone what the Tendo family has done. Do you really think they are innocent?"

Yuxian's words became fierce, stabbing into Rentaro like blades. "You cannot make her abandon the idea of revenge. You can only watch helplessly as she slowly falls into the whirlpool of hatred and is ultimately consumed by it."

"I will teach you a way to save President Tendo and make her completely abandon her hatred." Yuxian's voice rang by Rentaro's ear like a demon's whisper. "Eliminate the source of her hatred. Once she has no one left to hate, the hatred will naturally disappear."

Rentaro collapsed onto the floor, staring at Yuxian in disbelief. He could not believe that the normally kind Yuxian would say such demonic words.

Yuxian bent down, lowered his head beside Rentaro's ear, and whispered, "If you do not want her to fall into darkness, then take her place."

"Rentaro!" Seeing Rentaro's dazed state, Enju hurried over to support him. She glared angrily at Yuxian, her pupils turning crimson. If Yuxian dared make another move, she would pounce on him at any moment.

The originally harmonious group had been shattered by this sudden turn of events. Knowing that he could no longer remain here, Yuxian said to Mash and the others, "Let's go back first."

On the way back, Mash looked hesitant and seemed to want to say something. "Senpai..."

Yuxian cut off what she was about to say and softly replied, "I know, Mash. Do not worry. I will handle this matter properly."

He knew what Mash wanted to say. Anyone from Chaldea who saw the way Kikunojo Tendo had been killed could easily think of Jack.

Mash still felt uneasy, but she was willing to trust Yuxian. She could only suppress her unease, nod gravely, and say no more.

PS:

The prettier the woman, the better she is at deceiving people—with Saint Quartz.

PS:

Power Strike, Swift Strike, Technique Strike

They look so awkward~~~

One day, they will probably demand that the voices be localized too.

O sun, submit to death!

Jack is my daughter. No one else gets to criticize her

Yuxian planned to take everyone back to the Outer District for a while.

The city was currently in turmoil. Kikunojo Tendo's death would certainly cause an enormous uproar, so avoiding the storm in the Outer District was the sensible choice.

In any case, they could not return to the Tendo Civil Security Company for the time being, and there was no need to keep living in the city. They might as well return to the Outer District and help Atalanta.

The Outer District was as peaceful as ever. Chiron was teaching the children, and this time he had used a loudspeaker. His lecture could be heard from far away.

Atalanta was still busy, but things were much better than when Yuxian had first arrived. With sufficient funding guaranteed, it had become much easier to hire ordinary people.

Although Cursed Children were discriminated against by all of society, money could also change many people's minds. Unless they were particularly extreme and stubborn, most ordinary people merely followed the crowd. Their disgust toward Cursed Children was far from enough to make them fear them like venomous snakes and wild beasts.

News of Kikunojo Tendo's murder spread rapidly throughout the Tokyo Area in a short time. Even the isolated Outer District received word.

Many staff members whispered among themselves, discussing the matter and sharing their own views.

Yuxian leaned leisurely against the doorframe, lazily watching the children playing in the distance while calculating what to do next.

Atalanta rushed over to Yuxian, dragged him aside, and demanded sternly, "You had Jack do it?!"

Yuxian did not understand what she meant at first, but he immediately realized she was referring to Kikunojo Tendo's death.

Just as he was about to explain, Atalanta rebuked him harshly, "Jack is not a tool! Her origins are already tragic enough. You should not make her do such dirty work!"

Faced with Atalanta's indiscriminate accusation, Yuxian felt somewhat angered. He pressed her against the wall with one hand and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Jack is my daughter. I love her more than anyone else. I do not need you to teach me how to treat her."

Yuxian's tone was extremely stern. He had originally intended to explain, but now he was no longer in the mood.

"Precisely because she depends on you, you should take proper care of her and educate her!" Atalanta did not struggle against Yuxian's hand. Instead, she stubbornly met his gaze without the slightest hint of retreat, trying to persuade him.

"I do not need you to tell me how to educate her. I know better than you what she needs. Atalanta, put away that ridiculous pity of yours. Jack does not need your pity. She is happy now, and that is enough."

Yuxian suddenly let go of Atalanta. Feeling that it was pointless, he turned and left, ignoring her.

He respected Atalanta, acknowledged her desire to help every child, and was willing to help her fulfill that wish.

But that did not mean he fully agreed with Atalanta's way of doing things. Every child was unique. What they needed differed from person to person, and their definitions of happiness were equally varied.

Would Yuxian treat Jack as a tool?

Atalanta's shallow words amused him. Whether it was Jack or Gretel, they were far more sensitive than ordinary children. If he did not treat them sincerely, how could they possibly depend on Yuxian like this?

If someone truly tried to use Jack as a tool, they would probably be chopped into seventy or eighty pieces in minutes.

Still, Yuxian did need to give Jack more warnings. Such things should be avoided whenever possible. Even with a divine skill like Information Erasure, flaws could still be exposed and put Jack in danger.

When he reached the place where the children were playing, Yuxian waved Jack over, signaling for her to come to him.

Seeing Yuxian call Jack over alone, Gretel whispered in her ear, "Jack, you're done for. Master must have found out about the bad thing you did. Hurry up and run!"

"Why should I run?" Jack asked in confusion.