"Utterly reckless!"Italo's voice was a frosty blade as he surged forward, his sword lunging at a Shadow Sect youth.In that instant, a flurry of lethal blade lights, whistling sharply as they sliced the air, burst through the courtyard entrance, unstoppable as a force of nature.Thud! Thud! Thud!In a heartbeat, members of the Dark Shady Cartel and the Waker family nobility crumpled to the ground, each one split in two, lifeless."Hmm!?" Italo and Kevin simultaneously whipped their heads."Sir, you've made it!"Meanwhile, Shylah called out, eyes fixed on the doorway.Yoel appeared, leading a steady procession of allies.Right behind him were Dragon, Phoenix, Lukas, and Hacks. Trailing them were 1000 Elegant Uniformed Troops of Shadow Sect.Howard had set the wheels in motion the day before, having Shylah alert the key players. His sights were set not just on the Waker family nobility but also on the Dark Shady Cartel.The Dark Shady Cartel had the audacity to strike down th

"This is all my fault, please... I beg the King of the West to...spare my Waker family..."He had no will to live left; his only wish was to save some of his kin."Off with his head!" Howard cut him off with a decisive command and turned away."Master Howard... Please, have mercy on my Waker family..." Kevin cried out in despair."That's enough. Silence!" Hacks said sharply. "The Shadow Sect's blade does not strike the innocent."With those words, the blade fell.In his final moment, Kevin's face showed a flicker of hope.The Shadow Sect's blade spared the innocent, which meant the Waker family might yet survive.In that tragedy, it was the smallest of blessings."Master... Master Howard!"Howard had barely taken a few steps when Charlie, flanked by a squad of the Special Patrol, came forward, his body quivering ever so slightly."Still here, I see," Howard remarked with a subdued chuckle."I... I couldn't..." Charlie stammered, shaking his head vigorously."Master Howard,

'What's this about her staying at my place? I just gave up my dorm room for Yuffie to use, that's all!' A thought crossed Yoel's mind."Mr. Louis, you're moving way too fast. Yuffie's still finishing up school!" Hacks could not resist another jab."Buzz off!" Yoel snapped, feeling a stern glare from Howard, and quickly tried to set the record straight."Sir, Yuffie stormed off to the Eastern defense, dead set on me teaching her some moves. I let her crash in my room for the night and bunked with Dragon," Yoel explained."You gave her lessons?" Howard asked, a wry smile playing on his lips. He did not buy for a second that Yoel and Yuffie had hit it off that fast.Again, if they had, it would not be the worst thing."She wouldn't take no for an answer, so I showed her a few of the basics, just to get her started," Yoel said."Next time you head back to Mendorra, make sure she visits home too," Howard suggested after a pause."Sir, what do you mean?" Yoel's eyes lit up."Talia's

The Fabish family was ready to step in, but they needed the green light from Master Howard. Without his say-so, they would not dare make a move."Ms. Fabish, you're too kind. It was nothing, really!" Howard said with a chuckle before getting to the point. "You've heard about the Waker family's predicament, haven't you?"He was sharp enough to know exactly why Selena was there.Truth be told, he had already planned to drop by the Fabish estate in a couple of days. Someone had to sort out the mess the Wakers left behind.He had a decent opinion of the Fabish family. Yash was a man of substance, and Howard felt confident Quintilian would be in good hands with them."I've just caught wind of it myself!" Selena admitted with a nod.After a brief hesitation, she spoke again. "Master Howard, I won't beat around the bush—I'm here about that very issue."She knew all too well that with someone as esteemed as Master Howard, it was best to be straightforward. Anything less would likely bac

The Shadow Sect's hunt for the Dark Shady Cartel's main camp was a bust when they went straight for the name, coming up empty-handed."Italo says today's the day the north district boss' son is celebrating his new concubine. Alkaid's grabbing the Canfield family's secret formula as a gift for the occasion," Kaison went on."They're wiping out a whole family just to suck up to the heir apparent?" Phoenix's brow furrowed. "The Cartel's bunch deserves a fate worse than death.""Well then, let's prepare a 'gift' of our own," Howard said, a glint of ice in his gaze."Roger that!" came the unified cry.Italo pointed the investigators to a spot on the map where the North and Eastern Districts met. Nestled at the base of undulating hills was a small town, home to roughly 300000 souls.The Wagg family was the town's cornerstone, their wealth and influence extending to over half the town's enterprises.Icarus Wagg, the family patriarch, was renowned for his generosity. Each year, the Wagg