As Ha-Joon stepped into the Kyoto night, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
It was an encrypted line.
"Boss, vassal family had begun to retaliate against us," the voice on the other side said: "They'll likely target you."
"Good."
He ended the call and pocketed the device.
.....
Hangure Clan,
By dawn, he reached the outskirts of the Hangure compound, a maze of interconnected buildings hidden in Kyoto's lesser-known districts. It was a fortress disguised as a warehouse district, surrounded by steel gates, old watchtowers, and streets patrolled by hooded men.
He walked straight through the main road.
Guards spotted him immediately.
"Welcome back, President!" one of them shouted.
He cracked his neck slowly, nodded and gazed towards the guard.
"I want everyone gathered," Ha-Joon said coldly: "You have ten minutes."
As soon as he spoke, the guard quickly dispatched inside the hall to gather the family. Within minutes, the higher-ups of the Hangure clan began to appear one by one in the main courtyard.
Eight of them, stood in a front row as they approached him.
"We didn't betray you," one of them said: "Shintaro had sent his men to investigate. We only shared information that benefitted the clan."
"Spare me the politics," Ha-Joon cut in.
Then he slowly walked to the center of the square.
"I trusted you once," he said. "And I warned you. Betray me, and you'll pay dearly."
He knew they hadn't betrayed him, but still he needed to keep them in check, who know they may betray him, if he laid them to act free as they please.
As soon as he spoke, the hall erupted in violence.
he first strike came from the left, a katana user lunged with precision. Ha-Joon twisted his body, dodging, and countered with a brutal elbow to the attacker's throat. The man crumpled.
Two more came in with a combination assault. One had steel tonfas; the other, chain-linked batons. Ha-Joon ducked under the swing, grabbed the baton, and used it to sling the attacker into his ally, both crashed into the ground.
Three down.
Another lunged with a roar, a heavy set brawler with a reinforced exoskeleton arm.
Ha-Joon didn't budge.
His footwork shifted into Capoeira, fluid, deceptive. He spun low, hooking the man's leg, then drove his heel into the man's temple with explosive force.
Four down.
Two archers tried to flank him from a rooftop, launching synchronized arrows. But Ha-Joon moved like wind. He rolled across the concrete, grabbed a discarded katana, and hurled it upward with such force that it pierced both archers' cover and sent them scattering.
Six down.
Only two remained, as they hesitated to move.
Ha-Joon advanced with the terrifying strength. His stance shifted to Kyoukushin, pure, direct impact. His fists slammed into one fighter's chest, breaking bone through reinforced armor. The man fell gasping, unable to breath.
The last man turned to flee.
Ha-Joon caught him by the collar and slammed him against the wall.
"Spare me, we didn't know she was that important to you!" the man cried. "It was just a name, we didn't think he'd almost kill her!"
Ha-Joon stared into the man's terrified eyes.
"You should've thought."
And then, with one final blow, the man was out cold.
The entire courtyard was silent.
Ha-Joon stood in the middle of it all, barely breathing hard.
He turned toward the gate and walked out without a single word.
Before leaving, he informed his men to dispose their body and continue their business.
....
Morning,
News traveled fast, the moment Ha-Joon returned to the Hangure compound after visiting Somi once more, word reached to the vassal family, Magami. They had deployed a squad into Kyoto, not bothering with secrecy.
"They want me to come to them," Ha-Joon muttered, crushing the emblem underfoot.
Hangure's remaining members were silent, tension lining their faces. Their wounds from the recent clash had barely healed. None dared speak. Not after seeing what Ha-Joon did to their leaders.
He turned to them: "They're coming for me, that makes this simple. I'll go to them first."
"President, they are colluding with the remaining family to intercept you... I heard they had plan to overtake Yamazaki family after eliminating you." spoke one of the younger member nervously.
Ha-Joon didn't blink as he spoke: "Let them come, They think I'm easy target just cause Yamazaki is weakened."
....
The Magami strike team had taken over an abandoned district in northern Kyoto. Empty shrines and old inns stood like silent witnesses to the trap they laid. At its center, a courtyard of cracked stone and fallen Sakura branches, were now scarred with scorch marks and steel wires.
They waited in silence, each member draped in black tactical robes, consisting of six of them led by Shogetsu.
He knelt in the center of the courtyard, a single katana across his knees, eyes closed.
"He may arrive soon," Shogetsu said: "When he does, don't hold back. Kill him or don't return."
He didn't have to wait long.
The sound of footfalls against gravel echoed into the shrine.
Ha-Joon walked through the main gate calmly, his coat billowing behind him.
Shogetsu opened his eyes: "Ahh... Yamazaki genius is finally here."
"Looks like you've heard about me. Heh."
Shogetsu slowly rose to his feet, and sneered: "Who here, haven't heard about the new generation.
Martial Genius."