"I'm not going!"
Ai threw attitude right back at the old man's face.
She had stayed silent at first just to see what Gan'an would say. But every word out of his mouth was either about seizing Kaguya's assets or sending Ai back to the main house. It was like a child's threats.
Ai's defiance nearly made Gan'an choke with rage. Fortunately, his years of cultivating an impassive demeanor paid off; though his heart was filled with fury, his face remained unmoved.
A failure from the Hayasaka family dared to talk back to him for Kaguya's sake? Dared to oppose him?
If he didn't deal with Ai today, his image of authority would surely take a hit. And if his authority was damaged, the Shinomiya Group itself would suffer.
"Hayasaka, are you crazy?!"
Kaguya rushed to Ai's side, trying to calm her agitation. At this moment, she didn't care about Gan'an's expression.
"Lady Kaguya, I'm not crazy. I just want to protect you."
"I want you to break free from the Shinomiya Group's control and gain true freedom."
Ai poured out everything she had buried in her heart for so long, speaking loudly enough for the old man on the sofa to hear, disregarding him completely.
"Hayasaka! Father is still here, don't talk nonsense!"
Kaguya was in a panic. Her ruby eyes were filled with shock and lingering fear, but her heart felt warm.
When she found out Ai was with a boy today, she thought Ai might leave her. She never expected things to develop this way!
Even with her back to Gan'an, Kaguya could feel the hostility and killing intent radiating from him.
Gan'an hadn't climbed this high solely by inheriting the family headship; his own abilities were outstanding, leading the Shinomiya Group to new heights. But now, this girl from the Hayasaka family was repeatedly defying him.
If she weren't a Hayasaka, she would have been taken away and secretly disposed of the moment she first spoke out.
"Someone come here!"
The old man named Shinomiya Gan'an roared.
Both Ai and Kaguya were drawn to his booming voice. It was surprising that such a frail body could produce such a firm, heavy sound.
Bam!
Immediately, a dozen bodyguards in black suits rushed in from outside. They all looked physically imposing, and the bulges at their waists indicated they were armed.
As bodyguards for the main Shinomiya house, they were naturally permitted to carry firearms. Even Kaguya's personal security detail had five or six handguns among them.
Ai, of course, did not. She wasn't old enough for a gun license, so there was no way she would be allowed to carry one.
However, she did have Lin Feng's MK2 energy pistol—super technology—in her possession.
"Family Head!"
"Seize Hayasaka!"
Hearing Gan'an's order, the captain of the dozen bodyguards immediately fixed his gaze on the blonde maid. After all, besides Gan'an and Lady Kaguya, she was the only one in the living room who could be the "Hayasaka" in question.
"Miss Hayasaka, forgive us!"
The captain signaled for three of his subordinates to advance.
As Kaguya's personal maid, Ai knew some self-defense, but against professional bodyguards like them, it usually wouldn't be enough.
The three bodyguards surrounded Ai in a triangular formation to prevent her from escaping or attacking Gan'an.
"Lady Kaguya, please step away from Miss Hayasaka," one of the surrounding bodyguards said respectfully to Kaguya, who was clinging to Ai's side.
"No! I won't let you hurt Hayasaka!"
Ai had said those things and done these things to help her. How could Kaguya leave her side now?
If she left Ai now, Gan'an's men would take her to a place Kaguya didn't know, and she might never see Ai again.
After all these years of experiencing the family's darkness, internal strife, and her father's neglect...
"Lady Shinomiya!"
"Pull Kaguya away from Hayasaka!"
Gan'an didn't want to waste time on this. He immediately ordered two more bodyguards to intervene.
"Lady Kaguya, I am not the Hayasaka of the past," Ai said. "My current strength is quite formidable."
Kaguya's eyes widened slightly, her expression blank as she processed Ai's words. What does she mean? Don't they go to school and come home together every day? At most, Ai would leave for a while to handle business matters.
"Lady Kaguya, please rest over there for a moment. I will deal with them very quickly."
With a gentle exert of force, Ai broke free from Kaguya's grip.
Gan'an and the dozen bodyguards wanted to laugh at Ai's "boastful" words.
These men were elites selected by Gan'an himself, veterans from special forces units. Each could take down several ordinary soldiers. The captain, in particular, could defeat several of these elites, which was why he led them.
"Arrogant talk!"
"Take her down quickly!"
Gan'an had lost his patience. If Kaguya weren't his daughter, he wouldn't have come personally to discuss reclaiming the companies.
"Yes! Family Head!"
After Kaguya was separated from Ai, two bodyguards quickly escorted her to a sofa on the side, ensuring she couldn't get close to Ai again.
The three bodyguards surrounding Ai broke into a cold sweat hearing Gan'an's impatient tone. They followed him often and knew the consequences of failure.
However, Ai didn't give them time to think. The moment Kaguya was moved, Ai's feet shifted slightly, and her figure vanished from their sight.
Before they could even make a sound, the three bodyguards surrounding her were struck with lightning speed, flying ten meters away!
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Danmachi : Danmachi Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (Simulpub – Full)
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