The Seven Demon's Tamer

The revelation of Yuki Nakamura as Master Sung's brother sent everyone gasping in shock—except Kyujiro.

"Isn't he the one who sent the letter?" Ryder asked. "Does that mean that the Yuki Nakamura guy, who is also the guild leader, is of the same blood as you?"

"Is that even a question?" Master Sung responded, his voice dripping with a kind of negative emotion no one could decipher. He began walking calmly towards Captain Kyujiro, each step deliberate and measured. "I can't call him my brother anymore. In the present, let's say—he was my brother."

"I no longer view him as someone worthy of my care and affection," Master Sung continued, inching closer to Kyujiro with each word. "I've always kept my distance from him for the reason of guaranteeing peace and safety for both me and my guild."

Captain Kyujiro's grin had never wavered, almost as if he knew the whole story beforehand. "Distance from him, you say," he repeated, as if the word amused him.

"Is that what you call it? Running away to play house with your little guild while the real world moved on without you?"

"I didn't run away," Master Sung replied coldly. "I chose a different path. I chose to protect rather than destroy."

"And look where that choice has gotten you," Captain Kyujiro stretched out his arms, gesturing toward the devastation around them.

"Your guild is in ruins, your people are scattered or dead, and your allies are nearly in our possession. Can you protect everyone now?"

"Now," Master Sung stopped directly in front of Kyujiro, close enough that they could see the details of each other's faces, close enough that the tension between them was thick in the air. "He came to pay me a visit—a visit of ruins."

"I'll keep your head when I am done," Master Sung declared, his voice carrying the cold promise.

Captain Kyujiro's grin fell at the words. There was something in Master Sung's tone that suggested this wasn't just an empty threat—he meant it.

**Bwoom!**

The sound of Master Sung's movement was like a controlled explosion. One moment he was standing still, the next he was launching himself forward with such incredible speed that the ground beneath his feet cratered and splinters flew in all directions.

"Eclipse Tiger!" Kyujiro screamed out quickly, unable to react fast enough with any other part of his body except his mouth.

The familiar leaped right in front of Kyujiro and opened its mouth, moving with the fluid grace of a predator that had been trained for exactly this kind of urgent response.

**Roooaaarrr!**

The sound that emerged from the Eclipse Tiger's mouth was earthshaking. It wasn't just a roar—it was a weapon, a concentrated blast of heat and energy that seemed to distort the very air around it.

A heat wave, so condensed that it was a visible yellow beam, exuded from the Eclipse Tiger's mouth and headed towards Master Sung. The attack was delivered with the potential of absolute hit, especially due to the fact that Master Sung was too close.

Master Sung should have at least attempted to dodge the incoming wave, but to their greatest surprise he didn't—he didn't even waver.

It was Master Sung's Thunder Whisker Koi, but not in the way anyone had ever seen a familiar materialize before. Instead of the usual summoning process, where energy would gather as a cloud of mist and slowly form into the shape of the creature, this familiar had simply appeared, as if it had always been there and had just chosen to become visible.

It absorbed the impact of the heat blast like it was nothing against its skin, the concentrated energy simply dissipating harmlessly against its scales. The attack that appeared to be so dangerous was neutralized so completely that it was as if it had never happened.

This allowed Master Sung to carry on with his motion, not slowing down even for a second.

"**AHHHHHHHHHHHH!**"

Master Sung's battle cry was unlike anything his students had ever heard from him. It was primal, filled with intense rage.

The Blue Lili-Octopus quickly made its move as well, recognizing that Master Sung was vulnerable while airborne and could potentially be caught off guard. Its tentacles crackled with electrical energy as it struck.

But unfortunately, Master Sung wasn't as vulnerable as he appeared.

"**Splash!**"

The sound was dominating, carrying finality. The snout of Master Sung's second familiar had appeared from thin air, moving too quickly for anyone to track, and snapped the Blue Lili-Octopus in half. Even the air seemed to freeze as if startled by the sudden emergence.

Black blood sprayed through the air like a waterfall, painting the ground and everything nearby in a black shower that made several of the watching students flinch.

"**Gasp!**"

Captain Kyujiro could hardly believe his eyes. The Blue Lili-Octopus was a red-marked monarch, a creature of immense power. But now, it was down... Gone so soon.

He had completely forgotten about Master Sung's approaching attack as he watched in disbelief, the remains of his contracted familiar falling to the ground and disintegrating into particles that sparkled briefly before disappearing entirely.

It was dead.

"No!" Kyujiro gritted his teeth, staring daggers at Master Sung who wasn't even slowing down. Master Sung was still rushing toward him, as if killing the demon monarch was nothing but an afternoon warm-up.

"That was Master Sung's second familiar," Ryder realized in awe. "It didn't materialize with the traditional process everyone summons by."

What Ryder had observed was correct. The creature that had killed the Blue Lili-Octopus hadn't gone through the usual summoning process. There had been no gathering of mist, no gradual manifestation, no visible connection or relation to Master Sung's body.

Just before it disappeared, it stared at Ryder for a brief moment of its own will and interest, then disappeared the same way it came.

"It had materialized on its own from thin air, in front of Master Sung and not even from his body," Ryder continued, his voice growing more amazed with each word. "More surprisingly, it didn't materialize wholly—only its head formed."

Just before it disappeared, it stared at Ryder for a brief moment of its own will and interest, then disappeared the same way it came. This didn't go unnoticed by Ryder, but he kept this observation to himself.

Digging his feet into the ground with monstrous strength, Master Sung gathered himself for the final charge. The energy building up inside him was so intense that it was visible as a dark aura surrounding his body.

In a single explosive charge, he blasted forward, moving with speed that made his previous assault look slow by comparison. The Eclipse Tiger, recognizing the change in threat level, decided to adjust its strategy.

The heat and hot aura that it had been giving out changed to chilly and cold, as if the creature was switching between different modes. The previous golden stripes across its fur turned silver as it opened its mouth to roar, preparing what was clearly a different type of attack.

Just within a fraction of a second after it opened its mouth, just before the vocal cords could function to produce whatever devastating attack it was preparing, Master Sung had already closed the distance and was too close.

"**Wham!**"