A Day Earlier...
In the dimly lit chamber stationed in the main clan compound, where only the strongest and wisest of the Hachiman clan could enter, were ten of the Hachiman clan elders.
Each of them were draped in silver robes that signified their position in the clan.
A large, intricately carved table was positioned in the center of the room, and surrounded by chairs that spoke mountains of the clan’s fortune, it was clear that a eting between the elders was about to take place.
The air was thick with tension as the elders waited for the eting to comnce.
"Now that everyone is present, the eting shall begin." An old woman with red eyes and long white hair that flowed freely to her shoulder said, her words signifying that the eting was starting.
She was the grand elder, otherwise known as the first elder.
"As each one of you is aware of, Jason, the boy who has no aptitude for magic, survived after getting shot through his heart. Because of that, project ’Projectile’ has been discontinued due to our lack of knowledge of the side-effects of its use.
Even the rumors, which have been passed on from the nurous branch families, though different from each other still have one thread that connects them all together." She paused, watching the expression of all the elders gathered.
"His heart healed itself."
"Even healing potions can’t restore the heart, so what’s to say that the dark-skin’s heart healed himself-?" An elder interrupted, his bald head glistened in the light and his long beard going down to his shoulders.
"Silence, Woren Hachiman." The grand elder rebuked.
He didn’t continue speaking.
"And we are all aware that before he ventured into the dungeon he was also missing an arm, the boy claid that he had an injury that required that he needed to amputate it, or die himself.
But when he ca out, he had no injuries and was completely unscathed. The team responsible for project ’Projectile’ speculated about the cause, it was decided that this could be one of the unforeseen side-effects of ’Projectile.
Hence the project was called off." The grand elder explained.
"Additionally, the boy managed to get third place in the clan trial, and upon opening his ring it was found out that it contained the heart of a sub-boss. The only other person who had managed to get the heart of a sub-boss was Zane Hachiman; the one who is expected to succeed the current clan head."
While it was fairly obvious that the grand elder was only bringing the topic of discussion, to the other elders it seed like she was listing Jason’s achievents.
He survived a bullet through the heart.
He had no magic but was able to acquire the heart of a sub-boss.
The elders could see that this wasn’t a discussion anymore, the grand elder would soon bring in an absurd demand and with the list of things she had nobody would be able to question her.
They all sighed, they were used to it.
She was the grand elder, a sibling of the clan head, of course she could get away with it.
"Now, what should be done to the dark-skin?" She asked, her question raising the eyebrows of everyone present.
’Its different.’ They all thought simultaneously.
This was a natural reaction on their part, this was the first ti they had been given the chance to speak their opinions without the outco of the eting already clear.
Without wasting anyti they acted.
"Its clear what must be done." Elder Woren, the one who had tried to speak but was interrupted by the grand elder began, his voice sharp. "We cannot a boy without magic to live any longer, he must be dealt with imdiately as even his re existence is enough to bring disgrace unto the clan."
"And how should he be dealt with?" The grand elder inquired.
"He must be killed." Elder Woren answered almost imdiately.
"His existence alone is a stain on our reputation, and after the incident where the information about his existence was spread to the other clans the best thing to do would be to end his life. That way we can claim that he never really existed." Another elder interjected.
"Ines Hachiman, Woren Hachiman, have you ever thought on how He would react if he found out that we killed a talent?" The grand elder asked, her voice hinting amusent.
The two of them didn’t talk, they had never thought about the consequences that would befall the clan if they killed soone who had the potential to beco stronger.
"And all our actions need to be logical, especially now that the clan head is in seclusion training." She added, the outco of the discussion was clear now.
Three years ago, the clan head had begun to take breaks from the politics of the clan to stay in seclusion, with the goal of getting stronger.
This was due to an event that transpired three years ago, when he was trapped in the Void by Jason.
Even though he was in it for only a second, he took ti to compare his current strength to the current strongest in the world. August Hachiman then decided to take more breaks that spanned months, using the ti he took off to hone his skills and techniques to grow stronger.
’This is different.’ Elder Woren thought.
The grand elder was countering their argunts for once. That was at good at least.
Even though they were the strongest of the nurous elders of the Hachiman clan, their opinions held
little value to the very sister of the clan head.
’At the very least, I should be glad that she doesn’t use her strength to enforce her opinions.’ Woren thought.
The grand elder was born seventy years before August Hachiman, but unfortunately, she lacked the defining factor for any clan head of the Hachiman: The Null Eyes.
Thus, she currently possessed the greatest strength in the clan, second only to the clan guardian.
"Moreover, it would be an opportunity to show the strength of the clan. Even a dark-skin would inherit the innate strength that is bound to the blood of the clan." The grand elder continued.
"I believe that the best course of action would be to keep him alive. Does anyone have any objections?"
Nobody rejected her proposal.
With all the points in hand and all the rits of keeping him alive presented, it would be only a fool that would object at this point.
Silence reigned for a minute, during this ti no hands went up.
"Since nobody seems to object I would like to propose sothing else: It would be best if he also participated in the joint-clans tournant.
This event is the perfect opportunity to show him to the world."
"Again, would anyone like to object?"
Again there was silence, nobody could object.
Even if he lost they would have gotten their point across: the supremacy of the Hachiman blood.
The blood of the clan was strong enough to take effect, even in a dark-skin.
"Since no one objects, that concludes the eting." The grand elder announced.
Her body glowed in a dazzling spectacle as she said that, a mont later her body was gone.
The other elders sighed before teleporting, their body glowing in a spectacle of nurous dazzling lights as they left.
...
The grand elder reappeared in a different location.
"Is it done?" A voice asked from behind her.
This was the clan guardian.
The voice not only had a seductive charm but also carried weight, almost as if the authority of the heaven was descending.
"Yes." She answered with a single word.
"Very well, you may take your leave."
Hearing this, the grand elder’s body glowed before she vanished.
’What does she plan to do, ordering that he participates in the joint-clans tournant and be kept alive.’ The grand elder thought.
If it was up to her, Jason should be killed imdiately. But, the clan guardian had ordered that he should be kept alive, and that he should participate in the joint-clans tournant.
Even she, the strongest awakened in the Hachiman clan, had to comply with the wishes of the clan guardian.
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