Chapter 73: Family Ties
June 1st, 2089
Terras POV
I ducked beneath the oing fist that was heading towards my face and countered with an uppercut. My muscles bunched and knotted from the exertion, sweat was dripping off every part of my body. My assant lightly sidestepped my attack and then lunged forward. He used his superior size to perform a marvelous takedown, mming me into the mat. Shit, theres no way I can win a grappling match against this guy. I quickly tried to extricate myself but it was toote. I was swiftly pinned and chose to forfeit the match.
Nice try son, but itll still be a couple years before you can go toe to toe with your old man! My father, Terrance Cross,ughed heartily as he stood up from the ring. He is a very tall man with arge build and a jovial personality. His light brown hair was cropped short and his green eyes that were the same as mine had an amused glint in them as he spoke. Enjoy it while itsts dad, Ill catch up with you eventually. I responded. My dad loves boxing and wrestling, and recently he started taking me out to a local gym for some sparring. In his words That karate or some such stuff youve been learning over the years is alright, but there is no substitute for a good hard strike to the jaw.
I dont mind spending more time with my father, but at first it was kind of tricky holding back. I have grown tremendously over this past year and with my self-augmentation I have be nearly inhuman. I am fine controlling my strength in everyday life, but when I fight the chances of me using too much power increase more than I amfortable with. I managed to solve that problem with abination of restraint seals, debilitating curses and gravity enchantments. My power is restrained and it serves as a form of intense training at the same time. Physically I am now equivalent to a high school star athlete. These spells can be shed in an instant so I am still amply able to respond to any potential danger in time.
But Dad seems to be anxious about something. I can hear his heart beating at a slightly higher pace, there is the faintest scent of perspiration lingering around him even after the shower, and I can see the slight asional tensing of his muscles. Having extraordinary senses is quite helpful for reading people, but I wish hed hurry up and say whatever it is hes going to say.
Son, theres something I need to talk to you about. My father had an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face as we left the gym. What is it, Dad? I asked. Well, uh, your mothers family contacted her a couple days back and they seem to want to reconcile. I stopped walking as this was news I suspected but hoped against hope wouldnt be true. My mom does not talk about her family. Ever. I also doubt that her family is doing this out of the goodness of their heart. This doubt stems from my intuition and the fact that I got around to interrogating that PI who was following me during the school festival a couple of weeks ago.
My grandfather hired the PI, for reasons unknown at the moment, to observe me. He apparently had already located my mother previously, but the PI was after me this time around. I also discovered that my motheres from a rather prestigious family that runs a prominent business here in Japan. The parallels between them and some scheming noble families from the other world are too many. I dont like it. This feels like when I would observe a bounty before engaging. Whatever my grandfather wants, it is not to just have my mother back in the family again.
Son, are you okay? My dad asked after he noticed I stopped. I gave a small smile and replied Yeah, I guess its simply not what I was expecting. I know, but the most important thing right now is that we support your mother no matter what she decides to do. I nodded in agreement and we proceeded back home. Ill let this y out while I decide what I should do. Worst case scenario I will resort to magic to kick them back out of our lives.
Daiki Hayashis POV
I looked upon this sniveling idiot quaking in his tasteless suit in front of me as he kept babbling and resisted the urge to sigh. I had to listen to this waste of oxygen grovel and try to excuse his failures for thest 20 minutes. Ive had enough. When I told my executives that I wanted the profit margin for this quarter to increase by 10%, did they think I was joking? Get out, you imbecile. I dont want to risk your ipetence being contagious. The pathetic looking man squeaked and scurried out of my office. I stood up, turning to look out of my window to see the entirety of downtown. Usually the sight of standing high above the rest of the city would soothe me, but not today.
9% increase. Only a 9% increase in profit margins and my son thought he could walk in here and Id be impressed. If he werent my eldest child I would have fired him. Getting close to sess is not sess it is failure. The Hayashi Group did not rise to be the #1 corporation in all of Japan based on failure. It pains me to think that eventually I will have to leave the running of thispany to one of my children. The only one with any promise had been my youngest daughter, but she turned out to be defective.
Thats what I thought until recently, when I discovered that my daughter Yuuna had miraculously managed to have a child with some cowboy gutter trash from the USA. It had been simple coincidence that I noticed her work on a rather high-profile corporate case in the news one day. That piqued my interest enough to follow-up. And then I discovered to my delight that I had a grandson. A mutt with tainted blood, but still my grandson none the less. My private investigators reported that he was handsome, intelligent and by all ounts filial. The timing couldnt have been better.
I have been in negotiations with the Global Trading Company, thergest corporation in the world, for a merger. The Hayashi Group would take over and be their East Asia branch, and I was nning to then slowly usurp control and rece the current Chairman. But knowing I have a grandson changes things. The head of the GTC has no family other than a single daughter of about 16 years of age and by all ounts she is intolerable and he has been desperate trying to get her a suitable match. My other 2 grandsons are too pitiful (and too old) and would have no chance of catching the childs eye, but with Minato I can elerate my ns.
An arranged marriage between Minato and that she-devil would be the perfect way to solidify the merger between our twopanies while also cing the Hayashi family in line to seed the chairmanship. It would be simple enough to arrange for an ident to befall the GTC chairman and I would be in control of thergestpany in the world 10 years earlier than originally nned. Its absolutely perfect. I just need to bring my wayward daughter to heel and get rid of this fianc that my grandson has entangled himself with.