Chapter 2 - Don't Reason With Me!
After hearing the voice, dozens of members of the Soma Familia suddenly stopped and involuntarily turned to look.
A man emerged, appearing slightly more refined than the average adventurer.
He wore glasses, and judging by his appearance alone, he lacked the roughness typical of adventurers, resembling a researcher instead.
However, the aura he exuded sharply contrasted with that image, making those around him feel deeply uneasy.
A phrase came to mind: scum.
This man seemed to embody that word without shame.
The captain of Soma Familia, Zanis Lustra.
One of the few Level 2 adventurers in the familia.
With Soma entirely detached, Zanis was the current overseer of the Soma Familia.
"What the hell happened? Why is it such a mess at the gate?" Zanis frowned, his expression dark as he glanced at the burning doorframe and the circle of familia members.
"Zanis-sama, it's this brat who blew up our gate!" one of the adventurers in the crowd shouted.
At those words, the group encircling Mahiro parted to reveal him.
Seeing Mahiro, Zanis frowned and asked suspiciously, "Friend, I don't know what grievance you have with our Soma Familia, but to do something this outrageous in front of our headquarters…"
"So, you're the captain of the Soma Familia?" Mahiro interrupted, stepping on a defeated Soma Familia member beneath his foot as he cast a casual glance at Zanis.
"That's right. I'm Zanis Lustra, entrusted by Soma-sama as the captain," Zanis replied with a nod.
"Good. I was looking for you," Mahiro said with a sneer.
"You've really done a fine job managing this familia."
"You don't need to lecture me," Zanis retorted arrogantly.
"Under my leadership, the Soma Familia has thrived in an orderly manner."
"Then are you aware that your familia members tried to murder me in the dungeon?" Mahiro asked, his voice laced with mockery.
"Impossible," Zanis denied without hesitation.
"Our members are law-abiding adventurers. They behave properly in the dungeon and would never violate the Guild's regulations."
Zanis knew full well the character of his familia.
In the past, to earn money, Soma Familia members had often harassed adventurers from other familias—and even their own comrades.
But typically, those adventurers were either killed in the dungeon with no evidence left behind, or the survivors wanted nothing more to do with the Soma Familia.
The incidents usually faded away.
Even the Guild could do little against a group as shameless as theirs.
But this time, an adventurer had come knocking at their door.
Inwardly, Zanis cursed, wishing he could tear apart whoever had botched this so badly that it reached him.
Harassing adventurers was one thing, but failing to clean up the mess and dragging trouble to the familia's doorstep was another.
Still, he couldn't admit it now.
"You don't even blush when you say that," Mahiro scoffed.
"Friend, I've done my best to clear up your misunderstanding about our Soma Familia, but you insist on humiliating me."
"Do you really think we're that easy to bully?" Zanis snapped, his tone growing sharp.
"What you've said is just your side of the story. There's no proof that our members harmed you," he continued.
"Yet here you are, in front of our headquarters, destroying our gate and injuring our beloved comrades." Zanis glared at Mahiro with a smug look.
"Even if we killed you here by accident, the Guild would have no grounds to blame us."
"If you leave now, I'll pretend this never happened."
"We won't even pursue compensation for the gate or the people you've hurt," he added.
"Threatening me?" Mahiro replied coolly, kicking the adventurer under his foot.
"You—!" Zanis began, his voice rising.
Though he didn't care about the familia member's fate, Mahiro's actions were a direct slap to his face.
He hadn't expected Mahiro to remain so bold, even after his arrival.
"It seems we can't talk this out," Zanis sneered.
"In that case, teach him a lesson. Even if he's injured or dies—"
Before Zanis could finish, Mahiro moved.
Using Shunpo, his figure vanished from Zanis's sight.
A flash of swordlight sliced through the air as Hyōrinmaru unleashed a chilling strike.
The blade aimed directly at Zanis's neck.
Zanis's eyes widened in terror as the slash closed in, a scythe of death drawing nearer.
His body froze under the overwhelming threat, his mouth still twitching as it tried to finish his sentence.
Hyōrinmaru's edge stopped, pressed against Zanis's neck.
The cold, biting chill of it snapped him back to his senses.
"Let's get one thing straight," Mahiro said with a faint smile, lightly tilting Hyōrinmaru.
The zanpakuto nicked Zanis's skin, drawing a trickle of blood.
"I'm not here to debate right and wrong with you. I'm here to deliver a message."
"Whether you accept it or not doesn't matter," he continued.
"Because the outcome won't change."
Zanis let out a choked cry, his strength abandoning him as his legs gave way.
He collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
"Understood, Captain Zanis?" Mahiro asked, still smiling as he brushed the edge lightly across Zanis's skin.