Chapter 148
Phew
Kisara and Rentaro immediately released sighs of relief when Kikunojou left .
They were sweating bullets from the intense verbal exchange between Noah and Kikunojou . It sounded like they would duke it out at the drop of the hat .
They also witnessed how Kikunojou and Noah declared war on each other, the two became irreconcilable foes from that point onwards .
The two witnesses reacted differently .
Kisara looked like she got high on adrenaline, it's like she declared the war instead of Noah .
Meanwhile, Rentaro looked like he's not sure what he should do . He nervously asked Noah who was drinking his tea in style .
"That old man is the right-hand man of the Administrator of Tokyo Area, are you sure it's going to be fine going to war with him?"
"I see no downsides to this though?"
Noah shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal .
"Sooner or later, we would have to do that anyway . We went at each other in the shadows, we cannot share the same world . Doing this is just making it official, the substance of the matter has not changed one bit . "
"Then, you're going to kill Kikunojou?"
Rentaro looked at Noah with a grim look .
"He's the pillar of the Tendo clan . They are a powerful clan with strong connections all over the city, even Seitenshi can't rein him in, you know?"
"I know more than anyone how strongly rooted his foundations are, the one year I spent fighting him told me that so you didn't have to remind me . "
Noah looked at Rentaro .
"Now, do you think I would declare war on that guy without due preparations to take his whole clan down?"
Rentaro recalled how Noah got his hands on Tendo Clan's dirty secrets and evidence of foul-play, courtesy of Miori .
From that point on, Noah has been busy setting up his counter-measures for the Tendo clan?
As an ex-adopted son of Kikunojou, he knows it wouldn't be enough and the outlook isn't good .
Kikunojou adopted Rentaro with the intent of nurturing him into an outstanding politician .
Rentaro followed Kikunojou as a shadow to learn how to socialize and expand his network . He became familiar with the power the Tendo Clan held as a result of this apprenticeship .
From Rentaro's PoV, Kikunojou might not be able to bring Noah down but he's sure Noah couldn't take Kikunojou down too .
To him, the declaration of war is just an episode in the long season of the back and forth between Noah and Kikunojou .
"Rentaro, I know what you are thinking, my conflict with that old man isn't something you can talk or iron out through diplomacy . "
Noah sighed .
"Don't worry, I am not asking you to take a side by aiding me . "
Rentaro sighed silently .
He doesn't like Kikunojou . However, the guy is like his adopted father, it would be hard for him to fight a father-figure like that .
If push comes to shove, Rentaro doesn't mind aiding Noah .
But, if the two does fight seriously . Rentaro isn't sure he can keep up with their plots and tactics .
Hence, as an outsider to this conflict, Rentaro would like as little trouble as possible .
At this juncture, Kisara sat down in front of Noah, looking at him with a serious look .
"Then, how about I help you?"
Noah stopped sipping his tea .
"Kisara-san?"
Rentaro gasped at the sight of Kisara who sat in Seiza posture . Her adamant look meant there was no backing out . She has made up her mind .
Rentaro killed his objections .
"Help me?"
Noah looked at Kisara .
"I don't understand what you mean?"
"I hate to admit it, but, Kikunojou is right . "
Kisara clenched down on her katana .
"To end the Tendo clan, my power alone is insufficient . "
Noah listened and he asked her after reading her mind .
"As such, you want to lend me your strength?"
"Our interests align, we both want the end of the Tendo clan . "
Kisara stared intently at Noah .
"You could use all the help you can get, right?"
Noah and Rentaro can see vitality and reckless abandon in Kisara's desperate expression .
Kisara hated the Tendo Clan . She moved forward in life by holding this vengeance as her primary driver . She clung to life to one day bury all the Tendo clan members .
However, in the bigger picture, Kisara couldn't do so because she wielded little to no influence .
Without any other alternatives, Kisara stayed dormant, waiting for the chance to one day exact her revenge upon the Tendo clan .
In Noah, she saw the fruition of her plans .
Kisara's heart livened up and she looked brighter than usual .
As for reckless abandon, it's a manifestation of Kisara's blind hatred .
When the chance to get revenge appeared, Kisara immediately revealed the darkness within her heart .
"If you can promise me that, my body and my sword will be yours to command!"
She held the katana horizontally against her chest . She looked very serious and her words were steady .
"Tendo Kisara will become the sharpest sword, cutting down any and all obstacles standing in your way!"
"Kisara-san . . . "
Rentaro called out to her . But, he couldn't find the words to stop her .
Noah's eyes were filled thoughtful light . Then, he asked .
"Even if I order you to get a kidney transplant?"
Kisara started hesitating while Rentaro's eyes brightened up .
Everybody familiar with Kisara knows about her kidney problem .
Only a few knows that Kisara purposefully chose not to do a transplant .
She used this to motivate herself in her journey to get vengeance on the Tendo Clan . Faced with a change to this, she started having second thoughts .
"I mean . . . "
Kisara continued .
"That has nothing to do with fighting the Tendo clan, right?"
"Did you forget what I said last time?"
Noah crossed his arms .
"Your current health can barely support your daily activities . If you can't even fight in an optimal state, what would you do if the perfect chance to kill the Tendo Clan appears and you're out cold because you succumbed to your condition?"
"You say you want to help me fight the Tendo Clan . That I can agree with, however, your kidney problem is a liability to me . The last thing I want is for me to call you into duty when you're doing dialysis in the hospital . "
Noah chortled .
"My promise shall only be given on the presumption that you won't turn out to be a liability by taking a kidney transplant procedure . "
Kisara started going through her options as she looked perplexed .
"Your reluctance to take the operation is because you might forget what the Tendo Clan did to you . You wanted the threat of death, the looming sense of mortality to constantly remind yourself not to forget your vengeance . Let me tell you one thing, even if you forget your vengeance, I will still fight the Tendo Clan . "
Noah shrugged .
"As the one who will bring destruction upon the Tendo Clan, entrust your hatred and vengeance to me!"
"Entrust? . . . "
Kisara looked at Noah with wavering eyes .
Noah said no more . Rentaro watched as Kisara pondered her future plans .
Kisara breathed deeply and she made up her mind .