Jushin and Iori Kagerou stood frozen in the Alpha's room, both taken aback by the grotesque scene before them. Their eyes scanned the room, landing on the two decapitated bodies—heads nowhere to be seen—and then on the disheveled figure of Rei Ookaze. She sat in a corner, hugging her body tightly, rocking back and forth in what seemed like a trance. Her muttering filled the room, faint but chilling.
"No, no… primordial wolf. It doesn't work on primordial wolf…"
Jushin's gaze flickered briefly to Rei, but his attention quickly shifted as he took in the figure of the Alpha—his great-granduncle—lounging casually on his side, completely unfazed by the chaos around him. The Alpha's kimono was askew, revealing his powerful chest and a part of his muscular thigh, as though he were posing for a men's magazine rather than dealing with the aftermath of such violence.
This wasn't like Hizuki. Jushin could understand the bloody scene—after all, Hizuki could kill without blinking. What confused him was the aura surrounding his great-granduncle. While Hizuki's energy always felt serene and solid, the Alpha's current aura was different. It was raw, raging—fury barely held in check. The contrast was unmistakable, and Jushin's confusion only deepened as he watched the Alpha, so outwardly calm yet brimming with a barely contained storm.
He leaned closer to Iori, his voice hushed. "Grandpa, what's going on? What's wrong with Hizuki?"
As soon as he asked the question, Iori smacked him on the head. "Don't call him by the name, you disrespectful brat," he scolded his great-grandson.
"But he doesn't let me call him great-granduncle," Jushin complained, but Iori glared at him again.
"Call him Alpha, you dumb Beta," Iori snapped, but his attention shifted back to Hizuki. Although Jushin was confused, Iori was not. He bowed deeply toward Hizuki. "Ancestor, you came out."
"Ancestor?" Jushin was surprised and, for a moment, more confused until it dawned on him. "P-P-Progenitor…" He copied his great-grandfather and bowed deeply. If he were in his wolf form at that moment, one would see his ears folded and tail tucked between his legs.
Kagerou! This was not Hizuki, but Kagerou—the big, bad wolf. The legendary wolf who had given Hizuki a week-long stomachache by gulping down plates of barbecue while Hizuki was unconscious. So, yeah, bad.
He had never encountered him before, although he knew Kagerou appeared from time to time. But based on Hizuki's complaints and discomfort after his appearances, Jushin already had an idea of what the clan's progenitor was like. Mischievous, like a child.
"Ancestor, what happened here?" Iori asked. Kagerou sat up properly, although his expression remained unserious.
"Oh, some pests came to visit, as expected. You already know that, right?"
"Yes, but if it's alright, may I ask for the details?" Iori prompted, already knowing how to talk to Kagerou.
Kagerou shrugged. "They used Lunaris last night," he stated, making both Jushin and Iori gasp, knowing that Hizuki was highly sensitive to the odorless sleeping powder mentioned.
"Hizuki is sleeping like a baby right now. I'm not sure when he'll wake up. They used a lot," Kagerou said, pointing to the empty sachets scattered on the floor. One, two, three, four, five...
The information made Iori and Jushin look grim. Hizuki wasn't just sleeping—he was in a deep coma. Although they knew he would return, there was no saying when, and that was bad news. After all, Hizuki was still a bit diplomatic, while Kagerou acted purely on wild instinct. If the Wind Pack demanded something that irritated the ancestor, he would just erase them, than subject himself to their whining. If he touched the Wind Pack, there was no question that war would follow. Although they knew they would win—since everyone's power, even his, as strong as the previous Alpha, was nothing compared to the primordial wolf—unnecessary bloodshed was not something they wanted.
They were all in the midst of absorbing the information when Rei let out another startling cry. "No! I'm your wife! It shouldn't be like this… no…"
In an instant, the room's temperature dropped. The easygoing expression on Kagerou vanished, replaced by a murderous one. The atmosphere felt suffocating, like a vacuum devoid of air, as the raging aura surrounding Kagerou expanded. There was no mistaking the anger the Alpha was in right now.
"Clean this trash up and get that disgusting woman far away from me," Kagerou ordered, and Jushin and Iori quickly sprang into action. "On second thought, throw that woman to that old hag in the guest house and let her know that if she wants to learn Moonlight Palm properly, I'd be happy to show her how."
At the mention of Moonlight Palm, both Jushin and Iori froze.
"Ancestor… Moonlight Palm…"
Kagerou nodded, answering the incomplete question. "Yes, that bitch used Moonlight Palm on me."
In that instant, everyone in the room now understood the Ookaze clan's entire plan. Using Moonlight Palm, they hoped to put the Alpha under control, make Rei marry into the Shadow Wolf Pack, and probably annex the Wind Pack, making the clan bigger and more formidable.
"Disgusting…" Iori muttered. "The Shaman of the Shinrei Mikazuki invented that method to save lives. But these disgusting clansmen tried to use it to usurp power." He turned to Kagerou, looking both concerned and grateful. It was a good thing their Alpha was a primordial wolf, immune to such spells.
"That's right." Kagerou crossed his arms over his chest. "If it weren't for Hizuki's strict instructions, I'd have Kamehameha waved that bunch as soon as they stepped through the door."
Excuse me?
Jushin and Iori exchanged a look. Kamehameha? The Beta's lips twitched, realizing another oddity. Kagerou spoke like a modern otaku punk—far from the eloquent Hizuki. If Hizuki could see him now, Jushin was sure Kagerou would get more than just a simple scolding. He was about to laugh but felt a kick on his leg and turned to see his great-grandfather glaring at him, silently ordering him to shut up.
"I'm sure the Alpha had plans," Iori added, trying to keep the ancestor from going on a rampage.
"Hizuki said to get those camera things and send a copy to Akechi Ookaze. Tell them to be thankful I didn't kill the disgusting thing."
Iori nodded. He already knew what would happen and what to do as soon as Hizuki had asked him to set up the cameras last night. It was a receipt that the Wind Pack had no right to complain if one or two of their clanspeople died. After all, they were the ones who had tried to harm the Alpha who had welcomed them as guests. As for Rei Ookaze, it would have been better if the ancestor had killed her too. Judging by her state, her mind was completely broken. She was as good as an invalid who couldn't care for or feed herself.
"If that Ookaze still complains, let him know I'll be happy to spread the word that their Salutaries are using Moonlight Palm. Let's see how he'd end up."