Togawa Kiyotsugu tried hard to see who was coming.
But his swollen eye sockets were all blurry; he could only make out a vague silhouette.
'It seems… to be an unfamiliar boy?'
"My name is Togawa Kiyotsugu. I inherited the Togawa family name. If you know what's good for you, get lost now!", Togawa Kiyotsugu tried to scare the other person off, but with no confidence in his voice, he looked more bark than bite.
Kaito no longer wanted to waste time on this newborn.
He walked forward step by step, his handsome features calm, yet inexplicably unsettling.
"I warn you! Stay away from me!", Togawa Kiyotsugu still hadn't realized the seriousness of the situation, still trying to threaten, but soon let out a painful groan.
To avoid punching this scum into minced meat, Kaito had deliberately held back his strength, but Togawa Kiyotsugu, who was used to a pampered life, had zero resistance to blows. His hunched body curled up like a shrimp.
"Does it hurt?"
Kaito grabbed his hair and lifted him up, the indifferent look in his eyes only deepened the fear in the other's heart, "W-Wait… Spare me, I'll give you money! I can give you money!"
"I asked you, does it hurt?", Kaito ignored him, calmly repeating the question.
'Lunatic!'
Togawa Kiyotsugu cursed in his heart but didn't dare provoke him. He could only answer honestly, "It hurts, it hurts a lot!"
Another punch.
This time it landed square on the bridge of his nose. Togawa Kiyotsugu's head snapped back from the blow, hot liquid flowed from his nasal cavity, and he seemed to see a kindly old woman before his eyes.
"How about now?"
"It doesn't hurt! Not at all!", He nearly cried, hastily changing his words.
"Good, you're a tough guy," Kaito nodded in approval and delivered a fierce knee strike, ruthlessly smashing into his lower abdomen.
Togawa Kiyotsugu let out a muffled groan.
His once handsome features were now twisted in agony, too pained to speak, his stomach churning violently.
But it wasn't over yet.
Kaito flicked his fingers, and a surge of invisible energy burst into the man's limbs and bones.
This energy wasn't fatal, but it was like a thousand ants devouring his heart, making life worse than death.
Togawa Kiyotsugu rolled on the ground in agony, blue veins bulging under his skin. It felt like invisible worms were crawling all over inside. Within moments, he was drenched in sweat, his suit pants soaked with a yellow, foul-smelling liquid.
This torment lasted about five minutes or so.
Seeing the time was about right, Kaito crouched down and patted his face, "Where's the money you used for gambling?"
"Gone… I lost it all!", Togawa Kiyotsugu looked like a wild dog with a broken spine, eyes filled with the desire to live, "But my daughter has money! My daughter is still very pretty! I'll sell her to you! You can do whatever you want with her!"
"Please, spare me. I really know I was wrong now…"
"You don't know you were wrong," Kaito shook his head, "You just know you're about to die."
He stood up and turned to leave. Spiritual power surged around him; though the rain poured, it was completely blocked outside.
He had no intention of killing Togawa Kiyotsugu, after all, the man was Sakiko's biological father.
But sometimes, death is actually a release.
With energy surging through the body, every two hours he would endure pain like being cut by a thousand knives, incurable.
Even a man made of iron wouldn't last three days before collapsing into a pile of mush, begging for death.
If Togawa Kiyotsugu really had the will to cling to life even while suffering worse than death, Kaito might look at him with some respect.
The wails behind him continued, echoing in the dark alley.
But clearly, he didn't have that kind of courage.
———
"No… Don't!"
Togawa Sakiko woke from her dream in a panic.
Once again, she had seen that ferocious father, as if ready to devour anyone.
Those pupils the same color as her own no longer showed the gentleness of the past, no guilt or pity for his daughter, only calculation and greed.
Sakiko stared in a daze for a long time, her expression gradually dimming. She wrapped her arms around her knees and buried her little head deep in her arms.
'Dad… No, Togawa Kiyotsugu.'
'That man, just when did he start to change?'
Maybe it was the day he lost his position as a councilor, or maybe it was after being kicked out of the Togawa family.
To this day, Sakiko still didn't understand why her mother had ruthlessly driven him out of the house.
She could've stayed in the Togawa family, continued being a carefree young lady, but she was willing to leave with that man.
'Because Dad used to be such a good person.'
He would patiently teach little her to play the piano, tell bedtime stories, and secretly buy her the cake she'd been craving, behind her strict mom's back.
"Why… did it turn out like this?"
Click!
The dim room lit up as someone casually flipped the light switch, illuminating the lonely girl.
Sakiko looked up, and the first thing she saw was a familiar envelope, followed by a calm and reassuring voice, "Returning this to its rightful owner."
Seeing the girl remain motionless, seemingly still dazed.
Kaito raised an eyebrow, "If you don't snap out of it, I might just pocket this for myself—"
He had intended to make a joke to lighten the mood, but suddenly paused.
Sakiko didn't take the envelope. Instead, she lunged into his arms, tightly hugging the boy's bamboo-like waist.
She didn't speak, but her tears quickly soaked through the fabric of his chest.
Kaito sighed, but didn't push the girl away. He gently stroked her soft, blue long hair, "It's okay now. It's all over."
Sakiko was a very strong girl.
But precisely because she was too strong, used to bearing everything alone, her emotions rebounded more intensely once she had someone to rely on.
The stifled crying lasted a long time.
When she finally left the warm embrace, her doll-like delicate face had already become a messy, tear-streaked little kitten.
Sakiko hesitated, then still softly asked, "Dad… Togawa Kiyotsugu, that man… what happened to him?"
"I had a nice, friendly chat with him. He deeply realized his mistakes."
Kaito shrugged, "He felt too ashamed to see you again, decided to live somewhere else, and should already be on his way now."
'…Still lying to me.'
If a friendly chat could really make that man suddenly repent, Kaito would've long been qualified to apply for a job as a confessional priest, right?
Sakiko carefully held his right hand, where a faint trace of blood stained his knuckles.
"Does it… still hurt here?"
'Careless. I should've checked before coming back.'
Kaito coughed lightly, "Doesn't really feel like anything."
After all, it wasn't his blood.
"Sorry for troubling you again."
Sakiko pushed the envelope back, "This money… please let Kaito-kun keep it. It's fine if you spend it."
"Are you worried about Togawa Kiyotsugu?"
Kaito thought the girl was afraid the money would get stolen again, "Don't worry, I'm quite confident in my negotiation skills. He won't drag you down anymore."
After this incident, that man was already finished.
Even if he miraculously survived, the rest of his life was only worthy of becoming a stray dog with no home to return to.
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