Chapter 71 : The Chosen Ones ( TCO )

The car door opened slowly.

"Yuna-sama... we have arrived. The boss is waiting inside," the guard said respectfully.

Yuna stepped out first, followed by Arthur and Julia.

The moment Arthur looked ahead—

He paused.

’...What the hell...?’

In front of them stood a massive villa that looked less like a house and more like a palace. Tall white walls stretched across the estate, intricate carvings etched into the surface, while golden accents reflected the sunlight beautifully.

A grand gate stood open, leading inside.

As they walked forward, the view only became more absurd.

The garden was vast and perfectly maintained, filled with trimmed trees, stone paths, flowing water features, and carefully arranged lanterns. Everything was precise... elegant... controlled.

Servants stood lined up on both sides of the path, dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, bowing respectfully as Yuna passed.

Arthur let out a low whistle. "Now this... is what I call a welcome."

Yuna walked calmly ahead. "Like I said before... Brother Yuichi holds the most influence in this country. Whether it’s the underworld or politics... his reach extends everywhere."

Arthur glanced around again.

"Yeah... I can see that."

They approached the main entrance of the mansion.

And then—

Arthur’s eyes shifted.

Two figures stood at the doorway.

One was a man in his forties, tall and imposing, with long brown hair flowing down his back. He wore a yukata, and a massive katana rested at his side. His presence was overwhelming, his body radiating strength without even trying.

Beside him stood a younger man, likely in his twenties, with neatly styled dark hair and a well-fitted suit. His appearance was refined, handsome, but his sharp eyes revealed he was far from harmless.

Arthur narrowed his eyes slightly.

’...These guys are dangerous.’

The man with the katana—

Takahashi Yuichi—

Looked at Yuna.

And then—

Everything changed.

His eyes widened.

"Sister—!"

He rushed forward almost instantly, his composed demeanor breaking apart as he pulled Yuna into a tight hug.

"I thought you wouldn’t come this time too...!" he said, his voice shaking slightly. "I’m really glad... to see you again."

Yuna smiled softly and returned the hug.

"What happened? Is everything alright?" she asked. "Where are Sakura and Himari?"

Yuichi slowly let go, though his expression still held warmth.

"Let’s talk inside," he said.

Then—

His gaze shifted.

Toward Arthur and Julia.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"...Who are these two?"

Arthur felt the shift immediately.

’Yeah... that’s pressure.’

Yuna smiled faintly. "These two are my disciples."

Silence.

Yuichi’s breath hitched.

His eyes widened again as he looked at Arthur and Julia carefully.

"Disciples...?" he muttered, almost in disbelief. "Does that mean... they were able to inherit Master’s martial arts...?"

Yuna tilted her head slightly.

"Well... Julia here is from the Valmost family. As you know, they already have their own martial arts. Their Void Arts are considered among the strongest."

Julia clenched her fist slightly.

"So she will continue her family’s legacy."

Her lips tightened.

Arthur noticed.

’...Yeah... she doesn’t like that.’

For the past two months, Yuna had tried to teach both of them the Celestial Dragon Flow.

Arthur learned it quickly.

Too quickly.

His body adapted, his Infinite Harmony Constitution allowing him to handle the immense Qi and mana flow without breaking.

Julia—

Was different.

She tried.

Pushed herself.

Forced it.

And almost destroyed her own body doing it.

In the end, Yuna forbade her from learning it.

Instead, she told her to master her own Void Arts properly.

And Julia did improve.

A lot.

Even Yuna had been surprised.

But right now—It didn’t feel like praise.

It felt like—Excuse.

Like something was being hidden to not show her incompetence .

Julia stepped forward.

"I was unable to inherit Master’s martial arts... that’s all," she said calmly.

Yuichi didn’t question her.

He simply nodded.

Yuna said nothing either, but inside she was happy.

’She can finally admit her shirt comings now... and that alone shows how much she’s grown.’

Julia had changed.

She could now admit what she couldn’t do.

That alone showed growth.

Yuichi’s gaze shifted toward Arthur.

"Then... I take it he was able to?"

Yuna didn’t answer.

She just smiled.

That was enough.

Yuichi laughed.

"So you finally found someone, huh...?" he said, shaking his head slightly. "Master would have been proud to see this."

He stepped closer to Arthur, observing him more carefully.

"I must say... the lad is quite good-looking," he said casually.

Arthur blinked.

Then Yuichi leaned in slightly, narrowing his eyes.

"...Have we met somewhere before?"

Arthur shook his head. "Not that I remember, sir."

Yuichi paused.

Then chuckled lightly.

"You’re right... I must be getting old."

He stepped back and gestured toward the entrance.

"Come on... everyone, let’s go inside."

The doors slowly opened behind him.

And the atmosphere shifted once again.

The massive doors opened slowly—

And they stepped inside.

Arthur’s eyes immediately widened.

’...Alright... this is insane.’

The interior of the villa was even more lavish than the outside. Polished marble floors reflected the golden light from massive chandeliers hanging above. Intricate wooden carvings lined the walls, mixed with modern luxury. Paintings, silk curtains, and rare decorations filled the space without making it feel crowded.

Everything screamed wealth.

Power.

Control.

Julia’s gaze moved silently across the hall.

Yuna walked like she belonged there.

Yuichi turned slightly and said, "Let’s eat. You guys must be hungry."

Arthur didn’t even hesitate.

’Finally... something important.’

They followed Yuichi into a large dining hall.

A massive table stretched across the room, long enough to seat dozens. The surface gleamed under the lights, already prepared with plates and utensils placed perfectly.

Everyone took their seats.

Yuichi sat at the head.

Yuna beside him.

Arthur and Julia across.

Then—

Yuichi clapped his hands once.

Immediately, servants began entering one after another, carrying trays filled with food.

Dish after dish covered the table—steaming meats, fresh seafood, rice, soups, exotic dishes, desserts—each one looking more expensive than the last.

Arthur’s eyes lit up.

’Now this... this is heaven.’

Without waiting—

He started eating.

Fast.

Very fast.

Across from him, a man quietly took his seat beside Yuichi.

The same well-dressed, handsome man from earlier.

Yuichi gestured toward him. "This is James Carter. He is Sakura’s fiancé."

Arthur didn’t react.

Didn’t look.

Didn’t care.

He kept eating.

At that moment, Yuna leaned back slightly. "Oh? So the little bird finally found her love... huh?" she said with a faint smile. "But where is she?"

James’s expression changed instantly.

Serious.

Tense.

"That... is what we wanted to talk about, Miss Yuna."

Silence.

Then—

"Sakura... and Miss Himari have been kidnapped."

The entire room froze.

No one spoke.

The air grew heavy.

Only one sound remained—

Arthur chewing.

Julia’s eye twitched.

She elbowed him hard.

"Will you stop eating?"

Arthur winced. "What—what did I do?"

Yuna looked at him with a tired expression and shook her head.

Then she turned back to James.

"Explain."

James took a slow breath.

"Recently, a new organization has been appearing around the world. They call themselves... ’The Chosen Ones’... TCO."

Arthur’s hand paused for a fraction of a second.

Then continued eating.

"They seem to have connections everywhere," James continued. "Not just influence... but power."

Yuichi spoke next, his voice low.

"For the past one or two months... Sakura’s behavior started changing. She became distant... started talking to herself... most of the time she wouldn’t even respond when we spoke to her."

Julia frowned slightly.

James continued.

"Then one day... TCO contacted her directly. They told her she was one of them... that she should join them."

His jaw tightened.

"They said they were going to make the world a better place... and that they couldn’t allow any variables to remain free."

Arthur’s eyes flickered slightly.

James clenched his fists.

"A fight broke out."

A pause.

"And we lost."

Yuichi suddenly slammed his fist onto the table.

BANG.

"We lost!" he repeated, his voice filled with rage. "And they took Sakura... and my wife... Himari."

Silence.

Heavy.

Unmoving.

Then—

A voice echoed inside Arthur’s mind.

[ Host... the situation has become more dire than we anticipated. ]

Arthur calmly picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth.

’A whole organization of system users... huh...’ he thought.

’Now that’s something new.’

[ This is bad news. If they have someone capable of identifying system users, it won’t be long before they find us as well. And judging from their actions... they are not friendly. ]

Arthur leaned back slightly.

’Don’t worry. Think of it as more system users for us to hunt.’

A faint smirk appeared on his face.

’I had a feeling something like this would happen eventually. We just need to be more careful.’

He lowered his gaze slightly.

"It’s going to be fun..."

Then—

Arthur looked up.

The shift was instant.

The laziness was gone.

The playfulness—wiped clean.

What remained was cold Focus.

His eyes locked onto Yuichi, sharp enough to cut.

When he spoke, his voice came low and steady.

"Give me all the information you have."

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A/N:

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