The Rurikawa family was an ancient noble house in the Tokyo region, possessing an old estate called the Old Fox Mountain Courtyard that spanned roughly ten thousand square meters. Because the family had declined in recent years, some areas had not been properly renovated. The buildings remained largely unmodernized, retaining their ancient charm with wooden structures kept spotless by the diligent servants.
As the sole heir, Natsuyu naturally lived in the main house located at the center of the estate. After leaving his residence, Natsuyu sprinted through the courtyard with light steps. The wind whistled past his ears, and he was even a bit startled by his own speed.
As for the shouts of Nora the maid, Natsuyu soon left them far behind until they were completely inaudible. Saving someone was the priority; Natsuyu was in no mood to care whether Nora could keep up. Besides, she was a trash maid who had defected to his grandmother.
Natsuyu recalled the family situation. His mother was the legitimate, sole descendant of the Rurikawa family, but she had died young. Mr. Lawyer was a matrilocal son-in-law, and after he also passed away, his mother's mother—his grandmother, Rurikawa Rinka—naturally took control of the power.
Natsuyu didn't really care. Lin Hua was old and had no illegitimate children; once he reached adulthood and succeeded as the head of the family, the Rurikawa family would be his startup fund. That was, until the old hag started her nonsensical operations.
When the branch family showed signs of dissatisfaction, she gave up profits to unite them. She even came up with the idea of using Rurikawa Tsubaki to trade for family interests, seemingly unafraid of whether exposing Tsubaki as merely a member of the branch family would provoke even greater trouble.
Most importantly, in Natsuyu's eyes, selling out Tsubaki's life was wrong. If Mr. Lawyer were still alive, he would have done everything in his power to stop the old hag's pig-brained maneuvers.
Natsuyu checked his weapons, only to realize that after his transmigration back, he didn't have his inventory on him. To be precise, Natsuyu had been sleeping in bed when he crossed over; theoretically, he should have only been wearing pajamas and underwear. However, upon reaching the Don't Starve World, he had been wearing his everyday clothes, though the golden mechanical watch he never took off even while sleeping had not gone with him.
After returning from the Don't Starve World, Natsuyu had reverted to the state of wearing only pajamas and underwear. The inventory naturally didn't come back with him, and all his equipment remained in the Don't Starve World. However, the golden mechanical watch left by his mother was back on his wrist, and his phone was also there, which provided some comfort.
Natsuyu lifted his wrist to check the time: 8:06.
"What exactly are the rules of the crossing mechanism? Could the Don't Starve World be a dream? But my physical fitness and ability definitely exist."
Natsuyu temporarily pushed his confusion about the transmigration mechanism to the back of his mind. The most important thing now was to intercept the car taking Rurikawa Tsubaki away. It didn't matter if he had no weapons. Natsuyu's current physical stats were his most powerful weapon. Did they really think ordinary bodyguards could stop him, a man who had already surpassed human limits?
"Actually, I'm partly to blame for things turning out like this."
Natsuyu admitted that he had wanted to be lazy, to lie flat and enjoy life for two more years before marrying, having children, and inheriting billions in family assets. This had given Rurikawa Rinka the opportunity to display her "stunning talent." It couldn't be helped; the life of a noble scion was simply too comfortable. Even a declining aristocrat enjoyed a fine life, and he couldn't resist.
Of course, the person in the wrong wasn't Natsuyu; it was Rurikawa Rinka.
"Fortunately, it's not too late. I can turn the wrong back into a right."
Natsuyu had already run to the old hag's courtyard. As his grandmother, Rurikawa Rinka's residence was not far from the main house; it usually took two minutes by car, but at Natsuyu's speed, he reached it in one.
Outside the courtyard gate, two tall men in black suits saw Natsuyu and immediately took on serious expressions, shouting loudly, "Master Natsuyu, please stop!"
"The madam was right; you really did come to interfere with Miss Tsubaki's matter. Please go back, Master. Come back at 9 o'clock when everything is finished."
The two bodyguards looked grim. Because Natsuyu was the heir of the head family—the family of the bosses who paid their salaries—they found this situation difficult. No matter how much of a fuss was made today, it was still a family matter for the bosses. If Natsuyu chose to force his way in, they, as professional bodyguards, were confident they could stop him, but what if he got bumped or bruised?
If the youth before them was willing to marry and have children now, he could become the head of the family immediately. Even if he wasn't now, the family would be his in the future. If they wanted to keep receiving their paychecks a few years from now, they couldn't harm the young master.
Natsuyu stopped. This gate was the exit of the courtyard. By reaching this spot, Rurikawa Tsubaki was essentially saved. Judging by the bodyguards' behavior, Tsubaki hadn't been sent away yet; otherwise, they wouldn't be blocking him.
Natsuyu felt a sense of relief and looked at the somewhat familiar bodyguards. In truth, the Rurikawa family didn't originally have so many bodyguards, only some house servants. But six months ago, after Mr. Lawyer was murdered in his home—dying alongside the culprit—the number of bodyguards in the Rurikawa family had increased.
Natsuyu remembered these two. One was a Middle Eastern man who used to be a mercenary; now retired and joined the Rurikawa family, he only wanted a peaceful life. The other was from the mainland, said to come from a small sect. Because there was truly no future in martial arts in the modern era, the sect had declined by his generation, leaving him as the sole successor. He had come to Neon to make a living and was moved by the sincerity of the then-panicked Rurikawa family.
These two were the strongest among the Rurikawa family bodyguards. One had actually killed people, and the other had practiced martial arts since childhood, specializing in combat within a peaceful society. Both were over 1.8 meters tall with sturdy builds and corded muscles on arms thicker than Natsuyu's thighs. As for the third strongest, it was a female bodyguard who specifically protected Rurikawa Rinka. She was a member of the Far East Gokudo and was certainly inside the courtyard right now.
"Move."
Natsuyu looked up at the two bodyguards in their thirties and forties. "I'm only saying this once."
The martial artist bodyguard lowered his head. "Apologies, Master Natsuyu. We are also just following orders. Please don't make it difficult for us."
The mercenary's Japanese was not very fluent. "Yes, Master. We do not want... to use force on you."
"Following orders, so you won't listen to me?" Natsuyu smiled.
The martial artist said, "Master, we—!"
Natsuyu didn't waste any more words. He pushed off with his feet. There was no special technique involved; he simply appeared in front of the mercenary.
So fast!
The mercenary was shocked, his soul nearly leaving his body. His years of experience surviving at the end of a gun barrel left no room for thought, only the instinct to dodge. He curled his body and dove to the side with extreme speed—the same move he had once used to dodge an enemy's draw and fire from within three meters before shooting back to kill them.
Now, in his shock, he felt as if he had returned to that dangerous environment; his dodging speed was not at all inferior to his prime.
Haha, my skills haven't been lost after all. All these years of good food and drink without forgetting to train was the right—
Thud.
"Argh!"