(MoD) Chapter 29: The Ashikaga Clan

Chapter 29: The Ashikaga Clan

Ayabe City, Kyoto, Japan.

Regarding housing in Japan, most people settled in large, industrial apartment complexes, mainly if they lived in a City. Or a tiny house in the suburbs if they were smart with their money.

On the other hand, the affluent could choose to dwell wherever they liked, opting for the condos and penthouses Ayabe had to offer.

And then there were a few families, maybe only a handful, whose wealth went a step above that. They were normally families deeply rooted in Ayabe’s industrial, commercial, and central business sectors. Strangely enough, those families were not interested in the luxury housing located in the city center.

There was a certain area in Ayabe called “Kamigyo Ward.” It seemed to be untouched by man-made development and filled with lush greenery and fauna, making it one of the most beautiful locations to visit not only in Ayabe but also in Kyoto itself.

But the area was more than its appearance; it also held a great deal of cultural significance.

After all, it was the resting place of the late Shogun, Ashikaga Takauji. 

And the current residence of his descendants, the Ashikaga Clan. The highest-ranking Magician Clan on the Magician’s Council, matched only by the Pendragon name.

They had constructed a gargantuan estate in Kamigyo in his name and likeness, where they would reside in their ancestor's honor for the rest of their existence. It was where Takauji’s father had grown up and married his mother.

“This is ridiculous!” 

“So what if it’s Devil-protected? This is our heir we’re talking about!”

“That’s right! We have every justification to bring him here! So what if we must kill a few nobodies along the way?”

The main hall of the Ashikaga estate was currently alight with noise, discontent, and unadulterated frustration. Clan members were constantly throwing their hands up in protest, barking all sorts of excuses their minds could conjure up.

It was abundantly clear that the mood wasn’t optimal, and for a Clan that wielded such might, that wasn’t something one could leave unchecked.

Thud! 

“Silence!” 

The sound of someone’s cane hitting the floor resounded throughout the main hall, effortlessly silencing the entire room.

Standing on an elevated platform at the forefront of the room was an older man with a large scar running down the left side of his face, all the way towards his chin. 

His left eye had turned milky white, presumably the result of some kind of accident. But in spite of his fragile appearance, his presence still seemed to command an unshakable level of dominance.

After all, everyone had silenced themselves the second he ordered them to. 

Such was the absolute authority of the Ashikaga Clan’s current Patriarch—Ashikaga Tsuji. 

“Kuoh Town is off limits, and that is final. There will be no attempt to intrude on the Underworld’s territory.” Tsuji groaned, rubbing his face in exasperation.

Even though he understood the sentiment of his subordinates, there were some lines you just didn’t cross. And the direct family of both the Satan Lucifer and Satan Leviathan was a colossal line you didn’t even want to get within a kilometer of.

“This is ridiculous.” A middle-aged man leaning against the wall snorted, while most wouldn’t dare speak, while the Patriarch had ordered their silence, this man had chosen to be an exception. 

His jet-black hair was slicked back with an absurd amount of gel, and he wore a pair of rectangular glasses balanced on his head to assist his light-gray pupils with their vision.

Fortunately for him, his status as Tsuji’s eldest son afforded him certain leniency. 

“Is there something you’d like to say? Takumi?” Tsuji narrowed his eyes, causing beads of sweat to drip down Takumi’s skin.

But Takumi decided to hold firm, adjusting his collar. 

“Yeah, there is. Taro left the clan long ago; he’s no longer a part of us, and his son shouldn’t be a concern either. Why are we making such a fuss about a bunch of outsiders? I’m already next in line and capable of assuming the role. I should be Patriarch by now.” 

Tsuji shook his head, “Takumi. That’s your brother you’re talking about. Even if he’s a little rebellious, he’s still our blood. And his son’s awakening has proven that to the highest degree possible.” 

Few people in the room missed that Tsuji had wholly ignored the latter half of Takumi’s little outburst. But none were foolish enough to comment on it aloud; Takumi was still Tsuji’s son, and a high-level 3rd Circle Magician.

Takumi bit his lower lip in frustration. “You keep talking about his awakening, but does he even have the element? You’ve yet to show us any proof. Isn’t this all just a ploy to reinstate Taro—” 

“Takumi.” Tsuji’s voice deepened, sending a fierce chill down his son’s spine. “I’d highly advise against making baseless accusations against me out in the open.” 

“I apologize, Father.” He dipped his head. Even if he was a 3rd Circle Magician, he wasn’t at a level where he could handle the pressure of the 4th Circle Magician that was Tsuji, even at his advanced age.

“The tablet made it clear that he is the one; ironically enough, he even has the name. This is where he belongs; to say otherwise would be an affront to everything the Ashikaga Clan embodies.” The only question was how they were going to bring him here. 

“Yaawwwnnnn. You’re all still throwing a fit?” A voice spoke from the opposite end of the hall, a figure deciding to enter mid-session. 

He looked to be only a little younger than Takumi, having the exact same eye coloration as him and messy brown hair that made it abundantly clear he had just gotten out of bed, despite it being 1’ in the afternoon. 

“Speak of the Devil.” It was pretty apparent that Takumi wasn’t a fan of the man. “You’re just a guest here, Taro, you have no business being in the main hall.” 

“Hey, it’s not like I want to be here, alright? I'd still be asleep if it weren’t for all the noise you were making.” He scratched his cheek, lazily redirecting his attention to Tsuji. “For the record, she only named him that to spite you. It’s not like we knew he was going to awaken that.” 

“Whether you did so intentionally or not doesn’t matter anymore; his fate is already set in stone,” Tsuji spoke somberly, trying to instill a sense of gravity in his youngest son.

“Fate?” Taro breathed a half-asleep chuckle. “If he heard that, he’d probably just start rambling about how he created fate or something.” 

Bzzzzzzzt! 

All of a sudden, Taro’s phone started to vibrate. His face contorted uncomfortably as he looked at his screen and the name of the person calling him.

“Is it him?” Tsuji asked with a knowing smile.

“Yeah, it’s him.” Taro sighed.

HIs son, Takauji, was calling. 

Reluctantly, Taro answered the phone, knowing he’d summon his mother’s wrath like a divine beast if he declined. 

“Hello?” 

“Mongrel. Are you at our family’s estate in Kamigyo?” 

Taro’s eyes were quick to widen. “Hold on a second! Who told you about—” 

For reference, Takauji’s parents had yet to tell him they were Magicians, let alone how bizarre their family’s background was. 

But taking what Takauji had just said into account, he was pretty aware of it. Taking Taro by surprise.

“Silence mongrel! Just tell me if you’re there or not!” 

“First, you should stop referring to your father as a mongrel. And secondly, who told you about Kamigyo?” 

“Taro. Don’t tell me you haven’t told your son about his own family?” Tsuji was left in utter disbelief.

“Not now.” Taro held his hand up. 

“So you are with someone else, that about confirms it. Mongrel, put me on speaker phone.” 

“I’m just out with a friend, I’m not—” 

“You don’t have any friends, now hurry up and put me on speaker before I tell mother that you missed Murayama’s parent-teacher conference.” 

“Eh? But there are still a few weeks before the next conference?” 

“And?” 

Knowing Takauji, he’d probably just fabricate some outlandish, yet strangely believable lie about him being mean to Murayama. Inciting his mother’s heavenly wrath upon Taro.

“Fine,” Taro grimaced, putting his phone on speaker. 

“Whoever’s in charge, speak to me.” 

“It’s nice to be able to talk to you finally, grandson,” Tsuji spoke, the rest of the room listening in on their conversation with bated breath. 

“Are you Tsuji?” 

“I am, although, from what I just heard, your father didn’t tell you about me. So forgive me if I’m a little surprised about how you know my identity?” 

The possibility of Takauji being connected to the Magician’s Council, without the Ashikaga Clan’s backing, crossed his mind which would be disastrous for what he had planned.

“Hmph. I’m not obligated to tell you that. I just wanted you to know that I’m coming over tomorrow, so ensure you have a welcoming party prepared. Otherwise, I’ll smite every one of you. Bye.” 

“Wait—” 

Click! 

Before Tsuji could get the chance to converse with him, Takauji, in his usual broodish style, hung up.

“That’s my son, alright.” Taro could only let out an exasperated sigh. If it was any comfort, at least awakening hadn’t changed his son’s personality.

Even if that personality was the most insufferable one to walk the earth.

‘Just how on earth am I supposed to deal with this?’ Taro could feel the looming arrival of the worst headache he had ever encountered.

…

After another lengthy trip, with a demonic beast velociraptor now bound to his shadow, Takauji finally returned to Kuoh Town, with a Governor-General and his contractor by his side. 

Now that their home will be renovated to accommodate Ash’s living. He could no longer play coy with his Murayama; it was time for her to know the truth, even if she hadn’t awakened.

‘Should I bring her along with me? No, Kuoh is protected. So it’d be better for her to remain here.’ 

“Ready?” Sona asked him. 

“I’m always ready.” He opened the door, entering his living room. He expected to see Murayama lounging on the coach, preparing to bark at him for not having dinner ready in time.

But to his surprise, the living room was completely empty, and the air conditioning had been turned on for some reason.

“Murayama?” He called out, quickly using his Ki Sense to pinpoint her location, which revealed her to be in her room. “You two stay here.” He motioned for Azazel and Sona to stay put as he continued down the hallway.

‘Wait a minute.’ 

Upon getting closer, Takauji realized he was sensing something strange from within Murayama’s room, causing him to hesitate before knocking. 

‘Is that—Mana?’ At first, he thought his senses were playing tricks on him, but he quickly remembered that he was an unparalleled genius, making such a thing impossible.

And since that was the case, it could only mean one thing.

Murayama had finally awakened.

Knock! Knock! Knock! 

“Murayama? You awake?” 

“Go away!” She let out a muffled yell while burrito-rolled under a myriad of blankets.

He sighed. “Hey, do you remember when I came home with bruises on my face?” 

“I said go away! I don’t want to talk to anyone right now!” 

“You asked me where I was, and after we argued for a bit, I said I’d tell you everything when you woke up one day, and you noticed something different about yourself.” 

Murayama remained silent, but Takauji was confident she was starting to catch on. 

“I might just be spit-balling here, but I’m fairly confident you’re feeling a little different right now, aren’t you?” 

The silence persisted for a short while, until he could hear the sound of her shuffling around her mattress, followed by the footsteps inching closer to the door. 

‘I guess this is the Magician version of “the talk,” isn’t it?’ It was time for him to fulfill his responsibility as her older brother.