"What?!"
Uesugi Koeru, who had been lost in thought, snapped back to his senses instantly, his eyes burning with terrifying killing intent.
In a flash, the already chilly streets of Tokyo at night seemed to freeze over, blanketed with layers of frost. A suffocating and dreadful aura spread, engulfing the entire street.
The solid pavement groaned as if under unbearable pressure, cracking and crumbling bit by bit.
Centered on Uesugi Koeru, the ground around him began to collapse under an invisible gravitational force, visible even to the naked eye. Jagged cracks spiderwebbed outward, spreading far and wide.
At that moment, Shadow Emperor Uesugi Koeru seemed like a waking dragon, his murderous intent unleashed with ferocious intensity.
"Not much time left to live? What's going on?"
In his urgency, Uesugi Koeru grabbed Sogetsu by both shoulders again.
The force of his grip was so immense that the black-haired boy's shoulder blades made audible cracking sounds, as if they were about to shatter.
"Mr. Uesugi Koeru, have you ever heard an old saying?"
At this, Sogetsu revealed a devilish smile, like a fisherman who had finally hooked his long-awaited prize. "Every gift from fate comes with a hidden price tag. If you wish to change a 'predestined fate,' what price are you willing to pay?"
Uesugi Koeru froze upon hearing these words.
But it didn't take long for him to understand the boy's meaning. It was clearly a baited hook, but he had no choice but to take it.
If he hadn't known about this matter, perhaps he could have avoided the dilemma. But now that he was aware—aware that he wasn't alone in the world, that there were three others connected to him by blood, and that they were in danger—he couldn't bring himself to stand idly by.
"How can I be sure you're not lying to me?"
Uesugi Koeru took a deep breath, his piercing gaze fixed on the black-haired boy.
He couldn't fully trust the boy's words. After all, even though he had donated sperm decades ago, the sudden appearance of two sons and a daughter now was beyond belief.
"Fair enough. So, what would convince you?" Sogetsu nodded in agreement, as if acknowledging the validity of his doubt, and asked for his opinion.
"A name! Give me a name!"
Uesugi Koeru lowered his voice, aware that this request might not be granted, but he added, "At least one of them. Let me confirm if he has my bloodline, and then I'll believe you."
"Hm, that's not a bad idea," Sogetsu said with a faint smile, staring at him. "With your influence in Yamata no Orochi, if I give you a name, you'll probably be able to trace the remaining two quickly, right?"
This wasn't an exaggeration. Although Uesugi Koeru had retired, his influence was still significant.
One word from him could shake not just Japan but even Europe. Finding the three people wasn't impossible; it was just a matter of time, unless they were hiding in some corner.
"You don't have to," Uesugi Koeru replied, his face expressionless and calm, staring directly into the black-haired boy's eyes. "But to make me believe you with just a few words... do you think that's possible?"
The truth was, no matter how secretive something was, there would always be a mistake or a trace. Anything that had ever existed would leave a mark.
By following the lead of the sperm donation organization he had donated to years ago, it wouldn't take long to find them.
The only problem was 'time'.
That was why Uesugi Koeru didn't walk away but instead patiently negotiated with the black-haired boy.
"Fair point. I agree with your statement," Sogetsu smiled and nodded slightly. Then, with Uesugi Koeru's hopeful gaze on him, he calmly continued, "But not one name, but three."
Before Uesugi Koeru could react, Sogetsu said, "Gen Chisei, Gen Chime, and Uesugi Erii—no, wait. Gen Chime has changed his name to Kazama Ruri. He works for the Oni Clan and is known by the code name 'Dragon Lord.' As for the other two, you should have guessed where they are by their surnames."
"Gen family. Uesugi family."
Uesugi Koeru froze. The Gen family and the Uesugi family were both part of Yamata no Orochi.
He never expected that the other person would directly say three names without any hesitation or attempt to hide them.
"Erii, Erii..." He repeated the name over and over like a rusty machine, his wrinkled face showing genuine happiness. Nervously, he asked, "How old is she? Does she look like me? How is she doing?"
"She's twenty-one, doesn't look like you, but she's very pretty."
Sogetsu paused for a moment before continuing, "Unfortunately, she inherited the 'White Emperor' bloodline, so she can't control her Word Soul by her own will. She's being closely monitored by Yamata no Orochi, but she's getting by okay."
Uesugi Koeru froze for a second, then bitterly said, "It's all my fault. The White Emperor's bloodline... should never have been passed down."
"Do you want to hear the story of Gen Chisei and Gen Chime?" Sogetsu asked calmly.
"...Tell me."
Uesugi Koeru seemed to be carrying an unbearable weight, his body gradually hunched over. Though he had a rough idea of what had happened, he still wanted to hear the details.
"The purity of Gen Chime's bloodline was too high, and he slowly started to lean toward the 'Dragon' side," Sogetsu began, glancing at Uesugi Koeru, whose expression grew even sadder. Sogetsu continued, "Under the influence of the dragon blood, Gen Chime eventually killed someone, and Gen Chisei personally executed him and threw his body into a well."
"Executed... He was killed?"
Uesugi Koeru was shocked, his mouth falling open. "What happened next?"
"Later, Gen Chime came back to life, but he was no longer Gen Chisei's brother. He became the Dragon Lord of the Oni clan, Kazama Ruri," Sogetsu said.
Hearing about his own bloodline turning on each other and taking such different paths made Uesugi Koeru feel like his heart was being ripped apart. A look of pain appeared in his eyes.
After a moment, his voice was hoarse as he said in a low tone, "You've told me their names... aren't you afraid I'll change my mind?"
"If 'destined fate' could be so easily changed..."
Sogetsu paused for half a second, then spoke with a playful tone: "I'm really looking forward to seeing such a 'miracle' happen."
Uesugi Koeru frowned, naturally showing a hint of doubt. "If I return to Yamata no Orochi and summon the eight major families under the name of the Shadow Emperor, plus Cassell College, even if the White Emperor does awaken, it might still be possible to change our fate, don't you think?"
"You can try," Sogetsu replied, raising an eyebrow and gesturing for him to continue.
In the Dragon Raja's world, fate isn't something so easily changed. The "Black Emperor" up high, "Odin" lurking in the shadows, and the "White Emperor" whose death millions of years ago still influences Yamata no Orochi's fate—it's not something a mere mortal can shift.
The most important part is, if Sogetsu doesn't allow it, fate cannot be altered.
Looking at the calm and indifferent expression of the black-haired boy, Uesugi Koeru's confidence slowly faded, replaced by a heavy gloom.
After a long silence, Uesugi Koeru finally gave up with a deep sigh. "Tell me, what do you want me to do?"
"It's simple," Sogetsu said as he pulled out a small vial containing blood from his black suit pocket and handed it over.
The vial was about the size of those used in hospitals for injections, but the blood inside was unusually thick and a faint golden color. Upon closer inspection, one could see countless mysterious, three-dimensional runes etched into it, interweaving in an eerie and beautiful way.
Uesugi Koeru slowly extended his hand and took the vial. Looking up at the black-haired boy, he asked, "And then? What do you want me to do with it?"
"Drink it before you die," Sogetsu said calmly, gazing at Uesugi Koeru. "That is the price you must pay."
********
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