A Saiyan's Journey

The Shinomiya family matter was resolved much faster than anticipated.

Soon, the Shinomiya family's attendants noticed something very unusual.

When they had initially invited the Kiryu Group members, Shinomiya Gan'an and Shinomiya Oko were seated in the reception hall, awaiting the arrival of Shin and his companions.

However, after the meeting concluded, Gan'an and Oko personally escorted Shin and the others out.

Some attendants even felt that Gan'an and Oko seemed somewhat deferential towards Shin.

Many attendants thought they must have misinterpreted it, as after all, Gan'an was the head of the Shinomiya family, and Oko was its most promising heir.

Though curious, the attendants kept their thoughts to themselves.

Even if Gan'an and Oko appeared to act humbly before Shin, that was certainly not something for mere attendants to gossip about.

After seeing off the Kiryu Group and Shin, Shinomiya Oko and Shinomiya Gan'an returned to their room in silence.

The power displayed by Shin had left a considerable impact; it was not something a mere human could wield.

In fact, they had overheard some attendants discussing the unusual phenomenon in the sky. Many assumed it must have been some special natural occurrence.

After all, how could ordinary people believe that level of power could come from a single individual?

Had Gan'an and Oko not witnessed the glowing sphere in Shin's hand, and seen him throw it into the sky, they might also have thought it was some kind of weather anomaly.

The only solace was that they noticed Kiryu and his subordinate looked terrified when Shin used his power.

This meant that Shin was the only one with such power; Kiryu and his subordinate, despite being Stand users, lacked this extraordinary ability.

This suggested that the Shinomiya family would be loyal to Shin alone and not to the entire Kiryu Group—something of a silver lining.

"That power is overwhelming. Defiance is not an option."

Sitting in his chair, Shinomiya Oko looked conflicted—raised in a privileged environment, he was unaccustomed to being under anyone's control.

But whether he liked it or not, he had to adapt. His elite education meant he was smart enough to know he couldn't escape Shin's influence.

Shin didn't even need to use the usual means of controlling other Stand users; Oko was already scared enough, desperately trying to find ways to make up for his earlier, slightly hostile tone towards Shin.

"Perhaps we could send Kaguya to his side?"

Oko suggested, only to be met with a sharp glare from Gan'an.

"Do you know what you're saying, Oko?"

Though Gan'an rarely showed much affection toward his only daughter, Kaguya, he cared deeply for her.

Hearing Oko's suggestion to offer Kaguya as a bargaining chip, Gan'an's expression darkened.

"Father, someone with that kind of power—if we don't try to get close now, we may lose the chance in the future."

But Oko did not think he was wrong. Looking at Gan'an, he replied calmly.

"Yes, the Shinomiya family is powerful, but we're not the only conglomerate in Japan. We can't just wait for that lord to make demands; we should take the initiative to show goodwill."

Though influential, the Shinomiya conglomerate was not immune to decline. Oko had long been considering ways to further their power.

Shin's arrival, while imposing a new overlord over the Shinomiya family, could also be an opportunity of sorts.

The deterrent effect of that overwhelming power spoke louder than any negotiation. It was like nuclear deterrence between nations—just standing there, it was enough to make others afraid to act rashly.

Such strength, now willing to form a relationship with the Shinomiya family, and yet Gan'an didn't seem eager to seize the initiative, leaving Oko baffled.

"…You have a point."

After a moment of silence, Gan'an had to admit Oko was right.

His immediate rebuttal had been due to his affection for Kaguya.

But on second thought, if Kaguya could forge a connection with Shin, wouldn't that also serve as protection for her?

Standing nearby, Ai Hayasaka listened to Gan'an and Oko's conversation with mixed feelings.

Initially, she didn't want Kaguya to be involved in this matter. But after Shin displayed his terrifying power, it was only natural that they began to consider Kaguya.

Still, she couldn't blame herself for not foreseeing this—who would have imagined Shin's power would be that overwhelming?

Since awakening her own Stand, Hayasaka possessed what they called a "special ability," but Shin's power… surely it was beyond any Stand ability?

While Hayasaka pondered Shin with complex emotions, Gan'an and Oko seemed to have reached an agreement.

"Hayasaka, find some time to approach him," Oko said, looking at Ai Hayasaka, the "spy" he'd originally planted by Kaguya's side, now to be employed on behalf of Shin.

"See if he's interested in transferring to Shuchiin Academy."

While they wanted Kaguya to meet Shin, it would be best on home ground.

And the home ground of the Shinomiya family was, of course, Shuchiin Academy—where Oko was the chairman. The school was effectively under the Shinomiya family's control.

Shuchiin Academy, where the offspring of various elites gathered, was a school many students desperately wanted to enter. However, Oko wasn't sure if Shin would be interested.

So he planned to have Hayasaka reach out to him and test his response.

If Shin was willing to attend Shuchiin, it would make things easier for them to arrange.

If not, they'd have to devise other ways for Kaguya and Shin to meet.

With the Shinomiya family's influence, setting up a "chance encounter" wouldn't be difficult.

"…Understood."

Hayasaka knew she had no choice but to agree.

But she didn't mind the prospect of meeting Shin; in fact, she even felt a slight thrill.

To be continued…