“Father, will the Sanzenin Emperor stop?”
“That madman won’t stop unless he achieves his goal.”
“Now Shikō is just a fish on a chopping board. Unless they kneel and beg the Sanzenin Emperor for mercy, Shikō will only face extinction.”
Shikō Yan’an knew the Sanzenin Emperor’s personality all too well.
Those who provoked him, unless they completely admitted defeat and were arranged by the Sanzenin Emperor, were doomed.
But Shikō Kōkō wasn’t willing to accept it.
“Is there really no way?”
“Who can be saved after provoking that old man, the Sanzenin Emperor?”
Although he desperately wanted to find a solution for his son, Shikō Yan’an had to admit that the Sanzenin Emperor was just too powerful, a level they couldn’t reach.
As long as they didn’t go too far, the Japanese government wouldn’t take drastic measures against the Shikō family, a major financial conglomerate.
The collapse of a financial conglomerate could easily cause a major economic upheaval in Japan.
The Shikō family was undoubtedly a conglomerate that the Japanese government didn’t want to touch.
Their downfall would affect too many people’s livelihoods, which was why they could grow so unchecked.
But the situation needed to be viewed from different angles.
Once the Sanzenin family took over Shikō completely, it could stabilize the livelihoods of many people in Japan and even drive the Japanese economy to a new height.
In that case, no one would care whether the Shikō family lived or died.
Seeing his eldest son’s unwilling expression, Shikō Yan’an, as a father, needed to remind him.
“Kōkō, the Shikō family cannot fall.”
“Once the Shikō family falls, everyone will die.”
“You understand this, right?”
“……”
Shikō Kōkō naturally understood.
The Shikō family had offended too many people and financial conglomerates.
The Sanzenin Emperor’s methods were witnessed by the entire country, who were all waiting to see Shikō’s downfall.
If Shikō chose to submit, they would be destined to become the Sanzenin family’s dogs.
Perhaps no one would dare to attack the Shikō family anymore, but the result would be the loss of everything, turning them into another family crushed by the Shikō family.
But if Shikō chose to fight back...
Then other financial conglomerates would watch them die slowly.
They wouldn’t bite, because the Sanzenin Emperor would devour their assets.
If they chose the former, the internal situation might not be too drastic.
But if they chose the latter, none of the Shikō family would survive until next year.
“Kōkō, who is it?”
“……”
“Is it? It’s Kaguya, right?”
Seeing his eldest son’s reluctance to speak, Shikō Yan’an gradually understood.
The only one who could make the old madman, the Sanzenin Emperor, act so ruthlessly was his granddaughter, Sanzenin Nagi.
Based on her age, only Nagi could have interacted with Kaguya. The answer was obvious.
Shikō Yan’an scoffed at the idea of Kōkō attacking the Sanzenin family.
He wouldn’t dare attack the Sanzenin Emperor’s granddaughter, let alone his eldest son.
“Kōkō, it seems you lost to Kaguya.”
“……”
Shikō Kōkō, looking at his seriously ill father, lowered his head weakly.
He was the strongest candidate for the Shikō family’s successor, able to control everything, even Kaguya’s freedom.
But this time, Kaguya had taught him a lesson. After stepping out of the chessboard, a greater predator could crush him with a single foot.
All his past methods had become useless in an instant.
While the Shikō family was in chaos, the Yotsuya family’s internal discussions also began to heat up.
“What’s going on this time?”
No one knew the real reason behind it.
Shikō Kōkō had investigated, but he found no answers.
The name Sanzenin Emperor didn’t appear in public.
It was as if a major problem had arisen within the Shikō family, and they were subsequently sanctioned by the entire political and business world.
“I don’t know. We don’t know the specific situation yet, but we only know that external forces are working with the political and business world to crush the Shikō family.”
“It’s unclear who exactly is behind this.”
Most of the Yotsuya family members were present.
They were concerned about who had attacked the Shikō family and whether they should intervene.
“Father, should we also make a move?”
Yotsuya Mikado, the Yotsuya family’s successor, possessed a sharp mind and mature skills.
He had already started taking on family duties and was also involved in the plan to “take down the Shikō family.”
“No.”
Yotsuya Go directly rejected him.
“The Shikō family is facing sudden pressure from the political and business world, completely out of the blue. Shikō seems passive, even at this point.”
“But look at the current situation. Are others making moves?”
“Has the Sōsaka family moved? They’re even more eager to make a move than we are.”
“It’s not that no one wants to move, it’s that no one dares to move.”
The surface of the water is calm now, but beneath the surface, the waves are crashing violently.
The problem with the Shikō family erupted suddenly, without any warning, which shows how powerful the person behind the attack is.
Now everyone knows that the Shikō family is in a very precarious position, but that’s just the surface.
Whether the Shikō family truly faces a crisis doesn’t depend on anyone, but on the person who threw the Shikō family into chaos.
Because of the uncertainty, no one dares to attack the Shikō family.
Everyone is waiting for the final outcome.
“Mikado, you’re a clever man. You need to know how to be patient.”
“….Yes, Father.”
Listening to his father’s advice, Yotsuya Mikado suppressed his thoughts.
Not only did the Yotsuya family hold a small gathering, but the Suzuki family, with a size almost equal to the Shikō family, also held a meeting.
“Husband, who do you think attacked Shikō?”
“Only one person.”
Suzuki Shirou’s glasses glinted as he thought of the only person possible.
“Sanzenin Emperor.”
“!?”
Hearing the name, Suzuki Tomoko also had a moment of bewilderment.
“Sanzenin… Isn’t that old man retired?”
“Retired? The Sanzenin Emperor’s retirement means he won’t jump out from behind directly, but if there’s a reason, then it’s a different story.”
“Reason?”
Suzuki Tomoko looked at Shirou in confusion.
“Does that old man have a reason to attack Shikō? Did Shikō dare to provoke Sanzenin?”
“No way.”
The Shikō family wouldn’t be stupid enough to provoke Sanzenin.
Suzuki Shirou then took out a photo, showing a long black car parked at the entrance of the Shikō mansion.
“Tomoko, guess who’s inside?”
“….Could it be someone from the Sanzenin family?”
“Sanzenin Emperor’s granddaughter, Sanzenin Nagi, and the 鷺之宫 family’s young lady, the mysterious shrine maiden, 鷺之宫 Izumi.”
PS: New book, seeking data