Yuugen's meal

"My, the terrace sure is a nice place to gaze down into the city. You can even see the bay as well," Eluf mused.

"Bay side and boat seating is also planned for the future," Rika grinned as she delivered Eluf, his tea.

Suddenly, Yuugen appeared before Rika as lightning flashed. "It is time to return to the mansion," he glared.

"Hello Father, unfortunately, you can't cut in line to get terrace seating," Rika glared and trembled.

"You are not as frightened of me when last we met," Yuugen glared.

"Well, Masaru accepted me and is going to stay by my side."

"And you think I can't kill him? Rika, you will be coming back with me this instant."

"First at least sit down and let me treat you to my best," Rika glared as she snapped her fingers.

Mimi, Masaru, and Itsuki then arrived bringing in Rika's prize-winning mochi surprise.

"Your mochi surprise meal again? Very well. The last time I ate it, it was at the least, delicious," Yuugen glared as he sat down.

"So, you DID enjoy the meal last time," Masaru nodded.

"And you have accepted Rika despite all the blood she has spilled?"

"Yes, and I would happily take her hand in marriage."

"You have guts, but I can easily spill those out of your stomach with ease."

"Yes, I imagine you could. But you won't be spilling anyone's guts today."

"None present are powerful enough to stop me. Even if you combined your strength, you would all fail."

"He's not lying. That man is by far one of the strongest foes I've encountered," Dastard thought.

"Ugh, I really don't want to get my stomach slashed again, but then again, I do have some skintight body armor now. Ri-chan’s also matured so I shouldn't have to worry about taking a hit for her," Mimi thought.

"This time, I'm not going to run," Itsuki glared as she and the others watched Yuugen eat the meal.

When Yuugen finished, he glared at Rika. "Once again, I failed to detect any poison," he glared.

"P- Poison!? Sir, what is wrong with you!?" Masaru glared.

"I only allowed Rika to learn to cook so that she would be given ample opportunities to poison targets with her cooking. She claimed herself, that was why she learned to cook, yet she clearly lied to me," Yuugen glared as he charged at Masaru, faster than the eye could see. Rika barely managed to block him in time, but was then kicked in the abdomen, and sent tumbling into Masaru. "I'll start with your staff- UGH!"

Before Yuugen could finish, he was punched in the face and sent flying off the terrace to the ground floor below.

"And here I thought he'd put up more of a fight," Nero smirked as he appeared and gazed down at Yuugen.

Yuugen stood up, but immediately clutched his chest and coughed up blood as he fell to his knee.

"Looks like that punch rattled you enough for all the poison Waki stuffed in that meal to take effect," Rika smirked.

"Impossible, I did not- ACK!" Yuugen glared as he coughed up more blood.

"I bet your body's nearly immune to poison, but even then, I thought the one time only poisoned meal I gave you, would weaken you instantly, well, luckily I managed to recruit one of my loyal patrons to aid me in my fight against you."

"So, want to continue?" Nero smirked as he leapt down and landed before Yuugen.

Yuugen attempted to attack, only to be blocked by Nero, who had lit his gauntlet ablaze with his dark flame. Yuugen immediately screamed and retracted his arm. His hand was gone, and the dark flame continued to creep up his arm. He glared and sliced off his arm before vanishing in an instant.

“Did he get away!?” Mimi gasped.

“Nah, he just had a little help,” Nero snickered as he ppointed up at the roof of an adjacent building.

Alice and a large cyborg with a forked chin stood alongside an injured Yuugen and attended to his injury.

"You lost an arm?" Alice asked as she injected something into Yuugen’s shoulder.

"Yes, but thanks to Muku's science, I should be able to regrow a new one and heal up" Yuugen replied as his arm began to regrow.

"Shall I aid you?"

"Yes. We are now going to kill Rika on the spot."

"Was that why you ordered this cyborg from the Roboborg union?"

"Yes, Ichika and Nino are too unreliable."

...

In the mansion's underground maze, Ichika and Nino sneezed. "Ugh, guess father's talking shit about us," Ichika groaned.

"Well naturally. Now, how about you help me find our way out of this maze!" Nino glared.

"He better start giving us jobs again after we finish all this damn training."