-286- No longer a match

A different kind of oppressive feeling instantly filled the entire reception room.

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's father stared intently at Hori, the emotions in his eyes hard to read.

It seemed like obsession, resentment, and boundless regret.

For a man who just denied the existence of emotions, displaying such a range of feelings in an instant was almost inconceivable.

However, these emotions disappeared in an instant.

They were replaced by an even more terrifying coldness and sharpness.

The man's aura, like a sharpened blade, instantly intensified several times over.

This was the source of the pressure.

"I see, so you are the current Nanaya?"

The man spoke in an even colder voice than before.

"I've heard that a genius unprecedented in the Nanaya clan emerged, standing out among the many talents from around the world in less than twenty years, becoming the youngest heir to the Nanaya name in history, even being adopted by Kiri. You must be that so-called genius, right?"

It seemed that even after leaving the Nanaya clan, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's father had been keeping a close eye on it, never letting up for a moment.

"How is Kiri?" the man said expressionlessly, "Is he still as naive as before?"

Hearing this, the faint smile on Hori's face also faded, turning into indifference.

"Whether he's naive or not, I don't know," Hori said flatly, "I only know that he's living quite leisurely. If it weren't for me wanting to come to this school, he would have retired long ago and lived a secluded life."

"Still as unchanged as ever," the man sneered, "Even though he possesses power and abilities others could only dream of, he remains unaware and indifferent to it all. Such a man has no right to sit in the position of the clan head, let alone bear the Nanaya name."

"Maybe," Hori glanced at Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's father, smiling slightly, "But you still lost to him, didn't you?"

The man fell silent immediately.

In his eyes, the cold emotions became more apparent.

Clearly, this was an eternal pain in his heart.

But this was exactly what Hori wanted to highlight.

"Losers should act like losers," Hori said as if he lost interest in Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's father, "No matter how much you brag, it's just the barking of a kicked dog, you fool."

This blunt remark not only changed the expressions of the director and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka but also made the man's face instantly darken.

As a man of significant influence in this country's political arena, when had he ever been insulted like this?

So, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's father laughed in extreme anger.

"Do you think a single failure can stop me?" the man said in a low voice, "Once I take control of this country, then the surface world, that will be the time for me to challenge the clan again."

At that time, I will not lose again.

The man's eyes seemed to convey this message.

He didn't hide his ambition.

Because hiding it was useless.

The interactions between Nanaya Kiri and this man were beyond anyone else's understanding.

This man understood Nanaya Kiri, and Nanaya Kiri understood this man.

So, the man didn't need to hide anything.

Because he knew, his ambition couldn't be hidden from Nanaya Kiri even if it could be hidden from everyone else.

Back then, the White Room was discovered and destroyed by the Nanaya clan for this very reason.

Of course, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's father didn't know that the person who destroyed the White Room was right in front of him.

At that time, Hori had used his assassination skills to their fullest to complete the mission without anyone noticing, resulting in the White Room being destroyed overnight.

The man knew that only someone from that clan could achieve such a feat, specifically the clan head who inherited the Nanaya name.

Therefore, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's father always thought it was Nanaya Kiri who personally destroyed his White Room, never imagining that the one who acted was the young man before him who wasn't even twenty years old.

But whether this man wanted to see Nanaya Kiri and the entire Nanaya clan as enemies was his own business.

Not losing again?

Who gave him such confidence?

Hori looked deeply at the man and then suddenly laughed.

"Don't tell me you think that since you and my so-called foster father were both the closest to the 'Nanaya' throne, your strengths were almost equal, and you would have many chances to win in the future?"

Hori suddenly said this.

The man was momentarily stunned.

Not only the man but also the director and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka were stunned.

It was clear that this was what they all thought.

Since Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's father and the current Nanaya clan head were once fierce rivals, their strengths should naturally be comparable, right?

Thinking this way was only natural.

But if they really thought so, then what Hori said next would be a rude awakening.

"Use your supposedly smart brain to think it over, senior."

Hori spoke mockingly.

"The one who inherits the strongest Nanaya is known for being able to infiltrate military strongholds without a sound. If you consider yourself on par with my foster father, can you achieve this?"

This statement made Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's father's eyes twitch.

Naturally, the director and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka were equally shocked, and then they suddenly realized.

Could it be...

"Maybe, before inheriting the Nanaya name, you and my father were equally strong, which I think my father would not deny if he were here."

Hori said indifferently.

"But that was in the past."

Indeed.

That was in the past.

"In any clan, the core secrets are reserved only for the true successor."

Hori revealed a secret that no one knew.

"In the Nanaya clan, those who haven't inherited the Nanaya name only receive basic training. The true inheritance is only given to the clan head who inherits the Nanaya name."

This was the biggest difference between those who obtained the Nanaya name and those who did not.

In other words, neither Ayanokouji Kiyotaka nor his father had ever received more than the basic inheritance of the Nanaya clan.

The true core inheritance had always been given only to the clan head who inherited the Nanaya name.

For example, the assassination techniques that the Nanaya clan prided themselves on could only be learned by the one who inherited the Nanaya name.

"The current you are no longer a match for my father, wake up."

Hori's words finally made the man's face look ugly.