The Sly Fox

"I think we should work together to handle the Yotsuba Family." 

When the speaker said those words, everyone who came to this meeting only looked at him silently. 

Saegusa Kouichi.

Everyone was clear of this man, whether of his identity as the leader of the Saegusa Family, which was one of the Ten Master Clans, or his famous alias, Sly Fox, yet more importantly, the former fiance of Yotsuba Maya. 

While in their rational, they knew that Koichi didn't move based on his feelings, but instead on the interest of the entire Ten Master Clans, they couldn't help but think that this meeting, which was initiated by Koichi, was petty revenge for the Yotsuba Family, Maya, or even Maya's current fiance, Iinuma Isao. 

Yes, everyone was clear about the identity of Maya's fiance, or husband-to-be, who was known as Iinuma Isao, the young businessman from Hokkaido. 

Young and handsome. 

While Isao wasn't a magician, many of them understood why Maya wanted him to become her husband, especially the females in this meeting. While they might not be young anymore, they had to admit that it was their first time seeing such an exceptional young man, especially in terms of appearance and talent. 

Even if Maya couldn't get pregnant, there was no rule for her not being able to have a husband and companion that could stay with her till death, right? 

At the same time, once again, even if Maya couldn't get pregnant, this marriage didn't bring a disadvantage to Isao, especially when Maya was so beautiful even if she was a little older, and there were many advantages that could be brought by marrying the leader of the Yotsuba Family. 

The two fit together, but because of that, it was a little troublesome, especially for Kouchi, who could see how the two would develop. 

Yes, the reason why he initiated this meeting wasn't because he couldn't let go of Maya, but that was on the outside; inwardly, who knew what he was thinking? 

Yet, this wasn't something special since he knew well that he was the one who had given up Maya. 

After all, Maya had been tainted, raped, and couldn't even give birth. 

Even if they had had an engagement previously, during his childhood time as the future leader of the Saegusa Family, wasn't it perfectly normal for him to stop the engagement even if Maya had returned? 

He still needed children, and Maya, who couldn't give birth, naturally couldn't be fitted to become his wife. 

Still, to remember the shame of his failing to save Maya, and he didn't heal his eye, which was lost during the kidnapping incident in Taiwan. 

Yet, there was no doubt even if Koichi had tried to mask everything, putting all the amazing titles and many other achievements on his head, many men would look down on him. 

After all, Koichi failed to protect his woman, and even if they had broken up, in the end, he decided to attack the Yotsuba family, being petty. 

Yet, while Koichi failed to become a man, there was no doubt that he was a qualified leader of a family. Even if Maya was his former fiancee, and he had owed a lot of things to her, there was no mercy in his tone, especially knowing the Yotsuba Family's status might threaten the entire balance of the Ten Master Clans. 

The name of the Ten Master Clans meant that all the ten families supported each other and had a balanced position. No one should be less or more, but the Yotsuba Family became stronger and stronger, which endangered the position of others. 

While the others might think of him badly inwardly, Koichi didn't care and sought everyone's help since this was necessary for the continuation of the Ten Master Clans. 

Koichi was sure that everyone could see the danger of the Yotsuba Family, and this was why all of them came without hesitation when he invited them, especially when Maya decided to marry Isao. 

This young man... Even though he was young, Koichi could feel how dangerous this young man was. 

Hokkaido might be a backward place, a countryside when compared to Tokyo or other cities within the mainland, yet in a short amount of time, Isao could master this land, especially when Isao also had a good connection to the military. 

'Even if he is a normal person...' 

In this place, Koichi wanted everyone to work together, putting pressure, if possible, to stop the marriage between Isao and Maya, but—

"I thought, what kind of important talk do you want to have?" Mutsuzuka Atsuko, the head of the Mutsuzuka Family, sighed and then stood up. "I will pretend not to hear anything. I will go back." 

The reaction of Atsuko didn't surprise Koichi since he knew well the relationship between the Yotsuba Family and the Mutsuzuka family was relatively good, yet he was surprised by the reactions of the several heads of families that stood up one after another. 

"I am sorry, Saegusa-dono. I won't get involved in this matter." Futatsugi Mai, the head of the Futatsugi family, also stood up. 

"Me too. I am sorry. I won't join." Mitsuya Gen, the head of the Mitsuya Family, also stood up. 

The three heads of the family stood up one after another, leaving only six heads of the family. 

While Koichi was surprised, there were still six families, including him, who could fight the Yotsuba Family, yet—

"I am sorry, Koichi-kun. I won't join you, Koeither." 

The eldest head among the Ten Major Clans, Kudou Retsu, the head of the Kudou Clan, also stood up. 

"Me too," Juumonji Kazuki, the head of the Juumonji Clan, also stood up. 

"I am the same." Itsuwa Isami, the head of the Itsuwa Clan, also followed. 

"Sensei? Juumonji-san? Itsuwa-san? Why?" This time, Koichi couldn't maintain his calm since, unlike those three first heads, whose status wasn't comparable to the rest of the Major Clans and could be said weakest, and had a good relationship with the Yotsuba Family, the Kudou, the Juumonji, and the Itsuka was different. 

Kudou Retsu was Koichi's teacher, and he thought that Retsu would support him. Retsu's sudden leaving made him dumbfounded. 

Kazuki Juumonji was the same since Juumonji was one of the strongest clans of the Ten Master Clans, which usually competed with the Yotsuba Family. 

Lastly, the Itsuwas Family surprised him the most since within this family, there was a strategic-level magician, a magician whose power was comparable to a nuclear weapon, yet this family somehow supported the Yotsuba.

What was happening?! 

Yet, the three didn't say much and just left, wanting to avoid Koichi like a plague. 

"Well, there are only the three of us now, but I am sorry, Saeugusa-san. I won't join either." 

Yatsuhiro Raizou, the head of the Yatsuhiro, also decided to leave since he could tell that this meeting was a waste of time. 

So, when all of them left, there were only two people inside: Koichi and the head of the Ichijou Clan, Ichijou Gouki. 

Frankly, Gouki had a good relationship with Koichi, and he didn't mind supporting Koichi since he knew that it wasn't good to have the Yotsuba stronger than others, but at the same time, he was also confused by everyone who had decided to leave. 

"You are not going to leave, Ichijou-san?" Koichi looked at Gouki, the youngest leader among the Ten Major Clans. 

"No, I think that you have made the right decision, but then, what do you want to do? Even if it is a good decision to weaken the Yotsuba Family, we're still compatriots."

"First, we have to stop this marriage." 

"How?" 

"Leave that to me." 

Yet, as the head of the Saegusa Family and the Ichijou Family made a move, they never expected that they were also being targeted, and at the same time, a certain superpower country in this world also planned to weaken the power of this country along erasing the Yotsuba Family.