Chapter 34: Arranged marriage
Ryota’s eyes fluttered open, the sterile white of the hospital ceiling greeting him with all the warmth of a morgue. A dull ache throbbed behind his temples, a constant reminder of his current predicament. He shifted, wincing as a sharp pain shot through his ribs. "Great," he muttered, "Just what I needed."
He’d been out cold for what felt like days, though the nurses had assured him it was only a few hours. The last thing he remembered was a blur of fists and feet, a desperate scramble, and then... nothing. He sighed, the sound a ragged whisper in the quiet room. Being laid up like this was a humiliation, especially for him, Ryota Ashikaga, scion of one of the most respected, and feared, families in the city.
A faint rustle caught his attention. He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping whoever it was would just leave him to his misery. But the presence lingered, a subtle scent of something sweet, like cherry blossoms and expensive perfume, filling the air. He held his breath, a premonition coiling in his gut.
When he finally opened his eyes, he was met with a sight that made his blood run cold. Standing beside his bed, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips, was Azame. Azame Tokugawa.
His eyes snapped open wider, his body tensing despite the pain. "You?!" he croaked, the word a mix of disbelief and pure annoyance.
She leaned in, her long, dark hair, the color of a raven’s wing, falling over her shoulder. Her crimson eyes, sharp and intelligent, scanned his bandaged form, a flicker of something unreadable in their depths. She purred, her voice a low, melodic hum that grated on his nerves. "Look what the cat dragged in. Or rather, what someone dragged out."
Ryota bristled. He knew that look. It was the same one she always gave him: a potent mix of curiosity and thinly veiled disdain. It was the look of someone observing an interesting, albeit pathetic, specimen under a microscope. He clenched his jaw, a silent curse forming on his lips. Of all the people to show up, why did it have to be her?
The Ashikaga and the Tokugawa, were not just pillars of the city’s intricate, often violent, underworld; they were its very foundation. For generations, they’d maintained a fragile truce, a balance of power upheld by unspoken agreements and the occasional, strategically placed, marriage. But their influence stretched far beyond the shadowed alleys and backroom deals. Both houses had deep, almost inextricable, ties to the Awakened Organizations.
The Ashikaga family, with their roots in ancient martial arts and a ruthless pragmatism, had built their empire on technological innovation and control over vital infrastructure. They held patents on cutting-edge energy sources, controlled vast communication networks, and even had a hand in developing advanced weaponry. Their influence extended directly into governmental agencies, ensuring that legislation favored their interests and that their operations, no matter how questionable, were rarely scrutinized. They weren’t just crime lords; they were industrial magnates and political puppeteers, their hands in every significant development in the nation.
The Tokugawa, on the other hand, had a different kind of power. Their strength lay in their command over Awakened individuals. They didn’t just recruit them; they nurtured them, trained them, and integrated them into a tightly knit, almost cult-like, hierarchy. They specialized in information gathering, psychological manipulation, and the discreet elimination of threats. Many of the most powerful and secretive Awakened, those capable of bending reality or influencing minds, were loyal to the Tokugawa. This made them indispensable to the government for handling situations that conventional forces couldn’t. They were the arbiters of secrets, the masters of persuasion, and the quiet enforcers when diplomacy failed.
The uneasy alliance between these two giants was crucial for maintaining the delicate balance of power in the nation. The Ashikaga provided the resources, the technology, and the political leverage, while the Tokugawa provided the raw, unadulterated power of the Awakened and the crucial intelligence to wield it effectively. Their combined influence meant that even the highest echelons of the government deferred to them, often relying on their unique capabilities to solve problems that threatened national stability.
And their parents, in their infinite wisdom, had decided that he and Azame were to be the next link in that chain. An engagement, sealed with an archaic ceremony and the unyielding weight of tradition. Neither of them had a choice. They were bound, whether they liked it or not. And they definitely did not like it.