The Deity Entertainment Network

After finishing talking with Hinata, the five of them were led by a servant through the mansion to a massive reception hall. One side of the room had a large bar, and the other side had a beautifully prepared buffet. A twenty-five-piece band was playing music on a stage at the far end of the hall, with a large area in the centre of the room open for dancing. There appeared to be over a dozen smaller rooms along the side of the hall, filled with comfortable seating or access to a rear balcony overlooking the back of the estate.

There were hundreds of people already in the hall, chatting or sampling the delicacies at the buffet. He didn't recognize any of them offhand, but Yu said they were either members of the extended Takeyama family or powerful figures in politics, entertainment, and business in Japan and around the world.

Yu and Mei seemed at home here, which wasn't surprising since they had both lived here for a large portion of their lives. Anan didn't seem terribly off-put either, maybe due to her time on stage or something else. Rumi, on the other hand, clung to his arm tightly. She didn't seem nervous, but like him, wasn't exactly sure of what to do with herself here.

"Last time I was surrounded by this many people was when I was fighting in the ring. I'm not sure what to do with myself here."

"Well, I'm going out on a limb here, but us sparring on the dance floor probably wouldn't go down well," John said with a laugh.

"Hah, probably not."

"You might be surprised, those five gentlemen over there. They are all my cousins and sponsors in the Underground Masquerade (UM). They use it to scout for potential people to recruit to private security firms and paramilitary contractors." Yu said, pointing out a group of middle-aged men near the bar. "I'd be surprised if they didn't try to hire you at one point."

"Huh, they do look kind of familiar."

"Let's grab some food, and then I'll introduce you to a few people," Yu said, then took charge of their group.

Over the next hour, they had some food and drinks and met with some of the more important members of her family and other powerful people in Japan. Mei broke off at one point, wanting to talk with some guests whom were involved in the tech sector. Rumi met with a few ex-UM members and decided to catch up with them. Anan saw a few people she wanted to talk to who were involved in the government's JDR (Japan Disaster Relief Team) and wanted to discuss some policies she had issues with. That left John with Yu on his arm as he was introduced to group after group of people he would have a hard time remembering.

He refrained from drinking, wanting to have a clear head for his eventual meeting with Hinata. He was running on Substance X to keep his mind working in top form for tonight. They were finishing up a meeting with an Xavier Takeyama, a distant cousin who ran the PHSC in Hokkaido, when the band struck up a note indicating they were going to play some music for dancing.

"Shall we?" He asked her, guiding her away from the man towards the dance floor.

"Of course." She replied, smiling up at him. Once they were out of earshot, she whispered something he barely picked up. "That man... was one of my suitors until recently. My mother and grandmother had been trying to force us to marry for over a year now."

John was a little taken aback. Not by this arranged marriage stuff that seemed to be more common than he thought, but the fact that they were talking about it. "Why tell me? And I thought you said he was your cousin."

"Distant cousin. He is about five steps removed from the main family line. Rumi and I probably share more blood than he does with me. Anyway, he has his own love back home, and she wasn't willing to be the unofficial wife. The main reason they were pushing for it was that they suspected a child of ours would have a greater chance of wielding the sword."

"Why is it so important to have a wielder for that weapon? Don't get me wrong, when I used it, it was crazy what it could do, but don't you have pro heroes to do all of that kind of work?"

"It's not that simple. You see, there is a Quirk user in India who can essentially enslave anyone with her Quirk. She already runs the nation from a palace there and has been making inroads into other nations with her drones. We are one of several families around the globe who can fight back against her, the abilities of the sword preventing her from taking control of its wielder and allowing it to break the bonds she creates. It's also one of the reasons the family want's Cathleen's quirk in our bloodline, as they believe New Order might be able to break Queen Bee's hold on everyone."

"Should you be saying that here? Isn't it a secret?"

"They all know. Everyone here is already aware of the threat she poses to our nation and the role our family has in preventing her from gaining a foothold. That is why the Takeyamas have their fingers in everything, from the PHSC, news agencies, to organized crime. They are all aligned to defend our nation from global threats. Threats like the Queen Bee Quirk user. That's why we turn a blind eye to many things, as it is all funding our war against beings who can literally dominate the world. That is also why we believe my sister was assassinated, because without a proper wielder, the sword can only do so much to protect us."

"I thought you could wield it as well?"

"I can... but after I rejected the family, my grandmother is no longer willing to accept me. She is rather set in her ways."

"Seems to me that this whole situation could be cleared up if you two finally cleared the air."

"Hah, maybe, but... she is kind of like you, except even less forgiving."

"Hun? What do you mean?"

"You said you wouldn't consider me for an engagement until I proved I changed my ways. My grandmother doesn't believe I can change, that I could ever hold the values she requires for a wielder of the blade. She wielded the weapon for nearly ten thousand years before she passed, guarding Japan from threats from beyond our shores and different worlds. Even her own daughter doesn't live up to their standards, though they grudgingly let her wield it in times of need."

"I'm very confused about this whole situation. Your mother could be its wielder?"

"She was its wielder for nearly three hundred years... but she is too soft-hearted. She should have executed my Aunt, but instead sealed her away with her own powers. I never met her, but she is a terrible woman who has brutally killed a lot of people in the past. I'll spare you the details of her list of crimes, but instead of executing her, my mother sealed her powers instead, weakening herself in the process. That is why the sword all but rejects her now, and why my grandmother is frantically searching for a new wielder.

My sister had the temperament for it, able to be kind yet have the resolve to do the unthinkable, but she was killed when she left the blade at home. That is also why when she discovered you were a true paladin, she was willing to throw out all the stops to have you provide us with an heir for the blade. It needs a wielder to protect Japan, and the world, from threats the world at large has no knowledge of."

"I see." He said.

She wouldn't kill her own sister, so the sword rejected her? I don't know enough details here, but that seems like a horrible decision to have to make, evil woman or not.

"Is that all you have to say after all of that?"

"Yu, you just dropped a bit of a bomb on me here. I need time to process it all."

"Sorry... I'm just worried. My mother is never that flirty with anyone, and I don't... never mind."

"Last I checked, I'm here for you, not your mother. I won't pretend to know everything that is going on here, but I'm not here to get yet another woman in my life. Rumi convinced me to accept you and Anan, that is more than enough love for one person to have."

"You accept me? I thought-"

"I still want you to show me you are willing to stick with your changes, Yu, but yes. I accept you. I still have no idea why you all want to be with me so badly, but as long as you're all willing to accept each other, I'll accept you too. Now, shall we dance?"

The look of happiness and relief that formed on Yu's face from his words almost brought a tear to his eye. He was reminded once again that, despite the wealth surrounding them, she was a young woman who had her own struggles and unreasonable expectations put on her while she was growing up. She rebelled against those expectations, was cut off from these trappings, and learned a valuable lesson in the process.

An unwelcome thought came into his mind then, one from a rambling ghost.

She is not worthy of you, John Wayne.

He laughed at the thought as they took their position on the floor for a waltz.

Maybe she wasn't back then, but she seems to be willing to put in the work to improve herself, and that makes her worthy of anyone. She just needs a little love and support to help her along the way, not more sticks.

---

John ended up dancing for several hours, with only a short break while the band switched from the relatively slow tempo of a waltz to playing different instruments for a faster-paced tango. He was grateful he could cycle his healing magic, else he suspected he would be dead on his feet by now.

He danced with all the women he brought with him, including Mei. The girl was flushed after a single dance with him, and backed away to let Rumi join him instead. Hinata joined him for a single set as well, though she kept their conversation light, just asking how he was enjoying himself tonight. She laughed when he spun her around, and he had to admit that she was probably an incredible dancer whose talents would be wasted on him, even with his skill.

After that dance, more and more strangers asked him to dance, all young, beautiful women from seemingly all walks of life. One was even a news anchor he had seen on his phone once, a traditional Japanese beauty with long flowing black hair and a lithe body. It was almost like an invisible queue had formed to dance with him, which earned him some glares from the surrounding men, though not too many.

Just as he was about to call it a night for dancing, a hulking shadow stood in front of him.

"You're not tuckered out already, are you, Bro?" Twinkle said with a mischievous look on her face. She was wearing a long dress that looked to have been made out of an American flag, with a generous amount of cleavage exposed. Well, cleavage and pectoral muscle. This was Star and Stripe after all.

He just looked at her and laughed. "I dunno. Do I have to hoist you up on a flagpole and salute afterwards?"

"Shaddup! It's my brand." She said, laughing back.

They danced the tango, and on a whim, he cycled earth magic and picked her up and spun her above his head before dipping her back down to end the set. She giggled at that and gave him a peck on the cheek afterwards before moving off into the crowd.

"My turn again!" Rumi said, taking him back out on the floor for his final dance of the evening. He spun her around the floor, the rabbit woman having improved since their lessons. When he dipped her over his knee in the end, he planted a firm kiss on her mouth, causing her ears to shoot out straight for a moment before relaxing backwards to the floor. She was panting when he finally released her, leaning on his chest happily.

"Can we go home? I want to get you into bed right now." She said, loudly enough that others around them could probably hear it clearly.

"Heh, not yet. Still need to meet with Hinata."

"Screw her. I want you, right now." She said, looking up at him, her red eyes twinkling playfully. "Let's go somewhere, and maybe you can take the edge off for me."

"Patience, darlin'. Good things come to those who wait. Besides, you're making me wait until I kick your ass, right?"

"Grrr... stop it with your logic. Fine. But I'm redoubling your training going forward. Now, kiss me again." She said, hopping up and straddling his waist with her legs.

She apparently has no problems with public displays of affection.

Just as he was about to give her another kiss, he noticed someone standing beside them.

"Ahem. Excuse the interruption, but Madam Takeyama would like to see you now." A servant dressed in livery said, pointedly not looking at them, even though they were standing in the middle of a dance floor.

"Of course. Just one moment, and I'll be with you." John said, then turned back to Rumi. "Just a quick one. Then I can have this meeting, and we can get out of here." He gave her a kiss on the lips, then set her back down on the floor.

"Okay. I'll be with Anan. She still has a few people she wants to talk to before we are ready to go." She said, then walked off.

John rolled his shoulders then gestured to the servant to lead on. He was pretty sure he had a handle on what she wanted to talk about, but he would keep an open mind with this woman. It wouldn't be the first time someone surprised him by being different than what he was led to believe.

He just hoped Yu was correct and that she was different from her grandmother, or else this could turn ugly very quickly.

Stop it. No need to stir up a hornet's nest here. She just wants to thank you for saving her granddaughter. That's it.

He only wished he could believe his own words.