Family Man System: Taking Care Of My Family Makes Me OP

Chapter 36: This is cheating

Drake was furious, but he wasn’t stupid.

More than anything, he wanted to crush the dimwit standing before him.

Every time he looked into those eyes, he was reminded of his brother. Proud and unyielding, as though the entire world belonged beneath his feet.

After everything that had happened to Drake recently, his displeasure toward his brother had long since curdled into a cold, bloody hatred. He wanted nothing more than to tear his head from his shoulders and rip his innards apart.

But he couldn’t do that.

Not yet.

So he had chosen the next best option: someone he had always enjoyed tormenting.

Still, there was something different today.

’There is definitely something wrong with him today.’

The dark blade in Kai’s hand was unfamiliar, and from what Drake could tell, it was dangerous.

His friend, Mance, was also a veteran D-rank hunter whom Drake had brought along purely for fun. Despite his eccentric behavior, Mance was a formidable warrior who had successfully raided more than thirty dungeons.

And yet...

’His hand was severed without him even realizing it.’

Drake could tell Mance was in pain, but somehow, the man was suppressing it, refusing to show even the slightest weakness as he glared at Kai while they stepped out of the café.

Drake’s gaze settled on the blade once again.

It seemed that bastard had somehow gotten his hands on a high-grade armament recently. Physically, however, he was still quite weak. Drake could tell that much.

"Now, since we would rather not have anyone interfering in this little reunion of ours, I’ve made sure to take care of all the surveillance in the area," Drake began.

Then he tilted his head, a sly grin spreading across his face.

"But I thought this was supposed to be a fair fight. Just like in the past?"

His grin widened.

"Your manager prohibited people from bringing weapons, so why are you holding one?"

His voice lowered as he leaned forward slightly.

"Come on, man. You don’t want your family to see you taking an unfair advantage when you’re supposed to be protecting them."

He chuckled.

"Be more manly."

Drake was barely restraining the mana surging through his veins.

He wanted to savor this.

He would only make his move once he was certain victory was within his grasp.

Because today wouldn’t be just another beatdown.

This wasn’t business.

It was pure, unrestrained rage.

Drake was going to kill this asswipe today.

"What? Too cowardly to face someone bare-handed? So your worth is limited to that pathetic sword?" Mance added with a snicker, apparently catching on to what Drake had planned.

And just as they had hoped, Kai’s eyes turned cold.

He tossed the blade aside.

"Hehe!"

Drake’s eyes widened with excitement. The mana he had been suppressing until now suddenly exploded outward.

The concrete beneath his feet splintered as he dropped into a low stance and roared, "I love it! Foolish chickens are the best to slaughter!"

Laughing like a madman, he charged at Kai, his eyes blazing with unrestrained bloodlust.

Jean rushed out of the café in a panic, but Drake was already too close to Kai for even her voice to reach him.

"Time to say good..."

SQUELCH

Drake’s eyes widened.

Something had changed at the very last moment.

He couldn’t tell whether it was the faint smile that had appeared on that bastard’s face or the sudden sensation of weightlessness on his right side.

Thud

Something was terribly wrong.

Drake staggered backward, his eyes dropping toward his side.

Then his gaze snapped toward the raven blade now resting in Kai’s hand.

His arm was gone.

Completely cleaved off.

Kai tilted his head and looked at him.

"If you had come to me directly instead of targeting my family, you could have been spared this fate."

Panic seized Drake.

He desperately tried to leap backward as Kai swung the blade again.

But when he came to a pause...

Thud

His other arm was gone as well.

Drake’s body began to tremble. The color drained from his face as terror finally replaced his earlier madness.

"No... no... no, no, no!"

His voice cracked.

"This wasn’t supposed to happen! You’re cheating! Fucking cheater!"

He desperately looked around.

"Mance, kill..."

He suddenly stopped.

His eyes widened.

Mance was no longer there.

Drake’s trembling intensified as the realization slowly dawned on him.

He had already lost this battle.

No, this hadn’t been a battle to begin with.

Kai could have cleaved through his neck at any moment if he wanted to. Drake understood that now. The blade was more than capable of doing it.

Yet Kai had deliberately crippled him.

And now...

"W-What are you doing?"

Drake staggered backward as the blade in Kai’s hand suddenly vanished.

"Following your advice and prohibiting weapons from this battle."

Drake frantically shook his head and began backing away faster.

"You... you can’t call this a battle. D-Don’t come near me. My brother... he’s the vice master..."

"Yeah, shove that."

Kai suddenly drove his foot into Drake’s stomach.

The terrified man lost his balance and crashed onto his backside.

Kai leaned down and seized him by the collar.

"Among all those people who came to beat me, I liked you the most."

He paused, a faint smile touching his lips.

"Do you know why?"

Drake’s eyes went still for a moment when he saw the strange mirth in Kai’s expression.

"Because I could barely feel your punches."

"You...!"

DOOM!

"Ghuk!"

Drake’s cry was cut short as Kai’s fist slammed into his nose.

The impact felt like a stone crushing bone.

He... he wasn’t supposed to be this strong.

This fucking weakling...

DHAK!

His thoughts blurred as another punch crashed into his face.

Then another.

And another.

At some point, Kai released his collar and began using both hands, striking every inch of Drake’s face with brutal, relentless force.

His eyes were vacant, his mind completely frozen.

DHAK!

CRACK!

Every punch seemed to draw more anger from somewhere deep within him.

His vision darkened until the world around him ceased to exist.

There was only rage.

Only his fists.

Only the man beneath them.

Kai continued beating the man who, in his eyes, didn’t deserve to live.

But then...

"Pa..."

He froze.

His arms came to an abrupt halt at the innocent little voice behind him.

For that brief moment, the clouds in his mind parted.

Kai slowly turned his head.

Jean was distressed.

And Elara was looking at him.

Their eyes met.

He then lowered his gaze toward his own hands.

They were bloodied and trembling.

He stared at them for several seconds before wiping the blood onto Drake’s shirt and hurriedly rising to his feet.

Approaching Jean and Elara slowly, he said, "I... I’m sorry. Let’s go back home first."

Jean was still anxious, but after a moment, she nodded.

Soon, the three of them left the scene together, completely unaware of the man still sitting inside the café, calmly watching everything unfold.

His expression held nothing but quiet curiosity.

’Hmm... interesting.’