Chapter 14: Routes of Defiance

Morning began with silence and calculations.

Silvano sat alone in his office, studying the revised shipment proposal Wakasa had submitted. His eyes moved carefully over rerouted ports, staggered timing intervals, decoy manifests, fallback corridors.

The strategy was elegant.

Defensive without appearing defensive.

It reduced exposure while avoiding provocation.

Silvano leaned back.

“…Intelligent.”

A faint, almost reluctant smile touched his face.

“As sharp as Unikawa.”

He looked again at Wakasa’s work.

The kid had unknowingly offered a solution to a problem he did not even know existed.

Then—

A knock.

The door opened.

Kiritatsu entered without greeting, his male assistant caliz and female assistants elira at his side.

The air changed immediately.

Silvano did not stand.

Kiritatsu did not sit.

He spoke first.

“So.”

His voice was low.

“You call it conspiracy.”

“I call it an enemy testing whether we still have teeth.”

Silvano shut the file.

“And your answer is to prove them right?”

Kiritatsu’s eyes hardened.

“They provoke us.”

“I provoke them harder.”

“I eliminate the hesitation.”

Silvano rose now.

“How?”

He stepped closer.

“You know very well we formed two partnerships with the Kabane group last year.”

“This does not carry their signature.”

“This was engineered.”

“It is neither Unikawa nor the Kabane family.”

Kiritatsu scoffed.

“You don’t solve problems.”

“You postpone them.”

“We are mafia, Silva.”

“This is how disputes are answered.”

“They kill once.”

“They do it again.”

“This is not merely business.”

“It is reputation.”

“Acknowledge it.”

Silvano’s restraint thinned.

“And you acknowledge this—”

“Not every threat is solved by firing at shadows.”

“I’m trying to prevent a war.”

Kiritatsu stepped forward.

“And I’m trying to win one before it begins.”

Silvano’s voice dropped.

“I do not want Mr. Unikawa cleaning up a disaster caused by your recklessness.”

A dangerous silence.

Kiritatsu glared.

“I know what he means to this family.”

“He is our best man.”

“But do not place this on me alone.”

“You know very well what happened.”

Silvano held his ground.

“Then listen to me for once.”

“Give me time.”

“I can solve this.”

Kiritatsu’s male assistant finally spoke.

“Even if Unikawa is innocent…”

“…we have no evidence showing who altered the route.”

“No evidence of motive.”

“No evidence of the hand behind it.”

Silence.

Kiritatsu exhaled sharply.

Then turned.

A signal.

Leave.

His assistants followed.

The door shut.

Silvano sat again.

Harder than before.

And went back to the documents.

But now he was reading through anger.

The company was busy with the employees. Busy with their work.

Meanwhile, Wakasa sat at his own desk, staring at fresh data.

“…I feel troubled just looking at this.”

He rubbed his forehead.

“Ugh…”

“At least…”

“I shouldn’t worry about Dad’s condition right now.”

Then noise erupted outside.

Voices.

Movement.

A stir.

Wakasa frowned.

“I don’t want to engage with these employees…”

“…but I suppose I have to socialize.”

He stepped out.

Workers surrounded someone.

A girl.

New hire.

People whispered.

Someone beside Wakasa, roughly his age, asked—

“Do you know who she is?”

Wakasa shook his head.

A senior woman nearby murmured—

“That’s Manager Karliel's daughter.”

Wakasa lifted a brow.

Ah.

So lineage now comes with office chairs too.

Without thinking he muttered—

“Interesting.”

“Bringing family blood into the company.”

“Looks like a family business after all.”

Silence.

Several heads turned.

The girl looked directly at him.

Cold.

Offended.

Then walked away.

Wakasa stood there.

Slightly stunned.

“…well.”

“That went badly.”

He quietly returned to his office.

Embarrassed.

And irritated at himself.

At the same time—

Far above the city. 

Kiritatsu lay prone behind a high-rise ledge.

Rifle aligned. He didn't listen to Silvano not even for a second. 

Breath controlled.

His right-hand man beside him.

Female assistant on watch.

Through the scope—

A black car.

Kabane’s son.

Target acquired.

A shot cracked.

Glass burst.

Another shot.

Chaos below.

Then voices over comms.

Kabane’s men had recognized him.

Kabane's son shout "YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THIS!" 

Insults were thrown across distance like bullets.

Warnings.

Threats.

The rival car accelerated and fled.

Temporary escape.

Kiritatsu laughed.

"BRING IT ON" 

Actually laughed. he loved thrill.

Then blew lightly across the rifle’s barrel.

And signaled.

Move.

They made their way to the company. To settle things further.

Back at the company—

An emergency meeting was called.

Not by Silvano.

By Kiritatsu.

Employees filled the room.

Wakasa took a seat.

And realized the person beside him—

was the manager’s daughter.

She glared.

He looked away.

Already irritated.

Then Kiritatsu entered.

And Wakasa noticed immediately—

similar to Silvano.

But sharper.

Older.

Darker eyes.

Lower voice.

More dangerous.

Kiritatsu began.

“I’m glad to have you here.”

“Sorry to waste your precious time.”

A faint ripple of unease.

Then—

“I am here to announce the route my brother selected…”

“…will not be implemented.”

Whispers erupted.

Wakasa froze.

Kiritatsu continued.

“The route changes were made because of a problem.”

“I will handle that problem.”

“We return to the previous routes.”

No change.

No retreat.

Gasps.

Wakasa’s eyes widened.

Why reject it?

Silvano approved it—

didn’t he?

Kiritatsu signaled for Wakasa’s proposal copies.

Held them.

Looked around.

“And for the one who made them…”

Wakasa stood.

Kiritatsu studied him.

Then smiled faintly.

“Promising work.”

A beat.

“But rejected.”

“Save it for next time, kid.”

“We don’t need it.”

Dismissed.

Just like that.

Humiliation burned hotter because it happened publicly.

The meeting ended.

People rose.

Left.

So did Wakasa.

Silent. 

He thought "why .... .... What's going on. Why even approved in first place." 

His fist clenched. 

Then the light of afternoon turned into the glow of dusk.

By evening—

Silvano found out.

And the argument exploded again.

“You rejected what I approved?”

Kiritatsu didn’t flinch.

Silvano’s voice shook now.

“That route prevents conflict.”

“They’ll station men there and slaughter ours.”

“I am trying to preserve reputation and avoid more deaths.”

Kiritatsu fired back.

“You show weakness.”

“Keeping the old route provokes them.”

Exactly.”

“That is the point.”

“The strong do not back down.”

Silvano stared.

“…you are confusing power with stupidity.”

Kiritatsu stepped closer.

“Keep calling it that.”

“You’ll learn why I’m doing this.”

Silvano’s voice turned cold.

“Father handed me that company for a reason.”

“Do not force your way into what you cannot manage.”

Kiritatsu snapped.

“I can manage this better than you ever will.”

“Don’t stand in my way.”

Silvano inhaled sharply.

“Calm your nerve.”

“Fighting is not a solution.”

Even Kiritatsu’s assistant quietly added—

“Sir…”

But he was already moving.

The door slammed shut.

Leaving Silvano alone.

Again.

With the routes.

The sabotage.

And a brother who might drag them all into war.

End of Chapter 14.