My Young Husband, The Assasin-Chapter 33: Between Life and Death

Tetsuya thought that if the God of death came to take him, it would bring his soul back to Nirvana to meet God.

However, who would have thought that the tall, sturdy man dressed in a black Hakama standing beside him, who at first glance resembled the God of death, would appear even more terrifying in Tetsuya's eyes? If given a choice, Tetsuya would rather face the God of death than this middle-aged man with long black hair, whom he always referred to as "the old man" or, more commonly known as Kaito Ishikawa, the eighth-generation head of the Ishikawa family.

Fortunately, Tetsuya had already ordered Shiro and Fujita to leave quickly with Renji before the old man arrived and forcibly dragged Renji back to the Ishikawa mansion to fulfil his duties as the unwilling heir to the Ishikawa family.

It had been a struggle for Renji to break free from his grandfather's grip, and as a good cousin, Tetsuya was determined to protect Renji at all costs. He wouldn't let Oyaji imprison Renji again or treat him like a mere puppet for the sake of his ambitions.

For years, Renji had suffered and lived in darkness because of his grandfather's relentless pressure. Renji deserved to be happy, live an everyday life like any other teenager, and experience love from those who cared for him.

Renji had finally found his happiness and was about to become a father. Soon, he would also become an uncle—something he had never imagined would happen.

"G-grandpa..." Tetsuya groaned weakly, using the last of his strength.

Kaito's cold gaze fell on Tetsuya's helpless body, which was struggling to endure the pain in his left chest due to the effects of the strength-enhancing drug he had been taking during missions.

The drug, concocted by that snake-loving man, was indeed powerful. Still, it came with severe side effects and even risked death if overdosed.

"I will end your suffering forever," Kaito said coldly, staring at Tetsuya.

"Ryoji, make him drink the medicine," he ordered the long-haired, bespectacled man standing nearby.

Ryoji immediately approached Tetsuya and pulled out a small glass bottle containing a thick, black liquid. He claimed it was medicine to relieve Tetsuya's pain.

Without much resistance, Ryoji managed to force the medicine, concocted by the Ishikawa family's private doctor, down Tetsuya's throat.

A bitter, acrid taste spread through Tetsuya's mouth as the black liquid flowed down his throat, followed by an excruciating pain that felt as if hundreds of swords were piercing his entire body.

"Aaaaarrrggghhhh...." Tetsuya writhed on the bed, his eyes turning red, tears streaming down his face from the unbearable pain.

His breath came in ragged gasps, and cold sweat drenched his body as he struggled to endure the intense agony. He wondered what kind of medicine this was—or perhaps it wasn't medicine at all, but poison meant to kill him quickly.

"Why...?" Tetsuya muttered, his voice filled with deep disappointment and sorrow toward his grandfather.

Kaito remained silent, his expression blank as he coldly observed Tetsuya's suffering. He showed no remorse or guilt.

Tetsuya regretted having to leave and join Sora so soon. He had promised to protect and support Renji no matter what, as he was the only family Renji had left after the deaths of his parents and Sora, his older brother.

Tetsuya hoped that the sharp sickle of the God of death wouldn't pierce his heart and take his soul just yet. Deep down, he still wanted to live a little longer—to cherish the time he had with Renji and to disrupt the wedding of the pony-tailed girl.

"Ugh~" Tetsuya spat out a thick, dark blood clot from his mouth.

His body writhed in pain as he clutched his left chest, where his heart felt as if it were being squeezed tightly by an invisible force. The pain was indescribable, and his breath was choked, coming in ragged gasps as he struggled for oxygen.

"Aaaghhh...." Tetsuya groaned in agony.

Only cries of pain escaped his lips—no other words.

Tetsuya's eyes, filled with meaning, locked onto the two men standing nearby. They stood there with blank expressions, showing no pity or sadness as if they were heartless and cold, devoid of emotion.

Some time ago, his private doctor had told him that he likely had only two to three years left to live, as the function of his heart muscles was weakening day by day. He had thought he still had time to devise a plan to protect Renji and his small family from the iron grip of his grandfather.

But now, Tetsuya's body was completely drained of strength. He felt utterly weak and helpless. His vision suddenly darkened, and after that, he remembered nothing. Perhaps when his eyes opened again, he would be in Nirvana, having left the mortal world behind. It seemed that God had other plans, and Tetsuya would have to meet his end at the hands of his own family.

Tetsuya had never feared death; he had long known he wouldn't live long. But at the very least, he had hoped to die in a better way—not poisoned like this.

Tetsuya's body lay motionless on the bed, his eyes tightly shut.

Kaito's dark irises coldly observed Tetsuya's lifeless form before him. "Let's go, Ryoji," Kaito said, turning around and walking toward the exit.

"But what about his body, Master Kaito?"

"Leave it. This will serve as an important lesson for Renji for daring to defy me," Kaito replied coldly and firmly, showing no trace of pity or guilt, even though Tetsuya was his grandson.

"Understood," Ryoji replied obediently.

Ryoji smiled meaningfully as he glanced at Tetsuya's helpless body lying on the bed. As they left the room, Kaito and Ryoji accidentally crossed paths with Yamato, who was running frantically alongside an on-duty doctor in the hospital.

"Master," Yamato greeted with a panicked and fearful expression.

Yamato hadn't expected the head of the Ishikawa family to come here, let alone find young master Tetsuya in this state.

"Don't bother calling the doctor. It's pointless, Yamato," Kaito said before leaving the hospital.

Without needing further explanation, Yamato understood the meaning behind Kaito's words. Yamato's body trembled violently, and soon, tears streamed down his cheeks, wetting the floor beneath him.

"Young master," he sobbed sadly.

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Nearly two hours had passed since Renji had lost consciousness after being suddenly struck by Yamato. The blow from the former special police officer was no joke—it was no wonder Tetsuya had trusted him so much as both a personal bodyguard and a confidant.

Renji's left hand clutched his neck, which was sore and likely bruised from the earlier strike.

"Engh~" Renji groaned softly.

"You're awake, young master," Fujita greeted, glancing at him through the rearview mirror.

Renji looked around and realized he was inside a car, not at the headquarters. This was undoubtedly Tetsuya's doing.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked angrily.

"We are heading to your residence because tomorrow is Miss Aira's scheduled time to attend her prenatal yoga class," Fujita answered, speaking on behalf of Shiro, who didn't dare say anything for fear of being scolded.

"Ah~ I almost forgot," Renji sighed, remembering his promise to his wife to accompany her to her first yoga class.

Renji leaned his head back and stared at the car's ceiling. "Wake me up when we get home," he said, closing his eyes and preparing to drift off.

"Understood," Fujita replied.

A quiet atmosphere filled the car as they made their way home. However, Renji's phone kept interrupting his sleep. Despite his heavy eyelids and overwhelming drowsiness, he reluctantly checked the caller. Seeing that it was Yamato, Renji felt uneasy. Yamato rarely called him unless it was something important.

Renji lazily answered the call. "What is it?" he asked hoarsely.

(Young Master Renji, something has happened to Young Master Tetsuya.) Yamato replied, his voice choked with sobs.

"What happened to Tetsuya?" Renji asked again, not yet realizing the urgency of the news.

(Master Kaito came to the hospital to see Young Master Tetsuya, and afterwards, something happened to him.) Yamato explained sadly. Renji's drowsiness vanished instantly, replaced by shock and concern.

"Tell me where you are right now."

(We're at Tokyo University Hospital, near the headquarters.)

"Wait for me. I'll be there soon."

"Is something wrong, Young Master?" Fujita asked with concern, noticing Renji's tense and frightened expression.

"Turn the car around! We're heading to the hospital where Tetsuya is receiving treatment!"

Fujita promptly reversed, taking Renji's order. He accelerated, going as quickly as he could to get to where they were going as soon as possible. He did not care about the police pursuing them for speeding.

Renji clenched his fists tightly on his thighs, his jaw tightening as he suppressed his anger. If something had happened to Tetsuya, he wouldn't stand idly by. He would make his grandfather pay for this.

"That damn old man," Renji hissed with hatred.

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Saki felt out of place in this unfamiliar setting. As far as the eye could see, a vast field of sunflowers stretched endlessly, beautiful and mesmerizing.

"Where am I?" Saki muttered, confused, as she was the only one here.

Her feet kept moving as she tried to find someone she might know. Then, she spotted a man with black hair and pale skin, dressed entirely in white, standing in the middle of the sunflower field, bathed in sunlight. A gentle breeze suddenly swept through, causing the sunflowers to sway in unison.

Saki quickened her steps, eager to get closer and see who this mysterious man was. He felt so familiar to her. Her feet stopped a few steps away from the man.

"Pale Face?!" she exclaimed in confusion, recognizing Tetsuya.

Tetsuya turned his head and smiled softly. "This isn't your house, ponygirl," he said, stroking Saki's face gently.

A blush spread across Saki's cheeks. Tetsuya was not usually so friendly. "Where are we? Why did you bring me here? I need to get home."

Tetsuya gazed at Saki with deep meaning, his eyes burning with profound sadness. "You must return home because you do not belong here."

"Take care of yourself, pony girl," Tetsuya said as he reached out and pulled Saki into a tight embrace.

"Goodbye, and thank you, Saki," he whispered into her ear. Slowly, his figure began to fade away.

Saki panicked and even cried in fear as she watched Tetsuya's figure begin to disappear before her eyes. Tetsuya gave her a soft smile before his body completely vanished.

"Pale Face!" Saki shouted, calling out to Tetsuya. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and cold sweat covered her body. It turned out it had all just been a dream.

Lying beside Saki, Issei woke startled and immediately turned on the bedroom light. "Did you have a nightmare?" he asked worriedly, as it was unusual for Saki to be like this. Saki immediately clung tightly to Issei's body and began crying for no apparent reason.

"Calm down, I'm here," he said softly, gently stroking her back.

"I dreamed about Pale Face," she told him.

"And what made you cry and even call out to him?"

"He said goodbye to me," Saki sobbed as if the dream had felt so real.

Issei's hands gently wiped Saki's cheeks. "It was just a dream. Calm down, everything will be fine."

Saki nodded slowly in agreement. It must have been a bad dream, and dwelling on it was unnecessary. But for some reason, Saki couldn't shake the uneasy feeling and kept thinking about Tetsuya.

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Could it be the effect of the dream?

Saki felt torn because she was still worried about Tetsuya and feared that something might have happened to him. Even though they were enemies and often fought, Saki never truly hated Tetsuya. She knew he was a good person who always looked after and helped Aira.

Instead of dwelling on it, Saki went back to sleep because she had to work the next day.

"God, please protect and watch over Pale Face from all harm," Saki prayed sincerely before drifting back to sleep, following her beloved into the world of dreams.

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