NOVEL WEB Chapter 6: Chapter 6: The Demon and the Tiger
Kai Province – Takeda Castle
The news spread like wildfire.
Within three days, the story of the "Silver-Haired Demon" had already reached the ears of Takeda Nobutora—lord of the Takeda clan, and ruler of Kai Province.
A temple burned to the ground.A group of armed samurai slaughtered overnight.No witnesses survived, save for a single child with silver hair.
The people whispered in fear.
"The child is a demon."
"A monster sent by the gods to punish us."
"If we do not kill him now, he will bring calamity upon Kai!"
Takeda Nobutora listened in silence.
And then, with a smirk, he said—
"Bring the boy to me."
Linde—no, Yuki—was dragged before the great Takeda lord.
He was barefoot, his white robes still stained with the blood of the temple massacre.
His silver hair shimmered beneath the lantern light, his red eyes dull and lifeless.
Even at only three years old, his presence was unnerving.
The Takeda retainers stood uneasily, their hands gripping their katana hilts.
They did not trust him.
Even Nobutora himself, a hardened warlord who had survived countless battles, felt a strange discomfort in the boy's presence.
But the old warrior simply leaned forward on his throne, resting his chin on his knuckles.
"So… you're still alive, huh?"
Yuki did not answer.
"Your mother died for you. Your father abandoned you. And now, you've become a murderer."
Still, Yuki did not respond.
Takeda Nobutora clicked his tongue.
"Hmph. What a useless brat."
He glanced at his men.
"Kill him."
"Father, wait."
A new voice cut through the silence.
From the shadows of the hall, another man stepped forward.
He was young, barely sixteen, but already stood taller than most of the Takeda samurai.
His black hair was tied back in a warrior's knot, and his brown eyes burned with unshakable resolve.
This was Takeda Harunobu.
The son of Takeda Nobutora.The heir to Kai Province.The man who would one day be feared as Takeda Shingen—the Tiger of Kai.
"This child…"
Harunobu stared at Yuki.
"Let me take him in."
His father scoffed.
"You want this wretched thing? Why?"
"Because he survived."
Harunobu's eyes did not waver.
"No matter how many curses the world places upon him, he survived."
"That means he is strong."
For a long moment, Takeda Nobutora was silent.
Then, with a low chuckle, he leaned back against his throne.
"Fine. Do whatever you want."
His men looked at him in shock.
"My lord, you would allow this—?"
"Enough."
The Takeda lord waved his hand dismissively.
"The brat will die sooner or later anyway."
"Whether it's by the hands of the Takeda… or by fate itself."
He turned away, his interest in Yuki already fading.
"Take him and leave."
And with that, Yuki's life was no longer his own.
He had been claimed—
By the Tiger of Kai.
[Fated Death: Progressing.]You have survived your first trial.You have been taken in by Takeda Harunobu.Your fate has been postponed… but not avoided.A Glimpse of the Future
That night, Yuki lay awake in his new room within Takeda Castle.
Outside, he could hear the winds howling across the mountains.
He did not know what lay ahead.
But one thing was certain—
The world would not leave him in peace.
And fate had only just begun to move.