Chapter 29 Why I am the Leader
From where I sat, slouched a little deeper into the cushions than usual, I turned on the news. Immediately, the room was flooded with flashing red banners and chaotic headlines. Almost every news channel had switched to emergency coverage, broadcasting live footage of the gang wars erupting across the country. Smoke, collapsed buildings, flashing quirks, terrified civilians, it was all playing out like some apocalyptic action movie.
One channel showed national quirk-trained soldiers being deployed in armored vehicles. Their expressions looked grim, even through their helmets. But the reporters were quick to point out that since the conflicts were happening simultaneously in different locations, sometimes several cities apart, there was only so much the military could realistically do. They couldn’t be everywhere at once, and even when they arrived, the situation wasn’t straightforward.
Battles between powerful quirk users were usually nasty, destructive, unpredictable, and explosive. Throwing the military into the center of that chaos wasn’t just risky, it could trigger even more catastrophe. The government seemed to know that. Instead of trying to directly intervene, the military focused on evacuating citizens, sealing off civilian areas, and transporting vulnerable groups to safety.
My phone buzzed with a message from one of our internal supervisors telling me that Felicia had already been taken far away from the estate. So had every other child or vulnerable member of the Blade clan. It made sense, the estate was a possible target. Rare, yes, but not impossible. It had happened before during my father’s rule. A bunch of idiots had tried to raid the estate thinking they could get a hostage or two. They barely made it past the outer gates before our elites killed them all.
Still, the memory made my jaw tense.
Security around the estate tightened drastically. I could feel it even without stepping outside. The air became heavier, filled with the thick, silent pressure of dozens of powerful quirk users stationed in every nook and cranny—rooftops, stairwells, hallways, perimeter walls.
Eric, sitting across from me, suddenly reached over and tapped my shoulder. “Boss… calm down,” he said softly. “Seriously. I’ll protect you no matter what happens. And now that Anna’s on our side? I’m even more confident.”
Anna, sitting beside him with perfect posture, gave a subtle nod as if she agreed with him wholeheartedly. That alone didn’t calm me, but it did distract me long enough to take a deep breath.
I glanced at her. “Actually… Anna. How exactly does your quirk work?”
She blinked once, then folded her hands neatly on her lap. “My quirk?” She smiled faintly. “Blood manipulation.”
Eric and I both raised our brows at the same time. She chuckled and continued.
“I can control my blood once it leaves my body. I can form it into piercing attacks—like needles, spikes, or sharpened darts. I can also shape it into slashing attacks, almost like blood-whips.”
Wheezy, who had jumped onto my lap without me noticing, paused mid-lick on his paw as if even he found that intimidating.
Anna leaned back slightly as she continued, “But the most notable part of my quirk is that I can make my blood explode. The more pressure I infuse into it, the bigger the blast. Small drops create small explosions. Larger amounts…” She shrugged casually. “You get the idea.”
Eric whistled under his breath. “Damn.”
“But there’s a downside,” Anna added, her tone turning a bit more serious. “Using too much of my blood will make me pass out. My quirk doesn’t create extra blood or anything like that. My body has to naturally replenish what I lose. There’s no loophole.”
She paused for a moment, then added with a laugh, “If I could drink blood to replenish mine instantly, I’d be overpowered as hell.”
Eric froze. I tried not to choke on my own saliva. Then Anna winked to show she was joking.
“I see,” I muttered under my breath.
Anna met my gaze with that same unshakable composure. “Nonetheless, as your maid, it is my duty to protect you. I knew you were quirkless before I came for the job. It didn’t change anything for me.”
I couldn’t help it, I laughed gently. “Quirk users always look down on people without quirks. They act like having a quirk automatically means they’re invincible, like they’re built different.”
Eric scratched his cheek. “Well…”
“What?” I said, leaning back. “It’s not like all quirk users have high durability or superhuman bodies by default. Quirks vary. Some are physical. Some are mental. Some are biological. Some have insane recoil or new weaknesses.”
Anna nodded thoughtfully.
“And despite being quirkless,” I continued, “there’s a reason I’m still the leader. A reason everyone under me obeys my commands even after my father has been gone for years.”
Eric blinked. “Boss, you said something like that before. But what do you mean by it, actually?”
Anna tilted her head, genuinely curious.
I stood up slowly, brushing Wheezy off my lap. The cat meowed in protest before curling onto the couch.
“You two,” I said, straightening my coat. “Follow me.”
Eric stood immediately.
“I want to show you something.”
Anna rose gracefully without question.