Academy SP 〜An Ex-Mercenary Reincarnated as a Mob in a Gal Game. I Ditched My Bodyguard Job to Enjoy High School Life, but When the Ultra-Rich Heroines Were About to Get Killed, I Stepped In… and Somehow Built a Harem Powerful Enough to Control Japan〜 - Chapter 100, 101 & 102

Chapter 100

Side: Yuuji

“Chairman of the Satsuroukai… Ashioka, you say?”

Just as I was about to finish off that bastard Urabe, these guys showed up in a group.

And the moment I heard the name of the man at their head—

It felt like my blood started boiling.

“You bastards… once I’m done killing Urabe, you’re next. Be ready for it!”

I declared it outright.

The Satsuroukai had retaliated against the Kirishima conglomerate—

Which meant there was only one person who could’ve given that order.

There was no need to think twice.

It had to be this bastard.

So I’d kill him.

Didn’t matter if he was the head of the yakuza.

I’d make sure he felt fear—at least once.

But just as that killing intent surged through me, Ayaka stopped me.

“T-Takahashi! That’s not it!”

“…Huh?”

“This time, the Tosa Family acted on their own. Chairman Ashioka of the Satsuroukai actually tried to stop them.”

Apparently, Urabe had said that when he first met Ayaka and the others.

I looked at Ashioka again.

He was scanning the room, taking everything in.

His eyes were wide, sweat running down his forehead.

“…The Tosa Family… all taken down…?”

Seeing the unbelievable scene before him, it was clear he was shaken.

Then, his gaze shifted to Ayaka.

Her condition—her pants torn, leaving her in her underwear.

The room itself was a mess, but there was also a tripod camera, a futon laid out unnaturally… and even drug syringes scattered around.

Seeing all of that—his face twisted in disgust.

“…What the hell… They really kidnapped a Kirishima heiress…? You fucking idiots…”

Ashioka’s face had gone pale.

He pressed a hand to his forehead and froze for a moment.

—But I noticed it.

Behind that reaction, his eyes were clearly thinking… calculating something.

(Planning something shady…?)

From his reaction, it didn’t seem like he had any intention of retaliating against the Kirishima conglomerate.

Which meant—

He probably didn’t want this whole incident—Ayaka’s kidnapping and confinement—to come to light.

In other words… he’d want to cover it up.

(It wouldn’t be strange if he decided to silence us—kill me and Ayaka, make us disappear, and bury the whole thing…)

If that was the case, then there was no way I could let go of this gun.

Well, from what I could see, there were about ten of them.

—Ayaka’s safety wouldn’t be guaranteed, but if I went all out…

It was still a number I could handle alone.

I’d gun them all down.

“……………………”

Suddenly, my eyes met Ashioka’s.

Maybe he sensed something dangerous in my gaze—

The yakuza around him quickly moved, forming a shield in front of him.

“Hey, kid! Drop the gun!”

As they shouted, they pulled out their own handguns and aimed them at me.

—Fine by me.

“W-Wait! P-Please wait, Ashioka-san!”

But before anything could happen, Ayaka stepped in between us.

“Ayaka! It’s dangerous—get back!”

I shouted, but she turned to me and said—

“Wait, Takahashi—fighting here would be pointless! …I’m sure Ashioka-san will settle this properly.”

Then, as if confirming it, she looked at him and asked—

“Right?”

At that moment, Ashioka’s expression changed.

It was like he had just found a way out—

A way to turn things around.

“…My apologies for the late introduction. This is our first time meeting, isn’t it, Lady Ayaka Kirishima.”

Ashioka bowed politely.

He also ordered his men to lower their guns.

“The connection between the Satsuroukai and the Kirishima conglomerate isn’t something the public knows about. We used to hold confidential meetings in the past, but ever since I became chairman, that has completely stopped. Still… I did recognize your face.”

“Yes. I had quietly hoped you would be someone who could change the Satsuroukai from within, Ashioka-san, so I was aware of you as well. The business you’ve been involved in has been distancing itself from organized crime.”

“I see… I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Their conversation sounded formal—almost like something between seasoned adults.

Especially Ayaka… she was only fifteen, yet she carried herself with surprising composure.

Maybe it came from growing up around high society.

“—Now then, regarding this incident with the Tosa Family… this was carried out entirely without the knowledge of the Satsuroukai main house.”

Ashioka’s tone suddenly turned sharp.

“Therefore, the main Satsuroukai bears no responsibility for the Tosa Family’s actions. And for that reason, I, as chairman of the Satsuroukai, cannot offer an apology to Lady Ayaka for what has happened.”

I thought he might show some sense of duty or honor as a yakuza and take responsibility in some way—but that wasn’t the case.

Ashioka firmly declared that they weren’t at fault.

By doing that, he was clearly trying to minimize any damage to the Satsuroukai.

Still… this chairman was sharp.

And honestly, it was an effective move.

If I remembered right, under normal anti-organized crime laws, even if something like this was done by a subordinate group, the top could still be held criminally responsible.

But in this Japan, no such law existed—so Ashioka wouldn’t be punished.

“To be honest, we weren’t entirely sure until we got here either. But the Tosa Family had been acting suspiciously, and we feared danger might reach Lady Ayaka, who was attending the forest training camp in Karuizawa. We received information that they had entered this location—the closest base to Karuizawa—and so we stormed in.”

Ashioka briefly explained how things led up to this.

Hearing all that, it seemed like he planned to keep his hands clean and stay uninvolved—

…But apparently, things weren’t that simple.

“There’s no doubt this is going to be troublesome. Public backlash is inevitable. And from the Kirishima conglomerate’s point of view, this will look like retaliation from us. If that happens, we’ll be completely shut out of the economic sphere you people control here in Japan. Especially since, business-wise, we’ve been benefiting from the Kirishima conglomerate’s ‘leftovers’—the damage would be even worse. —So, we have no intention of opposing the Kirishima conglomerate.”

Then, Ashioka added, with clear intent—

“That’s why… I believe we can be of some help in handling this incident.”

It sounded like he was trying to draw out some kind of condition.

I couldn’t fully grasp what he was aiming for, but Ayaka continued.

“Regarding this incident… the Kirishima conglomerate will most likely want to cover it up as well.”

“…Huh?”

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

“Cover it up…? You were kidnapped. You were put in serious danger.”

“Exactly. That’s why it can’t be made public.”

Then Ayaka explained.

“The Kirishima conglomerate is trying to completely cut all ties with the Satsuroukai. Not just now—everything from the past included. —It’s almost impossible, and yet they’re pushing forward with incredible determination. They’re spending huge amounts of money to erase every piece of evidence linking them to the Satsuroukai.”

That sounded like a pretty forceful approach.

Trying to solve everything with money didn’t exactly look good either.

“In other words, that’s how much the Kirishima conglomerate wants nothing to do with the Satsuroukai. —But even if this was done by the Tosa Family alone, the news will report it like this: ‘A Kirishima conglomerate heiress kidnapped by members tied to the Satsuroukai.’ That’s exactly what the current Kirishima conglomerate wants to avoid.”

“…What?”

“…It might be hard for ordinary people to understand, but conglomerates care about their public image far more than you’d expect. It’s probably similar to what yakuza call ‘honor.’”

“Honor…?”

“Yeah. The reason the Kirishima conglomerate stands as one of the Four Great Conglomerates isn’t just because they’re good at business. It’s because they have overwhelming ‘authority’ that keeps others at bay. And authority means being seen as something to be feared… something almost untouchable. They can never show weakness to the public.”

At that, Ayaka clenched her fists tightly.

“—Even the fact that a ‘conglomerate heiress was kidnapped’ is enough to expose weakness. That alone is a huge problem—far bigger than any scandal about ties to a group like the Satsuroukai. Not being able to protect their own daughter. Failing to prevent yakuza retaliation. That kind of security failure and carelessness is fatal for a conglomerate. Because the public will say—‘The authority of the Kirishima conglomerate has fallen.’”

“…So, you’re saying…?”

At my words, Ayaka nodded.

“Yeah. From the Kirishima conglomerate’s side as well… they’ll want to pretend this never happened. At the very least, that’s what my father would think. In times like these, especially for a conglomerate, they can’t afford to show weakness to the public. Just allowing something like yakuza retaliation already means their authority and influence are slipping. —That’s the one thing they want to avoid.”

…So that’s the logic behind it.

In countries ruled by dictators, any rebellious citizens are crushed without mercy.

Because maintaining authority depends on it.

Then… does that mean, in this situation, the Kirishima conglomerate and the Satsuroukai actually share some common interest…?

As all these complicated factors tangled together—

Ashioka finally laid out a decisive proposal to Ayaka.

“…In that case, we won’t report this to the police. In other words, we won’t turn this into an official case. As for the Tosa Family… leave them to us. Would that be acceptable?”

Chapter 101

Side: Yuuji

“…You’re saying we just pretend this never happened…?”

I couldn’t believe what Ashioka was saying.

First of all, I doubted something like that was even possible.

And more than that… was it really okay, ethically, to just let something like this slide?

But at least one part of that question seemed to have an answer.

“Yes. I would very much like to proceed in that direction.”

Ayaka said it calmly.

The very person who had been kidnapped was the one agreeing to it.

“B-But, Ayaka…”

I had to make sure.

Was this really what she wanted?

But instead, she gave a faint smile—like she actually preferred it this way.

“This is what’s best for me. …I don’t want to cause trouble for the conglomerate because of me.”

I couldn’t accept that.

“What are you saying!? ‘Trouble’—that’s not something you, a kid, should be worrying about! You did nothing wrong! None of this is your fault!”

I grabbed her by the shoulders as I said it.

Her eyes started to fill with tears.

“Thank you… just hearing you say that… it means a lot…”

“A-Ayaka…?”

“…The biggest reason is you, Takahashi.”

“…Huh?”

“If this turns into a police case, you won’t get out of it either. I want to stop that, no matter what. I… I just want to protect you.”

Ayaka wiped away the tears running down her cheeks.

“…This is troubling… Why is it that I can’t control my emotions whenever I’m in front of you…?”

“Ayaka…”

At that moment, Ashioka cleared his throat.

“Sorry to interrupt such a nice moment.”

His slightly teasing smile made Ayaka’s cheeks turn red with embarrassment.

“Well, we’ll handle informing the Kirishima conglomerate from our side. Most likely, the chairman will agree—just as Lady Ayaka said—and cooperate with us in covering up this incident.”

Ashioka spoke calmly, and Ayaka nodded in agreement.

“—This will probably be the last time the Kirishima conglomerate and the Satsuroukai have any kind of connection.”

Ashioka said that with a shrug.

His tone carried a mix of sarcasm… and something like regret.

“Yes… even so, we ask for your cooperation.”

Ayaka bowed her head toward the Satsuroukai.

It felt very much like her—someone who valued propriety and obligation.

But Ashioka scratched his head awkwardly.

“Lady Ayaka… please don’t bow to us. At the very least, we haven’t done anything to deserve your thanks.”

There was no apology in his words.

But his expression…

It looked like he felt genuinely sorry toward Ayaka.

After all, even if indirectly, the Satsuroukai had failed to stop the Tosa Family from going this far.

And with that—

There was something I had to ask.

“By the way… Ashioka-san.”

As I spoke, Ashioka looked at me, his guard clearly up.

“…What is it?”

“What are you planning to do with the Tosa Family?”

“……………………”

Ashioka said nothing.

I glanced over at Ayaka.

She was clutching her own arm, looking away—like she couldn’t face it.

(…Yeah. Just as I thought. And Ayaka knows it too.)

“Let’s go, Takahashi.”

Ayaka took my hand and started walking toward the exit.

Her hand was trembling.

(…Was this really the right choice? Am I making her carry something she shouldn’t have to…?)

For a moment, I hesitated.

But there was no clear answer.

There’s no such thing as a perfect choice in life.

Even after being reborn… I still believe that.

But—

I stopped.

Then turned back toward Ashioka.

“Hey, Ashioka-san.”

“…Yeah?”

“Do it properly.”

“…!”

The words came out sharper than I expected.

“If the Tosa Family… or if the Satsuroukai tries anything after this—threatening or harming the people around me…”

I glared at him and said—

“I won’t let it slide.”

At that moment, one of his men visibly bristled, veins popping.

“Hey, brat. Who the hell do you think you’re talking to? You’ve got some nerve running your mouth like that. You’re standing in front of the great Satsuroukai—”

But Ashioka cut him off.

“Alright, I understand. Of course, the Satsuroukai will have no further involvement with the Kirishima conglomerate—or with you and those around you. Unless some miracle happens and we randomly cross paths somewhere, you and I will never meet again. This is where we part ways.”

I looked straight into the eyes of the Satsuroukai chairman as he said that.

I’d thought he was a shady guy…

But right now, those eyes seemed to be telling the truth.

—After this, there was nothing left but to leave it to him.

“Takahashi…”

“Yeah.”

I gave Ayaka a reassuring smile.

She looked relieved… and together, we headed toward the exit.

As we did, one of the members muttered—

“Are you really okay with that? Letting some brat talk like that?”

Ashioka replied simply.

“…It’s fine. Leave it.”

There was sweat on his forehead.

His body was trembling slightly.

I turned my back and walked away.

“—Don’t ever get involved with that kid again.”

As we stepped out through the entrance, that was the last thing I heard.

〇

Side: Yakuza

Ashioka let out a quiet breath.

(…What was that guy? Some kind of monster…?)

When Ashioka first arrived at the scene, the thing that caught his attention wasn’t Ayaka Kirishima in her underwear…

Nor the beaten-down members of the Tosa Family.

It was—

That unknown boy.

Just a kid, maybe fifteen or sixteen.

But he wasn’t like a thug or a delinquent.

There was something… off about him.

A strange, unsettling presence.

He had never felt anything like that before.

It was simply… eerie.

And more than anything—

From what he’d just heard, that same kid had single-handedly brought the Tosa Family to the brink of destruction.

Ashioka himself had gathered his “Ashioka unit,” mobilized his men, and stormed in—

That was how seriously he had taken the Tosa Family’s strength.

And yet, that boy had done it alone.

And from the looks of it… he was barely even injured.

(That’s not normal. That’s a disaster walking on two legs. You don’t get involved with something like that. There’s no benefit in it. Honor, pride as yakuza—none of that matters. My instincts are screaming at me… If we fight that guy, we’re the ones who’ll end up drowning in blood.)

Just then, Urabe—lying on the ground—looked at Ashioka and laughed.

“Kah… kahahahaha…! What, you’re getting scared over a kid now? Same as always… you ‘Coward’.”

It was a nickname whispered behind Ashioka’s back—

A mocking one.

“Hey.”

The moment Ashioka gave the order, his men swarmed Urabe—kicking and beating him on the spot.

“Gah!?—ghh!?—ah!?”

It was a brutal beating, enough to distort his face.

“Urabe… you really caused a mess. Because of you, the Satsuroukai almost went down.”

Ashioka put a cigarette in his mouth, and one of his men lit it for him.

“Ke… kehehehe… A Satsuroukai with no ‘honor’… might as well disappear.”

After hearing that, Ashioka exhaled smoke.

Then, the corner of his lips curled upward.

“Well… that works out nicely. This whole situation—things are actually turning in our favor.”

“Huh? Favor?”

“Yeah. Still, Urabe… I didn’t expect you to go as far as opening fire on the Kikuchi Group under the Satsuroukai.”

“The Kikuchi Group? Ahh… how was our declaration of war, huh, Ashioka? That wishy-washy boss of theirs… I’d been wanting to teach him a lesson.”

Urabe grinned smugly, his face soaked in blood.

But—

“Right. And the bosses—Kondou, Suzuki, and Shimura—they’ve all gone missing too. You really made things troublesome. I didn’t think you’d go beyond a shooting and actually lay hands on the bosses themselves.”

In that instant—

The smile vanished from Urabe’s face.

“…What are you talking about?”

“……………………”

“I told them to pay the Kikuchi Group a visit—with guns. That’s it. But Kondou, Suzuki, Shimura—going missing? This is the first I’m hearing of it! Missing? Why? How the hell would that even happen!?”

And then—

“There’s no way the Tosa Family had anything to do with those three disappearing!! Those guys were the bosses who opposed you, Ashioka! The ones trying to split the group from the inside! We were trying to win their favor—that’s why we were going to bring them the Kirishima conglomerate retaliation as a gift—”

Mid-sentence, his eyes widened.

“…Don’t tell me… those three… the ones who disappeared—or rather… the ones who were taken out…”

Ashioka let out a chuckle, blowing smoke from his cigarette.

“Sorry about that, Urabe.”

Under the moonlight, the shadows on Ashioka’s face deepened—

“—Kondou, Suzuki, Shimura… your Tosa Family took care of them. That’s the story we’re going with.”

Seeing Ashioka laugh like that—

For the first time, Urabe’s body trembled.

Chapter 102

Side: Yakuza

“You bastard…! Don’t tell me you killed Boss Kondou, Suzuki, and Shimura!?”

Urabe’s eyes widened, and Ashioka casually scratched his cheek.

“You laid hands on your own subordinate bosses just for trying to leave…!? And you still call yourself the chairman of the Satsuroukai!?”

“Quit yelling.”

Ashioka exhaled a stream of smoke.

“You know me pretty well, don’t you? I’m—just a coward.”

It sounded self-deprecating, but the aura around him was anything but.

It was unsettling.

“Can’t be helped. Being a coward is just part of who I am. If I could see the future, maybe I’d live more boldly—but I don’t have that kind of power. I’m always stuck worrying about what might come next, never knowing what’s ahead. That’s why… the only way I’ve lived is by constantly eliminating those uncertainties.”

“Ashioka…!”

“I’ve always been uneasy, you know? About Kondou, Suzuki, and Shimura—the ones opposing me, trying to split the group. And there’s only one way to get rid of that fear—make sure they can never oppose me again.”

“Y-You…!”

“Kukuku… don’t get so worked up. In the end, this was the only way. To truly secure my power, it’s not about results, charisma, or settling things with talks or money.”

“—You eliminate anyone who resists you. One by one. That’s how it’s done. Just like dictators do, right?”

Ashioka slowly stood up.

“Well… I didn’t expect you to be stupid enough to go after the Kirishima conglomerate. And on top of that, you did it on the exact same day I ordered those three taken out. So yeah, the attack on the Kikuchi Group was completely unexpected.”

“Even we never imagined that on the same day we fired shots at the Kikuchi Group… those three would go missing…!”

“Yeah, exactly. In other words, two separate incidents just happened to line up perfectly.”

Then, Ashioka gave a small nod to the men behind him.

They moved in, surrounding Urabe and the others lying on the ground.

“Well, things rarely go according to plan. But the key to surviving is adapting on the fly. So I changed the story. Originally, I was going to pin the disappearance of those three bosses on a rival group or some street gang—but now…”

He smirked slightly.

“I’ll make the Tosa Family the ones behind it.”

“D-Don’t fuck with me…! You bastard!! You’re seriously planning to dump every crime on us!?”

“Well, motives can be made up however you want. You guys were already a bunch of lunatics to begin with. If word gets out that you killed the three bosses and fled somewhere… everything settles nice and clean.”

“Ashioka…! ASHIOKAAAAAA!!”

Urabe—somehow—forced his useless limbs to move and lunged at Ashioka.

But—

A single gunshot rang out.

Ashioka already had a handgun in his hand, and the bullet tore straight through Urabe’s abdomen.

“Gah…!”

Urabe’s life was hanging by a thread.

His body twitched weakly.

Looking down at him, Ashioka wore a satisfied smile.

“Urabe… I’ve been telling you this all along, haven’t I? Stay humble…”

“Gh… ha… haa…”

“Get carried away, and you’ll pay for it.”

“Y-You…! Dumping all your dirty work on us… and then… ending it like this…! I won’t—”

Ashioka pulled the trigger again.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! 

Urabe’s body was riddled with holes—

Then it went still.

“…What’s with that soft talk now? You’re the one who chose this path—the kind you can’t show your face to the world with.”

Ashioka tossed the empty gun straight at Urabe’s face.

“You… I wanted to kill you myself. You’ve been looking down on me for way too long.”

Then, Ashioka gave an order.

To the unit that answered only to him—the “Ashioka Squad.”

“Hey. Get rid of this trash. Feed them to the fish.”

〇

Side: Yakuza

A few weeks later—

“Chairman… that detective is here again. The same one.”

Inside the Satsuroukai office, Ashioka heard the report from one of his men and shrugged.

“Persistent, huh… Miyanishi-san too. Well, treat him properly.”

With a sigh, he had Miyanishi brought in again.

“Yo. You’re looking pretty refreshed these days.”

Miyanishi, as usual, dropped onto the sofa like he owned the place.

This time, Ashioka himself lit his cigarette.

“Still… something about this doesn’t sit right.”

“What do you mean?”

“…Don’t play dumb.”

Miyanishi exhaled smoke.

“The disappearance of those three bosses under you. All of them were opposing you—basically thorns in your side—trying to break away from the group. And suddenly, they all vanish at once. And somehow, it’s being pinned on the Tosa Family.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“On top of that, Urabe and the entire Tosa Family are gone too. So tell me—what kind of picture does that paint?”

“…Maybe there was some kind of personal conflict between the Tosa Family and those three bosses. For example, when those bosses tried to leave the Satsuroukai, the Tosa Family got involved—but things went south over positions or money. In the end, they killed them… and then the whole group fled.”

Ashioka spoke with a calm smile.

Hearing that, Miyanishi’s expression twisted in clear disgust.

“Tch. That story works out pretty damn nicely for you, doesn’t it?”

“Haha, I suppose it does.”

Ashioka just laughed it off casually, while Miyanishi took another drag of his cigarette.

“There’s one more thing that doesn’t add up.”

“Oh? What would that be?”

“The Karuizawa incident.”

Miyanishi glanced at Ashioka, testing his reaction—but the man’s smile didn’t change in the slightest.

“Turns out, a delinquent gang called Dragon Chain—the one the Tosa Family had been secretly keeping under their control—caused trouble in Karuizawa. We questioned them, and they said Urabe from the Tosa Family ordered them to ‘go after a girl.’”

Miyanishi paused, watching closely.

“And when we looked into that girl… guess what? She’s the daughter of the Kirishima conglomerate.”

—The same Kirishima conglomerate you guys are supposedly on bad terms with.

Miyanishi added that last part, clearly probing for a reaction.

“And that same night, three men were brought into the hospital. They were guards from the Kirishima conglomerate. One of them was a guy named Imamura—used to be with the Akebono Group—but that’s beside the point. What’s strange is this: they were seriously injured, even had fingers cut off… and yet, they claim they never saw the attacker.”

“……………………”

“But even while injured, they say they managed to hand Ayaka Kirishima over to some high school boy and helped her escape. That’s all they’re saying. Don’t you think that story’s a bit of a stretch?”

“……………………”

“There are all kinds of rumors going around, but the Tosa Family was definitely there. And chances are—they were the ones who kidnapped Lady Ayaka. That’s the only conclusion that fits the situation. And yet, that part is conveniently missing. —And on top of that, neither the police nor the Kirishima conglomerate is saying a word about it.”

Miyanishi looked at Ashioka again.

“If you ask me, there had to be some kind of backroom deal between the Kirishima conglomerate and the Satsuroukai. Otherwise, there’s no way those men like Imamura would all tell the same kind of lie. That’s something they were ordered to say by the Kirishima side. On the surface, it looks complicated—but once you break it down…”

He paused again—clearly watching for a reaction.

“—In other words, Ayaka Kirishima was kidnapped by the Tosa Family. But right before it was too late, someone stepped in and saved her. And that same person wiped out the Tosa Family… then pinned the disappearance of those three bosses on them. On top of that, since this whole thing would cause serious trouble if it came to light, both sides agreed to cover it up. …And the one who stepped in to save her was—”

Miyanishi narrowed his eyes.

“Ashioka. If it were you… everything lines up perfectly.”

But Ashioka just kept smiling.

“Close… but not quite.”

“Huh?”

(The one who stepped in… wasn’t me.)

Ashioka thought that to himself, then played dumb.

“Just kidding. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Seeing that, a vein popped on Miyanishi’s temple.

“Don’t mess with me.”

He crushed his cigarette into the ashtray and stood up.

“Ashioka… if you’ve got no intention of going straight, then be ready. I’ll make sure you end up eating prison food one day.”

With that, Miyanishi left.

Ashioka let out a long breath.

“Still got one hell of a nose, that guy…”

At the comment from one of his men, Ashioka nodded and put another cigarette in his mouth.

“I’ve already settled things with the Kirishima conglomerate. As expected, they’re worried about their public image, so they want to keep Lady Ayaka’s kidnapping under wraps. Thanks to that, they’ve been cooperating with us on all the necessary arrangements. —Anyway, that wraps everything up nicely.”

He exhaled a stream of smoke.

No matter how many cigarettes he had, there was no real rest for someone at the top of the Satsuroukai.

(“Go back to being a civilian,” huh…)

That detective, Miyanishi, always said that.

Maybe it was because he recognized Ashioka’s ability, at least to some extent—

Maybe he genuinely wanted him to use that talent in a proper way, to contribute to society.

In that sense, it was almost flattering.

But—

(Too bad… it’s the civilians who don’t want me back.)

Back in his twenties, Ashioka had worked at a foreign securities firm.

Back then… everything had felt bright.

But one day, he witnessed his superior committing fraud.

When he confronted him about it, the man snapped and attacked him.

And in that moment—

Ashioka ended up killing him… by accident.

He was arrested afterward, and for excessive self-defense, he served two years in prison.

The company covered everything up—

As if the fraud had never existed.

With a criminal record, there was nowhere left for Ashioka to work.

Even though he had the talent to rise to the top of a major corporation… society rejected him entirely because of that one stain.

Sick of it all—

He stepped into the world of the yakuza.

(If I really wanted to work, there were companies that would’ve taken me in. But I chose this path instead. —Was it because I thought I could make more money here? Or because I wanted to sink into the dark and get some small revenge on this kind of society…? —At this point, I don’t even know anymore.)

Ashioka exhaled smoke.

There was no going back to a normal life now.

And for someone in the yakuza… there was never any real rest.

—This path of carnage.

Even as it burns you alive…

You just keep moving forward.