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〜

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Chapter 63

“Kyaaaaaaa♡♡♡ Ayaka-sama, Ayaka-sama… she’s finally getting close to another conglomerate heiress!?”

“Ahh… I can already see it—Ayaka-sama gently speaking to the lonely gal Sara-san, whose heart is sealed shut… and the two of them slowly falling in love!”

“No, no! I’m picturing Ayaka-sama taking the cool yet slightly airheaded Ririko-sama by the hand and gracefully escorting her through town… just imagining it makes my heart pound!”

“I’m telling you… it has to be ‘AyaSui’!! Or maybe ‘SuiAya’ sounds better! Either way… just thinking about it is enough to make me—!”

The young ladies suddenly burst into endless squeals.

Their faces flushed bright red. Some swayed as if they might faint. A few even had nosebleeds.

W-What is this blazing heat in the air!?

“That’s the Four Great Conglomerates yuri ship fanatics!”

“Y-Yuri ship fanatics!?”

Wakita suddenly began speaking as though he were standing under a spotlight on a grand stage, delivering a theatrical monologue.

“Yes! A school made up entirely of girls—! A garden filled with nothing but flowers—! In a place like this, they are practically compelled to imagine beautiful, intimate bonds between girls!”

Wakita clenched his fist passionately as he continued his fervent explanation.

“Especially conglomerate heiresses—they’re practically elite royalty in this country. Yet they’re constantly surrounded by jealous stares and envious whispers. Eventually, those four beautiful girls grow weary… with nowhere safe to rest their hearts. And where do they find comfort in the end? Ironically—in their rival conglomerate heiresses! Yes! Only a conglomerate heiress can truly understand another conglomerate heiress! Even if their families are enemies, within this garden of women, they transcend fragile friendship and bear the fruit of true love—!”

“…In short?”

“In short, just the fact that the Four Great Conglomerates heiresses enrolled at the same time is enough to send the girls’ imaginations into overdrive.”

“You suddenly got very calm.”

“Forbidden interaction, forbidden friendship, forbidden love—! Once they sink into this swamp of imagination, there’s no escaping! And just like that, an entire army of Four Great Conglomerates yuri shippers is born!!”

“…I see.”

The young ladies then turned sharp glares toward us.

“Conglomerate heiresses belong with other conglomerate heiresses!”

“And yet ‘Academy SP’ keeps hovering around those noble ladies wherever they go…!”

“Grrr!! Stay out of our ‘world,’ you men!!”

…At this point, they were practically telling us to drop dead, filthy males.

“Now that is what you call extremists! The ‘Ayaka ✕ Other Heiress’ yuri ship faction!”

“Extremists!? In that sense!?”

While the young ladies continued to overheat with passion, Ayaka Kirishima-san stood tall, chest proudly puffed out.

“Good. The ranking has been decided! Now remove yourselves from our presence at once! Quickly!”

She looked completely refreshed as she declared it.

And we had no choice but to retreat.

〇

“Man… we couldn’t even get a foot in the door.”

I scratched my head.

Wakita, meanwhile, hummed thoughtfully.

“Hmm… but are we really fine not guarding them?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Recently, the organization tied to the Kirishima Conglomerate has had a… suspicious air about it.”

“Tied to them? Like some kind of subordinate group?”

Wakita widened his eyes in disbelief.

“Seriously, Yuuji? You don’t even know that? If you’re in ‘Academy SP,’ you’re supposed to research the Four Great Conglomerates. You’re kind of strange, you know. Why did you even join ‘Academy SP’ in the first place…?”

“Ah—yeah, right, of course… you’re right. My bad, my bad…”

Crap. That sounded suspicious.

Honestly, relying on knowledge from the original game isn’t always reliable.

“Fine… I’ll explain.”

With that, Wakita began his lecture.

“If you trace the origins of the Kirishima Conglomerate, you’ll eventually arrive at a certain ronin. During the Edo period, he abandoned the path of the samurai and became a merchant. He achieved tremendous success in Kagoshima—back then, it was known as the Satsuma Domain. Later, during the final days of the shogunate and into the Meiji era, he even provided financial support to the Satsuma revolutionaries. They say the Kirishima family supported Japan’s modernization from the shadows.”

“S-Seriously…?”

There’s no way I’d remember backstory details at that level.

“Because of those contributions, the new government welcomed the Kirishima Conglomerate with open arms. The clearest example is this—even now, more than a century after the Meiji Restoration, the Minister of the National Defense Ministry has always been either a member of the Kirishima family or a politician closely aligned with them.”

…What?

The National Defense Ministry—

In our world, it’s called the Ministry of Defense. But in this alternate Japan, I guess history diverged somewhere.

Putting that aside…

The Kirishima Conglomerate controlling the military minister position for over a hundred years?

That’s an absurdly powerful political arrangement.

“Well, technically they operate within democratic rules… but the method is pretty transparent. Still, it’s not that surprising. Japan has been governed continuously by the Seiyuukai party since its founding. They’ve never once lost power. And one major reason? The backing of the Kirishima Conglomerate. In Kagoshima—actually, throughout all of Kyushu—most politicians receive funding from them. And not just funding. They command massive voting blocs as well.”

“So basically, no politician can afford to oppose the Kirishima Conglomerate?”

“Exactly. In exchange for securing the Defense Minister position for either a Kirishima family member or a close ally, they receive an unshakable support base in return.”

“That’s one comfortable relationship. But why are they so fixated on the Defense Minister post?”

At my question, Wakita crossed his arms and gave a thoughtful hum.

“There are plenty of theories. But the one most often whispered about is this—they want control over the military budget.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“When you think of the Kirishima Conglomerate, you think heavy industry. That’s what they’re famous for. Most Japanese automobiles come from companies under their umbrella. Aircraft as well. And of course—”

He paused.

“Weapons.”

“Ahh… I get it.”

Even I could connect the dots from there.

After all, I used to be a mercenary.

“So in short, the Kirishima Conglomerate wants the government to freely purchase weapons developed by their own heavy industry companies. Using taxpayer money, naturally.”

“Right. And recently they’ve also been pouring investments into the rocket industry. There are rumors that defense spending will increase even further—and that the Kirishima Conglomerate is pulling the strings behind the scenes. For some reason, information like that always leaks online.”

“Sounds… ironic.”

“Well, I seriously doubt the Defense Minister can single-handedly determine the national budget. Sure, the Kirishima Conglomerate holds enormous political influence, but the Kousaki Conglomerate is even more deeply connected to the ruling Seiyuukai party. And those two conglomerates don’t exactly see eye to eye. So I doubt it’s as simple as the internet makes it out to be. Politics is never that straightforward.”

Wakita added that he was somewhat skeptical of those rumors.

Huh. This glasses guy can actually think rationally.

At his age, you’d expect someone to dive headfirst into conspiracy theories.

Well… these days, even adults do that.

“Oh, right. I got sidetracked. What I mentioned earlier is basically the Kirishima Conglomerate’s ‘dark side.’ But actually… there’s something even darker.”

“Even darker? What could possibly top that?”

Wakita paused for dramatic effect before continuing.

“Remember how I said the Kirishima Conglomerate traces its roots back to a ronin who abandoned the samurai path?

“For a time, that ronin lived as a drifter. He ran gambling dens. Sometimes he even acted as the house boss. He gathered money and followers through street brawls and under-the-table dealings—And with that as his starting capital, he took the biggest gamble of his life… and clawed his way up to become a wealthy merchant.”

“…Wait. Don’t tell me…”

At my reaction, Wakita slowly nodded.

“That ronin… was a yakuza. In other words, the Kirishima Conglomerate began as former yakuza.”

Chapter 64

That was not a word I had expected to hear.

A conglomerate… and yakuza.

Can those two even overlap?

Well, in my previous life, it wasn’t unheard of for organized crime to have political connections. So it’s not impossible.

But the founder of a major conglomerate being a former yakuza?

That’s… one hell of a backstory.

And more importantly—none of this was ever mentioned in the gal game.

What is this, some kind of hidden lore?

“Well, to be precise, the Kirishima Conglomerate itself left the yakuza business behind a long, long time ago. So it’s not like Ayaka-san is the daughter of gangsters or anything. That would be completely wrong. But there’s no denying the Kirishima Conglomerate maintained ties with yakuza groups for a very long time.”

“S-Seriously…?”

“They apparently tried very hard to bury that ‘former yakuza’ origin. And this isn’t just some internet rumor. It was uncovered by serious journalists and critics with actual backbone. …Don’t tell me you didn’t know that either?”

Ugh. Wakita’s exasperated stare hurt.

“You really are just a muscle-brained idiot, Yuuji.”

“H-Hey, cut me some slack! More importantly, if a conglomerate is connected to yakuza… that’s a massive scandal, isn’t it? That alone could destroy them.”

“What are you talking about? Yakuza groups are everywhere if you go to rougher areas. They even put up signs with their group names out in the open.”

“…What?”

Wait—what about anti-organized crime laws?

…Don’t tell me those regulations don’t even exist in this world?

“The Kirishima Conglomerate is also involved in construction. During the Meiji Restoration and the massive building booms of the Showa era, they needed an enormous workforce. So they relied on—yakuza connections.”

“Yakuza connections…?”

“Yeah. They were good at gathering manpower—gambling debtors, physically strong men, people desperate for money. Back then, yakuza groups were basically manpower dispatch companies. That’s why even now, in Kyushu, you’ll find plenty of so-called staffing agencies or construction firms that are actually tied to yakuza.”

“So the Kirishima Conglomerate still maintains ties with those groups…?”

Wakita nodded.

“More than that. A large portion of the voting base the Kirishima Conglomerate secures comes from companies and regions connected to those yakuza groups. In other words, they stay deeply intertwined with them—and that’s part of how they sustain their political influence.”

“…I see. That’s definitely a dark matter.”

Now I was finally beginning to grasp the whole picture.

And that brought us back to what Wakita mentioned at the start.

“So then—what did you mean when you said the organization tied to the Kirishima Conglomerate has had a suspicious atmosphere lately?”

“Oh, that? Simply put, the group under the Kirishima Conglomerate—the yakuza organization known as the Satsuroukai—is furious right now.”

“Furious? Why?”

“You know about Japan’s current economic recession, right?”

Wakita looked at me expectantly.

I nodded.

This is actually tied to the very foundation of “Academy SP.”

I mentally revisited the game’s prologue.

――――――――――――――――――――――――

The time was one of chaos.

Japan had lost its former glory, recognized the independence of surrounding nations, and its authority was gradually fading—

And then, a shockwave struck the prestigious Yushu Girls’ Academy.

The reason—

The daughters of the so-called “Four Great Conglomerates of Japan” would all be enrolling at the same time.

The academy immediately sensed danger.

Those conglomerates had grown bloated during the economic downturn, having once benefited from Japan’s imperial system.

To ordinary citizens, they were seen as “evil wealthy elites.”

Before long, there were those who began targeting their lives.

――――――――――――――――――――――――

…And from that recession, you could say “Academy SP” was born.

At least, that’s how I remember it from the game.

Wakita continued.

“Right now, the public is suffering under the recession. And resentment toward the conglomerates grows stronger by the day. In that situation, a conglomerate like Kirishima—known to have yakuza ties and to have benefited from them—is obviously going to face intense scrutiny. Recently, there was even an incident where firecrackers were thrown at the Kirishima main residence.”

“So the frustrated public is starting to lash out?”

“Exactly. And seeing how things were escalating, the ruling Seiyuukai party and the Kirishima Conglomerate made a decision.”

“What decision?”

“They decided to completely sever all ties with the yakuza groups, including the Satsuroukai.”

“Seriously…?”

That surprised me.

Of course, cutting ties with yakuza is the right move. But still—making that decision can’t have been easy.

“Last year, scandal after scandal regarding the Seiyuukai and the Kirishima Conglomerate’s connections to yakuza came to light. If it continued, public approval would drop further, and the party might face its first loss of power since its founding. So they chose to cut off the yakuza. It’s an attempt to regain public trust. There are even rumors they’re preparing strict new laws targeting organized crime.”

I see.

So in this world, Japan is only now moving toward something like anti-yakuza legislation.

That explains a lot.

“I finally understand now. —Why the Satsuroukai is furious.”

At my words, Wakita’s expression grew more serious as he nodded.

“Yeah. For years, the yakuza cooperated—supplying construction workers, gathering votes, supporting them from the shadows. And now the Kirishima Conglomerate just discards them like they’re expendable? Even if they were close before, cutting them off the moment they become inconvenient is a blatant betrayal. It wouldn’t be strange at all if the yakuza are harboring some very ugly feelings right now.”

Ugly feelings…

That doesn’t sound good.

“…Do you think they’ll take dangerous action? Like… revenge?”

“Hard to say. The most likely move would be leaking the Kirishima Conglomerate’s dirty secrets to the tabloids. But they are an organized crime group. It’s entirely possible they’ll turn to violence.”

As Wakita said that, an image formed in my mind.

The direction that violence would take.

If they wanted revenge on the Kirishima Conglomerate for betrayal… where would they strike?

To me, the answer was obvious.

I know the nature of violence.

Violence almost always falls upon the weak.

The Kirishima Conglomerate’s weak point.

That’s what the yakuza would target.

And without question—

That would be their daughter.

Ayaka Kirishima.

Thump.

My heart gave an unpleasant jolt.

This feeling…

It’s the same as when Sara and Ririko were almost killed.

That bad instinct.

“Well, I said all that, but if you think about it calmly, I doubt the Satsuroukai would do something that reckless. Even if they targeted Ayaka-san, it wouldn’t change the current public sentiment of ‘drive the yakuza out of Japanese society.’ Anyone can see that.”

Wakita laughed it off.

He probably noticed the tension on my face and tried to lighten the mood.

“Sorry, sorry. I’m probably overthinking it.”

He said that—but I couldn’t shake the bad feeling.

“Wakita. Head back and regroup with Isoyama and the others. Focus on guarding Sara and Ririko.”

“Huh? What about you, Yuuji?”

“I’m going to protect Ayaka Kirishima.”

Chapter 65

Side: Yakuza

“There won’t be any retaliation from the Satsuroukai over the Kirishima Conglomerate’s one-sided and dishonorable cut-off.”

That wasn’t just Wakita’s opinion.

The Kirishima Conglomerate, the government, even the police—they all believed the same.

It was true that the Satsuroukai had supported the Kirishima Conglomerate from the late shogunate era through the Seitei period, working behind the scenes and contributing to its rise.

And now, not only had the conglomerate cast them aside, they were even pushing new laws to drive the yakuza out entirely.

There was no doubt many members felt anger over that betrayal.

Even so—

Everyone believed that the Satsuroukai, a group that still upheld the code of ninkyo—chivalry—would not act recklessly.

That was what people thought.

But this was a time of recession.

Public anger toward the conglomerates was intensifying.

And in this confused, unstable Japan—

The yakuza were struggling as well.

In any declining industry, a dangerous atmosphere inevitably begins to form.

In other words—

The Satsuroukai was shaking from within.

Should they obey the government’s decision?

Or should they act to preserve their pride?

Unbelievable as it sounded, those two choices were being debated day and night within the Satsuroukai.

If things went poorly, they might truly carry out retaliation against the Kirishima Conglomerate.

—And there was one man working behind the scenes to prevent that worst-case scenario.

“Alright then, handle it like that. Make sure they exercise restraint. I’m counting on you.”

This was the Tokyo headquarters of the Satsuroukai.

Inside one of the offices, a man hung up the phone and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“Chairman, thank you for your hard work.”

“Yeah.”

A subordinate standing nearby lit the man’s cigarette.

He took a deep drag and exhaled a long stream of smoke, along with his exhaustion.

His name was Ashioka.

Forty-five years old, he had only recently been promoted from deputy underboss to chairman.

Tall and well-built, with sharp features, a neatly trimmed beard around his mouth, and a furrowed brow that gave him an air of authority.

Even so, the fatigue in his eyes was impossible to hide.

“For now, I managed to persuade the bosses under us not to report anything directly to the Kirishima Conglomerate.”

“I-Is that so!? That means you’ve convinced about ninety percent of them! Congratulations!”

“Congratulations my ass, you idiot.”

Ashioka snapped irritably.

“Damn it… I expected the lower members to start talking about revenge. But I never thought even the direct bosses would support this ‘retaliate against the Kirishima Conglomerate’ nonsense. This whole organization is full of fools! What do we gain by going after the Kirishima Conglomerate!? What profit is there in that!?”

To Ashioka, something mattered more than “yakuza pride.”

It was this—

How could the yakuza, as an organization, survive in this world?

“If the Satsuroukai so much as attempts retaliation against the Kirishima Conglomerate—this entire organization will be wiped out in a single move.”

Ashioka was no ordinary yakuza.

He had graduated from Kyoto Imperial University.

Using that sharp intellect, he had generated enormous profits in the underworld.

People called him an “intellectual yakuza.”

Because of those achievements, he had climbed to the very top of the Satsuroukai—an organization with nearly 200 years of history.

No…

It would be more accurate to say he had climbed too quickly.

“Hmph… Maybe this just proves I still lack authority. Five hundred affiliated groups. Ten thousand members. Controlling all of that is no small feat.”

He muttered the complaint in front of his subordinate without intending to.

In truth, the Satsuroukai had been shaken by a series of sudden losses.

The previous chairman had died unexpectedly.

And the underboss who was meant to succeed him had been abruptly arrested.

The police claimed he had ordered assaults on civilians and moved to charge him with incitement to murder.

In this version of Japan, such a bold move by the police was unprecedented.

At the same time, it marked the clear beginning of the end of the so-called “golden age of the yakuza.”

In short, the authorities had begun decisively cracking down on organized crime.

And then—

That underboss died in prison from heart failure.

The shockwaves that rippled through the Satsuroukai were immense.

“—Did the police kill the underboss in prison?”

That conspiracy theory spread like wildfire.

At one point, members of the Satsuroukai even stormed a police station in protest.

And with the next candidate for chairman also dead, a succession battle erupted.

For a time, the organization stood on the brink of splitting apart.

In the end, the elders of the Satsuroukai and allied groups intervened. They calmed the situation by appointing a young leader to guide the next generation.

The man chosen—

Was Ashioka, who at the time had been number three in the organization and serving as deputy underboss.

“Chairman, you succeeded in FX trading, stocks, and real estate. You brought in more money than anyone else in the Satsuroukai. No matter how you look at it, you becoming the tenth chairman was only natural.”

His subordinate spoke with confidence.

But Ashioka only gave a wry smile.

“This isn’t a world where money alone decides everything. Not in the yakuza world. There are plenty of senior members who think a guy in his forties like me lacks presence. And they’re scattered all across the country.”

In the end, the absurd talk of retaliating against the Kirishima Conglomerate wasn’t solely about betrayal.

It was fueled by frustration over the police tightening their grip—

And by doubts surrounding Ashioka’s authority as the new chairman.

“…I suppose it’s time I show them what kind of man I am.”

A sharp glint flashed in Ashioka’s eyes.

“Anyway, only about ten percent of the affiliated groups are still pushing that idiotic ‘retaliate against the Kirishima Conglomerate’ idea. The old, broke yakuza out in the countryside can be swayed with a bit of pocket money. The important thing is this—we absolutely cannot allow any Satsuroukai member to cause an incident right now. The police these days will seize any excuse to move against us. Even a minor assault case could be used to slap cuffs on me at the top. There’s no way I’m giving up the position I finally earned over something so pointless.”

Just then—

“—If we keep reacting this slowly to everything, people are going to laugh at us.”

A voice came from the entrance.

When Ashioka looked over, a dark-skinned man stood there.

He looked like a street thug—bleached blond hair, tank top.

But his muscular build resembled that of a professional overseas fighter.

“T-That’s… ‘Tosa Dog’ Urabe!?”

The subordinate beside Ashioka went pale.

“Don’t make that kind of face. Our Tosa family has faithfully served the Satsuroukai like loyal dogs, haven’t we? At least allow me to greet the chairman properly.”

The Tosa Family—

Their roots traced back to Tosa, modern-day Kochi. Since the late shogunate era, they had supported the Satsuroukai from the shadows.

True loyal dogs.

That was why they were called the “Tosa Dogs.”

At present, they had only a handful of members.

But there was a reason for that.

More than seventy percent of them were serving prison sentences.

And not only that—two were on death row.

They were the Satsuroukai’s hidden blade.

An extremely violent faction.

Their specialty?

Killing.

An assassination unit within the yakuza.

And the current boss of the Tosa Family was the man standing before them—Urabe.

At only thirty-seven, he had reached that position for one simple reason.

He possessed abnormal combat ability.

And he had personally carried out countless killings.

(What is this pressure…? I’ve seen plenty of intimidating bosses in this world, but this guy is different. He’s unsettling. I don’t even want to get involved with him…)

Ashioka’s subordinate sensed something like a dark aura radiating from Urabe and instinctively stepped back.

But Ashioka, chairman of the Satsuroukai, didn’t so much as twitch an eyebrow.

“What do you want?”

“I figured it was about time I got some work.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

After that brief exchange, Urabe gave a faint, eerie smile and said—

“Huh? I assumed you’d be giving the order soon. …To assassinate someone important from the Kirishima Conglomerate.”

The moment he said that, a vein throbbed at Ashioka’s temple.

“The hell kind of sick joke is that?”

“A joke? Hahaha. Chairman, that’s my line. Surely the man carrying the Satsuroukai’s proud banner isn’t planning to just sit back after being treated like this by that shameless conglomerate?”

“……………………”

“Chairman Ashioka. Believe it or not, I actually respect you. The kind of money you bring in trickles down even to shadow yakuza like us. That’s why I’m saying—just give the order. Who from the Kirishima Conglomerate should I kill? I’ll take the job for one hundred million.”

Urabe smiled eerily.

Ashioka let out a heavy sigh.

“I have no use for you. Go back to Kochi.”

At that blunt dismissal, Urabe’s expression shifted.

“…Chairman Ashioka. Don’t tell me you truly intend to let the Kirishima Conglomerate walk away without paying for this? After they’ve mocked us like this? Fine, we don’t have to kill anyone. But we could spray bullets into their mansion. Or attack one of their associates. Slash them with a knife. Surely you’re not planning to just—”

“Urabe.”

Ashioka cut him off and fixed him with a sharp glare.

“Let me make this clear. The moment you lay a finger on the Kirishima Conglomerate—we cut you off.”

At those words, Urabe’s eyes changed.

They darkened. Sharpened. Like the edge of a blade.

“The hell, Urabe!? You got a problem with the chairman’s decision!?”

Ashioka’s subordinate barked.

Urabe only gave a mocking snort.

“Chairman Ashioka… that attitude won’t do. Do you know what the bosses around the country are saying about you behind your back?”

“Hey, Urabe!”

“They call you a ‘coward’ with no sense of chivalry.”

“Urabe!!”

The subordinate finally lost his patience and was about to throw a punch—

But Ashioka stopped him.

“Hmph… chivalry, huh.”

Instead of anger, he scoffed.

“Too many idiots in this organization cling to that nonsense pride about ‘honor’ and ‘being real men.’”

“……………………”

“Listen carefully, Urabe. Don’t lose sight of reality. In the end, we yakuza are nothing more than parasites surviving in the dark, damp corners of society. The moment we step into the sunlight—or someone sprays insecticide—we’re finished. That’s how small we really are.”

“…Hard to believe those are the words of the head of the Satsuroukai.”

“I’m saying arrogance gets you killed. …Stay humble.”

For a moment, the two men locked eyes in silence.

Then—

Urabe smiled.

“I understand. I overstepped. My apologies. If you wish, I’ll cut off a finger at any time—just say the word.”

With that, Urabe bowed his head and left the office.

But the moment the door closed—

His expression changed completely.

He clenched his fist so tightly it creaked, anger clearly etched across his face.

(—Tch… coward. You’ve gone soft. Just wait. I’ll show you what we’re worth.)

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