Returnee from Another World - Zetro Translation

Chapter 83: A Man Who Only Knows Violence

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“Eiji, don’t just stand there—hurry up and bring the car around. If some passerby stumbles into this alley, we’ll get reported,” Akuzawa Hitoshi barked.

His gruff voice reached my ears through my hazy consciousness. At the same time, Akuzawa taped my mouth shut with duct tape and bound my hands and feet tightly. As soon as he finished, he began rummaging through my pockets.

“Tch, nothing on him,” Akuzawa muttered, spitting the words out.

Right after, I heard a car backing up nearby. My wallet, fake ID—everything that could trace back to James Masuda or me—was safely stashed in my Dimensional Storage. But Akuzawa’s thick hands dragged me along the ground, and I was tossed into the rear cargo area of a black van like a piece of luggage. His efficiency was part of it, but the blow to my back left my mind foggy, barely able to move, let alone resist. I’d been abducted into the van.

Maybe I’d gotten soft, lulled by the return of a peaceful life. To think I followed Akuzawa without a shred of suspicion—how naive. In that other world, I’d have noticed someone creeping up behind me. This was my mistake, plain and simple.

Bound, I clenched my teeth—not from pain, but from shame at my own failure.

“Here’s your cut, Eiji. Good work. I’ll handle the rest, so you can head home,” Akuzawa said.

“Come on, let me help till the end,” Eiji replied.

“Nah, the more people involved, the more likely we slip up. Especially a half-baked punk like you—might squeal when push comes to shove,” Akuzawa said.

“No way, I’d never talk to the cops!” Eiji protested.

“You idiot. This guy’s Yasunaga’s business partner. If he goes missing, Yasunaga’ll come looking. You think you can hold up when the organization leans on you? Some things are better left unknown,” Akuzawa said.

“Ugh…” Eiji faltered.

“Just take the money and go drink. That way, I don’t have to worry about you blabbing,” Akuzawa said.

“Got it. Thanks for the cash,” Eiji said.

“Yeah, I’ll call if I need you again,” Akuzawa replied.

I sensed Eiji walking away as Akuzawa climbed into the driver’s seat. With a rough stomp on the gas, the van lurched forward. I lay in the cargo space, enduring the pain in silence.

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The van stopped in a warehouse district near the coast. Dragged into one of the warehouses, I was left sprawled on the cold, dark concrete floor like a caterpillar. A bare bulb dimly lit the space, revealing broken windows and rusted machinery, signs of an abandoned factory.

This place was probably close to Sakaki Shintaro’s hangout. The area, filled with deserted factories, was quiet at night—perfect for shady business like this. Not blindfolded, I had a rough idea of where the van had taken me. The pain had subsided, and I could undo the duct tape if I wanted—several methods came to mind. I wasn’t stuck here.

As my thoughts cleared, I accepted my mistake and started analyzing Akuzawa’s motives. From his talk with Eiji, this was clearly off the books, not sanctioned by the organization. That meant it wasn’t just a quick beating. If I told Yasunaga about this, Akuzawa’s position would be at risk. Was he planning to interrogate me to ensure my silence? Did he think I’d cave to threats? Even a short-sighted thug like Akuzawa wouldn’t be that naive.

So why? I hadn’t done anything to earn his hatred. Our relationship wasn’t great, but I’d given him enough face. If anything, I was the one with a grudge close to murderous intent.

Could he have found out about Satou Eikae? No, if that were the case, he wouldn’t need to hide this from the organization. He could’ve openly grabbed me to settle a score for interfering with his business. That left money as the motive. He took the cash-filled attaché case after my deal with Yasunaga. But something felt off about that being his only goal.

“You alive, Masuda-san? Don’t tell me you croaked. That idiot Eiji—I told him to go easy, but he whacked you good,” Akuzawa said, slapping my cheeks as I lay still.

He wasn’t genuinely concerned. He’d brought me here to extract information before disposing of me.

“Ugh…” I groaned, feigning pain.

I was playing along to trap him. Escaping was easy, but the aftermath was the issue. My word alone wouldn’t be enough to pin this on him. Akuzawa would deny everything, and my body would show no injuries by then, thanks to my Regenerative Body. Killing him was risky too—Eiji knew Akuzawa abducted me. If Akuzawa vanished, it’d point straight to me. I considered erasing James Masuda’s identity, but decided exposing Akuzawa publicly was better. If it worked, he’d be expelled from the organization. A disgraced ex-yakuza wouldn’t cause trouble if I dealt with him later. I wasn’t planning to kill him—just teach him a lesson he’d never forget.

During the ride, I’d slipped a tiny IC voice recorder from my Dimensional Storage, tucking it into the gap between the duct tape and my wrist. I’d bought it to bug Akuzawa’s place for Eikae intel but never used it since she was found easily. Now, it’d record our conversation to nail him.

“You’re alive! Sorry, Masuda-san, looks like the young punk got carried away. I just wanted a private chat. Answer a couple of my questions, and I’ll let you go,” Akuzawa said.

I opened my eyes, glaring at him as he spouted his fake apology. What a brute. No foresight—just a thug who only knows violence.

“What the hell’s your deal, Akuzawa-san?” I said, voice strained.

“Look, I didn’t plan for this. I mentioned wanting to talk business with you, and the kid misunderstood and jumped the gun,” he said.

“Oh? Then untie this duct tape,” I said.

“Hold on, after we talk. Just answer my questions first,” he said.

“You think I’ll play nice after this stunt?” I shot back.

“I’m telling you, it was a mistake. I get it—you got clocked out of nowhere. No wonder you don’t trust me,” he said.

He pursed his lips, acting like this was all an inconvenience. To an outsider, his expression might seem genuinely troubled—a talent of his, maybe. But his words and actions were absurdly inconsistent. Did he forget he tied me up himself? I glared silently as he brazenly blamed the “kid.”

“Hey, come on, we’re buddies, right? Don’t give me that scary look. You’ll make me piss myself,” he said.

“You know what happens after pulling this, don’t you?” I said.

“Man, you’re petty. I’m apologizing here. A real man laughs off a little misunderstanding, right?” he said.

“Then untie me first. Maybe I’ll forget this happened,” I said.

“You’re persistent. I said after. So, where’s your place? Somewhere in town, right?” he asked.

“What’s it to you? Obviously, I don’t keep cash at home. I bring what the organization sends for each deal,” I said.

Akuzawa twitched, his playful demeanor vanishing, replaced by a serious glint in his eyes.

It was about the money. And maybe the gems too. As I suspected. The attaché case’s contents were decent, but he must think stealing gold or gems would net him far more.

“That’s a lie. Smuggling gold past customs is tricky—they’re always watching. Smuggling in small batches is too costly. You’ve got a stash somewhere,” he said.

“So what? Yasunaga and I already settled how much gold to trade and when. It’s got nothing to do with you,” I said.

“That’s the thing. It’s unfair—Yasunaga’s crew gets all the profits. Can’t you cut me in?” he asked.

“I already said no the other day,” I replied.

“Even after this?” he said, grinning wickedly.

A man who only knows violence. He had no intention of letting me leave. A black aura of malice enveloped him, confirming what I already knew—he meant to kill me.