「 These two are now just a nuisance, can anyone take them away? 」
Shou-neechan said. Then four men from Kouzuki SS appears.
Then, two of each lifts Yamaoka and Etsuko’s upper body and legs and carries them to the door on the west side.
They’re purposely showing it off to Satake’s group.
「 S-Shieeeet 」
「 Jesus, his balls must be turned to meat paste now. 」
「 Yeah, I don’t think there’s a trace of his manhood left 」
「 Yeah, that woman did it dirty 」
「 But, her movements aren’t something to scoff at 」
They all tremble at Shou-neechan’s strength and cruelty.
「 M-Mother! 」
Kudou Haruka chases after Etsuko.
「 Michi, you should come too! 」
She turned to her sister and shouts, but,
「 I will stay here 」
「 What the hell?! Your mother’s in trouble, and it’s your fault!! 」
Haruka throws her anger to Michi.
「 I have my duty to fulfill 」
「 Are you saying that’s more important than your own mother! 」
「 Aneue, I already am a bodyguard 」
Michi.
「 That’s enough!! I won’t think of you as my sister anymore!! I’ll never let you in the house again!!! 」
Then.
A guy from Kouzuki SS comes running from the side of the wall.
He’s wearing the same black clothing as the other guards, but his body is thin. He looks young.
「 Haruka 」
「 Huh?! 」
Pashi!
That man suddenly slapped Kudou Haruka on the cheek.
「 That’s enough. Don’t shame our family even further 」
「 N-Nii-san?! 」
Haruka’s shocked as she holds her cheeks.
She called him “brother,” then he should be Kudou Shinichi.
He looks like a young Kudou-papa, he’s got a sportsman figure and is also tall.
However, his hair is cut short, and he has a serious look on his face.
「 Seki-san. I’m very sorry for the fuss 」
Shinichi bows his head to Shou-neechan.
「 I don’t mind, Kudou-san. I give you permission to go out for a while. Sugimori-kun, could you back up his station? 」
「 Roger that 」
A voice comes from the wall.
The lights are off so I can’t see it well, but,
There are Kouzuki SS guards near the wall protecting the key locations.
「 My sister and I will carry Mother 」
Shinichi tells the two guards carrying Etsuko.
「 You two can come back to your posts. Haruka, grab Mother’s feet 」
「 Wait, Nii-san, what about Michi? 」
Haruka’s still clinging to that.
「 Michi-san has her duty 」
「 Michi-san? What? 」
Haruka’s surprised.
「 She’s already living in a different world than us 」
「 W-What are you talking about? 」
「 She’s a dozen times stronger than you or me. Kakka personally appointed her as Misuzu’s bodyguard because of her strength and her techniques 」
「 But, but! 」
「 Sorry, but do think of Michi-chan as someone from the top elite from now on. This is regulation within Kouzuki SS 」
Shou-neechan tells Haruka.
Since she’s Misuzu’s personal bodyguard, she’s regarded as superior compared to regular members of Kouzuki SS.
If they don’t do that, it would be hard to take out the ordinary members and guards if they hinder Michi’s actions on site.
And we’re in that situation now.
Even if it’s her real brother, he has to treat Michi with respect just like how he does with the top elites.
「 But, she’s our little sister!
Haruka sends MIchi a disappointed look.
「 If you’re dissatisfied, then become stronger yourself. Aneue 」
Michi speaks to her sister, expressionlessly.
「 If you want to act like an elder sister that is 」
Haruka,
「 Geez! I get it! I’ll get stronger!! I’ll get stronger than you even if it means death!!!! 」
「 That’s enough Haruka, we have to carry Mother 」
The Kudou siblings carry the body of their mother who fainted and peed herself.
Before long, the western door;
The door opens a bit, and the two were carried out.
Batan.
Then, the door closed one again.
「 Master 」
Michi clings to me.
「 One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine… 」
She counts numbers in a low voice.
「 Ten. I’m okay now, I’ll return to my duties 」
Geez.
This time, I hug Michi tight.
「 Master? 」
「 One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine… 」
I also start counting numbers slowly.
「 Ten 」
Then, I embraced Michi’s small body filled with love after the last number.
「 Thank you. I’m okay now 」
Michi smiles at me
Yeah, as expected, her smile is much cuter than her expressionless face.
「 Now then, I think that’s enough playtime, isn’t it? 」
Then.
Oodori speaks up from the east side.
Though, he and all his followers were silent all the time.
『 Oh? Did you not enjoy our exhibition match? 』
Shou-neechan returns to the microphone stand and asks Oodori.
「 It wasn’t fun. After all, it had nothing to do with me 」
Yup, Yamaoka and Etsuko were former Kouzuki SS employees, and Satake’s their current employer.
「 It’s not my hobby to watch a middle school girl or a beauty like you as you rampage like that. I don’t understand why women enter pro wrestling either 」
Oodori compares Michi and Shou-neechan’s strength to pro-wrestling.
『 That’s a shame 』
Shou-neechan continues to smile.
「 Either way, that’s enough for amusement. I hope we get down to business already. Neither the witnesses nor I have the time for this farce. We just want to end this and go back to Kansai already 」
Oodori doesn’t back off from his pace either.
He stands firmly and shows his composure.
「 Michi-chan reduced the number of Satake’s Yakuza, and so he felt that he’s at an advantage now, and so he talks that way 」
Margo-san whispers to us.
I see. Oodori’s group was at 30 and Satake’s group was at 50.
But Michi took down some of Satake’s members with her whip.
Now, they’re in equal numbers, 30 vs. 30.
Then, the heavyweights of Yakuza are close to Oodori.
He judged that he could take the lead in this place now.
「 He’s foolish. Does he not understand why Kouzuki SS is putting Shou-oneesan, a young woman in the front? 」
Margo-san smiles wryly.
Right.
Oodori is in his 60s. Satake is in his 40s. The heavyweights in the Yakuza industry are all old men.
Kouzuki is only showing off Shou-neechan, a woman in her 20s to all these adult men.
Usually, it should be chief Yazawa who should be in charge of this location if we’re looking at their age.
「 After all, you’re not the one we’re to converse with. Isn’t it about time for your boss to appear? If I recall, was it “Kakka?” He won’t look over unless you call him that way, will he? Kukuku! 」
Oodori laughs.
『 Indeed. It seems that it will be unsatisfactory to have me entertain you for any longer 』
Shou-neechan shows a fearless smile.
『 Well then, thank you for waiting everyone. The head of Kouzuki house, Kouzuki Shigetaka-Kakka will enter 』
Shou-neechan announces.
Gogogogogogogogo.
A loud vibration sounds in the room.
Then.
The large curtain covering the north side of the hall,
It slowly unveils from bottom-up.
「 Huh? 」
I was sure that Jii-chan would be somewhere on the other side of the curtain, but,
I thought that it might be bulletproof, but,
On the other side of the curtain is Jii-chan, with Ootoku-san and Choumoto-san protecting him.
Minaho-neesan, Tsukiko, Yomiko, and Luna are also in there, or so I thought.
But as the curtain moves to the top.
It’s a wall.
It’s nothing but a white wall.
There’s no space for a person to enter.
What’s going on?
「 Yo-chan, look up 」
Nei tells me.
Up? Aaaah!
Zuzuzuzuzu.
The curtain goes even further.
The curtain goes above like those I see in gym and banquet halls, but,
It’s covered in glass?
No, there’s a room in there.
It’s as if they’re peeking from above the banquet hall.
「 That’s a VIP deluxe suite 」
Margo-san said.
「 By the way, that glass should be bulletproof, and even if you poison gas this hall, it won’t reach there. That’s a perfect defense 」
Then, coming from the window of the glass covered VIP room;
Jii-chan wearing a suit, and the Takakura sisters wearing shrine maiden clothing appears.
Oh, I see Ootoku-san and Choumoto-san’s large body behind Jii-chan.
Chief Yazawa’s subordinates’ carry chairs and tables.
Jii-chan then sits down on the chair.
He’s looking down here.
He has chilled Champagne on the side table.
Then, Jii-chan also asks the Takakura sisters to take a seat.
Chief Yazawa’s subordinates bring in chairs for the three.
The sisters sit side by side.
Oh, I see Rei-chan in her male clothing standing with her cane.
「 Hmmm, Champagne bottle, really? If it were me, I’d bring in a cat on Kouzuki-ojiichan’s lap instead. A black cat. Then, a glass of red wine on the side as he plays with a big gold coin with his thumb 」1
Nei said.
Anyway, everyone in this hall had no choice but to look up at Jii-chan in the high-class VIP room.
Chief Yazawa brings in a microphone to Jii-chan respectfully.
Jii-chan takes the mic, and then,
『 I thank you all for coming all the way from Kansai to here 』
He speaks to the Yakuza below.
『 I am Kouzuki 』
Everyone’s intimidated by Jii-chan’s tone flowing through the speaker, but,
「 What is going on here?! 」
Oodori looks up at Jii-chan and shouts.
「 II came all the way to Tokyo for you to hear out the deal, right? 」
『 Yes, that’s right. This is a deal. Did you not hear it from Seki-kun earlier? 』
Jii-chan speaks, but he sounds sleepy.
「 I don’t know about Tokyo but in our world, making deals means that you’ll stand on the same level and be on the same line of sight, or is it different here? 」
『 Is that so? Yazawa? 』
Jii-chan plays dumb and asks chief Yazawa.
『 Well, it matters not. I’m not interested in your customs at all 』
He speaks to make it clear.
「 If you don’t come down from there then we will head home 」
Oodori stands up, and his 30 subordinates also stand in unison.
「 If you think that you can look down on us, then this deal is over!!! 」
Jii-chan laughs.
「 What’s funny?! 」
Oodori laughs.
Then.
「 Stop it! Oodori!! 」
One of the old-time Yakuza leaders calls out from the southern side.
He’s wearing a Hakama, and his hair is pure white.
His age should be higher than Oodori.
「 Don’t stop me now. Sakagami Oyabun. Even the weakest have their own wills and don’t make light of them. This Oodori Seishirou has his honor!! 」
Oodori glares at Jii-chan,
「 I don’t know nor care about Kouzuki house, but don’t think that it will end nicely for you if you make the Yakuza mad!!! 」
「 President is right! 」
「 Don’t look down on Yakuza!! 」
「 D-Don’t make fun of us!! 」
The Yakuza on the east side unites and tries to overpower Jii-chan.
『 Sorry about that. As you can see, I’m ignorant of the ways of the world 』
Jii-chan instructs one of the guards on the side, and the guard opened the Champagne.
「 W-What is that guy doing?! 」
「 He’s still looking down on us!! 」
Champagne’s poured to his glass and Jii-chan drinks it deliciously.
Then.
『 By the way, pray to tell me but what business does Yakuza have? 』
「 W-W-W-W-What did you say!? 」
「 You’re making us look like fools!! 」
Jii-chan sniffs the scent of the Champagne.
『 No, I don’t know it for real. Just what do the Yakuza sell? Can anyone tell me? 』
Oodori replies.
「 If you do not know then allow me to teach you!!! Yakuza’s business is to sell honor!! 」
『 I see. You sell Honor 』
「 That’s right, our business is about the manly honor!!! A debauchee like you would never understand!!! 」
「 That’s right!!! We’re honorable men!! 」
「 Don’t look down on us 」
Jii-chan.
『 That’s what he says, but what do you think, Sakagami-kun? 』
Jii-chan asks the white haired man who stopped Oodori earlier.
「 Yes, sir! Allow me to explain Kouzuki Kakka 」
Sakagami bows his head respectfully.
「 Yakuza is an industry of people working for customers!!! 」
Working for customers?
「 The main work of Yakuza is to use their connections and smoothly process requests for the customers! 」
『 Is that so? Sakagami-kun’s explanation is easier to understand than his 』
「 Thank you 」
The white haired boss lowers his head deeply.
「 There are also other jobs in our industry, but we do anything regardless of its legality as long as we’re paid. However, we’re fundamentally good citizens to the public, and so we try not to cause trouble with them. Although in reality, that doesn’t happen too much 」
『 I see. It seems like it, I thought that the Yakuzas are a group of outlaws who only does illegal work and make the commoners suffer 』
「 Yes, it does have that aspect. However, we have the country allowing us to continue as the necessary evil due to our unique style of solving insoluble problems 」
『 Oh, is that “necessary evil” really necessary? 』
Jii-chan speaks sadistically.
「 Err, that,s you see. In the early post-war years, when the police weren’t able to help nor protect the citizens, we were the ones fighting off the foreigners and American soldiers 」
『 But that’s from the era where the Yakuza’s starting, isn’t it? From what I heard, there’s no more need for Yakuza in the modern age. Then that’s it 』
「 T-That’s 」
Boss Sakagami mumbles.
『 Now that we’re in the 21st century, Yakuza’s no longer a “necessary evil” but just an “evil.” Should Japan really keep you? 』
「 No, that’s. Please wait, Kakka 」
The white haired old man panics.
『 You said that Yakuza is a service that responds to requests of customers. And to make that request, you’d use as much illegal acts, violence, and intimidation to your arsenal. Am I wrong? 』
「 No, often times we do that 」
『 Then that means, it’s a problem that you can’t solve things without doing anything illegal? 』
「 That’s a case by case idea 」
『 But when you intervene, the problem becomes more complex? 』
「 Sometimes, yes 」
『 Then don’t you think that you’re disqualified as a service provider? Hearing your story shows that there are more cases of Yakuza making the problem more complicated than solving it 』
「 No, that’s not it, Kakka 」
『 Customer satisfaction is the most important in business. Trust is born from there. However, with the way you do business, you give the impression that you prioritize your own interests than the customers 』
Jii-chan said.
『 I understand now. Sakagami-kun. Currently, you’re at the critical moment 』
「 Critical moment? 」
『 Yes. I want you to explain why the Yakuza is needed in the current age. What is the benefit for modern Japan for having Yakuza 』
The necessity of Yakuza?
『 And I’d like you to convince me. If you can’t, then I will regard Yakuza as nothing but “evil,” and I will do my all to destroy it. Mankind can’t live with cancer cells after all 』
Jii-chan’s dignified voice echoes in the wall.
「 D-Do you really think you can eradicate the Yakuza? 」
Oodori asks Jii-chan with a surprised expression.
「 Don’t be ridiculous, Oodori! That’s Kouzuki Kakka 」
Sakagami shouts.
『 Indeed. Do you not know who I am? I feel troubled to see myself looked down on 』
Jii-chan laughed and drank another cup of Champagne.
「 Well, for someone in Yakuza, you might not know me that well. It can’t be helped 」
Then, the guard tries to pour the empty glass with Champagne.
However.
『 That’s enough. Things are going to get complicated, I’ll have that for later 』
And He speaks to boss Sakagami again.
『 Sakagami-kun. Let’s hear the answer to that question by the end of today’s meeting. Until then, you can have the time to think about it 』
「 Y-Yes, Kakka 」
Boss Sakagami replies in a loud voice.
『 Now then, as for Oodori-kun and Satake-kun. I thank you for waiting. Well then, let’s begin our deal 』
The hall quiets down.
『 Although, I don’t know what to do in this deal, fufufu 』
Jii-chan laughs.
Oodori,
「 O-Okay, for now, you’re not in Yakuza. There’s no need to be caught up with the Yakuza’s customs. We’ll pass that off 」
Though he’s trembling, he’s trying to change the pace to his own.
「 Therefore, I won’t care if you look down at us from a high place, do whatever you want 」
『 My thanks 』
Jii-chan replies with a smile.
「 Also, everything in here happened because of that bastard, Satake making a move on Takakura shrine, which is my territory 」
『 It seems so 』
「 He killed off the priest and the shrine maiden and hijacked the shrine. That’s the cause of this all 」
Oodori points at Satake.
「 Don’t talk as if it’s all my fault!!! 」
DJ Kinzou replies instead of Satake.
「 That’s what the chairman said!!! 」
「 But it’s the truth. Takakura shrine is a place where all the other Kansai Yakuza and we have protected for so many years. It’s a sacred location. Then, you defiled it, thoughtlessly!!! 」
Oodori glares at Satake.
「 Then, as for the priest and shrine maidens’ daughter, they’ve made a mistake. They didn’t come for my help but instead Kouzuki-san’s protection. This is one big mistake 」
Mistake?
「 This matter only involves the Kansai Yakuza. They shouldn’t have borrowed a foreign power. And well, thanks to the misunderstandings, you and your troops, Kouzuki SS, have clashed with our group, but this is all a misunderstanding, the information flow didn’t travel well 」
Oodori felt that Jii-chan has a strong will, and so he changed his strategy.
「 And because of that, most of my men are injured. They’re all in the hospital right now. I pity them. I came here intending to ask for medical treatment and comfort for my men from you. But, I give up 」
He smiles at Jii-chan.
「 It seems that our side made some mistake as well. We sent a lot of men to Tokyo without any greetings. I see. This is also our mistake. Therefore, allow me to bow my head in apology, Kouzuki-san. I’m sorry. It was our fault. Do you think we can forget about this and wipe the slate clean? 」
Jii-chan.
「 Hmm, Indeed. Seeing your admirable attitude, I’ll forget about your impoliteness from earlier 」
「 Thank you, but Kouzuki-san 」
Oodori bares his fangs with his smile.
「 I’d like you to return the Takakura house’s daughters to us! Those girls belong to the Takkura shrine, the Kansai Yakuza 」
I can see Tsukiko’s face of fear through the glass.
「 These girls have to inherit the title of the shrine maiden 」
This bastard.
「 That’s right, You’ve been talking about following the law earlier. Let me tell you beforehand, Takakura Tsukiko is my daughter!! 」
Oodori shows a filthy smile.
「 Their parents have died recently. Taking that opportunity, I’d like to formally announce that I’ll register her as my daughter in the census. She’s my daughter by law!! Could you let her go so she could come back to her father?! 』
- Most likely a James bond reference ↩