Capítulo 39: Chapter 57&58
Chapter 57: A Benevolent Lie
The Ability Special Forces and the Port Mafia are opposing organizations, at least on the surface.
And for the Ability Special Forces to use their power to clear the Port Mafia members of their crimes setting aside how difficult it is would already cross both parties' red lines.
Because the Port Mafia would never allow its members to betray them.
And the Ability Special Forces would never allow a criminal to work in an official organization.
One of the reasons why the "Three Quarter Concept" in Yokohama has lasted so long is the mutual respect and adherence to each organization's boundaries.
Over all these years, the only person cleared by the Ability Special Forces has been Dazai Osamu.
Not to mention that Dazai is an Ability User, he is also an exceptionally rare talent with high intelligence, deep schemes, and countless tricks.
He was practically guaranteed to become the next boss of the Port Mafia, and he was also an important figure in maintaining the Three Quarter Concept.
It is only a character like him who could cause the Ability Special Forces to break their own boundaries.
Ozaki Koyo really couldn't imagine what cards Tokisaki Kurumi had up her sleeve to make her treat Kyooka Izumi the same way they had treated Dazai Osamu.
"Miss Tokisaki, I must remind you that to clear a criminal through the Ability Special Forces, the cost is enormous."
"Just a large cost, it's not impossible, right?" Tokisaki Kurumi replied lightly. "I will give them an irresistible bargaining chip. I already have an initial plan, and all I need is to speak with the head of the Ability Special Forces' Yokohama division, Ango Sakaguchi."
"Since Miss Tokisaki already has a plan, I have no right to offer advice," Ozaki Koyo said. "Since your goal to meet the division chief is for Kyooka, I will offer my assistance and help expedite the process."
Upon hearing this, Tokisaki Kurumi's heart soared.
In truth, her real goal in meeting Ango Sakaguchi was to get an opportunity to join the Ability Special Forces.
The clearing of Kyooka Izumi was secondary.
However, her main goal was something she could never tell anyone, and Ozaki Koyo had mistakenly assumed that clearing Kyooka was her primary goal.
Moreover, Koyo was even willing to accelerate the process of making Ango appear.
This was an unexpected stroke of luck for her.
"I've accomplished my goal for today and will take my leave now, Miss Tokisaki," Ozaki Koyo slowly stood up. "I leave Kyooka in your care."
"I'll take good care of Kyooka. If you ever wish to visit her, you're always welcome."
"Next time I'll give you a heads-up beforehand."
Ozaki Koyo walked toward the door.
Just as she was about to leave, as though she suddenly remembered something, she turned and asked, "If your plan succeeds, and Kyooka can return to a normal life, where do you plan to settle her?"
"Somewhere outside Yokohama, where the Port Mafia can't find her."
"Then, will I still be able to meet her?"
"That's not something I can decide," Tokisaki Kurumi shrugged. "You'll have to ask Kyooka herself."
"I understand."
Ozaki Koyo nodded slightly, showing her farewell, "Then, Miss Tokisaki, I wish you success in your plan."
"Thank you for your well wishes."
After the two parted ways, Tokisaki Kurumi watched Ozaki Koyo's figure disappear into the distance.
Just as she was about to close the door, a dark shadow leapt from the second-floor balcony.
Kyooka Izumi landed steadily on the ground, her expression a bit awkward.
"I thought you were already at the store,"
Tokisaki Kurumi lightly tapped her forehead.
"Eavesdropping is not something a good child should do."
"I'm sorry." Kyooka Izumi lowered her head in apology.
Clearly, although Tokisaki Kurumi had sent Kyooka away to have a private conversation with Ozaki Koyo, the girl didn't leave.
Instead, after stepping out, she used her own skills to jump to the second floor and listen in on their conversation.
Seeing Kyooka's honest apology, Tokisaki Kurumi didn't want to continue scolding her.
"Sister, are you leaving?" Kyooka asked.
"Yes, I won't stay in Yokohama for long. This is not my final destination."
"Can I come with you?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because the place I'm going to is very far, and I can't take anyone with me."
As Kyooka's benefactor, Tokisaki Kurumi understood that she had become a new source of support for the girl.
Thus, it was perfectly reasonable for Kyooka to ask this.
But in the end, Tokisaki Kurumi was merely a passerby in this world.
Once her task was completed, she would be forcibly sent to the next world by the system, disappearing from this world, never to return.
Even if Kyooka wished to stay by her side, it was impossible.
The only thing Tokisaki Kurumi could do was to arrange Kyooka's future before she left this world, sending her to a peaceful place far from any conflicts where she could live out the rest of her life in peace.
This was the best ending.
Though Tokisaki Kurumi could have sent Kyooka to the Armed Detective Agency, as she did in the original story, in this world, due to Kurumi's interference, Kyooka had been saved too early, missing her chance to join the Agency.
Thinking it over, since the world line had already deviated, she decided to not hold back and send Kyooka far outside Yokohama.
"Then, will you come back, sister?" Kyooka asked, a hint of expectation in her voice.
"..." Tokisaki Kurumi fell silent, because she couldn't answer that. Only the system could.
But her system was cold and unresponsive. It hadn't spoken to her since the beginning, and no matter how she tried to summon it, there was no response.
So, she had no way of knowing if she could return to this world again.
The chances of meeting Kyooka again were slim, and even if she did return, she might come back as a different Spirit.
If that happened, they wouldn't even have a reason or opportunity to meet.
Tokisaki Kurumi felt a pang of frustration.
Refusing Kyooka's request to leave together had already left her feeling down. If she didn't offer her some hope now, Kyooka would likely be very disappointed.
So, Tokisaki Kurumi reached over and patted Kyooka's head, kindly telling a white lie: "Of course, I'll be back. While Yokohama is only a temporary stop, I may come back from time to time for some matters, and at that time, I might need your help."
"I understand."
Kyooka's expression relaxed slightly.
"I'll wait for you to return, sister."
Chapter 58: Drawing the Snake Out of Its Hole
Five days later.
In a library in Yokohama.
A man dressed in a brown suit and wearing round glasses walked into the library. He scanned the room, observing the surroundings, and noticed a table labeled "Under Repair, Please Do Not Use." He approached the table and discreetly removed the sign.
Sitting down, his hand reached to the back of the table. After a brief search, his fingers touched something hard. Without changing his expression, he calmly removed the tape wrapped around the object, revealing a USB drive.
This was the purpose of his visit.
He plugged the USB drive into the computer, and a series of confidential information from the Port Mafia appeared on the screen.
"I never thought that the pawn I left within the Port Mafia years ago would still be useful. I was planning to bury him, but it seems he's managed to deliver some valuable intel."
As he browsed the sensitive information, the man thought, "Though I don't hold out much hope, if this leads to any useful news, it will certainly help with future plans."
The man's name was Sakaguchi Ango, the head of the Yokohama branch of the Special Abilities Bureau, and a special intelligence officer for the government.
He was part of the official side of Yokohama's iron triangle. His role wasn't just to combat and eliminate all ability-related crimes, but also to manage overseas ability organizations and suppress the Port Mafia. This was no easy task, and the fact that he had reached this position showed just how capable he was.
After all, he was one of the few who had dealt Port Mafia a significant blow, and they had to swallow their losses.
Several years ago, after the Dragon Head War, the Port Mafia had solidified its position as the ruler of Yokohama's underworld. Sakaguchi was assigned a covert mission to infiltrate the Port Mafia and gather intelligence, to prevent the organization from growing too powerful.
His mission was a success, and his outstanding abilities quickly earned him the trust of Mori Ougai, who made him the intelligence secretary of the Port Mafia. His ability, The Theory of Decay, allowed him to read memories of objects from the past two hours, which proved invaluable during his infiltration.
He learned vast amounts of sensitive intelligence, more than many of the Mafia's higher-ups. Even when his cover was blown, the Port Mafia didn't dare to act against him.
After returning to the Special Abilities Bureau, the information he obtained became a key factor in his promotion, and he quickly rose to the position of branch leader in Yokohama.
Sakaguchi didn't reveal all the secrets he knew, deliberately withholding certain pieces of information as leverage for future schemes against the Port Mafia.
His mind was sharp, and he had noticed something brewing in Yokohama, something he hadn't anticipated.
As the head of the Special Abilities Bureau's Yokohama branch, most of the significant events in the city were under his surveillance. Even if the Port Mafia tried to erase the traces, he could always deduce the truth from the smallest details.
Through his personal investigation and intelligence provided by the Armed Detective Agency, a name had surfaced: Nightmare.
A mysterious figure whose background was elusive. No matter how much Sakaguchi tried, he couldn't find any information on this person.
So, he decided to gather intelligence from the Port Mafia, attempting to extract useful information from their members.
What he didn't expect was that the pawn he had left in the Port Mafia years ago was still active, even providing him with crucial intel on Nightmare.
However, he wasn't blind to the possibility that this might be a trap set by the Port Mafia.
But that possibility was almost nonexistent. If the information he had leaked out, it would have put immense pressure on the Port Mafia. Mori Ougai was a pragmatic man who would never act impulsively.
Moreover, his current position was too important for anyone to dare eliminate him. Even if the Port Mafia's dark king wanted to take him down, they would have to consider the consequences.
Thus, he boldly came here to collect the intelligence left by his pawn.
"Well... this is valuable intel, but it's still missing a lot of details," Sakaguchi mused as he read the contents on the USB drive. "Was it because his position wasn't high enough to access full information on Nightmare, or does the Port Mafia know little about them?"
If Mori Ougai were here, he would realize that the intel Sakaguchi was reviewing was a compilation of information he had personally gathered a few days ago.
Meanwhile, a man, concealed behind a bookshelf and pretending to be a regular patron, glanced at Sakaguchi's direction. He then pressed his Bluetooth earpiece.
"Lady Ozaki, the target has bitten the bait."
The voice of Ozaki Kouyo came from the earpiece. "Good. You may retreat now."
"Understood."
The man placed the book he had been holding back on the shelf and left the library.
At the Port Mafia headquarters, in the Intelligence Division building, Ozaki Kouyo hung up the phone.
This was the trap she had set in response to Tokisaki Kurumi's request, targeting Sakaguchi Ango.
Sakaguchi had been away from the Port Mafia for too long, and the pawn he had left behind within the organization had long been discovered, controlled, and turned by Ozaki Kouyo to serve as a future asset against the Special Abilities Bureau.
But the trap wasn't because Sakaguchi had made a mistake. In fact, it was the opposite. Sakaguchi was fully aware that the Port Mafia couldn't act against him, which is why he was confident enough to meet with his pawn, even though he knew the pawn might have been turned.
He knew that even if he took the bait, the Port Mafia couldn't afford to kill him. So, why worry?
Sakaguchi's thinking mirrored the Port Mafia's. They didn't want to kill him. The purpose of the trap wasn't to attack him.
Ozaki Kouyo dialed another number.
Soon, the phone was answered.
"Miss Tokisaki, I believe you're ready, yes?"
"Yes, as long as you confirm everything on your end, I'm ready to begin," Tokisaki Kurumi replied.
"The person you're looking for is already at the target location, waiting for you. I wish you success in your transaction with Sakaguchi. My part in this ends here."
"Thank you for all your help."
"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but Sakaguchi's position in Yokohama is quite sensitive and crucial. Even if you don't reach an agreement with him, please don't..."
"I'm no demon. Don't make him out to be some victim," Kurumi's voice was relaxed.
"I'm confident we'll have a pleasant conversation," she continued.
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