章節 24: Chapter 27&28
Chapter 27: Going Home
Having defeated Ryunosuke Akutagawa, there was no longer any opposition over the guardianship of Izumi Kyouka. One could say that keeping his word was one of the few merits of this man. His adherence to promises made him a trusted subordinate to Ogai Mori, so Tokisaki Kurumi no longer had to worry that Akutagawa would challenge her again to reclaim Kyouka's guardianship.
Well, not entirely. A rematch was inevitable. For Akutagawa, being defeated by a newcomer within their organization was something hard to swallow. When he felt he'd grown stronger, strong enough to defeat Kurumi, he'd surely demand a duel to restore his honor. But that was for later.
With Akutagawa's interference out of the way, Kurumi and Kyouka could finally depart.
Stepping out from the gloomy, oppressive headquarters of the Port Mafia, they stood in the sunlight, and a hint of softness returned to Kyouka's expression.
"So, I don't have to kill anymore."
She looked back at the dark tower looming in the city center, murmuring with a complex expression, "I never thought I'd be able to escape from that life."
"Don't talk as if you're no longer a member of the Port Mafia."
Seeing Kyouka's hesitant look, Kurumi reminded her, "We're still part of the organization."
"If the Boss orders me to kill, do I still have to follow?"
"No." Kurumi replied coolly. "I won't let him make you do that."
Her tone was calm, yet filled with unmistakable confidence.
Kyouka looked at Kurumi, silent for a moment. If she remembered correctly, Kurumi, like Akutagawa, was a squad captain within the organization, directly subordinate to Ogai Mori. While this position was indeed prestigious, it still didn't grant authority to defy the executive officers, let alone the Boss himself.
Just as Akutagawa would never dare to disobey orders on a mission, no one could ignore the hierarchy unless they reached the absolute top as one of the five executive officers.
Kyouka hesitated before murmuring, "If Boss orders me to kill, I'll still go."
"You're my subordinate; he doesn't have the authority to command you."
"But... aren't you Boss's subordinate too?" Kyouka asked, confused.
"Sort of," Kurumi replied, "but not exactly." She paused to find the right words. "My relationship with Mori is... special. It's not a standard boss-subordinate relationship."
Kyouka blinked, her eyes widening slightly as if a shocking thought had struck her. "Not a standard boss-subordinate relationship?"
"Hey, what are you thinking?" Kurumi flicked her forehead playfully. "It's not like that. He's just a Lolicon, nothing more. At most, it's a dirty transactional relationship."
Kyouka's eyes widened even more.
That… didn't sound much better.
After a moment, she hesitantly mumbled, "Sister, you should… take better care of yourself."
"Hm? Didn't you already say that once?" Kurumi tilted her head. "And I think it sounds different this time."
"Mori's not a good person," Kyouka said, concern in her voice. "It's best not to keep doing this. You'll regret it."
Kurumi couldn't help but burst out laughing, messing up Kyouka's hair. "Just joking! You're so pure-hearted, Kyouka. No, Mori and I don't have that kind of relationship."
"Oh." Kyouka looked confused. "Then why don't you have to follow the Boss's orders?"
"Because I know Mori's secrets and a lot of the Port Mafia's as well," Kurumi answered simply. "If Mori tries to make me unhappy, I can make him very unhappy, too. And the government would probably be thrilled."
"I see." Kyouka nodded thoughtfully.
During her time in the Port Mafia, she'd not only learned the skills of an assassin but also encountered the organization's darker sides. Clever as she was, Kyouka easily deduced the true nature of Kurumi's relationship with Mori from her few words.
It was less like a typical boss-subordinate relationship and more of an equal footing. While Kurumi was technically Mori's subordinate, she had the rare privilege to refuse unreasonable orders.
After all, she held leverage over him the Port Mafia's secrets. Normally, the organization would kill anyone who knew too much, but Kurumi's power was too enigmatic for even Mori to be certain he could kill her.
And since he couldn't force her compliance, he'd tried to bind her with incentives, such as a squad captain's title.
Her sudden rise to the level of Akutagawa had initially puzzled Kyouka, but now she understood. Mori couldn't risk her exposing their secrets and had used this prestigious title to draw her in and keep her under control.
"Is that enough to put your worries at ease?" Kurumi asked.
"Yes."
"Then, let's go."
"Go?" Kyouka took a few steps, then hesitated, looking uncertain. "Where?"
"Home."
"To your house?"
"To our home."
Chapter 28: First Encounter with Atsushi Nakajima
Returning "home" was more of a conceptual idea for Tokisaki Kurumi, as she didn't have a home in this world yet. This was only her second day here, and she'd used her stealth abilities to sneak into a hotel the previous night; otherwise, she might have ended up sleeping on the streets.
As for Kyouka Izumi, she once had a home in this world before her parents passed away. Since then, returning to that home had become impossible. Her parents were government assassins, and after losing contact with them, government investigators had probably sealed off the residence and placed it under surveillance.
Both of them were, essentially, homeless. But Kurumi wasn't concerned in the slightest. Why? Because she had money 30 million yen she had received from Ogai Mori. While 30 million might not buy much in Yokohama's expensive districts, it was more than enough to rent a place for a decade or more.
Their first task: find a place to rent. Unfamiliar with Yokohama, Kurumi didn't know where to start, but Kyouka quickly solved this problem. With her intimate knowledge of every corner of the city, they soon arrived at a real estate agency, which, to Kurumi's delight, was affiliated with the Port Mafia. After confirming her identity, Kurumi secured a standalone villa near the Port Mafia headquarters at a very low price one of the many perks of Port Mafia employment.
Instead of renting, Kurumi ended up buying the villa, spending even less than she had initially budgeted. After shopping for essentials, they settled into their new home.
---
As night fell, Kurumi climbed to the villa's rooftop to absorb time.
In the dark, she activated her "City of Devouring Time," enveloping the surrounding buildings. Within this red-tinged barrier, residents, awake or asleep, had their time quietly siphoned away. Shadow after shadow flowed into Kurumi's own, refueling her nearly depleted time reserves. With Yokohama's dense population, even a tiny bit from each person soon accumulated into a large store.
Satisfied, Kurumi moved on to the next area. Traveling between neighborhoods and buildings, she gathered so much time that her reserves became significantly richer than before.
With her stock replenished, Kurumi felt more than prepared for any threats that might come her way.
Just as she was about to return home, Kurumi noticed something peculiar down in a nearby alleyway: a group of thugs surrounding a young man, who seemed cornered, terrified, and outmatched.
It was Atsushi Nakajima the Port Mafia's target and her own mission objective, as well as the main protagonist of this world.
Kurumi silently descended to the top of the wall above them to observe.
"Not bad, kid! This outfit of yours looks pretty fancy," said the leader, patting Atsushi's shoulder mockingly. "Last time I saw you, you were rummaging through the garbage. Suddenly come into a bit of fortune?"
"T-They were gifts from my coworkers… I really don't have any money," Atsushi stammered, his face pale.
"Lies. People like you don't get hired. Think you can fool me?"
"I'm… not lying…"
"We'll see about that." The leader signaled to his men, who quickly closed in on Atsushi, pinning him against the wall.
With no real strength to resist, Atsushi struggled as they fished a wallet and phone from his pocket.
"Well, look at this!" the thug leader grinned, holding up Atsushi's wallet. "Fresh bills, no less—ten thousand yen or so. How'd you stumble upon such a lucky break?"
"That's not my money! Give it back! That's for shopping; my coworkers pooled it for supplies!"
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