Goro Kanda turns 22 this year.
About two weeks after he entered high school, he dropped out after killing the teacher he didn't like. Soon after, he fell into the back alleys and started working for a small wholesale organization, Kōsei Buddhism.
The backstreet wholesale business purchases, stores, and brokers dangerous goods, and actively sells not only to organizations but also to individuals. Of course, there are dangers involved, and territorial disputes are constant.
The organization that Kanda belonged to also disappeared when Kanda was 19 years old due to a conflict with a rival wholesale organization, and Kanda became a freelancer.
He sounds good when you say he's free, but he's actually a thug that's close to that day. He worked as a day laborer in the backstreets, sometimes engaged in crimes such as extortion and intimidation, and gambled for the money he earned.
"Find material for blackmail on the internet." Information organizations and free informants dangle such information, so they buy those stories. He is often forced to grab gossip or not very useful material, but he gives up on it every time.
What Kanda got on that day was a story provided by an unknown informant he had never seen before. It's questionable as it's anonymous, but on rare occasions you can get a bargain. Kanda likes such gambling, so he tries to buy the information.
The content of the material was of a high quality.
The story is that the chairman of Okunomura Department Store is actually a resident of the back alley, and he enriches his private clothes with the back business.
As evidence of this, a video of the formalin-soaked president entering and exiting the 7th Branch was included as evidence. It wasn't just once. He is shown to be in and out frequently. This makes for good intimidation material.
Kanda went to Okunomura Department Store that day.
Normally, I would send you a video and a threatening letter in advance, but for some reason the person who provided me with the information has already done it, and after that, please proceed to the stage of actually meeting and extorting me. was
An anonymous tipper who didn't threaten himself and only sold information. Kanda speculates that he is probably an outsider with a personal grudge.
For Kanda, who was accustomed to intimidation, it was an easy and delicious job.
"I'm Akoi's messenger, but could you let me meet Chairman Okumura? I should have made an appointment."
When I told him so at the reception, Kanda was easily let through to the back. Akoi was the informant's handle name, and they had made an appointment under that name.
When I was led into the reception room, a handsome man in his fifties who seemed to be very proud was waiting for me. He is the target, Masato Okumura.
"Goro Kanda. Former member of the wholesale organization Buddhism that was destroyed three years ago. Now he's a lowly thug who makes a living out of intimidation and extortion. The crime is the crime of dividing my time into just a few parts." "
Throwing a condescending gaze at Kanda as if he were looking at something dirty, Okumura said in a tone as if he were reading aloud. He doesn't look frightened. Rather, in addition to his relaxed attitude, he is threatening that he has already investigated himself.
However, Kanda is not daunted by that. He considers himself a professional blackmailer, and I've seen people like this many times before. However, in the end, that arrogant attitude disappeared somewhere, and he gave in with a crying face. There were even people who sat on the ground while he cried and cried. The moment when people of high social status desperately beg for forgiveness from thugs at the bottom and become obedient, Kanda's heart is filled to the max.
"Did you see the video I sent you? This is evidence that you have a connection with the formalin-soaked president.In addition to that, there is also evidence that you are actively attracting people from the financial world as guests of that mad organization."
Kanda insisted in a snobbish tone, but Okumura showed no signs of being upset.
"Right. Please take it apart as much as you want. If it's something you can take apart. Well, I think it's impossible because I'm going to take you apart in a different way first."
Kanda shuddered at Okumura's arrogant statement. It wasn't a threat, but a clear killing intent from Okumura.
「Wait. It's not just Akoi. If I don't return safely, this information will be automatically revealed on the internet."
Even though he was intimidated in his heart, Kanda desperately pretended to be calm and tried to gain the upper hand over Okumura.
"In fact, it was precisely because I had that insurance that I went out of my way to negotiate directly."
At that point, I had no doubts that he would understand the threatened person, but I can't help but be surprised and impatience when he suddenly brought the story to the premise of killing himself.
"It's a cliched line, but I'll tell you about it as a souvenir from the underworld. I'm the branch chief of the formalin-soaked president's 7th branch. The back side is more important than the front side. I was asked to throw away either front or back. If you do, I'll throw away the table. If you check the information a little more firmly, you'll know that too.
Immediately after Okumura's spiteful statement, several men in black rushed into the reception room and immediately apprehended Kanda.
I hold down Kanda's mouth and insert the needle into his neck. Kanda's limp body is folded and stored in his gigantic duralumin case with wheels.
"I got a good deal because I got an actor for free on the show."
Okumura laughs sarcastically when the black-clothes roll the case and leave the room. Immediately after that, the extension rang.
``There is another messenger from Akoi.''
Okumura frowned at what he was told.
If I thought he was the only one, I wondered if there were others who threatened him with the same content. At least from Akoi, who contacted him before Kanda came, he only heard about Kanda.
Just like Kanda, tell him to go through to his room.
Before long, the man who appeared in the room was a man who seemed to be a drug addict, with wide, glaring eyes, a half-open mouth, and a sickly thin body. Like Kanda earlier, I looked up the background of the other party, but it didn't come out. He's a completely unknown thug.
"Geheh, geheheh, I know your secret... Geheheheh... Are you related to the formalin-soaked president? Geheh, geheh , gehegeheh..."
The man uttered a threatening phrase like a delusion while laughing.
On the other hand, Okumura, without saying a word this time, simply summoned his men, who, like Kanda, were packed in a case by men in black and taken away.
"You're the second actor in the show. Can't help it. Yeah."
After taking a break while sitting on a chair, Okumura roared with an unrefined expression.
Both of them felt uncomfortable with the fact that threats came in quick succession.
The person named Akoi did not tell us that there were two messengers. He wondered if he had increased it for insurance, but the act of selling blackmail information to multiple people is a strange story. That would push the other party into a corner too much, and the amount of money that can be squeezed out of each person would decrease, so it should be a tacit understanding that only one person should transfer the blackmail information.
A few minutes later――
"A messenger from Akoi has come..."
The bewildered voice of the receptionist. Since people who seemed to be related people were visiting the chairman one after another, he must have sensed some kind of dangerous atmosphere.
"Let's go. No... wait. I'll send you money."
When I told the receptionist, the men in black were summoned.
"You don't have to go through here anymore, so collect all the people who claim to be Akoi's messengers."
Ordered in an irritated tone, the black clothes left the reception room.
(Who are you...? What is Akoi?)
After coming here, Okumura finally realized that this was an abnormal situation, and thought about the existence of Akoi.
The person named Akoi, who sent the threatening video to Okumura, only said in advance that he would send Kanda as his messenger. ing.
Even if they try to find out who they are, it seems difficult to know their true identities at this point, given that they put themselves in a safe zone and use their methods of intimidation.
Rather, I thought that when my hidden face was exposed, it would be a chance to find out, but I can't help but feel eerie at the incomprehensible behavior of sending many messengers.
"A person named Akoi is here."
Again, Okumura frowned, but he soon realized that there was no mention of errands in the reception report. In other words, it was not the messenger, but the person himself who boarded.
Okumura became more and more confused. Incomprehensible behavior such as setting up a number of substitutes for intimidation and then showing up in person. I have no idea what the intention is. No, it's not like I'm the person yet.
"Let it through here. Let it through here."
I give orders to both the receptionist and the black clothes.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Junko Yukioka, and I'm a humble mad scientist who can be found everywhere, but do you know me?"
Okumura was astonished at the person who appeared with a bouncy voice, opening his mouth.
Currently, he is in the midst of a conflict with the 7th branch under Okumura's jurisdiction, he is a legendary celebrity who lives in the back alleys, and he has a long-standing relationship with the organization.
It's not like I didn't think about summoning his subordinates in black clothes here to capture them, but since he's coming here alone, he must have some power or prepare countermeasures, Handle with caution.
"W-I see, that's what you did. What does it mean?"
Okumura pretended to be calm and asked, even though he was extremely irritated.
"Okumura-san seems to have jumped out with joy when I gave him the information that he was the president of the formalin-soaked president. It's just a gift for greetings, so don't hesitate to use it for the show."
"A statement that sees through all of our actions." Feeling like he was dancing in the palm of her hand, Okumura's frustration grew, and so did fear.
"I want you to answer seriously. Is it just a prank?"
"It looks like someone wearing two bundles of straw sandals, so I wondered which one was the main one. I was going to ask you to listen to my request."
"If you ask me which one to throw away, the face on the main street or the back street, it's the front. I don't know what the threat is, but I'm not going to listen."
"Whichever way you throw it away, it's a big loss, but you can't let go of the pleasure you get behind the scenes." Before that, if you imitate betraying the organization, you will be in danger.
If you wanted to take the front, I thought I'd give you a break, but if the back is more important, there's nothing to hold back. I wanted you to do the event I devised as it is, but if it's impossible, that's fine."
"It's a bad greeting."
"Oh my? I thought I was going to match your level, but didn't you like it?"
"Okay. You win the war of words."
Okumura snorted and spat out without hiding his discomfort.
"We're going to send an exceptional mouse as an assassin, so prepare a fun stage. Ah, I'm registered on your organization's paid site, so I'm just a customer, so what kind of event will it be?" Well, I'm looking forward to it. Then, please say hello to Mr. Leonard.
Leonard is the name of Okumura's direct superior.
A black man who always wears a clown mask, but even Okumura has never seen his face without the mask. Junko went out of her way to tell her that even though he was not a member of the organization, she also knew that the chief executive was Okumura's direct superior. Okumura must have understood what this meant.
"Thank you for that! Please continue to patronize me!"
As Junko leaves her room, Okumura tells Junko with all her might.
Being tricked by her elaborate prank makes her furious, and at the same time I feel her fighting spirit welling up. She said she would absolutely dent this little girl. She also thinks that if possible, she would like to capture her alive and make fun of her.
"Ah, that's right."
Once she leaves her room, Junko opens her door again and lets her look at her face. Confused, Okumura was startled.
"Akoi is my surname spelled backwards. Did you notice? See you later."
(...Y, U and K are not enough, I don't know)
After Junko pulled her neck back, Okumura muttered silently with a stunned expression.
Toya and Akira, who returned to the research institute first, were taken to the shooting range in the research institute, where they were truly trained in guns.
"Hold it tighter and hold it in place. So that it doesn't move when you shoot. No, no. Keep your elbows and arms in place."
Touya, who has bad motor nerves and poor swallowing skills, was genuinely warned, and honestly wanted to be released from this training as soon as possible.
In the first place, I thought that I didn't need to handle guns because I had been given power from Junko, but I decided to refuse by saying it clearly to Makoto, who thought about me and taught me seriously. I can't even feel bad about it.
"Hey hey, Aizawa-senpai. Aren't you sly looking after Touya all the time? Look at me too."
Akira, who had been silently shooting without receiving instruction, removed his ear guards, turned his face towards Makoto and Toya, and pouted.
"I taught you all the basics yesterday, and there's nothing particularly bad about it, so think about it yourself, devise your own ideas, and train hard."
Makoto treats Akira with a curt face.
"It sounds a little cool like training."
"If you don't want to die, don't forget to train steadily every day. Just a little lack of skill or concentration can lead to death. Don't allow yourself to compromise."
"I'm prepared to die. From the moment I decided to fall into the back alley. It would be better if I didn't die."
Toya and Akira didn't miss the fact that Akira's words really changed the atmosphere. An expression that was neither exasperated nor angry was clearly floating on his face, although it was only for a moment.
"Are you prepared to die? I don't have it. It's useless. I'll always survive."
Akira flinched as he was hit with a stare that was harsher than he really was.
"No matter what the situation is, even if it's a survival game where only one person out of a hundred trillion can survive, I intend to survive until the very end. It's not that I don't have the fear of death, but I try to suppress it as much as possible. You guys. But, rather than being prepared to die, set in your heart the tenacity to live and think of survival as the top priority.Don't overdo it.If you sense danger, you can run away.Reality doesn't look like fiction. It's almost impossible for one person to be a matchless opponent against multiple enemies.I'm an exception."
Makoto speaks politely, not in the way he used to speak with poor intonation, nor in a harsh tone. Touya was almost blown away by the words he added at the end.
"If Senpai says so, I will change my mind.
Feeling the strong power of words and persuasive power in the true words, Akira accepted them obediently. On top of that, his eyes were sparkling and he was sending a truly passionate gaze.
Toya still couldn't help but dislike Akira's genuinely passionate gaze. I thought he was a partner who was always looking only at me, but jealousy and fear that he was thinking about something other than himself swirled in Toya.
In addition, Touya couldn't understand why Akira was so infatuated with him. Although he is much shorter than I am, I honestly don't have a very good impression of him because he is blunt and has a lot of haughty remarks.
From Toya's point of view, Junko had more of an impact, and I felt attracted to her.
Seeing him laughing and killing people, he felt not only fear but also a sense of admiration. I thought that Akira was also crazy in many ways, but Junko's crazyness far exceeds Akira's.
"It's after I've said something big, but it's not like I'm asking you to take everything I say with a grain of salt.
Makoto returned to his usual indifferent tone, but at the same time, Touya and Akira seemed to have made her eyes water and made an embarrassing gesture.
"Well, I respected Aizawa-senpai, and I will continue to do so in the future.
"Even if you respected me, what did you do?"
"I wanted to imitate Aizawa-senpai and make a harem, so I started talking to girls and flirting in the classroom after school. It's jealousy of youth, such as being disrespectful to young people when you're old."
Akira speaks proudly and proudly.
"Of course you're going to get scolded for that. Generally, I'm saying that I didn't make a harem."
Makoto bluntly denies it.
"It's okay to talk, so keep training. Once you've finished shooting.
Truly urged, Touya puts on ear guards and fires the gun again.
"Yesterday we had a mock battle, but Senpai was really a monster.
Akira talked to Toya, but seeing that he had already put on his ear guards and couldn't hear his voice, Akira put on his ear guards as well and resumed his shooting training.