"Justice hides behind laws, but in our world, it's action that restores balance."
This maxim is engraved in the minds of every successor, an immutable principle for those who will one day lead the criminal empire.
I just turned 35, and I'm still single. Needless to say, it's probably too late for me. As the only son of the Yoshida family, such ambitions were never really an option. After all, my family isn't just any family. Since the Edo period, between the 17th and 19th centuries, my family has built the largest criminal network in Japan, known as the Yakuza.
For generations, succession within the Japanese mafia has always been hereditary. Whether from father to son, mother to daughter, or through any other family combination, power and responsibilities inevitably pass from one generation to the next, preserving the organization's traditions and strength over the ages.
My mother, the 29th Matriarch, fulfilled her role for 15 years. She took care of her family and her legacy throughout her life. She was a strong, courageous woman, and most of all, she had a great sense of humor. I admired and loved her more than anything... I learned so much from her. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine losing her so soon.
But every dream has an end. I would be less angry, less devastated if this woman I revered had passed away from natural causes, but that wasn't the case.
When the largest criminal syndicate targeted Japan, everything changed. The police, the military, the justice system — none of them lifted a finger. Only the Yakuza, under the leadership of my mother, the 29th Matriarch, stood against this foreign power. In this shadow war to protect the land of our ancestors, blood and sweat were shed on both sides. In the end, the invaders retreated, and the Japanese mafia territories were preserved.
But at what cost?
After my mother's death, I naturally took the reins of the organization. I swore to become the greatest and most feared man in the underworld, and to avenge those who had taken my light.
Japan, Asia, Africa, and finally America — it took me 15 years to destroy and unite all the mafias of the world, making me the symbol of darkness and the underworld.
Today, I can finally grieve, rest, and enjoy life. Why not start a family, have two kids — a boy and a girl — and marry a gorgeous woman who could rival any supermodel? Relax, leave work behind, and forget everything. I can do it, right? No, I will do it... That's what I told myself.
Last night, as I felt ready to start a new life, I went to bed and had a strange dream. I was floating in an infinite space, where symbols I had never seen before were forming in the void. Oddly enough, I was able to interpret them. They said: "Kill the Emperor!" Just below, another sentence appeared: "Make the rightful heir the next Empress!" What does this mean?
Before I could even ask myself that question, another inscription appeared, longer than the previous ones: "Complete these two mandatory tasks, and you will be returned to your world. You have 20 years from your immersion in this world to accomplish these tasks, or face immediate death." It was so absurd that I smiled. Then a new inscription formed in the sky: "Succeed, and you will be granted a wish."
After those ridiculous and mysterious words, I opened my eyes. I couldn't help but wonder where I was. The first thing I noticed was the smell. A nauseating stench overwhelmed my senses. I knew this smell well… it was human blood. I turned around. What a horror! Children, seemingly between 7 and 16 years old, were chained by their necks like animals, crying while others writhed in pain on the ground.
It was a gruesome sight. I realized I was in some kind of prison. Frustrated, I cursed, "Goddammit!"After swearing, a growing sense of discomfort took hold of me. I looked at my chained hands and was shocked to see they were so small. I realized I had the body of a child. "This is a dream, right? There's no way this is real," I muttered to reassure myself, but everything felt far too real to be a dream.
Suddenly, I recalled the symbols I had seen in the dream. I burst out laughing in shock, a stark contrast to the sobs and cries of pain around me. I sat down to think. These symbols, now etched in my memory, made it clear that I was in a truly desperate situation. If I want to figure out what's happening, I need to escape from this prison, no matter the cost. It had been a long time since I'd lost my composure like this…
(…): "You're really strange."
The voice seemed to be addressing me. I turned around and saw a girl, probably about fifteen years old. "Where the hell am I?" I demanded.
She had long, pointed ears and purple hair, resembling the fantasy characters you'd see in games. A thought crossed my mind. "If this isn't a dream, then I'm really no longer on Earth." Still, I held onto a small hope that this might just be an elaborate cosplay, lol...