Chapter 84 Stagnant Impulse
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”You haven’t told Yasunaga-san about this, have you? Don’t you think you’ll put Akuzawa-san in a bad spot later? And my organization won’t stay quiet either.”
”Ooh, scary, scary. But Masuda-san, do you even get where you stand right now? What happens to you after this—” he tapped his chest, “—that’s up to me.”
”So you’re just going to brazen it out?”
”Nah. I’m giving you the obvious advice. You mouth off to a sujimon (T/N: underworld type), you learn the hard way.”
”And you think I’ll fold because you’re threatening me?”
”Who knows?”
Akuzawa grinned, all provocation.
The suit bulged slightly at his waist. He’d stashed something there. Judging by the length, a dagger or a baton… no—could be a handgun.
”Look, just let me go already. Either way, I’m not telling you where the Gold is.”
”Oh yeah? After all my kindness, you still won’t talk. Let me guess—you tucked it in some rental storage. How close am I?”
Maybe he hated that I turned down his offer—or that only Yasunaga was cashing in. Even so, this isn’t how you do business. If he couldn’t have it, he’d just take it. Crude. Knee-jerk. Very Akuzawa.
”You’re persistent, Akuzawa-san. If you keep prying, I’ll take steps of my own.”
”Full of fire, huh? But reckless bravado gets people killed. You’ve seen your share of rough scenes, I bet. Learn which fights you can pick.”
”Confident, aren’t you.”
”Two.”
”Sorry—what?”
”Two people took that tone with me and never saw the sun again.”
So he claims two kills? In Japan, you don’t murder twice and stay invisible. Sure, plenty of people are “missing,” and with what he’s doing to me now, having killed before isn’t impossible. Still, feels like he’s puffing himself up. Then again, in yakuza work fear is the product. With Akuzawa, that tracks. Hard to call it either way.
Either way—only two. Even if it’s true, only two.
”Hah. Two, huh.”
I snorted before I could stop myself, and color flooded his face. I wasn’t laughing at a lie. I was thinking how many people these hands had sent off. You can’t count them on both hands. And here he was, threatening a man who’s done far worse.
”You mocking me, punk?!”
”—gh!”
He took it as open scorn. The toe of his leather shoe drove into my stomach where I lay on the cold floor—twice, three times. No mercy. He didn’t go for my face—maybe he still wanted me talking later. But he wasn’t pulling his kicks.
With my wrists tied, I couldn’t guard. I took them, over and over, square in the gut.
”Hah… hah… Now you get it? This is what happens when you mouth off to me, Masuda-san.”
He was the one doing the kicking, yet he was the one winded. Pathetic. Still, he had weight on him; those kicks carried. I’d braced for it, so I managed, but pain tightened my face all the same.
”Ghh… H-have you lost your mind? What do you plan to do even if you learn where the money is?”
I asked in a thin voice and rolled halfway onto my side, turning my back to him—as if I meant to curl away from more blows.
”I told you. I’ll move your Gold for you. You take sixty. We cut the organization out. We both win.”
”So you want me to betray Yasunaga-san?”
”Your brother’s had his fun, hasn’t he? Time for me to eat.”
”I can’t do that. This deal’s with the Rindou group. You’d be betraying the organization too, Akuzawa-san.”
Sixty–forty would profit both of us—on paper. But it was an obvious lie. If I agreed, I’d hold something on him. One word to the Rindou group and he’d be finished.
”Shut it! Enough yapping—spit out where the money is!”
He started hacking his kicks into my back again. Maybe the rage was an act to make me talk. I let the blows land while I slipped a finger to the micro IC voice recorder I’d wedged under my wrist restraints a moment ago. I brushed it, and sent it into the Interdimensional warehouse.
I’d recorded enough.
I wedged both hands between my thighs and inched them toward my taped ankles.
From the Interdimensional warehouse, I pulled out something other than the recorder.
A searing jolt ripped through my hands and feet. It felt like a burn—skin softening, that foul tang of scorched flesh hitting my nose. What I’d taken out was a strong-acid slime.
I could have used a hidden blade or some little tool to cut the tape, but he’d notice. Acid slime is colorless and clear; even if he caught a glance, he’d mistake it for water. I’d already turned my body so my wrists and ankles stayed out of his line of sight.
Akuzawa kept kicking my back and noticed nothing.
I took the risk of burning myself and let the slime eat through the bindings.
When I figured the tape had thinned enough, I flicked the slime back into the Interdimensional warehouse and braced. A sharp rip—then the tape snapped. My hands and feet were free.
”Wha— How the hell…?”
He stared as I stood up, no longer trussed in duct tape.
”In my line of work I make enemies. I keep a little insurance,” I said. “A polyethylene packet of strong acid tucked in my cuff for emergencies. Meant to splash it at someone if I have to. It did a number on me instead…”
My shirt cuffs and the hem of my suit were in tatters. Angry burns ringed my wrists and ankles.
I wasn’t planning to kill him. You only show every card after you decide to end a man.
”Kh—”
”No good, Akuzawa-san. You should’ve frisked me properly.”
”Tch. So what? You think getting your hands free means you can run? Huh?”
”Even now, you’re still looking to try something?”
”I ain’t gonna kill you. Just make you hurt a little. And don’t you scream like a baby when it starts.”
He drew a blade from his waistband. Not a long knife—a short dagger, about twenty centimeters, an aiguchi (T/N: short dagger). I hadn’t confirmed it, but it didn’t feel like he had a gun. Maybe he didn’t use them. Maybe the duct tape made him cocky. Either way, if he had a gun, he would’ve led with it.
”I won’t scream. You will. You’ll be the one wailing, Akuzawa-san.”
”Playing it cool, huh? Always hated that stuck-up act of yours.”
”What a coincidence. I hate your short temper. And the way you don’t know your limits, even though you’re weak.”
”Say that again?”
”It’s true. You’re sloppy. Thoughtless. Even street punks think more than you.”
”Enough! I’m done talking!”
He gripped the dagger with the hilt braced in front of his belly, dropped his head, and charged like a tackle.
”Die!”
He came on, radiating a thick, black killing intent. If he killed me, he’d lose everything, but rage had blinded him. Most people would lock up here. Even a brawler would dodge first.
I didn’t move. Just before the point reached me, I whipped my right foot up and smashed his face.
”Gah!”
A clean counter. He toppled, sprawling. The dagger flew from his hand and skittered across the floor.
I swung a leg over him and mounted his chest. Time to check for a gun.
Getting stabbed by something bigger than that dagger wouldn’t be new to me. I’d live. Bullets, though—I’d never taken one. The other world had bows and other ranged weapons, and magic that flung stones like bullets. But no one dodges a bullet. I wasn’t about to test whether a headshot would leave me fine.
”G—get off me, you—agh!”
No hard shapes around his waist or upper body. Good. I confirmed it, then drove a fist straight down into his face as he cursed and bucked.
His big gut heaved as he tried to buck me off. I rose a little at the hips and kept the mount.
”Looks like the tables turned, Akuzawa-san. I told you—you don’t know your place. You’re weak. You should’ve stayed quiet and kept your greed in check.”
And then—
I hit him.
I hit him again.
And again.
Something gave with a dull snap—one of his front teeth. I ignored it and kept punching.
A stagnant impulse surged through me, coiling tight. A shard of memory that’s been lodged deep in my heart for a long time drove my fist on.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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