Chapter 60 - 328 to 328

Pfft… Pfft…"

The sound of blades piercing flesh and then being violently pulled out echoed repeatedly at the alley entrance.

The True Dragon Society's subordinates expressionlessly plunged their long katanas into Sakyo's body, again and again.

Sakyo merely used his body to firmly guard the narrow alley entrance.

He did not let out another roar, nor did he put up any further resistance.

Of course, he couldn't hold on for much longer either.

When not a single drop of blood could flow from his body, Sakyo finally could no longer stand.

The ground beneath him was already soaked with blood, turning into a dark red, muddy mess.

Not a single piece of intact skin could be found on Sakyo's body.

Finally, he slowly knelt to the ground.

At this moment, the True Dragon Society subordinates surrounding him fell silent and uniformly parted to create a path.

Ryuzaki Shin finished his last puff, then casually tossed the still-burning cigarette butt in front of Sakyo.

Ishida Goro's training was quite effective.

Numerical superiority is numerical superiority.

But to leverage the advantage of teamwork to such an extent, to completely annihilate over a hundred fearless madmen from Daruma here in less than the time it takes to smoke a cigarette.

And it seemed there weren't many casualties on their side.

It was already quite impressive.

Ishida Goro also emerged from the crowd at this moment, coming before Ryuzaki Shin.

"Boss, one got away. We'll send people to chase him now."

Ryuzaki Shin waved his hand upon hearing this.

"I'll handle this one myself. The one who ran also got injured; he won't get far."

No sooner had he finished speaking.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Two extremely low gunshots echoed from the depths of the dark alley.

Ishida Goro's body instantly tensed, and he immediately adopted a vigilant stance.

He recognized the sound as coming from a pistol equipped with a silencer.

Ishida Goro immediately stepped forward, shielding Ryuzaki Shin behind him.

"Boss! Someone has a gun! You should first…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Ryuzaki Shin interrupted him.

"Don't worry, an old friend has probably arrived."

Not long after, a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a well-tailored suit slowly emerged from the depths of the alley.

Behind him followed two men, also dressed in black suits.

These two men in black were each dragging one leg, pulling the recently escaped Ukyo.

However, judging by the two long blood trails on the ground and Ukyo's motionless body, he had likely already passed away.

From a distance, the middle-aged man enthusiastically greeted Ryuzaki Shin.

"Heh heh… Ryuzaki-kun, I just happened to encounter a runaway rat on the way, so I took the liberty of dealing with it for you. You won't mind me being a busybody, will you, old brother?"

Ryuzaki Shin laughed heartily and went to meet him.

"Old brother, what are you saying? I'm grateful to you; how could I mind you being a busybody?"

The newcomer was none other than Akutsu, the Butcher.

He walked up to Ryuzaki Shin and affectionately patted Ryuzaki Shin's shoulder.

Then, he cast his gaze towards the battlefield before them.

The center of Sannoh Street had already become a living hell.

Dismembered limbs were everywhere, severed hands and feet, and shattered organs lay scattered across the ground.

Viscous blood converged into small streams, slowly flowing over the uneven ground.

Hundreds of corpses, in various twisted postures, were piled together, forming small mountains of bodies.

Most of the True Dragon Society's subordinates were killing for the first time.

Under the adrenaline rush just now, they hadn't felt any discomfort.

But when the battle ended, when the impulse and excitement faded.

Many, seeing the bloody and terrifying scene before them, could no longer hold it in. With a "whoa," they bent over and began to vomit violently.

Akutsu's expression remained unchanged as he looked at the scene before him.

However, he still felt a slight shock internally.

This was killing people, not pigs.

When Ryuzaki Shin first called him about this, he thought the kid was just talking big, bragging.

But he never expected him to be truly so ruthless.

He really did slaughter over a hundred Daruma members as if they were pigs, leaving nothing behind.

The fact that the other party dared to do such a thing in this place meant that the entire Sannoh District had completely fallen under his control.

Then, Akutsu took out a professional medical mask from his pocket and slowly put it on.

He then took out a pair of white latex gloves and carefully put them on.

He walked to the pile of bodies, squatted down, and carefully examined several corpses.

Akutsu frowned, disgustedly took off his gloves, tossed them aside, and walked over to Ryuzaki Shin.

"Ryuzaki-kun, this batch of 'goods' of yours is too incomplete. They're all stab wounds, and many have damaged vital organs. We can't just cut them all open and search for usable 'parts' one by one, can we?"

Ryuzaki Shin understood what he meant.

All knife wounds could easily damage those useful internal organs.

It would indeed be very troublesome to search through over a hundred corpses one by one for usable parts.

However, there was nothing he could do about it.

He couldn't exactly make Daruma's people line up and wait for them to slit their throats, could he?

"Old brother, do you mean you don't want this batch of 'goods'?"

To be honest, if Akutsu didn't help process this batch of "goods," it would indeed be a bit troublesome for Ryuzaki Shin.

These were over a hundred corpses; it wasn't as simple as finding a random dump, digging a pit, and throwing them in.

If they were truly discovered, the social uproar it would cause was something he dared not even imagine.

However, Akutsu laughed heartily.

"Heh heh… Ryuzaki-kun, if you had asked me to do this sort of thing a few days ago, it would have been quite difficult for me. However, I just recently hired a few skilled individuals from that side of the Ganges."

Ryuzaki Shin raised an eyebrow, not understanding what he meant.

Akutsu no longer kept him in suspense.

"Ryuzaki-kun, have you heard of… the human bone business?"

Human bone business?!"

Hearing these four words, Ryuzaki Shin's eyes narrowed slightly.

Speaking of this, Ryuzaki Shin understood.

India is the world's largest exporter of human bones.

Firstly, high-quality human bone specimens for medical research and teaching have always been in extremely short supply globally.

Then, it can be said that those "businessmen" in India have no humanity whatsoever.

They will do anything to reap huge profits.

The number of people missing in the entire country each year reaches a terrifying figure.

A large portion of them eventually turn into the cold bone specimens displayed in medical schools around the world.

The cost of a complete human skeleton, cleaned in India, might be less than a few hundred dollars.

However, once it circulates through special channels to the international market, its minimum selling price starts at tens of thousands of dollars.

If the condition is good, it can even sell for an even higher, exorbitant price.

The exorbitant profits involved are simply unimaginable.

Ryuzaki Shin glanced at Akutsu, who still wore a gentle smile beside him.

This person is truly too dangerous.

He is capable of doing such heinous things.

As long as there's money to be made, he'll do anything.

From the very beginning, such a person never intended to go legitimate.

If you walk by the river often, your shoes are bound to get wet.

If something were to happen to Akutsu one day, given their current partnership, Ryuzaki Shin would likely not fare well either.

It seems that once he fully takes over this area and begins to transition towards a legitimate economic gang, he must find an opportunity to completely eliminate Akutsu, this huge hidden danger.

However, not yet.

Firstly, these more than a hundred corpses still need him to dispose of.

Secondly, it's still an unknown whether he has recorded their many transactions using any means.

This matter can only be put on the agenda for now.

"Heh heh… the human bone business? That is indeed very profitable," Ryuzaki Shin said with a smile.

Akutsu also laughed upon hearing this.

"Ryuzaki-kun is interested? Then why don't we…"

Ryuzaki Shin waved his hand before he could finish.

"Brother, forget it. To be honest, I'm not that bold. I'll just honestly manage my small territory. As for how to deal with this batch of 'goods,' you can handle it as you see fit."

Seeing that Ryuzaki Shin truly had no intention of participating, Akutsu stopped trying to persuade him.

Business is all about mutual consent.

He patted Ryuzaki Shin's shoulder and said.

"Alright, then let's get down to business. Ryuzaki-kun, please move your trucks aside. My refrigerated trucks are waiting at the intersection ahead."

"Since you've given me such a big gift, I'll take care of the aftermath for you. I guarantee that by tomorrow morning, not a single trace will be left here."

Ryuzaki Shin nodded, not intending to stay here any longer.

He first gave a meaningful glance to Ishida Goro behind him.

Ishida Goro immediately understood that Ryuzaki Shin wanted him to leave some people behind to watch the scene and prevent any unexpected incidents.

Then, Ryuzaki Shin smiled at Akutsu.

"Brother, I'll be leaving first. The woman at home is waiting for me to come home for dinner."

Akutsu, hearing this, immediately responded enthusiastically.

"Speaking of which, I haven't seen your sister-in-law in a long time. I came in a hurry this time and didn't bring any gifts. I'll make sure to make it up next time. Ryuzaki-kun, please give my regards to your sister-in-law."

Ryuzaki Shin also said politely.

"Brother, what are you talking about? She really loved that diamond necklace you sent last time. She wears it every day."

After exchanging a few more insincere pleasantries, Ryuzaki Shin got on his motorcycle and rode away… Night fell.

The night was deep.

However, the conference room of the Ryubi Building was still brightly lit.

Even though Kirinji had suffered a serious injury during the day, he was now forcing his battered body to stand ramrod straight in front of Iemura Tatsumi.

Iemura Tatsumi said nothing, merely drinking his tea sip by sip, lost in his own thoughts.

His emotions were unreadable.

At this moment, Nikaido, who was sitting to the side, stood up and sternly rebuked Kirinji without ceremony.

"Where has that arrogant, overbearing demeanor of yours gone? Didn't you say you could easily turn the S.W.O.R.D. Area upside down? But what happened? Instead, you were directly confronted by a mere Daruma Ikka and beaten like a dead dog. Is this how you get things done?!"

Kirinji's mind instantly recalled Aden's tragic fate.

His body trembled uncontrollably, and then with a "thump," he suddenly knelt down.

"Chairman! Big Brother Nikaido! Please… please give me another chance!"

Nikaido completely ignored his plea, raised his foot, and kicked him to the ground.

"Take him away!"

Several men in black standing by the door immediately stepped forward, grabbed Kirinji's arms, and began to drag him away.

At this moment, Ishii, who had been silent, could no longer tolerate it.

Kirinji was his man in secret.

If anyone was to discipline him, it should be him.

What right did Nikaido have to stand here and dictate orders?

"Wait!"

Ishii called out to the men who were dragging Kirinji away.

Everyone in the conference room instantly focused their gaze on him.

Ishii slowly stood up, surveyed everyone, and finally fixed his gaze on Nikaido.

"Wasn't Kirinji cleaning up the mess for your useless subordinate, Aden?"

Nikaido met Ishii's gaze without showing any weakness.

"Senior's meaning is that those who make mistakes shouldn't be punished?"

Ishii now took two steps forward.

He suddenly reached out, grabbed Nikaido's tie, and forcibly pulled his head to his eye level.

Then, he stared intently into Nikaido's eyes.

"Kid, you haven't reached this position yet. Who allowed you to speak to me in that tone?"

"Given your intelligence, you shouldn't fail to understand that someone must be behind Daruma Ikka causing trouble today."

"You neither investigate the full story nor trouble Daruma Ikka; instead, you're eager to push Kirinji out to take the blame. Could it be that you yourself are involved? Otherwise, why are all these messed-up things connected to you?!"

Just then, Iemura Tatsumi, who had been silent, finally spoke.

"Alright, everyone, sit down."

Ishii gave Nikaido one last deep look, then released his tie.

After separating, both returned to their seats.

Iemura Tatsumi looked at everyone present and slowly said.

"Things, it seems, have truly turned out as Aden said…"

Iemura Tatsumi looked at the tense scene before him and the series of frustrating events that had recently occurred, and couldn't help but recall what Aden had said when Kirinji proposed releasing Hyuga Kiku from prison during a meeting.

He said that if they released the mad dog Hyuga Kiku, it would definitely be detrimental to the Iemura-kai.

The S.W.O.R.D. Area would only descend into even more complete chaos as a result.

Although Daruma Ikka coming to their doorstep and starting a fight today was directly caused by Aden shooting Hyuga Kiku.

However, this also indirectly highlighted a problem.

That is, every step the Iemura-kai took from the very beginning in invading the S.W.O.R.D. Area was wrong.

Watching the deadline given by the Kowloon Group headquarters draw closer and closer, Iemura Tatsumi's heart became uncontrollably agitated.

He shed his usual calm and steady demeanor, a hint of the ferocity and ruthlessness he usually kept hidden appearing on his face.

"At this rate! When will we truly take over the S.W.O.R.D. Area?!"

He slammed his hand on the table and roared.

After saying this, he scanned his subordinates, the executives.

Whether it was high-ranking Ishii, Kawada.

Or Nikaido, his trusted confidant.

Or even Kirinji, who had just made a big mistake.

At this moment, a trace of shame appeared on everyone's face.

Indeed, since the Iemura-kai got involved in the affairs of the S.W.O.R.D. Area, they had essentially achieved nothing, instead losing many men and expending a great deal of money and energy.

Iemura Tatsumi knew that continuing this internal strife was unsustainable.

He slammed his fist heavily on the conference table in front of him.

"Hey! Kawada! Ishii! And you, Nikaido! I'm sick of you all constantly scheming and fighting amongst yourselves! Now! Immediately! Cleanly and decisively! Go deal with those punks in S.W.O.R.D.!"

"I don't care if you bribe them with money, or find people from somewhere else! I don't care what methods you use! I only look at the final result!"

"If you can't take down the S.W.O.R.D. Area again, all of you had better commit seppuku!"

Everyone in the conference room could see it.

This time, Iemura Tatsumi was truly enraged.

Everyone uniformly lowered their heads, not daring to utter another word of nonsense.

"Yes!"

...The next day, early morning.

Naomi arrived at Sannoh Street as usual, preparing to start the day's restaurant operations.

She didn't know why, but yesterday, this street suddenly received a notice about an emergency fire safety inspection.

By the afternoon, the entire street was completely sealed off, and all businesses were required to close early and leave.

However, fortunately, the lockdown was lifted early this morning.

When Naomi arrived at Sannoh Street, she found the street to be somewhat strange today.

First, in terms of smell, the air was filled with a strong, pungent odor of disinfectant.

On the ground, in the cracks of the bluestone bricks, there were still faint, almost imperceptible dark red traces.

What was most peculiar was that a black flag was planted at regular intervals along the entire street.

On the flag, a lifelike, clawing coiled dragon was embroidered with golden threads.

And beneath the coiled dragon, three powerful characters were embroidered.

True Dragon Society.

When Naomi saw these three characters, her heart skipped a beat.

True Dragon Society?

She seemed to vaguely recall Yamato and the others mentioning it before; it sounded like a mysterious, newly emerging group from a neighboring area.

What's going on?

Could it be that they invaded Sannoh Street while the street was sealed off yesterday?

Naomi's heart immediately became uneasy.

She quickly hurried to the front of her shop, took out her keys, and opened the door.

Naomi carefully pushed open the door and found that everything inside the shop was intact, exactly as she had left it yesterday.

Only then did she let out a long sigh of relief.

The previous time her shop was smashed had left her with a psychological shadow.

After Naomi arrived at the shop, she began her usual pre-opening preparations.

However, she still felt a bit uneasy.

She didn't know why Sannoh Street had suddenly transformed into this state overnight.

About an hour later.

The roar of several heavy motorcycles came from the shop's entrance.

Immediately after, the glass door of the shop was pushed open with a "crash."

Naomi looked back.

It turned out to be Cobra and Yamato who had entered.

When Naomi saw them, a happy smile immediately appeared on her face.

It had been a long time since she had seen Yamato and Cobra.

Those two guys, really, they didn't even give a heads-up after being discharged from the hospital.

"Yamato! Cobra! You two, why didn't you say anything after being discharged from the hospital! I would have made you a delicious meal to welcome you back!"

Yamato and Cobra, hearing Naomi's greeting, forced a faint smile, but their mood appeared unusually somber.

They had already become restless when they learned of Aden's arrest from the hospital television.

But for some reason, the doctors at the hospital just wouldn't let them leave.

Early this morning, after much pleading, they finally completed their discharge procedures.

The first thing they did after being discharged was to go to Daruma Ikka's territory.

Aden, their former friend, was now arrested for shooting Hyuga Kiku.

In any case, as one of the five major forces in the S.W.O.R.D. Area, Cobra, the leader of Sannoh Rengokai, had reason to personally go to Daruma Ikka to understand the situation.

However, what made them extremely uneasy was this.

When they arrived at Daruma Ikka's territory, they discovered that their gathering place had been completely burned down.

The entire gathering place had been reduced to a charred ruin.

Then, Cobra immediately realized that something big had happened.

He hastily brought Yamato back to Sannoh Street.

But what shocked him most was the scene before him.

The entire Sannoh Street was filled with these unfamiliar flags he didn't recognize.

Just then, A Tie and A Tan also ran in from outside.

A Tie was still holding a True Dragon Society flag that he had pulled down from outside.

The two of them spread the black flag with the golden dragon flat on the restaurant table.

Cobra looked at the flag and asked in a deep voice.

"What's going on? Why are there things like this on Sannoh Street?"

A Tie and A Tan had already returned to Sannoh Street early.

In Cobra's opinion, the two of them should be very clear about what was going on.

A Tie scratched his head and said, looking confused.

"That's not right, this wasn't here yesterday, these flags just suddenly appeared early this morning."

Naomi interjected from the side.

"Yesterday, this place received a notice about an emergency fire inspection, and the entire street was sealed off in the afternoon."

Cobra's heart stirred upon hearing this statement.

Sealing off an entire street, that's not something an ordinary person can do; only the street's administrator has such authority.

However, this street previously had no decent businesses, nor could it be said to have any administrator.

And now, this street looked incredibly prosperous.

Even when he had just returned, he felt a bit disoriented, almost thinking he had come to the wrong place.

Just then, Cobra suddenly remembered what that man had told him before.

"I'm just here to make some investments…"

Could it be that that man had bought out all the shops on Sannoh Street?

Cobra immediately asked.

"How could this street…"

Naomi knew what Cobra wanted to ask, and she said with a smile.

"Oh dear! This is all A-Zhen's credit! He invested in and built the entire Sannoh Street, you wouldn't believe how lively it is now, my income has more than doubled during this time!"

Cobra heard what Naomi said.

It was as if he suddenly understood something.

A-Zhen... True Dragon Society... While Cobra was still thinking.

A Tan, who was standing nearby, suddenly threw the flag on the table onto the ground.

"This damn True Dragon Society! It's clearly a provocation to our Sannoh Rengokai! No matter what, we Sannoh will definitely protect this place!"

Just as he finished speaking.

The restaurant door was slowly pushed open.

A man dressed in casual clothes walked in.

He walked directly to the group of Sannoh Rengokai members.

Then, he slowly bent down and picked up the flag on the ground that A Tan had thrown away.

He gently shook it twice, dusting off the dirt.

"What a beautiful flag, it would be a shame to get it dirty, wouldn't it, Cobra?"

The members of Sannoh Rengokai watched the man carefully spread the dust-covered black flag on the table, smoothing out every wrinkle.

The man looked at the golden coiling dragon with bared fangs and claws on the flag and slowly began to speak.

"The True Dragon is the king of all beasts, a symbol of auspiciousness, signifying a hidden dragon emerging from the abyss to soar into the sky. What a wonderful meaning."

The newcomer was Ryuzaki Shin.

Cobra looked deeply at Ryuzaki Shin.

From the first time Ryuzaki Shin appeared in Naomi's restaurant, to all the events that had transpired in between.

At this moment, everything flashed through his mind like a fast-forwarded movie.

Many things that he couldn't understand before now became exceptionally clear.

"I heard that a very mysterious new force called the True Dragon Society has recently emerged in the surrounding area. Their boss is called Ryuzaki Shin. I wonder if A-Zhen knows this Ryuzaki Shin?"

Yamato, who was standing nearby, felt bewildered by Cobra's words.

What did it matter if A-Zhen knew the person named Ryuzaki Shin?

Ryuzaki Shin smiled.

Cobra's mind was indeed sharp.

Things had already progressed to this point; Sannoh Rengokai no longer needed him to expend any effort to monitor them.

There was also no need for him to continue hiding his identity.

Ryuzaki Shin slowly straightened up and re-introduced himself to everyone present.

"Allow me to re-introduce myself. My full name is Ryuzaki Shin, and I am the President of the True Dragon Society."

"Now, not only Sannoh Street, but also Oya High, White Devil, and the recently annihilated Daruma Ikka, which you all know about."

"Their territories are now all within my domain."

These words exploded like a clap of thunder in the small restaurant!

Everyone present was stunned by his statement!

"Clang!" went a sound.

Naomi, who was wiping glasses behind the bar, dropped the glass from her hands due to shock, and it shattered on the floor.

Yamato looked at the man in front of him with even greater disbelief.

This man, whom he had always regarded as a close friend.

He couldn't possibly connect him with the rumored President of the True Dragon Society.

A Tie's mind reeled, and he was the first to react.

He pointed at Ryuzaki Shin and roared.

"So! Was everything, from the very beginning when you approached us, just a conspiracy you set up to invade Sannoh Street?"

At this moment, Ryuzaki Shin leisurely lit a cigarette for himself.

He took a deep drag, then slowly exhaled the smoke onto A Tie's face.

"Me invading Sannoh Street? Haha... You kid, your ideas are truly laughably naive. In my opinion, it is you who are truly invading Sannoh Street and constantly destroying it."

Everyone in the restaurant was stunned by these words.

Ryuzaki Shin looked at them and continued.

"Your so-called 'guarding Sannoh Street'—does that mean making the entire street desolate, where not even a decent shop can operate? Does it mean making the residents here live in fear of gang fights every day?"

"Your Sannoh Rengokai's so-called 'guarding' this area is nothing but an extremely childish joke."

"All you have brought to this area is endless calamity and destruction; you have never brought even a shred of prosperity."

"Now, I am the one who has invested in and built this commercial street. I am the one who has brought new job opportunities and hope to the residents here. Shouldn't the people here truly be grateful to me?"

Ryuzaki Shin's words struck Cobra's heart like heavy hammer blows.

His face turned exceptionally pale.

Could it be... that we, Sannoh Rengokai, are the cancer of this street?

We... it seems we truly have only brought endless strife and calamity here.

Could it be that the beliefs we have always held are truly just a ridiculous joke?

It was the first time A Tie had seen such an expression of shattered belief on Cobra's face.

His heart inexplicably tightened.

A Tie looked at Ryuzaki Shin again and roared.

"You despicable scoundrel who only hides behind the scenes to play dirty tricks! Don't just talk to yourself here!"

With that, A Tie could no longer suppress the anger in his heart and lunged at Ryuzaki Shin with a furious punch!

However, his fist hadn't even reached halfway.

Ryuzaki Shin had already anticipated it and kicked him in the chest!

"Bang!"

A Tie's body flew backward, knocking over several tables before he landed heavily on the ground.

Ryuzaki Shin withdrew his foot and looked at him with disdain.

"It is your honor that I am standing here talking to you properly. If it truly came down to it, you don't even deserve to carry my shoes. Know your place."

Ryuzaki Shin was now a gang boss who owned most of the S.W.O.R.D. Area.

What were A Tie and these people?

It was a huge honor that he came today to chat with them for a bit.

If they didn't know their place... Haha, he had killed over a hundred people; what were a few more good-for-nothings?

Yamato, who was standing nearby, had been staring blankly in place.

His mind still couldn't process what had just happened.

Ryuzaki Shin felt a bit bored.

He prepared to leave.

As he walked past Yamato, Ryuzaki Shin smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"Yamato, your aunt has been mentioning you at home lately. Go back and visit when you have time."

Then, Ryuzaki Shin spoke to Naomi, who was standing at the bar, flustered and at a loss for words.

"Naomi, I apologize for breaking a few of your tables. I'll send someone to deliver some new ones later."

Naomi gave a stiff smile, unsure what to say.

However, recalling Ryuzaki Shin's words, she didn't find anything inappropriate.

Although the Sannoh people had always been her friends, her current life was what she truly desired.

What did it matter if this man was A-Zhen or Ryuzaki Shin?

Ryuzaki Shin walked straight out of the restaurant.

However, as soon as he stepped out the door, he found the Bishoujo Gokurakutou girls standing there.

Each of them looked at Ryuzaki Shin with an extremely strange gaze.

They had clearly heard everything that had just happened and all the conversations inside the restaurant.

When Junko saw Ryuzaki Shin come out, she walked up to him with a serious expression.

She looked up at him and asked earnestly.

"You... aren't called A-Zhen?"

Ryuzaki Shin instinctively took a step back when he saw Junko.

All the muscles in his body tensed up in that instant.

It wasn't surprising that he was so alert.

In this S.W.O.R.D. Area, even those legendary, monster-level figures from the past, if brought out, might not be able to defeat Junko.

If this woman were to suddenly cause trouble here, he truly wouldn't fare well today.

However, Junko just looked at Ryuzaki Shin with her bright, sparkling eyes, then complained seriously.

"Ryuzaki Shin... such a nice name, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Zhi: "..."

Oshiage: "..."

Nikka: "..."

Big Sister, she's still that incorrigible lovesick fool...

Ryuzaki Shin, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief.

However, he felt he would never catch up to Junko's way of thinking in this lifetime.

"Junko, the address 'A-Zhen' doesn't sound more intimate? But if you want to call me Ryuzaki Shin from now on, that's fine too."

Only two words remained in Junko's mind now.

Intimate.

A-Zhen said... he and I... intimate... Is this... is he confessing to me?!

He's really something, saying such things so suddenly, without even looking at all these people around.

Ryuzaki Shin stared at Junko for a long time.

He truly couldn't understand why this woman was standing there alone, fiddling with the corner of her clothes, her cheeks flushed, and what exactly she was being shy about.

"Junko? Hello? Junko? If there's nothing, I'll be leaving now."

Hearing Ryuzaki Shin's words, Junko suddenly looked up, thought for a moment, then leaned close to him and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"A-Zhen... are you free today?"

Ryuzaki Shin thought for a moment.

Actually, most of the matters in the S.W.O.R.D. Area had come to an end.

But the real crisis had only just begun.

The Iemura-kai had suffered repeated major setbacks at his hands.

Iemura Tatsumi, that old fox, was not a fool.

Next, he would surely issue a death order, to invade this area completely at all costs.

But who they would send, and when they would come, all of this was still an unknown.

As for letting his current True Dragon Society take the initiative to invade the Iemura-kai's headquarters?

That would be a bit of a joke.

The Iemura-kai's headquarters were in the Wangan Area.

And the Wangan Area was in the east of the city.

The entire east of the city was the territory of the Kowloon Group.

Going to cause trouble in the east of the city now would be seeking death.

So, there were only two things that needed to be done now.

First, to completely digest the territories of the four major powers, excluding Nameless Street, at present.

Proper commercial development and stable money-making were the true path.

Second, to find a suitable opportunity to take down Nameless Street in one fell swoop.

Neither of these two things could be rushed.

Therefore, what was most needed now was to maintain a stable mindset and plan slowly.

Thinking about it this way, he truly didn't have any urgent matters right now.

Perhaps he should spend today wandering around with Junko.

After all, a fighting force of Junko's caliber was rare and highly sought after.

She was also a great asset to him.

Spending some time was only right.

At this thought, Ryuzaki Shin, uncharacteristically, leaned closer to Junko's ear and whispered.

"Junko, let's go on a date today!"

Upon hearing this, Junko turned crimson from her toes to the top of her head... Late at night, Mount Akina.

At the foot of the mountain, two brightly colored sports cars were parked one after another by the roadside.

The doors of both cars opened almost simultaneously.

From a yellow Mazda RX-7, a man with dazzling yellow hair stepped out. This man was named Zhen Zhu.

Zhen Zhu

"Hey! Bernie! We're racing here tonight, what do you say?"

The door of the other yellow Toyota Supra also opened, and a young man in black and white casual clothes stepped out of the car.

This person was Bernie.

Bernie

"Heh heh... Zhen Zhu, you better think carefully. If you lose, you'll have to write all the lyrics for our Mighty Warriors' new song tonight."

Just then, an off-road motorcycle, with a roaring sound, stopped behind the two of them.

The rider slowly took off his helmet, revealing a well-defined, beautiful face with a hint of exotic charm.

Sara

"Ice said we're meeting here soon. Are you two still going to race here?"

Zhen Zhu glanced at the woman.

"Sara! Don't interfere! This kid here insists his skills are better than mine. Don't stop me, today I'm going to make him realize what a true 'God of Racing' is!"

Sara looked at the two childish men expressionlessly and said lazily.

Sara

"Don't flatter yourselves, I just want you two to hurry up, so Ice doesn't arrive and not see either of you."

Zhen Zhu and Bernie exchanged glances.

"Hey! Bernie! How about we race to see who gets to the top of the mountain first?"

Bernie's personality, relatively speaking, was a bit more steady.

"Shouldn't we send someone up to close off the mountain first? What if there are cars on the road?"

Zhen Zhu pouted and glanced at the watch on his wrist.

"It's already eleven at night. Who would be in a godforsaken place like Mount Akina? If you're scared, just admit defeat."

Bernie smiled and didn't respond further.

He turned around and got into his Supra.

Zhen Zhu also got back into his RX-7.

The engines of the two sports cars simultaneously let out an earth-shattering roar!

Then, like two arrows leaving the bowstring, they plunged into the dark Mount Akina road... Mount Akina, mountain peak.

"A-Zhen! Look! The stars in the sky are so bright!"

Junko and Ryuzaki Shin were sitting side by side on the grass at the top of the mountain.

Junko gently leaned her head on Ryuzaki Shin's shoulder, looking at the night sky dotted with stars.

During the day, Ryuzaki Shin had originally wanted to take Junko to the mall to buy some clothes or something.

After all, in his impression, didn't women all like to go shopping at malls?

But Junko was different.

Instead, she wanted Ryuzaki Shin to take her to an amusement park for a whole day.

After the two of them had tried all the rides at the amusement park.

At six in the evening, they went to a high-end French restaurant.

Then they went to see the latest romantic movie.

Ryuzaki Shin saw that it was already past ten at night and getting late, so he wanted to take Junko home.

But Junko said she wanted Ryuzaki Shin to take her to Mount Akina to see the stars.

Ryuzaki Shin thought about it; he had already spent a whole day with her, so a little more time wouldn't hurt.

So, he rode his motorcycle, taking Junko all the way to the top of Mount Akina.

Ryuzaki Shin glanced at the time; it was already past eleven at night.

It was late, and it was truly time to go back.

"Junko, are you cold?"

Ryuzaki Shin meant that it was late and they should leave.

But Junko seemed not to understand, and snuggled even closer into Ryuzaki Shin's embrace.

"Not cold, not cold! A-Zhen's embrace is so warm!"

Ryuzaki Shin: ...You really don't understand human language.

"Uh... Junko, it's getting late. I'll take you home first."

Upon hearing the words "go home," Junko suddenly let out a big sneeze.

Then, she looked up at Ryuzaki Shin with a pitiful expression.

"A-Zhen... I... I think I've caught a cold... Can you stay at my place tonight and take care of me?"

Ryuzaki Shin raised an eyebrow and looked at Junko.

Your calculations are practically bouncing off my face.

I think you're lusting after my body.

But it's better to agree to her for now.

Otherwise, judging by this situation, he definitely wouldn't be able to leave anytime soon.

"Uh... alright."

After hearing this, Junko sprang up from the grass in a flash.

"Then let's go, A-Zhen!"

Ryuzaki Shin shook his head helplessly, got up, and straddled his motorcycle, heading down the mountain... Ryuzaki Shin rode his motorcycle slowly along the dark mountain road.

Because the sky was too dark, and he had Junko on the back seat, his riding speed wasn't very fast.

Just then, Ryuzaki Shin heard the roar of an engine in the distance, and the piercing sound of tires rubbing against the ground.

Junko, on the back seat, spoke first.

"A-Zhen, it sounds like cars are coming up the mountain. Let's ride slower."

Ryuzaki Shin nodded and reduced his speed even further.

The sound of the sports cars grew closer.

Just at a bend ahead of Ryuzaki Shin, two dazzling headlights suddenly appeared!

Two sports cars, one after another, drifted through that bend at an extremely exaggerated angle!

Ryuzaki Shin immediately hugged the motorcycle tightly to the right side of the mountain road.

Logically, this distance should have allowed him to safely avoid the two cars.

Who knew that the trailing sports car, seeing a straight section ahead where it could overtake, suddenly swerved sharply, pulling out from the inside and moving into the downhill lane where Ryuzaki Shin was!

Because it was truly too dark, and the car was moving fast.

Bernie, in the sports car, still thought there was no one on the road.

By the time he noticed Ryuzaki Shin's motorcycle, it was already too late.

Even though he slammed on the brakes, the car couldn't stop at all!

With a loud "bang"!

The motorcycle and the two people on it were directly thrown backward by the impact!

At the exact moment the two cars were about to collide, Ryuzaki Shin didn't hesitate for a second. He immediately turned around, pulling Junko from the back seat tightly into his embrace.

No matter how strong Junko's body was, she was still flesh and blood, unlike him, Ryuzaki Shin, who possessed skin and bones as tough as bronze and iron.

Before either of them could think, a piercing metallic crash echoed, and they were both sent flying high into the air by the immense impact!

While airborne, Ryuzaki Shin forcefully twisted his body, positioning himself beneath Junko as a cushion.

With a resounding "boom!", they both crashed heavily onto the hard, rough asphalt road.

Ryuzaki Shin's back scraped violently against the ground.

His high-quality casual jacket was instantly torn to shreds.

His exposed skin was frantically abraded by the rough ground.

Sparks flew along their sliding trajectory!

Under the immense inertia, they slid forward for dozens of meters.

With a deafening "thud!", Ryuzaki Shin's back slammed heavily into the metal guardrail by the roadside.

The sturdy guardrail was deeply dented by the enormous impact.

However, they had finally come to a stop.

Junko's mind finally caught up at this moment.

She immediately struggled to climb out of Ryuzaki Shin's embrace.

When Junko saw Ryuzaki Shin's tattered clothes, tears instantly welled up.

She hugged Ryuzaki Shin tightly, shaking him desperately and crying out, "A-Zhen! A-Zhen, are you okay! Wake up!"

...Meanwhile, after Bernie's car collided with Ryuzaki Shin's motorcycle, his sports car's airbags immediately deployed.

The car spun in place once, then slowly came to a stop.

He pushed open the car door and stepped out of the sports car.

Zhen Zhu also got out of the car with him.

Bernie walked to the front of his car, glanced at the severely deformed front bumper and the shattered headlights, and said with a pained expression, "Ugh… what rotten luck! I only bought this car a month ago, and it's already like this. Looks like I'll have to pull off another big job to get a new one."

Zhen Zhu, however, lit a cigarette nonchalantly.

"Alright, stop complaining. Come on, let's go see who we hit. I wonder if they're dead? If they're not dead, we can still get some money from them. If they're dead… then it's just our bad luck."

There was not a hint of concern in their tones about having just hit someone.

Their words were filled with indifference and disdain for life.

Then, while smoking, the two of them slowly walked along the long, shocking skid marks on the ground towards Ryuzaki Shin and Junko… Ryuzaki Shin was shaken twice by Junko and slowly opened his eyes.

He shook his somewhat groggy head and felt fine.

To be honest, it was just the violent impact that had slightly dislodged his internal organs, causing his qi and blood to surge intensely.

Otherwise, he was fine.

Ryuzaki Shin couldn't help but secretly congratulate himself.

Fortunately, most of his previous choices had prioritized improving his physical fitness.

Today was truly an unexpected disaster.

How does that saying go?

Accident and tomorrow, you never know which will come first.

If he hadn't been tough enough today, he probably would have really kicked the bucket here.

Ryuzaki Shin took two deep breaths, looking at Junko, who was crying heartbrokenly in his arms.

"Junko, don't cry, don't cry. I'm fine."

Upon hearing his voice, Junko first brightened, but then immediately cried even harder.

She had heard people say that before dying, there would be a brief moment of lucidity.

How could A-Zhen be fine after suffering such severe injuries?

He must have known he wouldn't live long, which was why he said that.

Ryuzaki Shin was speechless.

I told you I'm fine, why are you still wailing?

He stood up from the ground.

"See, I'm really fine. My clothes are just a bit torn."

Junko stared blankly at Ryuzaki Shin, who, apart from his tattered clothes, indeed seemed to be fine.

She cautiously reached out and poked his arm.

"Are you… really okay? Then… let me touch you?"

...Ryuzaki Shin couldn't be bothered to waste any more words with Junko.

The real matter at hand was to find out which inconsiderate idiot was driving like that on a mountain road late at night.

Just by looking, the other party was driving two expensive sports cars.

Damn it, I'll make sure to get every last penny out of you today!

Before Ryuzaki Shin could go and settle the score with them, two people had already walked up to him and Junko.

Zhen Zhu sized up the shabbily dressed Ryuzaki Shin, a hint of playful mockery in her tone.

"Oh, this kid's pretty good. Flew so far and still not dead. Quite resilient, huh?"

Bernie chimed in, "It's good he's not dead. If he really got killed, then we'd just have to take the loss today."

"Alright, no more nonsense with you guys. Kid, come with us now. Look what your crappy motorcycle did to my car. Let's have a good chat about compensation."

These words made Ryuzaki Shin a bit dizzy.

What the hell?

From what these two were saying, it sounded like not only did they not kill me, but I also have to pay them compensation, is that right?

Heh heh.

It had been a long time since he'd encountered such arrogant people.

Faced with such individuals, Ryuzaki Shin was actually amused to the point of laughter.

"Are you two implying… that you hit me, and I still have to pay you?"

Upon hearing Ryuzaki Shin's words, the smile on Zhen Zhu's face vanished instantly.

"Otherwise? Are you… unwilling to pay?"

Bernie also stepped forward.

"Kid, I advise you to think carefully. It's late at night, in the wilderness, with no surveillance. If something bad were to happen, who would ever know?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than—

"Slap!"

A crisp, clear slap resounded, landing squarely on Bernie's face!

Bernie's head was violently jerked sideways by the slap.

A clear five-finger mark instantly appeared on his face, rapidly swelling before their eyes.

Bernie stumbled twice, his ears ringing and his mind a bit dazed.

Then he felt something foreign in his mouth.

He spat out a mouthful of blood-tinged saliva, seeing a blood-streaked, pearly white tooth on the ground.

Bernie turned his face, glaring fiercely at the young man before him.

Ryuzaki Shin was slowly flexing his wrist.

"My apologies, I just can't control my hands. Whenever I see something in my way that doesn't know its place, I can't help but want to slap it a couple of times."

Zhen Zhu instantly flew into a rage upon seeing her companion being hit.

"Kid! You're looking for death!"

Junko's delicate brows furrowed slightly. She took two steps forward, her icy gaze fixed directly on Bernie and Zhen Zhu opposite her.

"You're the ones looking for death! How dare you hurt my man? I won't let you off today!"

Bernie heard a woman dare to speak to them in such a tone, as if he had heard the funniest joke of the century, and immediately burst into an unrestrained, wild laugh.

"Hahahaha! Zhen Zhu! We just returned to Sakura not long ago. I didn't expect the women of Sakura to be so... so spunky?"

Zhen Zhu didn't laugh. He merely glanced disdainfully at Ryuzaki Shin, who was shielded behind Junko, his contempt undisguised.

"This man seems to be a useless coward who only hides behind women."

Ryuzaki Shin made no response. He simply reached out, gently pulling Junko behind him, blocking the other party's aggressive gaze.

The sky was really too dark, with only a faint glimmer of light from distant car headlights. The light scattered unevenly on the ground, making it impossible for Ryuzaki Shin to clearly see the specific faces of the two people opposite him, so he couldn't determine their identities.

However, the two of them were definitely not to be trifled with.

His slap just now held no restraint. The power contained in that single slap was enough to knock out an ordinary adult strong man on the spot.

Yet, this guy named Bernie, after taking such a heavy blow, was still able to stand and speak perfectly fine, aside from a clear handprint on his face. This was enough to prove that his physical fitness far exceeded that of an ordinary person.

But no matter how strong he was, if Junko were to act, she could easily slaughter these two.

Ryuzaki Shin knew this, but he didn't like women fighting his battles. That was his principle.

A man's affairs should be resolved by a man himself.

"Alright, stop talking nonsense." Ryuzaki Shin rotated his neck, producing a series of faint bone cracks. He looked at the two people who had taken up their stances in front of him and said flatly, "You two come at me together. I'm in a hurry."

At these words, Zhen Zhu's lips curled into a cruel, cold smile.

He said no more, suddenly exerting force with his feet. His entire body shot forward like a cannonball, instantly charging towards Ryuzaki Shin.

His movements were so fast that they almost created an afterimage in the dim light.

Whoosh!

The wind howled as an extremely fierce straight punch, carrying a strong gust of wind, went straight for Ryuzaki Shin's face.

Ryuzaki Shin stood his ground. Facing a punch that could shatter a person's jawbone, he only tilted his head slightly to the right at the instant the punch was about to touch his nose.

The fist grazed his cheek, the sharp wind from the punch ruffled the stray hairs on his forehead, but it didn't harm him in the slightest.

Zhen Zhu's eyes narrowed. Missing his first strike, his offensive didn't stop at all.

His outstretched right fist hadn't yet been retracted when his left fist, coming from below, transformed into an even more tricky and vicious uppercut, slamming fiercely towards Ryuzaki Shin's jaw.

This move was fluid and swift, with a treacherous angle that ordinary people couldn't react to.

Ryuzaki Shin, however, seemed to know in advance, leaning his upper body back, once again allowing the potentially fatal punch to graze past his chin.

With two consecutive misses, an alarm bell rang in Zhen Zhu's heart. He unleashed all his strength without hesitation, forcefully retracting his right arm and bringing it out simultaneously with his left, delivering a powerful double ear clap aimed fiercely at both of Ryuzaki Shin's temples!

This strike had a massive coverage area, blocking all angles of evasion, determined to decide the victor in one blow!

However, this time Ryuzaki Shin no longer dodged.

He seized the moment when Zhen Zhu's old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet emerged. Instead of retreating, he advanced, stomping his right foot forward, lowering his center of gravity, and unleashing his right fist like a cannonball from his waist, colliding fiercely with Zhen Zhu's incoming right fist in mid-air!

"Crack!"

An incredibly crisp sound of bone dislocation suddenly rang out in the quiet night, so piercing it made one's scalp tingle.

Zhen Zhu let out a suppressed groan of pain, his entire body retreating several steps.

His right arm, which had collided with Ryuzaki Shin, was now bent backward at a strange angle, the elbow joint completely dislocated, hanging limply at his side.

In just one head-on clash, the superiority was immediately clear!

At the exact moment Zhen Zhu was repelled, Bernie moved!

He seemed to have anticipated this timing, seamlessly filling the gap left by Zhen Zhu's retreat.

He leaped high into the air, delivering a kick to the side, swift as lightning, accompanied by a sharp tearing sound, aiming directly for Ryuzaki Shin's vulnerable waist and ribs.

Ryuzaki Shin had just repelled Zhen Zhu with a punch. Facing Bernie's sudden kick, he lowered his left arm, blocking precisely at his waist.

"Thud!"

A dull thud sounded. Ryuzaki Shin's body remained still, but Bernie felt as if he had kicked a solid iron pillar, and a huge recoil force shot up from his foot.

His kick was blocked, but he forcibly twisted his body in mid-air, using this twisting force to transform his other leg into a sharp black blur, sweeping fiercely across the ground towards Ryuzaki Shin's lower body.

This sweeping kick was both fast and vicious. If it connected, it would at least break bones, and at worst, cause crippling injury.

Ryuzaki Shin stomped his single foot hard on the ground, his entire body lightly leaping half a meter backward, effortlessly avoiding the treacherous kick.

Bernie's two consecutive attacks were fruitless, and a ferocious look appeared on his face.

Using the momentum of his landing, he twisted his body again, raising his entire right leg high, swinging it in a semicircle, transforming it into a powerful axe kick, slamming down fiercely towards the crown of Ryuzaki Shin's head!

If this kick landed, let alone a person, even a stone slab would be split open!

Facing this mountain-crushing blow, a cold glint flashed in Ryuzaki Shin's eyes. He showed no intention of retreating, suddenly raising his right leg, using his knee as a blade, and without dodging, he directly met Bernie's descending heel.

"Thud!"

Another heavy impact sound!

This time, Bernie let out a sharp, painful groan. He felt as if his heel had struck a red-hot steel plate, and an excruciating pain instantly spread throughout his body.

After landing, he couldn't stand steadily, hopping on one foot while clutching his calf, uncontrollably letting out "hissing" gasps, his forehead instantly covered in cold sweat.

"Pain! Pain, pain, pain! Damn it, is it made of iron...?"

Just then, Zhen Zhu, who was standing nearby, suddenly gritted his teeth, grabbed his dislocated right arm with his left hand, and abruptly pulled and twisted it back into place.

"Click!"

A soft sound of bone resetting.

He actually reset his dislocated arm without changing his expression!

Zhen Zhu flexed his still somewhat numb right hand, looking at Ryuzaki Shin with an extremely grave expression, and said in a deep voice, "Bernie, he's a tough opponent. Let's go at him together."

Bernie also stopped hopping. He put his leg down. Although he still limped a bit, the fighting spirit in his eyes grew even stronger.

The two of them, one in front and one behind, subtly flanked Ryuzaki Shin.

They held their arms in front of them, bent their knees, lowered their waists, and moved with agile footwork.

At this moment, all traces of their previous contempt and mockery had vanished, replaced by a chilling murderous intent.

Ryuzaki Shin looked at their battle-ready posture and smiled.

Through that brief round of probing, he had completely figured out the two of them.

Strength, speed, reaction—overall, they were merely at the level of the Five Greats.

Ryuzaki Shin looked at the two of them, extended his right hand, and slowly beckoned with his fingers.

"The farce, it's time to end it..."

——————

Next, I'll discuss combat power here.

Emphasis: The division of combat power in High & Low is difficult to satisfy everyone, as each person has different combat power values for different characters. Please do not argue about combat power rankings.

The author also needs to consider the excitement of the novel when dividing combat power, so please don't take this ranking too seriously.

There are also strengths and weaknesses within the same level, but this will be reflected in the plot, not discussed in the ranking.

Combat Power Division (only characters who have appeared are listed below).

[Above Legend]: Amamiya Sonryu (not yet appeared), Junko

[Legendary Level]: Ryuzaki Shin (currently), (there are many others at this level, but they are not listed one by one as they haven't appeared yet; they will be revealed as the plot unfolds).

[Super Five Greats Level]: Murayama (after being taught by Ryuzaki Shin, he should originally be at the Five Greats Level)

[Five Greats Level]: Loki, Cobra, Smoky, Hyuga Kiku, Homer Yosuke

[Quasi-Five Greats Level]: Yamato, Koo (and many others, but not listed, as these people have little impact on the plot).

Additionally, the foot soldiers of each faction also have varying strengths and weaknesses, which will be reflected in the plot later.

Emphasizing again, the ranking is primarily to serve the plot. It's impossible to satisfy everyone regarding how strong certain characters are, so there's no need to argue. The combat power ranking designed by the author, while generally accurate, will always prioritize serving the plot. Thank you for your understanding.

Thank you to the readers who click to urge updates every day, letting me know that people are still reading.

I wish everyone a happy life.

(Two more chapters will be released later)

As Ryuzaki Shin's words fell, the temperature in the air seemed to drop even further.

Zhen Zhu and Bernie exchanged a look, their years of unspoken understanding on full display at this moment.

Without needing to say more, both of them moved simultaneously!

Bernie sank his body, his right leg like a steel whip, sweeping low along the rough concrete ground, tracing a tricky arc as it viciously aimed for Ryuzaki Shin's ankle.

This leg sweep was both fast and fierce, intended to disrupt Ryuzaki Shin's lower body balance.

Almost at the same time, Zhen Zhu's body shot out like an arrow from a bowstring.

He didn't move in a straight line, but instead cut in with an unusual sidestep, his five fingers pressed together like a blade, aiming directly for Ryuzaki Shin's throat, a vital point that would inevitably be exposed when responding to the leg sweep!

One high, one low, one overt, one covert, their coordination was seamless!

Any other master, facing this kind of three-dimensional pincer attack that blocked all escape routes, would have no choice but to retreat and parry.

However, Ryuzaki Shin seemed not to notice the deadly attack.

Facing Bernie's leg sweep, which was powerful enough to break a shin bone, he merely casually lifted his left foot and lightly tapped the other party's fiercely approaching ankle with his toes.

This tap seemed understated, yet it contained a subtle force.

Bernie felt a sharp sting from his ankle; the power in his entire leg was instantly completely neutralized, his subsequent burst of strength immediately stalled, and his originally fierce offensive was abruptly halted midway.

It was this momentary pause!

Ryuzaki Shin's body shifted slightly, and Zhen Zhu's deadly hand-blade grazed his shoulder, cutting through the air, the fierce gust of wind not even stirring his clothes.

Their first move missed, and both were startled.

How was that possible?

Their proud combined attack had been defused so effortlessly by the opponent?

Before they could recover from their shock, the second wave of attacks arrived one after another!

Bernie endured the sharp pain in his ankle, twisting his body sharply in place, and using the force of this rotation, his left elbow slammed viciously towards Ryuzaki Shin's back!

Zhen Zhu, meanwhile, ducked down, hands on the ground, and his legs coiled around Ryuzaki Shin's legs, intending to trip him to the ground!

This time, their coordination was even more perilous, leaving Ryuzaki Shin almost no space to dodge.

Ryuzaki Shin, however, curled his lips into a cold smile.

He no longer dodged, but instead, with a speed that anticipated and surpassed, he suddenly turned, his left arm like an iron gate precisely blocking Bernie's incoming elbow strike.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud sounded, and Bernie felt as if he had struck a steel plate, his entire arm going numb.

At the same time, Ryuzaki Shin's right leg had already shot up like lightning, his toes kicking with pinpoint accuracy at the ankle joint of Zhen Zhu's coiling leg.

"Crack!"

Another crisp sound, Zhen Zhu groaned, feeling a tearing pain in his ankle, and he instantly lost his balance.

Their second combined attack was once again broken by Ryuzaki Shin in the simplest, most direct way.

At this moment, a chill simultaneously surged through Bernie and Zhen Zhu's hearts.

This man's reactions and strength completely exceeded their expectations.

Their proud, unspoken coordination was like a child's playfight in front of him.

"It's over."

Ryuzaki Shin's icy voice sounded; his body, in the instant he parried their attacks, had already moved close to Bernie.

Jeet Kune Do, one-inch punch!

Ryuzaki Shin's right fist had almost no wind-up motion; merely three inches from Bernie's chest, his wrist suddenly flicked, and a force condensed to its extreme instantly erupted!

"Thump!"

The sound of this punch was not loud, even somewhat muffled, but the effect it caused was terrifying!

Bernie's chest visibly caved inward, and he didn't even have time to let out a scream before his feet left the ground, and he flew backward!

A mouthful of fresh blood gushed from his mouth, spraying a mist of blood into the dim night sky.

While sending Bernie flying, Ryuzaki Shin's body didn't pause for a moment; using his left foot as an axis, his right leg suddenly lifted, delivering a swift and powerful side kick, viciously striking Zhen Zhu's knee, who had just managed to regain his footing.

"Crunch!"

This time, it was the sound of bones completely shattering!

Zhen Zhu let out a desperate scream; his right knee was bent in a horrifying reverse angle, and even white bone fragments pierced through his pants and flesh, exposed to the air.

The intense pain instantly drained him of all strength, and his body uncontrollably flew backward.

"Boom!" "Boom!"

Bernie and Zhen Zhu's bodies, one after the other, slammed heavily onto the front of the severely damaged sports car nearby, sliding out two long bloody streaks on the hard concrete ground before finally coming to a stop.

Bernie lay on the ground, his chest heaving violently, each breath accompanied by a large amount of bloody foam gushing from his mouth and nose.

Zhen Zhu was even more miserable; he clutched his disfigured right leg, his body writhing in agony on the ground, veins bulging on his forehead, cold sweat instantly soaking his clothes, the intense pain leaving him without even the strength to scream.

Just as the two struggled, trying to use their remaining strength to stand up, a leisurely footsteps approached.

Ryuzaki Shin walked in front of them.

He bent down, without the slightest pity, and grabbed both of their hair, forcibly dragging them out of the pool of blood.

The agonizing pain of their scalps being torn made them groan in agony, but they had no strength to resist.

"Just now, weren't you very arrogant?"

Ryuzaki Shin's lips curled into an extremely cruel smile, a smile that appeared particularly vicious under the car's headlights.

He didn't give them another chance to speak, placing his hands on the back of Bernie's and Zhen Zhu's heads respectively, then unhesitatingly, viciously slammed them into the deformed hood of the sports car in front of them!

"Bang!"

The first hit!

The car hood violently shook from the impact, emitting a dull thud, and both their foreheads instantly split open, blood streaming down their faces.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Ryuzaki Shin was like a tireless machine, his arms a blur, madly smashing their heads against the cold metal again and again.

Each impact was accompanied by the sickening sound of bones shattering and the muffled thud of metal deforming.

Two deep dents were smashed into the car hood, and bright red blood splattered everywhere, staining the entire front of the car a shocking red.

At first, Bernie and Zhen Zhu struggled desperately, kicking their legs wildly, clawing frantically with their hands, trying to break free from this hellish grip.

But Ryuzaki Shin's arms were like iron clamps, unmoving.

Gradually, their struggles grew weaker, from violent twisting to slight twitching, and finally, even the twitching stopped.

Their bodies completely went limp, hanging limply.

Seeing the two motionless, the anger in Ryuzaki Shin's chest finally dissipated.

He casually flung their two limp bodies onto the hood of the sports car.

Under the car lights, Ryuzaki Shin wanted to see who these two were.

Their faces were already a bloody mess, their features twisted and deformed, making them unrecognizable.

However, as the light swept over Bernie's tattered jacket, Ryuzaki Shin suddenly saw a special emblem.

His pupils sharply contracted.

Century Warriors!

This organization... had they already arrived?

Information about this organization instantly flashed through Ryuzaki Shin's mind.

Century Warriors.

They were not one of the five major organizations in the S.W.O.R.D. Area; these people were originally mercenaries operating abroad, and after returning to Sakura, they operated in the Wangan area, a mercenary group closely linked by music and fashion.

On weekdays, they stole dirty money from criminals to use as their reserve funds.

Does this mean they are good people?

Absolutely not.

It just meant it was a faster way to make money.

Their core philosophy was "creating an ideal land" and "everything can be bought with money."

The Century Warriors' "ideal land" was a paradise exclusively for them, the "failures" rejected by society.

Here, money, music, and talent were the only passes.

They despised "free" things like friendship and bonds, believing them to be vulnerable in the face of absolute power and money.

At the same time, the Century Warriors had no moral bottom line and were bound by no rules.

Whoever offered the highest price, they would work for them.

If it was just this, Ryuzaki Shin wouldn't need to be too wary.

However, the Century Warriors' strongest combat force was their leader—Ice, who possessed legendary combat power.

Moreover, these people operated in the Wangan area, which happened to be Iemura-kai's territory, so could these two forces have already colluded?

Ryuzaki Shin had originally thought that having resolved most of the recent troubles, he might be able to relax for a while.

But the appearance of the Century Warriors made him feel a hint of impending storm again, and the future was full of unpredictability.

Thinking of this, Ryuzaki Shin looked back at his motorcycle, which was almost totaled from the crash.

It was so late now, he should go back first, and have Kirisawa Jin investigate thoroughly tomorrow.

He cast his gaze towards the only undamaged sports car on the scene—a Mazda RX-7.

This would be his compensation.

Getting a sports car for free wasn't bad.

He waved to Junko, who was still standing in the distance, a relaxed smile reappearing on his face.

"Junko, come, we have a new car."

Seeing that the fight was over, Junko immediately happily skipped over, intimately linking her arm with Ryuzaki Shin's, curiously examining the sports car.

She was quite oblivious, not feeling the slightest discomfort.

After all, he was her man, and whatever he did was right.

The two got into the car.

Ryuzaki Shin started the engine, and with a pleasant roar, the sports car carved a graceful arc and sped away.

Zhen Zhu, lying on the hood of the car, still had a faint trace of consciousness at this moment.

He watched his beloved car being driven away, becoming an increasingly small speck of light in the darkness, and with difficulty, squeezed out two words from his throat.

"Bas... tard..."

Immediately, another mouthful of blood gushed out, his head lolled to the side, and he completely lost consciousness.

Beep beep beep... Sorry, the number you dialed is temporarily unavailable..."

A cold, electronic female voice came from the receiver.

Slam!

Sara slammed down the phone, her slender fingers almost crushing the motorcycle's handlebars.

Sara

She irritably ran her fingers through her hair, cursing impatiently.

"Fuck, Stupid Boys!"

Sara waited at the foot of the mountain for a while, but Bernie and Zhen Zhu were still nowhere to be seen, and an ominous premonition spread through her heart.

Sara

She tried calling them both, but after several attempts, the only sound from the receiver was that damned, unanswered tone.

Something was wrong.

Sara no longer hesitated, she straddled her off-road motorcycle, twisted the key, and with a dull roar, started the engine, preparing to go up the mountain to investigate.

Sara

Just as she was about to twist the throttle, a dazzling beam of light suddenly appeared on the road at the foot of the mountain, followed by the roar of a sports car's engine, tearing through the quiet night, growing louder as it approached.

Sara instinctively released the throttle, turning off the engine she had just started.

Was it Zhen Zhu and Bernie coming down?

She turned sideways, her gaze directed towards the source of the sound.

However, the Mazda RX-7 showed no signs of slowing down, roaring past Sara, the strong wind it kicked up disheveling her hair.

Due to the late hour and Sara being parked in the shadows where the streetlights couldn't reach, Ryuzaki Shin, speeding by, didn't notice the woman hidden in the darkness.

But Sara clearly saw the profile of the man in the driver's seat.

It definitely wasn't the Bernie she knew, and certainly not Zhen Zhu!

What was going on?!

Why was he driving Zhen Zhu's sports car?!

Sara's mind went blank for a moment, then a strong sense of crisis surged through her.

Her first reaction was to immediately restart the engine and chase after him!

But this thought only flickered in her mind for a second before she forcibly suppressed it.

Chasing now was pointless; the other car was too fast, and its driver was unknown.

The priority was to go up the mountain and see what had happened to those two foolish men.

Sara took a deep breath, restarted her motorcycle, and this time, she twisted the throttle, speeding up the dark mountain road... on the way to send Junko back to Sannoh Street.

The sports car drove smoothly on the road, and the atmosphere inside the car gradually eased.

Junko had recovered from the excitement and tension brought by the bloody conflict, and a hint of worry appeared on her pretty face as she watched the night scenery flash by outside the window.

"A-Zhen, are we just leaving those two people there? What if... what if the police find them, will it cause trouble?"

Ryuzaki Shin held the steering wheel with one hand and casually rested the other on the car window, chuckling at her words, saying with certainty.

"Junko, don't worry, those two are too busy avoiding the police."

That was the truth.

The Century Warriors had too many illicit deeds on them.

Not to mention the things they committed as mercenaries abroad, just their return to Sakura this time was through illegal smuggling channels, and they still didn't have legal identities.

How could such a group of rats who couldn't see the light of day actively seek out the police?

If the police came knocking, they'd be running for their lives.

Hearing Ryuzaki Shin's words, Junko's worries instantly vanished.

If he said it was fine, then it must be fine.

With her mind at ease, Junko returned to her usual lively and curious self.

Like a child seeing a new toy for the first time, she touched and looked around the car, her big eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Wow! A-Zhen, what is this round dial for? The needle is turning so fast!"

"A-Zhen, A-Zhen, what about this red button? What happens if I press it? Will the car fly?"

"And this, this leather seat is so comfortable, even softer than the sofa at home..."

Facing Junko's string of questions, Ryuzaki Shin showed no impatience, patiently answering each one with a gentle tone.

This sweet atmosphere fermented within the small car cabin, dispelling all the previous blood and slaughter.

Ryuzaki Shin felt that Junko really seemed to like this sports car.

He suddenly spoke, "Junko, I see you like it a lot, why don't I just give you this sports car?"

For such flashy things, Ryuzaki Shin was actually no longer very interested.

This thing had a low chassis, poor passability, and an overly ostentatious appearance, which didn't suit his current status.

As the leader of the True Dragon Society, he still preferred the low-key, steady, yet imposing style of a Toyota Century.

Hearing Ryuzaki Shin's words, Junko was stunned, her small hands nervously waving, her face flushing with urgency.

"Ah! No, no! I can't take it! It's too valuable... And, and it's someone else's car..."

Ryuzaki Shin caught a glimpse of Junko's adorable, flustered look out of the corner of his eye, and for no reason, he remembered how she had cried earlier on the mountaintop out of worry for him, and the softest part of his heart was touched.

"Junko, this car isn't much to me." Ryuzaki Shin said in a deliberately nonchalant tone, "If you don't like it, then I'll just give it to someone else later."

Upon hearing this, Junko immediately became anxious, her voice rising several octaves.

"No, no! How can such a good car be given away so casually!"

Ryuzaki Shin looked at her anxious expression, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, and said with a hint of playfulness.

"Then what can I do if my woman doesn't want it?"

As soon as the words left his lips, Junko's eyes instantly widened, as if she had heard something incredible.

Wait... what did A-Zhen just say?

My woman... was he talking about me?

A rush of heat suddenly flooded Junko's cheeks, turning red from her neck all the way to her earlobes, her whole body like a cooked shrimp, unable to even speak.

After he finished speaking, an unusual silence fell over the car, broken only by the roar of the engine and the wind outside the window.

After an unknown amount of time, the sports car slowly stopped downstairs at Junko's house.

"Hey, hey, hey, Junko, we're home."

Ryuzaki Shin's voice broke the silence.

Junko then came to her senses, responding somewhat bashfully, "Oh, oh, oh, are we here? How... how did we get here so fast?"

Ryuzaki Shin looked at her adorable, dazed expression, secretly chuckling to himself.

This woman, aside from being a bit infatuated at times—of course, only with him—really had no other flaws.

Ryuzaki Shin naturally felt Junko's feelings.

If he pretended to be clueless now, he wouldn't be much of a man.

He unbuckled his seatbelt, turned sideways, and proactively said to Junko, "Junko, it's too late today, can I... stay at your place for the night?"

...Click.

The door to Junko's house opened.

At this moment, Junko's mind was still buzzing.

A-Zhen wants to stay at my house for the night... then... then does that mean tonight we're going to... happiness came too suddenly, I'm not even ready yet... While Junko's mind was racing with all sorts of scenarios playing out, Ryuzaki Shin had already followed her into the room.

He closed the door behind him, and the sound of the lock clicking echoed clearly in the silent room.

Before Junko could react, Ryuzaki Shin reached out, pulled her to him, and held her tightly in his arms.

He lowered his head, lifted Junko's delicate chin, looked at her eyelashes trembling slightly from nervousness, and kissed her without hesitation.

Mmm!

Junko's eyes first widened in surprise, then, as if resigned to fate, or perhaps as if long-awaited, she slowly closed her eyes, responding awkwardly yet passionately.

Their lips and tongues intertwined, and the temperature in the room instantly rose.

One of Ryuzaki Shin's hands began to wander, secretly slipping under the hem of Junko's clothes, caressing her smooth, soft skin.

Junko's body stiffened slightly as she felt the burning warmth of Ryuzaki Shin's palm, and she let out a faint whimper.

But she didn't resist, only held Ryuzaki Shin tighter, as if wanting to melt into his body.

Gradually, Junko's body slowly softened, turning into a pool of spring water, collapsing into Ryuzaki Shin's embrace.

By the time they rolled onto the bed, their clothes had already been shed at some unknown point.

Junko lay on the bed, meeting Ryuzaki Shin's aggressive gaze without shyness, her voice trembling slightly.

"A-Zhen, take me..."

...Mount Akina, halfway up the mountain.

Next to the battered sports car.

Ice — Leader of the Century Warriors

A dark-skinned man with striking yellow hair, wearing a loose hip-hop style jacket, was squatting on the ground, checking on Bernie and Zhen Zhu's injuries.

Ice

"Bro, you really got messed up."

Sara stood to the side, looking at the man, and said with a solemn expression.

"Ice, could this be some organization deliberately retaliating against us?"

The man called Ice slowly stood up. He didn't even turn to look at Sara, just extended a finger and gently shook it.

"No, no, no, Sara." He drew out his words, "None of that matters. What matters is... we will definitely find him."

No, no, I don't want any more, stop!"

Ryuzaki Shin panted, using his last ounce of strength to push away the soft body that was trying to climb onto him again.

He never thought that one day the words "no" would come out of his mouth.

But this woman was practically inhuman, tireless as if she had a perpetual motion machine.

Junko lay on her side in Ryuzaki Shin's arms, her disheveled hair spread across the pillow. She looked up with a flushed, pretty face, her large, watery eyes showing a hint of lingering desire and a touch of slyness.

"A-Zhen, just one last time..."

Ryuzaki Shin rolled his eyes at her words, mercilessly exposing her lie.

"No! You've been saying that since three in the morning, several times over. I don't believe your nonsense! It's almost five now, go to sleep!"

...The next day, noon, downstairs from Junko's house.

The sun was bright, and the air carried a hint of laziness.

Zhi and Oshiage stood around the eye-catching Mazda RX-7 sports car, marveling at it, their eyes filled with envy.

"Wow, Junko! Is this car really a gift from A-Zhen?"

"This car looks so cool! The lines, the headlights, it's just too handsome!"

Junko leaned lazily against the sports car's door. Today, her complexion was rosy, and there was an indescribable charm in her eyes and brows, exuding the mature allure of a girl who had transformed into a woman.

"Oh, I told him I didn't want it," Junko said, feigning helplessness as she brushed her long hair, but her tone was full of unconcealed pride, "but A-Zhen insisted on giving it to me. Oh well, if you guys want to go anywhere in the future, just find me anytime, and I'll take you for a drive."

Nikka crossed her arms and scrutinized Junko, a hint of mischief in her gaze.

"Speaking of which, do you have a driver's license?"

Junko raised an eyebrow triumphantly.

Of course she had a driver's license; a sports car didn't require any special license. As long as someone showed her the ropes, she could handle it immediately.

Just then, Zhi, on the side, curved her lips into a mischievous smile, leaned over, and giggled.

"Junko definitely knows how to drive! Didn't A-Zhen 'teach' her all night yesterday? That 'driving' sound, tsk tsk tsk, it didn't stop until almost dawn."

The Bishoujo Gokurakutou sisters all rented apartments in the same building, very close to each other.

Of course, they heard certain indescribable sounds clearly last night.

And now, seeing Junko's rosy and radiant face, they weren't naive young girls who didn't understand what had happened.

Junko showed no shyness in front of her sisters.

She puffed out her chest, a hint of pride on her face.

"What? Envious? Jealous? Let me tell you, I am now a true woman."

As the girls were laughing and joking, a familiar voice came from nearby.

"What are you all chatting about? So lively."

When Junko heard Ryuzaki Shin's voice, her triumph and pride instantly vanished, replaced by the shy demeanor of a small bird clinging to its mate.

She lifted her skirt and, like a happy butterfly, ran into Ryuzaki Shin's arms.

Ryuzaki Shin smiled and naturally reached out, gently embracing Junko's slender waist.

"Junko, I'll have someone come over in a bit. He'll take you to transfer the car's ownership and also change its paint job to your favorite color."

Since this car was stolen, its origin was illicit. Driving it so openly on the road would eventually cause trouble.

So he had just called Kirisawa Jin, asking him to contact people in the black market.

The black market had all sorts of talent. As long as you paid enough, they could clean the car's identity in minutes, making it a legal vehicle completely belonging to Junko.

Junko's eyes instantly lit up at his words.

She actually didn't like the car's original color at all. If it could be painted a fiery red, and then have their Bishoujo Gokurakutou logo printed on the body, that would be incredibly cool!

Ryuzaki Shin watched Junko's excited expression, then chatted and joked with Zhi and the others for a while.

The girls of Bishoujo Gokurakutou didn't have any particular opinion about Ryuzaki Shin being the leader of the True Dragon Society.

After all, A-Zhen treated them very well. Ever since he took over this district, the whole place had improved, and they even had their own small shop and stable income. They were too grateful to Ryuzaki Shin to feel otherwise.

About ten minutes later, the roar of an engine grew from a distance.

Kirisawa Jin, riding a brand new harley Davidson, stopped in front of Ryuzaki Shin.

He dismounted cleanly, hung his helmet on the handlebars, then walked with steady steps respectfully to Ryuzaki Shin, presenting a key with both hands.

"Boss, the car you wanted."

Since the motorcycle was broken yesterday, Ryuzaki Shin had told Kirisawa Jin to get a new one.

Anyway, this month was almost over, so he could just get a new car with Asuka after receiving his share of the profits.

Ryuzaki Shin took the key, then pulled Kirisawa Jin aside.

Calling him over today wasn't just about the small matters of transferring ownership and delivering the car.

The appearance of the Century Warriors yesterday forced him to make some preparations in advance.

It wasn't that he was afraid of the Century Warriors.

That guy named Ice, even if he truly possessed legendary combat power, should still be a bit weaker compared to him.

However, the upcoming battles would likely not be as simple as the minor skirmishes with the five organizations of S.W.O.R.D.

The level of conflict was about to escalate to true gang warfare.

This wasn't some boxing match where opponents would politely send someone to the ring for a one-on-one duel.

The other side was a mercenary group, acting without any bottom line, willing to use any means to achieve their goals, caring only about the result, not the process.

Individual martial prowess had too little impact in this level of conflict.

Amamiya Sonryu, as a combatant beyond legend, wasn't he still killed by a few bullets later on?

Thinking of Sonryu... Ryuzaki Shin wondered if there would be an opportunity in the future to save that man and recruit him, making him a major force for himself.

However, this thought was only fleeting; this matter could be pursued later, there was no rush now.

Ryuzaki Shin collected his thoughts, looked at the respectful Kirisawa Jin in front of him, and ordered in a deep voice.

"First, take Junko to handle the important business, and then, immediately investigate a few things."

"First, an organization called 'Century Warriors' has appeared in the Bayshore Area. Go investigate their specific movements and see who they've been in contact with recently."

"Second, I need you to find the location of one person, and that is the former leader of MUGEN—Kohaku!"

Amber... hearing this name, Kirisawa Jin's face showed no hint of confusion.

As a Dragon General responsible for intelligence work in the True Dragon Society, he had long understood all the former prominent figures and various rumors in this area.

Amber, the undisputed king of the original MUGEN, the man who once led MUGEN to unify the entire S.W.O.R.D. Area.

However, after the battle with the Amamiya Brothers, the once flourishing MUGEN announced its disbandment.

There had always been rumors that the two Amamiya Brothers had defeated the entire MUGEN by themselves.

But in reality, it was only after Kirisawa Jin delved deeper that he discovered the truth was not so.

The Amamiya Brothers' combat power was indeed ridiculously strong; being able to fight the then-dominant MUGEN to a draw with just two people was a miracle in itself.

However, the battle between them and Amber never truly determined a winner.

After all, when combat power reaches a legendary level, the advantage in numbers essentially loses its meaning.

A legendary figure could probably take on a hundred or so cannon fodder without even breaking a sweat.

So, although he didn't know why the Amamiya Brothers opposed MUGEN back then, the essence of that battle was actually a personal duel between the Amamiya Brothers and Amber.

The final result was merely a draw.

What he learned was that after Amber's battle with the Amamiya Brothers, some unknown change seemed to have occurred; he personally disbanded the MUGEN he had founded, and from then on, he disappeared without a trace, never to be seen again.

Thinking of this, Kirisawa Jin's face couldn't help but reveal a hint of difficulty.

"Boss, this Amber... has been out of touch for so many years. To suddenly go looking for him now, I'm afraid..."

Ryuzaki Shin, of course, understood Kirisawa Jin's meaning.

For all these years, Amber had vanished as if into thin air, with no news whatsoever.

To suddenly look for him now would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

However, since Ryuzaki Shin brought it up, he naturally wouldn't let Kirisawa Jin do such a foolish and pointless thing.

He had a card up his sleeve.

Ryuzaki Shin pulled out a note from his pocket, which he had specifically written that morning.

He handed the note to Kirisawa Jin.

"It has the address of a hospital written on it. Inside the hospital, there's a patient named 'Kyujuku'."

"This person fell into a coma a few years ago due to a car accident and hasn't woken up since. Go pull some strings and transfer this Kyujuku to our own hospital. Then, have people closely monitor his original hospital room."

"This Kyujuku was Amber's best friend during the MUGEN period. As far as I know, every so often, he secretly goes to the hospital to pay Kyujuku's medical bills and visit him. I believe if we just wait there, we'll soon get news of Amber."

Kirisawa Jin took the note, glanced at its contents, then nodded solemnly and carefully put the note away.

The two returned to the sports car.

Before Junko left with Kirisawa Jin, her big, watery eyes looked at Ryuzaki Shin longingly, reluctant to part.

"A-Zhen, will you... want to live with me in the future?"

Ryuzaki Shin's cheek twitched.

Live together?

He'd rather not.

Even if I had a pair of Golden Double Kidneys, I probably couldn't handle you like this.

This was the downside of having too many women.

Fortunately, Junko was relatively easy to coax.

"Junko," Ryuzaki Shin reached out and ruffled her hair, saying in a gentle yet serious tone, "I'm currently in the prime of my career and have many things to attend to. Once... once everything settles down, I'll bring you over, and we can live together every day, okay?"

Hearing this, Junko, though a little disappointed, still nodded obediently.

She stood on her tiptoes and held out her pinky finger.

"Then it's a promise, okay? Pinky swear!"

Ryuzaki Shin smiled, extended his finger, and linked it with her pinky.

After the pinky swear, Junko happily got into the car and left with Kirisawa Jin.

Watching the car's shadow gradually disappear, Ryuzaki Shin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He began to ponder other issues.

That was, he had too few generals under him.

All things considered, the only combat-oriented cadres he could rely on were the strongest Murayama, and then Serizawa.

Serizawa, this guy, although he had good potential, his current strength probably hadn't reached the level of the five major bosses of S.W.O.R.D. yet.

Of course, Ishida Goro, from the slaughter two days ago, his combat power was definitely at a legendary level.

But besides that, it seemed there really wasn't anyone else worth mentioning.

Ryuzaki Shin knew very well that the Kowloon Group was determined to take over the S.W.O.R.D. Area.

Once the Iemura-kai failed, he would have to face the entire Kowloon Group.

How could such a small number of talents be enough?

Ryuzaki Shin pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, took a deep drag, then slowly exhaled the smoke, looking up at the clear blue sky.

"It seems... it's time to visit Suzuran."

...The sun set, and the orange-red afterglow bathed the entire Toyaru City, coating the city in a gentle golden hue.

The students of Suzuran Boys' High School were already leaving in twos and threes, and the campus, bustling all day, finally began to regain its tranquility.

Several students in black uniforms walked and chatted.

"Hey, when are you going to take the True Dragon Society's assessment?"

"In the next couple of days, I guess. I failed the physical test last time, damn it, I was just two pull-ups short. This time I've been practicing every day at home, I'm sure I'll pass!"

When the True Dragon Society was first established, there were basically no requirements; as long as you dared to come, you were a brother fighting for the world together.

But now it was different.

After the initial saturation of personnel, the threshold naturally rose, and joining now required a strict assessment.

However, even so, these delinquents from Suzuran were still flocking to join the True Dragon Society because of the generous treatment and promising future.

Hayashida Megumi walked alone on the deserted road, his figure stretched long by the setting sun.

Every day after school, he was almost always the last one to leave.

He had no friends.

After leaving school, he didn't know what to do either.

For him, Suzuran was a place where he could temporarily find shelter.

He walked aimlessly around the playground for two laps, feeling the breeze on his face, until there was no one left on the playground and it became quiet. Only then did he prepare to leave school.

Just then, a man's voice, a bit lazy and magnetic, came from behind him.

"Hey, big guy, I brought some shochu. Want to have a drink together?"