DxD: Like a Devil Chapter 66

Edited by: Priapus

I knew this wasn’t exactly going to be easy now that I’m limited and can’t rely on my super awesome tech, but damn it if it’s not annoying. Seriously, I could’ve figured out this overseer’s identity in these few hours now that I know where to look. My Spyders are too overpowered for this.

Their only weakness is their mobility, but that can be fixed later. I don’t know why I didn’t give them wings or something when I was making them, but now that the issue has been brought up, I’ll make sure they get a proper upgrade. Also, a way to not be compromised by anyone, but to do that, I first need to know what caught them and how they did it.

I want to say it’s some kind of EMP bomb, but that doesn’t sound right. The Spyders are coated with a material that protects them from electromagnetic waves. And not just any material, but supernatural ones I got from the Tojo clan. You’d need something like an EMP bomb equivalent of a nuke focused directly on the Spyders to destroy them.

Then again, that’s what it felt like. Or what Nemesis told me, at least. But the strange thing about it is that it was directly targeting the Spyders, which is why I’m certain that whoever it was that was responsible noticed my spy tech and intentionally compromised it, rather than this being some kind of bad luck.

But enough about that. Since I’m about 70% sure that the one that did it is related to this ‘Overseer’ in some way, then I just have to kick his ass extra hard for the grief he’s caused me and eat his soul. To do that, I’ll need to lure out one of, or all three, gang leaders, which I have no idea how I’m supposed to do. If they’re even the slightest bit intelligent, then they’ll avoid me entirely, which I understand. I mean, I’d avoid me, too. Have you seen me? I’m too powerful and beautiful. Anyone who doesn’t understand their place in the world — beneath me — would melt simply by just being in my divine presence.

But if they’re that scared of me, how am I supposed to lure them out? It’s not as if I’m here alone, either. I have a whole group behind me, two of whom are slightly weaker than I. So they’re extra scared to do anything. Granted, I know where the Barracudas are hiding, but I shouldn’t know that.

…is what I would’ve said had I not teamed up with Magnus, who did his own investigation into the Barracuda and figured out as much as I had before my Spyders were blown up. District five, under the giant homeless encampment. That’s where they’re hiding and where Dwight probably is. If he were an idiot, that is. He’s probably escaped and hidden somewhere else, but it doesn’t hurt to look for him there.

“So should we raid them, then?” Ichi asks. “It wouldn’t be tough to clear them out.”

“That’s what I thought as well, but we’re probably gonna make too much noise and alert their leader,” I respond. “We don’t need six people running around some gang’s base. We just need one.”

If he isn’t hiding right now, then he sure as fuck would if we tear his base to shreds.

I glance at Koneko.

“And you’re the best at stealth.” I point out. She isn’t if I had my tech, but what can I do? “You’re the best for the job. We need you to go in there, map out their base, and look for any clues about the Overseer, his artifact, or Dwight. Think you can do that?”

Koneko nods, seemingly on board.

“Wait, she’s going alone?” Ichiban looks at me with an uneasy expression. “Is that really fine? We don’t know what the Barracuda could be hiding. Maybe they have someone or something dangerous.”

“She has a phone with her, doesn’t she? She can just text us if she figures something out.” I raise an eyebrow. “Besides, did you forget she’s also the best at sensing?”

“I guess…”

“I’ll be fine,” Koneko says. “I can handle myself.”

“Yeah, I know.” He sighs. “Just be careful, alright?”

“I’m sure she will.” I snort in faux-amusement, hiding my annoyance as I address Koneko again. “If you end up in a dangerous situation, don’t hesitate to retreat. I don’t think Rias would appreciate it if I put you in danger during a vacation.”

Koneko grunts affirmatively.

Not that I really care what the redhead thinks, but fewer problems mean fewer headaches. I don’t need this midget dying on me. I mean, if she dies, then that’s ultimately fewer problems, but I want it in a way that has nothing to do with me. As long as she disappears, really. And is inconspicuously replaced by a robot version of herself.

But baby steps, Akane.

“Good luck, Koneko-chan,” Asia says. “We’ll be waiting for you.”

The yokai-turned-devil smiles and nods.

“Please be careful,” Kiba reiterates Ichi’s words. “If they really are hiding something dangerous, then call us for backup.”

Throwing a thumbs-up, Koneko silently sneaks into the encampment from above after climbing the nearby buildings. I’m actually pretty impressed at how quiet she is— I couldn’t even hear any footsteps from her. I wonder if she actually trained in stealth or if she’s naturally talented like that, or if it’s related to being a Yokai.

And, well, if this is applicable to me as well, but I doubt it. I’m a Yokai descendant, yeah, but I’m related to a completely different type. Somehow, I don’t think any Yuki-Onna has been sneaky in any meaningful way.

“Speaking of Rias, though…” I look at the redhead’s knight. “You should probably tell her what we’ve been getting ourselves into. I think she should know, seeing that two of her peerage members are involved.”

“Already done.” He says, waving his phone. “She said she’ll try to visit once she’s done on her end.”

More firepower. That’s nice.

Also, more eyes. And that’s not nice.

“Sona too?” I ask.

“Not sure.” Kiba shakes his head. “Though Rias did mention that Sona was back in the underworld.”

“Is she?” I hum. “That’s odd. I thought she’d be in Kuoh, taking care of work there. Is she done already?”

Though if she’s done, why hasn’t she come here yet? I thought for sure she’d follow us once everything got taken care of. Then again, Sona had been acting weird the last few times I saw her. A little more snappy, zoning out more than usual, and kind of feeling like she’s pissed at something or someone.

Eh, what do I know? It doesn’t involve me, and I don’t really care. Probably something private, too. To be honest, she’s probably just stressed after so many big events have been happening consecutively, and I understand wanting to unwind and relax at home. Being lazy does feel nice sometimes.

“Not sure. They hadn’t met up since we left Japan.”

“Hmm…”

“So what should we do now?” Issei asks. “I mean, should we just wait for Koneko to come back?”

“Obviously not.” I roll my eyes. “We’re splitting up.”

“Huh?” Asia blinks. “Why?”

“If we’re all huddled up together like this, then none of the Overseer’s minions will want to attack us,” I respond. “We split up, and they might get brave enough to try something.”

And they’ll likely attack the weakest here, and that’s Asia. More than that, I’ve figured out to whom this presence switched its observing. I had a feeling, and by simple process of elimination, I figured out that, whoever this Overseer is, he wants Asia. Or thinks she’s interesting somehow. Suppose he was the one watching me, of course. I’m not entirely sure, though.

Regardless, Asia is the bait since she’s the weakest. She’s more likely to be targeted. Then it’s Issei, then Kiba, then Ichi, and finally me, as I’m the strongest here in my base state by a long shot.

What I find really odd is how I’m the only one who feels it. It’s becoming very clear that no one here, not even Koneko, senses it. But I can, and I’m 99% sure I have weaker senses than the cat. And what’s even weirder is how I can still feel it even when it’s not directed at me. It’s like I’m somehow involved regardless, when that doesn’t feel like it at all.

It’s also not consistent. Sometimes it just disappears, which is why I told them the plan right now. I know that they’re not watching me or Asia, giving me an opportunity to share what I’m thinking without them figuring it out.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit too far?” Ichi asks.

“Is it?” I reply. “All of us here are at the level of High-class or above. Each of us can easily handle a bunch of low-tier thugs individually. Even Asia, who only threw a punch for the first time in her life just yesterday.”

“Thanks?” Asia blinks.

“Yeah, see, this is under the assumption that all of them are low-tier thugs.” He argues. “What if that’s not the case? I mean, shit, I thought that too at first, but the CIA are involved in this mess, and the world might be in danger apparently. Shouldn’t we try to be a little more careful?”

“You worry too much.” I pat him on the shoulder. “Think about it, even if they send in someone strong, we’ll know immediately, and we can cross this entire city in seconds. It’ll be fine.”

“It’s gonna be alright, Ichi.” Asia nods. “I know I’m not the best at fighting, which is why I know when to run away and call you or Akane-san if things get dangerous.”

Huh. It’s as if she knows she’s the bait here. I’m honestly impressed that she realized it so quickly. His concerns are valid for a guy like him, though, and if I could still use my tech, I could’ve just put a tracking chip on all of them and called it a day. But I can’t do that, unfortunately.

Fortunately, I know a good alternative.

“If you’re that worried, then here.”

I cast a simple spell around everyone here. A thin, nearly invisible sheet of ice surrounds each one. Ichi blinks in confusion as he and everyone else examine the spell in curiosity.

“What’s this?” Kiba is the first to ask.

“It’s like the armor spell I cast during battle,” I answer. “But it functions a little differently. Instead of just tanking damage, it’ll explode and freeze anyone that hits it hard enough.”

“That sounds really dangerous.” Issei’s eyes widen.

“It doesn’t hurt you, if that’s what you’re worried about,” I reassure him. “Basically, it’s explosive armor, and when the explosion goes off, I’ll feel it. Only works once, though. Once it explodes, the armor is no more.”

“Like a trap spell…” Kiba hums. “Interesting.”

“So?” I glance at Ichi. “Safe enough yet?”

“Heh, yeah. I don’t think anyone would expect to be suddenly turned into a popsicle after an attempted kidnapping.” He nods, clenching his fist and grinning. “Leave it to the prodigy to figure something out so quickly.”

“Please. I’m a prodigy among prodigies, Ichi.” I smirk. “Let’s scatter. We’ll meet back at the resort.”

We split up, each of us going a different direction. Am I confident they’re gonna try something? No, not really. But it’s a significantly higher chance that something happens now than when we were looking for them earlier today. I hate that I’m actually expecting something, but oh well.

Here’s hoping I don’t get disappointed. That’d be annoying.

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– Koneko –

Admittedly, she’d expected infiltrating the base would be a little tricky, but she was surprised by how straightforward it was. Koneko had received stealth training before coming to study in the human realm, so she was confident enough to do this, but it felt a bit too easy for her tastes. Really, there was barely any security to worry about. Or rather, competent security.

Scattering some of these brainless, unqualified thugs around to patrol the area wasn’t what she would call genius. According to the CIA agent, they’d only just received the power-up that had made them into Low-class level combatants. There was no skill or training involved. So, besides their physical strength, they were just regular humans who were formerly homeless.

Was this what they should be worried about? Of course, Koneko knew not to underestimate the gang as a whole— they could have some ultra-secret weapon or combatant hidden somewhere. Magnus had said that their leader could be defeated specifically by either Ice Queen or Ichiban. Meaning he could be stronger than her.

Annoying, but the difference between her and Akane and Ichi was too big anyway. They were in completely different leagues. Regardless, despite her confidence, Koneko knew not to get cocky. She didn’t let any of the guards even notice her, effortlessly slipping by and entering through a manhole that led to their actual base.

An abandoned underground military base that seemingly covered the northern and eastern sides of Honolulu. The tunnels appeared to be in good condition, from the walls to the lighting, and so on. So this Dwight guy wasn’t some two-bit gangster, then. Koneko hoped she could find the Barracuda leader somewhere here, or something that could lead them to him.

She posted an update for her friends, telling them she’d successfully infiltrated the enemy base before pocketing her phone. Koneko carefully made her way through the tunnels, minding the security cameras and mentally mapping out the area before her ears caught something in the distance. She quietly slipped into a separate room once she made sure no one was inside, slowly closing the door behind her.

She took a look around— an office of some kind. Hoping to discover something she could use, Koneko searched the room, unfortunately finding only useless things. Should’ve been expected. Surely, no one in their right mind would leave a bunch of important stuff in a random office like this.

Hearing the patrolling guards pass by the room she was in, Koneko exited and rushed forward, avoiding detection and searching through every room she spotted. Unfortunately, nothing. No documents, no pictures. Nothing useful. But she kept moving, skillfully avoiding every guard and camera in the way. This place was a huge maze, and Koneko almost lost hope after what felt like hours.

That was until she stumbled on a room unlike the rest— this wasn’t an office or anything like that. After turning the lights on, it looked more like a medical clinic fused with a chemistry laboratory. It was much bigger than the other rooms as well, with operating tables with bloodied tools on them, tubes of strange liquid— everything that screamed ‘mad scientist’. This must be where they made their drugs, so Koneko quickly snapped a few pictures, sharing them in the group chat before continuing her investigation.

Koneko admittedly wanted to destroy everything here, but that would probably alert everyone, and as big as this was, it didn’t help her find Dwight yet. So after getting enough pictures of this room and a close-up of every object of interest, she moved on. Or, well, that was the plan until she found a large metal door in the corner of the lab.

“Patient Zero…” She muttered, reading the room tag next to the door.

She had seen enough shows and read enough books to understand what this is.

…I think I found their secret weapon. She thought, taking another picture. Or a zombie apocalypse in the making. Maybe both.

Not like zombies didn’t exist already. But they were never a real threat, as they were often portrayed in human media.

Koneko wanted to check it out and see what was in there, but that probably wasn’t a good idea. Directly above them was Honolulu, so if whatever was inside got out, there could be a lot of civilian deaths. She couldn’t sense it, either, so she didn’t know how powerful ‘Patient Zero’ could be.

“—Yes, I understand, but don’t you know how hard it is to— I GET that we’re being pressured! That doesn’t justify you— oh my god, LET ME SPEAK!” A voice cried out, prompting Koneko to act quickly. “Oh, so it’s either that or release Patient Zero on a couple of teenagers? Seriously? What kind of shitty ultimatum is that? You’re just gonna piss off the Overseer.”

Hearing someone else suddenly enter the room, Koneko quickly hid behind a desk, peeking to see that someone was on their phone. Clearly a Barracuda, seeing that he was here, but he wasn’t buff like them. Thankfully, he hadn’t seen her.

Is he talking about us? Koneko frowned.

She glanced at the exit, but decided to stay for a couple of seconds, hoping this could end up giving her the information she needed.

“We’re not dealing with normal drugs here, Dwight, and we’re running out of supplies.” The stranger said. “Improving it ‘today’ isn’t gonna happen. It’s impossible. You want an improved version, you need to get me another, better sample of dragon blood right fucking now.”

So they use dragon blood as a component for their drugs? It must be extremely watered down if it only raised a human’s power from regular to low-class, then. Dragon blood is usually toxic, after all. Well, it’s either that, or it’s extremely weak dragons that they’re taking as samples. As implied by this man’s demands.

This was good information.

He then paused, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“…I could’ve sworn I turned the lights off when I left.” He muttered, making Koneko tense.

Deciding she’d gotten what she wanted, Koneko didn’t risk it and managed to silently slip away when he wasn’t looking, exiting through a different door than the one she’d entered from. She breathed a sigh of relief, exploring more of the tunnels. She didn’t find where Dwight was, but at least she knows that he’s aware of them fucking up his stupid thugs. He wanted them gone.

As Koneko looked for an escape route, she paused, hearing what sounded like music coming from a room in the distance. She blinked, made sure no one was close by, and decided to see what that was about. Once again, she minded the cameras and avoided patrolling guards, eventually reaching the door and slowly opening it.

Her eyes went wide at what she saw— It was a gigantic underground mall where hundreds of people shopped, each and every one of them wearing a mask that completely obscured their face. The stores around her sold objects of supernatural nature, as well. In fact, there weren’t just humans here, but what felt like devils, fallen angels, elves, dwarves, and so much more.

What the hell is this? Koneko almost couldn’t believe it. This was below Honolulu the entire time?

“What the fuck?!”

Koneko flinched and quickly closed the door, looking behind and at the guard who spotted her. It was a mere moment when she wasn’t paying attention— a rookie mistake. But as she saw him bring up his walkie-talkie close to his face, she rushed, getting behind him, grabbing him by the throat and making him drop the walkie-talkie.

“L-let go of me—?!”

Before he could finish the sentence, Koneko moved her arms and swiftly broke his neck, prompting him to fall to the ground.

“Tsk…” She clicked her tongue in annoyance, staring at the corpse.

What a mess. How was she supposed to get rid of the body? They would know that someone had infiltrated them now that she had killed someone, which would only make Dwight more guarded. This could be a problem.

…But if that was the case…

Koneko backtracked, entering the lab once more. The scientist guy wasn’t there anymore, but that didn’t matter to her. She might as well leave them a little present.

And by present, she meant wrecking the place.

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– Akane –

Not quite sure what I expected when I sent Koneko over to infiltrate the Barracuda’s base, but a giant underground mall wasn’t what I thought I’d see. I anticipated a lab or something since they needed to make their drugs somehow, assuming it’s not imported from somewhere, but a supernatural mall? Why would that exist?

I mean, I dunno, I expect to do my supernatural shopping outside the human realm entirely. With everyone there wearing masks, I’m gonna assume they’re selling either illegal or counterfeit items. Maybe it’s a black market of some sort, and with how well everyone is dressed, it’s the real deal. Interesting.

I do want to check that out. Maybe they’ll have what I want regarding Excelsis’ robotic body. Like those Agreasite crystals Lucy told me about, since you can only legally acquire them from the Agares Clan. Among other things, of course. And when I say I want to check it out, I don’t mean sneak in and pretend to be a customer. Oh no, I’m not dull. I’m raiding the fuck out of that place. Stealing every shiny thing that ever so slightly intrigues me.

Come on, it’s basically a giant dungeon with treasure around every corner. A mall where everything is free. Yeah, I’m going to piss off a billion people in there from every race one could think of, but I’m simply doing my due diligence as one of the good guys and stopping illegal practices while confiscating their goods, and my reward for such a heroic act is to keep the things I ‘found.’ Really, what bad thing would I be doing?

And I doubt anyone would be able to stop me. Something tells me not to expect any Satan-class enemies in there, and the only thing I’d need to worry about is whatever ‘Patient Zero’ could be. But it’s me. Why should I worry about that? Whatever it is, I’d probably be way stronger than it. I’m almost tempted to just go in there and crash the party right now, but that’s just because I’m bored out of my damn mind waiting for these guys to take the bait and attack Asia.

I guess they’re afraid of her, too. I mean, a bunch of weakling thugs aren’t gonna try their luck against someone who is physically high-class. Even though she’s barely there. If I were to rank every high-class person I’ve ever met, Asia would be the weakest of them all. Barely any training, almost zero combat experience, no magical ability. I’m not saying she’s weak by any means. She can still splatter a regular human and low-class opponents with one punch, but compared to proper fighters? She wouldn’t last that long. Good thing I cast that armor spell on her.

Regardless, they’re taking their sweet time, and I’m starting to think that they won’t try anything. That’s unfortunate, and I’m admittedly pretty disappointed and annoyed, but it shouldn’t be something to get pissy about. The good news Koneko brought us far outweighs that, after all.

Waiting by one of the darkest and quietest parts of the city, I lean against a lamp post and pull out a cigarette. I’m not really expecting anything— If they’re not gonna ambush Asia, then they sure as hell won’t try to ambush me. But, you know, it’s hard to find moments like this these days. Peace and quiet.

If only I weren’t being followed. And this time, I’m not talking about this Overseer.

“You know I can sense you, right?” I say loud enough for her to hear me. “What’s with you, stalking me like this?”

The fallen angel girl who has been peeking at me from around the corner flinches in surprise before she approaches me, flustered and somewhat guilty.

“I-I’m not stalking you.” She denies. “I was just… wondering where you were going. I mean, none of your friends are with you, so I thought—”

“And what’s it to you?” I raise an eyebrow. I’m not particularly annoyed with her. Just curious. “You don’t have to know what I’m doing or where I’m going, right?”

“Y-yeah…” She lowers her head. She’s so anxious, this is honestly starting to be pretty amusing. “To tell you the truth, I just wanted to apologize.”

“For what?”

“You know, when I tried to kill you? And your friends.” She explains sheepishly. “I didn’t really get the opportunity last time. I was too nervous when you and the devil dragged me out of the crowd.”

“Oh, that? I mean, you did try to kill me, but I kicked your ass in return.” I snort, making her laugh awkwardly. “So we’ll let bygones be bygones. Besides, wasn’t it under Kokabiel’s orders?”

“It was. He was just insane.” She nods. “What with his whole obsession with war and the ‘end of the world’ and whatever.”

“And then I killed him,” I respond. “I’m honestly a little surprised you’re not upset by that at all.”

“No way, he deserved it. The bastard.” She scoffs. “He forced us to fight for him and do his bidding or die, completely going against Lord Azazel’s policies. Even if you hadn’t killed him, he would’ve faced execution anyway.”

Good thing I was the one who did him in and got that sweet, succulent EXP. Oh, if only I got his soul, too. I don’t think I would’ve needed to use Excelsis against Shalba had I devoured it.

“That so?” I hum, putting the cig in my mouth and taking out my lighter.

But after rolling the sparkwheel a few times, I realize it’s out of fuel, prompting me to click my tongue. That’s annoying. I haven’t been smoking as much lately, so I may have forgotten to refill it. Maybe I should make an infinite lighter or something. Using this as a base since I like its design.

“Ah, I have one I bought recently,” Raynare says, taking one out of her pocket. “Here.”

“That’s convenient.” I give her a smile as she lights up the cigarette for me. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure, Lady Akane.” She smiles back.

She’s a lot more pleasant when she’s docile. God, she used to be such an arrogant bitch at the time. And now, she’s calling me ‘Lady’ Akane. She knows I’m her superior, and it’s a good fucking feeling.

I think I like being popular. No, I don’t care how vain that is. It makes me feel great, and that’s all that matters. Besides, she doesn’t have an ulterior motive I have to worry about.

“You know, now that you’re here, I am a little curious,” I say after exhaling a cloud of smoke. “What happened after the yakuza sent you back to the Grigori?”

“Well, it’s kind of a long story.” She sighs. “After my interrogation, they contacted Lord Azazel to pick me up, and, well, he told me to explain everything that happened. Turns out, he’d been suspicious of Kokabiel long before that incident.”

“And he just forgave you?” I raise an eyebrow. “Awfully kind of him, huh?”

“He is very kind, but he knows it’s mostly Kokabiel’s fault. Not mine or my colleagues’.” Ray nods. “He then pulled me out of my combat role and gave me this vacation for a few months. He said it was his way to apologize.”

“Right… Though you reminded me that we kind of killed your friends, too. Sorry about that.” I apologize.

“It’s fine. Letting bygones be bygones, right?” The fallen giggles. “Besides, we weren’t friends. I didn’t really like them.”

Okay, not that I care, but I didn’t expect to be so readily forgiven like this. My tone would’ve been a lot different had she ‘skilled one of us back then. I guess she’s that big of a fan?

…Maybe I can use that to my advantage. I don’t know how loyal she is to the Grigori, but perhaps I can steal her away from them and use her as some form of inside agent. I have nothing against the Fallen Angels specifically, but just in case.

I don’t like the way Azazel looked at me during the one time we met.

“And those two humans you were allied with? I distinctly remember them getting detained.” I add. “What happened to them?”

“The yakuza executed them on the spot.” Raynare answers. “And I might’ve been killed too had it not been for you vouching for me. So, thank you, Lady Akane. Seriously. I wouldn’t be standing here if it weren’t for you.”

Right, I did do that. I guess that explains why she’s so forgiving with me. I’d be a lot less annoyed with someone if they ended up saving my life, even though that should be the duty of any upstanding citizen. Saving me and dying for me in case I needed it.

“To be honest, back then, when I heard the news that you killed Kokabiel, I could never believe it. It just didn’t make sense, because when we fought, you didn’t feel anywhere near strong enough to do it.” She adds. “But then I saw the tournament, and your performance was incredible, and now, standing right here and sensing your power…”

“Mind-boggling, isn’t it?” I smirk. “Turns out I’m talent incarnate. Mix that with genuine hard work, and you get little ol’ me~ If you ask me, I bet I can defeat Kokabiel several times over as I am right now.”

“I don’t doubt it. You’re like a completely different person.”

I should hire her as a personal hype woman. I’d love to get my ego massaged by someone so genuine, and she’s got a lot of talent~

“Would you care to prove that, then?”

Interrupted by an unfamiliar voice, I turn my head to the other side and spot a crowbar-wielding older man I’ve seen a picture of before. Tall with dark circles under his eyes and shoulder-length, unkempt hair. He’s wearing a dark colored typical suit over a turtle-neck and a large trench coat. In this heat, for some ungodly reason.

“Would you look at that?” My smirk widens as I face him properly, hand on my hips. “And here I was, losing hope that any of you dumbfucks would try it, only for the big shot to show up.”

Yutaka Yamai raises an eyebrow.

“You were expecting me.” He says. Not a question. A statement.

“Well, no. Not quite.” I shrug, freezing my cigarette and crushing it into icy particles. “But I did hope that you or a subordinate would.”

“Um, who is this?” Raynare asks in a whisper. “You know him?”

“Yutaka Yamai, leader of the Yamai Syndicate.” I say, loud enough for him to hear as well. “Former Tojo yakuza. Ran away and escaped Japan after he killed his own patriarch during the nineties over a silly dispute regarding the boss’s wife.”

“You’ve done your research, Amamiya.” He snorted, twirling his crowbar before resting it over his shoulder. “I’m a little impressed.”

Thanks to Majima for that info. Something something the patriarch’s wife was cheating on him with Yamai, who was in love with her and was tricked into killing her husband after she lied about abuse. Only for her to cheat on Yamai with the patriarch’s captain, whom she then used to accuse Yamai of being a complete lunatic and killing her husband for no reason.

When Yamai escaped, the Tojo clan made a thorough investigation, figured out the culprit, and promptly executed her. That’s why they never tried to hunt him down.

It was a huge fucking mess.

“So am I,” I reply. “Back then, there weren’t a lot of yakuza at your level. Barely anyone was high-class, and you…”

Name: Yutaka Yamai

Title: Leader of the Yamai Syndicate

HP - 350,000

MP - 50,000

SP - 400,000

Race - Human

LVL - 561

STR - 3901

END - 3124

DEX - 3006

INT - 1024

WIS - 1042

CHA - 2000

LUK - 100

Average ultimate-class. Weaker than Shalba’s base state, but that’s still very impressive for a normal human. I don’t know if he was this powerful back then or if he just got stronger after leaving the Tojo clan, but not a lot of humans can get to this level. Credit where credit’s due.

This should be fun~

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– Yamai –

For the daughter of a legendary yakuza, he’d admittedly thought she’d be the spoiled princess type. So spoiled that there probably wasn’t a thing in this universe that she couldn’t get by asking her father or Daigo. He almost wanted to say a liability, even. Why give someone like her access to any wealth or power? Blood relation aside, what did she bring to the table?

“You might actually survive more than one hit.” She giggled. “But if you don’t want to suffer, then you can just tell me everything you know about the Overseer. Maybe I’ll consider letting you go.”

For the most part, his assessment was spot on. Arrogant. Annoying. Rude. Bonafide spoiled princess archetype. It was almost comical. This was the one that killed Kokabiel? An MVP of a tournament? Yes. Yes, she was, because beyond those surface-level traits, she was as monstrously powerful as her father.

With an aura so powerful it felt like it eclipsed the entire island even in a relaxed state, Yamai genuinely felt anxious in her presence. Behind that wide, almost bloodthirsty smirk on her face wasn’t a fragile princess who would break at the slightest touch, but a merciless killer who looked at him like he was mere prey.

But Yamai wouldn’t run away. How could he? She was an incredibly powerful foe— an aspect of her father whom he wished he could have fought when he was alive. Someone who could get his blood boiling and save him from this freezing sensation he’d felt for years.

“Overseer, eh? You’re here for that arrogant bastard, then.” He huffed, outwardly showing no reaction. “I thought you came to Hawaii for summer vacation.”

“What’s going on? Overseer?” The fallen angel next to Akane muttered, very confused.

“That was the case until those Barracuda morons interrupted me. Now I want their leader’s head on a pike. You know, to make a statement.” The monster princess responded. “So, be kind enough to cough up his whereabouts for me. Or prepare to taste concrete. Your choice.”

“You sure are arrogant for a little girl,” Yamai replied. “But just as violent as he used to be. You are Tatsu Amamiya’s daughter.”

“S-should you really start a fight in public?” The nervous girl said.

“There’s no one here.” Akane shrugged. “Besides, I know how not to be destructive. I can handle this.”

“If you want the Overseer, you’re out of luck,” Yamai told her. “Completely invisible. No way to figure out his identity. Trust me, I tried, and I’ve been here for years.”

Tatsu’s daughter raised an eyebrow and hummed.

“And why is that?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He snorted. “See, the thing is, I didn’t come here under his orders. I don’t even work for that bastard.”

It was a common misconception. Yamai didn’t work for the Overseer; he worked with the Overseer. That know-it-all bastard didn’t have a hold on Yamai because, unlike Dwight and Wong, he couldn’t be threatened. He was a man with nothing to lose. The Yamai Syndicate? Let them be annihilated— he frankly couldn’t give a fuck. His own life? He wasn’t afraid to die.

The Overseer primarily relied on threats, blackmail, and general intimidation tactics to force others to work for him. Naturally, seeing how that didn’t work on Yamai, the Overseer was smart enough to keep his distance from him, which was why Yamai had a lot of trouble figuring out his identity.

“Really now?” Akane said. “Then why are you here?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” He twirled his crowbar. “I came here for you.”

“Sorry, I have a boyfriend. And you’re too damn old.”

“Oh, don’t flatter yourself.” Yamai waved it off. “I came here to see if you’re just as strong as your old man.”

“Ah, another battle junkie.” She rolled her eyes. “But if it’s a fight you want, then I’m afraid you won’t find that here. Because all you’re getting is the worst ass beating of your life.”

Even as she released more of her magical aura, Yamai remained utterly unfazed.

“Good.” He smiled. “That’s what I like to hear.”

“Um…” The fallen angel stammered.

“You better keep your distance, Ray,” Akane told her. “But you can watch if you wish.”

She nodded nervously and backed away from them, going far enough so she didn’t get caught in the crossfire. Because of how weak she was, she’d probably get obliterated by a mere shockwave from either of them moving too fast.

“Alright, alright. You wanna get your ass kicked? Fine by me. I’ll never say no to a punching bag.” She shrugged, her smirk ever present as she opened her fist and showed him the palm of her hand. “Five seconds. That’s how long it’ll take me to knock your ass out.”

Finally, Yamai’s eyes narrowed, seemingly getting annoyed by her overwhelming arrogance. Powerful as she might be, she should know better than to underestimate her opponent. No matter, he’d teach her a lesson she wouldn’t forget.

“But because you were brave enough to show up here, and because I’m a generous goddess,” She added. “I’ll give you one hit. I won’t dodge. I won’t block. One direct attack where I won’t do anything to avoid it.”

Yamai clenched his fist.

“But only one shot. That’s all you get. Afterwards, I’ll start fighting back, so you better not waste it.” Akane said. “Though to make this fair, I won’t even use any magic.”

“You’re playing a dangerous game, princess.”

“Oh, please. Take your best shot.” She giggled, spreading her arms in a welcoming gesture. “And make it out, because I’ll make sure it’s your last.”

Instead of letting this provoke him, Yamai decided to take her offer. Fine. He’d show her that he wasn’t one to be underestimated, especially not by a girl less than half his age. He typically didn’t hit little girls, but he was willing to make an exception.

Yamai rolled his neck, tightened his grip over the energy-enhanced crowbar, and charged at her, swinging it as hard as he could. True to her words, Akane didn’t move an inch, taking the attack as the crowbar struck her in the face, causing a shockwave that shattered nearby glass and forming a crater beneath them.

The attack sent her flying backward, but impressively enough, she stood her ground and planted her feet on the concrete, taking a few steps backward and slowing down. Akane slowly lowered her head, looking at him with her now bloodied smirk widening further.

Yamai flinched.

She’s definitely damaged, but… He stepped back. …Barely affected.

What the hell was she made of? Was she possibly ‘Immortal’ like her father was?

“Is that all you got?” She spat out a tooth and wiped the blood off her mouth. “I told you you better not waste your shot. Oh, well~ My turn now~”

She brought one finger up and began counting.

“One.”

As soon as she finished that word, Yamai was suddenly flying in the opposite direction as agony flared in his nose, followed by cold liquid trailing down his nostrils. He barely realized that an attack of hers had landed. An attack he couldn’t even see happening or comprehend until he started bleeding.

She’s fast! He thought in utter shock.

“Two.”

Yamai tried to recover before he was struck again after hearing that. Not once, not twice, but dozens of times in less than a second. He tried but failed to defend himself in any meaningful way as Akane smashed his head against the sidewalk, throwing him through a lamp post and several mailboxes.

This time, he managed to recover as he flipped and landed on his feet, flinching and gasping in surprise as Akane was directly in front of him, in the middle of throwing another attack.

“Three.”

With her third count, she delivered a powerful punch to the gut that nearly knocked him out right there and then. Then a hook, jab, kick— several dozen hits right before slamming him to the ground, forming yet another crater.

This time, as she prepared to stomp on his face, Yamai dodged, rolling to the side before getting up and throwing his own fist. Surprisingly, she didn’t try to evade it. No, in fact, she blocked that punch using her own forehead, showing ungodly resilience unseen by most yakuza today.

“Four!” She laughed, grabbing his arm before swiftly twisting it in a very unnatural way.

His eyes widened, but he couldn’t even get a scream of pain out before she grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled his head down to introduce it to her devastating knee, followed by a flurry of blows far heavier and quicker than anything prior. Yamai felt as if every bone in his body was broken in the exchange, agony coursing through him unlike anything he’d felt before.

Eventually, the brutal combo stopped, and he was left to fall backward before she supported him by putting a hand on his back, whispering her next word.

“Five~”

Before pulling her arm away and letting him fall on his back. Yamai gasped and panted with bloodied breaths, on the verge of passing out as Akane looked down at him with a wide, sadistic smirk. This girl was something else. He knew she was powerful—he’d felt her immense strength —but was the gap really that massive?

“So?” She squatted down and looked directly at him. “What did I tell you?”

“Hah…” He breathed. “Haha… The Tojo clan trained you well, didn’t they?”

“Kind of. Was mostly me, though.” She shrugged. “I guess Majima did give me a few pointers here and there.”

“Insane.” He chuckled. “You’re a freak of nature.”

“I’ve been told.” She snorted. “So are you gonna—”

“A family of monsters.” He panted. “Fuck. If that’s what your daughter can do, then what the fuck were you made of, Tatsu Amamiya?”

“Hmm? My dad is dead, y’know?” She blinked before her eyes widened. “Ah, wait, don’t go towards the light. I still need answers about the Overseer. You can die afterwards.”

Eventually, that was when Yamai had finally lost consciousness.

For the first time after what felt like forever, Yamai didn’t feel cold anymore.