[The Next Night]
In front of the boat racing venue, the lights were bright and the crowd was noisy.
Human joy and sorrow were not the same.
Toji smacked his lips, looked at the lively scene inside, and sighed, “Tch, what a waste.”
He lowered his head and glanced at the little bean beside him.
“So it really was because it was your birthday that day?
Used up all your luck?”
Yukio’s little face fell, equally gloomy.
“Good thing we didn’t go all in this time…”
“If we bet everything, we’d have lost even our underwear.”
He patted his chest with lingering fear.
“We hadn’t even started the job yet, and the money would already be gone…”
“That would be the real horror story.”
At that moment, a pure black luxury car with smooth lines silently stopped in front of them.
The back door automatically slid open.
Shirou sat inside and waved at them with a professional smile, “Get in.”
Yukio climbed into the car and instantly let out a “wow” from shock at the interior.
An extremely spacious back seat, leather seats facing each other, exquisite wooden decorations, and even a mini wine cabinet and mood lighting…
This wasn’t a car.
It was basically a moving luxury lounge.
Even Toji raised a brow and rarely gave a comment, “Looks like your ‘broker’ job…”
“Pays pretty well.”
Shirou smiled and relaxed his posture.
“Compared to professionals like you, I’m just drinking a little soup.”
He turned serious.
“I don’t know all the mission details either.”
“When we meet the client later, he’ll explain it to you personally.”
His gaze shifted toward Yukio, who was excitedly touching things everywhere, and his tone carried a little hesitation.
“Zenin Toji, are you sure…”
“This little guy is also joining the mission?”
Hearing that, Yukio immediately pulled back his wandering hands, raised his chin, and put on the pose of an “expert.”
“My brother and I…”
“I can’t say we’re invincible under heaven, but at least…”
He paused and tried hard to remember lines from the hot-blooded manga he had read.
“We rarely meet worthy opponents!”
“The future ‘Twin Stars’ of the professional sorcerer world are us!”
Toji, “…”
Expressionless, he closed his eyes and chose silence.
That line was too chuuni.
He couldn’t follow it.
Seeing this, Shirou tactfully stopped asking questions.
The car fell silent, with only the low rumble of the engine remaining.
Eventually, the car stopped in front of a traditional Japanese mansion located in the center of Tokyo yet occupying an enormous area.
High walls and deep courtyards, incredibly grand.
Two tall bodyguards in black stood at the entrance, their eyes sharp.
“Hoh…”
Yukio jumped out of the car, looked up at the impressive gate and guards, and muttered quietly, “One look and you know this is a rich family.”
Shirou stepped forward and quietly exchanged a few words with the bodyguards.
Then he turned around and gestured.
“Let’s go.
The client is waiting inside.”
One of the bodyguards led the way, guiding the three through the carefully maintained courtyard where every step was a new view, around winding corridors, and past several elegant Japanese-style buildings.
Finally, they stopped in front of a heavy wooden door.
The bodyguard pushed open the door and bowed as he stepped aside.
Yukio followed them into the spacious Japanese room and sighed inwardly again.
“To have this much land in Tokyo…”
“How deep are their pockets…”
Shirou walked forward a few steps and slightly bowed toward the white-haired old man sitting at the main seat.
“Mr.
The old man, Furui Ryunosuke, slowly raised his eyelids.
When he clearly saw Toji’s face, obvious surprise flashed through his eyes before he stood up.
“So it’s actually you…”
“Zenin Toji.”
Toji kept his hands in his pockets, his tone calm, “You know me?”
A meaningful smile appeared on Furui Ryunosuke’s face.
“This old man is Furui Ryunosuke.”
“As for knowing you…”
He slowly said, “The Zenin family producing two ‘Heavenly Restriction’ users with ‘zero cursed energy’ isn’t exactly a secret in the sorcerer world.”
“After all, some people in your Zenin family quite enjoy airing dirty laundry.”
Toji frowned impatiently.
“I’m not interested in those old bastards’ nonsense.”
“Get to the mission.”
“I’m here to make money, not chat.”
Furui Ryunosuke wasn’t annoyed.
He chuckled and got to the point, “Target: Matsushita Daisuke, current head of the Matsushita family.”
“Grade: Grade 1 Sorcerer.”
Yukio, who had quietly listened the whole time, suddenly frowned tightly.
He suddenly spoke, his voice crisp, “The other side is a Grade 1 Sorcerer and also the clan head…”
“Isn’t ten million a little too low?”
He looked at Furui Ryunosuke.
There was none of a child’s innocence in his eyes, only the calm evaluation of an “industry professional.”
“A Grade 1 Sorcerer is already top combat power in the sorcerer world.”
“Killing him means going to war with the entire Matsushita family.”
Toji also crossed his arms and said coldly, “That’s right.”
“This mission is basically wiping out their whole family.”
Yukio picked up the conversation and raised five fingers, his tone firm.
“You need to pay more.”
He stared at Furui Ryunosuke.
“If we kill Matsushita Daisuke, your Furui family can smoothly swallow up the Matsushita family’s business.”
“You’ll make a killing from this deal.”
“So…”
“Fifty million.”
He paused and added, “Plus one Grade 1 cursed tool or higher.”
Hearing this, Furui Ryunosuke’s gaze landed on Yukio, whose height only reached his waist.
As if hearing a joke, he directly burst out laughing.
“You people?”
He didn’t hide the contempt in his tone at all.
“With all due respect…”
“Little guy, what can you even contribute in a mission at this level?”
A cold look flashed through Yukio’s eyes, and he was just about to move.
But Toji spoke first.
His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried unquestionable pressure, “Those are the conditions.”
“Fifty million, plus a cursed tool.”
“If not, forget it.”
The smile on Furui Ryunosuke’s face slowly disappeared.
His eyes turned cold as he looked at Toji.
“You people without cursed energy…”
“What gives you the confidence to ask for that price?”
He paused, probing with his tone.
“Or maybe you should first show something to prove you’re worth it?”
A cold light flashed through Toji’s eyes.
A chilling killing intent almost uncontrollably spread out.
For a moment, he even had the urge to “kill this old man and directly take the money.”
Just then, he felt his sleeve get lightly tugged.
Toji took a deep breath and suppressed the surging killing intent.
He coldly glanced at Furui Ryunosuke.
“Show something?
Not interested.”
“Since we can’t reach an agreement…”
He turned around without the slightest hesitation.
“Yukio, let’s go.”
The two walked toward the door one after another.
Just as they were about to step out of the room…
Behind them came Furui Ryunosuke’s calm voice, “Fine.”
“I accept your conditions.”
He slowly added, “But there’s no advance payment.”
“When the mission is completed, the money and cursed tool will be handed over together.”
“If you fail…”
“You won’t get a single yen.”
Toji stopped walking.
The corner of his mouth curled into a wild smile.
Without even turning his head, he said, “Wouldn’t it have been better if you said that from the start?”
Next, Furui Ryunosuke provided information about Matsushita Daisuke and his family.
According to the information, Matsushita Daisuke really was an utterly evil bastard.
Under his leadership, the Matsushita family acted tyrannically and committed all kinds of evil.
Only…
As Yukio flipped through the documents, his little brows never completely relaxed.
He just felt like…
certain details didn’t line up.
It felt like a key part was missing.
But after thinking about it again, maybe the information gathering was simply incomplete.
Meanwhile, Toji only focused on confirming the enemy family’s combat strength and defenses.
Details?
Not important.
In the face of absolute strength, conspiracies and schemes were paper tigers.
Finally, Furui Ryunosuke explained, “Grade 1 cursed tools basically don’t circulate on the market.”
“It will take time to prepare one.”
Toji waved his hand, completely unconcerned about the other side refusing to pay later.
“Whatever.”
“We’ll move tonight.”
“The money gets paid immediately after the mission.”
“As for the cursed tool…”
He turned back and glanced at Furui Ryunosuke with a dangerous smile.
“I believe that when we return carrying Matsushita Daisuke’s head…”
“You’ll deliver it to us as fast as possible.”
[Late Night, 00:25]
[Outside The Matsushita Family Residence]
On the dense treetops, two figures almost completely merged with the darkness as they quietly hid there.
Yukio lowered his voice, carrying a trace of hard-to-notice worry.
“Bro…”
“I feel like something’s wrong.”
“It’s going too smoothly, and the information feels weird too.”
Beside him, Zenin Toji slightly rolled his neck.
In the darkness, the corners of his mouth split open, revealing white teeth.
In those eyes that usually looked lazy and worn out, there now burned the absolute confidence of a predator.
He patted Yukio’s head, his voice low and powerful.
“Relax.”
“Your brother’s here.”
“Your brother…”
“Is really strong.”
“You just stand to the side and shout how awesome I am.”