Sky bunglow
Following the brutal ambush on the dark streets, Ryouichi Tamada finally returned to his sprawling estate.
He walked up the grand driveway, his steps as calm and measured as ever.
Seeing his approach, the heavily armed security guards immediately stood at attention and pulled the massive iron gates open.
Ryouichi stepped inside, walking down the lavishly decorated main hallway of the mansion.
Up ahead, his son, Shunpei Tamada, was pacing with a phone pressed to his ear.
“Yeah, a container is scheduled to arrive in Osaka,” Shunpei ordered, his tone authoritative and sharp.
“Shift all of it to the VS Company warehouse. I’ll head there myself to oversee it.”
A subordinate’s voice crackled through the receiver.
“Understood, sir. Whatever you say.”
Shunpei hung up the phone.
As he turned around, he caught sight of his father walking down the hall.
“Dad.”
Ryouichi stopped in his tracks.
“Yes? What is it?”
Shunpei’s sharp eyes immediately scanned his father’s appearance.
He noticed the slight scuff marks on his clothes and the faint, lingering traces of blood on his knuckles.
His expression instantly darkened as he figured it out.
“Someone attacked you.”
Ryouichi didn’t try to hide it.
His tone remained perfectly calm, almost indifferent.
“Yes. They did.”
Shunpei’s jaw clenched tight.
He balled his hands into tight fists, a dangerous, violent aura radiating from him.
“Tell me where they are. Let me handle this.”
“No,” Ryouichi commanded, his voice slicing through Shunpei’s anger like a blade.
“Keep your focus entirely on the business.”
He began walking again, passing his son with cold, terrifying finality.
“I have already sent someone to deal with it.”
Meanwhile — The Industrial Dockyard
Heavy, torrential rain pounded against the sprawling dockyard, falling like sheets of solid lead.
The wind howled fiercely, whipping through the narrow alleys between the towering shipping containers and creating a haunting, high-pitched whistle.
Twin headlights pierced the stormy darkness.
A sleek black sedan pulled to a smooth halt near the main gates.
The heavy door opened.
A lone man stepped out into the downpour.
He had a slim, refined build, wrapped in a dark trench coat.
At his waist rested a tightly sheathed katana.
This was Kazu Hori.
He began to walk forward.
With every measured step, ripples distorted the deep puddles beneath his boots.
From the distant shadows of the containers, several figures noticed his approach.
Uneasy whispers rippled through the rain.
Finally, a heavily built thug stepped out, blocking his path.
“Speak… why are you here?”
Kazu didn’t stop.
He didn’t even slow down.
He merely tilted his chin up, his eyes dead and steady, a cold, sinister smile playing on his lips.
“I am here to see your gang leader.”
Standing high atop a stacked shipping container, the gang leader looked down through the relentless rain and got a clear view of the intruder.
The rain battered heavily against his leather jacket.
A dark smirk crossed his face.
“Kazu…? Ryouichi actually sent him? Hah. Interesting.” Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
He cupped his hands around his mouth, his voice roaring to compete with the thunder overhead.
“Don’t even bother talking to him! Kill him!”
The dozen thugs waiting below let out a unified, bloodcurdling battle cry.
“Aaaahhh!!”
They rushed Kazu from all sides.
Kazu didn’t flinch.
He stood perfectly calm—fearless, motionless.
And then—
SHING.
The metallic hiss of the katana sliding from its scabbard was swallowed by the storm.
The first thug to reach him, fueled by pure adrenaline, threw a full-power haymaker aimed right at his head.
Kazu smoothly side-stepped.
His movement was terrifyingly clean, as if his body was weightlessly gliding along the wind.
The katana moved in a blinding silver arc.
A single heartbeat.
Just a fraction of a second.
SPLASH.
The thug’s severed hand flipped through the air, landing heavily in a muddy puddle.
“Ahh—AARGHH!”
The man collapsed to his knees, screaming as his face twisted in blinding agony.
Kazu didn’t pause.
With a precise, effortless thrust, the long blade pierced straight through the man’s chest.
The body collapsed.
The pooling rainwater instantly dyed crimson.
Despite the horror, the remaining thugs rushed him in a desperate frenzy.
One leaped high into the air, delivering a powerful flying kick.
The impact forced Kazu to slide back a few inches, but he instantly regained his absolute footing.
The next second erupted into pure chaos.
Kazu wielded his katana with chilling, surgical efficiency.
SLASH—A deep cut across a chest.
SWIPE—A throat opened to the rain.
STAB—The blade sliding flawlessly between ribs.
CUT—A forearm split cleanly in half.
The relentless rain diluted the thick blood splattering against his black coat, but every single swing of his blade was as crisp and devastating as a lightning strike.
One desperate thug closed the distance, throwing a rapid, nonstop flurry of punches in a wild bid to overwhelm him.
Kazu simply raised his katana.
A heavy, diagonal slash down.
CLANG—CRACK—SPLASH.
The thug’s punching arm was torn open.
He crumpled to the wet asphalt, utterly defeated.
It took only a few seconds.
And then, every single one of them was down.
Gasping, bleeding, or completely motionless.
Kazu stood perfectly upright in the center of the carnage, surrounded by bodies.
The heavy rain washed over his blade, causing the thick blood to drip down the steel edge.
Drip…
drip…
High above, the gang leader watched his entire crew get decimated.
His hands trembled violently as he drew a heavy revolver from his coat and aimed down at Kazu.
BANG!
The gunshot echoed over the docks.
The bullet struck Kazu directly in the left side of his chest.
He staggered, dropping heavily onto one knee.
Seeing the assassin fall, the leader’s terror evaporated into arrogant confidence.
He quickly climbed down from the containers, walking toward Kazu with triumphant footsteps.
“Hahaha! You had your fun!” the leader mocked, aiming the gun at Kazu’s head.
“But now, you’re finished.”
Kazu slowly tilted his head up.
His eyes were just as sharp as before.
His voice was completely calm.
Almost amused.
“Surprise.”
The next millisecond—
Kazu violently snapped his wrist, swinging the blade in a blinding upward arc.
SLASH!
The leader’s leg was sliced wide open.
He screamed, instantly collapsing to his knees right in front of Kazu.
“Argh—! Y-You bastard!”
Kazu stood up.
The blood-mixed rainwater dripped steadily from his hair.
He looked down at the pathetic man.
“You sent those men to assassinate Ryouichi-sir.”
The leader spat a mouthful of blood onto the wet ground, his eyes wide with rage and pain.
“Yeah! I sent them!”
Hearing the confession, whatever trace of amusement Kazu had left completely vanished.
His emotions froze into absolute zero.
He drove the blade straight forward.
*STAB.*
The katana pierced effortlessly through the leader’s torso.
Without a word, Kazu ripped the blade out.
With a swift, practiced rotational swing—a perfect Chiburi arc—he flicked the blood off the steel.
The crimson droplets formed a perfect circle in the air before splattering against the wet ground.
Without looking back at the bodies, Kazu walked at a sedate, steady pace back to the waiting sedan.
The driver was already standing by the open rear door, holding an encrypted satellite phone out to him.
Kazu took the phone and placed it against his ear.
“Sir. The job is done.”
From the other side, Ryouichi’s voice came through, as steady and calm as ever.
*”Good work, Kazu.
Listen closely…”*
“Yes, sir.”
“I am heading to Vietnam. A major meeting has been organized there. I need you to stay in Tokyo and remain by Shunpei’s side.”
Kazu gave a short, obedient nod, his tone unwavering.
“Understood, sir.”
He handed the phone back and slid into the car.
The heavy door slammed shut.
The engine roared to life, and the black sedan disappeared seamlessly into the relentless, torrential rainfall.
—Chapter 24 End—
Hello, everyone!
For the next couple of chapters, I’d like to try a small experiment with the release schedule.
Instead of publishing both chapters at the same time, I’ll release them with a 3-hour gap.
Chapter 25: Sunday, 7:00 PM (Indian Standard Time – IST) Chapter 26: Sunday, 10:00 PM (Indian Standard Time – IST) I hope this gives readers enough time to enjoy one chapter before moving on to the next.
Since many of you are from different countries, I wanted to mention that I am an author from India, so all release times are based on Indian Standard Time (IST).
This story is entirely a fictional world, created and written by me from the ground up.
Every character, every location, and every event is part of my own imagination, and I truly appreciate everyone who has decided to give this journey a chance.
If you have any suggestions, feedback, or even questions about the story or the characters, please don’t hesitate to share them.
Your opinions as readers and supporters mean a lot to me, and I’d be genuinely happy to hear your thoughts.
Thank you for reading Ren Fujimiya, and I hope you’ll continue this journey with me.