Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Territorial Dispute (13)
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Playable characters are truly the ultimate embodiment of absurdity.
They can traverse countless worldlines using save loads, and even if they die, they can start anew anytime by spending the allotted life coins.
I've already heard those ridiculous achievement notifications multiple times.
But.
The most overpowered aspect of a playable character, in my view, is something else entirely.
It's the fact that they level up solo.
It's so broken that its power has become a meme, allowing them to freely topple national powers across various worldviews.
That was a bit of a tangent, but the point I'm making is simple.
"Found you."
No one touches my grocery store.
Not even if they're the boss of a Yakuza outfit.
"You fucking bastard."
If you mess with my grocery store, you're in deep shit.
I stared him down coldly.
Hakuga-gumi's sub-boss—Bansho Takemaru, more famous by his nickname Black Tiger—looked at me with genuine surprise.
"...Impressive. To pinpoint my location this quickly. Seriously."
As he stepped into the hallway, the floorboards creaked faintly beneath him.
"It's been less than a few hours. Considering that terrorist bitch is still struggling to lock me down precisely, 'impressive' might even be an understatement."
His attitude wasn't as aggressive as I'd expected.
Bansho Takemaru asked me out of pure curiosity.
"Do you happen to know a Web Spider tech from Redback or Black Hornet?"
"What's it to you?"
Of course, I had no reason to answer.
But even with the edge in my voice, he didn't wipe the smile from his face.
"Talented underlings are always welcome."
He kept staring right through me, not sparing a glance at his subordinate slumped against the wall.
It was intensely unsettling.
Especially knowing his hidden sexual orientation.
"Anyway, enough games. I don't know how you sneaked in here, but..."
Bansho Takemaru clenched his fist, the massive gold chain necklace visible over his white suit shaking roughly.
"Just say the word that you'll serve under me, and I'll let everything slide. You've already felt it, haven't you? That you can't beat me with raw power."
My response didn't change much from the start.
I flipped him the bird.
"Bullshit."
I spat a raw curse.
A displeased expression finally crossed Bansho Takemaru's face.
"...You really want to die, huh. Or do you have some delusion that I won't kill you?"
The air around us grew heavier bit by bit.
A beastly growl mixed into his voice, rumbling like a snarl.
"I'm done holding back. If your next words aren't what I want to hear... I'll rip every hole in your body wide open."
His devotion to LGBT made it sound less like a joke.
He acted human, but deep down, he was just a worthless beast pup.
"Actually, thanks for coming out like this."
"...??"
"An apology might've felt awkward."
As I holstered the pistol from my tactical belt, he nodded with satisfaction.
"Heh, if you're gonna obey in the end, why not sooner? Good. I'll treat you extra special—"
And then.
I clenched both fists tight.
Thump.
My blood vessels surged like a 16-cylinder engine redlining its RPM.
But the pulse was eerily quiet.
Growing slower, even.
Halving a second, then halving it again.
Only after slicing it repeatedly did I realize my heart had finally beaten once.
For an instant.
The world paused.
—KABOOM!!!
The ground I stood on cratered like solid propellant had detonated.
In the frozen world.
I unleashed my fist with airborne momentum.
Comparing body classes, the gap between us might be wider than flyweight vs. heavyweight.
But my fist, arriving in the 'blink of an eye,' carried enough impact to snap his thick-muscled upper body backward.
CRACK!!
His pupils shrank instantly.
Beast-like, vertically slit.
An uppercut aimed at my head came flying.
He was still reeling back endlessly, so no need to duck.
But even that motion felt sluggish.
I stepped on the top of Bansho Takemaru's swung fist.
SPLASH!
And spun forward off the rebound.
In the spinning world, I planted on the ceiling as a brace.
Targeting his face, barely held upright by core muscles.
The sneakers I'd scavenged from a dumpster days ago hit zero durability, sole peeling off at the same moment.
CRACK—!!
This time, I stomped down on his nose bridge.
Unable to hold, Bansho Takemaru finally collapsed.
Not over yet.
Next, my mana-clad fist mercilessly hammered the bastard who'd trashed my grocery store.
BAM!! CRUNCH! BOOM!!!
Violent sounds unbelievable from bone and flesh colliding.
Dark red blood sprayed everywhere like a sprinkler.
'My, groc-ery, store, you, bast-ard—.'
Every swing infused with pure intent.
The moment my fist slammed his jaw.
I voluntarily released the hard-won mount position.
"...!!"
A chill raced up my spine.
Since falling into this game, trusting my instincts had never failed me.
It was beyond instinct now—sixth sense territory.
Reflexively kicking off his chest, I backpedaled fast.
Throb....
And I noticed my finger flesh dangling messily.
While my bones joyfully gulped fresh air and made eye contact.
Blood poured endlessly from the ragged flesh tears.
'...When did he get me?'
I'd been steadily tracking his movements while punching.
I knew well how badly getting grabbed by a power monster wrecked you, so I'd watched his hands extra closely.
Not a break from punching.
Like mauled by a predator.
My finger flesh was simply gone.
Then, a wet chewing sound came from where Bansho Takemaru lay.
"As expected...."
His injuries weren't as bad as I'd thought.
Despite the combo hits.
Bansho Takemaru casually stood up.
"...Tastes good."
The shocking sight shut my mouth automatically.
No room for scolding.
"You psycho...."
Just a curse.
I gripped my fist, enduring the pain.
Broken bones healed in minutes, but regrowing flesh? Who knows.
Bansho Takemaru, slightly dazed, wagged a finger in the air.
A translucent glow flickered over his pupils.
He seemed to be contacting someone.
"I'm having 'dinner' here. Block everyone from entering. And drop the jammer."
The call cut off abruptly.
'Dinner, huh....'
Knowing exactly 'what' he was chewing, I couldn't help but grimace.
"Does he think he's actually a tiger...."
Hearing my mutter, Bansho Takemaru suddenly lifted his head.
"...Do you know why my nickname is Black Tiger?"
"Then do you know why mine's Hotdog Man?"
"......"
Best not to ask what we don't know.
He deemed my question unworthy, repeating his own spiel.
"It's because."
His shadow writhed increasingly.
Thick black fur sprouted from his pores.
His swelling torso popped the buttons on his white suit, jet-black mane emerging everywhere.
I had no intention of honoring the 'don't attack during transformation' cliché, but locking eyes with those vertically slit beast pupils...
My feet halted involuntarily.
"I am a real tiger."
He was casually ignoring conservation of mass too, after all.
Shaking his body, the crusted blood flaked off naturally.
"You stopped talking suddenly. Afraid?"
Razor fangs.
Claws longer than most blades.
A build like Kellogg's incarnation.
"Of course you are. But now that I've shown this form, your fate is sealed. You'll regret your arrogance—"
"Fuck, what tiger? That's a cat."
"......"
Not meant as provocation.
It factually resembled a cat more than a tiger.
"And this fucker's extra vile. Not just gay, but a furry gay... Ew, gross."
I respect tastes, but not forcing your secret kinks on others.
I wagged my mangled fingers at him, lips sealed tight now.
"So what? If you're pissed, come at me."
"...Breaking limbs won't cut it. I'll chew you up whole."
"After all those hits, what're you—"
"Dosing you with drugs to crawl 24/7 sounds fun too."
......
Right after.
Our fists and claws clashed.
"No, seriously! Some psycho inside is spraying bullets everywhere...!"
"Ch-Chrome junkie!!"
"Argh, how're you compensating for this downtime? Get the manager out here now!!"
The evacuated crowd made a racket at the entrance to club Möbius.
Confirming the downed guard at the door, a Hakuga-gumi thug peered down the stairs.
"...Anything else from upstairs?"
"Well......"
"Damn it, what the hell's going on? Boss is inside, right? Those mafia fucks pulling some stunt?"
"No idea..."
The thug gripped his assault rifle handle, resolute.
"Can't wait. Heading in now."
"You won't."
But a sudden voice from behind halted him.
A man in a black mask.
"...Tactical team? Perfect timing. What's happening in there—"
"And clear the entrance."
Cat's gaze shifted to the ninjas behind the thug.
"...Shadow. Didn't expect to see you here."
Hakuga-gumi tactical operatives.
Cat's old crew.
"We heard you injured Squirrel, Sparrow, and Shrimp, then fled the organization."
"Wrong."
"...Wrong how? You coward who repaid the organization's grace with betrayal."
Standing boldly before them, Cat lightly pressed his palms together, just like Abel Anderson had recently.
"Do-mo. Owl-san. Cat here."
"...Have you lost your mind?"
But the tactical team, unaware of the greeting, simply surrounded Cat, prepping to execute the deserter.
"...Lucky for you, anyway. Orders changed from dead or alive to capture alive. If you have any honor, kneel and surrender."
"Honor..."
Past visions reflected in Cat's eyes.
A small laugh escaped behind the mask.
"A dog preaching honor. No comedy show needed."
"...No point talking. You've fallen far."
After days mingling with homeless, Cat's lighter speech sounded like a madman's ravings to Owl.
'What confidence...?'
The 'Shadow' he knew wasn't skilled enough for this bravado.
Tactical operatives were mostly equal in skill.
Credit for evading pursuits, but showing up at a Hakuga-gumi club again? Baffling confidence.
Owl couldn't fathom it.
"...Fine. Everyone, non-lethal takedown. Avoid Shadow's vitals—"
"......"
Even in that peril.
Cat calmly recalled his grocery store chat with Abel Anderson.
- You'll guide me all the way?
- Indeed. Having once been part of Hakuga-gumi, I wish to settle my debts this way.
His request wasn't denied.
Quite the opposite.
- Alright then. Take this.
- This is...
Abel Anderson handed Cat a new weapon.
Cat smoothly drew the 'katana' from his waist.
"...Katana? Ha, thinks he's a real ninja squad?"
Hakuga-gumi absorbed old Japanese factions, but differed from the 'real' ninja units run by Japanese megacorps.
However.
The laughter didn't last.
The blade Cat drew glowed red-hot.
"...Special thermal katana?"
Rare even on black markets...
Ignoring their shock.
Cat muttered quietly to himself.
To sever the final ties of the past.
"Then, I'm off."