Act Two

"Mm, I'm staying over at a classmate's house tonight."

"Yu-kun. Akiyu-san is here too, along with a few other female classmates."

At the strong insistence of Nagisa Kazuha, the group decided to spend the night at this traditional-style manor. The Akihi siblings naturally had no objections, but Nao, the class representative, needed to call home to report in.

"Yu-kun."

Facing the phone handed over by the class representative, Akihi Yu took it and held it to his ear.

"It's me, Aunt Iai."

"Yes, because of the earthquake in Arakawa Ward."

"Please rest assured, it is very safe here, and I will take good care of Nao."

He returned the phone to Nao, who listened for a moment before her face suddenly turned beet red, and she hurriedly hung up the call.

"Let's go inside, Yu."

Nervously pushing up her round-rimmed glasses, the usually gentle and generous class representative kept her head bowed.

"Mm."

Akihi Yu naturally knew why she was acting this way, as just now on the phone, her mother, Aunt Iai, had instructed her to be careful about contraception.

Should he call her open-minded? Or just incredibly carefree?

"What should we do next~~"

Back in the piano room, Amame Ei, who had returned to her usual lively self, was deep in thought.

Come to think of it, this was her first time having a "sleepover" with others. In the past, it was just her and her grandfather at the shrine, and later, it was just her alone.

"At a time like this, it naturally has to be a pajama party~"

Akihi Yu raised his index finger and suggested.

"Followed by a pillow fight."

Stare, stare, stare, stare.

Facing the gazes of the four beautiful girls, each with their own distinct style, Akihi Yu raised both hands high.

"I surrender, I'm out."

"No way, Big Brother has to stay."

Akihi Sora was the first to object; if it weren't for her brother pulling her along, she wouldn't have wanted to leave the house at all.

As a textbook fragile "homebody," her slender fingers constantly swiping across her phone screen were proof of her "internet addiction."

"Heeheehee~~ Yu-kun, you'd better prepare yourself!"

Amame Ei rubbed her hands together, looking eager to try.

"I have quite a few men's pajamas at home, if Akihi-kun doesn't mind."

The girls all chimed in to persuade him to stay, their eyes filled with undisguised excitement. Akihi Yu rubbed his chin.

"Alright then."

Heh, it doesn't matter. Even if it's four against one,

I'll take them all on!

When it comes to a pillow fight,

I, Akihi Yu, am not one to be outdone!

Just as the boys and girls began their "pillow fight," a certain young man crawled out of the sewer, preparing to start a new day of "work."

"Target spotted!"

"Target spotted, repeating."

In the "Special Operations Room" of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, personnel staring intently at the surveillance monitors shouted.

Thousands of cameras, urgently installed in Adachi Ward and aimed at every manhole cover, captured the figure with his face hidden by a hood.

"The target is moving toward the second block of Nishiarai Town."

"Based on the target's behavioral patterns, this outing is highly likely for the purpose of hunting a member of the 'Broken Tooth Gang' in the second block."

Tanimura Wataru thought his movements were secret, but in reality, he was being watched closely by dozens of pairs of eyes from afar. And the second "act" of the play targeting him was being prepared in full swing—no, it should be said it was already prepared, just waiting for him, the "leading man," to take the stage.

"When will our 'Collar' be in position?"

"Staff are currently delivering the 'Collar' to the target location; it is expected to arrive in ten minutes."

To "leash" Tanimura Wataru, the Metropolitan Police Department had prepared dozens of plans, covering every street and alley in Adachi Ward.

"What about the 'Dog Food'?"

"It is ready and can be activated at any time."

"Calculating the target's movement speed, we need to intercept him slightly along the way."

"Move out!"

Following Director Takeshima's order, Several police officers appeared silently in the vicinity of Nishiarai-cho 3-chome, beginning to patrol, record license plates, and issue parking tickets as if it were a "daily routine."

?

Tanimura Wataru, seeing the police from afar, pulled up his hood and, as expected, chose to take a detour.

Meanwhile, at the intersection ahead of Tanimura Wataru, the traffic lights quietly changed.

The red light wait time was extended from 70 seconds to 85 seconds, and the green light duration became noticeably shorter.

However, for the pedestrians on both sides of the crosswalk who were looking down at their phones, this minor change went completely unnoticed; as long as the light color hadn't changed, they kept on scrolling.

These subtle alterations were inconspicuous, yet they significantly slowed Tanimura Wataru's progress.

At the same time:

"Hey, Kengo."

"Get down here fast, I've spotted a top-tier item in 3-chome."

A phone call was placed to an agency in 3-chome sporting a sign that read KEN ONe. At a glance, it appeared to be a long-standing Japanese talent agency. But if one looked closely, they would notice a tiny 'e' trailing behind the large KEN ON.

Simply put, it was a knockoff, much like "Kang Shuai Fu," "Seven Wolves," or "Lao Yu Ma."

"For real?"

A man with a phone wedged between his shoulder and ear, currently shrugging on a pink suit jacket, stepped out of the office.

"She just walked past me; you should be able to see her if you look up."

The voice coming through the phone made the man look up, and his eyes lit up!

A young girl was walking toward him. She wore a traditional hime-cut, her features were sharp and three-dimensional, and her figure was petite and delicate, yet possessed all the right curves. Most importantly, the unpretentious, pure aura she exuded scratched at the very depths of the man in the suit's heart.

Ever since he discovered that the first "big sister" he knew had five other "boyfriends" besides him, he had become passionate about dragging pure girls into the pit of fire!

"Excuse me, miss,"

?

Startled by the voice suddenly blocking her path, the girl stopped in her tracks.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm a talent scout, and this is my business card."

The man in the flashy pink suit with a trendy hairstyle pulled a gold-embossed card from his pocket and, while handing it to the girl, pointed toward the building next to them.

"Please, take a look. This is our agency."

"KEN ON?"

Seeing the sign nearby, the girl covered her mouth with the back of her hand in surprise.

This was a legendary Japanese talent agency, having existed for fifty years, having launched countless stars, and known as the "Hall of Handsome Men and Beautiful Women."

Furthermore, because it was backed by the Sasagawa family conglomerate, it was notoriously wealthy and known for being very lenient with its artists.

It was the agency that countless trainees would break their heads trying to enter.

"Hahaha, it's just a branch office."

The man in the pink suit couldn't hide the smugness in his laughter; dealing with "amateurs" who didn't know the details was simply too easy. No girl could refuse the glamour of standing in the center of the stage, enjoying the attention of the masses.

"I think you have great potential; you will definitely be able to shine brightly on stage!"

"If you can pass the 'test' and enter the main office, becoming a world-renowned star isn't impossible. Just don't forget about me when that happens, okay~~"

Under a barrage of promises, the girl seemed somewhat swayed.

The man in the pink suit struck while the iron was hot.

"Miss, would you like to come up for a cup of coffee?"

"After touring our agency, I believe your impression will change significantly."

Just like that, the girl was half-pushed, half-coaxed into the building by the man. The passing pedestrians merely glanced at them before turning their heads away.

People living on this street naturally knew the primary business of this KEN ONe.

Adult video production!

In short, AV.

Given the sexual attitudes in Japan, many people were already losing their virginity by middle school.

Shooting AV was considered a normal "job," and at most, people would just feel a pang of pity in their hearts that another beauty was about to be devoured by a pig.

That was Akemi.

No, wait, was it her?

On the other side of the street, Tanimura Wataru, who had witnessed everything, furrowed his brows.

Looking up at the sign, the young man who had once spent day and night investigating organized crime syndicates immediately understood what was happening.

The AV industry ruins young girls.

Forget it, don't be a busybody.

"W-wait a second."

"Isn't this... a talent agency?"

In a room on the fifth floor, the girl retreated, trembling as she questioned them.

"Hahahaha!!"

"Who said we aren't a talent agency?"

Several men in the room burst into wild laughter, leering as they began to strip off their clothes.

"AV idols are idols, too."

?!

The girl turned to run, but she stopped dead in her tracks.

Leaning against the door, a man in a pink suit was toying with a gleaming, cold-blooded dagger.

"You... you can't do this, I—I'm going to call the police!"

"Go ahead!"

"After we've had our fun, we'll send the tapes to your parents, your teachers, and your classmates. Then, feel free to call the police all you want."

A man stripped down to his underwear, holding a video camera, let out a sinister chuckle.

Regardless of whether the police could catch them, The girl's future was already over.

???

The threat in their words hit her like a physical blow!

The men closing in from all sides made the girl's face turn deathly pale. She retreated until her back hit the wall with a sharp pain.

It's over, it's over, it's over!

Faced with such a scene, Any girl would be left with nothing but despair.

"Help! Someone help me!"

"Hehehe, I love it when they don't cooperate~~"

"The more you resist, the more excited we get!"

Just as the men, stripped bare to reveal tattooed bodies, reached out toward the girl, a cold gust of wind swept in from behind them.

"What the hell?"

As the cold air blew past, the tattooed man on the outermost edge shivered and turned around, cursing.

?!

A man in a hoodie had jumped in through the window; the open window was the source of the draft.

"Who the hell are you?"

This was the fifth floor.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when the hooded man turned and slammed the window shut.

Then:

Swish.

A blur of motion, and he was already standing in front of the tattooed man.

Clink.

Claws capable of easily tearing through flesh extended, but after a glance at the girl surrounded by the men, Tanimura Wataru retracted his claws and clenched his fist.

BOOM!

A punch slammed into the chest of the tattooed man in front of him, the immense force causing his back to bulge outward instantly.

"Who are you?!"

"You're looking for death—"

The commotion made the other tattooed men surrounding the girl turn around.

Familiar yakuza-style threats spilled from their mouths, but what they faced instead was:

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Within a single second, several heavy punches were thrown.

The whistling fists struck their necks with pinpoint accuracy.

Several yakuza members collapsed without a single sound, their necks twisted at horrific angles.

"Mon... Monster?!"

The man in charge of filming gaped, yellow liquid streaming down his trousers.

Before he could make another move, his vision suddenly spun, followed by an eternal darkness.

"Don't come over—"

The string of killings was concise and efficient!

The man in the pink suit leaning against the doorway was stunned at first, then his expression shifted violently.

He raised his hand to throw a dagger at this hooded figure who moved like a Ghost God, while his other hand gripped the doorknob behind him, preparing to flee.

Swish.

A shadow flickered, and the opponent had already charged before him at high speed.

He even had the leisure to snatch the dagger out of the air mid-stride, then thrust it forward.

Squelch.

The dagger violently pierced the pink-suited man's mouth, the entire hilt sinking inside.

Tanimura Wataru raised a hand to close the man's terrified, gaping mouth, letting the corpse slide slowly to the floor before turning around.

It takes a long time to describe, but from the moment he vaulted through the window and began his slaughter to the moment he finished off the man in the pink suit, only a few seconds had passed—the entire room was filled with corpses, except for:

"Th-this is..."

A young girl huddled in the corner, clutching her head, her eyes brimming with tears.

Facing the Tanimura Wataru who strode toward her, the terrified expression on the girl's face shifted into one of surprise.

"It's you—"

BOOM!!

A whistling fist, instantly cut off the girl's words.

Her trembling pupils looked to the side; amidst the flying dust and debris, a massive hole had been punched through the wall!

If it had been slightly off-center, what would have shattered just now was the girl's...

...skull!

"What kind of place do you think this is?"

An angry interrogation washed over her, laced with the stench of blood and killing intent!

"I told you to focus on your studies, but you wouldn't listen!"

"Starry-eyed dreams, chasing thrills—in the end, aren't you the one who gets hurt?"

"Are you stupid? Do you think this society is all sunshine and rainbows? Do you think everyone will treat you with kindness?!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Facing the roar that made it seem as if he would tear her to pieces the very next second, the girl crouching on the ground had a blank mind, left only with the instinct to apologize. Or rather, to beg for mercy.

Looking at the girl shivering like a lamb, Tanimura Wataru's anger came as quickly as it went.

What has gotten into me?

She isn't Akemi, and besides, she isn't the one at fault—these animals are!

His gaze swept over the corpses in the hall; if he weren't afraid of frightening this girl, Tanimura Wataru would have already been tearing the yakuza apart with his bare hands, painting the room in a storm of blood.

"Get up."

He reached out a hand and pulled the girl to her feet.

Seeing the girl swaying, unable to even stand steadily, Tanimura Wataru had no choice but to switch to holding her in his arms.

"I'm taking you home."

"Don't ever come to a place like this again, you hear me?"

"Mm,"

the girl replied in a small voice, shrinking into Tanimura Wataru's embrace.