Ah, the Tiger of West Middle School Has Arrived

Having secured the benefits, he felt quite satisfied.

Logically speaking, Kana Shizumi should have returned by now, as this was already enough for him to conduct his probe.

The reason was simple... the process of elimination.

If Jail Mom were to ask him later why he had made a special trip to Sendai, Kana Shizumi would likely understand that the other party's surveillance methods were probably something akin to a twenty-four-hour operation.

If he encountered such a situation, he would just have to accept his fate. After all, being targeted by a thousand-year-old monster meant there was basically no possibility of a comeback.

But conversely.

If Kenjaku did not know the full extent of Kana Shizumi's actions and had only gleaned "fragments" of information, then this became quite intriguing.

Because that would mean there were loopholes in Jail Mom's surveillance methods.

If he could just find the trigger condition, Kana Shizumi could seize the opportunity to shake off the other party or, conversely, turn the tables and use them!

One must play the game to survive.

After a moment of internal reflection, Kana Shizumi smoothed out his expression and raised his right hand, making a downward pressing motion.

The matter proliferated by the Abyss-Severing Blade would not dissipate naturally; it required cursed energy to absorb and refine it before it could be completely cleared away.

—After all, this was a playground. If he left it alone, what would happen if some poor soul stepped on it another day?

One simply couldn't litter if they had even a shred of civic virtue.

Thinking this way, Kana Shizumi left the school. Seeing that it was nearing twelve o'clock, he considered whether he should catch the late-night bus back to Tokyo.

But before that...

He rubbed his slightly empty stomach and decided to go to the pier to grab some fries first.

After all, food is the fuel of life.

Unlike the layout within the Tokyo circle, in more remote areas like this, dining and shopping were usually concentrated on a "commercial street" for the sake of convenience in business and management.

Kana Shizumi searched for a while before arriving at his destination.

Seeing the familiar twenty-four-hour fast-food restaurant, he walked in happily.

He couldn't help it; he just loved this stuff!

While eating, Kana Shizumi also waited for a text message. After all, he didn't know when Kenjaku would contact him, and it would be a lie to say he wasn't feeling anxious.

However, the other party didn't initiate contact even after he finished his meal, which made Kana Shizumi wear a subtle expression.

Did Jail Mom really not know he had "left his post"?

It was hard to say...

He would have to wait until they met to be sure, and then see exactly what the situation was.

Kana Shizumi thought about this as he left the restaurant, having originally intended to rush back overnight. But before he could, he heard wailing coming from behind him.

"Damn it! I lost again! My living expenses for next month are gone!!!"

He watched a middle-aged man in a dress shirt kneeling on the ground, shouting and then rolling around.

"My life is over!!!"

Two staff members in small jackets rushed out of the shop, hoisted him up from left and right, muttering things like "You are very confusing" and "Please don't do this," and sent him out like a pig.

They hauled him straight to the nearby station...

There were quite a few people stopping to watch, and Kana Shizumi was no exception.

—What kind of madness is this guy having?

Carrying a bit of curiosity, Kana Shizumi looked up and couldn't help but let out a "whoa."

On a gaudy sign, printed with colorful fonts and illuminated by neon lights, it displayed a highly eye-catching outline.

"Tiger's Den"

It was a pachinko parlor...

Kana Shizumi knew about this thing.

Essentially, it was a pinball game machine, but because there were special ways to cash out, in a sense... it was a disguised form of gambling.

Although Japan officially banned such monetary games, people always found a way.

For example, in the original work, when Higuruma put Itadori on trial, there was a similar scene.

Itadori came out of a pachinko parlor and took the prizes he had exchanged for steel balls in the shop to a nearby third-party store, then exchanged the prizes directly for cash.

Because this cycle involved a third party, it was considered to have circumvented the "ban" from a legal standpoint.

So why was Itadori still judged?

Minors aren't allowed to play pachinko, you see...

You have to say the kid had a real addiction; he was in such a rush to play this thing before he was of age, which was another kind of bad habit.

With a sigh, Kana Shizumi was about to turn and leave...

But he stopped in his tracks.

"...???"

As if he had seen something unbelievable, he widened his eyes slightly and stared straight at a back.

The person was holding a cola, wearing a hoodie, and sporting short pink hair... having just walked out of a nearby convenience store.

He crumpled the receipt in his hand and stuffed it into the trash can. As he stood up, he pulled the tab and took a sip.

Gulp, gulp, gulp...

"Ah~"

The young man looked refreshed, as if pink cherry blossoms were drifting in the air around him.

Literally "feeling great."

Kana Shizumi watched him brush past him and head toward the "Tiger's Den"...

"Hey, wait..."

He spoke subconsciously.

The boy stopped, turned his head halfway, and fixed his gaze on Kana Shizumi.

As their eyes met, the boy gave a slightly awkward smile, as if he had reacted a beat too late.

He raised his right hand as if to confirm, and said in a low, embarrassed voice.

"Um... are you calling me?"

Kana Shizumi looked at the boy's youthful face and was momentarily speechless.

Although he had imagined many scenarios for meeting him, he hadn't expected it to be at this time and in this place.

Gathering his thoughts, Kana Shizumi blinked and then said slowly.

"I'm not sure either, so excuse me, let me ask one more thing..."

After a brief pause, Kana Shizumi asked slowly.

"Are you Itadori Yuji?"

"Oh, you know me?"

It really is you, kid!!!

Although there were many things he wanted to complain about, considering this was their first meeting, he had to make the other party lower their guard.

"No, I've just heard of you... A friend said there was a Tiger of West Middle School who was ridiculously strong, and I've always wanted to meet him."

"..."

Itadori's smile stiffened on his face.

"Ti-ti-ti-ti... Tiger of West what-what-what, that sh-sh-shouldn't be me-me-me..."

He slowly turned his back, his voice trembling.

Kana Shizumi stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder.

"Ahaha, just kidding, just kidding. Who would care about something like that after all this time?"

Leaning in naturally, Kana Shizumi lowered his voice.

"By the way, were you just about to go into the pachinko parlor? Itadori-kun, logically speaking, you shouldn't be of age yet, right?"

Damn it, I'd let it slide if it were just talk.

But if you're actually playing pachinko, don't I have to give you a good interrogation?