Chiyo considered his proposal for a moment, and then nodded in agreement, with one condition. “After we’re done here, I want Shingo to take me home to Daikuren Housing District.”

“No problem. So, it’s a deal, then?” asked Hayato.

“Of course!” Chiyo answered with a nod.

Flabbergasted, Shingo protested, “W-wait! You didn’t ask for my consent to…!”

Gale quickly slapped his friend’s back. “You lucky devil, you! Just play along. Not every day a pretty high school-age girl wants to be alone with a guy like you, you know!”

“B-but, I…! All right! All right!”

==oOo==

As Shingo approached the abandoned house he suspected as the Onigami Gang’s hideout, he felt a chill run down his spine. The eerie silence around the place seemed to indicate that it had not been visited for a long time. With the others, he stepped through the creaking doorway and into the darkness, their footsteps echoing through the space.

“So, this is the Onigami Gang’s hideout, right?” Shingo asked, his voice hushed.

Gale nodded, but his expression was grave. “Yes, but we have to be very careful,” he warned. “The labyrinth here has only nine rooms, but there is a powerful magic at play that can trap us, making us go in circles.”

Shingo frowned, unsure of what to make of that information. “What magic is that?” he asked.

Hayato spoke up, his voice low and measured. “Some say it’s an ancient Shiman magic we don’t know about, but I think it originated in Wushu as the ‘Pile of Boulders’ trick.”

Chiyo’s eyes gleamed with interest. “Interesting,” she murmured. “Let’s go inside. I’ll help crack that labyrinth puzzle.”

As they advanced, Shingo couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease settle in his stomach. The abandoned house was in a state of disrepair, with peeling wallpaper and broken windows that let in beams of moonlight. The smell of mildew hung in the air, and the floorboards creaked underfoot.

As they moved deeper into the labyrinth, the walls seemed to twist and turn, shifting around them. The air grew colder and damper, and the shadows seemed to grow longer and darker. Shingo could feel the weight of the magic bearing down on him, like a physical presence.

Suddenly, Chiyo let out a triumphant cry. “I’ve got it!” she exclaimed. “The trick is to follow the symbols etched into the walls. They lead us to the way out.”

With renewed hope, the group followed Chiyo’s lead, tracing the intricate symbols etched into the crumbling walls. As they drew closer to the exit, the magic seemed to grow weaker, and the walls straightened out into a clear path.

As they emerged from the trap zone, Shingo couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief wash over him. He turned to the others, a broad smile spreading across his face. “We did it!” he exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

Gale grinned back at him, clapping him on the shoulder. “Nice work, kid,” he said, before turning to the others. “Let’s move on before the Onigami Gang catches up with us.”

In the basement of the abandoned house, Shingo’s heart pounded in his chest as he and his team faced off against the Okabe brothers, the notorious bosses of the Onigami Gang.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

The two towering cosplayers, dressed as the Golden Knight and the Black Devil Knight, sat cross-legged on a ragged tatami rug inside a dimly lit room.

Chiyo spoke up, breaking the tense silence. “So, these two cosplayers are the bosses of Onigami Gang, right?” Hayato nodded, urging them to observe.

Namba Okabe, cosplaying as the Golden Knight Lesnar Geine, spoke up. “So, this is the Yakuza Boss’ response to our actions, huh? By sending a champion and two lackeys to demand our submission?”

Hayato responded with a warning, “As you can see, the three of us are enough for this job. Godfather Maeda’s message is clear. Here’s the deal, surrender and maybe each of you will lose a finger in exchange for forgiveness. If not, the consequences will be… severe.”

Kuraagi Okabe, cosplaying as the Black Devil Knight Vordac, scoffed. “Don’t tell me it’s the ‘aggressive negotiation’ scheme again. Because it won’t work for us anymore.”

Shingo couldn’t help but interject, “You know that’s the method we always use, right? We’re fine and comfortable with it, thank you.”

Namba Okabe countered, “But we’re not! We tried that when the Jade Phoenix attacked us, but that didn’t work! See our slum? It’s damaged beyond repair.”

Kuraagi added, “So, the only way to raise more funds to rebuild it is to do more crimes. And that includes taking revenge on Wushutown and looting all we can seize there to compensate for our losses and more.”

Gale couldn’t hold back his frustration, “Damn you! The Jade Phoenix Gang is in shambles now after the jiangshis were gone and the godfather was injured. And now you want to take revenge on a weakened foe! Is that what you call honor, huh?”

Namba retorted, “How dare you lecture us about honor, boy!”

Kuraagi added, “The Jade Phoenix started the fire by expanding into our territory! Dishonorable acts like that deserve the same kind of reaction and treatment.”

Namba then remembered, “Vengeance is valid every time! It’s not about honor but about survival itself. But wait, I just remembered. You are the Jade Phoenix champion who killed many of our men.”

Gale apologized for his past actions, offering to help rebuild Sujima through the Triad’s support. However, the Okabe brothers had other plans, warning them of the consequences of messing with the Onigami Gang.

Suddenly, Gale burst out laughing. Namba demanded to know what was so funny, but Gale continued to chuckle. “That’s the most ridiculous idea I’ve heard in my life! Modern guys like you should’ve resorted to reason and negotiation, not brutal ways! Seek allies, not enemies. That’s the philosophy of the Daitoshi Yakuza that drove me to choose the Silver Skull Gang as my new home.”

Shingo’s heart was racing as he prepared himself for the battle ahead. With his katana in hand, he was ready to take on the Okabe brothers, cosplayers in armors wielding clubs with earth energy skills. Gale stood beside him, his bare hands ready to strike. Chiyo, the painter with powerful lightning magic, stood behind them, poised for action.

“Careful! They’re transforming into… giants!” Shingo warned the team.