The next morning, as Kazuma and Chiyoko stepped out of their house, they spotted two familiar faces—Detectives Shiratori and Takayama—whom they had previously encountered outside Sumitomo Construction's headquarters.
"You two are already on duty this early?" Kazuma greeted them with a bow and asked politely.
But the detectives didn't respond right away. Instead, they stared intently at the Kiryu siblings.
Kazuma exchanged a glance with his sister.
Then Detective Shiratori spoke up. "I believe I gave you my card last time, didn't I?"
"Uh, I think so," Kazuma replied, though he wasn't entirely sure. After all, that business card had just been sitting in his pocket unused, and it didn't seem likely he'd need it anytime soon.
Back then, Shiratori had said Kazuma could call him if he ever obtained definitive evidence of Sumitomo Construction's crimes.
But Kazuma still couldn't think of any way to acquire solid proof against a company like that.
Shiratori pulled out another card and handed it to Kazuma. "No harm in giving you another one. If you ever get any evidence of Tsuda-gumi boss Tsuda Masaaki committing a crime, call this number. We'll come immediately. If I'm not available, just leave a message with whoever answers."
"Understood." Kazuma nodded and accepted the card.
That these two detectives had come all the way here this early just to say this gave Kazuma an ominous feeling. He tried hard to suppress the unease creeping in.
Then Shiratori suddenly asked, "You're planning to apply to the University of Tokyo and become a police officer or a lawyer, right?"
"Yes." Kazuma nodded again.
"Well then, good luck." Shiratori patted Kazuma on the shoulder. "And take care of your sister. The police… well, we're not entirely reliable. We can't do much about the situation you two are facing right now, but if anything happens out on the street, you can still count on the uniformed patrol officers to be of some help."
Kazuma's heart sank. These two must have caught wind of something… they're here to warn us.
He began seriously considering whether to take the day off.
Shiratori added, "Also, crowded places are safer than empty ones. School is a safe place. You two have the kendo district preliminaries coming up, don't you? Spending more time practicing at school is a good idea."
Kazuma took a deep breath and bowed again. "Thank you for the advice."
"You're welcome, KIRYO-kun."
The pronunciation of "Kiryu" in Shiratori's accent was a bit odd. Kazuma frowned slightly and was about to puzzle over it when the two detectives turned and walked away.
Kazuma glanced down at the business card in his hand, memorizing the number carefully before passing it to Chiyoko. "Remember this number. We might need it."
Chiyoko asked nervously, "Do you think something's going to happen today? Maybe we should just stay home?"
"No. Didn't you hear what the detective said? School is safer than home. That was a hint."
Kazuma took her hand. "Come on, let's go to school."
Though her face was full of worry, Chiyoko followed Kazuma without hesitation.
The siblings left their house, walked through the quiet residential streets, and turned onto the main road. Just then, Kazuma spotted a group of sharply dressed men across the street.
It was obvious to any observer that these men weren't ordinary salarymen. But to Kazuma's trained eye, they stood out even more.
Among them, the tallest man had glowing stat lines above his head: Kendo Level 8, Street Fighting Level 11.
Kendo 8 was fine—probably a top student from some dojo. But Street Fighting 11 made it very clear what kind of person he was.
The man wore brown-tinted sunglasses that covered half his face. A shallow but striking scar ran across the part of his face not hidden by the glasses.
Kazuma soon noticed this wasn't even the leader. In front of him stood a shorter man.
This shorter man had Kendo Level 5, Street Fighting Level 7—combat-wise, a total lightweight.
But he carried a special tag:
Shape-shifting Tanuki
Description: A treacherous beast that deceives and devours its enemies in the process.
Clearly, this was the real boss of the group.
Though Kazuma couldn't clearly see their crest from this distance, he had a strong hunch—they had to be members of Tsuda-gumi.
And that "Shape-shifting Tanuki" was most likely the very Tsuda Masaaki whom Shiratori had just mentioned.
Kazuma's heart began pounding. If these yakuza are here already… there's no way today is going to end peacefully.
The "Tanuki" was also studying Kazuma, his sharp gaze brimming with open malice.
That level of malice made Kazuma's hair stand on end.
Then he noticed something eerie—the man's stat tag had special effects. Black mist writhed around it like a living thing, with faint green glimmers pulsing within.
The sight sent a chill down Kazuma's spine.
Chiyoko hadn't noticed the group at first. But Kazuma instinctively tightened his grip on her hand, leaving red marks on her skin.
She was about to cry out in pain, but when she looked up at Kazuma's expression and followed his gaze, she immediately froze.
Still, she wasn't some ordinary girl. She had already faced real danger—she'd helped Kazuma beat down Nishiyama Heita, after all.
Drawing courage from that experience, she squared her shoulders and glared defiantly at the yakuza across the street alongside her brother.
The "Tanuki" gave the Kiryu siblings a deep, theatrical bow—like a magician about to start his act.
Kazuma itched to sprint across the street and take them all out in one go. But there were too many of them—three were clearly capable fighters.
He glanced at a third yakuza he hadn't noticed earlier: Kendo Level 7, Street Fighting Level 9—not as terrifying as the tall one, but still formidable.
The rest of the group likely weren't officers, but even their Street Fighting stats hovered around 4 or 5.
And more importantly, this was their turf—street fighting on the street.
Kazuma forced down his impulse and clenched his fists.
Then the "Tanuki," Tsuda Masaaki, turned and led his group away.
Chiyoko whispered, "What do we do?"
"We go to school as usual," Kazuma replied calmly. "If we ran to the police now, it'd be useless."
These yakuza were well-versed in dealing with the police. They wouldn't give the authorities any excuse to intervene—maybe not even after they made a move.
Nishiyama-gumi had already demonstrated that last time.
These gangs knew the loopholes in Japan's police and legal systems like the backs of their hands.
"Until I come back for you, don't leave the school," Kazuma warned. "And tell that Nanjo girl not to wait for me. Absolutely not."
"I understand." Chiyoko nodded firmly. "Don't worry, big brother. You be careful too… and look out for Mikako-senpai as well."
"Don't worry." Kazuma patted her shoulder reassuringly. "It'll be fine. It'll be fine."
(End of Chapter)