Chapter 1187

<Episode 1187> 1187. Day 15

The sun had risen.

No, judging by the window, it wasn’t just morning—it was close to noon. I clutched my pounding head and sat up. To be honest, I wanted nothing more than to lie back down and sleep for another five hours… but the situation didn’t allow such luxury. I had to face the Yakuza heading toward the village.

I stood up. Nakagami Risa, Hagawa Ryoko, and the shrine maiden who should’ve been beside me were nowhere to be seen. My eyes fell on the crumpled clothes right next to me. Black clothing. It resembled the traditional Japanese attire worn by Shibata—though I don’t know its exact name.

‘Was this prepared for me to wear? Well, my original clothes are soaked in blood anyway.’

I put on the clothes. The Blood Orbs and weapons lying beside the outfit weren’t overlooked either. It seemed the Yakuza hadn’t reached the village yet; that’s why I’d been able to sleep this long.

‘Even so, there are still a few hours left until Full Recovery is off cooldown.’

I opened the door and stepped outside.

The shrine, which had felt eerie during the night, now radiated an inexplicable sense of sanctity under the daylight.

As I walked through the shrine grounds, I encountered the shrine maiden.

“You’ve awakened.”

There she was. She wasn’t alone; ten people dressed in black stood silently around her.

The sight of her grimacing and groaning as she lay beneath me was gone. Neatly dressed in her shrine attire, her long black hair was perfectly arranged, and her expression remained calm as ever.

I deliberately stared into her eyes. Normally, this would’ve made someone feel embarrassed, but she remained unfazed.

“How are you feeling?”

“A bit tired.”

I rubbed my side. It was where I’d taken a hit from Wada Kyoshiro, leaving a nasty bruise. While it wouldn’t hinder combat too much, the pain was quite distracting.

“Take this medicine. It might provide some relief.”

She handed me a vial. A transparent potion containing about 10ml.

“What is this?”

“It’s a secret recipe of the Kaminoyama family. Effective for external injuries and can alleviate fatigue somewhat.”

“Is it some kind of drug?”

“It’s different from Blood Orbs. This is purely made by refining herbs. Though less potent compared to Blood Orbs, it has no side effects.”

We were now in the same boat. At this point, there was no reason for her to betray and kill me. And it was equally dangerous for her. I poured the potion into my mouth. The taste was excruciatingly bitter, making me wince.

“This tastes terrible.”

“They say bitter medicine is good medicine. How does your body feel?”

“Definitely… I feel less exhausted than before. Does it usually kick in this fast?”

“It’s the Kaminoyama family’s secret recipe after all.”

“The Kaminoyama family really is impressive. After all, they created Blood Orbs too.”

“No, Blood Orbs were created by me. Around ten years ago, I developed the prototype.”

“Drugs were part of the ingredients, right? You must’ve managed to get them somehow.”

“At that time, the Kamionomiya family was already dealing with the Yakuza. Getting drugs wasn’t difficult. Acquiring human corpses, though, was a bit trickier.”

I nodded vaguely.

This world inside a creative story may defy common sense, but here we are.


Most things are possible. The shaman is probably some kind of prodigy at pharmaceuticals or something.

“Yakuza?”

“They haven’t arrived yet. I’ve tried contacting them, but they just keep repeating that they’ll be here soon.”

“So they’re targeting you, huh? Right?”

“Yes. They seem to have roughly grasped the situation in the village.”

“What about Senpai Lisa and Ryouko?”

“They’re eating at the restaurant.”

I looked around again.

“Are the people here all there are?”

“There are about five more, though they’re not here.”

“How many Yakuza do you think will come?”

“There will likely be over a hundred. They know we’re not easy opponents.”

“Our strength is too different. Can’t we use the villagers?”

“They’ve already been… taken care of.”

“Taken care of… as in killed?”

“Yes. It was too risky to leave them alive with how much they knew.”

“The villagers would be loyal to you, right?”

“That’s different when it comes to the Yakuza. I don’t trust the loyalty of toys anyway.”

“So the brainwashing wasn’t perfect?”

“I didn’t even bother brainwashing them. Even without it, they’re still useful playthings.”

Truly an impressive woman.

I nodded absentmindedly. A hundred Yakuza members. Not scary. I’ve got my blood pact and weapons, after all. I felt confident I could handle a hundred Yakuza. The problem was that they’d likely have guns.

I could dodge bullets fired head-on by reading the shooter’s finger on the trigger and estimating the bullet’s trajectory. But it required focus, and shots from blind spots were beyond even me.

Clang!

I drew the katana from my waist. Despite the sudden movement, the area remained silent. The shaman aside, even the men in black stood still like well-trained dogs.

“Trying to cut me down?”

“Not at all. Just inspecting the katana. Look, the blade’s a bit dull. Got any decent weapons?”

“I have a few pistols.”

“And katanas?”

“…We do have them, but must it be a katana?”

“I’m no good with guns. Katanas feel more natural.”

The shaman turned her head slightly and issued an order to the motionless men.

“Bring all the katanas from the village.”

“Yes, Mistress Shaman.”

The men in black answered in unison and immediately moved.

“Oh, do you have bulletproof vests too?”

“…Fetch bulletproof vests as well.”

“Yes, Mistress Shaman.”

Within 20 minutes, they returned with 11 katanas and 3 bulletproof vests. I picked the best-conditioned vest and carefully examined the katanas.

“This one seems the best.”

“Is there a difference between this one and the others?”

“Can’t you tell just by looking? This one’s clearly crafted by a master.”

“…I can’t see the difference.”

I swung it a few times in the air, feeling satisfied.

“Wada Kyoshiro, what about him?”

“…You mean the man Miss Haga spoke of? We couldn’t find him.”

He’s either fled down the mountain or hiding somewhere in the village or the mountain.

My guess is he’s hiding in the mountain. Wada Kyoshiro must know there are outside forces at the foot of the mountain.

“Oh, right. What about the women at the carpentry shop?”

“Carpentry shop… you mean the place where women are violated. There were only corpses left.”

“Did the women escape? …And do they regularly… violate women?”

“It’s for stress management among the villagers. Being trapped in the village creates various desires that could become variables. Using the village women is a way to control those urges.”

“Damn. They should just learn to control themselves.”

“They’ve already committed murder and are driven by drug-induced desires, making it hard to suppress their urges. It’s easier to manage if they release their desires appropriately.”

“Still, problems will arise eventually, right?”

“If it gets out of hand, we’ll just take care of them.”

“Indeed.”

I nodded vaguely.

•••

Together with the shaman, I overlooked the village from the shrine atop the hill.


It was the perfect spot to overlook the village. Monitoring the insides of the village with a telescope was going smoothly too.

Through the village entrance, cars were lining up to enter. The types of vehicles varied—there were luxury sedans, cheap kei cars, and the most numerous type were vans. The cars parked casually near the village entrance.

The car doors opened, and burly men poured out in droves.

Each one had a nasty look on their face, wielding weapons like katana swords, clubs, and hammers. Some men didn’t carry visible weapons, but their bulging pockets suggested otherwise. With an intimidating presence, they boldly marched toward the shrine.

“About 120 of them, I think.”

“Seeing them in person, their aura is different. If Shibata were here…”

“Stop bringing up that weakling. I’m the one who killed Shibata. That means I’m stronger than him.”

“…Can we defeat these guys?”

“We’ll see. It’d be perfect if we had something like a bomb.”

“We don’t have bombs.”

“I know.”

The yakuza hesitated as they reached the shrine.

The man at the front, wearing sunglasses, picked up a radio.

Ch-ch-ch.

The miko’s radio responded.

“Hey there, Kamino-yama-san. Heard there was chaos in the village, but it’s quieter than expected.”

“Kizaki-san came in person. Aren’t you busy?”

“I am busy. But what can I do? The boss gave me this job directly. Besides, this concerns our dear Kamino-yama-san. I have to step in. You know I like you a lot, right?”

Her lips twitched slightly. How dare he eye my woman…

The miko’s expression remained unchanged.

“You’ve arrived too late.”

“Kamino-yama-san is sharp; you must know how things are unfolding.”

“Do you desire the formula for the Blood Sect?”

“The boss wants that. You also know how great and ruthless our boss is. Let’s cooperate peacefully. You don’t want to end up as some cheap prostitute living worse than a dog, do you?”

“Did you think I’d hand over everything and then let you silence me? Or lock me away forever somewhere?”

“I told you, I like you, Kamino-yama-san. Be my lover. You’ll gain freedom—not total freedom, but you won’t suffer harsh treatment.”

“I’m sorry, Kizaki-san, but I feel nothing for you.”

Kizaki removed his sunglasses. Narrowing my eyes, I scrutinized his face. His skin was tanned, with wrinkles around his eyes. He looked to be in his early to mid-40s.

“…Well, you’re kicking away the opportunities I give you. I take back my compliment about your sharpness. It’s your choice. Don’t regret it later.”

“…I’m surprised you’d show up so openly. Do you not think I would commit suicide?”

“The boss said this about you: even if you rolled in dung, you’d cling to life and seek chances. He even added that if you were born male, he’d make you his successor.”

“…Flattery.”

“Anyway, stay put there. I’m coming up now.”

Kizaki cut off the radio communication. Then he signaled to his subordinates, who began climbing the stairs.

“What will you do now?”

The miko asked me. Not just her, Nakagami Risa and Hagawa Ryoko’s gazes were also on me. The black-clad goons were quietly standing guard. There’s no guarantee these yakuza are all we’re dealing with.

“You intentionally made this staircase steep and high, right?”

“Yes. It’s convenient for monitoring the village, and hundreds of steps aren’t easy to climb casually. Most importantly, being closer to Heaven grants authority.”

“Authority or not, this staircase is ridiculous. It’s steep, and there are too many steps.”

“You plan to fight on the staircase, then.”

“Fighting on flat ground would give us less than a 20% chance. Ah, I’ll handle the staircase fight alone.”