Hey, it's me again. If you're seeing this, that means you liked the first chapter enough to keep going—which I really appreciate, thanks! I'm always open to any tips or suggestions in the comments. Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter 2!
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Kazuo Yamashita was nervous…
No… the right word was anxious.
At fifty-six years old, he worked as an office clerk in a second-hand sales department. He had lived his entire life as a completely ordinary man, always trying to behave with the utmost calm… perhaps too much, even for his own good.
But the point was that you could easily find hundreds of thousands of people just like him!
So, when he was called— forced—to appear in the main office of the CEO of one of the largest companies in the country, there was no way his blood pressure wouldn't skyrocket, as he desperately tried to remember what he could have possibly done to catch the attention of one of the city's most powerful men.
The problem was… he couldn't remember doing anything.
Wake up, work, go home.
The same routine for the past thirty years.
Even when his wife left him with their two children, he got up the next day to catch the bus at the same time as always.
The most extraordinary thing that had ever happened to him was witnessing, by sheer chance, a young man knock out a massive yakuza the night before.
And he hadn't even had anything to do with it!
And yet, here he was now, standing in front of Nogi Hideki himself, listening to what seemed like an ancient secret that was completely beyond his comprehension.
Fortunately, the world still wasn't crazy enough to make him compete in something as absurd as these 'Kengan duels.'
But even so… he still didn't understand why he was there.
"Mr. Yamashita, are you listening to me?"
"H-how?… Y-yes, of course!" he stammered.
"I-it's just that… it's a lot to take in… I-I'm not saying that you didn't explain it well, it's just that…"
"I assure you, Mr. Yamashita, everything I've mentioned is true. Especially the part about losing the man who was supposed to represent us in the next duel. I hope you understand the gravity of the situation."
"O-of course, sir. I-I would be happy to help with whatever you need, b-but… I don't see what all of this… w-well, has to do with me?"
Kazuo nearly fainted before he could finish speaking, and he could only pray that the man—with enough power to ruin his life with a single word—wouldn't take offense.
He almost let out a sigh of relief when he saw him turn toward his secretary with a small smile.
"Miss Akiyama, is it ready?"
"Of course, sir. It should be arriving any moment now."
A little more relaxed, Yamashita was about to ask who he meant, but the sound of the door opening forced him to turn around.
A stranger had entered the room.
A young man.
He seemed to be half a head taller than him and had a fairly healthy build.
Probably in his mid-twenties, though he could have looked much younger beneath all that facial hair.
And… was that a package in his hands?
"—A delivery man?"
"—Good morning. Excuse me… are you Mr. Hideki?"
"…Me?"
"Yes, please, seal here."
Yamashita was about to correct the misunderstanding, but Nogi Hideki's voice cut him off.
"Mr. Yamashiro, a pleasure to finally meet you. I hope your morning has been satisfactory."
"…Excuse me, do we know each other?" the young man replied, clearly confused.
"Not exactly. You could say I am an interested observer of your skills."
Yamashita watched as Mr. Nogi placed what appeared to be photographs of the young delivery man surrounded by a crowd on the desk.
He tried to lean in for a better look, but the young man's hand got there first, snatching them away and hiding them from view, his body clearly tensing defensively.
"…Who are you? …What is this? Are you trying to threaten me?" he asked in a low voice.
"Calm down, Mr. Yamashiro. There's no reason to lose your composure. I assure you, no one in this room is your enemy… correct, Mr. Yamashita?"
Kazuo, unable to keep up with what was happening, nodded nervously
"See? As I mentioned before, I'm just someone who has been following your movements with great interest until now."
"Of course. That's very normal, isn't it?" he said, with barely concealed irony. "Do you really think I'm an idiot? What would you gain by bringing me here just to show me those photos?"
"No, Mr. Yamashiro. If I considered you an idiot, you wouldn't be here; and as for the rest, the really important question is what you can gain from all of this. Would you consider entering into an agreement with me?"
"…An agreement?
Nogi didn't bother to answer. Meanwhile, the young blonde woman to his left pulled out what Yamashita assumed was an employment contract, but before its contents could be explained, the young man's voice interrupted them.
"I have no interest. Goodbye."
The young man turned to leave, and Yamashita noticed the CEO's smile slowly fading, giving way to a cold expression.
"Mr. Yamashiro, I recommend you stay a little longer. After all, the delivery hasn't been completed… right, Miss Kaede?"
"…That's correct, sir."
"And what happens if a package isn't reported or is lost once it's assigned to a delivery person?"
"The company is obliged to replace it or, failing that, pay an equivalent or higher amount."
"I see… And what happens to the person who was responsible for the package when it went missing?"
The young secretary hesitated for a moment.
"Please continue, Miss Kaede."
"...… Yes, sir. It's very likely that the employee would have to undergo a penalty, which could escalate to justified dismissal. It could even leave an employment record that makes it difficult to secure a new position in the near future."
The young man, who was almost at the door, froze in his tracks upon realizing the obvious threat to his employment.
After a brief silence, he turned around and walked slowly back toward Mr. Nogi's desk.
There was a tense, almost humiliating moment before he finally spoke.
"C-could… you give me your seal, sir?" he asked, with a clearly forced smile.
"I'm not sure… Miss Akiyama, do you have a spare seal? I think I've lost mine."
"…I'll bring one right away."
"Oh, that would be wonderful. Then, Mr. Yamashiro, wouldn't you like to take this time to review the proposal?"
The tone and the manner in which it was said made it clear that it was no longer a suggestion.
Yamashita could almost hear the young man's teeth grinding in frustration.
He couldn't help but feel sympathy for the boy, who seemed to be in physical pain the moment he began reading whatever it was they were asking of him.
Was it really that bad to cause such a grimace?
He knew this type of situation all too well, and seeing someone so young being manipulated so blatantly made his stomach turn.
Oh… at least, that's what he felt—until the young man's expression disappeared completely. Almost instantly, his annoyance melted into astonishment, growing with every line he read, until his whole face was frozen in disbelief and shock.
Mr. Nogi noticed too… and the slightest curve of his lips made it clear that this was exactly the reaction he had been waiting for.
"What's the matter, Mr. Yamashiro? You've started to take an interest? I think the part about the health insurance will be particularly relevant to you."
"…Y-you! …How…? Who told you… w-what…? Is this… all of this real? How do I know it's not some ridiculously elaborate scam?!"
"Well, you are really quite paranoid, don't you think, Mr. Yamashiro?" he commented in a more relaxed tone. "Although, personally, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. And I can assure you that all of this is legitimate and fully binding for both parties once it's formalized, of course."
By the way his gaze flickered, it was clear that an internal battle had just ignited in the young man's mind.
A few moments later, he seemed to have made a decision
He asked for a moment to make a call, and Kazuo thought he could hear the voice of someone clearly irritated, shouting insults on the other end of the line.When he hung up, he let out a brief sigh, one that no one could tell whether it was of relief or resignation…
"I'll do it, but I assure you, if this is some kind of trick, I'll take it to a judge."
"Perfect. But I assure you, as long as you fulfill your obligations, you will have no reason to worry."
The young secretary appeared shortly afterward and, without saying a word, placed the inkan in the middle of the table.
Nogi was the first to use it.
The young man quickly followed suit.
When it was all over, Mr. Nogi nodded slightly and offered his hand with a calm smile.
"By the way, who is he?" the boy asked, pointing at Kazuo.
And immediately, all eyes returned to Kazuo.
"Oh, of course, Mr. Yamashita," Nogi said, looking at him. "I'd like to introduce you to Takuya Yamashiro, our new fighter. From now on, you will be officially appointed as his manager."
Kazuo felt his jaw drop, unsure whether he was more shocked that such an ordinary-looking young man was a fighter or that he had been unilaterally assigned a role for which he was clearly unqualified.
"Manager? And what am I supposed to do with him?"
"Mr. Takuya, the investment in you has not been small. Mr. Yamashita will inform me of any needs you may have before your next match. That decision has already been made. Now, gentlemen, you may leave."
"No. Not yet," the young man interrupted.
"Not yet? I'm sorry, Mr. Yamashiro, but I'm afraid it's too late to cancel or negotiate anything regarding—"
The young man didn't let him finish.
Without saying a word, he pushed the package papers toward Nogi.
Nogi blinked for a moment before taking them and stamping them.
It didn't even take half a second for him to turn around and leave, as if he couldn't bear being in that room for another moment.
Kazuo, resigned to everything that had happened, was about to leave as well…
Until Mr. Nogi's voice gave him a small spark of
hope.
Perhaps he had reconsidered just how unfit he really was for the position!
"With this, the matter is settled, so you are excused from work for the rest of the day. You can go and take care of whatever Mr. Takuya needs. I'll brief you on the rest of the details later, so don't leave his side. Understood?"
"S-sir… a-about th-that… I don't think I'm the r-right—"
A single look was enough to make Kazuo fall silent instantly. With no other choice, he lowered his head and walked out, almost stumbling, feeling the little hope he had left fade with every step.
............….......….
Nogi Hideki allowed himself to relax as he watched his secretary organize the final documents to formalize the contract.
Kaede always strove to maintain impeccable composure, serene, as if nothing could affect her. It was admirable… even a little endearing, in a way, considering how young she still was to fully achieve it.
"Are you worried about something, Miss Kaede?"
"No, sir. But, if I may… could I ask you something?"
"Of course, go ahead."
"Why put so much effort into bringing him here?"
"Are you referring to Mr. Yamashita or Mr. Yamashiro?"
"Both, sir. To be honest, the first doesn't even seem to meet the minimum requirements for the position. As for Mr. Takuya… the time invested in prior research, combined with this… spectacle, well, the cost–benefit simply doesn't seem proportional. Especially since it's clear that neither of them has any genuine interest in belonging to this world. There are far more accessible candidates, with equally or even more promising records. I mean… wouldn't it have been much more feasible to contact the man who defeated Komada, 'The Deva King'?"
"Uh, well… you know. You don't have to overthink it. It was just a whim."
"..... That's fine if you don't want to tell me, sir."
Nogi almost let out a chuckle as he realized that his secretary knew him as well as he knew her.
The truth was, there were many reasons to choose Kazuo Yamashita.
But for Takuya, there was only one.
He had a genuine interest in seeing what kind of person that man's son had become.
.............….......….
Kazuo managed to get out of the building just in time, hurrying to catch up with the young—boss?—he was now supposed to take care of.
Luckily, he reached him before the boy rode off on his bicycle.
"Wait, please! Just a second!"
"Hm? Oh, it's you. Look, I know I agreed to work for you all, but I'm way too busy right now to keep talking. Call me when you need me to come. I'm sure your stalker boss has my number, okay?"
"You have to quit!"
"…What—? "
"Listen, I-I don't know what kind of s-situation made you agree to fight for Mr. Nogi, b-but I really think… you should turn down the offer! Fighting is still a crime!"
"Huh…? Wait, I'm not sure I heard you right. You? Weren't you… like my manager? They just hired you today! Why the hell are you telling me to quit?!"
"L-look, I know how hard it is to make money, b-but you're still young. You surely have better options than putting your life at risk. Your parents would worry if they knew what you were doing!"
That seemed to be all it took to end the conversation.
Without another word, the young man turned around and began getting back to what he was doing, completely ignoring him.
Oh no.
Kazuo noticed.
He had struck a sensitive chord.
He couldn't allow someone who could easily be his son's age to get involved in something so dangerous.
He had to apologize.
He stepped forward and raised his hand, trying to reach him.
SNAP!
He didn't even see when it happened…
but the boy had caught his wrist without even turning around.
And it hurt. A lot.
He tried to pull it free with all his strength, but the boy's grip didn't give an inch—not a single inch.
He tried to shout for him to stop, but the crushing pressure left him breathless.
The boy seemed to notice too, because just as Kazuo was sure he couldn't take it any longer… he let go.
"Hey, I don't know who you think you are," the boy said, looking him straight in the eyes, "but you're the ones who planned all of this. So take care of your own business, and I'll take care of mine, got it?"
"W-wait, just hear me out for a moment…"
"I already did. And that's the only thing you're getting from me. Step aside, now!"
The poor office worker didn't know what else to do. Panic, frustration, and urgency swirled in his mind, driving him to shout the first thing that came to him.
"I-I'll go with you then!"
The boy froze.
"…Seriously? You're messing with me… right?"
"Y-yeah… it's like you said… I'm supposed to be your m-manager… and Mr. Nogi told me I had to stay with you for the rest of the day… I-I don't have any other choice."
The boy simply stared at him as if he didn't believe a single word.
"So… you're telling me your boss ordered you to stalk me for the rest of the day? Even knowing that, after what happened upstairs, that could go very badly for you?"
"I-I… I think so?"
There was a heavy silence.
"…Fine."
"F-fine?"
The boy turned his gaze forward, clearly resigned.
"Y-yeah, fine. But listen, I'm not stopping until I finish everything I have to do today. So, if you want to throw another one of your stupid suggestions, you'll have to wait until I'm done, got it?"
He turned slightly and nodded toward the spot on the bike where Kazuo could sit.
Kazuo didn't waste a second. If he could stay close long enough, maybe—just maybe—he could convince the boy to get them both out of this mess.
"Ah, and hang on. Seriously, I'm running very late, so I'm not going to slow down, even if you fall off."
"Don't worry, it may look like this, but back in my youth I used to ride one of these, so I—Hyaaaaaah!"
"Hey! Don't distract the driver! Don't you know that's dangerous?"
"WHY ARE YOU DRIVING IN THE WRONG LANE?!"
Of course… if he even manages to survive until then.