CHAPTER 18: THE CHAOS DEEPENS
Shinjuku. The Abandoned Building.
With the arrival of yet another visitor, the atmosphere of chaos thickened.
Hikoichi Yagyo. The Number Two Referee of the Kakerou Club.
He was an elderly man, older than Akagi and roughly the same age as Q-Taro, but his aura was worlds apart. He wore his silver-grey hair in a sharp, backcombed style. His facial features were chiseled, framed by thick, elegantly curled eyebrows and a distinctive, well-groomed mustache.
Standing perfectly straight in his tailored suit, a pristine white handkerchief tucked into his breast pocket, he exuded the poise and grace of a high-class gentleman.
"Gentlemen," Yagyo said, bowing slightly as he scanned the room. His voice was calm, yet it carried a weight that demanded silence. "This gamble shall be formally 'adjudicated' by the Kakerou Club."
"..."
The room went still, the tension reaching a breaking point.
It was Ren Shiroki who broke the silence. He couldn't help himself; he leaned back in his chair and burst into a hearty laugh.
"Pfft—hahaha! We came here for a 'private' match to get some peace and quiet, but this room is getting more crowded by the minute!"
Indeed, the "simple" gamble had spiraled into something far more complex. There was Ren (the Nogi Group's mercenary), Akagi (the Man of the Divine Realm), Baku (the Lie Eater), Kaji (the normie), Q-Taro (the sadistic host), Rodem (the monster in the shadows), and now Yagyo Hikoichi (the Referee).
Seven people packed into one office was starting to feel a bit cramped.
As Ren laughed, Yagyo stood by the mahjong table with his hands behind his back. Even for a man who had seen everything, the group gathered here was... unusual.
"What a collection of rare guests..." Yagyo mused.
Baku was no surprise; he had deep ties to Kakerou and was an old acquaintance.
The other one... must be Shigeru Akagi. The Man of the Divine Realm was a ghost in the underground world, but his name was a thunderclap that everyone in the business had heard.
The black-haired youth beside Baku looked nervous and utterly ordinary.
But the last one—the massive, laughing youth—drew Yagyo's attention. He was a new face. His build was colossal, and beneath his casual jacket, Yagyo could see the outlines of perfectly honed, functional muscle. He was clearly a professional in the art of "Combat."
Yagyo wondered: Is he Baku's muscle? No, looking at his position, he seems closer to Akagi.
Akagi and Baku teaming up against Q-Taro? Or was it a three-way match? The complexity of the board made Yagyo's mustache twitch with a hint of a smile.
In the midst of the silence, Kaji couldn't contain his curiosity.
"Excuse me... but what exactly is 'Kakerou'?"
"..."
Yagyo narrowed his eyes. Following the club's protocol, he began to explain the organization to the uninitiated.
"Since Master Kujo's opponent tonight is not a member of the club, I shall provide a brief explanation."
"Kakerou is a 'Neutral Organization' that hosts and adjudicates gambles at the request of its members."
"Once a winner is decided, the club assumes the responsibility of collecting the stakes."
Yagyo paused, his eyes turning cold. "Even if the stake is your very life—the result is absolute."
"..."
Kaji blinked, looking confused. "Your life? You're joking..."
"I am not," Yagyo replied calmly. "Our club has a long and storied history. According to our records, we began our activities 441 years ago."
"The foundation of Kakerou was laid by our first leader, Yonosuke Kiruma. Originally, the Leader's role was to punish those who refused to pay their gambling debts."
"Our first clients were commoners, then merchants, then Samurai, then high-ranking officials. The class of people seeking our services grew higher and higher. Eventually, even the leaders of the nation sought our adjudication."
"Specifically, when stakes and rules became too complex for common law to handle, we stepped in. Because the first Leader was a master of Ninjutsu, no matter how high the opponent's status or power, the stake was always collected."
"Thus, Kakerou earned the trust of the ruling elite. Our influence reaches into the very core of this country's power."
Yagyo gave a small, refined smile.
"There is even a story surrounding our first Leader. In 1582, perhaps out of boredom or a sudden whim, the Great Unifier Oda Nobunaga bet his own head in a gamble with the Leader."
"History says Nobunaga lost. And it was the Leader of Kakerou who took his head at Honnō-ji Temple."
"Beyond that... the Sakuradamon Incident, the assassinations of government officials during the Meiji Restoration, the political scandals of the Showa era, and even the sudden bankruptcy of a certain young IT billionaire... many of history's 'accidents' were simply the collection of a gambling stake."
The explanation left Kaji's mouth hanging open. Even Akagi looked slightly intrigued. He had heard of the organization, but he'd never had the lore dumped on him quite so clearly.
"Adjudicating gambles and settling disputes..." Akagi glanced at Ren, then back to Yagyo. "Is it similar to the Kengan Association?"
Yagyo noticed Akagi's look and deduced Ren's connection. He explained patiently, "No. The nature is different. Hosting a martial arts tournament and adjudicating a high-stakes gamble are two very different disciplines."
"I see," Akagi nodded.
"Referee Yagyo, that's enough with the history lesson."
Q-Taro, growing impatient, cut in. "We need to talk about the stakes. I want you to decide the valuation from your neutral perspective."
"Very well..." Yagyo began, but Madarame Baku suddenly spoke up.
"Ah—regarding the stakes, I have a suggestion!"
Baku pulled a pickled plum from his pocket and popped it into his mouth. He chewed it slowly, pointing a finger at Q-Taro. "I don't want your ten million yen. I want your Kakerou Membership, old man. How about it?"
Q-Taro couldn't help but laugh. "Hahaha! You want my seat at the table?"
He acted friendly, but in his mind, he was sneering. This brat is a fool. He thought Baku had just heard the history lesson and gotten over-excited. A Kakerou membership was priceless—how could a street punk like him ever be worthy of such a stake?
"A membership is worth far more than ten million. This is going to turn into a never-ending negotiation..."
Q-Taro sighed, looking at Yagyo. "Referee, I'll leave the final decision to Kakerou. You set the price."
"As you wish."
Yagyo gave a gentlemanly nod. His voice turned chillingly formal. "In that case, Master Kujo... your stake shall be your Membership—plus your entire net worth, including all cash assets and the deed to this building."
"..."
Q-Taro's smile froze instantly.
"Referee Yagyo..." Q-Taro's voice was strained, a vein throbbing in his temple. "If we calculate it that way, my stake includes my seat in the club, thirty million in liquid cash, and the property value of this entire tower."
"You really expect me to bet all of that?"
Q-Taro glared at Yagyo. "Are the people in this room really worth that much? I demand to know the basis of your appraisal."
"The basis?"
Yagyo didn't blink. "That is a strange question. Kakerou's appraisal is absolute. We do not make mistakes. I suggest you follow the rules of the club, Master Kujo."
"Fine..." Q-Taro muttered, unable to take back his previous words.
But the next moment, Yagyo did something that made Q-Taro's blood boil.
The Referee turned to the other four men and gave a slight, respectful bow.
"Master Kujo's entire fortune is limited to this amount," Yagyo said with a hint of regret. "I must ask... is this small amount enough to satisfy you?"
Akagi looked like he wanted to ask for more just to see what would happen, but Baku spoke first. "Yeah, that'll do."
"Very well," Yagyo sighed, looking truly apologetic. "The guests are being very generous with you, Master Kujo."
Q-Taro stood there, speechless, his face turning a dark, mottled purple with rage.