CHAPTER 71: HOSTILE TAKEOVER
Cruise Ship Espoir. Top of the Observation Nest.
Fusui Kure had climbed up here early. She had pulled the components of a lightweight, high-precision sniper rifle from her tactical backpack and assembled them with practiced ease. Now, she sat perched on the steel rafters, munching on a sandwich while peering through the high-powered optic at the docks below.
Even with the moon obscured by thick clouds, Fusui's vision—honed by generations of Kure genetics—saw everything. The docks weren't as empty as they appeared.
It was exactly as she and Ren had suspected.
{ Ren-chin, we've got ghosts. }
Fusui licked a crumb from her lip and keyed her comms. { There are about a dozen silhouettes positioned around the pier. They're professional, disciplined. They aren't local Yakuza; they move like soldiers. They're waiting for a signal. }
{ Even if we try to leave now, they'll pin us in the parking lot. It's better to settle this 'Tonight' before the ship hits open water. }
{ I'm staying in the nest. Over. }
Ren Shiroki acknowledged the report with two quiet taps on his earpiece. Beside him, Yukio Tonegawa was blissfully unaware of the looming tactical threat. He was still puffing on a cigarette, complaining about the current state of the Tokyo underworld.
"The radicals are coming out of the woodwork," Tonegawa muttered, glancing at Sadakuni. "The Metropolitan Police are deploying 'Monsters' of their own... this whole 'Grey Market' business is becoming a headache for the board of directors."
"You know, Shiroki-kun... just by looking at him, you can tell that Sadakuni is the type to lose control. He has the 'Scent' of a religious zealot. Entertaining him is a nightmare."
Perhaps because their social circles didn't overlap, Tonegawa felt a rare sense of relaxation around Ren. He didn't have to be the stern executive or the groveling subordinate. He could just be a man having a smoke.
But for a middle-manager at Teiai, relaxation was a fleeting luxury.
Chairman Kazutaka Hyodo drifted over to their group, his presence casting a shadow that made Tonegawa jump.
"Ch-Chairman!"
Tonegawa immediately straightened his suit and bowed.
On a normal day, Hyodo would have turned the man into a human footstool for complaining about his assignments. But tonight, the "Tyrant" was in a jovial mood. He barely spared Tonegawa a glance.
"Being targeted is the burden of the crown," Hyodo cackled, leaning on his cane.
He looked at Ren. Although Hyodo was a withered old man with a chaotic beard, his eyes were heavy and solid—they carried a weight of presence that ordinary people couldn't comprehend. Like Ren, Hanayama, or Akagi, Hyodo was an "Abnormality." You could recognize who he was with a single glance.
"Sadakuni is a radical, yes," Hyodo mused. "He's back in Japan to raise a war chest, and he's set his sights on me. But I don't care."
Hyodo let out a low, rattling laugh. "The world is full of crazy people. The higher you climb, the more of them want to pull you down. It's inevitable."
"But no matter how insane their actions, their motives are always the same. As long as a man is driven by greed, fame, or desire, he is predictable. He is bound by his own chains."
"A man like Sadakuni... sometimes, to keep him from a total 'Rampage,' you have to satisfy his hunger for a challenge. It's a small price to pay for entertainment."
"After all... if an Emperor doesn't have enemies breathing down his neck, is he really an Emperor?"
Hyodo squinted at Ren. "What do you think, little Kengan Member?"
Ren thought about it for a second. "I think... you're acting out of spite."
Hyodo froze. "...Eh?"
Ren grinned. "You've met the Chairman of the Kengan Association, Metsudo Katahara, haven't you? And when you faced a 'Challenger,' you realized your philosophies were different."
"Old man Metsudo actively hungers for the challenge. He wants to see if he can be surpassed. But you? You only want to be challenged so you can prove you can't lose."
"You're competing with him. You want another Kengan Member to tell you you're right. That's why you're talking to me."
Ren met Hyodo's gaze without flinching. "From that perspective, you're just satisfying your own petty ego, aren't you?"
Tonegawa's soul nearly left his body. No one spoke to Hyodo like that.
But it was Akagi Shigeru who delivered the killing blow to the atmosphere.
"Ren-kun is being too kind," the Man of the Divine Realm said, flicking his ash onto the expensive carpet.
He spared Hyodo a lazy, sidelong glance. "You aren't just acting out of spite. You're Scared. Because you lack a foundation."
"Hah?" Hyodo's brow furrowed, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"You're trapped in your 'Emperor' role," Akagi continued. "You're terrified of losing the crowd's adoration, of losing the 'Might' you've built. That's why you let Sadakuni prance around your ship. You're hesitant on your own turf. If that isn't 'Fear,' what is?"
The air in the ballroom turned frigid. Hyodo stared at Akagi for a long ten seconds. Then, he let out a short, sharp cackle and turned to Tonegawa.
"Oi, Tonegawa. The upper deck is where the real fun is tonight. The trash in the lower decks is irrelevant. Go down there and recall every enforcer. I want all hands up here to watch the show."
Tonegawa blinked. "Chairman? You want to leave the debtors unsupervised?"
It was a reckless order, a total whim that invited chaos. But Hyodo was done being "cautious."
"I said GO!"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Tonegawa hurried away. Moments later, the rest of the spectators were ushered into a secondary ballroom where they could watch the "Main Event" via monitors.
Only four people remained in the Grand Ballroom: Akagi Shigeru, Sadakuni, and their respective Kakerou Referees—Yagyo Hikoichi and Mepu Kiro.
Ren Shiroki didn't stay with the spectators. He decided to accompany Tonegawa to the lower decks, claiming he "needed some air."
The Companionway.
As they descended the stairs, Tonegawa received a radio update from his team. He relayed the information to Ren.
"The rules of the gamble have been decided. It's a card game."
"But not standard cards. They're using the specialized decks from the lower floor—the ones used for Restricted Rock-Paper-Scissors."
"Each side has to send a 'Runner' to the lower deck to retrieve a stash of cards and bring them back up. Those cards will be their 'Ammo' for the match."
Tonegawa rubbed his temples. "Once the cards are upstairs, my job is basically done. I can finally go home."
Ren was listening to Tonegawa, but he was also processing Fusui's updates.
In his mind, the pieces of the puzzle—the IDEAL mercenaries, Sadakuni's "Revolution," and the sudden card retrieval—locked into place. He realized the truth of the ship.
"Sadakuni isn't gambling," Ren murmured.
"Hmm?" Tonegawa looked over.
Ren's eyes sharpened. "He's committing a Hostile Takeover. He's done with rules. He's going to use 'Might' to take whatever he wants from this ship."
Tonegawa's eyes widened in shock. "What?! On a Teiai vessel?!"
Before Tonegawa could ask more, they rounded a corner in the dimly lit corridor. Three men in tactical gear were waiting for them. They weren't Teiai enforcers. They were IDEAL mercenaries, armed with combat knives and batons.
The lead mercenary beckoned with a gloved hand, his eyes fixed on the wooden plaque at Ren's waist.
"Enough talk, kid. Hand over the Kengan Member's License."
Fusui's voice crackled in Ren's ear. { Ren-chin? The ship is going dark. You need a hand? }
"No need," Ren whispered, a wolfish grin spreading across his face. He thought back to his technical exchange with Atsushi Suedo earlier. He had a few "Karate Experiments" he wanted to test.
"I like these guys, Fusui. Because unlike the Boss... I don't have to worry about breaking them."