Chapter 296 - Brawl in the Red-Light District
Before clashing with the local fools, there was business to attend to.
Fighting alone isn’t the only skill worth having. The Kikyo Society must prove it isn’t merely a force of violence and fear—but one capable of coexistence and mutual prosperity.
I decided to send a messenger through Mary.
“The message should go like this: we were the ones attacked first. Then, provoked, the usual idiots started gathering, and things are looking like they’ll blow up bigger than expected. And tell them we’ll beat the hell out of anyone who attacks us, so they should move in at the right moment.”
The Second Combat Unit Captain immediately pointed to a nearby girl.
“Send this girl. Did you hear?”
“Yes. I’ll repeat it back. The Kikyo Society, having suffered a preemptive strike, has entered combat with multiple factions in the pleasure district. The area has become far more dangerous than anticipated. The Vigilantes are requested to intervene at the appropriate time, with defeated enemy forces handed over for disposition.”
Her summarized repetition was well done. This girl was an aide, and clearly competent.
A bit of exaggeration—multiple factions, really?—but the situation would keep shifting anyway. No problem.
“If we catch them in the act of rioting, the Vigilantes can arrest them openly and without issue. That way, the Vigilante Captain’s rivals lose their pawns and collapse on their own. And the credit goes straight to the Vigilantes. Deliver it like that, and they’ll come rushing in with smiles on their faces.”
“Understood. I’ll relay the details and return.”
We all watched as the messenger leapt onto a motorcycle and sped off, preparing ourselves for what came next.
Well then. Things had turned louder and rougher than I’d planned—but that was fine. Word would spread beyond the pleasure district. If we could scare the Mayor and the port’s influential figures, future negotiations would go much smoother.
“Everyone, our guests have arrived. Let’s welcome them properly.”
From across the street, thugs came sprinting on foot, while others approached packed into the bed of a small truck. All were armed with cheap leather armor and swords, looking more like bandits or down-on-their-luck adventurers.
Rigaheim’s irregular forces were always made up of people who weren’t professionals or even proper thugs. That half-measure showed clearly in their mismatched gear.
Meanwhile, due to our visit to the Vigilante Captain’s residence, we’d come unarmed. Let them taste the humiliation of being utterly crushed by a group of unarmed women.
Anyone not on my list to keep? I’ll smash them into dust!
“Whoever they are, let’s crush their morale first.”
My target: the light truck advancing from about fifty meters ahead on the main street.
I generated a steel ball the size of a softball in my hand.
Rotated my shoulder once, loosening up.
A moment of sharp focus.
With a clean, no-step throw, I snapped my arm forward.
The iron sphere shot through the air in a beautiful arc, like a silver line drawn across space—hitting its mark without the slightest deviation.
It punched straight through the magic stone beneath the truck’s driver seat. Combined with the shock of destruction, the vehicle screeched to a forced halt.
The thugs tumbled pathetically from the truck bed. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Everyone, these bastards aren’t afraid to use magic right in the middle of town! Keep collateral damage to a minimum. And don’t let anything happen to the bikes or the café!”
“And make it clear—they’re the ones in the wrong. We’re banning offensive magic from here on!”
No town in its right mind allowed aggressive magic on public streets. Yet moments ago, one of them had done exactly that—ostensibly as a warning.
And to them, my thrown projectile might as well have looked like magic. Now, they’d have no reason to hold back.
“Just as I thought. Fools.”
It was immediately clear that several enemies—apparently magic specialists—were gathering mana. Not weak, harassing spells, but something heavier, with real power and range.
I didn’t expect these low-tier losers to wield top-tier magic. But even a fifth-rank mid-level spell packed a punch. While it wouldn’t work on us Kikyo Society members, the damage to bystanders couldn’t be ignored.
Magic usability varied wildly depending on one’s affinity, and even common spells required rare skill to use in actual combat. When you thought about it, people who could casually launch offensive magic were surprisingly rare. These must be the few who actually had that valuable magical aptitude.
“Poorly aimed magic is harder to counter, isn’t it?”
“The Second Combat Unit will advance. Priority target: eliminate the mages.”
“Good. I’ll handle any strays.”
The single iron ball had broken their momentum, but they weren’t weak enough to flee outright.
Shouting battle cries, they charged the remaining distance—just as Mary and the others shot forward at blinding speed and struck.
Their bravado ended there.
Mary, leading the charge, tore through the enemy ranks at a completely different pace. Her fist slammed into the throat of a man mid-incantation. A beat later, other members crushed the mages with perfect priority. The threat of clumsy magic vanished in an instant.
It was a little disappointing no blood rained down—but of course, we didn’t stop there.
We delivered damage that left enemies incapacitated, and before one fell, we’d already struck another.
We gave them no opening, not even a breath.
Moving at superhuman speed in erratic patterns, using enemy bodies as blind spots, we unleashed relentless attacks before they could comprehend what was happening.
Striking, kicking, throwing, breaking—after landing a blow, we’d already disabled the next target before the first hit the ground. The Second Combat Unit’s mastery of close combat was a thing of beauty.
Against their fists and throws, cheap leather armor offered zero protection.
The difference in power was clear. Precision, sharpness, judgment—all flawless.
They could have delivered killing blows with ease. Instead, through supreme skill, they calibrated each strike to incapacitate without killing.
“We should’ve let the Vigilante Captain and the big shots see this.”
“Absolutely. Nothing speaks louder than this kind of display.”
Honestly, I’d planned something more low-key. But this couldn’t be helped.
A fight where each of us took down just one or two enemies wouldn’t take long.
But then—before it was over—more groups started swarming in.
“This is Shinogami. Reinforcements are gathering nicely. Lure them in without spreading the front too wide. Handle them individually.”
“Got it!”
“Onee-sama, shall we provoke them first? I can sense clusters of non-combatants nearby. I’ll toss a spark into one of those groups.”
“Good idea. But be careful—you must identify the enemy correctly.”
“Yes, I’m off!”
Come on, come on. Let them all gather. I’ll sweep every last one of these nuisances aside.
Ah, right—there’s no guarantee the Vigilante Captain’s men aren’t mixed in there… but it’s fine. I’m not here to kill. If needed, I’ll even throw in healing as a courtesy. I know the Vigilante Captain’s territory, and Valeria won’t be stepping into his domain. Probably safe enough.
Along the way, some of them tried to surrender—but I ignored them without a word.
That’s not what I’m after. The nerve of people who attacked in force now begging for mercy. Talk about convenient timing.
The incoming groups started fighting among themselves, plunging the area into total chaos.
About an hour after the messenger returned, the Vigilante Captain finally arrived—leading around seventy members.
The pleasure district, once noisy, had long gone silent. He showed up way too late—what was he even here for now?
“Took you long enough.”
I called out, raising a hand while sitting on a chair at the open-air terrace.
I hadn’t just stood around waiting. Bored, I’d ordered tea and cake from the shopkeeper—an old woman who’d recovered from her injuries—and passed the time chatting with her.
“Captain… w-what exactly happened here?”
The bodies strewn across the ground—any local would recognize which factions they belonged to.
They couldn’t tell the extent of the injuries at a glance, but I’d made sure it was perfect. Not dead, not crippled—but hurt badly enough that low-tier healing magic wouldn’t get them back on their feet. As for those injured in unrelated fights? Not my problem.
“Never mind that—wake up every damn one of these bastards and arrest them! Find witnesses and bring them along! Understood?!”
“Y-yes, sir!”
The Vigilante Captain snapped orders at his men without hesitation, then approached me. His commands were rough, but his expression was oddly cheerful.
“Sorry, but I need to go through the motions of an investigation. I’ll need your cooperation.”
“Fine. But first—those guys dealing that stuff, the Crack. Are any of them among the fallen?”
“Right, hold on—I’ll have someone check if any of them are carrying.”
A subordinate near the Captain went to investigate.
“I got your message, so I understand the general situation. But I never expected you to wipe them out so completely. The Three Great Families of Exembra really live up to their name.”
“More importantly, your business rivals are practically wiped out now, aren’t they?”
“Yeah. Losing this many pawns? No one’s left who can stand against me.”
“Glad to hear it. Hope you enjoyed the gift.”
As we discussed the battle’s details further, the subordinate returned with a report.
“Got it. Tch. The key players aren’t here. They’ve always been careful not to leave a trace—guess they avoided the provocation this time too.”
How unfortunate. So even Valeria’s provocation didn’t lure them in?
Then the main surviving factions must be the Vigilante Captain and the Crack dealers. The situation could be interpreted as the removal of a troublesome business rival. Doesn’t matter—I’ll crush them soon anyway.
“Huh. Well then, we’ll raid their shop as planned the moment it opens. Assuming they haven’t fled after all this. To keep them complacent, you should wrap up and pull out like your job’s done. Once we’ve driven them into a corner, we’ll hand them over to you.”
“No time to rest. I’ll visit the bosses who just lost their men. Tell them now’s the time to back down—while they still can.”
“Good idea. The best time to press your advantage is when they’re confused and afraid.”
If he brought several factions under his control like this, the Vigilante Captain could seize near-total control of the pleasure district. He’d want to move fast.
“Still… never thought things would wrap up in a single day.”
“Efficiency’s our trademark. Remember that.”
If you betray us, you’ll be finished in a day too. The Vigilante Captain wasn’t dumb enough to miss that message.
Ironically, in the underworld, trust is everything. Our reputation is built on reliability, and we demand honesty in return. If betrayal ran rampant, business would collapse.
Work must be done properly and honestly. Built on mutual trust.
“Don’t threaten too much. See you around.”
The Vigilante Captain, his expression now serious, left quickly with his aide in tow.
There was no point in staying to watch the Vigilantes clean up. And going to the club—rumored to be a drug den—was still too early.
According to Valeria, when she’d gone to scout after tossing in a spark, the place had been empty. I’d heard it was always deserted during the day, but Valeria wouldn’t have hesitated to strike first if suspicious people were gathered.
And according to the Vigilantes, none of that group were among the fallen. Maybe they’d just happened to be absent from the district. Lucky bastards.
“No use sticking around. Let’s head back.”
Siegrune, standing beside me, gave the order to withdraw. Our departure was once again accompanied by roaring engines.
Back at the warehouse by the port, the other members hadn’t just been waiting.
As always, the Intelligence Bureau had been out gathering intel. Meanwhile, members from the Combat Unit and War Support Unit had been conducting interviews in the slums.
Newcomers like us wouldn’t get honest answers just by asking around. And using force wasn’t always efficient.
So instead, they’d organized a food drive.
They served lunch to the slum residents, built rapport, and drew out information. Sometimes, this kind of approach worked best. Many of the people rotting away in the slums actually wanted to work—if only they had the chance.
When the Kikyo Society launched port cargo operations, we’d need plenty of labor. Building loose connections here would definitely pay off. That was the real purpose behind the food drive.
Incidentally, Rosabel-san, with no immediate leads on pirate-related matters, had gone to the local Healer Guild to gather information.
Apparently, she might run into an old acquaintance. If things went well, she might even stay at their place for a while. Just like her—always doing as she pleases. No problem calling her back if needed.
In the evening, we all went shopping together, then enjoyed dinner. It was actually kind of fun.
As we savored members’ homemade seafood hot pot and fried dishes, a visitor arrived at the warehouse. A member, detecting the approaching vehicle, went to respond before being called.
A short while later, she returned—without a guest—and reported the vehicle driving away.
“What was that about?”
“Messenger from the Vigilante Captain. Delivered a message and left.”
“Oh? What’d he say?”
“The owner of that drugstore visited the Vigilante Captain to apologize. He’s joining under his protection. So he says we’re not to interfere any further.”
So they’ve chosen not to resist. Smart, but… kind of boring.
“That was anticlimactic. Almost makes me think they’re planning to slit our throats in our sleep or betray us later…”
“Hmm. Hard to say. Well, if the Vigilante Captain says we’re not to act, we can’t just go charging in.”
I didn’t want to get dragged into messy affairs. That was the basic rule. If the parties involved settled it themselves, that was fine.
I couldn’t be bothered guarding the Vigilante Captain. And if he got betrayed and died pathetically, that was on him. He’s the one who told us to stay out of it. He should’ve expected betrayal, and be able to handle his own survival.
In fact, I should applaud the Vigilante Captain for wrapping things up so quickly today—demonstrating his strength by crushing his enemies in plain sight.
If the worst happened and some idiot decided to oppose us later, we’d deal with it then.
“Ah, it’s over already? I really wanted to smash that drugstore.”
“Wanted to pick a fight and burn it down.”
“Yeah, kind of a letdown.”
Admittedly, it did feel a bit like a story cut off mid-sentence.
“There’ll be plenty more chances like this. Let’s move on!”
“Alright! Who’s our next target?”
The team’s lighthearted mood was reassuring. Business as usual.
Good. Just as I declared, I’d shift gears too.
Next on the list: the Mayor.
The chaos in the pleasure district had surely shaken him—after all, he was one of the town’s central figures. The sooner we approached, the better. Exploiting confusion to force decisions was a villain’s classic move.
With the pleasure district settled, it was time to cut into the heart of town politics. After that, the port’s influential figures would be waiting.
There was plenty of work to do. Time to move fast.
This is an accusation.
The world isn’t that kind. Nothing comes easy.
Next time: “A Warehouse in the Slums With Too Many Visitors.”
This has nothing to do with the current story, but I’ve uploaded an essay.
If you have time, feel free to check it out!
That said… it’s kind of embarrassing, so maybe you shouldn’t. Haha!