Shinjuku, Shinjuku station.
No matter when Aozawa came, he could always see a large crowd entering and leaving the station.
The departing crowd fanned out in all directions, blending into the streets.
At night, the colorful neon signs dressed Shinjuku up like a flirtatious young lady, incredibly beautiful.
During the day, Shinjuku wasn't much different from other city districts.
He had his hands in his pockets, standing outside the station exit, occasionally attracting the attention of the opposite sex.
Aozawa's outfit today was a mix of blue and white: a white T-shirt layered under a blue sweatshirt, paired with white sweatpants and pure white shoes.
He cut an exceptionally crisp figure.
Which way should I go? he wondered, looking at the road before him.
After a moment's thought, he turned toward Kabukicho.
「...」
Kabukicho is Shinjuku's renowned red-light district, its reputation having spread overseas.
The charm of this street peaked at night. In the daytime, it seemed to fall short of its fame.
The neon signs were dim, the streets had few pedestrians, and there were no colorfully-dressed ladies standing on either side of the streets soliciting business.
Kabukicho seemed to sleep during the day, though some establishments only operated at this time.
Ishita Financial Company, located next to Emma Customs Store in Kabukicho Ichi-chome, was one such place that operated during the day.
Brothels and Dark gold operations both thrived in murky, gray areas, often having intricate connections and cooperative agreements.
For those who couldn't repay Ishita Financial Company, if they had women in their family, these women could easily be forced to entertain clients in brothels to earn money.
Men, on the other hand, might be sent to the host clubs in Ni-chome.
Age wasn't an issue. There were always clients with unique tastes.
Ishida Taizan enjoyed this feeling of controlling the fate of other people's families.
Gamblers looking to turn their fortunes around had to stake everything to get capital from him.
Ladies seeking luxury goods had to curry favor with him to obtain large loans at the lowest interest rates.
Some small and medium-sized enterprises struggled with cash flow and resorted to temporary loans, but once borrowed, the compounding interest made repayment nearly impossible.
Ishida Taizan had a fondness for the bosses of these small and medium-sized enterprises—or rather, for their wives. The wives of such men were often top-notch.
"Boss Hirashima, I'm not trying to rush you, but your loan is about to become overdue.
"If you can't repay on time, you should know how our company collects debts.
"An extension? I'd like to give you a few more days, but who's going to give *me* an extension?
"Times are tough for everyone these days."
Listening to the pleading voice on the other end of the phone, Ishida Taizan said in a low voice, "Actually, I can give you a few more days. I hear your wife is a college graduate from a prestigious university?
"You know, I just happen to have a younger brother who needs tutoring. If you let your wife tutor my brother, I might be able to extend your deadline a few more days.
"Boss Hirashima, my patience is limited. I hope to hear your decision by tomorrow. Goodbye."
After hanging up, a sneer spread across Ishida Taizan's face. He was almost certain his brother would be receiving 'lessons' by tomorrow.
KNOCK KNOCK. Someone rapped on the door. "Boss, there's a major client who needs your personal attention," a voice called from outside.
"Alright."
Ishida Taizan felt a surge of energy. A deal important enough for his men to personally inform him about was surely worth tens of millions.
He got up and walked toward the door. Before he got close, he heard a THWACK.
A Dart was lodged in the Dartboard hanging on the door, hitting the bullseye.
Ishida Taizan was slightly stunned, his expression one of surprise. He didn't remember there being a second person in the office.
"Who are you?"
Ishida Taizan turned around warily and caught sight of the youth in front of the desk, who had short black hair and his hands tucked in his pockets.
The Dart on the desk, however, hovered in mid-air, untouched.
Ishida Taizan rubbed his eyes, hardly believing the scene before him was real. Wait, could they be using some kind of high-tech gadgetry?
Having been involved in the underworld for years, he knew some people used high-tech gadgetry to fake miracles for scams.
"Kid, which group are you with?"
Ishida Taizan kept his composure, though his mind was already racing, figuring out how to escape.
"It doesn't matter who I am. What's important is that you're going to die here."
"Why do you want to kill me?"
While asking a seemingly foolish question, Ishida Taizan subtly positioned himself near the doorknob, planning to flee the office and call his men to surround and attack.
"When you have power, you naturally want to clean up some trash. That's a pretty normal thought, isn't it?" Aozawa said leisurely.
"Idiot!" Ishida Taizan shouted, quickly turning and twisting the door open. He saw his men lying fallen outside but didn't hesitate.
BANG! He slammed hard into the door. A sharp pain shot through his nose, and a trickle of blood ran down.
Ishida Taizan stumbled back a step, dazed, staring at the door in utter shock. How did the door close?
He remembered it clearly: his hand had twisted the doorknob, he'd pulled the door open, and he'd even seen his men fallen outside.
Is this an illusion? Ishida Taizan wondered. He didn't have a habit of using drugs. He grabbed the doorknob again, intending to burst out.
BANG!
Once more, he slammed hard into the door. His nose turned bright red, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. "What's going on?! Why is the door still closed when I clearly opened it?!"
"Are you sure you opened it? Could it be that you're so terrified of my presence that you're hallucinating, Ishida?"
Aozawa remained standing behind the desk, a faint smile playing on his lips. "There's no need to be so afraid. Everyone dies."
"What the hell did you do to the door?!"
Ishida Taizan cried out in fear, then a look of realization dawned on him. "I get it! You must have installed some automatic control device on my door; that's why I can't open it!"
"You can check."
Ishida Taizan's pupils dilated. The young man vanished before his eyes, and his voice now came from behind him.
CREAK. The door made a slight sound as it opened a crack.
The cold air from the office wafted out. Ishida Taizan felt his blood run cold, and his teeth began to chatter. "Are you... are you human or a ghost?!"
Ishida Taizan turned stiffly. He saw the youth standing in the corridor. He also saw his underling, throat slit, whose wide eyes stared at him as if trying to drag him down to Hell.
The scene, so far beyond his comprehension, shattered Ishida Taizan's composure. He screamed, "Don't! Don't come any closer! I have money! Lots of money! I can give it all to you! I can even buy you the best burial plot, the most lavish headstone! If you want women, I'll burn a whole carload of paper offerings for you—no, even living ones are no problem!"
"No way."
Aozawa shook his head. This Time Suspension Superpower is quite satisfying; the shock it delivers is considerable. "It's time for you to go."
Within the stilled time, Aozawa used Telekinesis to guide a blade, slitting Ishida Taizan's carotid artery and trachea.
Time resumed its flow.
Blood sprayed from Ishida Taizan's neck as Aozawa turned and left, his Telekinesis erasing all traces of his presence.