CHAPTER 493: CHAPTER 491 AOZAWA: SWALLOWED BY DARKNESS_1

Takahashi Saeko had two residences: one known to Iroha, Maru, and the others, and the other was the Hundred Herb Bookstore. Usually, when there was nothing pressing, she would stay at the Hundred Herb Bookstore, as it facilitated her work. She only returned to the other residence to entertain Iroha and the others when they wanted to visit. Given domestic customs, Takahashi Saeko didn’t need to return to that residence constantly, only visiting occasionally.

But tonight, she wasn’t at the Hundred Herb Bookstore either. Nighttime was ideal for moving about and eliminating incriminating evidence.

Takahashi Saeko arrived outside the Shiwatari Group’s building. Or rather, it wasn’t exactly outside; it was the best sniping spot to target Group Leader Shiwatari. The target area was at least one and a half kilometers away.

She used a piece of wire to pick the lock on the building’s rooftop door. Normally, the building was inaccessible to the public at night, but she had used a trick to sneak in.

Although Takahashi Saeko didn’t understand hacking, she always kept a virus ready to infiltrate surveillance systems. This ensured nothing unusual would appear on camera when she was active. Then, she just needed to evade the building’s patrolling security guards to reach the rooftop without issue.

The wind was strong at night. Takahashi Saeko took out her sniper rifle, an AX50ELR with an effective range of two thousand five hundred meters. After equipping her night-vision goggles, she positioned herself at the edge of the rooftop, lay prone, and peered through them at the distant Shiwatari Group headquarters.

Takahashi Saeko aimed her rifle at the entrance, patiently waiting for her target to emerge, ready to identify him by his movements. Her target’s temper was notoriously explosive. Even without seeing his face, his posture alone was enough for Takahashi Saeko to identify him.

The only piece of incriminating evidence she hadn’t yet erased was the leader of the Shiwatari Group, Shiwatari Ryuuichi. Takahashi Saeko had contacted Shiwatari Ryuuichi to provide firearms to Number Nine.

Shiwatari Ryuuichi had deep ties with the U.S. Forces Japan. It was highly unlikely that the Metropolitan Police Department’s investigation would lead to them, but the Shiwatari Group could easily end up as the scapegoat. Takahashi Saeko had received confirmed intelligence that Shiwatari Ryuuichi planned to flee abroad tonight to avoid the heat. If she could eliminate him, no one would know she had made the connection for Number Nine.

As for the gold, Takahashi Saeko just needed to spend it gradually over the next few years to avoid any problems. She calmed her heart and monitored the distant activity through her night-vision goggles.

Meanwhile, in the shadows, Aozawa had also been led to the vicinity by a Shadow Soldier. Through Catalyst Induction, he observed Takahashi Saeko on the rooftop. Unlike her usual school attire, Takahashi Saeko now wore a tight-fitting leather catsuit, her short brown hair fluttering slightly in the wind. Her expression was cold, devoid of its usual smile.

She lay prone, her body close to the ground. Her petite frame, however, belied her significant capabilities. Watching through the night-vision goggles, she seemed to merge with her sniper rifle, embodying the poise of a female assassin.

It appeared that she was no ordinary high school student. This thought flashed through Aozawa’s mind as he realized that Takahashi Saeko might not be planning to study abroad but was actually entangled in some unavoidable trouble.

He stepped out of the shadows, his presence transforming into a gentle breeze that drifted before her night-vision goggles. Takahashi Saeko felt the wind brush past her eyes, a cool sensation on her cheeks.

Aozawa, now peering through her night-vision goggles, saw the same scene Takahashi Saeko was observing: the entrance to a mansion guarded by two figures. Their features were indistinct, but their outlines were clear.

Aozawa moved away from the goggles and followed the rifle barrel’s trajectory downward, trying to locate Takahashi Saeko’s point of focus to assess the situation before deciding on a course of action.

「...」

Shiwatari Ryuuichi’s residence was a blend of Japanese and Western styles: the garden outside was purely Japanese, while the dwelling itself was decidedly Western. It had three stories, with a protruding balcony on the second floor overlooking a swimming pool below.

Shiwatari Ryuuichi usually enjoyed inviting a bevy of girls to frolic in the pool at night, but not tonight; he was preparing to flee to Canada to lay low. The gun Number Nine used to kill Kumazo Yasuda was purchased from him.

Even if the Metropolitan Police Department couldn’t trace it now, given enough time, they would eventually link it to the Shiwatari Group, and Shiwatari Ryuuichi had no desire to end up behind bars. After arranging the group’s affairs, he was ready to flee to Canada.

He wasn’t planning to use official channels, opting instead for smuggling boats to sneak out of the country. Shiwatari Ryuuichi did not possess Japanese citizenship; for ten years, he had lived in Japan as an unregistered resident, a fact unknown to the public.

He had always held Canadian citizenship. After all, in his line of work, one must always have an exit strategy. Shiwatari Ryuuichi’s escape plan was simple: if his business dealings were exposed, he would hastily retreat to Canada. As long as there were no records of his entry into or exit from Japan or Canada, he could deny everything and sever ties with the Shiwatari Group. If the Japanese government insisted on pursuing him, it would be portrayed as malicious persecution of a Canadian citizen.

"Has Jiro’s car not arrived yet?" Shiwatari Ryuuichi asked irritably.

"Group Leader, Mr. Jiro has not arrived yet," one of his underlings replied respectfully.

"Damn it! Useless when it matters most!" Shiwatari Ryuuichi roared.

At that moment, a young, beautiful woman descended from the second floor. She wore a T-shirt and ultra-short leather shorts. She wore delicate makeup, her neck, ears, and fingers adorned with matching jewelry. Two underlings followed behind her, carrying suitcases.

Shiwatari Ryuuichi was enraged at the sight; or rather, he was in such a foul mood that he would have slapped even a peerless beauty like Daji. With a swift slap, he yelled, "Are you out of your mind? We’re on the run, not going on vacation!"

The woman, tears welling in her eyes, didn’t dare show her anger, merely apologizing, "I’m sorry, Ryuuichi, it’s all my fault. Please don’t be mad~"

"Humph." Shiwatari Ryuuichi did not press the issue. He waited for word from Jiro.

He had entrusted the matter of selling firearms to Number Nine to his confidant. And that confidant, naturally, could not be left alive. He had already ordered Jiro to eliminate him.

Shiwatari Ryuuichi didn’t want to leave any loose ends. The matter was too serious. He even planned to have the Street Cleaner eliminated to erase all related information. Then he would stay in Canada for a while; if no trouble arose, he would return.

After all, his roots were in Japan. Leaving the country and the Shiwatari Group for Canada would reduce him to merely a wealthy gentleman. That might be enough for ordinary people, but for Shiwatari Ryuuichi, it was intolerable.

The door opened, and a young man walked in, looking neat and clean. He bowed and said, "Boss, everything’s been taken care of."

"You imbecile!" Shiwatari Ryuuichi slapped the back of his head and roared, "I told you to be quick!"

"Sorry, it took a little time to deal with them." Jiro bowed again.

Seeing his pathetic state, Shiwatari Ryuuichi kicked him, even angrier, and shouted, "After I leave, you’ll temporarily handle all group affairs, big and small. Put a halt to all business with arms and ’flour’. These days are not safe. We’ll keep a low profile for a while."

"Yes, sir," Jiro replied obediently.

The woman, Shiwatari’s companion, sashayed over, her hips swaying, her tight leather shorts outlining her plump, peach-shaped curves. A flash of desire crossed Jiro’s eyes as he involuntarily fantasized about the intimacies he would share with her after his rise to power.

"Alright, don’t get angry. Let’s hurry up and get in the car," she cooed.

"Shut your mouth!" Shiwatari Ryuuichi was especially irritable. This was a bad habit from managing the group. He was accustomed to a management style of physical and verbal abuse, which he saw as a display of his authority. He treated even his close associates this way.

"Back then, I listened to Mom and sent you to England for school, hoping you’d follow a different path from mine. Instead, you joined a gang in England and started doing drugs! Messing with those shady things has made your body so weak." Shiwatari Ryuuichi walked outside, growing more enraged as he spoke.

Jiro hung his head in silence. Shiwatari Ryuuichi’s anger intensified. Suddenly, an underling exclaimed, "Group Leader, something’s wrong!"

"What happened?" Shiwatari Ryuuichi, shocked, thought the police had arrived. He drew his gun, ready for a shootout.

"Look at the ground!" the underling shouted.

Shiwatari Ryuuichi looked down and saw the once pristine ground suddenly covered with a black mist. Or was it a rolling black liquid?! It engulfed his ankles and flooded into the mansion’s interior.

"What the hell is this?" Shiwatari Ryuuichi yelled. Thinking of the recent strange incidents involving the Different World and monsters, he immediately fired at the ground.

BANG! BANG! The bullets struck the water-like shadow, making no impact sound; the ground beneath was no longer solid.

"Damn it, run!" Realizing the gun was useless, Shiwatari Ryuuichi’s first instinct was to grab his dazed younger brother and flee, but he found he couldn’t lift his feet. The shadow was coiling upwards around them.

"I can’t move!!" the woman screamed in panic, finding her feet hopelessly stuck. Not only were they sinking, but the cars and even the house itself were gradually being engulfed by darkness. The entire area seemed to be turning into a swamp.

This was Aozawa employing his Shadow ability in a new way. Mimicking Blackbeard’s Dark Hole technique, he slowly devoured the house and everyone in it. Knowing these people trafficked arms and ’flour,’ he didn’t hesitate, swallowing them and the entire house.

Cries of "Damn it, you cursed monster! If you have any guts, come out and fight me one-on-one!" "Somebody, help me!" and "Sob... I don’t want to die," filled the air, a mixture of curses and pleas for mercy.

On the building’s rooftop, Takahashi Saeko, who had been about to pull the trigger, paused. Through her night-vision goggles, she watched as the people below began to sink.

"What’s going on?" Takahashi Saeko muttered, unsure whether she should still take the shot. She watched as the targets’ knees disappeared, then their waists, and finally their necks, before they vanished completely from her night-vision display.

Takahashi Saeko blinked, her expression still baffled, utterly clueless about what had just transpired.

"Could it be a monster?!" She racked her brain. This couldn’t be Shiwatari Ryuuichi’s doing. Could it be those monsters everyone’s been talking about recently?

To be targeted by a monster... he really is unlucky. A thrill coursed through her. This way, everything I’ve done will be completely covered up. I won’t need to leave Tokyo!

Takahashi Saeko quickly cleared the scene and departed.