Don't use Type-Moon references in Oregairu!

Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at Goto Yuuma, who didn't dare to breathe, and was quite satisfied. Some people are like stray dogs in the wild. If you give them sausage and pat their head, they'll just eat the sausage and then bare their teeth at you. But if you beat them up until they yelp and howl, they'll become docile, lying down on their backs, rubbing their bellies if they want, without daring to act up.

He asked politely, "And this gentleman..."

"Goto Yuuma! Just call me Goto!"

"Mr. Goto, you have good connections in Chiba City and should be very familiar with this place. Have any cult groups been swindling people or committing inhumane acts recently?"

Yuma Goto was truly speechless with grievance—was it really necessary? So you beat up our elite troops not to seize our film company, not for the smuggling and fisheries protection fees at the port, and you didn't even have your eye on our gambling and prostitute businesses, but just for those lousy religious organizations?

Oh, but some religious organizations are pretty aggressive too... wait a minute!

Yuuma Itohori eagerly raised his head: "Mr. Mask, are you here because of some tragedy?"

"Huh? Did you catch a big fish?" Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded, signaling him to continue.

Yuma Itohori gathered his thoughts and said carefully, "Although I don't know if it was done by a cult—as you know, in Chiba City, everyone's life is pretty good. Cults just scam some housewives out of money and lure them into orgies, which is very different from some other cults."

Fujimaru Ritsuka listened intently, and Itohori Yuuma noticed his focused attention, which reassured him: "However, there have indeed been a few incidents recently."

"The first thing we did was break into a guy's house to collect a debt. We found his chest had been completely ripped open, his ribs cut in half and placed on his ribcage like a pair of white bone wings. His girlfriend was hanging upside down on a cross, bleeding to death. But both of them were smiling. The scene was extremely bloody, and all the guys who went in vomited. Strangely, there weren't any flies at the scene. After that, several other debtors had the same problem."

"Secondly, we caught a guy who owed money and hadn't paid it back. His family had all run away, so we took him on a fishing boat to fish for tuna in the open ocean because he was physically strong."

Fujimaru Ritsuka knew this reference. Deep-sea tuna fishing is very hard work, but the profits are indeed quite high, so there is a traditional practice among yakuza who control the fisheries to throw men onto fishing boats.

“But that guy,” Yuuma Itohori said, his face full of confusion, “he somehow managed to break into the fish market, steal those Fukuzawa Yukichi banknotes, and then desperately swallow the banknotes. By the time we arrived, he had already suffocated to death, still clutching a handful of 10,000 yen notes in his hand. We didn’t intend to cut off his organs, did we have to go through all that trouble?”

“There’s another thing, all six of our female prostitutes who work in adult films have mysteriously disappeared.” Itohori Yuuma knelt down and bowed his head. “This is the case our team has been investigating recently—Mr. Mask. Do you have any information that this was done by a cult?”

Fujimaru Ritsuka was delighted; it was like a pillow being handed to her just when she was about to fall asleep—they even explained the events so clearly. The common thread in all these events was actually related to one core issue: money.

Mammon, the demon representing greed in the Seven Deadly Sins, is intimately connected to humanity's desire for wealth and has an extreme obsession with precious riches. The three incidents mentioned by Yuuma Itsuto all involve people embroiled in financial disputes. And the fact that he only targets the Tojo Clan suggests that this organization is incredibly wealthy and, being a shady underground organization, could, to some extent, symbolize Mammon. Therefore, aren't the victims of the Tojo Clan in the present world Mammon's hands perfect sacrificial offerings for him?

After making a highly probable guess about these events, Fujimaru Ritsuka said, "Well, those who know, know; those who don't, you wouldn't know either. I can only say that the waters are very deep, and there are huge interests involved. Knowing too much won't do you any good. But one thing is certain—the Baimamen cult, or its members, committed these crimes."

Being a simple and honest Japanese person from 2017, Itohori Yuuma's head was starting to ache from the convoluted string of words. Was this masked man pretending to be profound? He had the strength; one punch could destroy five of him, so there was no need for him to lie. But if he used this to get the team to investigate in that direction, he'd probably be torn to shreds by his younger brother and the other advisors—would someone who hadn't experienced the iron fist of justice believe such a thing?

Fujimaru Ritsuka, seeing Goto Yuuma's twitching face and somewhat troubled expression, naturally understood what he was thinking. But asking him to take him to headquarters to play the "eagle crushes chicks" game again? Not only would it be a bit boring, but there was also a possibility of something going wrong. After all, he hadn't reached Senji Muramasa's level yet; a fully-fledged [Sword Aesthetics A] could see through all techniques.

So he decided to try a different approach.

He pulled a cell phone from the pockets of the fallen men and tossed it to Yuuma Itohori: "Turn on the camera."

Yuuma Itto frantically turned on his phone's camera. Luckily, the guy hadn't set a password. He wondered if the masked man was going to record some kind of threatening video. No way, the yakuza value their pride. He was afraid they'd have to fight again.

Fujimaru Ritsuka said nothing, but simply pulled out a golf club, stood in front of a black car, gripped the club with both hands, flames swirling around it, and exuded a murderous aura.

A perfect swing sent the empty bridge car flying, tumbling through the air in a parabola before exploding three meters in the air.

Fujimaru Ritsuka whistled, "Hole in one shot!" Then she picked up her club and pointed at Goto Yuuma.

The heatwave from the explosion hit him in the face. Itto Yuuma's fingers trembled as he pressed the recording completion button, but his hand shook so badly he had to press it several times before succeeding. He swallowed hard and said, his voice trembling, "I...I understand. Tomorrow..."

"Hmm?" Fujimaru Ritsuka snorted.

"...I'll go back and report to the team leader tonight. Even if it means working through the night and digging three feet into the ground, I will uncover that organization that believes in Mammon, maintain order in Chiba City, and bring justice to the victims!" Itohori Yuuma clamped his legs together, forcefully controlling his sphincter muscles, displaying acting skills worthy of a top-notch child actor, with a righteous and awe-inspiring expression on his face.

“Very good,” Fujimaru Ritsuka stepped forward and patted the dust off his collar. “I suppose Goto-kun wouldn’t mind telling me where to look for you tomorrow, would he?”

Yuuma Goto, serious and composed, gave his true address. As for concealing it? Bullshit! What if this troublemaker goes straight to headquarters? The Tojo Clan is a legitimate organization with its own headquarters building!

"See you tomorrow then. By the way, hurry up and wake up your buddies on the ground. It's still cold, and you don't want to catch a cold. If they don't have the strength to help me find them, I won't be in a good mood. And if I'm in a bad mood, I might throw a tantrum. Don't worry, I'm not some kind of devil, hahaha." Fujimaru Ritsuka spoke kindly, wishing everyone present good health, and then walked away leisurely.

As for Hachiman Hikigaya and Yukino Yukinoshita? He sent a text message as soon as he finished typing, telling them to leave quietly through the back door.

As the masked man's figure disappeared, Itohori Yuuma finally couldn't help but collapse to the ground, rubbing his forehead: "What is all this about? ε=('ο｀*))) Sigh."

He sat there for a while before remembering his two underlings in the warehouse—he needed to go in and release them to help clean up the mess. After all, he really needed to take care of that masked man's matter as soon as possible. Come to think of it, am I getting too old? I feel like I don't want to fight anymore. Maybe I should go back and apply for a management position.

Yuuma Itohori, 27 years old, thought so.

Oh, right, the masked man is so unfathomable, there's no need for him to make things difficult for a little girl. I suppose the girl should be alright, that's great.

14. Reading a guide will make your efforts twice as effective.

"dudududulalala, i'm singing in the rain?, and dancing in the rain?~"

Fujimaru Ritsuka hummed a cheerful tune, casually spinning her golf club as she tap-danced through the dark alleyways.

"Singin' in the Rain?" At the agreed meeting point, Yukino Yukinoshita leaned against the wall, arms crossed, and raised an eyebrow as she asked.

"Bingo! Wow, Yukinoshita has such great taste~"

"Before you say that, could you please take off your gas mask and remove my makeup?" Hachiko, the male who was instantly smitten by the yakuza, said with dissatisfaction.

"Sure, sure. By the way, could you hand me your backpack for a moment, and then turn around? I need to change my clothes!"

Yukino Yukinoshita rolled her eyes playfully, indicating that she didn't want to talk to him, and tossed him a backpack.

"Thanks!" Fujimaru Ritsuka forcefully pulled off his gas mask, revealing a face covered in sweat. He stuffed the mask into his backpack, rummaged through his clothes, and unexpectedly found a small handkerchief with Mr. Pan's image printed on it.

Ah, this... is this the subtle thoughtfulness from Miss Yukinoshita? Very well, I appreciate it!

He picked up a handkerchief to wipe away his sweat, took off the cheap clothes he had bought on the street, and put on a sweatshirt and trousers.

Yukino Yukinoshita stood with her arms crossed, her back to the boy, her right shoe scraping against the ground—she had impulsively put a handkerchief in her bag without knowing why, had he noticed? Ah, it doesn't matter, after all, those who put in the effort should be treated well, that's the "right" thing to do.

Yukinoshita repeatedly told herself this.

"Hey, Yukinoshita, thanks! I'll wash the handkerchief and return it to you later~" Fujimaru Ritsuka laughed heartily.

Looking at that face that had been so fierce and intimidating before, but was now grinning like a golden retriever, Yukino Yukinoshita resisted the urge to pinch it, her face getting a little hot: "N-no need, it's not important!"

(??? Isn't this a personal gift?! Yukinoshita, you're amazing!)

Hachiman Hikigaya, observing in secret.JPG

Sensing the provocative gazes, Yukino Yukinoshita's expression turned cold: "You over there, are you happy to be loved by a man at first sight? Why don't you just become a girl completely? At least you'll be more popular."

Hachiman Hikigaya's eyes rotted, losing their luster. Surprisingly, he surpassed Fujimaru Ritsuka's long-honed skills, transforming from an introverted, literary girl into a gloomy, withered woman: "I'm sorry! Please stop talking. I'm not happy at all! This is the first time in my life I've received such a warm welcome, and it's from a man! Fujimaru, come and remove my makeup, I won't become a woman!"

Hachiman Daibosatsu is now also working part-time as Gatling Gun Bosatsu!

Fujimaru Ritsuka almost died laughing too, and took out makeup remover to clean Hachiman: "What an incredibly rare sight! Hachiman, you're amazing!"

"Yamero!!!"

After removing her makeup and changing out of her women's clothes, the unremarkable, dead-eyed Hachiman returned to the world of men. Yukino Yukinoshita covered her mouth, feigning disbelief: "Oh no, I actually think Hachiko is more attractive! Hachiman, are you interested in borrowing money from me? With nine out of 13, the saved allowance should be enough for a trip to Thailand!"

"Why does it have to be based on my going to Thailand?! And who are you, this heartless banker?! Seriously, this joke just won't go away, will it?!"

Hikigaya, after unleashing three consecutive sarcastic remarks, finally felt his sarcastic power reach its limit. He waved his hand wearily: "Alright, Fujimaru, how's it going? I don't want my crossdressing to be worthless... Please, let my integrity die with some dignity."

Your cross-dressing is incredibly valuable; you've even captured the heart of a yakuza executive! Of course, Fujimaru Ritsuka won't say these things now. Hachiman's吐槽 (tu cao, a form of witty retort) power has dropped to zero; he'll say them when he recovers!

The mischievous Fujimaru Ritsuka coughed and smiled brightly, like a male escort struggling to meet his sales targets seeing a beautiful and wealthy woman: "Great news! We caught a big fish this time, a bluefin tuna on our first cast! I have to say, Yako truly is our lucky goddess!"

Ignoring Hachiman Hikigaya's burning "You're using that meme again, you idiot!", Ritsuka Fujimaru narrowed her eyes with pleasure and laughed unrestrainedly: "These guys are the Tojo Clan, the local bigwigs in Chiba. And I suspect that what they've been investigating lately is the work of the masterminds behind the cave."

Next, Fujimaru Ritsuka recounted in detail the events she had heard from Itohori Yuuma, along with her own deductions.

"The Tojo Clan, does it have any similarities to Mammon? This theory is interesting." Yukino Yukinoshita recalled the paperback books she had read and said uncertainly, "Actually, Mammon representing the original sin of greed is an opinion put forward by later theologians. In legend, Mammon is said to be an angel who fell from heaven. Looking at it this way, the men in the first case whose ribs were arranged in the shape of wings might correspond to this legend. But what about the man who swallowed banknotes? And what about those missing tech-savvy women?"

The two turned their gazes to Fujimaru Ritsuka, who confidently replied, "I don't know."

"Huh?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka tapped the side of her eye socket, signaling them to pay attention to the key point: "I didn't tell you before, but the reason I'm so sure is because I [saw] the answer."

"【The Eye of Karma】is something that old man Muramasa can see through cause and effect and trace back to past karma. I'm not as good as him, but when I spent time looking at that thing in the underground cave, I still saw three thick ribbons and some tiny connections."

"With the keyword 'three,' and clues like 'Mammon,' 'greed,' and 'wealth,' I can conclude that the case is related to the cave. It doesn't matter if we don't understand the specifics; let's catch the mastermind who might still be active on the surface first."

Hachiman Hikigaya nodded and said, "Attack the enemy's vitals first, then trace back to the source, right? Okay, we don't need to play so many reasoning games. Let's catch those rats first!"

Although Yukino Yukinoshita was somewhat unwilling to accept that she hadn't understood the truth, she agreed with these words: "So what should we do next?"

"Go back to sleep! You have school tomorrow! And if you're all planning to go with them to see Itohori Yuuma, then just prepare some clothes to change into. Oh, Hachiman, how about we dress up as women to see Itohori Yuuma?"

"Fujimaru Ritsuka, I'm going to kill you!"

fifteen,

At 11:00 AM on April 28th, Yukino Yukinoshita emerged from the bathroom, wearing a bathrobe and drying her wet hair. Drops of water playfully tricked down her silky long hair, landing on her delicate collarbone, before mercilessly traversing the barren plains and disappearing into the unseen abyss.

Picking up the hairdryer, the warm air gently blew through her long hair. Yukino Yukinoshita recalled the day's events, feeling as if she were in a dream.

The first time I met Meltlilith's Master from her dreams, we became comrades-in-arms and found a way to solve our problems. The two joys overlapped, and it should have been such a dreamy and happy time. However, why did it turn out like this?

They've become entrapment agents! They even assaulted a yakuza and forced others to be their tools! How are they so skilled at this?! Chaldea Master, how many times have you done this?!

Turning off the light, Xuexia was feeling restless and absentmindedly glanced at her phone to see unread text messages.

[Fujimaru Ritsuka: Are you home yet? Did you take a shower? Remember to get some rest (=?ω?)=]

This guy is so clueless... Who uses such outdated emoticons these days?

Yukino Yukinoshita almost burst out laughing as she picked up her phone, hesitating about how to reply.

[Yukino Yukinoshita: I just finished taking a shower, how about you?]

[Fujimaru Ritsuka: Thinking about Yako's design, I'm almost catching up with you! As expected of me! (Hands on hips.JPG)]

[Yukino Yukinoshita: ...You're comparing me to a man? I'll chop you up the moment we meet tomorrow! [○?｀Д'? ○]]

.......

Fujimaru Ritsuka typed rapidly, displaying his usual fast typing speed. He was not only strengthening his bond with Yukino Yukinoshita, but also exchanging email addresses with Hachiman Hikigaya. Although that guy's somewhat touched expression was honestly a bit silly.

Judging from this reply, my impression of them is skyrocketing.

Fujimaru Ritsuka laughed heartily: "Hey, if there were a bond system, I could probably reach Bond Level 3 today! If I had an affection system, wouldn't I be a force to be reckoned with? I could beat Goetia to a pulp and make him call me 'Uncle'! After all, your dad Roman and I are practically family, we can share cake, so calling me 'Uncle' isn't a bad deal!"

With her phone aside, Fujimaru Ritsuka covered her eyes with the back of her hand, lost in thought. Ah, if it were in that shitty timeline, it would probably be even harder than it is now.

"It's so good to have made friends..." Fujimaru Ritsuka fell into a deep sleep.

"Clang! Clang!" In the hazy dream, a series of clanging sounds kept lingering.

"So noisy!" Fujimaru Ritsuka jumped up from the ground, rubbed her hair which looked like a bird's nest, and realized that she was no longer in her bedroom.

Beneath the crimson sky stretched an endless wasteland, rising infinitely high and extending infinitely far in all directions, a sea of ​​crimson all around. Broken sword blades, like tombstones, were embedded in the earth, flames rising from the ground and from the swords themselves. The blood-red flames did not burn Fujimaru Ritsuka; he hesitated, reaching out to touch them. Within the flames lay boundless sorrow and unwavering obsession. The life of an old man flowed into Fujimaru Ritsuka's body like water, yet like water, it flowed on without pause.

Fujimaru Ritsuka felt countless experiences emerge in an instant, then vanish as quickly as a fleeting flower, leaving only a fragrance-like insight.