Don't use Type-Moon references in Oregairu!

"Distinguished guests have arrived!" With the shouts of the suit-clad men at the door, a group of people poured out of the door, quickly forming two lines like flowing water, and hundreds of them looked at the newcomers in neat rows.

Fujimaru Ritsuka gave a subtle smile beneath her mask: "A show of force?"

Humans are really interesting; they line up a flock of lambs to intimidate the tiger.

18. Will a yakuza lamb dream of a masked tiger?

Question: What is it like for a tiger to see lambs lined up in a row?

Fujimaru Ritsuka's hand was itching to reach for the golf club on her back, but unfortunately, she had no experience points.

He lowered his voice, which became especially sinister behind the sealed gas mask: "The formation is quite orderly, and the men are quite fast. I give the East City Group's welcoming ceremony a thumbs up."

The yygq tone made everyone present clench their fists, and some people had already subconsciously reached for the bulging pockets in their back pockets.

“My men are certainly capable!” An elderly man with gray hair slowly walked out of the door. He was wearing a pure black kimono and looked no longer young, but his voice was full of energy. “Young man, you have a lot of courage. Since you’re here, come in and have a cup of tea and a chat.”

The arrival of the old man caused everyone to straighten their faces and bow their heads in unison to greet him: "Hello, team leader!"

The old man waved his hand, signaling Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others to come over.

Fujimaru Ritsuka stepped forward without hesitation. He was a little worried about the condition of the two behind him, but he couldn't turn back now.

The men in suits on either side of them glared at them menacingly, their faces full of menacing features. Fujimaru Ritsuka, however, treated them all with the ease of a gentle breeze, as if they were mere vegetables, and strolled leisurely to the old man.

"Heh heh, not bad young man, but your two companions aren't so great."

Fujimaru Ritsuka looked back and saw that Yukino Yukinoshita and Hachiman Hikigaya were a few steps behind, though they were a bit reserved. Compared to him, they seemed somewhat inferior. Fortunately, they were also wearing gas masks, so nothing could be seen.

However, the important thing is that Fujimaru Ritsuka felt that this old fox was testing his relationship with the two people behind him, so he waved his hand casually: "You flatter me. After all, I am a newcomer to the organization. I haven't been through much bloodshed. This trip is also to let the newbies get some experience."

Upon hearing this, Yukino and Yukinoshita naturally took a half-step back and stood behind Fujimaru Ritsuka, thinking to themselves: That's right, we are the new shrimps of Chaldea, and the one in front is our executive department boss.

The old man's pupils contracted, but his condescending smile remained unchanged: "May I ask what your organization's honorific title is?"

“Chaldea, I am the executive director of the Japan branch, in full charge of the new strange incidents in Japan.” Fujimaru Ritsuka crossed her arms and sneered, “I hope you can investigate this matter thoroughly, otherwise I will have no choice but to withdraw and let your Chiba City be swallowed up.”

The old man gave him a deep look and gestured for him to enter.

The four entered the building, and the other three, including Yuzuru Goto, came forward to meet them, subtly protecting the old man. The group then went up to the second floor.

The meeting room on the second floor seemed to have been hastily converted into a tea room. Everything had been removed, and two futons were placed in the center, with two more futons on either side behind them. A middle-aged woman was already kneeling to one side of the tea room, with Japanese tea utensils beside her.

The group took their seats, with Fujimaru Ritsuka unceremoniously sitting cross-legged on the central futon, drawing angry glares from the burly men of the Tojo Clan. Only Goto Yuuma's expression was somewhat fierce on the surface but weak underneath. Fujimaru Ritsuka didn't care, gesturing towards the futon opposite him, acting as if he were the master: "Old man, I'm not Japanese, so I'm not used to your kneeling posture. I'll set an example for now."

The old man's white beard trembled, and he sat down cross-legged, followed by his younger brothers.

Yukino Yukinoshita and Hachiman Hikigaya sat in the back, one on the left and one on the right, like loyal younger brothers.

"Aren't you afraid of getting riddled with bullets if you're so arrogant?" The old man took the teacup from the female tea master, took a sip, placed the teacup in the center, and stared at Fujimaru Ritsuka with a very sharp look.

“I believe that a person with normal intelligence, even if they had malicious intent, would not have gotten that close to me after seeing the video from that night.” As soon as Fujimaru Ritsuka said this, the atmosphere in the entire tea room became extremely tense. The Tojo Clan members behind the old man straightened up and put their hands in their laps.

He sighed, picked up the teacup, and examined its antique shape: "This teacup looks nice; I hope it's not too expensive."

A seemingly random sentence aroused the doubts of the East City Group members, but the next moment they witnessed a scene that overturned their worldview.

Flames inexplicably rose from the void and gathered in Fujimaru Ritsuka's hand. The rustic teacup melted, stretched, and transformed into a small porcelain knife, the cold light flashing across its blade so bright it hurt the eyes.

Fujimaru Ritsuka gripped his sword and plunged it into the tatami mat in front of him, chuckling softly at the horrified crowd before him: "This pointless probing ends here. I'm not here to start a war, but for your shaky little lives."

He placed his hands on his knees, his voice cold and undeniably authoritative: "Give me the data and let me complete the mission. Or you can all become sacrifices, and I'll return to Antarctic headquarters with this unfortunate news, shedding cheap tears of sympathy for all of you international friends who have suffered. Choose whichever you prefer, I don't care."

"...My name is Ryuichiro Sakamoto." The old man introduced himself dryly, then waved his hand, and the paper fan behind him opened. Someone respectfully took out a file folder and placed it in his hands. "Giving you the files is no problem, but can you tell me what this is all about?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka gazed at Sakamoto Ryuichiro before her. Witnessing the supernatural power, a flame ignited in his eyes, as if he saw a grand future. This flame contained greed, ambition, and thirst, but little of any sense of justice.

(A potential problem?) Fujimaru Ritsuka's mind raced, but she didn't feel uncomfortable at all. The heroic spirit power she possessed was more than enough to stop modern firearms. Unless the opponent was powerful enough to pull out an RPG, it would just be a matter of a little effort.

He snatched the file from Ryuichiro Sakamoto's hand, casually opening it while replying nonchalantly, "Nothing much, just a stupid thing done by someone trying to make a deal with a demon. Do you really think there are demons you can communicate with? It's all just human delusion. Anyone who dares to get involved with these things will only be turned into a placenta for your own creation."

Ryuichiro Sakamoto clenched his fist tightly, pressing on with resentment, "Why are you so sure?! Since the demon has appeared, why isn't a deal possible?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka sneered. Just as expected, another cowardly old man. He stared at the other man: "Because since our Chaldea was founded, we've been eliminating these fools. Each one thinks they can make a deal with demons, completely unaware that the other side is just a bunch of greedy, hungry monsters. If they actually establish contact, they'll only be swallowed whole. How many of these so-called cultists do you think I've killed in Europe?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka was just bluffing, but he didn't care whether the other party believed him or not. At worst, he could just destroy the cave and then come back and deal with the old man. Besides, he had a feeling that the appearance of the cave was just a coincidence, and even if he repeated those rituals, it would not produce the same result.

XIX. Transition

Fujimaru Ritsuka slowly and methodically looked through the documents. The tea room was quiet, with only the soft breathing of a few people echoing in the background.

"Huh?" Fujimaru Ritsuka was a little surprised, because his bluff just now seemed to be exactly true.

The Tojo Clan's investigative skills are exceptional. As the top leader entrenched in Chiba City, they thoroughly investigated the inner workings of cults in Chiba Prefecture in a single night: there are many cults in Chiba Prefecture, but most are either distorted versions of existing religions or promote the supernatural powers of their leaders. Few truly worship demons, monsters, or other mythical villains, and only one cult is based on Mammon.

He flicked the paper with his finger, breaking the silence: "This Baimamen Happiness and Peace of Mind Committee, haven't you sent anyone to cause trouble?"

Ryuichiro Sakamoto didn't speak, but waved his hand to signal. Yushin Itohori understood and stepped forward: "Mr. Mask, after we found out about the information late last night, we took the initiative and sent our men to their sect's usual meeting point for friendly talks."

After a pause, Itohori Yuuma, looking confused and puzzled, began to recount his experience from the previous night.

The Baimamon Happiness and Peace Committee promotes Mammon's ability as a wealth controller, attracting middle-class individuals seeking to become rich and increase their wealth. They typically hold sermons every seven days. Strangely, at each gathering, some attractive and willing women, along with devout men who donate money, experience financial gains afterward. They either find well-paying jobs or receive a windfall. However, if they don't subsequently reciprocate the sect's influence, they fall into misfortune.

Therefore, in less than a year since its founding, this sect has quietly grown to tens of thousands of followers. Every follower is eager for the preaching meetings and will travel to the sect’s meeting place in Makuhari, no matter how far away they live, hoping that they will be the next lucky one to be favored by Mammon.

“But this sermon has been interrupted. Two weeks ago, the leader of the Baimamon Happiness and Peace Committee announced at the meeting that he would select some devout believers to perform a great ceremony, and since then, the sermon has not been held again.” Itohori Yuuma carefully chose his words, glancing at Fujimaru Ritsuka out of the corner of his eye. He noticed the displeasure in Fujimaru's eyes and quickly added, “Besides the information recorded in the documents, there is another good discovery.”

Fujimaru Ritsuka was displeased. These things were already briefly recorded in the documents. Was he repeating them to show off his achievements? He remained noncommittal and gestured with his eyes for Itohori Yuuma to continue.

Yuma Goto knelt respectfully and lowered his head: "During the day today, our underlings found a mid-level manager who may have participated in the ceremony, but he has gone mad."

What does "crazy" mean?

"He was discovered by his trusted intelligence associates. When we arrived, he was squatting alone near Chiba Zoo, digging at the ground with his hands, his fingernails broken and his fingers covered in blood, but he didn't stop. As he dug at the ground, he cried out, 'It's all wrong, it's all wrong, there is no Mammon, and there is no God!'"

When Yoshima Itto relayed the story, his language was dry and monotonous, but when he mentioned "Mammon," the temperature in the room plummeted, as if some sinister being had raised its head and was staring at the blasphemer who had called His name.

Fujimaru Ritsuka's intuition told him that things were getting worse, but this time he seemed to have found the right place. Following this fleeting instinct, he raised his hand and shouted, "Bring me a map of Chiba City!"

Before Sakamoto Ryuichiro could give any instructions, the Tojo Clan members, sensing that they were being watched, sprang into action, found a map, and collapsed in the center of the tea room.

"Pen!"

Someone handed him a pen. Fujimaru Ritsuka ignored who it was and demanded sharply, "Tell me about the murder locations you found! And the location where you found the person digging the hole!"

With directions, Fujimaru Ritsuka began to trace on the map. The case of the debtor and his girlfriend being turned into a fallen rib angel and an inverted cross occurred in the Chiba Marine Stadium area; the location where the leaders of the Bymamon cult were found was on the Chiba Zoo side; and the man who committed suicide by swallowing money was near Chiba Port.

He drew a cross with a horizontal line and a vertical line, with the center at the General Affairs Department and three locations at the three points of the cross. He then extended a vertical line into the sea and drew a circle around it, so that all three locations were exactly on the circle.

"Hmph." Fujimaru Ritsuka tossed her pen down and pointed meaningfully to the location of Chiba Zoo. "Looks like you'll be able to find your missing adult film star."

“The cross and the circle, symbols of Mammon. Seven days, a common mystical symbol in Christianity. This is a grand ceremony, and this idiot messed it up.” Fujimaru Ritsuka leaned forward, putting pressure on everyone present. “If I’m not mistaken, the guy who swallowed the money originally planned to commit suicide at sea, but it seems there was a problem with the setup in Chiba Port, so we had to bring him here as an anchor point. In other words, if you don’t cooperate with us properly from now on, then Chiba City is finished, and we’re leaving. That’s it.”

As he stared at the group, it suddenly occurred to him that perhaps the cult leader had originally planned to sabotage Chiba Port, but the Tojo Clan was deeply entrenched there, so he had no choice but to extend the ritual and force it through with an incomplete ceremony.

Although his words were meant to bluff the Tojo Clan, in negotiations, one always has to first adopt an air of nonchalance and lower the other party's bargaining chips. "I can leave, but can your Tojo Clan abandon Chiba City and leave?" Even if this old fox could see that he wasn't necessarily a member of some mysterious organization, and even if he himself wouldn't abandon the matter, would he dare to gamble? It was a seller's market; only he could resolve the issue of this ceremony, so he had to humble himself and act as a dutiful assistant.

Ryuichiro Sakamoto struggled, but quickly succumbed: "Just tell us what you need, and we, the Tojo Clan, will go through fire and water for the safety of Chiba City."

Fujimaru Ritsuka clapped her hands, offering a way out: "I deeply admire your group's great understanding and righteousness. I will definitely discuss this with headquarters later. Perhaps there will be more opportunities for cooperation in the future."

"Well then... let's begin." Fujimaru Ritsuka didn't mince words, taking over the authority to give orders, and ran her hand across the map. "Arrange three groups, each with more than ten people. Prepare cars that can get there quickly. Group A, find the location of the person who committed suicide in Chiba Port. If there are no problems at the scene, go to his house!"

"Group B, go to Chiba Zoo to pick up your girls. Remember, dig deep underground."

"Team C will go back into the crime scene near Makuhari."

"No matter what method you use, find out everything strange related to Mammon or faith. Solve it yourselves if you can, otherwise contact me. I'll be working with Team C. Tonight, we have to clean up all the rat droppings!"

20. Beginning

At 8 PM on April 29th, a line of black cars pulled up in front of the Tojo Clan's headquarters building, and dozens of people gathered together, forming a dense, dark mass. Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at the crowd before her, filled with satisfaction—so many useful people! This time, she could finally get the job done properly.

As the members of the Tojo Clan began to divide into teams, he pulled Yukino Yukinoshita and Hachiman Hikigaya aside: "We have to split up and act separately. If we don't suppress those three strange places as soon as possible tonight, the caves under the school could erupt at any time."

Hachiman Hikigaya nodded, and Yukino Yukinoshita asked, "How do you think we should divide into teams?"

"Yukinoshita, you go to Group A and investigate the man who died after swallowing coins in Chiba Port. Hachiman, you go to Group B and give a final farewell to the group of girls in the basement of Chiba Zoo."

Both of them felt a heavy weight in their hearts. Fujimaru Ritsuka's words meant that the probability of encountering enemies on this trip was very high. However, this guess was perfectly reasonable. If there were guardians in the underground cave, wouldn't there be guardians in the three places on the surface related to the ritual?

Fujimaru Ritsuka's gaze swept across Yukinoshita and Hachiman's faces. Even though they were wearing gas masks and couldn't see each other's expressions, the unease in their eyes was still obvious. He paused for a moment, then raised his fist and bumped fists with each of them: "Don't worry, you're both superhumans. Trust me, and trust the Heroic Spirits within you. Let's finish this quickly tonight, and we can still have a midnight snack when we get back."

“…Eating late-night snacks will make you fat.” Yukino Yukinoshita clenched her fists seemingly reluctantly, but then chuckled softly. Even through the gas mask, her voice was still melodious. “But a late-night snack after exercise? Sounds good.”

"Ah, then let's try this sinful late-night snack with a touch of immorality, although it would be better if Yukinoshita were a little chubby." Fujimaru Ritsuka led the way, heading towards Itohori Yuuma, the leader of Group C. "Let's go, it's time to set off."

"What about your two younger colleagues?"

"Of course we should split up. You can't solve this problem with just your weapons. Let's go and come back as soon as possible."

"Alright! My men, get in the car quickly, don't keep the Masked Master waiting!"

The black cars started their engines and transformed into a surging torrent, flowing in three directions.

Tonight, countless small organizations in Chiba City were in an uproar, speculating about the Tojo Clan's big move. Rumors spread like wildfire, some even claiming the Tojo Clan intended to unify the yakuza factions of Chiba Prefecture.

However, no one expected that tonight the East City team would be on the side of love and justice.

-------------------------------------

Three cars screeched to a halt near the residential bungalows of Chiba Port. As one large, black-clad man after another poured out of the cars, nearby residents and passersby who had come to watch the commotion quickly moved away. For a moment, the entire street fell silent.

Team A's leader, Yuta Sohara, surveyed his surroundings with satisfaction, pleased that the Tojo Clan's intimidating presence hadn't diminished in the slightest. Yukino Yukinoshita also got out of the car, glanced around, and asked, "Mr. Sohara, is this our destination?"

Yuta Sohara dared not be negligent. He had been one of those intimidated by Ritsuka Fujimaru in the tea room before. He had long ago labeled these three as mysterious masters, so he gestured with his hand and replied politely, "That's right, Mr. Masked Lord. Look, this is where that damned guy lives."

Yukino looked up. It was an ordinary two-story detached house. In Japan, the wealthy would consider buying or renting high-rise apartments, or large, traditional Japanese-style houses with expansive yards. The middle class would choose detached houses like this, occupying over a hundred square meters. Only the poor who couldn't afford to buy a house would choose those small, poorly insulated shared houses.

The man who swallowed the coins must have been living a comfortable life before the incident, if he could afford such a house. Now, he's ended up committing suicide.

Yukino Yukinoshita didn't feel too sorry for the man. As she was about to step forward, Yuichiro Sohara said obsequiously, "Mask Lord, you don't need to do such a small thing yourself. Kora, you bunch of bastards over there, hurry up and get the key to open the door for Mask Lord!"

While the door was open, Yukino Yukinoshita carefully observed the house. It was around 8:30, and the streetlights were already on. But whether it was just her imagination or not, the light around the house seemed particularly dim, as if some unknown monster was greedily devouring the light.

Clang! The door opened with a creaking sound that made your gums ache. The dark entrance lay wide open, like the gaping maw of a wild beast waiting for an unsuspecting traveler to step inside. The henchman who opened the door hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Yudai Sohara.

Zeng Yuanxiong glared back fiercely: "What are you looking at! Go inside and search!" He shouted repeatedly before finally getting his underlings kicked and cursed as they went inside. He was furious—this mysterious person was watching, and his underlings were behaving so poorly; it was a disgrace to the East City Group.

Yukino Yukinoshita thought for a moment, then instead of rushing inside, she asked Yudai Sohara, "This house should be quite valuable, so why didn't you sell it and instead kept it?"

A detached house of over 150 square meters would be worth over 30 million yen even in Chiba City. It's really unreasonable that the Tojo Clan let it go so easily.