Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes

Although this sword is not sharpened, it is indeed a real sword.

Now, this set of equipment belongs to him.

Beneath the black robe, his head was exactly the same as the Ringwraith's, completely black, like a bottomless abyss.

He spent some time assimilating the clothes, and then, without lingering, he took the clothes and transformed into a cloud of black mist, leaving the unfortunate shop.

The paper on the monitor fluttered down, barely noticeable in the dark green night vision mode; a valuable cosplay outfit had been stolen from the store.

"In the black fog state, the speed is only about 30 kilometers per hour, which is not fast. The only commendable feature is that it can avoid tangible damage and has strong concealment."

"In my current state, I need to meditate and rest every half hour, but in extreme cases, it is not impossible to maintain it for an hour. However, once I leave the state, I will be exhausted and have no energy left, which is too dangerous."

After flying through the black mist for half an hour, Iwasaki roughly assessed his current level of ability and weaknesses.

This state of black mist is not invincible.

If the other party is prepared and creates a confined space or a super-strong suction tool, then he will be at risk of being captured.

Even in windy weather, it might not be suitable to launch an attack in this state, as it would only be counterproductive.

Therefore, before each operation, the weather conditions must be known, surveillance must be destroyed, and witnesses must not be left alive.

This is the best way to delay the time it takes for your weaknesses to be discovered.

After finding a secluded spot to meditate and recover for half an hour, Iwasaki began to plan his future actions.

After feeling that his magical power had been restored to about 70-80%, he transformed into black mist again, flew into the air, and headed towards Adachi Ward.

He didn't actually know where Toshitaka Iwasaki's family lived, although the other members of the Iwasaki family certainly did. But he planned to find them through another route, without going through the family.

He happened to know which gang did the dirty work for the family.

Chapter 95: The Deadly Ghost

Near Ayase.

Late at night, this place is bustling with activity.

Although the Arakawa Ryuzaku group isn't a large gang, it still has some fame and status in Ayase.

Behind this, of course, are the families that secretly provide support.

In return, the group will also cultivate some "elite cadres" to do money-grubbing, life-threatening jobs for families who are unwilling to get involved.

They have their own company, but they also have a billiards hall as their headquarters and a place for members to relax. Gang members often prefer to come here because the atmosphere is more relaxed.

When they have free time, they stay here to play billiards, drink and chat. Many group members treat this place like their own home.

"There's no shortage of quality actresses in the adult film industry right now. I'll teach you how to find some vain girls, then find an opportunity to lend them money. When they can't pay it back, it's easy to get them into the industry."

"I think I'll continue to run the place. I can pick up a couple of guys every now and then and just dump them on the street when I'm done."

"Haha, last time I stole an old guy's bag at the hospital. There was a lot of money in it. I saw on the report that it said something about cancer, which is probably a terminal illness. I guess I did a good deed and helped that old guy get rid of it as soon as possible."

Six or seven group members, carrying bottles of liquor, boasted about various ways to make money, getting drunk and occasionally bursting into arrogant laughter.

"A very strong, sinful scent."

Iwasaki, in his black mist form, clung to a shadowy corner of the ceiling, scanning these filthy souls.

It was a very strange feeling. He could perceive the degree of defilement of each human soul through "soul touch" and which of them were sacrificial bodies.

The small billiard hall was teeming with maggots and flies; every single one of them had wisps of gray, sinister smoke rising from their skulls, clearly making them excellent materials for sacrifice.

Let him make good use of this waste.

This was the only contribution they could make.

Before taking action, Iwasaki carefully sensed his surroundings, located several security cameras, activated his Mage's Hand, and silently twisted them all against the wall before turning his gaze to an office at the very back of the billiard hall.

That was for the gang's leaders; it was well soundproofed, and with loud music playing outside, you couldn't hear anything inside.

Sometimes, some fools who owe money and refuse to pay it back are brought here specifically to be taught a lesson.

Of course, we live in a civilized society now, and they won't kill debtors. They will just keep putting pressure on them to find ways to scrape together all the money they can to pay it off. And those who are brought here are usually the ones who actually want to "skip out" on their bills.

That's not acceptable!

Iwasaki squeezed through the gap and quickly hid in the shadow of a curtain, silently watching the scene of the beating unfold before him.

"I was wrong! I won't do it again! Team Leader Akabane, please, give me another chance. I will definitely raise the money! Ah, a week—no, three days! Give me three days!"

Inside the office.

Three high-ranking officials, dressed in suits and carrying baseball bats, were beating a man who had recently tried to escape debts but had been caught, making a series of dull thuds.

The experienced man protected his head and rolled on the floor, even managing to plead with the Akabane leader, who was sitting in the main seat, while rolling.

"I'll give you three days, haha, you think you can run all the way to Hokkaido in three days!"

"Beat them! Anyone who dares to evade their debts will be beaten to death!"

With a cigarette dangling from his lips, Team Leader Akabane slammed his hand on the table and issued a threatening statement, which only emboldened the three officers to fight even more fiercely.

The man's wails grew increasingly piercing, and his pleas for mercy continued.

The people in the office have a much stronger presence than the bunch of lackeys outside.

The mist emanating from the top of his head was no longer gray, but black.

It belongs to a higher level of offering.

Even the debtor who was being beaten was caught in the crossfire.

There were no surveillance cameras in the office, but there was a recording device that was always running, which was turned off by the mage. Then, at the doorway, a figure in black robes slowly materialized.

While most people's attention was focused on the beating, the Akabane Group Leader, sitting opposite them, noticed something amiss.

He first glimpsed the black substance seeping in from the surrounding cracks, winding into the hem of a black robe on the ground. When he raised his gaze, the Ringwraith dressed in black robes had already taken shape, the longsword in his hand reflecting a cold, sharp white light.

His mouth gaped open, and the cigarette in his mouth fell onto the table. Before he could say anything, one of his men went berserk and viciously struck his own man on the head with a stick, causing him to bleed profusely.

"Ahhh!! Masashi, are you crazy?!"

The man who had been hit staggered back two steps, clutching the wound on his head. He was filled with shock and anger, his mind went blank, and blood blurred his vision.

"It's not my fault, it's not under my control!"

Zheng Er had no idea what was happening. He only felt as if someone had grabbed his wrist and was swinging the stick in his hand with such force that he couldn't break free at all. He couldn't even do something as simple as throwing the stick away.

"Ahhh—get out of the way!"

boom!

Another blow landed, this time striking the man squarely on the temple. The sound of skull shattering mingled with the splattering of fluid onto the calligraphy of the character "义" (righteousness), splashing bright red onto the wall. The man's head lolled to the side, and he instantly collapsed to the ground, limp and powerless, following the force of the baseball bat.

"What the hell is going on?! No, no! Zheng Er, don't do it!"

Another cadre saw that the man had dealt with his companion and was walking towards him, and he was terrified and wanted to run away.

Just as he turned around and saw that ghostly black shadow, before he could react, his throat was suddenly tightened, making it hard to breathe.

Iwasaki stood still, his black robe fluttering without wind, his five fingers clenching in mid-air, and his body floated up like a puppet, crashing backward into the wall.

The throat bone made a teeth-grinding crunching sound under the irresistible force, the cadre's legs kicked futilely in the air, and his eyeballs bulged out.

"Group, save!" he desperately and laboriously reached out his hand to Group Leader Akabane.

"I...I really can't control it! Boss, save me! Boss, save us!" Zheng Er's wrists were bruised from being squeezed.

The last thing the officer saw was the tearful face of his former comrade, who was saying sorry as he mercilessly swung a baseball bat at his head.

boom!

Boom!

The stick broke off, and the head twisted in an inhuman way, blooming like a flower.

Zheng Er broke down. In just that short time, he not only killed two of his companions, but also casually smashed the debtor to death with a stick.

He had three lives on his hands for no reason.

Not a single penny left!

But their boss didn't dare to move an inch, not even dare to breathe. He could only watch helplessly as things unfolded before him. The only big move he dared to make was swallowing the saliva that kept secreting.

Although he had a pistol in his drawer, he had lost all courage to even draw it.

The current situation is too bizarre to be described; it is simply beyond the capabilities of humans.

So, is this a vengeful spirit that has come to claim a life?

Staring at Iwasaki, who was dressed in a black robe, he dared not pay any attention to the chaos before him.

"No, no! Click—"

The force on Masaru's back finally left, but before he could even feel relieved, he felt a strange touch on his neck. His face changed drastically in horror, and he was about to beg for mercy when—with a crisp crack, his head was twisted 180 degrees, and his unseeing eyes stared straight at the immobile Akabane leader, as if blaming him for not saving him.

Gulu.

Akabane, a ruthless man who had personally ended several lives, finally lost control of his bladder and wet his pants, his yellow urine flowing down the leather office chair and onto the floor.

"Your Excellency, please don't kill me. What do you want? Please tell me. I can do many things for you. The combination to the safe."

Akabane's throat seemed to be twitching. He forced out a tiny smile and, trembling, begged the black-robed man who was silently walking towards him step by step to live.

"Where is Toshitaka Iwasaki?"

A strange, inhuman voice emanated from that dark, faceless head, which resembled a black hole.

Upon hearing this name, Akabane burst into tears.

So it turns out that this monster was provoked by Toshitaka Iwasaki.

Damn it, I still didn't get enough money!

Chapter 96: The Sacrificial Ritual

Akabane dared not hide anything and, trembling, revealed everything he knew about Iwasaki Toshitaka's house.

Although Toshitaka Iwasaki would never tell him these things, how could he not have some backup plan?

"Which families are you still working for?"

"Besides the Iwasaki family, there's also the Utsu family of Utsu Foreign Trade Company and the Koizumi family of Koizumi Jewelry in Edo Ward."

Akabane quickly finished the report.

"Where is the woman Iwasaki Toshitaka asked you to deal with?"

Akabane could feel the faint, elusive touch on his neck, and he was certain that if he uttered even one wrong word, he would be beheaded instantly.

"We lied to him and said he had dismembered the body and thrown it into Tokyo Bay."

Before he could finish speaking, an invisible hand suddenly grabbed his neck, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

Akabane's face flushed red instantly as he struggled, "But...we didn't...dismember!"

After struggling to finish speaking, the restraints on my neck finally loosened a little.

Akabane dared not take more than a few breaths, fearing the other party would misunderstand, and quickly continued speaking.

"We're not psychopaths, cough cough, after we kill someone we usually bury them near an abandoned factory. I know where that is, I'll take you—"

Before he could finish speaking, the other person's gloved hand pressed down on the top of his head.

"Your soul will answer for you."

"Ahhh!!!"

Akabane felt as if a rusty meat grinder had been shoved into his brain, and he could almost hallucinate that his brain tissue was being frantically ground into mud.

His body was twitching involuntarily, but the sound was quickly drowned out by the loud music outside the office and did not attract any attention. His henchmen also dared not approach the office at will.

Soon after, in intense pain, he stopped breathing completely, his eyes wide open, cerebrospinal fluid mixed with blood flowing from his nostrils and eye sockets, his eyeballs cloudy and white.

Soul sorcerers' soul-searching is not a delicate task and is not easy to control.

First, it is necessary to break down the opponent's psychological defenses, making them extremely fearful of the soul searcher, thus losing the will to resist.

Then you need to make the other person recall the relevant events you want to know, and then perform a soul search at this time to maximize the chances of getting the information you want.

This is why he left Akabane to be dealt with last, so that he could witness the deaths of the others.