WeTried Translations

Translator: Yasi

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Precious Demon King

Chapter 53: Operation Failed!

Psychic Awakening Agency, Japan.

"What?"

Yunosuke Kuroda jumped in surprise at the report.

"Where are they going?"

"To Private Club."

"And where's that?"

"You know the one the opposition leader visited last month?"

"Oh, that place."

That was a nice spot. No, wait!

"Why on earth is that hunter going there?"

"Perhaps to enjoy Japan's nightlife?"

"No. Someone gave him a free ticket."

"What? A ticket? Since when does Private Club have those?"

"An agent conducting long-range surveillance reported that he seemed to be a yakuza."

"With help from the Metropolitan Police, we've confirmed that he is a member of Orochi-gumi."

"What? A yakuza?"

"You know who owns Private Club, don't you?"

Yunosuke Kuroda frowned. The yakuza were like the shadows of Japan itself.

Everything in the world casts a shadow. In politics and finance alike, countless people were entangled with the yakuza, knowingly or not.

"What a headache."

Not only did that cancerous group survive, it also wielded enormous influence. Now, they had suddenly lured the Special Advisor to Private Club.

"Could it be that they want to give him the same lavish treatment we do?"

"Ryusuke."

"Yes, Commissioner."

"Shut your mouth. Go call Yoichi."

"Yes."

The Psychic Awakening Agency had no SR-ranks. The most outstanding of them was Hunter Yoichi Sasaki, an R-rank ranked 999th.

Japan was one of the countries with the greatest disparity in treatment between civil servant hunters and private-sector hunters.

All the capable hunters belonged to private-sector guilds.

Yoichi Sasaki's affiliation with the agency was purely for the sake of honor.

His family, the Sasaki clan, had long been involved in politics. Their ample wealth along with his father's position as a sitting member of Parliament all played a role.

"Commissioner! Yoichi Sasaki, reporting for duty!"

"Oh! Yoichi, come in."

"Hahaha, what's the mission this time?"

"You're aware of that hunter who recently appeared in South Korea, right?"

Yoichi Sasaki's face contorted dramatically.

"Of course. The one suspected of being that damned Mad Monarch?"

"Hmm. This time, your mission is to befriend him."

The wrinkles on Yoichi Sasaki's face smoothed away, and he answered with even a faint smile.

"Truth is, I've never met him. His feats are astonishing, so much so that the praise he receives seems tinged with fear and jealousy. That's my personal view."

"Excellent, Yoichi. He's here in Japan right now."

"This must be destiny. Maybe he and I will even swear brotherhood today."

"If you achieve that, you'll become a hero of Japan."

Upon hearing the words "hero of Japan," Yoichi Sasaki's eyes gleamed. It was the title he had always wanted, the goal that had led him to turn down a high salary and continue working as a civil servant hunter.

"The people will support me then."

"Yes! One day, the Sasaki family may even produce a prime minister."

"...!"

"Perhaps the youngest ever."

"Hhhhk!"

Yoichi Sasaki looked so happy at the thought that he seemed on the verge of having a heart attack. Yunosuke Kuroda hurriedly held him back.

"Steady yourself, Yoichi. First, build a friendship with the man destined to be East Asia's core hunter!"

"Do you mean him? I have long admired the Mad Monarch."

"There are suspicions, but it's not certain that he is the Mad Monarch. Even if he were, there's no need to say it aloud."

"Of course. I've never even heard of the Mad Monarch. I can befriend anyone I meet on the street."

"I trust your sociability."

Yunosuke Kuroda's expression grew solemn.

"But an obstacle has appeared."

"Who is it?! Who dares to block my path to becoming prime minister?!"

"..."

After a brief pause, Yunosuke Kuroda spoke.

"We suspect Orochi-gumi."

"Hah, the likes of the yakuza!"

"We don't know their intent. Maybe, like us, they want to befriend him."

"How underhanded! Instead of boosting their own popularity, they plan to exploit friendship."

"..."

When I do it, it's romance. When others do it, it's adultery.

"Right now, South Korea's Special Advisor is headed to Orochi-gumi's establishment, Private Club."

"Ha, those despicable bastards!"

Yunosuke Kuroda clapped his hands sharply.

"Now, Yoichi Sasaki! This is an order as commissioner!"

"Yoichi Sasaki, reporting!"

"Immediately infiltrate Private Club, uncover Orochi-gumi's true intentions, and build a close friendship with the Korean Special Advisor!"

"Yoichi Sasaki! Heading out!"

Thud.

Full of determination, Yoichi Sasaki burst through the door. Yunosuke Kuroda let out a sigh of relief.

"He'll manage."

Though he made mistakes out of his foolish innocence, he was the type people found hard to hate.

"Now, focus all of the Psychic Awakening Agency's resources on Private Club! Cooperate with Yoichi and uncover everything happening there in full detail."

"Yes!"

At that moment, the agency was in a frenzy.

* * *

Beep-beep-beep. Thunk, thunk.

Remi gripped the arcade hammer and happily whacked the moles.

"Ooooh!"

"Incredible!"

"Beauty and skill!"

"Is she a Korean celebrity? Is this live?"

"Ah, a goddess!"

As Remi drew the crowd's admiration, she easily set a new record.

"Nyaa, my turn, nya!"

"Hmph, better hand over a Lucky Stone now."

"Heh, We'll see who wins once I try, nya."

Beep-ding-ding!

Thunk, thunk!

Without swinging the hammer, Edmond wiggled his fingers in the air as if playing the piano.

Thunk, thunk, thunk.

The moles barely poked their heads up before being slammed back down by his telekinesis.

Ding!

Remi and Edmond both turned to look at the scoreboard. When another new record was set, Remi scowled.

"That's cheating."

"There was no rule saying not to use powers, nya."

"Then let's play one more round."

"A won game is not played again, nya."

Shhhk.

When Remi quietly drew her sword partway, Edmond panicked and tried to stop her.

"Ah, got it, nya. Let's play one more game before we leave, nya."

"Let's do that one."

Remi inserted a coin into the punching machine.

"Ooh, the goddess steps up boldly."

"Will she be good at that too?"

"A punch from that slender body?"

"But is that sword real? Earlier the blade came out a little, and it didn't look ordinary."

"It's cosplay, you idiot. But what character is that?"

Remi didn't hear the crowd's chatter at all.

She was focused on the descending punching bag and the Lucky Stone she would receive by winning the bet.

Lucky Stone!

She would take it no matter what.

Whoosh, boom!

With a determined fist, she didn't just shatter the punching bag–she burst it completely.

Beep–

The scoreboard malfunctioned, failing to register the new record. Remi turned to Edmond triumphantly.

"Your turn."

"It's broken, nya. What now?"

"Hmph, then I win."

"That's unfair, nya."

In the end, Kim Junyong stepped in to end their childish squabble.

"Ugh, stop fighting. Ed. Just give her one."

"Nnngh, since Master says so, I'll yield, nya."

Grumbling, Edmond handed over a green orb, which Remi seized gleefully.

"Remi, what if you cause trouble? At this rate, sightseeing will be difficult."

Hadn't they drawn too much attention already? Despite Kim Junyong's protest, Remi didn't care.

"Does it matter? We'll cause an even bigger commotion soon."

"Well, that's true."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Then let's go digest first."

"Let's go, nya! Alcohol, nya!"

Kim Junyong smirked. His gaze shifted to the tattooed man who had been loitering nearby.

* * *

Ryoma, a mid-level Orochi-gumi executive, was entrusted with a weighty task.

Bring the target to Private Club.

He had succeeded in giving them a free ticket under the pretense of a common event. However, the targets seemed uninterested and were absorbed in sightseeing.

They stopped by a café and downed absurd amounts of drinks, tried every street food they came across, and even dropped by an arcade.

In particular, the woman with the target was stunning, and onlookers kept gathering around them, almost like a crowd of followers.

This isn't good. They're attracting more and more attention.

That was the nature of crowd psychology: when one or two people stopped to watch, curiosity drew in others, until at some point it became uncontrollable.

Like the arcade, which was now swarming with onlookers.

I can't approach them. No, nothing good would come of it.

Too many eyes were watching. What to do?

Another event operation? No.

Let's call it a special pickup service.

Yes. That would seem natural. Just as he resolved to step closer, the punching machine exploded with a deafening boom.

M-Muri desu!

One wrong move and he would lose his life. Such brutal power in that delicate appearance. A talking cat was surprising enough, but the beauty with him was incredible too.

Surely, the true identity of the target was anything but ordinary. Ryoma's heart pounded as he tried to calm down. Suddenly, someone tapped his shoulder.

"Who's there? Gah!"

"Let's go."

"N-Nani?"

"Aren't you the one who gave us the ticket earlier?"

"Hahh!"

"We've waited long enough, so you must have made thorough preparations, right? Hurry up and lead the way."

What was this? Would the organization accept this as him properly completing the mission?

Ryoma summoned a low-ranking subordinate who had been standing by and ordered him to bring the limousine.

* * *

The owner of Private Club. The kumicho of Japan's largest yakuza group, Orochi-gumi.

Kazuma Saiga arrived at his establishment with his men.

"Kumicho!"

At the club manager's polite bow, he waved his hand dismissively.

"Don't make a fuss."

"Yes."

"Take me to the VIP room."

"Yes."

The manager straightened his back from its 90-degree bow.

All of Kazuma Saiga's guards were hunters, but there was one unfamiliar face among them.

Have I seen him somewhere before?

He had clearly never seen this guard before, yet his face looked familiar. As he was guiding them to the room where the guests were drinking, he suddenly realized something and paused.

That's Kenchi Takahashi!

Japan's representative hunter! An SR-rank hunter!

History is being made here today.

No wonder Kazuma Saiga came in person. A gathering of big shots was taking place here.

"This is the room."

"Good. Inform them."

"Yes."

Soon, the manager went inside, spoke politely, and came back out.

"You may come in."

"Good."

Kazuma Saiga opened the door, went inside, and looked at the men with a broad smile.

"Hahaha, when I heard that the pillars safeguarding the world had arrived, I couldn't help but come forward as the host of this club."

"...?"

Logan Hayes, who had been drinking, paused. The old man's English was crude, but clear enough to understand.

"What does that mean?"

"Rest assured. Your identities haven't been revealed anywhere."

Logan Hayes's face hardened. Jose Ramirez and Arjun Mehra unleashed their auras, and the room instantly grew heavy.

Kazuma Saiga's guards, who normally boasted of being invincible, suddenly found themselves no better than ornaments.

"Wait. We're not here to fight."

Kenchi Takahashi stepped forward.

"Hm? You're Kenchi Takahashi?"

"So, you do know me."

Naturally. He had become world-famous for advocating the subjugation of the Mad Monarch.

"For answering my appeal and coming here, allow me to first offer my thanks."

"What are you saying?"

"Have you not come to hunt the Mad Monarch?"

Logan Hayes exchanged looks with Jose Ramirez and Arjun Mehra. Good grief.

They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Perhaps bearing a grudge against the Mad Monarch, a Japanese hunter came.

"Well, that is the goal."

Kenchi Takahashi fell to his knees and bowed his head.

"I sincerely thank you for your help."

"Our goal just happens to be the same."

"In any case, we've succeeded in luring the Mad Monarch here."

"...?"

"Twenty minutes ago, he and his companions entered another room."

"Companions?"

Logan Hayes tilted his head in unease.

"Don't tell me you mean the woman with a sword?"

"That's right."

Logan Hayes and Arjun Mehra faltered.

"Wasn't our plan to take them down one by one?"

At Jose Ramirez's question, the two nodded. For now, that plan was a failure.

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