Okumura Syndicate

Chapter 107: Finding Leniency

An hour had passed since Rou arrived at the Renegard mansion, and he was confined to a room on the first floor, alone with his thoughts. Flashbacks from three years prior, as well as Lin's face at the auction were drilled in his mind, as well as worry of what the rival syndicate was going to do to the lamenting man. Pacing back and forth, he couldn't clear his mind, to the point where his vision was going blurry and he started hyperventilating like a dog in blistering heat.

He was audibly panicking, the sound of him trying to have at least some control could be heard outside the door. Many people ignored him, but there was one figure who went toward the noise, at first out of curiosity, but upon realising what it was, out of pure concern. The member knocked gently on the door so as to not scare Rou, "Please enter...", answered the blue haired man, distressed as ever. Opening the door was one of the caporegime, Violet, her face seeming as if she wanted to help.

"Frosty, is it?", Violet questioned in a comforting tone. Rou stared her in the eye, "Is that what you call me in these parts", he mumbled with a pain in his head. Violet immediately regretted what she said, "Oh, sorry, sorry! That's what my fiance called you, I thought it was your real name...", she chuckled. Violet got closer to Rou, "May I ask what your real name is?", she pondered calmly.

"Rou...Okumura...", he muttered. Violet was still worried as he quivered by her side, "Rou, what's happening?!", she calls out, gripping to his shoulders to keep him from losing control. Rou pushed her, resulting in her falling to the ground, leaving a graze on her sleeve. "I-I'm so...sorry...", cried Rou. Violet stood up, brushing herself off, "It's fine, now I know your boundaries.", she remarks, very much unharmed by the injury.

"W-what are they going to do to me?!", Rou stuttered. Violet looks Rou in the eye with a genuine expression, "I don't know, but I won't let them harm you.", she reassured. Rou couldn't believe that someone from a rival syndicate was actually helping him, "Y-you really don't have to do that...", he murmured, trying to handle everything himself. "We're friends now, no matter what syndicate we're in, mental health comes first before any rivalries.", replied Violet. Looking up, Rou finally gave the woman eye contact, appreciating her help.

"I don't want to die...", Rou declared painfully. "You won't die, not my watch.", responded. The girl with brightly coloured hair helped him up and led him to the door, "Where are we going?", asked Rou, concerned about leaving the room. "Outside, you need fresh air", answered Violet. Rou became paranoid, "Won't I be caught?", he enquired. "Of course not.", replied Violet. "I'm a capo, they know you wouldn't escape with me around, I'm rather successful on the battlefield.".

"W-what exactly are your abilities?", questioned Rou hesitantly. Violet took a moment to explain, "I can turn people and things to stone. Whatever I fossilize returns to its original state if I turn my ability off. However, if any of my stone had cracked, it will remain cracked when I return something to its original state. That's why I'm normally taken out on assassination assignments.". Rou was interested by her explanation, which partially took his mind off the auction.

As the pair reached the mansion garden, Violet had something else she wanted to say to Rou. "Rou, there's a very low chance that you're going to die here, the boss is very committed to getting every shred of information about the groups we fight, whether they be businesses or rival syndicates.", she announced to him. Slight optimism graced Rou's expression.

Violet's words almost made Rou forget he was a prisoner. She was so calm, even when he attacked her. The blue haired man thought about what his time in the Renegard syndicate would bring, it irked at his brain what torture they could use to get a sentence out of him, and freezing them on the spot wasn't even an option due to his internal conflict. Even so, he was glad he had a friend to offer him some leniency in this otherwise miserable place.