The Insanity of Tokyo's Shadows | Manjiro Sano

◇chapter thirteen◇

Akiko stumbled, her heart racing faster, and she felt panic sweeping over her in waves. For one desperate moment, she tried to flee, but before she could change direction, a hand gripped her wrist roughly, pulling her to a brutal stop. 

"Let me go!" Her voice sounded shaky, almost foreign to her, as she struggled against the hand that had locked around her. But the man's grip was firm, pulling her so hard she lost her balance for a moment. Dizziness took over, and when she looked into the cold, indifferent face of her pursuer, her last shred of hope vanished.

"What do you think you're doing here, huh?" the man asked coldly, his eyes sizing her up. The darkness hid most of his features, but the coldness in his gaze was sharp and menacing, sending a chill down Akiko's spine. "Girls like you don't know what you're getting into when you trespass in our territory."

Akiko's breath caught. The hidden threat dried her throat. She hadn’t realized how reckless she had been. But now, held by this stranger, one thing was clear. These people didn’t play around. This was the reality she had only glimpsed on the internet, and now she could feel how close she truly was to danger.

Without another word, the man dragged her down the alley. Akiko resisted, even screaming desperately for help, but her struggles seemed to have no effect on him. "You're really making this difficult, aren't you?" he growled, pulling her further down the alley where two other men were waiting. Their steps quickened as he led her through the maze of dark streets. Finally, after several confusing turns, the man stopped in front of a grim building. With the two others, he entered, holding Akiko close behind him. And after a moment, he shoved her roughly through a door into a dark room.

Akiko staggered, trying to steady herself while frantically attempting to control her breathing. She felt trapped, locked in a nightmare, her thoughts racing faster than ever before.

In the gloomy room, she saw a single, muscular man standing in a leather coat. He looked at her with a mocking expression, his eyes tinged with unmistakable boredom and impatience.

"So, you're the girl who's daring enough to get involved in Brahman’s business? " he said, letting his gaze slide over her from head to toe. "Name and reason. Now."

Akiko swallowed and tried to breathe calmly. "My name is Akiko. I’ve been looking for one of you.. but not to cause trouble. It's about my friend.. he was.. he was with Brahman. I just wanted to understand what happened to him."

The man raised an eyebrow without changing his posture. "That’s quite touching, girl." he said with a sarcastic smile. "But you know, we’re not exactly known for welcoming the curious. And why should I care about your friend's fate?"

Akiko felt the frustration rising within her. She had hoped to finally find someone who could help, but this man was making it anything but easy. "Please.. I just wanted answers. I want to understand why.. why he risked so much."

Akiko knew Draken wasn’t the type to throw himself into any mess without reason. There must have been a good reason why he joined such a dangerous gang.

"If you’re looking for answers, you’re in the wrong place. You didn’t seriously think we’d just hand over our secrets, did you?"

"I.. " Akiko hesitated, biting her lip. His posture was dismissive and cynical, but she sensed she couldn’t easily convince him. "I know this isn’t a game and that I’ve probably crossed a line. But.. I won’t give up looking for answers."

Keizo Arashi, a high-ranking member of Brahman, crossed his arms and shook his head. "Answers, answers, answers.." he murmured as though laughing at the very word.

"Tell me, girl... do you even realize what happens when we find curious people like you? I could just as easily chop off your hand right now.. or end your life here."

Akiko froze. His voice sounded playful, but the sharpness in his eyes made her doubt he was joking. Panic flooded her, and her hands began to tremble. She had no idea what Brahman’s men were capable of, but standing before her was one who clearly showed she was at his mercy.

But just then, the heavy door to the room opened, and another figure entered. A young man with light blonde hair and a calm but watchful expression in his eyes. "Keizo" he said softly, giving him a pointed look "don’t overdo it. You’re scaring her for no reason."

Keizo snorted with amusement and shrugged. "Well, Wakasa, I thought I’d just make it clear where she’s ended up." He stepped back as Wakasa approached him and studied Akiko.

Wakasa’s expression remained calm, almost friendly, but his gaze was penetrating. "So, girl" he began quietly "who are you risking your life for? Who’s this about?"

Akiko hesitated for a moment, feeling her eyes fill with tears. The fear and exhaustion of the past hours suddenly overwhelmed her, but she forced herself to speak. "K.. Ken.. Ryūgūji.. he was.. he was my friend.."

Wakasa raised an eyebrow, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face. He exchanged a brief glance with Keizo, who now looked at Akiko with clear interest. "Draken, huh. And you think you can just walk in here and ask a few questions, and we’ll hand over answers?"

Akiko swallowed, her voice barely a whisper. "I.. I had to try."

Keizo curled his lips into a crooked smile. "Brave, but pretty reckless. What do you think this is, a reunion for childhood friends?"

Wakasa interrupted him with a serious tone. "Keizo, stop. The girl obviously doesn’t know anything about us and what this is all about." He sighed and looked at Akiko thoughtfully. "Draken, huh.." he repeated.

Akiko looked down and wasn’t even sure anymore if this was the way she wanted to find the truth about Draken, but there was no turning back now.

Wakasa sighed, as if making an internal decision, and then turned to Keizo. "We’ll take her to the boss."

Keizo grinned mockingly, as if he found the idea amusing. "Alright, this should be interesting. The boss will decide what happens to her."

He grabbed Akiko roughly by the shoulder and shoved her toward the door, while Wakasa walked ahead. "Come on, hope our boss is in a better mood than we are." Keizo muttered with a sharp grin.