[Launch 1]

In the basement of a crowded building on the outskirts of Roppongi's shopping district lies Marquis shop. It's a cramped space of just over 20 square metres and, despite the fact that it's only just opened, there's not a single customer in sight. There was only Nishino and the barman.

"I don't think my house will be ruined as soon as I move."

"We found traces of intrusion in two places, the corridor on the third floor and the kitchen on the second floor. The former had broken windows, but the latter was cleverly picked. I'm aiming for a co-resident of the kitchen."

The topic of conversation between the two is the share house that Nishino is moving into. Marquis had reported to Nishino that someone had broken into the house. This is a shock to the futsumen, who have been at school all morning. He had begun to like his life there, and his face was grim.

"Are there any investigations ? " 

"The former is a gang of thugs operating in Tokyo."

With that, Marquis pulled a photograph from the inside pocket of his jacket.

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A few pictures of what appeared to be hidden persons were laid out on the counter. All of the people in the photos were wearing patterned, open-collared shirts, skinheads and coloured sunglasses, which at first glance suggested that they were not normal. They were all very rough looking.

And in each corner of the photo, letters that seem to be addresses are lined up. 

"It seems that they are standing on top."

"Is it the money?"

Nishino asked, checking the faces of the people in the photo. I didn't know any of the men in the photo. 

"I don't know that much, but I'm sure they kidnapped your housemate here. It seems that he was kidnapped by car in the daytime. The plate was also replaced."

Marquis's men had seen the same thing that shirogal had seen. He also said that Yukki was also in custody, and that the perpetrator of the crime was one of the people in the photograph given to him. 

"Do you know anything about the latter?" 

"We're working on that one. We'll get back to you as soon as we know more. "

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"Ok." 

"It's just that you're so good at what you do, they think you're in the same business." 

"I'm afraid that's more trouble than it's worth."

" If it's possible, I'd like you to identify yourself before you do anything. "

"All right."

It seems that the call to Nishino was for the purpose of making such a report. After a brief conversation, the futsumen leaves the counter. The sound of his steps echoed strangely loudly in the quiet bar. His hand reaches for the doorknob of the doorway. Against Nishino's back, Marquis spoke. 

"As you know, many of them move without thinking because they are immature as an organization. They do not go down because they do not go down. There is no hope for end management. Only you Then I still don't know how far it will fly. "

" That's easy for you to say.  " 

" Who do you know? " 

" Just take this opportunity to get rid of them all. "

He did not look back at his opponent, but spoke plainly. The timing could not have been better for a back-to-back. However, in this case, he was more than cynical. 

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The image of the black gyaru and Yukki came to my mind, as well as the pet hamster I kept in my room. He couldn't believe that his pet hamster was safe after the ruffians had broken into his room. He knew that his little life was doomed. Therefore, today's footwear was unusually lively. 

"...That's right."

"I'll leave you to deal with the aftermath, won't I? I'll pay you handsomely. " 

"Okay, but be careful not to overdo it." 

"Well, I can't promise that." 

After a short pause, Marquis gave him a warning. The futsumen left the store with a light hearted smile.

◇ ◆ ◇

After leaving Roppongi, Nishino headed for Ikebukuro. He received several photographs from Marquis, and the addresses indicated on each of them. His first destination was the nearest building, a multi-storey building. The ground floor is occupied by restaurants, while the upper floors are occupied by consumer credit and massage parlours. 

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Each shop has a total floor area of around 20 to 30 meters, with one tenant per floor. This is a typical layout for a relatively small building in Tokyo. Each floor has an entrance, a corridor and a single business space.It is no different from any other building in the world, with a series of vertical signs for the shops on each floor along the outer wall of the building. At the highest point of the building, the only white sign is visible. Nishino took the elevator to the fourth floor above ground.

"...... "

As I got out of the lift, I saw a closed fire door nearby. On any other floor, the door would have been open with a stopper and the shop's signage on the side would have welcomed customers.

However, only on this floor, the doors of the entrance and exit are also closed If you don't know the situation, it's just a vacant property. However, when I turned the doorknob, it turned without any resistance. The door seemed to be unlocked. Fortunately, he pulled the door open by the arm without hesitation. An automatic shop door welcomed him with open arms. The area around the doorway was dark and unlit.There was a light and the presence of people on the other side of the door. 

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After confirming this, Nishino starts walking steadily. 

" .......... "

He walks down a corridor a few meters long with the same gait as usual. He makes no effort to hide his footsteps. Then, as if opening the lavatory door at home, he opens the door to the floor. As with the fire door, the doorknob moves without any resistance. 

The sluggish hinges squeaked, alerting them to his presence. The interior of the room became clearer. It must have once been a bar. An old counter with a few round chairs in front of it. At the far end of the room is a box with two pairs of sofas. At the back of the counter is a back bar with a small selection of bottles. However, there were men who were standing in the midst of it. Everyone is dressed strictly.

What they have in common is metal accessories attached to parts such as the ears and nose, and tattoos that can be found everywhere on the skin . The clothes they wear vary, with some wearing suits and others wearing top and bottom sweatshirts.

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The floor was full of cigarette smoke and there were cigarette butts and empty bottles of alcohol lying around. For all intents and purposes, it was a hangout for delinquents. In some places, the carpets and wallpaper were covered with some kind of unidentifiable droplets. 

"What?. You" 

As if to represent the place, a man muttered. It was a man sitting on a sofa in a box at the far end of the room. His appearance was identical to the picture Marquis had given him. He was the only one on the floor wearing a suit. It was as expensive as Tarosuke's everyday clothes. When they heard the noise, they thought that their relatives had entered the house. However, on the other side of the open door was a child, probably in his mid-teens. The sight of the boy in his school uniform was enough to make him look as if he were a little boy.

"This is not a shop. Get the fuck out of here. "

The other man looked at Nishino and told him he looked like trouble. The men around him glared menacingly at him. The men around him glared menacingly at him, as if they thought he would flee at any moment.

However, who came was futsumen who couldn't read the air.

"I'm looking for someone."

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Nishino looked at the man in the photograph and spoke plainly. His tone of voice was a little quieter than usual. 

"... Who are you?"

"Do you remember the name Yanagita or Yamanobe?"

" ...... " 

After Nishino's words, the man in the suit showed signs of thinking. He could not be sure of the identity of the child in front of him. But it was only for a short while. 

Then a man sitting in a round chair in front of the counter moved. He was the one who had been drinking closest to the door. He was the only one with dark skin and a chiselled face, while the others all had yellow skin. 

"....."

 The man silently walked up to the bottom of Nishino. The latter looks up at the former because of their height difference.

"I've heard that the influx of African-Americans is on the rise these days. "

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Looking up at the man standing in front of him, Futsumen tells him as if he were talking about small things. The gesture of talking with both hands stuck in the pockets of his pants inevitably struck the nerves of the men looking at it.

"Do you remember the name Yanagita or Yamanobe?"

".........."

The other man had no choice but to stretch out his arm towards Nishino's neck. In some situations, they can be mistaken for junior high school students. If you treat them badly and injure them, you can see that the police will move in a big way, as the crackdown on that kind of thing is very strict these days. The idea was to lightly tighten his collar and force him out.Nishino ignores the kindness of others. 

"I don't like to do this sort of thing."

The man's head was severed in response to the swing of his arm. The section is frozen as usual. It fell to the floor with a loud thud. Having witnessed the sequence of events, the others start to move. Everyone stood up and began to hold knives and pistols in their hands. They take up positions around Nishino. The atmosphere on the floor changes from tense to tense.

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"........Who are you ? " 

The man in the photo calls out to Nishino again. In his hand he held a pistol, the sight of which was fixed on the man's forehead.

"Let me ask you again. Do you remember the name Yanagita or Yamanobe?"

"I don't know. You'll have to look elsewhere" 

"I'm sorry, but it's urgent."

One by one, those who were present collapsed. They were all decapitated and frozen in sections, not a drop of blood flowing. Within minutes of the first man's fall, the floor was silent. The last person left is the person whose face I recognised in the photograph from Marquis.

"Let me ask you one more time. Do you remember the name Yanagita or Yamanobe? " 

"No, I don't know, I think you're mistaken. " 

"Are you sure? " 

"It's true! Trust me!" 

" Ok... "

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The futsumen muttered regretfully. Seeing the look on his face, the man said. 

"Get the hell out of here! You've got the wrong guy!" 

" Yeah, I'll do that."

He turns on his heel, muttering softly. He walked slowly towards the doorway, which he had left open when he visited the place. The man who had escaped being beheaded raised the gun in his hand as he easily turned his back on him. And without hesitation, he squeezes the trigger. There was a dry popping sound. The bullet went straight for Nishino's back. 

But the bullet came to rest just inches from his back. As if blocked by an invisible wall, it floated up in the air and made no sound. It was as if time had stopped there. The sound of empty shells falling to the floor echoed through the room. 

"Eh ..." 

The man's expression tightened in surprise. Nishino turns around and calls out to him. 

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"Oh, Ok" 

"No, wait! I've got money! I've got a lot of money......." 

"I forgot to take care of you." 

The man in the suit's head fell off his body.

◇ ◆ ◇

For some time after the departure of the Westfield, someone visited the Marquis. With a dry clank, a bell rings to announce the arrival of a visitor at the bar. There was no one else in the bar except the barman. The bar was deserted, and Marquis, who had been idly polishing his glass, stopped his work and looked up. It was Rose and Gabriella who came in. They were both in uniform, the former holding a cage for small animals. 

Without hesitation, they walked over the bar counter to the front of the Marquis. The sight of Rose's strong gaze as she walked ahead of him made him nervous, as he hadn't learned to make promises. 

"...... What do you want?"

"I'm here to ask you some questions about him."

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"..........."

By him, I assume you mean Nishino. Compared to her usual self, Rose seemed to have a strange energy about her today. Francisca had told Marquis in the past that the blonde Lolita in front of him was as difficult to handle as Nishino. He replied quietly, so as not to provoke her.

"I'll tell you what I can tell you." 

"So, where is he now, exactly? " 

"I don't know that much." 

"Then, for the sake of argument, can you think of anyone who might have attacked him in his new home?"

".................."

Rose's question made the barman think of something. The bartender was reminded of the multi-way entry that had been discovered at the scene. 

"It was you, wasn't it?" 

" By the time we got there, it had already been ransacked." 

" .........I see."

Marquis was relieved to have confirmation of the other half, which he had been unsure of until now. If it was them, the situation would not be so complicated. We can talk to them through Francisca. 

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" I'll check it just in case, but is he safe ? " 

" That's not a problem. He's been showing his face here."

"Ok..."

At any rate, the confirmation of the futsumen's safety softened Rose's tense expression slightly. The kidnapping and confinement of futsumen, which she had experienced during a trip abroad some time ago, had been a bit traumatic for her. 

"I've tried Francisca's contacts, but I can't find anything.She's always talking so much and being so nice, but when you need her, she's not available. I've wasted a lot of time because of it."

"I've been waiting for a long time. The only thing I got was the hamster food." 

Not only Rose, but even Gabriella said with a disgusted expression. 

The time line is that it was mid-afternoon when they snuck into Nishino's room. In the meantime, Marquis's men confirmed the abnormality of the sharehouse from the abduction of the surveillance target. It is assumed that Nishino has been contacted. 

In the meantime, Rose and Gabriella leave the futsumen new home and join Francisca. From then on, they must have been waiting for her to identify the murderer. But after the watchman lost sight of them, the investigation seemed to have gone nowhere. 

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In the cage in Rose's hands, the hamster can be seen enjoying fresh water and food on the cleaned bedding. If Gabu-chan's words are to be believed, that's really all they've achieved.

"Well, I suppose so." 

"Do you know anything ?" 

"They're not the kind of people who organise themselves. The less organised they are, the more difficult it will be for them to work with you. It's not that Francisca is incompetent. It's just that this is a product that only the local shops carry. " 

"...... Would you be willing to sell it to us? "

"That depends on the price."

"I'll take your price."

"That's very generous."

"But do you really want to sell it? "

"The more men, the better. If you're willing to help him with his work, you'll get a service this time. If you're not sure what to do, you can always ask for help. Of course, I won't force you."

"...... What do you mean?"

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When Rose and Gabriella looked at him, Marquis told them what had happened. In addition to the attack on Nishino's house, his co-resident had also been abducted. He is also in the middle of an operation to capture him. 

"You're spending all your time on strange things, aren't you?" 

"What are you going to do? " 

"I'll help you. Just tell me where he is." 

Rose turned down immediately. This is a great opportunity to sell your favor to Nishino. 

"I'd like to help you. I'd like you to teach me." 

"Okay."

After seeing Rose and Gabriella nod, Marquis lined up the same photo he showed to Nishino in front of them. They stare at it at the counter, as if they were glaring at the shore of their parents. In the corner of the photo, the address was also attached, just like what Nishino saw.

"I remember. You want me to get rid of these people?" 

"Yes, that's it."

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" ..............." 

Marquis keeps silent as he looks at the two who have begun to say something noisy. It's a pun that came to his mind that, depending on the situation, they wouldn't have to bother to move. In fact, more than half have already been disposed of by the futsumen. In terms of work speed, it is one of the best in the industry.

"By the way, what's with the hamster?"

With the conversation over, Marquis's attention shifted to the cage in Rose's hand. If he remembered correctly, it was the pet hamster that Nishino kept at home, and the cage in which it was kept. There is a crack in the base, but there is no doubt about it. Marquis, who has had several custody when he was away from his home for a long time. Why is it in her hands? When I suddenly wondered, he naturally moved his mouth. He fully understands futsumen's love for pets.

"We found him in his room." 

"He's alive? " 

"He got out of the cage and hid under the clothes. "

"I see."

"That woman almost killed him."

"Sister, I don't think it's good to say that."

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"Can you give it to him ? " 

Gabu-chan screams. Regardless of the complaint, Rose placed the cage on the counter. 

" All right. " 

"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go."

Having obtained the necessary information, Rose returns the heel from Marquis. Gabriella followed her. The two quickly passed the front of the counter and left the store. Sent by the light sound of the bells attached to the doors of the doorway, the backs of which can no longer be seen from inside the store.

"...." 

After confirming that they had left the shop, Marquis took out a device from his pocket. He thought that he should report to Nishino about his interaction with the girls. He tried to call them, but the line was out of range and never connected. After two or three attempts, there was no change in the automated message. 

"Oh, well, we'll be fine. " 

Muttering to no one in particular, the barman went back to polishing the glasses. 

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◇ ◆ ◇

While Nishino is running around Tokyo, the members of Class 2A are visiting a karaoke bar in downtown Tokyo to celebrate their midterm exams. They had a meal at the first meeting and then went to the second meeting. The members were some of the top students in the class. Naturally, Takeuchi, the chairwoman, and Risa-chan were also there. Although there was an unexpected incident of a white gal breaking into the party, the group joined the launch as originally planned. The girl in question, who had come from another school, was persuaded by Takeuchi-kun and Risa-chan to leave. 

"I'm going to the toilet." 

After a while, Risa got up from her seat. Then the chairwoman and Takeuchi-kun joined her. 

"Oh, me too." 

"I'm sorry, I've been holding it in too." 

Normally, they would take care of each other even when leaving their seats. This time, however, they showed 

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The three of them left the room and went down the corridor without a word. The three of us left the room quickly and went down the corridor without saying a word to each other. After a while, when they saw a sign for a fire escape, Takeuchi said: "I'm sorry, but I don't know what to do"

"When you get out of the bathroom, do you want to go outside for a minute and talk?" 

"Yeah." 

"Sure" 

The chairwoman and Risa nodded obediently and responded. As for the former, he probably left his seat with that intention. It seemed that he was expecting a question from him, and it was natural for him to respond. Even though she is a student from another school who has no acquaintance, she probably cares about her friendship with her. Then it takes a few minutes. After passing through the fire door, the three of them were facing each other on the landing of an outdoor fire escape. The stairs are open to the public, but most people seem to be using the lifts or the internal staircase, so there is no sign of anyone coming and going. 

"It's getting cooler, isn't it?"

Feeling the night wind blowing on his cheeks, Takeuchi said. I think he is a little hesitant to broach the subject. 

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Risa-chan said, noticing his burden. 

"I'm sorry that my friend got into trouble today. I think she's a bit over-active or over-energetic or something, and I think she's upset because her friend is in trouble. " 

"No, it's all right. No, it's all right, it's nothing for you to apologize for." 

"Yes, it is!" 

Takeuchi-kun and the chairwoman immediately continued to express their concern. As they say, the cause is Nishino in the first place.

"It's nothing for you to worry about, Risa! I'm sure it's because Nishino-kun told her some things about Takeuchi-kun that she didn't know! I think he wanted to make friends with Risa's friends, so he started talking about Takeuchi-kun!” 

Recently, he is the chairman who has increased exchanges with Nishino. Thanks to that, my guess is sharp. That's exactly what it is, so it's an extremely annoying futsumen.

"I'm sure you'll be able to understand why." 

"Yeah, but ......  " 

The chairwoman of the committee loses momentum when the Nishino distraction is unexpectedly deflected. In his place, the person who was being praised says a few words.

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"Even if that's the case, Eisa doesn't have to worry about it? In that case, I'm the worst person who got a strange rumor, and even if I blame this one, what do they say? I don't think it's different." 

"...... I'm really sorry. " 

"No, I'm not sorry at all." 

Risa-chan doesn't feel as energetic as usual. Takeuchi responded to this with a smile. Before Rose transferred to school in early spring, Takeuchi-kun's aim was Risa-chan. After she got together in a class change, she was a handsome guy who was thinking about a concrete approach. She helped with that background, and the words she cast were soft. It's been a few months to struggle to capture Rose. It is unavoidable for a high school boy who wants to be in his prime that his consciousness is cheating on Risa. In fact, Takeuchi's looks and status are more than enough to match Risa's. 

"Ah ... " 

Beside them, a voice suddenly rose from the chairwoman mouth. She looks out of the landing as she notices something.

" ....... What's wrong, Chairwoman? " 

"Chairwoman ? "

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Risa and Takeuchi's eyes also turn in the direction of her gaze. And there they saw a person they both knew. The building is next door to a karaoke shop. There were people running up and down the fire escape, just like where they were. Gold and silver glittered in the neon lights that shone between the buildings.  

It was Rose and Gabriella. 

"Oh, Rose and Gabriella?" 

Takeuchi muttered. This is followed by Risa.

"That's true ... " 

" ...... " 

In contrast to the two surprised faces, the chairwoman face was sullen. She looked as if she had just seen something he didn't like. 

"The building next door, is there a shop or something in there? " 

Risa asked.

It was Takeuchi who answered her question. . 

"No, I thought it was under construction. There was a sheet over the entrance."

"That's right? I saw it when I entered here ..."

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Nodding to each other

There was a clear question on their faces.

"Hey, hey, it's about time to go to the room ..."

The chairwoman, who had an unpleasant premonition, opened her mouth to the appearance of her classmates exchanging words. However, her decision was a little late. Rather, when I witnessed the two of them and raised their voices, the subsequent flow had already been decided.

"I can't leave them alone, I'm going to go and have a look."

"Oh, I'm coming too! "

Takeuchi-kun who raised his voice to me. Risa continues. In that case, she is the chairwoman who cannot return alone.

" ... le,le let's go."

Regardless of her intentions, she was forced to follow the two in order to maintain her position in the classroom. At this point, Shimizu's mind is that she's not going to be crazy, she's giving up on the near future.

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