Chapter 88: The Hunt Begins

A few days later...

Sakujiro continued his daily routine, kneading dough for bread like any other day.

The smell of baking bread filled his small bakery, offering a sense of normalcy amidst the chaos outside.

"Hmm?"

But as he prepared to put the dough in the oven, he noticed he was running low on firewood. Sakujiro couldn't help but furrowed his eyebrows at this.

He then shook his head as he grabbed a pickaxe and headed outside.

"Alright, I suppose it's about time I get some woods..."

With a sigh, Sakujiro accepted the task ahead, knowing that even in tough times, there were chores that couldn't be delayed.

As he trudged through the dusty streets, Sakujiro couldn't help but notice the bustling activity around him.

People roamed the streets, their voices mixing with each other.

But amidst the noise, something caught Sakujiro's attention. 

"Did you hear? Our boss seems to be speeding up our inventory list..."

"Yeah, and it's always us who have to do the legwork, finding goods wherever we can..."

"...What about that blind kid a few blocks away? Should we add him to the list?"

He paused, his senses heightened, as he eavesdropped on a conversation.

Two figures spoke in hushed tones, hidden in the shadows of the alley.

Sakujiro's figure blurred away as he cut off his presence. He was intent on listening to their conversation.

The words he overheard unsettled Sakujiro, especially the mention of the blind child.

"Blind kid?"

He murmured to himself, his thoughts drifting to the annoying brat he knew all too well, whose brother struggled with failing eyesight.

"Who cares, just add him to the list," one of the figures said with a weary sigh.

"He's probably not going to make it very far in such a horrible environment. It would be more prudent to sell him to those individuals so he may potentially contribute in some way..."

"Alright, then..."

"...!"

The chilling words sent a shiver down Sakujiro's spine, causing him to drop his pickaxe in shock. 

The sound immediately setting off the alarm bells for those two suspicious characters.

"Who's there?"

Their voices echoed through the stillness, but a sudden chill filled the air, freezing their words in their throats.

The sunlight, normally warm and comforting, seemed to lose its power as an icy coldness descended upon them.

"Shit! What's happening? This wasn't part of the script!"

One of the men panicked, his breath misting in the frigid air.

But before they could react, Sakujiro materialized before them, his presence like a specter in the cold.

"Fuck, attack!"

With lightning speed, they launched themselves at him, but their assault was abruptly halted.

Sakujiro's fingers barely touched their chests, yet a numbing coldness spread through their bodies, freezing them in place from head to toe.

"You! Do you even know what you're doing!?"

The words rang out in fear, trembling with uncertainty as the coldness seeped into the very core of his being.

But Sakujiro's gaze remained unyielding, his eyes reflecting the icy atmosphere around them as he spoke in a low, chilling tone, "Tell me every detail of your discussion earlier, and perhaps I'll consider sparing your lives..."

The realization dawned on both of them, their faces draining of color as they gazed into Sakujiro's emotionless expression, filled only with dread.

These two individuals stubbornly resisted revealing any information, until the gravity of Sakujiro's threat sank in.

In Meteor City, killing was frowned upon unless it was a matter of self-defense.

And Sakujiro being serious about killing them was shocking to them.

Realizing the dire consequences of their silence, they relented and spilled the details of Watanabe's involvement in human trafficking.

While Watanabe didn't break the unwritten rules directly, he turned a blind eye to the illicit activities of outsiders.

"...!"

The revelation struck a chord with Sakujiro, especially the mention of Sin, a helpless child.

Memories flooded back, fueling his anger.

"Sarasa..."

"...was also kidnapped!"

With a tightening grip on the two individuals, Sakujiro's Nen surged, crushing one of them in a display of his wrath.

"Aaaarghhhhhh!!!!!"

A gut-wrenching scream pierced the air as the man writhed in agony, his lower half shattered, succumbing to the relentless pain until his cries faded into silence with his final breath.

"You... you said you wouldn't kill us!"

The remaining man struggled in vain against the icy grip, but Sakujiro's hand pressed down upon him, crushing his hopes with chilling words, "...I did, didn't I? But who said I promised you anything?"

Another agonized wail echoed through the alley, drawing the attention of bystanders who hurried toward the scene.

As the bystanders drew near, Sakujiro melted into the darkness, leaving behind only whispers of unease.

"Goddammit! Someone's been killed!"

"Is it Sakujiro? That old man and his ice..."

"Something's not right here..."

Apprehension rippled through the crowd as they gathered around the icy corpses, their features contorted in fear and disbelief.

Sakujiro streaked through the city, his eyes burning with rage as he pieced together the truth behind the rampant human trafficking plaguing their streets.

But it wasn't just the trafficking that fueled his fury.

The perpetrator responsible had also spilled the blood of his comrades... and his daughter.

The realization struck him like a thunderbolt, igniting a wildfire of vengeance within him.

"That bastard!"

Nen surged chaotically through his veins, encasing half of his body in icy armor.

But mere retribution wouldn't suffice for the lives lost, for the innocence stolen. In his grip, a dagger materialized, its edge gleaming with lethal intent.

With eyes as cold as steel, he vowed, "He will suffer a slow and agonizing demise. He will pay dearly for his sins!"

On the other side of the city...

As Watanabe sensed the formidable presence approaching, he opened his eyes, the air crackling with anticipation.

His base lay eerily empty, devoid of his usual cohorts.

"He's on his way," Watanabe muttered to himself, a smirk playing on his lips.

With swift precision, he drew his sword, the steel gleaming in the dim light.

"Let's see if you're still worthy of my attention, Jiro..."