[53] Death is special

Asuka quickly ran towards her classroom, trying to ignore the surprised stares and the reprimand from the teacher, who had already started the lesson. The class was in full swing, with the room filled with the chatter of students busy studying. Asuka paid no attention to the teacher's obvious displeasure, who seemed irritated by her tardiness.

"Sorry, I'm late!" Asuka blurted out quickly, stepping into the classroom while scanning for Kousuke among the students.

The teacher, standing at the front of the class, feeling her rising anger, tried to maintain order. "Asuka, this is unacceptable. Your tardiness will be noted!" she said sternly.

However, Asuka couldn't care less about the reprimand. Her eyes kept darting around the room, hoping to spot Kousuke. She felt anxious and guilty, desperate to find a way to clear things up with her childhood friend.

Kousuke, meanwhile, sat in a corner of the room, far from where most people could see him. His face looked tense and gloomy. Every time he glanced at Asuka, the pain and anger he felt came rushing back into his heart. Kousuke felt betrayed, and the emotional torment made it impossible for him to focus on the lesson. Every second felt like years, and he was struggling hard to hold back his tears.

After the bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson, Asuka immediately stood up and moved toward Kousuke with determination. However, she had to wait until the classroom was completely empty before she could speak to him. In the meantime, Kousuke remained motionless, as if he was lost in his own thoughts, trying to calm his chaotic emotions.

On the other side, Kaoru stood outside the school, observing from a distance the members of Takuto's gang, who were now in the hospital. Takuto, gravely injured, lay in one of the hospital rooms with an IV drip and intensive medical care. His subordinates, also wounded, sat around the room in panic and worry.

Takuto, with a pained expression, held his phone tightly and spoke into it with a tone of rage and hatred. "I need you here immediately. Kaoru... he must pay. I want him to suffer the consequences of all this. Don't forget, he still has to pay for everything he's done."

Though his hand still throbbed with pain from Kaoru's crushing grip, Takuto tried to compose himself. He felt furious and humiliated, but he had to control his emotions. Earlier, Asuka had accidentally mentioned Kaoru's name while under stress, and that had provided valuable information for Takuto.

Gripping his phone with fury, Takuto listened to the voice on the other end, which sounded calm and assured. "Don't worry. The name 'Kaoru' is not uncommon in Japan. You'll need to give other details to track down the right person. Or better yet, show me the person yourself. Surely he's close to the woman you've been pursuing, right?"

The voice gave Takuto a renewed sense of resolve, quelling some of his anger and helping him plan his revenge. Though his hand was still pulsing with pain, he knew he had to plan carefully. His cowardly nature drove him to use every connection he had built over the years, whether with the yakuza or powerful figures in the local government.

"Fine," Takuto said coldly. "I'll find him. He must be close to Asuka, and I'll make sure he pays for everything. With all the connections I have, I won't let Kaoru get away with this."

After hanging up the phone, Takuto summoned one of his most trusted subordinates. "I need you to gather information on Kaoru. Find out who he really is and who he's close to. I don't care how much effort it takes. I want results as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, outside the hospital window, a black raven—Kaoru's familiar—was flying around the building with remarkable skill and intelligence. The raven had heard every word uttered by Takuto's subordinates as they busily plotted ways to investigate Kaoru. With its sharp observational skills, the raven understood the malicious plans and important information being discussed.

Kaoru, relaxing on the rooftop of one of the city's tall buildings, enjoyed the view while listening to the conversation through the raven's perspective. A sharp smile appeared on his face as he received the report from his familiar through their mental connection. He was not surprised by Takuto's plans for revenge and instead felt amused by the anxiety his enemies were experiencing.

Still leaning on the building's railing, Kaoru gazed off into the distance while exhaling smoke from his cigarette. In his mind, a plan for revenge had already been meticulously formed. "I don't like unresolved problems," he murmured calmly. "It's better to root them out completely."

In the silence of the night, the raven familiar flew again, this time with the mission of closely monitoring every movement of Takuto and his associates. Kaoru activated his network of informants throughout the city, ensuring that everyone connected to Takuto, from his gang to his yakuza connections, would be closely watched.

A massive purge began—ruthless and without mercy. Everyone linked to Takuto, whether directly or indirectly, was wiped out in brutal and tactical strikes carried out by Kaoru's shadow network. Those who dared to resist or retaliate were crushed mercilessly, while the rest were given a clear choice: surrender or become the next target.

The speed of this operation was astounding. In one night, the city was shaken by sudden destruction. Yakuza houses tied to Takuto were raided, with evidence of corruption and human trafficking involving Takuto and his family exposed and spread to the public. The head of the Ishiyama family, Takuto's father, who was also the city's mayor, was powerless as all the evidence ensnared him in an inevitable scandal.

The next day, news of Takuto's father's death spread throughout the city—he had been found dead in his office, an apparent suicide, after the inescapable pressure from the exploding scandal. Government officials who had once supported the Ishiyama family quickly distanced themselves, while the family's properties were seized, and their remaining power crumbled. Takuto, still a minor, was left alone to face the terrible wrath and hatred of the public.

On the streets, his former subordinates—once powerful figures in the school and the city—became targets of scorn. Many were humiliated, exiled, or simply disappeared, unable to face the anger of the people they had once oppressed. They had become the outcasts of society, discarded and powerless.

Takuto himself had become a pitiful figure. Homeless, wandering aimlessly, haunted by the shadow of his own failures and the betrayal he had brought upon himself. There was nothing left for him, no one who cared, and even those who had once followed him had now turned their backs. He spiraled into madness, trapped in the cycle of self-destruction he had created.

Meanwhile, Kaoru observed the aftermath of his actions from afar, his face impassive and emotionless. To him, all of this was just a game. "This is only the beginning," he murmured softly. "Anyone who tries to oppose me will end up the same. Destroyed."