The path of power: Isuma with the Yakuzas(3/3)

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I opened my eyes and found myself in a regular bathroom, with a dripping showerhead. Next to me stood Jiro, who looked at me with a serious expression. Confused, I asked him:

"Why did we appear in the bathroom?"

Jiro, with a mix of impatience and mockery on his face, responded:

"Take a shower, kid. You're covered in blood."

I looked at him, puzzled, and asked again:

"And what clothes will I put on afterward?"

Jiro gave an enigmatic smile and, while leaving the bathroom, said:

"You don't need to worry about that."

After he left, I stepped into the shower and washed off all the blood that covered my body. After a few minutes, I exited through the only available door and found myself in a simple room. On the bed were some underwear, black shorts, and a t-shirt. I quickly dressed and left the room.

As I stepped out, I observed my surroundings and saw a table surrounded by people in black suits. Some of them had noticeable mutations, but they all spoke in low voices, though with a cheerful tone. Someone called out to me, and when I turned, I saw Jiro. I approached him, and as he noticed my presence, he said loudly for everyone to hear:

"Look, the kid who will take us to the top."

After his words, he raised a cup of what I assumed was sake and drank it in one gulp. I watched him closely and asked:

"So, can I leave now?"

Jiro looked at me seriously before responding:

"Yes, but before you go..."

He pulled out a white card from his pocket with a number written on it and handed it to me.

"Take my card. You can call me, and my 'black liquid' will come to get you and take you wherever you need to go. Now, off you go. See you tomorrow."

At that moment, the black liquid he mentioned covered my body. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, I found myself in an alley.

**(Third-person narrator)**

Isuma appeared in the alley and looked at the sky, guessing it was late, probably around six in the evening. The sky was starting to darken, but he ignored the environment and quickly headed towards his house.

After walking for a few minutes and almost getting hit by a couple of drunks, he arrived at the building where he lived. He climbed the stairs and noticed that the light in the apartment was on and the television was blaring at a high volume. When he opened the door and entered, he saw his brother Yoichi, as usual, watching TV, something routine for him.

Yoichi turned as he heard the door and said:

"Brother, you're finally here."

"Hi, brother. Has mom come out of her room?" Isuma asked, with some concern.

"No, I had to make myself something to eat," Yoichi replied, without taking his eyes off the television.

**(First-person narrator: Isuma)**

"Strange, brother. You know perfectly well that on Saturdays she gets up early to go to work. Did you really not hear her?" I asked, noticing how unusual the situation was.

"No, brother, nothing," Yoichi replied.

Something didn't add up. I swallowed hard and looked at Yoichi before saying:

"Then I'll go see if mom is okay."

Yoichi nodded and went back to focusing on the TV.

I headed towards my mother's room and started knocking.

*Knock! Knock! Knock!*

I knocked three more times, each time harder, but got no response. I decided to open the door, but a system message appeared in front of me:

*(Side mission eliminated... Main mission completed: Reward 3 Soul Fragments and automatic system update now.)*

The message closed, and I looked at the door again. I swallowed hard, and with no other options, I opened it.

What I saw left me speechless: my mother's body was lying on its back, her mouth covered in vomit. At that moment, everything clicked in my head. She had died from a heroin overdose.

I didn't dare enter the room, not out of fear but out of respect. I left and went to the living room, desperate to find the phone they had given me, but I remembered that I had left it in the blood-soaked clothes. I ran my hand over my head and muttered:

"Shit."

As I tried to think of a solution, I remembered that the neighbors might lend me a phone. I left the apartment and went to the one next door.

I knocked several times until a man came out and looked me up and down before asking:

"What do you want, kid?"

"Can you lend me your phone to make a call?" I asked urgently.

The man nodded and handed it to me. I pulled out the card from my shorts pocket—luckily, it was still there—and dialed the number. After a few seconds, Jiro's voice came through on the other end:

"Who is this?"

"Hi, it's the kid, Isuma. Do you know where I live? Can you come to my house now? I'll explain everything when you get here," I said, trying to stay calm.

"Kid, it's you. Of course, I can do that."

I hung up the phone and handed it back to the man.

"Thank you, sir."

Afterward, I headed back to my apartment.

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Perosn if it is not understood, I do not speak English 100% and I use a translator.

Thank you all very much for your support and comments.