Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1546

‘Where have you been?’

‘Pachinko.’

At that answer, Shimiji Michihiro let out a hollow laugh.

‘Did you go and fleece those poor Yakuza guys again? They’re already working their butts off to meet their protection money quotas, so go easy on them.’

‘Leave them be.’

‘I’m just saying, the higher-ups are making a fuss about doing stuff like that these days.’

‘Whatever…’

Suzuki Ryuichi’s face contorted.

It wasn’t like he’d stolen the Yakuza’s pocket money. He’d just been feeling frustrated and went to play some pachinko [a type of Japanese pinball-like gambling machine]. But the moment the word ‘higher-ups’ came out, a fire blazed in his gut.

‘Next they’ll be telling us which way to pee.’

‘Watch your mouth, idiot. You’ll get us in trouble.’

‘Trouble, my ass.’

Suzuki Ryuichi slumped onto the old sofa.

‘It’d be better if something actually happened. I don’t even know what the hell we’re doing anymore.’

The office was silent.

It wasn’t just the absence of people that made it quiet; a subtle, heavy atmosphere made everyone keep their mouths shut.

‘Damn it.’

There was a time when this place was full of life.

Back when this was a branch of the Yamakawa-kai [a former Yakuza clan].

In the days when the glory of the Yamakawa-kai, a name they couldn’t even use anymore, still existed, this place was always bustling with people coming and going, and those handling the constant flow of work.

But now?

‘Even a library wouldn’t be this quiet.’

After the defeat in the war against Korea, the General Assembly.

Or, to be precise, since the Korean occupation forces began to rule Japan as a price for that defeat, this place had lost its vitality.

It was only natural.

They had nothing left to do.

Since the Japanese martial arts world was completely dominated by the Korean martial arts world, their role had disappeared. Now, they were just taking the money collected by the Yakuza and handing it over to the Koreans.

‘I can’t even train without feeling like I’m being watched.’

‘I heard they rounded up all those guys who were training together the other day.’

‘Damn it, those bastards! What are warriors supposed to do if they can’t train!’

‘They said it was all to develop the uncivilized Japanese martial arts world.’

‘Bullshit!’

‘And they added something else.’

‘What?’

‘That it’s your logic.’

Suzuki Ryuichi shut his mouth.

He wasn’t stupid enough not to understand what that meant.

‘Damn it, why do we have to pay for what happened a hundred years ago?’

Whether they had done something wrong in the past, whether it was a glorious war or just a terrible invasion by those blinded by greed.

That had nothing to do with Suzuki Ryuichi.

There was no reason for him, as an individual, to feel sorry on behalf of the nation, nor was there any reason for him to reflect on mistakes he hadn’t made just because he was a descendant of the same country.

The problem was that the consequences were definitely pressing down on them now.

Suzuki Ryuichi raised his hands and covered his face.

‘It’s over.’

There was no hope left for the Japanese martial arts world.

People don’t despair because of harshness.

No matter how harsh the situation, they can endure it if they have hope that they can overcome it. What matters is not the present, but the future they will create from now on.

But there was no hope left for the Japanese martial arts world.

‘We can’t win.’

The majority of the martial artists who had opposed Korea had either lost their lives or their martial arts.

The moment the large expeditionary force created by the Yamakawa-kai was annihilated, the battle was already over. And when the Koreans came to Japan and shut down the martial arts of all those who resisted, they delivered the final blow.

Now, all that was left of the Japanese martial arts world were warriors who had been stripped of their violence and were just living day by day.

Yeah.

Just like him.

‘Hey, Ryuichi.’

‘…What?’

‘I’ve made a decision.’

‘What?’

‘I’m going back to being a civilian.’

‘…What?’

Shimiji Michihiro shrugged his shoulders.

‘Why are you looking so surprised?’

‘What are you talking about all of a sudden?’

‘Just what I said. I’m done with this.’

Suzuki Ryuichi glared at Shimiji Michihiro with fierce eyes.

‘Are you giving up?’

‘Well… I think it’s weird to even use the word ‘giving up’?’

‘What?’

‘What are we doing right now?’

Shimiji Michihiro wore a sneer.

‘Are you going to try to package doing nothing and just getting through each day as not giving up? I have no intention of joining in on such foolishness.’

‘So you’re going to run away?’

‘You’re the one running away, Ryuichi. If this isn’t running away, what is it? You don’t have any intention of resisting them anyway, do you?’

‘It’s over. We can’t do anything anymore. We’ll just end up like NEETs [Not in Education, Employment, or Training], wasting time every day and getting paid peanuts. And in return, we’ll be licking the boots of those Joseon [an old name for Korea] bastards.’

Suzuki Ryuichi bit his lip.

‘Do you know what I’ve been doing lately?’

‘…What?’

‘I spend my days going on community forums and cursing Korea. But… I can’t even do that anymore. The more I curse Korea, the more pathetic and miserable I feel for sucking up to those morons, so I can’t do it anymore.’

He wanted to say something.

That he couldn’t give up on that.

He was going to try to hold him back, whether by mocking or cursing him.

But when Ryuichi looked into Michihiro’s eyes, he couldn’t say a word.

His suppressed eyes were bloodshot.

His tone was gentle, but it was clear that he wasn’t saying these words easily either.

‘Honestly… I never imagined it would come to this. Being defeated, being dominated, being suppressed by a stronger force.’

‘What’s the difference, you idiot! It was like that before too.’

‘At least they were fellow Japanese then!’

‘Damn it, if I had known it would come to this, I would have killed all those bastards who were spouting that Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere crap. If I hadn’t been spouting that crap myself, I could at least say I was wronged.’

Ryuichi sighed deeply.

‘So you’re going to give up your martial arts and live as a civilian?’

‘Yeah.’

‘How long do you think that will last?’

Michihiro shut his mouth.

He knew too.

What they were really after. They had no interest in the Japanese martial arts world. They knew they couldn’t completely eliminate it, so they were just leaving it alone, managing it, and using it.

What they were really after was the economic power that the Japanese martial arts world had accumulated.

‘If we’ve been hit, that means the Yakuza will all be under their control soon too.’

‘They already are.’

‘Then those bastards will shake up Japan itself. It’s not a problem you can avoid by giving up martial arts and turning a blind eye.’

‘Damn it, then what do you want us to do? Go out and commit seppuku [ritual suicide by disembowelment]? Shout, ‘Give us back our territory’?’

Everyone knew that doing such a thing would be useless.

They were heartless and ruthless.

They wouldn’t listen to the impassioned pleas of warriors. They would just laugh, saying they were choosing a dog’s death.

Realistically, there was no way for them to resist Korea anymore. All that was left was how they would submit.

‘Maybe…’

That’s when it happened.

The door burst open, and a man with a desperate look on his face rushed in.

‘Did you hear the news?’

‘…What is it, why are you acting so frantic?’

‘The General Assembly is recruiting people to go to Korea!’

‘…What?’

His butt lifted slightly off the seat.

His eyes widened, and his lips dried up in an instant.

That’s how much the words he had just heard meant.

‘They’re selecting applicants for training in Korea. They’ll train there and then come back to Japan?’

‘…Why the hell are those crazy bastards doing that all of a sudden?’

‘They’re raising leaders, leaders!’

Leaders.

The eyes of those who heard the word began to waver.

The positions and ranks that the Japanese martial artists had held were all revoked. The authority to control others was given to a few contacts, and they didn’t leave anyone who could be a central figure.

But now they were raising leaders?

‘…Are they telling us to wag our tails?’ Ryuichi bit his lip.

The intention was obvious.

They would give positions to those who were loyal to Korea, who would bow their heads and lick their boots, and make them rule Japan.

‘How dare they pull such a trick…’

‘Where do I apply?’

‘Michihiro!’

Ryuichi jumped up from his seat.

‘Are you going to join in on this ridiculous scheme?’

‘So?’

Michihiro asked back.

‘Don’t you have any pride?’

‘Pride? Hahahaha!’

Michihiro laughed loudly.

‘Pride, pride, you say. That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in my life.’

‘Michihiro!’

‘Listen carefully, Ryuichi. A dog that loses a fight doesn’t look for pride. If pride is so important, you should have cut your belly open a long time ago.’

‘…!’

‘If rotting away in this rotten office is your pride, I respect that. But my pride isn’t like that. I…’

Michihiro’s eyes were filled with a clear murderous intent.

‘I’ll climb up no matter what it takes. I’ll get stronger no matter what it takes. And I’ll somehow overcome this damn situation. That’s my pride.’

‘That’s just nonsense!’

Ryuichi raised his voice.

‘In the end, you just want to get ahead by licking their boots!’

‘Why? Is that not allowed?’

‘You rotten bastard!’

Ryuichi grabbed Michihiro by the collar and pulled him close.

But even as he saw Ryuichi’s violent reaction, Michihiro just chuckled.

‘Hit me if you want. But I want you to know one thing. You’re not doing this because of your great patriotism. It’s just because of your petty pride, which you don’t even know what it’s for.’

‘A warrior who used to rip off ordinary people and enjoy life with that money is now thinking about Japan? Hahahaha! Don’t talk nonsense, Ryuichi!’

Ryuichi bit his lip.

‘Let’s go together.’

‘What?’

‘If they’re doing something like this, they must be powerful in Korea. If you’re so full of resentment, how about at least spitting in their face before you die? Then at least one or two of them will remember your name. Maybe you can become a martyr if Japan ever gets its country back?’

‘Let’s go, Ryuichi. This is the last chance we’ve been given.’

‘…You were just saying you wouldn’t live as a warrior, and now you’re talking a big game.’

‘Of course. Because this is the last chance to live as a warrior.’

Ryuichi pushed Michihiro away violently.

Then he glared at him with contempt.

‘I’ll go.’

‘Good choice.’

‘But don’t think I’m going to cooperate with them. I just want to see their true colors.’

‘…That’s fine too.’

Ryuichi bit his lip.

‘A warrior knows where he will die.’

Now he had found the place where he would die.