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Chapter 16: Total Dominance, Secured

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Kidomichi Ryo retracted his gaze and pressed his palms together, flashing a polite, business-casual smile, though the raw arrogance in his DNA was impossible to mask.
"My bad, my flight was lagged. Sorry for keeping you waiting."

Fuwa Nogawa returned the surface-level smile, but he didn't budge from his spot, remaining seated firmly on the tatami.
"No worries. We’re locals anyway. Thanks for making the trip from Osaka, Ryo-kun."

Kidomichi Ryo took his seat across from them. He glanced at the gorgeous girl who had gone silent after pouring the sake, her eyes downcast. His tone turned mock-concerned.
"This must be Brother Fuwa’s only daughter. I heard about that kidnapping recently—what kind of absolute trash would do something so heinous?"

The acting was Oscar-tier. That "indignant" tone would’ve made a bystander think the two families were besties.
Fuwa Nogawa smiled, taking a small sip of sake while lowkey suppressing the urge to fold the guy sitting in front of him.
"Not good people. I’ll deal with them sooner or later."

Kidomichi Ryo kept smiling, but internally, he was already cursing out the old fox.
"The Young Lady must have been traumatized. If there’s anything I can do to help, please don't be a stranger."
Kidomichi Ryo raised a cup toward Fuwa Yozora. He watched as she gracefully picked up her teacup, acknowledging him with a nod but refusing to drink.
She was clearly giving him the "don't care" energy.
Kidomichi Ryo suppressed a smirk, thinking this heiress was highkey stuck up.

Then, Fuwa Yozora spoke in a flat tone.
"Actually, there is something I’d like Kidomichi-oyabun’s help with."
"The dominance over Yokohama Port—please have the Hanaha-kai stand down."

Using "please" twice sounded polite, but her delivery was so steady it didn't sound like a request at all. It sounded like an order.
Hearing this, Kidomichi Ryo burst into a loud laugh.
"It’s a free market, sweetheart. You think one dinner is gonna make me hand over billions of yen in profit?"

Fuwa Yozora refilled her father’s cup but completely ghosted Kidomichi Ryo’s empty one.
"You have zero win-con in a 'fair' competition anyway. I’m just advising the Oyabun to save his energy."
"What’s that supposed to mean?"
"Do you really think the right-wing party is still backing you? Hate to break it to you, but before this dinner, my father and I had high tea with the right-wing leader."

Kidomichi Ryo’s expression went weird instantly. He stared at the girl who looked barely legal but spoke like a veteran shark.
She reached out toward Fuwa Nogawa, and he placed his phone in her palm.
She unlocked it and played a video. The right-wing leader appeared on screen, looking stressed.
He sighed, his brow furrowed in disapproval.
"Kidomichi, you crashed out this time. Too many bodies—I can’t cover this up. The Sanyei-gumi has receipts on you."
"We’re staying out of the Yokohama Port situation. You gangs handle it yourselves."

Kidomichi Ryo’s fist clenched white.
Casualties are normal in gang wars—usually from mutual beef—so no one ever snitches because everyone’s legally cooked if they do.
But this time, the victims had zero connection to the Sanyei-gumi. They could absolutely blow this up.
Kidomichi Ryo stared at the girl, who looked completely unbothered. She really had walked away from that kidnapping without a scratch.
"No way. The Sanyei-gumi must have rigged that accident. You killed people and you’re gonna try to go loud with it?"

Fuwa Yozora took back the phone, her pale violet eyes catching every bit of his panic.
"The precinct already did a full sweep. It has zero links to Sanyei-gumi. It’s being handled as a government collab—just an 'unfortunate accident,' I guess."
"But the kidnapping of a minor? That’s a literal fact."

Honestly, she had to thank Geto Suguru. She’d originally blamed him for starting drama, but after thinking it through, she realized she could use it to strike first.
Exactly—we live in a society of laws.
This wasn't a "gang war." This was a simple kidnapping where the criminals had a skill issue and died in an accident while a minor barely escaped with her life.
Tch, tch. Truly tragic and worthy of public condemnation.

The right-wing party didn't care if the Hanaha-kai lackeys were exposed or not. As long as Sanyei-gumi insisted it was Hanaha-kai’s work and threatened to link the kidnapping back to the party, the politicians would run for the hills.
Politicians and the Mafia were never "ride or die"; it was strictly about who had the bigger bag.

Cold sweat broke out on Kidomichi Ryo’s back. He looked at Fuwa Nogawa, who had been chilling and sipping sake without saying a word the entire time.
Wait, was this entire setup orchestrated by the girl? He stared hard at the bewitching, dangerous girl. Fuwa Yozora raised her eyes, showing zero fear.
983 Should I tell him to have a kid? The Kidomichi bloodline is about to hit a dead end. Once the Hanaha-kai gets a new boss, they’ll be much easier to play with.
Seeing Kidomichi Ryo in the flesh and seeing the numbers over his head finally put Fuwa Yozora at ease.

"Seems like the Fuwa family has more than one fox. Impressive play, Young Lady."
Fuwa Yozora finally picked up her tea and took a small sip.
"I’m totally down for the Oyabun to keep fighting for dominance. But without the right-wing backing, what’s your win percentage?"

Kidomichi Ryo didn't speak, his grip tightening on his cup.
The Sanyei-gumi was already the top-tier Mafia, and the left-wing party wanted their cut of this deal too.
With connections in both the light and the dark, if the Hanaha-kai kept trolling, they’d only end up played.
The Yokohama Port was going to the Sanyei-gumi either way.

Kidomichi Ryo’s expression suddenly relaxed into a casual grin.
"Aiya, aiya. Looks like I’ve gotta hand over the Yokohama Port on a silver platter. Hanaha-kai is out. No need to keep the vibes so tense, right?"

He was a master of folding when necessary—even more slippery than his father, a total "smiling tiger."
"Let’s drop it. It’s my first time trying Matsukawa’s food. This membership-only spot is a nightmare to book. Thanks, Brother Fuwa and Young Lady."

He started inhaling the food. The atmosphere "softened" as he casually shared gang stories. Fuwa Nogawa even gave him a courtesy laugh.
Since the guy had fully surrendered Yokohama, there was no need to crash out yet.
That was Fuwa Yozora’s call. In reality, Fuwa Nogawa wanted to put a few holes in the head of this punk who tried to kidnap his precious daughter.

After a few rounds of drinks, Kidomichi Ryo seemed wasted, even trying to do the "sworn brothers" bit with Fuwa Nogawa.
The air was thick with the smell of cheap booze. Fuwa Yozora, who had been kneeling on the tatami, felt her legs going numb. Seeing that Ryo wasn't going to stop anytime soon, she made an excuse to hit the restroom.

Walking down the hallway and around the corner, the moonlight flickered against the glass.
The restaurant was empty except for the staff. Fuwa Yozora played with the house cat to kill some time.
She held the cat and opened a window. The summer breeze was humid, but her mind was calm.
The long-standing beef over Yokohama Port was finally over.

She let out a sigh of relief. Suddenly, footsteps came from behind. The person was being extra careful, but Fuwa Yozora had been training her senses since she was a kid.
The faint smell of alcohol told her exactly who it was. She slid her hand into her obi, gripping her pistol.
"Young Lady is out here playing with cats?"

Kidomichi Ryo stopped behind her. His tone sounded drunk, which didn't match his cautious footsteps at all.
Fuwa Yozora turned around, her pale violet eyes meeting a pair of wolfish ones in the moonlight.
"It was getting stuffy, so I came for some air. Let’s head back, Oyabun."

The kimono restricted her steps. Kidomichi Ryo looked at her body wrapped in the elegant, traditional fabric and felt his throat go dry.
A girl this smart and dangerous was something a guy like him—who had been with countless women—had never experienced.
A merger with Sanyei-gumi didn't sound bad. Becoming the country’s strongest Mafia sounded like a vibe.
He stepped closer, his voice raspy.
"Young Lady, I think I’m a bit faded. Mind helping me back?"

Fuwa Yozora didn't move. The cat in her arms sensed the bad vibes and hissed, jumping out the open window.
"Sorry, I think I need to find the cat first."

As she said it, Kidomichi Ryo snatched her wrist. The smell of booze mixed with the stench of heavy cigarettes hit her nose, making her want to gag.
Kidomichi Ryo gave a devious smirk.
"My bad, Young Lady. I just can't keep my balance."

Using booze as an excuse to act out? Then don't mind if I beat this dog while he's "drunk." And what a stupid dog it is!

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