I pushed open the door to the old warehouse, the rusty hinges creaking under the weight of time. The door groaned as it swung wide, revealing the dimly lit interior. The flickering torches on the walls immediately caught my attention, anachronisms in this modern age. Who the hell still uses torches? But as I stepped inside, the familiar, sickening sensation washed over me—the stench of rot, the thick, oppressive air. I knew exactly what I was up against.

Step.

The sound of my footfall echoed in the vast emptiness. As if in response, the remaining torches lining the walls burst into flame, casting long, wavering shadows. In the corner of the warehouse, seven figures came into view, bound and gagged, their hands and feet tied with rough ropes.

Magic. There was no other explanation for the torches lighting up on their own. But it didn't matter.

[Boss, the blonde-haired girl in the middle—she's the Panama Group chairman's daughter.] (Lapiz)

"I see..." I muttered, my eyes narrowing as I took in the girl's appearance. Her expensive clothes were a little dirty, probably from putting up some resistance during the abduction. But they weren't torn, which allowed me to let out a small sigh of relief.

The girl's eyes fluttered open, and she saw me. Panic flashed across her face, but before she could make a sound, I pressed a finger to my lips, signaling for silence.

"Fufufufu! What a brave one you are!" A man's voice, dripping with condescension, echoed from the shadows behind the captives.

The far end of the warehouse remained shrouded in darkness, but my eyes, accustomed to the gloom, quickly found him. A man sat there, perched arrogantly on a chair. His eyes, cold and predatory, met mine. His long purple hair, neatly tied back, was at odds with the savage hunger in his gaze. He looked like a wolf pretending to be civilized, dressed in the typical garb of a yakuza leader.

We stared at each other, a silent battle of wills. He smiled, a sickeningly confident grin that made my skin crawl. His eyes roved over me, sizing me up with a gaze that felt like a violation. The urge to end him swiftly surged within me.

"Who are you, brave one?" he asked, his voice tinged with mockery.

"...." I remained silent, letting the tension build.

"Fufufufu! Playing quiet, are we? Very well, let me introduce myself. I am Yakahima Razor! The man who has slain over a thousand men! The leader of the Yakahima family! The great yakuza—"

"The great child abductor," I cut him off, my voice flat, devoid of emotion.

"W-Wha—"

"I don't have time for your nonsense. I have school tomorrow. Are you going to keep babbling, or are you going to fight, 'leader of the great abductor clan'?" I taunted, my patience wearing thin.

"Y-You bastard..." His voice quivered with rage, but I had succeeded in rattling him.

I waited for him to charge at me, to make the first move, but he didn't. Instead, he leaned back, his expression twisting into a smug grin.

"Fufufufu! Do you think I'll fall for your tricks? I've survived countless battles, outwitted police, soldiers, and more. Let me show you why I'm invincible! Tremble in fear!" he roared, his voice echoing through the warehouse, full of exaggerated bravado.

Please, let this end quickly.

!?

My senses sharpened as the oppressive presence I had felt earlier grew stronger. Three figures, no, three demons, moved closer. My eyes flicked back to the man, and I finally noticed the object he clutched in his hand.

"An engraved talisman... So that's where the malice is coming from," I muttered, piecing together the puzzle.

"You're smarter than you look, young man. But it's too late. Your insolence has sealed your fate! Kill him!" the yakuza leader commanded, his voice dripping with malevolence.

In an instant, twelve demonic presences surged toward me, their forms barely visible in the dim light. The yakuza leader's triumphant laughter echoed through the warehouse, certain of my impending doom.

But life, for all its dullness, hadn't bored me enough to die here. Not yet.

!!!!!!????

I unleashed the dark mana within me, a wave of suffocating power that halted the demons in their tracks. They surrounded me, poised to strike, but my mana, laced with bloodlust, rooted them to the spot, paralyzing them with fear.

"[Kneel]," I commanded.

At my word, the demons collapsed to their knees, their will crushed under the weight of my power. The weak talisman in the yakuza leader's hand was nothing compared to the force I wielded. The man stood from his chair, his earlier confidence shattered.

"J-Just how—"

"O puny human," I interrupted, my voice dark and resonant, laced with mana.

The yakuza leader's eyes widened in terror as he took in my transformed appearance. No longer did he see a high school boy standing before him, but a skeletal figure cloaked in darkness—a lich, a remnant of a past life.

"Did you truly believe a weakling like you could control beings like us?" I asked, my tone dripping with disdain. "You thought you were their master, but you were their pawn, dancing to their tune."

The leader trembled, his face pale as if he were facing death itself. "The strength of your pitiful talisman is laughable. You crossed the boundary into the world of the invisible, and now you'll pay the price according to our rules."

My words, each one heavier than the last, seemed to crush the man's spirit. His knees buckled as the weight of his fear overtook him.

Without hesitation, I flicked my fingers. Black flames erupted from beneath the yakuza leader, engulfing him in an instant. His screams were brief, cut off as his body was reduced to ashes, consumed by the unforgiving fire.

The demons remained, trembling in the shadows, awaiting their fate.

"You've sinned," I said, my voice cold and final. "I can smell the lives you've taken, the darkness you've spread. You've meddled in my territory, and now you'll pay for it."

Another flick of my fingers, and the same black flames devoured the demons, their forms disintegrating into nothingness. They had been low-level, hardly worth the effort.

[Mission complete~ Easy money, boss! 40,000 Yuan for cleaning up these weaklings~ Maybe we can get the Panama chairman's daughter abducted every day~ Great job, boss~] (Lapiz)

"You too, Lapiz. But I doubt having her abducted every day is a good idea..." I replied, a wry smile tugging at my lips.

[Hehe~] (Lapiz)

"Time to free them," I muttered, approaching the captives.

I untied the ropes, freeing each one. Most were still unconscious, but the chairman's daughter remained awake, her eyes wide with fear. She had seen everything.

"T-Thank you for saving me!" she stammered, her voice trembling. She looked so young, barely a teenager, but she had the courage to thank me despite her terror.

Pat!

I placed a hand on her head, gently patting her. "Good job holding on, kid," I said, my tone softening. But there was more to the gesture than comfort. I channeled a small amount of dark mana into her, whispering the incantation under my breath.

"[Erase Memory]," I murmured, watching as her eyelids drooped. "I'm not a kid... I'm...a...high school..." she mumbled, her words trailing off as she lost consciousness.

"High school, huh? I thought you were just a tall middle schooler," I muttered to myself, shaking my head.

Removing her memories was necessary—for her sake and mine. Knowledge of the hidden world was a curse, not a blessing. Those who had seen demons often carried the stain of that encounter, marked forever by the darkness. It wasn't something anyone should bear.

"Mission complete," I whispered to myself, feeling the weight lift off my shoulders.

Boom!!!!

The warehouse door exploded inward, a cloud of dust billowing into the space. I didn't need to see who it was—I already knew. Carlo, with his usual lack of subtlety, burst in like a bull in a china shop, followed by the rest of the team.

"Whoa! That must've been some fight! Anyone left to punch, boss?!" Carlo exclaimed, his voice brimming with excitement as he stretched his muscular arms.

Seriously, could you be any louder?

"Why don't you just become a boxer or a wrestler instead of a police officer?" I asked, sarcasm dripping from my words.

"Ugh... You know I can't do that. It'd blow my cover as a youkai. I'm not great at holding back," Carlo grumbled, his enthusiasm dampened.

"Blame yourself, then. Here, take the kid. The rest is up to you guys," I said, handing the chairman's daughter over to him.

"Okay, boss! Have a nice day!"

"Have a nice day, boss!"

"See you later, boss!"

"Yeah, see you all later. Don't forget to ask the Panama group's chairman the extra payment for saving her daughter," I remind them as I left with my motorcycle.

*Sigh*

I sighed as the night's cold winds hit my body.

"How boring..."