Chapter 140: Star-Forsaken Land (2)
The limousine pulled up to a sprawling private estate on the outskirts of Osaka. With its rows of traditional Japanese houses and architecture reminiscent of the Edo period, the place felt less like Osaka and more like a pocket of old Kyoto frozen in time.
Kwon Oh-Jin noticed a wooden signboard hanging beside the main gate with Japanese written in elegant brush strokes. He took out his phone, snapped a picture, and ran it through a translation app since the translation device didn't make reading characters possible.
Kuroushi?
The app stated that it meant "black cow."
“Is Kuroushi the name of your organization?” he asked the young man with permed regent-style hair and rugged features, who had introduced himself as their guide earlier.
Koshiro responded in a cheerful voice that completely clashed with his intimidating appearance, “Yes! That’s right! Our Oyabun is an Awakener of Taurus, so he named the group Kuroushi!”
Wait, the organization is really just called “black cow?”
“That’s... a great name.”
“Hahaha! Doesn’t it carry the fierce energy of a real man?” Koshiro beamed.
Does this guy know that black cow means pushover in Korea?[1]
Koshiro's proud tone conveyed no trace of being aware of this.
Anyway, an Awakener of Taurus, huh...? Even if Japan's called the Star-Forsaken Land, the leader of a large organization like this is at least a part of the twelve Zodiacs.
While following behind Koshiro, Kwon Oh-Jin suddenly felt a tug on his arm.
Song Ha-Eun whispered in his ear, “H-Hey, Oh-Jin, did you know these guys were yakuza?”
“I had no idea either.”
“Seriously? Who just casually introduces you to the damn yakuza?” She chuckled dryly and shook her head. Although it had taken her by surprise, she didn’t seem nervous or scared in the least.
Well, that's a given. Even yakuza are no different from a bunch of street thugs to a nine-star Awakener like Ha-Eun.
Kwon Oh-Jin wasn’t afraid either, but he was a bit surprised.
“This way, please,” Koshiro said, pulling open a ten-meter-tall sliding door. He stepped inside and bowed at a sharp ninety-degree angle. “Oyabun! The guests have arrived!”
Inside the expansive room, rows of intimidating men in black suits sat in perfect formation along both sides. At the center, a man in a traditional yukata knelt calmly and unmoving like an ancient pine rooted to the earth.
It was a scene straight out of a classic yakuza film.
That must be Sakaki Ryo.
The man in the center had a clean buzz cut and a prominent scar slashed across his left eyebrow. Beneath the loose folds of his yukata, his sturdy muscles threatened to burst out. His sheer charisma dominated the room's atmosphere.
As Kwon Oh-Jin admired the presence of the yakuza boss, the calm Sakaki finally spoke in a low voice.
“Koshiro... You absolute idiot!”
Sakaki’s roar cracked through the air, and an invisible force surged out from him like a shockwave.
Boom!
“Kugh!”
Koshiro, still bowing deeply, was launched into the air and flipped three full times before crashing to the floor in an acrobatic tumble.
Song Ha-Eun’s eyes widened in shock as she whipped her head back and forth between the two. “What... What the hell?”
Sakaki shot up from his seat, his gaze burning like a raging fire. “How many times do I have to tell you?! A true man does not bow so easily!”
“I-I apologize, Oyabun!” Koshiro replied.
“Your voice is too quiet!”
“I apologize!”
“Louder! Pour your soul into it!”
“I apologiiiiize!”
“Yes! That’s it, Koshiro!” Sakaki grinned and strode forward, hauling Koshiro back to his feet. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I'm perfectly fine, Oyabun!”
“Good! That’s how you know you’re a part of our family.” Sakaki patted Koshiro heartily on the back as his laughter boomed through the room. “You did well bringing my guests! Now, take the rest of the day off and get some rest!”
“No, Oyabun! I want to keep working!”
“You idiot!”
Wham!
Koshiro once again soared into the air.
“Kugh!”
“Knowing when to rest is also part of being a real man!” Sakaki yelled.
“U-Understood!”
“Your voice!”
“Understooood!”
Kwon Oh-Jin watched the ridiculous skit unfolding before him with his mouth agape. What the hell is wrong with these guys?
Song Ha-Eun leaned in and whispered, “Oh-Jin, are the yakuza usually like this?”
“No, I think these guys are just weird.”
“Are they even real yakuza?”
“... Who knows?”
He had come here expecting ruthless, cold-blooded gangsters. Instead, it felt like he’d walked into a cutscene from a low-budget yakuza game.
“Well, at least they don’t seem like bad people,” she remarked.
“They’re just weirdos.”
So this is what Cheon Sang-Gil meant by Sakaki’s unique personality.
“I’ll be taking my leave now, Oyabun!” Koshiro bellowed.
“Get some rest. See you tomorrow!”
“Yes, Oyabun!” Koshiro bowed slightly before sliding the door shut behind him.
Sakaki turned around, extending a hand toward Kwon Oh-Jin. “I seem to have embarrassed myself in front of our guests.”
At least he's self-aware.
Kwon Oh-Jin tried as hard as he could to keep a straight face and grasped Sakaki’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kwon Oh-Jin.”
Sakaki's callus-covered palm radiated a strange warmth.
“The Wolf of Vega! I’ve heard rumors about you! So, you came to see me on the Elder’s recommendation?”
“That’s right.”
Sakaki burst into hearty laughter, vigorously shaking Kwon Oh-Jin’s hand. “Khahaha! I owe the Elder a great deal. Welcome!”
As expected of a Taurus Awakener renowned for their strength, Sakaki’s grip made Kwon Oh-Jin’s arm flail around like one of those inflatable tube men outside a grand opening.
“Boys! Bring out two more tables!” Sakaki commanded.
“Yes, Oyabun!” One of the men immediately stood up and sprinted off. In mere seconds, he returned with two luxurious tables and carefully placed them in front of Sakaki’s segment.
“Come, have a seat.” Sakaki gestured toward the tables.
Kwon Oh-Jin forced a smile and took a seat.
He expects me to sit here comfortably?
Rows of intimidating and rugged yakuza surrounded him on both sides.
“How is the Elder doing these days?” Sakaki asked.
“He’s in great shape.”
“Haha! Of course! The Avaricious Wolf wouldn’t wither so easily!”
“How did the two of you meet?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked.
A bond between a member of the Seven Stars and a yakuza boss was an unimaginable relationship.
“Are you aware that Japan doesn’t have many Awakeners?” Sakaki asked back.
“Ah, yes, I know.”
“Things are better now, but in the past, there were so few Awakeners that monsters roamed through the cities in packs. It was a disaster, frankly.”
Kwon Oh-Jin was well aware of this fact, which had caused Japan to be called the Star-Forsaken Land. Normally, a country with as few Awakeners as Japan would have ceased to exist entirely. By some stroke of luck, if one could even call it that, Japan had fewer Gates as well. This prevented the country from being wiped off the map completely.
“Back then, I was in the middle of forming a vigilante group to fight against the monsters... but to be honest, it was a hopeless battle,” Sakaki said with a bitter smile. “That was when I met the Elder.”
“Did Mr. Cheon Sang-Gil drive the monsters away?”
Sakaki shook his head. “No, that’s not it.”
“Then...?”
“He taught us how to fight the monsters instead.”
Taught you?
“Do you mean he taught you skills?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked.
An Awakener could indeed pass on a skill to another, but that was only possible if they shared the same Celestial, since each Stigma had a unique way of manipulating mana. From what Kwon Oh-Jin knew, Cheon Sang-Gil was an Awakener of Capricorn. There was no way he could have taught anything to Sakaki.
“He didn’t teach us a skill. To be precise, he taught us how to control our Stigma. No, ‘taught’ isn’t the right word. He enlightened us on how to control it.”
“That was possible even though your Stigmas are different?”
“That is exactly what makes the Elder so remarkable,” Sakaki smirked, his eyes filled with deep respect. “Thanks to his teachings, our vigilante group was able to drive the monsters away.”
And that vigilante group eventually became the Kuroushi organization, I'm guessing.
“I see.”
“What’s your relationship with the Elder?” Sakaki asked.
“Mmm.” Kwon Oh-Jin paused, unsure how to explain a relationship that came from just a single encounter.
“Haha! If it’s hard to answer, you don’t have to. The Elder wouldn’t have sent you to me for no reason.”
Kwon Oh-Jin gave a small nod. “Thank you.”
“So then... why have you come to see me?”
“Have you heard of the Black Star Society?”
“Of course." A cold, murderous glint flickered in Sakaki's eyes. "Those bastards have been stirring up quite the commotion lately."
Noting the hostility in his gaze, Kwon Oh-Jin smirked and said firmly, “I'm here to wipe them out.”
“Oh?” Sakaki's eyes gleamed with interest. Then, he suddenly burst into laughter. “I was wondering how I should help the Elder's guest, but it looks like I don’t need to worry about that!”
He slammed his fist onto the table and continued, “We've been chasing after those devilish bastards ourselves!”
Devilish bastards, huh?
Kwon Oh-Jin didn’t know exactly what the Seahorse faction had done here in Japan, but judging by Sakaki’s reaction, it was safe to say they had upheld the Black Star Society’s infamous reputation, unlike the Leech faction led by Isabella.
If our goals align, then this just got a lot easier. Teaming up with the Kuroushi group will be a huge advantage in hunting down the Seahorse faction.
“Then how about we work together?” Kwon Oh-Jin suggested.
Sakaki accepted the offer without even a moment’s hesitation. “Sounds good! We couldn’t ask for a better ally than the Wolf of Vega! Khahaha!”
Sakaki's thunderous laughter shook the entire room. Kwon Oh-Jin couldn't tell if it was his excitement over gaining an unexpected ally or just his natural energy, but his muscles bulged and pulsed beneath his yukata with every laugh.
“What are you all standing around for, boys?! Bring the drinks already!”
“Yes! Right away, Oyabun!”
“Bring out the Muni!”[2] Sakaki ordered.
“B-But that’s the one Anesan[3] treasures—”
“You idiot!”
Wham!
An invisible force blasted the subordinate off his feet, sending him flying across the room.
“Agh!”
“A real man doesn’t look back!" Sakaki roared. "I’ll just tell my wife that Koshiro snuck it out later!”
“S-So there was such a method...! Your wisdom knows no bounds, sir!”
Kwon Oh-Jin watched with a blank stare. What kind of “real men” are you guys?
1. Pushover in Korean is pronounced as “hogu,” but because that word was banned on some Korean sites, people started using “heugu” instead, which means black cow. ☜
2. Muni is an ultra premium sake made in Japan and sold at an incredibly expensive price. ☜
3. the wife of an oyabun is referred to as anesan. ☜