Warning: There will be potential spoilers for Stormbringer novel. You guys have been warned.
A YEAR LATER, YOKOHOMA
WALKING ALONG THE STREETS OF THE Underworld, a teenage girl with grey hair and professional business ware walked into a small business store being greeted by staff.
Reflect back. It had been a whole year since the fifteen arc. The two boys crossed paths to sometimes working together and stopped the sheep.
You'd crossed paths with them within that time. Your kidnapping, the death of scumbagz the war on the neutral district and forming contract with the port mafia.
The drug case, the dance, and graduating middle school.
A lot had happened since then. As it would be a challenging first few months surviving in the mafia territory. Your sources kept you on the loop.
You were no close to uncovering the identity of the person the man had contact with. The one who knew your former identity.
But you did rule out the informant fiance backer and assistant.
Over the holiday break. One of the five executives asked you to accompany them to some European countries to extend the mafia's influence.
But it was also a chance to put your new langaguge skills and knowledge to the test. You far exceeded expectations.
What's more, you were able to create new contacts and sources into your growing network.
But also in preparation for future adult self and events that were to transpire in the future. You only had two more years until you were eighteen.
The international trip was not without its own dangers and risks. You'd been held hostage again and poisioned three times by rival criminal agencies.
You gained some scars along your arms and the side of your neck. Yet made Jo effort to conceal them.
You, thankfully, were well prepared with antidotes. The souls were unfortunate enough to encounter the executive and killed off.
When you both returned to Japan and the workplace in Port Mafia territory. It wasn't long until you experienced new problems.
Not three but four times, some of the new recruits were disrespecting the rules in place.
Demanding more than estimated protection money. You'd checked with one of the highest mafia of there had been any changes while you were away. They hadn't made changes.
The new lackeys were mooching the protection money and said money had been disappearing into thin air.
Another red flag. You'd done your research and gathered evidence.
They were gambling away the protection money meant for the Port Mafia.
They had abused their authority to shoot one of your employees when you were working with an important client, creating a commotion. You, as the owner of the establishment, asked them to leave.
Once you reported the strange incidents to Ozaki. It wasn't long until the new lackeys that had been causing trouble disappeared without a trace.
The Port Mafia deals with their own.
The underworld black markets list of wanted had increased for months. You earned more than a billion on the black market auction and anonymous donations.
You still practised your ability Ice Maiden in secret and became stronger than before.
You'd been keeping tabs on two particular mafisco and ability users.
Osamu Dazai and Nakahara Chuuya.
Both of them had been quite busy in their first year within the criminal organisation. making many accomplishments under their belts.
Chuuya had recently been assigned to work in the jewellery part of the organisation side business.
Identity is the fake from origins. Track down shipments from other groups and shut them down. Claim the said businesses for the mafias own to bring in a source of income..
Chuuya had recently been invited and joined a small group of mafisco, accomplished individuals who had earned their positions. Ages from young to 25.
They called themselves. The Young People's Association. People who had the highest chance of becoming the next executives.
Their code names were.
Pianoman. He didn't have the best sense of humour. He often wore a black overcoat, ling white hakama and black and white theme. He handled the counterfeit money and killed people for the mafia.
The Albatrass. All you knew was he ran the transportation skdd of the Port Mafia business. Consisting from vehicles and boats to transport goods. Forging license plates. He also earned himself another name,'The Wheelman'. Wheels with speed and accuracy.
He had it he had a Vanguard Sleast helicopter. Anyone who crossed him didmt last three days or would become broke. He lived in the partment above Chuuya's. Unfortunately, he tended to break into the teens apartment and drag him out for missions.
The Doc. A legal professional doctor. Medical degree. One of the mafias best doctors after Ougai Mori.
Lippman. He held some influence within the Port Mafia and the world of life. Public, he was a PM front computer worker for government officials and media. A movie staff and an ability user. His ability was handy for directly gathering evidence.
Iceman. He was the second oldest but wore simple clothing. A Hitman. He could turn anything into a weapon. He could detect his target from anywhere and sense ability users nearby.
The organisationa official name was The Flags. Together the five members were also known as the five wolves.
Coincidentally, a small number of them had been hiring your services for Mafia jobs within the past months.
One of them you'd helped with the vandals who'd been speeding on one of the trade routes a year prior.
.
.
.
There were also the high schools you'd applied for within Yokohoma and attempted entrance exam for one of them.
You were expecting some difficulty but were easy questions to answer and passed the entrance exams with flying colours.
You'd been accepted to the school within a fortnight and received your new class schedule along with information.
On first look, it looked normal. But something didn't feel right. You double-checkedd.
You knew you'd enrolled for the first year. But the information before you said differently.
You'd not only been moved up a year but also to an advanced level.
Who could do such a thing as to change the results on the exams on such short notice?
You immediately arranged a meeting with the principal to get to the bottom of the matter.
You had gone far and beyond their expectations, and the board had felt it best to move you up a year.
You noticed a subtle twitched of their brow. A small tell tale sign the principal was lying. And reading between the lines.
Someone had changed the exam papers to something more complex. Not even an average grade student could get into the school.
Someone with a high level of intellect. Who had access to your student records and familiar with your intellect.
A single person came to mind. Who had the audacity to pull something like this and slip away without a trace.
You got out your burner phone from your pocket and dialled the number.
It rang once, twice, and three times.
He picked up and greeted wirh a cheery voice. You kept poker faced, but cool, greeted him back.
"Good morning, Mr. Osamu."
Call me Dazai, fake name. "
"Dazai-San." You corrected. He hmmed in satisfaction. The name felt natural coming off your tongue. Yet, I kept the honorific term.
"I have a question for you." He hmmed. When you bluntly asked if he had been the one who switched the entrance exams papers. There was a moment of silence and a 'heh'.
What would Dazais motive be for trying to move you up a year unless... he was trying to speed up high school education and graduate sooner.
Using the old art of subtle amd intentional sabotage.
"Bingo~ "
Dazai confessed he was able to obtain a copy of the record last year. Shocked when he found you'd hide your real grades far surpassed a third year. He reported it to his boss and decided to switch your entrance exam with a harder one.
Gone beyond what they'd hope for.
he boss was really impressed with the results and decided to let you continue your studies. Congratulations are in order.
You kept your cool. It would take a far lot more than that to get under your thick skin.
Consideration the change of school schedule had been moved up a year early. It would seem you would need to rearrange the times to meet with your mafia clients and sources.
.
.
.
There were new reports coming in from one of your sources that a strange plane had flown into the countryside outside Yokohoma and crashed near the edge of the forest.
There were some casualties. But a single man had survived the wreckage and saved a child from a tragic death.
You had a good idea who it was and what their purpose was in Japan.
They were sent to find one particular ability user.
One who had survived an incident that created the slums, a former king of sheep, and become a member of the infamous Port Mafia. Who also happened to be the lone vessal to Arubaki.
Chuuya.
You knew this from reading a short novel, Stormbringer, written by the same author who wrote and created the Bungo Stray Dogs universe.
The real reason the group invited him in the first place. It didn't sit right with you, but at the same time, it made sense to ensure he had what it took to survive the dead man's curve and prove his worth I the mafia.
They also had been secretly investigating into his past and cane across a photo and some documents that may prove who he once was.
A sudden, unexpected guest came into the place. A man with a blue suit with short black hair who called himself Adam Frankestein. An automaton who worked for Eurpol as a detective.
There was the refuse to cooperate in the case. A fight to allow him to go aling with the automaton to hear what he had to say.
Chuuya was targeted for assassination by a French spy who called himself Paul Verlain. Whom for some reason called himself his big brother.
The spy once thought dead at all. The man had been targeting and killing a lot of people. Some thought u touchable and strong individuals. He did the impossible.
Very recently, he had murdered the royal guards who protected the royal family of England and belonged to The Order of the Dark Tower. As well as the Queens body double. There was something strange about their deaths. Destroyed from the inside.
Eurpol and royal family kept it under wraps and requested Eurpols help to capture him. Reason to believe Chuua is the key to drawing him out of hiding.
It doesn't matter what promise is made or bribery. It won't work on Chuuya. He didn't want any part in it.
The red-haired teenager tried to run away from Adam. Only to end up kidnapped by Verlaine told a so-called truth about experiments, and Adam tries to help him escape. And nearly having a car thrown at him and dodges out the way.
It isn't until a shape shape had been removed from the trunk of the vehicle that a familiar facility person only hours ago had been hanging out at the bar with the other members and celebrating his milestone.
Was dead on the asphalt.
Lippman.
The spy took advantage of the distraction and unlocked a deep, dark part of Chuuya, not even he knew existed.
Unleashing the chaos within and awakening the entity from his slumber. Becoming a ball of ebony filled much raw power.
This would result in mass destruction of another incident similar to the crater of Shibuchi City nine years ago.
End of Chapter 9.
Beginning of sixteenth and Stormbringer arc.