READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 281.1
Chapter 281.1. Behind The Scenes
An assassin is always troublesome. Fortunately, Katsuyori and the others were unharmed. They probably didn’t expect the creaky vehicle to have enough defense to withstand a bazooka attack.
“If we hadn’t been in the car, things could’ve been bad.”
“What part would have been bad, exactly?”
Yukihana tilted her head with a curious expression, but it was definitely a close call.
“If they’d found out we can take a bazooka hit without a scratch, it would’ve been over. Katsuyori and Jun have Dark Snake escorts for protection, but revealing that trump card would hurt. At most, we want them to think we can stop bullets, nothing more.”
“So that’s what you meant by bad…”
The Level 7 core Dark Snake can deflect most attacks using [Active Drain Armor]. It absorbs the opponent’s energy and converts it into explosive power to repel attacks.
Though it only absorbs about 20% of the energy in this case, combining that with its conventional armor’s hardness is enough to neutralize attacks. Repelling doesn’t require equivalent energy, after all.
Still, it’s a trump card. It was best it didn’t get exposed.
“Aniki? Didn’t you forget to mention your cute little brother just now? Hey, aniki?”
“Jun, don’t misuse this information. No showing off at bars or bragging, alright?”
“Got it! It’s a secret, I promise!”
Jun nodded earnestly, agreeing without hesitation.
Meanwhile, the ever-jovial Ohki-kun averted his gaze, mumbling, “It’s nothing, really.”
“Jokes aside, I’m glad we’re safe. If we’d died, the business wouldn’t survive. There’s so much fun ahead, and after all the struggles, we deserve to enjoy it.”
They’d risen from the ruins of the city. Life was for enjoying now—no more worrying about today’s meal or waking up tomorrow.
“But with so few people, it’s hard to really enjoy life.”
Katsuyori said with a wry smile. The manpower shortage was undeniable. They couldn’t simply bring Inner town people into key roles, so they had to nurture their own.
The real problem was that no one could keep up with the rapid growth of Amatsugahara Corporation.
“So, assassins are a real pain. They must’ve guessed bullets wouldn’t work on the Dark Snake, hence the bazooka, right?”
“Hmm… Isn’t it stranger if there weren’t hit squads in the inner town?”
Shingen remarked, nibbling on smoked meat with sake in hand.
That was true, but why now?
“It’s way too late for that. They had plenty of chances to kill us before.”
Leaning deep into the sofa, he tilted his head, genuinely puzzled.
[If this were a novel, it’d make sense for a crazed assassin from a guild to show up. But real assassins? They’re anonymous, calm, and calculating.]
Shizuku and Serika conveyed telepathically.
[“You don’t see knife-licking killers or morally ambiguous, blatantly evil child assassins, do you?]
Their assessment was spot on. Reality wasn’t as colorful as fiction. That’s why using something as over-the-top as a bazooka felt odd.
“I’ll protect onii-chan!”
“Gah!”
The usual young girl, having finished her dessert, leapt onto Serika, stepping over her sprawled body to land on my lap. She curled up like a nesting bird, preparing for a nap. Annoyed by Serika’s proximity, she gave her head a few kicks to drive her off. Serika, pitifully ousted, retreated.
Still, the reason became clear. Assassins had come, even if he hadn’t noticed. Those who targeted the ‘Impregnable Fortress’ weren’t rare, and there were likely still some around. But even so, the use of a bazooka was excessive.
Time to visit the information broker with some sake as a gift.
“So, you’ve come to me, huh? Keep the sake; I don’t need it.”
The scene shifted to the Ashikaga residence. After arranging a proper appointment, he was meeting the elder lord. The old man was already waiting in the tatami room, sipping hot sake with a sly grin.
As the upright man he was, he decided to remain cautious not to be tricked and insisted on offering the gift.
“I brought this, so I’d appreciate it if you accepted. It’s been a while since we last met, and I made sure to choose something decent.”
He tossed the heavy package onto the tatami with a thud.
“Ashikaga-sama! It’s a misunderstanding! This is all just a mix-up!”
A pig-like man resembling an orc snorted and squealed. A lively gift, wasn’t it? Desperate to survive, he flailed noisily despite being bound by shadow threads, writhing on the floor annoyingly.
“They’re even talking about it in the inner town—someone targeted Amatsugahara Corporation’s executives. But using a bazooka? That’s overkill.”
The old man laughed, mocking the pig-like man, who was introduced as Nerima’s warden.
His real name? Who cared. “Warden” was enough.
“It’s not what you think! Sure, a deal fell through, and I lashed out at my subordinates. But I know how terrifying Amatsugahara is! If I tried to kill them, I’d be the one dead!”