gyuki

C'mon, stick with me!

Matoimaru!

We can take the car this time! Matoimaru!

Mitsukue, in the afternoon...

A speeding car brakes to a lurching stop outside an insurance firm, and the operator almost flies out of the passenger seat from the inertia.

We're finally here. You're sure that asshole works here?

Guh... Are you sure you're licensed to drive?

Whatever, I guess that bridge is crossed. Yes, as long as our results are sound, he's definitely in there.

But we still don't have confirmation of who he is exactly, and I don't think it's a good idea to just barge into their office like this.

I told you, I've got a plan.

Listen to me. You stay in the car, and keep in contact. I'll head in solo to handle things. We can't go letting 'em catch sight of Rhodes Island's uniform.

They'll think I'm just some Oni thug from the Mitsukue, here to see someone. Nobody'll even try to stop me.

People who only have the spine for dirty methods like this are all cowards. He'll fold just from the fright. I'll nab him, just you watch.

Are you sure about this? What if he clams up and won't confess?

Relax. When in Higashi, do as the Higashinese do. He'd probably run if the police came to make an arrest, but if he hears the Mafioso came knocking, he'll be REAL desperate to play nice.

Plus, we've got proof. It didn't win over Dad, but it'll definitely convince that little scammer there's eyes on him.

Sit tight, and I'll drag him out in a sec!

With that, Matoimaru swiftly hops out of the car, and strides for the office entrance.

How do I even write the mission report...?

It's afternoon in a small Higashinese firm, and its suited-up office workers are all buried in their desk work.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy stomping makes everyone lift their heads and look to the entrance.

There stands a robust Oni wielding a naginata, and on her left is the front desk receptionist in a stiff bow, looking somewhat hapless.

Listen close, I'm only gonna say it once! I'm here for someone!

The Oni's sudden bark, her voice loud and clear, makes everyone sit up straight in their seats.

One of you has been posing as the 'Fortune 24/7' Operation Committee, sending out a LOT of scam jackpot wins telling folks they'll get their prize as soon as they fork over a handler's fee.

Smells like someone's awful keen on getting rich. It's a nasty way to do it, I won't lie.

Well. I dunno who else you swindled, and right now, I don't care. But how dare you come after us!

We tracked you down from the notice you sent. You got nowhere to run.

Now step up and fess up! And even if you don't, you can't escape us forever. If we sniff you out, we'll sure you know what kinda treatment you get for not following our rules!

The Oni's grip on her naginata tightens. Each time one of her sentences ends, the office is silent enough to hear a pin drop. The desk workers are too terrified to even look away.

Following a brief hush, a single hand in the corner of the workplace slowly raises, and quivers as it weaves through the maze of desks and mountains of papers, eventually arriving before the Oni.

I beg you, please spare me...

I'll do anything you ask... I don't want to die...

The Oni looks over the fearful, stooped man. Her expression remains stonily fixed. She pulls out a sheet of paper from her bag, and unfolds it in front of the employee.

You the one sending these notices?

The employee timidly lifts his gaze, once-overs the words on the page, and nods promptly.

The naginata-wielding Oni says nothing more, dragging him backwards out of the office by his collar.

The silence in the building hangs for a while longer. Then it breaks, and the entire street can hear the sheer commotion coming from within.

*sigh*... Finally got it all arranged again. I put her own ikebana display here—can't be wrecking that.

But it's strange. They should've sent me my winnings by now, but I haven't heard a single thing from them since.

No, stop it. Katsushi got his payout, didn't he? Dammit, why did he have to vanish? If I could just ask him...

Eikichi paces the room, deep in contemplation, when he hears a familiar voice once more outside his door.

We're here, you little bastard! You're gonna apologize to my dad, personally! Are we clear?!

Dad, I caught the scammer for you!

You can hear it straight from his mouth just how he swindled the cash.

Get talking!

Wh-What's the meaning of this?

Eikichi looks down, and only then sees the suited man Matoimaru's dragged in with her. His face is deathly pale, and utterly fixed with fright.

Matoimaru, let him go! Look, you've scared the daylights out of him!

No, no, sir, please, I really did do it.

And I shouldn't have, not in a million years, not when it meant swindling you! I take all the blame!

I beg you, tell your daughter not to kill me! I was short on money and desperate—so desperate I thought up this scam of all things...

Hmm? How does that add up?

Isn't that Fortune 24/7 program supposed to be famous in Mitsukue?

No, sir, it was a guise for me to fool people. Trick them with talk of jackpots, and then once people in Mitsukue got wise to it, I moved to looking outside the city...

This coward kept his demands low at first, scared he'd be found out.

But once he discovered people outside Mitsukue don't have a clue about programs like this, he found way easier marks, so he began sending fake notices all over.

The—um, everyone around me had the cash to live it up, and I just wanted that too...

If I had more money, I wouldn't need to work in that cramped little office, and I wouldn't need to live cooped up in my stuffy little room...

So where's the money? Sounds like you're not exactly living it up yet.

Don't laugh at me, I...

Every time I got the money, I'd blow it all on cards and pachinko, and lose it all. I couldn't think of any other ways to get rich...

We work in insurance, so it's easy to get the customers' contact details. All we need is a name, and it's not hard to gain their trust.

Dad, if all that evidence before wasn't enough, you just heard the scammer confess it himself. No room for doubt now, right?

This was always a racket from the very beginning. You can't trust get-rich-quick crap like this.

But... but if it was fake, then what about the money Katsushi got?

Surely you're not telling me you forced an innocent man to confess to guilt?

Matoimaru, this is a line you just can't cross...

She did no such thing, sir, you have to believe me! You have to, or it's my head!

A younger me might've pulled some stupid stunt, Dad.

But my colleagues helped me uncover the evidence, and only then did I have the guts to haul this scammer out.

Besides—

Before Matoimaru can finish, a woman's shrill voice filters in from outside.

Get out here, you swindler! Matoimaru, bring him to me this instant!

Is... is that Akiyo?

Eikichi opens the door, only to be taken aback by a sizeable congregation of fellow villagers at his doorstep, his neighbor Katsushi's wife Akiyo at their fore.

Friends, what's going on here?

I haven't seen you in a long time, Akiyo. What brings you back? Where's Katsushi? Why isn't he with you?

Eikichi-nii, I owe a very deep debt of thanks to your Matoimaru.

If it weren't for her, I'd have gone the rest of my life not knowing where this waste of breath went.

Just now, Shigezou-ojisan caught sight of her lugging this cur back, her coworker explained the whole situation to him, and he came running over to our place.

Until then, I had no idea the man who scammed my Katsushi was back again and cheating you too.

Thanks to Matoimaru, we've finally caught the scoundrel!

What? Katsushi was scammed, you say? Then why did he never tell me? Why did you never tell me?

Didn't he win the jackpot and move away? I haven't seen hide nor hair of him in forever! I thought you'd gone with him!

How could I tell you? Not only did he never get the money, he was swindled to the point we almost lost our house and home.

After that, he went out looking for work to repay the debt, and I've not heard from him since.

How humiliating would it be if people learned of this, especially now that I'm on my own? How could I tell you, or anyone? I could only hole up and bear it alone at home.

Now I hear the cheat's finally been caught—I can... finally...

At that point, Akiyo's shrill voice falters, and the young wife breaks down in tears in front of everyone.

The villagers stare at the fraudster lying trembling on the ground, and at the stunned Eikichi in his doorway, and begin to murmur.

Goodness, look. Look at what he's driven poor Akiyo to.

The man's obviously a habitual crook! Just can't help himself, no matter how many he deceives! It's about time he was taught a lesson!

Exactly. How could anyone forgive him?

Matoimaru! Give this swindler a real what-for! Don't stop beating him until he can't draw breath!

Beat him!

Beat him!

Little by little, the villagers lift their voices in clamor. Again and again, the man bows as low as he can, his face pale as death, but he can no longer squeeze out any pleas for forgiveness.

In contrast, Matoimaru simply shakes her head before approaching Eikichi.

Calm down, everyone. This man's been out of control, I agree. He's hurt who-knows-how-many just for money. He even swindled my dad. I'm as pissed as you are.