TBCTW Chapter 19

Chapter 19 – Aizawa’s Informant

Chapter 7, Part 2

Novel Title: 獣はかくしてまぐわう (The Beasts Copulate This Way)

Author：風結子 沙野 (Fuyuko Sano)

Illustrator：小山田 あみ (Oyamada Ami)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 鹿倉 陣也 (Kagura Jinya -MC) & ゼロ (Zero -ML)

*Please read at novels.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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“Kagura, want to grab a drink tonight?”

Kagura was drafting a report at his desk when Aizawa, a senior detective in the Organized Crime Division Section 2, called out to him. Aizawa had connections with a wide range of informants and often extracted valuable information from them. A few days ago, Kagura had consulted Aizawa about a particular matter, hoping to leverage those connections.  

“Absolutely,” Kagura replied immediately. Across from him, Sanae raised his head, showing interest.  

“Hey, if you’re going for drinks, I could tag along.”  

“Not you.”  

Kagura dismissed him curtly, causing Sanae to squint in displeasure behind his glasses.  

“I’d like to learn some tips about work while sharing drinks with Aizawa-san too, you know.”  

“Fine, let’s plan for next week.”  

Sanae perked up at Aizawa’s words, practically leaping out of his chair. “I’m in, I’m in!”  

“You sure about that? He gets really annoying when he’s drunk,” Kagura remarked dryly.  

“You don’t need to say unnecessary things, Kagura-san,” Sanae retorted.  

Watching their banter, Aizawa chuckled. “You two make a great team,” he said before adding, “Let’s meet at that usual place at 10 p.m.”  

Sanae beamed. “We’ve been called a great team!”  

Kagura, unfazed, simply gave a small frown and returned to finishing his report at breakneck speed.  

***

At exactly 10 p.m., Kagura arrived at the seafood restaurant. Aizawa was already in a private room, sipping sake from a cup with a grilled fin floating inside.  

“Good work today.”  

“Good evening. So, did you find a useful informant?”  

As Kagura settled cross-legged across from him, he noticed three cups of sake on the table.  

“Wait, is someone else coming tonight?”  

“Yeah. Looks like they’ve just arrived,” Aizawa replied, checking his phone. Moments later, the sliding door opened, and a man in his mid-forties stepped in.  

The man wore a military-style jumpsuit, his greying, unkempt hair falling over his brow, casting shadows on his gaunt face. His thin cheeks and sharp nose gave him an anxious appearance.  

“This is Arita, a veteran writer for an amateur radio magazine.”  

After exchanging business cards, Arita spoke in a low, muttering voice, directing his question to Aizawa.  

“Is this someone you trust?”  

“Yes. He’s the one who shook me out of complacency in my work.”  

It was clear Arita held deep respect for Aizawa. Based on his words, Arita finally turned to Kagura, studying him intently. After a long pause, Arita took a sip of sake and said: “Alright. Let’s talk.”

Kagura leaned forward slightly toward Arita, who was seated diagonally across from him, and lowered his voice.  

“I need you to intercept aviation and maritime radio communications. We have to catch a man attempting illegal entry, no matter what it takes.”  

“Where’s the illegal entry from?”  

“Probably Singapore, but the exact route is unknown. There’s a high likelihood a wealthy man named Li Azhar is involved. If you pick up any suspicious transmissions, no matter how minor, I need you to let me know.”  

After being released from the ‘Invincible Castle’ where he had been offered up as Kiriyama’s sacrificial lamb, Kagura had gone to a bar reserved for S-rank members and higher, eavesdropping on conversations. That’s when he heard rumours that Li Azhar, the owner of the castle, was planning to visit Japan within the year.  

It was said that Toono was being protected by Li Azhar in Singapore.  

If Li Azhar was on the move, it was highly likely that he was arranging for Toono’s entry into Japan.  

Ideally, radio interception would be managed by the police. However, any case involving the Eastern Alliance always attracted pressure from higher-ups, making it difficult to conduct large-scale operations. Moreover, with the surge in crimes during the year-end and New Year period, resources couldn’t be spared for uncertain leads.  

Arita rubbed his bony chin as he verified the details.  

“Intercept aviation and maritime radio communications across all of Japan?”  

“Nationwide.”  

“I’ll need the cooperation of my radio enthusiast network.”  

“If it’s someone you trust, Arita-san, I have no objections.”  

Arita snorted softly, but a gleam began to shine in his narrow eyes. Perhaps it was the challenge itself that intrigued him as a true enthusiast.  

“What’s the timeframe?”  

“One month, focusing especially on the remaining weeks of the year.”  

“Great, just what I need for the holiday season,” Arita muttered bitterly. Aizawa gave him a firm pat on the shoulder.  

“Once this is over, we’ll go night fishing again.”  

“Yeah, maybe this time we’ll go for some big catches with bottom fishing.”  

As the two of them excitedly discussed fishing, Kagura felt a tinge of envy.  

Aizawa could casually hang out with people like Arita—writers he ‘kept’ as informants—for drinks or fishing trips like this.  

―――…But that’s not possible for me and Zero.

Zero’s very existence had to be concealed from society.  

Whether it was donning a mask in the ‘Invincible Castle’, disguising himself as someone else under the pretence of journalism, or pretending to be a stranger when they happened to sit next to each other, even being close to him in public was something to avoid.  

―――…Even if we can’t be open about being together, I want him to trust me.

Capturing Toono Ryouji wasn’t just for his own sake; it was also a way to earn Zero’s trust.  

He wanted to show Zero that he could fight not only with the power of the police but also through underground networks.  

It had been a week since he and Zero had fought and parted ways at a clinic in the suburbs. Neither of them had reached out since.  

But Kagura already knew that their relationship wouldn’t end over something as trivial as this.  

They were too far gone to let go of each other now.  

“There’s a tainted bloodline flowing through that man. He’ll never stand with you in the light. In the end, he’ll vanish into the darkness and disappear from your life.”

Kiriyama’s unpleasant prophecy echoed in Kagura’s ears, but he drowned it out with a swig of sake.  

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Next update: 2025.10.28

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