TBCTW Chapter 23

Chapter 23 – For a Man Like Him

Chapter 10, Part 1

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*

֍֍֍

“Are you saying they disguised it as an emergency transport from overseas?”

In a small conference room at the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters, the head of Section Two of the Organized Crime Division, leaning against a long table, nodded.

“Yeah. It was like a jet version of a doctor’s helicopter. They went so far as to disguise him as an elderly patient and even put him on a ventilator. Surrounded by a full medical team of doctors and nurses, he vanished before arriving at the hospital in Fukuoka that was supposedly prepared to receive him.”

Standing in front of Takizaki, Kagura Jinya clenched his fists. His hands were trembling.

While he had been diverted by a decoy operation and sent to Chofu Airfield, Toono Ryouji had slipped into the country undetected, posing as a critical patient.

“Well done, Detective Kagura.”

Kiriyama Shungo’s mocking voice resurfaced in his mind.

“Instead of sneaking back through some underground route, he returned openly and grandly.”

Takizaki, an imposing man in his late fifties who already exuded an intimidating air, spoke with a voice weighted with menace.

Toono had delivered a direct and devastating blow to the authority of the police.

As the leader of the Eastern Alliance, he had forcefully demonstrated that the police were no match for them.

In fact, after Toono’s return, the internal conflicts within the Eastern Alliance ceased entirely. He had likely succeeded in subduing the factions that had rebelled against his escape abroad.

For Toono, borders were meaningless. He could return to the country at any time and protect the Eastern Alliance if he chose to.

Moreover, his international escape had strengthened his ties with Li Azhar, a global casino magnate.

Even though ‘Invincible Castle’, Li Azhar’s domain, prided itself on anonymity, it was believed that information about its invitation cardholders was funnelled to Li Azhar via its gatekeepers.

As the owner of ‘Invincible Castle’, Li Azhar not only controlled the elite of both Japan’s official and underground worlds but also, given that such fortresses existed worldwide, wielded influence over the entire globe.

Additionally, Li Azhar commanded a private army composed of elite soldiers recruited from special forces around the world. He was known to collect fighter jets and weapons of mass destruction, dispatching his army as mercenaries to conflict zones in exchange for exorbitant sums. There, his forces gained combat experience in blood-soaked battlefields. From a national security standpoint, he was not someone you’d want as an enemy.

The fact that Li Azhar became Toono Ryouji’s backer suggested that, even though he was someone Kagura did not want to acknowledge, Toono possessed a rare and powerful charisma that drew people to him.

―――…And that’s why even Haruka-nee became a victim.

It must have been all too easy for him to seduce and corrupt a young woman whose spirit had been weakened after losing her parents.

The fact that he couldn’t stop his nemesis from growing bigger and more powerful gnawed at Kagura Jinya, leaving him consumed by frustration. Determined to make amends, he worked tirelessly, sacrificing sleep to focus on both his duties and the hunt to expose Toono Ryouji.

***

It was Mid-January. As soon as Kagura entered the seventh-floor apartment in Nakameguro, Zero, lounging on the sofa, remarked, “You look like hell.”

“So do you,” Kagura shot back, dropping heavily onto the sofa without even taking off his coat. He grabbed Zero’s half-empty can of beer and downed it.

“Renjou is still with you, isn’t he?”

When Kagura asked, Zero nodded. 

“Yeah. He’s violent, insolent, and hard to handle. Renjou’s one thing, but his companion is surprisingly cooperative. Thanks to him, I’ve gotten a clearer picture of the Eastern Alliance’s internal workings.”

“Is the companion also an executive?”

“More like a sub-executive. But since he’s apparently in charge of taking care of Renjou, he knows the deeper details.”

Though they had been decoyed, capturing Renjou and his companion had been a significant achievement.

“The police are still tracking Toono, but it’s not going well. How about you? Do you think we can use Renjou to lure Toono out?”

“We’ve been putting out fake information about Renjou’s location, but so far, no response.”

“I see…”

Renjou was said to be Toono Ryouji’s most devoted follower, and Toono appeared to place special trust in him. But this was Toono they were dealing with. When push came to shove, he’d likely discard Renjou without hesitation. 

At the same time, it seemed Toono valued Renjou’s loyalty, recognizing that he wouldn’t divulge critical information.

Kagura’s mind conjured up an image of Renjou, furious, when his lizard tattoo on his left neck was disfigured.

―――…All for a man like him… Renjou and even Haruka-nee.

As bitter resentment welled up within Kagura, Zero’s phone vibrated.

Zero glanced at the display and stepped out onto the balcony, closing the window behind him before answering the call. The reflection of the brightly lit room in the glass made Zero’s black silhouette blend into the night, his presence nearly dissolving into the darkness.

“In the end, he vanishes into the shadows, disappearing from your sight.”

Kagura’s sleep-deprived heart gave an uneasy thud.

Almost unconsciously, Kagura stood from the sofa and approached the window. His shadow darkened the glass, clearing his view. Seeing Zero’s figure clearly brought a wave of relief.

―――But this is how our relationship will always be…

Inside, safe and warm, stood the ‘Citizen’ Kagura. Outside, battered by the piercing cold winds of the midwinter night, was the ‘Non-citizen’ Zero.

Though they were physically close, their worlds—what their senses perceived—were entirely different.

A feeling of frustration, almost anguish, rose within Kagura, making his eyes feel heavy.

When Zero ended the call and turned around, he looked startled. Opening the window, he teased, “What’s this? Were you eavesdropping?”

“…”

Kagura couldn’t summon a retort. Instead, he frowned and turned his gaze away. Zero, his hand still on the window frame, stared down at him. The cold wind carried the faintly bitter scent of the man and brushed against Kagura’s face.

Kagura realised he had hoped for something.

And Zero fulfilled that hope.

The lips and tongue he felt under the night air were so hot and intense that they overwhelmed him with fullness. As Kagura’s hands hesitantly slid over Zero’s back, Zero pulled him into a firm embrace, sweeping away all hesitation. The pain in Kagura’s ribs, still not fully healed, made it hard to breathe. But the relief flowing from the depths of his being made such pain insignificant.

֍֍֍

Next update: 2025.11.02

֍֍֍