Vol 1 Chapter 1.7 (1/2)

After that there were two delinquents left.

Because they had probably heard from the first victim about the existence of the atrocious user who had pretended to be a beginner, ambushed and then destroyed the moron who had willingly challenged him, they were on their guard and possibly avoided Fus.h.i.+mi (though they probably didn’t know that the owner of that avatar was Fus.h.i.+mi). Fus.h.i.+mi carefully stood by for two, three days and after waiting for the remaining two to let their guard down he skillfully tempted them to compete with him and exploited them of both their virtual a.s.sets, the cards, and their real a.s.sets, the money they had leaned on. It was a week until the three of them had lost all their property – though if it was only the in-game time then it had been roughly ten minutes, and they had to burden a loss of who knows how many ten thousand yen.

By now the whole thing had surely fallen into oblivion.

A week later on the way home.

“Hey, Fus.h.i.+mi, Fus.h.i.+mi, I heard a rumor that if your payment is overdue then evil, masked debt collectors sent by «jungle» come to your place and take out the organs from your body that are worth money. Extract blood and peel off skin and stuff!”told Yata Fus.h.i.+mi. Yata didn’t look scared, rather the excitement of wanting to see such a frightful thing seeped out of him.

”That’s an urban legend.”

Yata felt let down a bit by the short answer. “Eh. So it isn’t true?” He had gotten used to these kind of curt reactions from Fus.h.i.+mi. Somehow Yata didn’t feel like the conversation was scarce because he knew that this situation was just normal.

“Thanks to seizing those guys’ cards your own deck has gotten super strong, right? Also with the skill set your cubes have there isn’t really an opponent at all, huh.”

“True. I don’t really wanna use «jungle» anymore, it’s gotten boring.”

Fus.h.i.+mi who talked big in a cheeky way seemed proud and satisfied, and in his own way he seemed in good spirits.

“If you want the cards I’ll give all of them to you. Since I’m quitting.”

“Eh….d- don’t need ‘em.”

Yata declined after hesitating for a moment. While watching Fus.h.i.+mi play he had thought about wanting to play himself but even if he’d start playing now, if Fus.h.i.+mi was quitting……..it seemed uninteresting.

The whole week Yata had walked home together with Fus.h.i.+mi. If it was only because Yata was staying by Fus.h.i.+mi’s side or because it was Fus.h.i.+mi’s intention to go home together he didn’t know. He would pedal his bike while standing and sometimes approach Fus.h.i.+mi, sometimes make distance between them. Sometimes Yata’d stagger and b.u.mp into Fus.h.i.+mi but to be honest even that was fun.

“But, even if it’s an urban legend it’s pretty obvious that those guys are scared right now. If they can’t pay the fee this time it’s not sure if masked debt collectors won’t come after all.”

The idea of the third years being frightened and captured by dreadful debt collectors, have their blood extracted and their skin peeled off made Yata feel satisfied.

“Well since a lot of money is necessary and they’re desperate now and ought to do somethin’.”

Yata let out a snicker. “Hm?”, just when he had said that, he suddenly realized something.

“Hey, Fus.h.i.+mi? I’m asking just in case, I mean it is you so of course you have already planned the next ste————”

Yata’s bike got pulled sharply from behind and his head jerked forth and back. He was barely standing on one leg and when he turned around there was a person holding the frame of his bike’s carrier. It was one of the aforementioned third years. Startled , Yata looked up front when from within the forest the remaining two came forth and blocked the way.

“You still haven’t given us the money, Fus.h.i.+mi-kun. Eighty thousand. We need it, no matter what.”

The two in the front where standing on both sides as if to encase Fus.h.i.+mi. The one in the back held down Yata’s bicycle.

“Don’t have it.”

“Well, if you don’t have it then of course you’ll go home right away and pick it up for us, right, Fus.h.i.+mi-kun. We’re in a real pinch here. You’re in this together with us, aren’t you?”