And so, when Shin left the Kiryu Group, he had a girl by his side—moreover, she was the daughter of the leader of the Ryuju Group, a notorious violent organization in Japan.
Though Ryuju Momo had followed Shin out, she remained on high alert, eyeing him warily. After all, she had just witnessed how the boss of the Kiryu Group had acted with utmost deference toward Shin. It was clear that Shin was the true power behind the Kiryu Group.
"You're much calmer than I expected. I thought the daughter of a yakuza boss would have a fiercer temper."
After leading Ryuju Momo out of the bar, Shin glanced at her. Despite her current silence, she was far from docile. After all, this girl had charged straight into the middle of a gang fight—even for the daughter of a violent organization, that took some nerve.
As for why she was behaving so meekly now, the reason was simple.
"...I saw the members of the Kiryu Group. They didn't even lift a finger, yet the Ryuju Group's men were sent flying several meters as if struck by something."
Ryuju Momo's expression was complicated. She looked up at Shin, swallowing hard before asking nervously:
"Was that... psychic power? Is the Kiryu Group actually a psychic organization?"
Clearly, while the leader of the Ryuju Group knew that Shin's Kiryu Group had "psychics" and understood why the Four Houses were trying to recruit him, he hadn't shared this information with Ryuju Momo. After all, she was still just a student—exposing her to such things was far too early.
Though the Ryuju Group's leader had briefly entertained the idea of having Momo approach Shin, the thought of competing with Shuchiin Academy's Shinomiya Kaguya made him quickly abandon the plan.
Little did he know that his daughter would end up kidnapped by the Kiryu Group and then personally escorted back by Shin himself.
"A psychic organization... You could say that, I suppose."
Shin chuckled. With over a dozen Stand users now in the Kiryu Group, they could indeed be considered a supernatural faction in a way.
He reached out, grabbed Ryuju Momo, and—under her stunned gaze—took off into the sky.
"W-WAHHH?!"
Momo clearly hadn't expected Shin to just fly after grabbing her. The sudden loss of footing left her panicked, and she instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around him.
Though she had already seen evidence of "psychic powers" during the clash between the Kiryu and Ryuju Groups, being hauled into the air by Shin made her realize just what kind of person the Ryuju Group was up against—this guy could fly!
"Where's your house?"
Shin hadn't taken Momo into the air just for fun. Patting the girl's head—still clinging to him for dear life—he asked:
"Point the way. I'll take you home."
"...Huh?"
Only then did Momo realize what Shin intended. Her face flushed red as she shakily pointed in the direction of her home.
Of course, her arms remained firmly locked around Shin's body, terrified that she might slip and fall.
Even if she suspected Shin would catch her before she hit the ground... she had no desire to experience a no-rope bungee jump.
Soon, guided by Momo's directions, Shin landed in front of a massive traditional estate.
The gate's nameplate bore the characters "Ryuju"—if this world had Dragon Ball, Shin might've assumed it was some hardcore fan's homage.
After landing, Shin released his hold on Momo and set her down.
But when he let go, he noticed Momo still pressing tightly against him.
Though he had released her, she hadn't let go—her arms remained firmly around his waist, even with both feet on the ground.
"We're at your place now."
Shin smirked, reminding her.
During the descent, he had spotted numerous suited enforcers patrolling the estate—clearly the right place.
As for why their aerial arrival hadn't drawn attention... well, that was thanks to the Presence Concealment skill borrowed from an Assassin.
"Eh? We're here already?"
Only after Shin's prompt did Momo blink in surprise, turning to see the familiar building behind her.
Realizing they had indeed arrived, she finally loosened her grip—though her face betrayed a hint of reluctance, as if unwilling to let go.
For a girl who had never been this close to a boy before, being carried through the sky by Shin was something she'd only dreamed of.
At first, Momo had resisted due to Shin's status, but she quickly lost herself in the experience.
Just as she finished savoring the memory and looked up to speak, she suddenly found Shin had already vanished without a trace.
Staring at the empty street before her, Momo's mood instantly plummeted.
She had assumed Shin would accompany her to meet her father, the Ryuju Group's leader... but it seemed he had no such intention.
This was partly due to her incomplete understanding of Shin's identity—she thought he was merely the Kiryu Group's boss, unaware that he was the true power behind the Shinomiya Group.
Even disregarding strength, his status alone meant the Ryuju Group's leader wasn't someone he needed to actively seek out.
Unaware of this, however, Momo couldn't help but form an idea in her mind.
Maybe... the Ryuju Group should just surrender?
After all, with the Kiryu Group's "psychics," the Ryuju Group stood no chance. If they surrendered—or even merged with the Kiryu Group—wouldn't that mean more opportunities to see Shin?
Momo was already planning how to persuade her father later.
If the Ryuju Group's leader knew his daughter had defected after just a few minutes in Shin's arms, he'd probably cough up blood in fury.
To be continued…
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