The man was built like a gorilla—bulging, knotted muscles beneath his shirt looked as if they could burst through the fabric at any moment.
"Boss, I have something to report."
In contrast to his destructive appearance, his voice was surprisingly calm.
"I see."
"Go on then, take Fremea with you, Hanzōu."
Fremea was usually the lively, troublemaking type, but when it came to serious matters, she never caused a fuss.
Like now—she obediently left with Hanzōu.
"Have a seat, Komaba."
Komaba Ritoku—former leader of the Skill-Out armed group whose turf lay in District 7.
Similarly, Hattori Hanzōu and the girl Fremea Seivelun had once also been Skill-Out members.
The reason they were here now was because Makoto, wanting to extend his influence into District 7, had chosen them as his targets.
Just controlling District 8?
Of course Makoto wouldn't be satisfied with that. Securing a foothold in the most chaotic, most complicated district—District 7—was only natural.
And so, the leader of that territory, Komaba Ritoku, whose way of doing things was somewhat similar to Makoto's own, became his first target.
Komaba had indeed been won over—not through any bloody turf war, but peacefully, almost amicably.
He gave up his position as leader, brought the entire Skill-Out under Leo, and handed over all his District 7 territory to them.
"Boss, according to our intel, 'Big Spider' has been re-formed."
"Re-formed? That guy's already been—"
"What, he's come back?"
The pen spinning in Makoto's hand came to an abrupt halt. He lifted his head from the documents he'd been reviewing.
"That's exactly what I wanted to talk about."
"If it were that man coming back, there'd be no need to report it to you. The problem is this—"
Komaba handed over the notebook he'd been holding.
Makoto wasted no time opening the file and skimming through it.
The amount of information inside was considerable, but with his speed—ten lines in a glance—he finished quickly.
"Smuggling, forcing girls into prostitution… all that's missing is drug trafficking. This guy's got the full set."
He snapped the notebook shut, losing all interest in the rest.
"I get what you mean. This isn't the same as that man's old crew—it's likely someone else is pulling the strings now."
"Yes, Boss."
Komaba nodded.
Despite his hulking frame, Komaba was actually quite perceptive.
Makoto knew him well enough to read him easily.
"So what? What does it change?" Makoto tossed the question back at him.
"You have to be clear on one thing—whether it's the old crew or some new bastard who's taken over, or even if the original leader's had a change of heart—This current 'Big Spider' cannot be allowed to remain. We can't tolerate a lawless, bottom-feeding group operating in our territory."
The pen resumed its steady spin in his fingers.
"I know you admired that man, Komaba, but if he stands in the way of our plans, we can't hesitate. You haven't forgotten our goal, have you?"
Komaba fell completely silent. He couldn't argue with a single word Makoto had said.
Of course he hadn't forgotten.
To bring all of Academy City's Skill-Out groups under control, to unite them under one hand.
To protect those without abilities from the abuse of espers—and to prevent the powerless from seeking revenge or stirring up trouble against them.
To eliminate every last seedy, exploitative den.
That had been his own mission, once. And when he'd met Makoto, whose ability far surpassed his own, he'd chosen to follow.
Makoto was right.
If it were the original 'Big Spider,' they could turn a blind eye.
But this version had to be wiped out.
Especially since they were based in District 10—
The most rotten district in the city, its streets overrun with shady research facilities and plagued by the worst crime.
Cleaning it up wouldn't trigger any unwanted ripple effects.
"…Understood, Boss. I'll investigate 'Big Spider' and whoever's supplying them."
"Good. That's all."
The old 'Big Spider' had been a small gang, far removed from guns and drugs.
Even if they'd wanted to slide into depravity, the worst they could have done was force their own female members into prostitution to make a profit.
Reaching this current level in such a short time meant one thing—someone powerful was backing them.
"How about what I told you to check on last night—the 'Deadlock' matter?"
Even though Misaki had said she'd handle the cleanup, Makoto wasn't the type to wash his hands of it entirely.
"The park you visited last night—we had people there overnight. All traces have been completely wiped clean. As for the remaining members of 'Deadlock'—Since we don't know their exact base, we've been sweeping District 9 where they operate. No sign of them today."
Everything handled neatly and efficiently—this was why Makoto kept Komaba close even after taking over.
Not just to reassure the former Skill-Out members, but because Komaba's way of doing things matched his tough, mature exterior.
"All right, get to it. When Fremea gets back, keep an eye on her—don't let her spend the whole day playing computer games."
Makoto stood, taking his coat from the wall.
"Oh, and I probably won't be coming in for the next few days. Got some things to take care of. It's in your hands until then."