Yokohama. Night. The city was alive with lights and decadence.
Beneath the pitch-black sky, the city shimmered with a golden glow, filled with a variety of people strolling through the streets, enjoying a kind of freedom distinct from the noisy daytime.
Exhausted office workers walked in small groups, exiting one tavern and heading for the next. Women dressed provocatively stood outside neon-lit shops, luring in customers. From a distance, the sharp smell of perfume mixed with cigarette smoke wafted through the air. Street punks, with dyed hair and tattoos, clutched the black money they'd earned in the morning, heading into places where music played late into the night, lost in a world of fleeting pleasures.
Unlike most of the city, which had long been swallowed by darkness, this district still emitted a unique radiance at night.
The red-light district, casinos, nightclubs, and bars—every place for reckless entertainment was concentrated here.
If someone could look down from the sky, they would see these venues forming a circle, like a halo.
And at the center of that halo stood five towering, pitch-black spires that reached into the clouds.
These were the headquarters of the Port Mafia, the rulers of Yokohama's dark side.
Located in the heart of the city, these five towering spires symbolized the five leaders of the Port Mafia, the men who ruled over Yokohama. Each tower belonged to one of these five powerful men.
Standing at the top of any of these towers, one could see the entire city, while no matter where you stood in Yokohama, you would always see these monumental skyscrapers, as if they were the very symbols of power.
It was as if they were declaring their sovereignty over the entire city, drawing everyone's gaze.
Despite being a criminal organization, their arrogance surpassed that of anyone else, seemingly unconcerned with the government's stance.
In truth, they didn't care at all.
Yokohama was a city unlike any other, governed by a system known as the "Tripartite Framework."
Distinguished by the time of the day: Daylight, Night, and Dusk.
The Special Division for Unusual Powers governed the Daylight, acting as the nation's official ability agency, exercising supreme authority over all ability users, protecting citizens from the dangers posed by abilities, and maintaining national order.
The Port Mafia ruled the Night, their shadow casting over the city, keeping the citizens in fear while also deterring other criminal organizations, forcing the predators lurking in the darkness to retract their claws and fangs, maintaining an uneasy peace in the shadows.
The Armed Detective Agency controlled the Dusk, walking the fine line between Daylight and Night, handling affairs that the official authorities couldn't, assisting both sides in maintaining the city's peace.
In a world where abilities exist, each country has special measures for dealing with ability users. These measures are necessary to maintain the safety of both the nation and its citizens, and the Tripartite Framework was the most suitable for Yokohama.
In this city, the status of all three factions was irreplaceable.
It was precisely because of this that the Port Mafia displayed such unrestrained power.
"Of the three ability organizations, only the Port Mafia offers me the best stage."
Walking through the dimly lit streets filled with ambiguity and dreams, Tokisaki Kurumi lifted her gaze toward the towering five buildings and made her decision.
The main mission released by the system was for Tokisaki Kurumi to become Yokohama's most fearsome nightmare, but clearly, this was not a task that could be completed in a short time.
Therefore, for now, Tokisaki Kurumi decided to focus on the side missions that were relatively easier to complete.
There were three side missions in total. The second one required her to defeat members of the Guild, but it was unclear whether the Guild had appeared yet. Even if she wanted to challenge them, she didn't have the opportunity. The third mission was to hide her true identity as a visitor from another world. All she could do was try her best not to expose any information about herself and leave the rest to fate.
After thinking for a while, she concluded that the only mission she could tackle now was the first one.
In the world of ability users, she had to choose one organization to join from three options: the Special Division for Unusual Powers, the Armed Detective Agency, or the Port Mafia.
The Special Division for Unusual Powers was a government-affiliated special institution that dealt with cases related to ability users and other supernatural events. Not only did Tokisaki Kurumi doubt whether she had the qualifications to join, but the main story task issued by the system made it clear that joining the special division would be the most difficult choice.
Her main mission was to become a notorious killer in Yokohama, while one of the responsibilities of the Special Division for Unusual Powers was to capture such criminals who disrupted peace and public order. It was obvious that she couldn't walk into the government's stronghold and deliver herself to their hands.
The Armed Detective Agency was a neutral organization in Yokohama. But even though it was labeled as such, it leaned more towards maintaining order and had a close relationship with the government.
There were also some individuals in the agency whose deduction abilities were monstrous. Although Tokisaki Kurumi could find a way to join the agency, she didn't have the confidence to hide her true identity as a visitor from another world among a group of great detectives.
Thus, the Port Mafia became the most suitable stage for her to play.
One was the leader of all the local criminal forces, and the other was a deadly spirit who had killed thousands. Wasn't that a perfect match?
The most important thing was that joining the Port Mafia would greatly help with the progression of her main mission.
However, joining the Port Mafia was no easy task. At least, with Tokisaki Kurumi's current identity, it was impossible to join through normal means.
She had just arrived in this world, with no identity or record—an illegal resident. The Port Mafia wouldn't allow someone as suspicious as her to join.
Therefore, to join the Port Mafia, she would have to use somewhat extreme methods.
Approaching the Port Mafia headquarters, Tokisaki Kurumi thought for a moment, and in an instant, her school uniform was replaced by her Astral Dress: Elohim.
The dignified, gentle young lady transformed into a spirit born from the darkness of night and the blood of slaughter, like a princess heading to a banquet, she walked gracefully.
"Miss, this is not a place for someone like you."
The security guard at the headquarters saw Tokisaki Kurumi and hesitated, his hand brushing against the gun at his waist. But in the end, he chose to issue a verbal warning: "If you get any closer, I'm afraid I'll have to take regrettable action."
"Is this the headquarters of the Port Mafia?"
"Yes, it is."
"Then I've come to the right place."
Tokisaki Kurumi stopped a short distance away from the security guard and smiled slightly. "Could you do me a favor? I'd like to meet with the leader of your organization, Mori Ōgai."
"Sorry, not just anyone can meet the Boss."
If it were anyone else asking to meet the Boss, the security guard would have drawn his gun and started escorting them away. However, facing such a stunning young lady, he patiently said, "Although I don't know who you are, if you want to meet the Boss, you'll need to talk to his secretary first."
"I see... Well, then I guess there's nothing I can do."
Tokisaki Kurumi sighed regretfully. Under the watchful gaze of the security guard, she slowly melted into her own shadow.
"Pardon my rudeness, but I truly need to meet him."