[indistinct shouting, clamoring]
I'll accept
that it was me who ruined BLACK DRAGON.
But you've got to accept it too,
that I'm not Akane!
I'm Seishu!
[gasps]
[Kokonoi] Stop it.
[grunts in pain]
[panting]
I… I…
have lived for money.
[♪ theme music playing]
ASAYAMA LIBRARY
What book is that?
Money…
[Kokonoi] It's about how to make money.
I don't have nearly enough yet.
You should go home once in a while.
You're not like me, you know.
[inhales deeply, sighs]
Inupi.
-[snoring softly] -[wind gusting]
[♪ pensive music playing]
[exhales softly]
[Kokonoi sobbing]
Akane.
[Akane] Hajime!
-[hurried footsteps approaching] -[Akane] Hajime!
[both] Hmm?
You're always with Seishu.
Are you going home now?
Yeah.
-[♪ gentle music playing] -[Kokonoi] Akane Inui.
She's Inupi's older sister by five years.
Want to go to the library?
There's a book I'd like you to read, Hajime.
[soft grunt]
I'll carry your stuff, Akane.
That's okay. Thanks anyway.
-[Kokonoi] I always loved her. -You're always so nice, Hajime.
You really shouldn't be.
When you get a girlfriend, don't be nice to other girls.
Or else she'll get jealous.
Because you're handsome, you know.
[Inui yawns]
[Akane] Seishu, you could learn a thing or two from him.
-[Inui] No thanks. -[Akane laughs]
[Inui] I'm going on ahead home.
[Kokonoi] See you tomorrow.
[Inui] Bye.
[crow cawing in distance]
Isn't this a book for adults?
-Hmm? -[snoring]
[chuckles]
[Kokonoi] She invited me, but now she's napping.
And she's sound asleep with a book for a pillow.
She's got the same face as Inupi, but she's so pretty.
[snoring continues]
[soft grunt]
[gulps, grunts]
-[Akane] Don't you dare. -[startled grunt]
[shaky breath]
[Akane] You should only kiss someone you love.
Yeah… Sorry. But…
Akane… I'm…
I'm in love with you.
I'm five years older than you.
That doesn't matter.
When we grow up, it won't be such a big gap.
[soft chuckle]
[♪ soft music playing]
INUI
[Akane] Thanks for seeing me home.
See you later.
-[Kokonoi] Akane. -Hmm?
I will love you forever.
When I grow up, please marry me!
[soft chuckle]
I'll think about it.
I'll protect you forever.
Do you promise?
Yeah. I promise.
Okay. Then I'll wait until you're grown up.
[panting]
[panting happily]
I told her… my feelings for her.
Oh, no! I've got to get home.
Oh my. Look at that.
-Dear me! Goodness gracious! -[Kokonoi] Hmm?
[resident] Could that be a fire?
Over there… Could that be…
-[fire crackling] -[indistinct chatter]
-[neighbor 1 gasps worriedly] -[surprised grunt]
[gasps]
Where's the fire department? Did the people inside come out?
[neighbor 2] I don't know.
I didn't see them.
[neighbor 3] I just called the fire department.
[neighbor 2] I don't think their parents are home yet.
[Kokonoi] Akane…
-[fire roaring] -[neighbors exclaim in fear]
-[neighbor 3] Hey! It's dangerous! -[running footsteps]
[grunts]
[Kokonoi] Akane.
[breathes heavily] Akane.
Akane!
[fire crackling]
[neighbor] He came out!
[indistinct chatter]
-[coughing] -Akane, you're safe now.
[Inui] No…
-Koko. -Huh?
[pants] I'm not Akane.
-[Inui] I'm Seishu. -[gasps, breathes shakily]
-[firefighter 1] Hey, kid! -[firefighter 2] Huh?
-Akane! Akane! -Stay back! It's dangerous!
Akane!
[Kokonoi shouts] Akane!
[♪ somber music playing]
-I heard the doctor talking to my parents. -[Kokonoi sobbing]
Akane…
-they barely managed to save her. -[grunts]
But…
her burns are so bad…
it'll take a ton of money to treat them.
To get her as close as she was before,
it'll cost 40 million yen.
40 million?
I don't think my parents can afford it.
There's still a lot left on their home loan.
My dad just holds his head in his hands
and my mom just cries and cries.
I don't know what to do.
[grunts, sniffles]
-[Kokonoi] If you can't pay… -Huh?
[Kokonoi] If you can't pay the 40 million yen,
what will happen to Akane? [breathing shakily]
[in hoarse voice] I don't know.
I made a promise to Akane.
I said I'd protect her forever.
[Kokonoi] If Akane dies,
I…
[Kokonoi breathes shakily, sniffles]
That 40 million…
I'll make that much, even if it kills me.
RETURNS
[Kokonoi] I wracked my brain for ways to make money.
[♪ tense music playing]
I thought and thought,
but for a kid like me to make a heap of money in a short time…
meant I'd have to turn to crime.
I researched a ton for illegal ways to make money.
[paper rustles]
First, I gathered several punk kids.
I had them steal and extort.
[Kokonoi] Listen up, you punks.
If you get caught, it's because you don't have a proper plan.
If you do just as I tell you, you'll never get caught.
I'll get you more money than any kid ever could.
[Kokonoi] My plan was a huge success.
The punk kids were overjoyed.
Rumors about us spread, and more of them gathered.
In a single month, I had a decent-sized band of thieves.
But it was still just a gang of kids.
No matter how much they scraped together, it was a far cry from 40 million.
-Money… money… money… -[laughter]
-[passerby] Really? You'll buy me that? -You better believe it.
[passerby] Great! Then…
[indistinct chatter]
[Kokonoi] I used that few hundred thousand we made
for a counterfeit credit card
-and frequented a club's VIP room. -[♪ upbeat dance music playing]
I did it to connect with rich people.
[exhales deeply]
So you're that kid I've heard about?
Yes. I'll do whatever you want as long as you make it worth my while.
[scoffs] Nice!
There's a jerk I want you to threaten, but don't quite kill him.
[Kokonoi] I came up with the idea
to provide a crime-committing service for the rich.
It was the ideal business since we'd get off easy
even if we were caught.
I had hit the mother lode.
-[inaudible] -Money, money, money.
I was desperate.
-[cell phone ringing] -Hmm?
Hello?
[Inui panting, breathing shakily]
[voice breaking] Akane…
-[flatlining] -…is dead.
[inaudible]
[shocked gasp]
[indistinct shouting, clamoring]
[Kokonoi grunts]
[shouts] Wake up, Koko!
-Akane's already-- -Shut up!
[grunts]
Don't glare at me with that face!
[grunts, gasps]
[groans]
-I did all sorts of things! -[Inui grunting]
Whatever they asked!
-Anything that paid! -[groans]
-Then all kinds of people approached me. -[♪ tense music playing]
[Kokonoi] Izana Kurokawa.
So you're that money-making genius.
[Kokonoi] Shion Madarame.
I'm the ninth leader, Madarame.
[Kokonoi] The Haitani Brothers.
We'll do business again.
[Kokonoi] Taiju Shiba.
Oh. You're smaller than I expected.
[grunts in pain]
Everyone who came to me had a simple request.
Money.
It was the same with you, Inupi.
Ultimately, you totally used me to rebuild BLACK DRAGON.
[inhales shakily]
[voice breaking] Come on, Koko.
-Akane's-- -Shut up, Inupi.
I don't need any feelings.
Money's the only thing everyone wants from me!
[shouts] That's all fine!
[Kokonoi] I… can't go back.
I can't stop.
If I stop--
[shouts, sobs] Koko!
Akane's dead!
[♪ music fades]
[Inui gasps]
Akane…
If you saw me now,
would you scold me with this same look?
[Kokonoi breathing shakily]
Did it hurt?
[Kokonoi] You're finally at peace, aren't you?
[Kokonoi sobs] Money. Money.
Money.
[stifled sobbing]
[voice breaking] I'm sorry, Akane.
-[♪ somber music playing] -If only… I had more money…
If only… I had more… [sobs]
[Kokonoi] More… [sobbing]
[Inui grunts]
Koko…
I know it!
That Akane…
is dead.
But I…
can't go back.
[gasps]
I've dedicated my life to Tenjiku now.
You are my enemy.
Koko…
The regrets of others always seem to be ugly.
But I guess you know better than anyone.
Isn't that right, Kokonoi?
From now on, you're fighting me,
Inui.
[annoyed grunt]
[indistinct shouting, clamoring]
[shouts]
[thwacks]
[grunts]
You're such a pushover, Takemichi.
Is tough talk all you've got?
[angry grunt]
[Takemichi] Get out of the way, Kaku-chan.
I'm here to fight Kisaki!
Is there something between you two?
I don't have time to explain it.
Right now, Kisaki is the brains behind Izana.
As long as I'm here, you'll never get to him.
[Takemichi] Damn it!
Chifuyu, Akkun, and the others opened the way for me, but I'm hopeless.
[Kisaki] Izana.
Toman was supposed to be on the verge of collapse,
but Tenjiku sure seems to be struggling against them.
[gasps]
Takemichi!
-[grunts] -[Chifuyu gasps]
[Chifuyu grunts]
Keep your head in the game!
Out of my way, gorilla tank!
Who the hell are you calling "gorilla"?
[Chifuyu] Damn it!
I thought I lost the other day because he sucker punched me,
but this jerk's seriously strong!
When I was in juvie,
I lost my temper and went berserk.
[Izana] I beat down every last one of the other inmates,
and guards who were there that day.
But there were a few dudes who wouldn't go down.
[Izana] By chance, we were all 13 years old.
That's the Vicious Generation.
-[cracking] -Mocchi's crime was obstruction of duty.
He wiped out the gang that controlled Kawasaki all by himself.
[Hanma] But how is that obstruction of duty?
[Izana] He beat the crap out of the cops who came.
Pretty kick-ass, right?
Awesome.
[Izana] Mucho's crime was assault.
Huh?
That's pretty ordinary compared to Mocchi.
[Izana] The guy he beat up was a has-been mixed martial artist yakuza.
He busted his spine and turned him into a paraplegic.
-[Hanma] Huh? Did he hit him with a car? -[shouts]
He slammed him into the concrete.
[surprised grunt]
-[grunts] -[Inui groans]
Judo, huh?
[coughs, grunts in pain]
You can't stand up now, Inui.
[both panting]
Is your arm okay, Angry?
I think it's busted.
Thanks for your concern.
[Ran's brother] Hey now, what are you so scared of?
Come at me already.
But it won't just be your arm next time.
Ran, these two thought I was weak just because I'm the younger brother.
Then you'd better teach them a lesson, Rindo.
[Izana] The Haitani Brothers' crime was manslaughter.
[Hanma] I know that story.
It was that famous Roppongi Hai-Maniac War.
[Izana] At the time, the biggest gang in Tokyo was Roppongi Max Maniacs.
The Haitani Brothers fought their two leaders one-on-one.
The older brother, Ran, took down the leader in an instant.
He barged in on his brother Rindo's fight with their vice-leader.
While Rindo pinned the vice-leader in a joint lock,
Ran pounded his face more than necessary.
His face was caved in.
He was taken to the hospital with a fractured skull,
but before long, he died.
[Hanma] So the Haitani Brothers ruled Roppongi at age 13, huh?
We don't need no gang.
The Haitani Brothers control Roppongi.
[Izana] Tenjiku has the Vicious Generation.
No matter how much Toman struggles, it's useless.
Tenjiku will win this battle.
Let's show them how much more experienced we are.
Don't get so worked up, Rindo.
[annoyed grunt]
Those brothers, their moves are a pain in the ass.
Yeah.
Their synergy is intense.
[surprised grunt] Angry and Hakkai?
That's a hell of a team.
Next, I'm going for your leg!
[Hakkai] I've got to do something to mess up their rhythm.
[Hakkai shouts]
-Hakkai! -[Hakkai] Ran's coming!
[Souya grunts]
[Souya] When Rindo distracted me, Ran came in!
-Angry! -You left yourself open.
[gasps]
[Hakkai grunts]
I know exactly how I should twist joints to make people scream.
[Hakkai] Damn it! I let my guard down!
-[cracks] -[screams in pain]
-[clangs] -[♪ intense music playing]
[both panting]
[Ran] These guys…
They're Smiley's younger brother…
[Rindo] And Taiju Shiba's younger brother.
They've got zero synergy.
Weak ass.
[Souya] Rindo's joint-lock technique and Ran's baton assaults.
[Hakkai] These two are a deadly combo.
Just when I thought I got a read on Rindo's moves.
You have to watch my moves, Hakkai!
You said you got a read on him?
Why didn't you tell me?
I've been giving you the signal!
Like this, see?
How the heck am I supposed to see that? Tell me when!
Eye contact is faster!
You call that a wink?
[both] Aw, man.
-Smiley would totally get it. -Yuzuha would totally get it.
[both] Huh?
You little… Did you even hear what you just said, huh?
And what the hell are you doing leaning on your big sis, huh?
I knew it. Those two…
[Chifuyu] They are both spoiled youngest kids.
Out of my way!
You get out of mine!
-[both gasp, grunt] -[thwacks]
Next time, bring your big brothers, you sulky little mooches.
Go hide in your brothers' shadow.
[both panting]
Those Haitani Brothers are insanely strong.
Not just strong, but sneaky.
They could be unbeatable.
They called you a mooch.
You too.
They told you to hide in your brother's shadow.
You too.
We're actually pretty alike.
You may be right.
[both grunt]
[Hakkai and Souya] Wait right there!
[both] Huh?
We're…
The little brother alliance!
-Huh? -What?
[both] We'll show you our pride in relying on others!
[♪ closing theme music playing]
Translated by Brian Athey