Tokyo: After years of stagnation, the heiress of the yakuza arrives.

"Pathetic fellow."

Miyazaki Kiyoshi remained calm.

In the video, Kiyoshi Miyazaki is sitting in the Miyazaki family's room. His black hair is not completely dry, with the ends hanging down to his shoulders. His face is expressionless, and his voice is not noticeably inflected.

But it is precisely this flat tone that makes it feel like a thin, cold knife.

Jingu Aoko leaned back on the sofa, having just loosened her grip on Kuroba Shido, a slight smile still lingering on her lips. Upon hearing those words, that smile slowly faded.

"Who do you think is pathetic?"

"I'm talking about you."

Kiyoshi Miyazaki answered quickly.

"Using a forced intimate relationship as proof only demonstrates your despicable nature; it has no other value."

The atmosphere in the room suddenly cooled down.

Kuroba Shido sat next to Jingu Aoko, his mind still blank from the moment before, his lips still feeling a strange warmth, yet he had already entered a survival mode for the high-level Tokyo game.

Not right.

Something is very wrong.

That kiss just now didn't solve the problem; instead, it seemed to escalate the issue from "Was Kuroba Shido forced?" to "Is Jingu Aoko engaging in a higher level of coercion?"

Minister, isn't your logic a little too smooth?

Aoko Jingu looked down at the screen.

"Miyazaki Kiyoshi, you're being too nosy."

"I'm just correcting the facts."

Miyazaki Kiyoshi's voice was very steady, as if he were presenting a report that had already been analyzed.

"When my staff member was pulled over just now, his first reaction was to stiffen, his pupils contracted, his shoulders and neck tensed, and his breathing rhythm changed. That was not a reaction to accepting close contact, but an instinctive judgment after being suddenly threatened."

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

No, Minister, you even look at this kind of thing?

That happened so fast that Shido Kuroba didn't even have time to review it before Kiyoshi Miyazaki had already broken down all the details.

This is no longer about observation skills.

This involves breaking down people into data and then reprinting it.

Miyazaki Kiyoshi continued, "The silence that followed wasn't out of shyness, but rather an attempt to find an answer that wouldn't anger either side at the same time. My member's way of thinking is quite clear: he's not judging the relationship right now, but rather which words will allow him to live longer."

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

That's incredibly accurate.

It's so accurate it makes you want to call the police.

Aoko Jingu glanced at Shido Kuroba.

Shido Kuroba immediately lowered his head and put his hand back on Aoko Jingu's ankle, his movements as obedient as a professional masseur who had just passed pre-job training.

Keep pressing.

Keep living.

When Miyazaki Kiyoshi saw this action, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Did you see that?"

Aoko Jingu asked calmly, "What did you see?"

"My team members aren't expressing liking right now."

Miyazaki Kiyoshi spoke calmly, yet every word he uttered carried a chilling undertone.

"It's to reduce your aggression."

Aoko Jingu's eyes finally turned cold.

It wasn't the kind of cold that was out of control.

On the contrary, the quieter Jingu Aoko was, the more Kuroba Shido felt a chill run down his spine.

"Miyazaki Kiyoshi, you're very good at portraying yourself as a righteous character."

Jingu Aoko rested her chin on her hand, her fingertips lightly touching the side of her face, her posture still languid, but her eyes were devoid of any warmth.

"But did you really make this video call for the mental health of the group members?"

Kiyoshi Miyazaki did not answer immediately.

Aoko Jingu continued, "You're uncomfortable because you heard him say bad things about you and saw him here with me."

"Incorrect inference."

"Then hang up."

Miyazaki was quiet for a moment.

Kuroba Shido's hand movements also paused for a moment.

Not good.

This is very bad.

The atmosphere in Tokyo's high-level circles has begun to shift from "knives flying everywhere" to "whoever blinks first loses."

Jingu Aoko looked at Miyazaki Kiyoshi on the screen.

"If this is just a business matter, the recording has been confirmed, the gang members are still alive, and the call can be ended."

Kiyoshi Miyazaki: "It is still impossible to determine whether it is safe at the current situation."

"Or are you just reluctant to hang it up?"

Miyazaki Kiyoshi's eyes were slightly cold.

Kuroba Shido's eyelids twitched violently... Buhou!

War is about to begin!

We need to get out of here quickly...

The problem is that Aoko Jingu's foot is still in his hands. If Shido Kuroba crawls away now, he will go from being a masseur to a fugitive in the next second.

"So, Kiyoshi Miyazaki."

Aoko Jingu's voice continued.

"Are you asking me to release him in your capacity as minister, or are you asking me to stay away from him in another capacity?"

Kiyoshi Miyazaki did not answer.

The brief silence seemed to lower the temperature in the room even further.

While the two were locked in a standoff, Shido Kuroba slowly loosened his grip.

A little bit.

Very light.

Very stable.

Jingu Aoko's attention was still on her phone screen, and Miyazaki Kiyoshi's attention was also on Jingu Aoko. This was a rare window of opportunity for escape.

Kuroba Shido moved a little to the side.

Move it a little more.

The movement was as light as a mouse stealing a discounted rice ball from a high-end restaurant.

At the doorway, Miko Jingu was still eavesdropping with her butt sticking out, her eyes shining brightly.

The short-haired woman stood behind, holding Da Mei, no longer wanting to remind her.

The short-haired woman now has only one thought in mind.

The head of the family is truly beyond saving.

The standoff in the room continued.

Miyazaki Kiyoshi finally spoke: "I don't need to answer such meaningless leading questions."

Aoko Jingu: "You dare not answer?"

"There's no point in answering."

"That means it exists."

"Despicable people always like to interpret refusing to answer as consent, which fits your behavior pattern."

Aoko Jingu smiled softly.

"Only a despicable person would use their position as club president to cloak their selfish motives in a veneer of justice."

Miyazaki Kiyoshi's eyes remained unchanged.

"At least I wouldn't lock someone in a room and force them to use massages as a way to ensure their safety."

Aoko Jingu lowered her eyes and looked toward Shido Kuroba's position.

Then Jingu Aoko noticed that Kuroba Shido, who had been sitting at her feet, had almost moved to the doorway.

Kuroba Shido's body stiffened.

Oops.

Have we been discovered?

Aoko Jingu's eyes narrowed slightly.

Kuroba Shido instantly initiated the final step.

run!

Kuroba Shido suddenly turned around, just as he was about to slip silently through the crack in the door, but the next second, his head bumped directly into a familiar, soft object.

thump.

Jingu no Yoshiko: "Ugh!"

The black-feathered warrior said, "Hmm!"

The two bumped into each other at the door.

Jingu Miko was eavesdropping with her butt sticking out when she was completely taken aback when Kuroba Shido sneaked out from inside. She was almost knocked backward by the bump, but luckily the short-haired woman reacted quickly and took a step back.

Yes.

The short-haired woman chose to step back.

Because if the short-haired woman reached out to catch the head of the household, she would be dragged into the center of the accident.

In this situation, the most professional way to handle it is to move away from the center of the accident.

Jingu Miko covered her forehead, looked up and saw Kuroba Shido, her eyes instantly lighting up.

"Shido, are you trying to run away?"

Kuroba Shido quickly covered Jingu Miko's mouth.

"Shh...Madam, keep your voice down!"

Shingu Miko's eyes shone even brighter.

This person is going to run away again.

How can this be allowed?

With Shido running away, only Qingqing and Miyazaki Kiyoshi were left inside, arguing back and forth. Without someone taking the beating in the middle, the liveliness was reduced by at least half.

Jingu Yoshiko opened her mouth as if to shout.

Kuroba Shido gritted his teeth: "Madam, even if I were, I wouldn't be alone!"

Jingu no Miko didn't react, remained unmoved, and even scratched her own face.

So what?

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

"Then I won't bring Dahei over to play anymore." Kuroba Shido modified his threatening words.

Shinmiya Yoshiko's pupils trembled.

How vicious.

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

Madam, are you even human...?

Jingu Yoshiko whispered, "That despicable Shido."

Inside the room, the voices of Aoko Jingu and Kiyoshi Miyazaki could still be heard.

"Where did that guy go?"

Miyazaki Kiyoshi's voice suddenly rang out.

Kuroba Shido felt a chill run down his spine.

Minister, don't be so perceptive!

Aoko Jingu also looked towards the doorway.

Kuroba Shido's heart tightened, and Jingu Yoshiko's heart tightened as well.

The two of them squatted down almost simultaneously and moved to the side, close to the wall.

The short-haired woman stood to the side, holding Da Mei, watching helplessly as these two unreliable guys scurried away through the door like two giant cockroaches.

Short-haired woman: "..."

Da Mei: "..."

As she climbed, Jingu Yoshiko asked in a low voice, "Where are we going now?"

Kuroba Shido replied softly, "Stay away from the battlefield."

"Then there's no show to watch?"

"Madam, is your life more important or the performance?"

Jingu Yoshiko thought about it seriously for two seconds.

"play."

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

Row.

As expected of you.

Kuroba Shido rephrased it: "Over there, Daikoku and Daimi are having a duel."

Shingu Miko's eyes lit up instantly.

"Walk!"

The short-haired woman's eyelid twitched.

Da Mei also froze for a moment.

wrong.

Why are we back to square one again?

The short-haired woman instinctively tried to pull Da Mei closer to her, and Da Mei cooperated by snuggling under the short-haired woman's sleeve.

As if she had eyes in the back of her head, Yoshiko Kamiya suddenly turned around.

"Da Mei, you mustn't run away from your destiny!"

Da Mei: "..."

The fate of the fancy mouse should not be so heavy.

Kuroba Shido then took the opportunity to pull Daikoku out of his pocket.

Big Black poked its head out, looked at Jingu Miko, then at Daimi, and finally at Kuroba Shido.

Kuroba Shido said in a low voice, "Kuro, it's time for you to bring glory to the Kuroba family."

Big Black: "Squeak?"

Kurobashi said, "Don't worry, it doesn't matter if we can't win. If we lose, we'll say the Shingu family invested too much capital. If we win, we'll say we're poor but unskilled and invincible. Either way, we won't lose out."

Big Black: "..."

It has a very Kuroba Shido style.

A few minutes later.

DaMei's dedicated boxing training room.

The previously empty room quickly became lively.

Just moments ago, Yoshiko Jingu looked like a fugitive who had failed in her eavesdropping attempt, but now, as soon as she entered the training room, she instantly revived, as if all the beatings, the escape, the eavesdropping, and the threats that had just happened had never existed.

"Contest!"

Jingu Yoshiko clapped her hands, looking fierce.

"Today, let Daimei prove that she is the strongest boxer in the Jingu family!"

Da Mei: "..."

Da Mei held the short-haired woman's fingers, her eyes clear.

I don't really want to prove it.

Really.

The short-haired woman placed Da Mei on the small cushion, remained silent for a moment, and then began to prepare according to Jingu Miko's instructions.

After all, this process had already been gone through countless times by Yoshiko Jingu.

A small arena was quickly brought out.

It has soft padding on all four sides and thin elastic rope around the edge, and is just the right size for two mice to move around inside.

There was also a mini timer, a mini towel, a mini water cup, and even a small cape.

There were a few words written on the cloak.

【The Great Beauty Boxing Champion】

Kuroba Shido fell silent upon seeing these words.

"Madam, are you serious?"

With her hands on her hips, Miyako Jingu replied, "Of course."

"When was this cape made?"

"yesterday."

"You had this all planned out yesterday?"

"The strong never fight unprepared battles."

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

What a powerful person.

The strongman himself is now trying to hide behind the short-haired woman's sleeve.

Jingu Yoshiko lifted up Daimei and began preparing for the competition.

First, I rubbed his forearm.

Then pinch the little paws.

Then he wiped Da Mei's face with a small towel, and finally solemnly draped the small cloak over Da Mei's shoulders.

"Da Mei, don't be afraid."

Shinmiya Yoshiko's tone was heavy.

"You are the Jingu family's fancy rat boxing champion. You've eaten muscle-building meals, watched boxing championship videos, sat in a special massage chair, and even received artificial respiration from me personally."

Da Mei: "..."

The last point doesn't need to be mentioned.

Really.

Jingu Yoshiko continued, "Today's battle is not just a fight between you and Daikoku, but a war between the Jingu family's advanced training system and the Kuroba family's impoverished, unorthodox methods!"

The black-feathered warrior asked, "?"

Are you polite?

Kuroba Shido looked down at Daikoku.

Big Black has nothing.

There was no cloak.

There are no towels.

There is no mini water bottle.

There is no exclusive slogan.

Even the warm-up area was just an ordinary mat that Shido Kuroba casually pulled from the side.

On Jingu Yoshiko's side, it looks like a professional boxing champion team.

Kuroba Shido's group seemed to have hitched a ride on the roadside.

The contrast is extremely stark.

The short-haired woman stood to the side, glanced at Da Mei, and then at Da Hei.

To be honest, judging from the pre-match lineup alone, Da Mei has a very high chance of winning.

But if we look at the physical condition of the two mice...

The short-haired woman fell silent.

Dahei stood on the mat, lowered his head, and chewed two mouthfuls of rice.

Chew, chew, chew.

Very peaceful.

Very calm.

They were so calm, as if they didn't consider the upcoming match a big deal at all.

Kuroba Shido squatted down beside him and lowered his voice: "Kuro, remember what I just taught you: move, dodge, find opportunities, and don't be scared by the fancy moves of capitalism."

Big Black: "Squeak."

"very good."

Kuroba Shido nodded.

"Have two more bites."

Dahei took two more bites of the rice ball.

Chew, chew, chew.

When Yoshiko Jingu saw this, she immediately sneered.

"Shido, your pre-match supplies are really meager!"

"What do you know?"

Shido Kuroba looked up, his expression serious.

"This is a high-carb explosion from a poor family."

"Can't understand."

"It's okay if you don't understand, because this is a secret, unorthodox method."

Shido Kuroba patted the big black dog on the back.

"Dahei used to live in the rat-infested area. He was the kind of rat that ate the rice grains off discounted rice ball packaging, gnawed on the corners of instant noodle seasoning packets, and even fought with cockroaches for territory."

Shingu Miko blinked.

"How tragic."

Kuroba Shido nodded: "So there is life in its fist."

Big Black: "Squeak?"

Shingu Miko looked shocked.

"Little Shido, you can actually talk about poverty with such passion."

"This is narrative packaging."

Kuroba Shido said solemnly.

"It's the same story of being broke, but in other words, it's about a rags-to-riches story, a passionate journey, and the return of a boxing champion."

Yoshiko Kamiya thought for a moment.

That makes sense.

Short-haired woman: "..."

There's no reason why this should be valid.

Jingu Miko turned to look at Daimi and immediately began to encourage her.

"Da Mei, did you hear that? The people across the street are poor and unskilled. Don't be afraid!"

Da Mei: "..."

I was even more scared.

The phrase "poor and unorthodox" sounds terrifying.

Da Mei looked at Da Hei.

Big Black was still chewing on his rice balls.

Chew, chew, chew.

After finishing the rice ball, Big Black raised its little head, its small, beady eyes looking at the arena. The mouse didn't make any extra movements, but it inexplicably gave people the feeling that it was ready.

Da Mei's little paws retracted slightly.

Yoshiko Jingu was unaware.

Yoshiko Jingu is immersed in her own boxing champion scenario.

"Da Mei, today you must display the spirit of the Jingu family, the dignity of the Flowery Rat, and the bond between us, mother and daughter... no, between our family head and the Rat!"

Black Feathered Warrior said, "Madam, your slogans are getting weirder and weirder."

"Shut up, Shido. Poor trainers have no right to comment on the Jingu family's pre-war declaration."

"I am, after all, Big Hit's manager."

Do you have a license?

"I am poor."

"Poverty is not a license."

"Poverty can be everything, because people without money have no choice."

Miko Jingu: "..."

Even Yoshiko Jingu fell silent for a moment this time.

What terrifying underlying logic.

The short-haired woman silently arranged the mini water cups and then checked the soft padding at the edge of the ring.

Da Mei was put aside to warm up.

The so-called warm-up involved Miko gently pinching Daimi's little paws with two fingers and helping Daimi swing her fists left and right.

a bit.

Two times.

Three times.

"Left hook!"

Big Beauty's little paws were lifted up.

"Right hook!"

Da Mei's other little paw was also lifted up.

"Continuous jabs!"

Jingu Yoshiko began to move her beautiful little paws rapidly.

Da Mei: "..."

Da Mei is like a toy boxer who was forced into the job.

Kuroba Shido watched this scene and fell silent.

"Madam, is this considered a warm-up or character control?"

Yoshiko Jingu: "This is to activate muscle memory before the match."

Does it really have muscle memory?

"have."

"Where's the evidence?"

"I believe it exists."

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

Very Jingu Yoshiko.

On the other hand, Big Black's warm-up was much simpler.

There are no dedicated massage therapists.

There was no small towel to wipe my face.

There was no coach waving his little paws.

Shido Kuroba simply handed over the remaining rice ball, letting Kuroba take a few more bites.

"Big Black, eat."

"Only when you're well-fed can you have the strength to fight off capitalist quacks."

Big Black hugged the rice ball and continued chewing.

Kuroba Shido looked at Daikoku, his tone heavy.

"Remember, in this battle, you represent more than just yourself."

"You represent the rat zone."

"This represents discounted rice balls."

"This represents nuclear wastewater in the sewers."

"Represents all the poor rats who don't have massage chairs, muscle-building meals, or boxing champion capes."

Big Black: "Squeak."

Miko Jingu: "..."

Short-haired woman: "..."

This place is strange too.

But for some reason, I actually felt a little passionate.

Shido Kuroba took out his phone, opened the boxing champion video he hadn't finished watching before, and placed it in front of Daikoku.

"Let's review it one last time."

On the screen, Muhammad Ali moves around in the ring with agile footwork and a light body, as if he were dancing in the ring.

Kuroba Shido explained in a low voice.

"See that, Big Black? That's called the butterfly step."

"Don't confront them head-on, and don't let the rich people's training system in the US lead you astray."

"Move, dodge, strike unexpectedly, hit and run."

What is the core idea?

Big Black looked up: "Squeak?"

"To live."

Kuroba Shido was completely serious.

"The core of boxing is not winning, it's surviving."

Miko Kamiya: "???"

"No, shouldn't the core of boxing be defeating your opponent?"

Shido Kuroba looked at Yoshiko Jingu.

"Madam, your thinking is too simplistic."

"Where is it too shallow?"

"Only when you're alive can you wait for the other side to make a mistake."

Miko Jingu: "..."

That seems to make some sense.

The short-haired woman has given up trying to understand.

No matter what these two people say, they can always make sense of something outrageous in a very serious tone.

Daimi finally finished Jingu Miko's pre-match warm-up.

Jingu Miko draped a small cape over Daimi and helped her stand to one side of the ring.

Da Mei stood there, her cloak draped behind her, her expression clear, her body a little stiff.

It's clear that Da Mei hasn't fully accepted her fate yet.

But Yoshiko Jingu was already fired up.

"Da Mei, go!"

Da Mei didn't appear.

Jingu no Miko looked down: "Daimi?"

Da Mei slowly turned around and glanced at the short-haired woman.

The short-haired woman was silent for a moment, then said softly, "It's just a competition, we didn't actually break anything."

Da Mei seemed to have been calmed down a bit.

Then Da Mei looked at Da Hei.

Big Black had already finished eating his rice ball.

Kuroba Shido squatted down next to Daikoku and placed Daikoku at the entrance of the arena.

"Go."

Kuroba Shido gently patted Daikoku's back.

"Big Black, let them see what a real fighter from the rat district looks like today. Don't let them down!"

Big Black stood at the entrance to the arena, not rushing in immediately.

Big Black first lowered its head and stretched its paws.

Then slowly raise your head.

The next second, under everyone's gaze, Big Black began to sway from side to side.

First, gently move to the left.

Gently move to the right again.

The little paws lifted up, the footsteps were very fine, and the body swayed to the rhythm.

a bit.

Two times.

Three times.

Big Black didn't dart out like a normal rat.

Big Black is moving.

Moving rhythmically.

Its small body swayed from side to side, its steps were light and quick, and its center of gravity was flexible, as if it had really learned something amazing from the video just now.

Kuroba Shido's eyes lit up.

"right!"

"This is it, Big Black!"

"Ali's Butterfly Step!"

Big Black swayed from side to side, circling a small circle around the edge of the ring.

The little paws gently touched the ground.

The body is in a state of flux, sometimes feeling weak and sometimes strong.

It was just a mouse, yet it inexplicably gave off a sense of oppression like a boxing champion entering the arena.

Miko Kamiya: "???"

Short-haired woman: "???"

Da Mei: "???"