The King of the Underworld (1)

The entrance to the building had a small line of people that were being identified by the security before they were allowed to go in, mainly because of how many enemies the Yagami Syndicate had made throughout their operations.

But the three of them were allowed to cut the line and enter without going through this process, as they quickly recognized Baldy and Beardy.

Though they often acted casually and idiotically in front of Reiji, they both held extremely high positions in the organization, working directly under his father. This was further emphasized by the respect everyone showed them, bowing heavily as they passed by.

Reiji himself only got curious glances, but they probably didn't realize who he was since this was his first time visiting this place after the 'makeover'.

"Welcome, Sirs!"

The security stood at attention when they entered, and Reiji stared curiously at the taser batons that all of them were wielding, recalling another crucial setting of the game that was included to make some of the routes more exciting for the player.

Kazama Riku's physical stats were around average across the board, a massive gap with Yagami Reiji, the main Villain.

This was done on purpose, to give the players the luxury to decide amongst the various ways they could take down the arrogant piece of shit that easily got on every player's nerves. After all, taking down an overpowered villain was a 100x more satisfying than beating a mediocre one.

The player wanted to take the aided route and suppress him with allies? Done!

They preferred to be smarter and destroy the Yagami Syndicate's businesses? Also a possibility!

Another option was to train in martial arts and get stronger to defeat him personally!

All of these were extremely difficult to do in order to make things tough for the player so that the plot didn't get too repetitive, but the last one was nearly impossible.

In fact, even with a 100 playthroughs Alex/Reiji hadn't figured out how to make the martial arts route successful, having to rely on some of the other methods. Though he knew there were other players that had luckily figured out a way.

Where was he going with all of this? The main point is that the developers wanted a realistic way for a fucking high school student to take down the biggest criminal organization in the country.

Let's be real, if the player showed any ill intent against them, they could just shoot Riku down when it comes down to it, right?

But.... What if there were no guns?

Sounds ridiculous, but the developers created a world setting where some of the key ingredients to make proper gunpowder, explosives, and other firearms were even rarer than gold.

According to OG Reiji's memories from middle school, the reason was that naturally occurring nitrates (like potassium nitrate or saltpeter) are extremely scarce, or unstable when refined, making traditional gunpowder formulations impractical.

Synthetic alternatives do exist, but are so incredibly expensive, unstable, or toxic to produce that they are restricted to state-level actors only.

This meant that every government in this world strictly monitored the usage of these ingredients straight from the sources, to prevent them from getting into the hands of others.

Only a few specialized military units employed the use of these weapons, otherwise any group that managed to acquire them would do much more damage in this world than in Reiji's previous one.

That's why Reiji was so hell-bent on getting stronger.

That's why the fighting clubs were so diverse, well-funded, and prioritized.

And that's why the security and the other Yakuza inside the building only carried taser batons and knives instead of guns.

Riku would always have a way out in the game whenever he went up against Yakuza, Mobsters, and other menacing groups because they didn't have firearms to truly threaten his life.

It was a completely ridiculous setting, but one that Reiji was extremely happy about. This would be MUCH more advantageous for him, especially since his life might have constantly been in danger from rival gangs and other enemies.

If he grew strong enough, he could more than protect himself.

"Boss, why are you zoning out? Are you that nervous?"

Reiji snapped out of his thoughts and saw that they were standing in front of the elevator. He shook his head to reassure the slightly worried men as the doors slid open with a ding.

They stepped inside and Beardy inserted a key into the button panel in the elevator and then pressed the one for the top floor. Without the key, no one could reach the King's Throneroom.

As the enclosed box hummed to life, slowly taking them to the peak of the building, Beardy turned to him again.

"I know I've said this already, but please don't get into an argument with him?" He asked.

Reiji rubbed his neck and avoided their pleading eyes.

He couldn't make that promise.

"....That's up to him, not me," he muttered in response.

Their eyes dimmed slightly, realizing that this meeting might not be as peaceful and happy as they were hoping for.

Before they could try to convince him, the elevator slowed to a halt and the door opened with another ding.

They were here.

In front of him, a long and domineering corridor extended from the elevator to the large double doors at the end of the line. The building itself was very modernized, but this entire floor looked ancient.

The walls were brown, made completely of high-quality wood, and plush red carpeting decorated the floor. The walls were adorned with what looked like Victorian Era paintings, and were likely very expensive.

The architecture style itself was completely different from the rest of the building, with a mix of Japanese and European carving methods that established a dense and heavy ambience.

'This Father of mine has.... unique tastes,' Reiji chuckled internally, though he didn't really find it funny.

He knew this strange decision was not just because his dad preferred the more traditional architectural designs. No, it was also to create a jarring disconnect with the other areas of the building.

This would confuse the visitors who came to meet the Boss, making them more wary and intimidated.

And an intimidated visitor? Was not much of a threat.

The three of them walked to the large door grimly, and Beardy nodded at the two hulking men in suits who stood guard outside of his father's office.

"Boss, he asked to meet you alone. We'll wait outside so.... Good luck," Beardy encouraged him, patting him on the shoulder.

"Sniff.... I'll miss you Boss! I'll never forget you!" Baldy wiped his eyes with a napkin, and then grinned stupidly when he saw everyone else in the corridor looking at him as if he was an idiot.

Reiji shook his head and laughed.

To be completely honest, he was getting a little stressed about finally having a chat with his newfound father. Baldy must have noticed this, resorting to an unfunny joke to soothe his nerves.

"Don't worry, I won't die!..... Hopefully," he gave Baldy a thumbs-up and then nodded at the guards.

One of them knocked loudly, and they all waited for a few seconds.

Then, a deep voice easily penetrated the thick wood.

"Come in."

The guards opened the doors at the same time, and Reiji took a deep breath.

He walked in with a straight posture and the doors shut behind him with a thud. A large workspace came into view in front of him, following the same old-fashioned wooden theme. There were plush sofas to the side with a coffee table for meetings, a well-stocked bar to his right with a range of alcoholic drinks neatly arranged on the shelves, and a round carpet under him with the Yagami Syndicate's logo of a Gothic Y and a rearing cobra.

Directly ahead was a massive oak table with beautiful carvings and gold lining, with stacks of paper and a laptop on top of it. Behind the desk, on a large office chair resembling a throne, sat the King of the Underworld.

Yagami Daichi.

'I see that my appearance and physical specs were inherited, not an anomaly...'

Yagami Daichi was a terrifyingly handsome man, with long black and gray hair that reached his chest, combed back neatly. His well groomed beard narrowed at his chin, giving his face a diamond shape that made him appear very masculine. His prominent cheekbones and deep black eyes gave him a sharp presence that unconsciously made people stand straight.

He was wearing a tailored black suit that tightly hugged his muscular physique, indicating that he wasn't just an office person despite the fact that he was thoroughly studying a set of papers on his desk without even acknowledging his son.

A short period of awkward silence followed, with Reiji standing stiffly in place while the rustling of documents continued at the table.

He sighed and shuffled over to the chairs in front of the desk for visitors, plopping down on one of them.

"Hello, dear Father! Won't you please grace your lovely son with the gift of a friendly conversation?" He asked sarcastically, resting his chin on the hand that was propped on the wooden table.

Daichi paused briefly, glancing upwards at him before returning to his work.

"....There's a slight improvement, but you still look ridiculous," he finally said in the same deep voice that was devoid of emotions.

"Really? That's quite the compliment coming from you! I have been getting a lot more looks from girls," Reiji grinned.

The first step to gaining some leverage against the King? Show that you're comfortable around him!

Maybe.

Reiji leaned back into his chair as he watched his father sign some of the papers, who then shifted his focus to his son at last.

"....You seem different," he stated indifferently, but his eyes narrowed a little.

'Damn, he noticed pretty quickly as I expected....'

This was going to be a battle of words between two inhumanly stubborn men, one guaranteed to end in a mess.