Ch.158 Transparent Tape, Sticky Hair, Becoming Bald

The sounds of penetration and shattering echoed loudly.

It was as if Kyogre had leaped into a pond of Magikarp, or Groudon had barged into a nest of Torkoal.

The front gate of the headquarters of the highest authority in the Japanese jujutsu world was forcibly breached in the most aggressive manner.

The orderly atmosphere was instantly shattered.

Mid- and lower-level staff were bewildered and anxious. How could someone dare to cause trouble at the Jujutsu Union headquarters? Had the world gone mad, or had they?

Those who truly held power, the higher-ups, wore varied expressions.

Some smiled bitterly, some panicked, some covered their faces, and some gloated.

"The worst-case scenario has happened."

"Quick, contact the special task force and have them cancel the operation immediately."

"We can't cancel it. If we do, we'll be completely at their mercy. On the contrary, we need to intensify our efforts. He cares so much about the Pokémon; we can use that as leverage to negotiate with him."

"That's right. We haven't lost yet."

As soon as the words fell, another violent tremor shook the building, accompanied by a deafening explosion.

In an instant, a hole large enough to accommodate a Steelix or Gyarados opened in the ceiling of the conference room.

A black-haired, squinty-eyed young man crouched at the edge of the hole in a JoJo-esque pose, his voice teasing but laced with bone-chilling coldness:

"Oh, so that's what you think, huh?"

"A-Akira…" The director in charge of supervision and special affairs tried to force a smile. "It's… it's all a misunderstanding… It was all Ijūin's unilateral decision. W-We only just found out."

As soon as he spoke, several nearby people quickly chimed in:

"Yes, yes, we only just found out too."

"It's… it's all a misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding?"

Akira laughed in exasperation.

No way, no way, no way.

I thought that as veterans of the jujutsu world, you would have some profound insights, but I never expected such a ridiculous and laughable excuse.

Are you, a group of people whose combined age exceeds 500, stupid, or am I?

"Then let's have a 'misunderstanding' too."

Without needing to say more, with a single thought, Gardevoir's psychic energy naturally manifested, pressing everyone in the conference room to the ground, leaving only their heads free to move.

Not everyone accepted this passively.

The jujutsu world, and indeed all of Japan, adhered to the principle of "elitism." The weakest among the higher-ups were at least semi-Grade 1.

The conference room itself represented the most elite combat force in the jujutsu world, aside from the Special Grades.

However, the suppressive power of Psychic-types in reality was too strong. Even under the same conditions, Darkrai, with its higher base stats, couldn't achieve such dominance.

Gardevoir was also in a state of fury. The more the enemies resisted, the greater the pressure they faced.

As a result, several dents were left in the conference room floor, mostly from knees pressing down. The condition of those knees was self-explanatory.

One director, who was pressed down the hardest, seeing no hope of resistance, simply stiffened his neck and said:

"Director Ijūin has dispatched special task forces to deal with your classmates and every single Pokémon. Aren't you worried about them at all?"

"This… Director Minami, right? How do you expect me to answer? If I say I'm not worried, you'll use it to sow discord among my companions? If I say I'm worried, you'll use it to blackmail me? Or should I be even more aggressive, threatening that for every hair they lose, I'll use transparent tape to pull out ten of your hairs, and see who's tougher, who can endure more?"

Hearing Akira's clear and comprehensive response, Director Minami felt a faint sense of foreboding.

Could this sixteen-year-old minor have anticipated all of this?

Distracted for a moment, he suddenly noticed Akira had already approached him, still in a half-crouch posture, still looking down at him in a way that was intolerable for someone in a position of authority.

If it were anyone else, he would have used every ounce of his power, both overt and covert, to crush them into the dirt, forcing them to kneel and beg for mercy like a dog.

Unfortunately, he couldn't.

He had to endure the humiliation of Akira slapping his face with a smartphone: "No need to rush to give me an answer. Take your time to think. I have plenty of time and I'm in no hurry to leave. Once you've decided on the outcome, you can try to blackmail me then. After all, the more leverage you have, the stronger your negotiating position, don't you think? Oh, I almost forgot, you're not in a position to move. Should I ask for you? Do you want to give me your contact information?"

Director Minami fell silent.

Akira didn't mind. He stood up, waving his phone: "The same goes for the rest of you. If anyone wants to make contact, just let me know. I'll handle it one by one. Calling the police, seeking reinforcements, exposing this to the media, or finding mediators—it's all fine. I promise to tell the truth."

"..." Still, no one answered.

"Not saying anything? Then we'll just wait for the results." Akira leisurely scrolled through his phone.

Five minutes later, Akira received the first message on his Line.

Sender: Yuta Okkotsu

Content: Intruders discovered at the school. All have been subdued and handed over to Panda and Inumaki for interrogation.

Two minutes later, a second Line message arrived.

Sender: Maki Zenin

Content: Have rendezvoused with Serperior. Everything is proceeding according to plan.

At the same time, a third Line message came through.

Sender: Hayami

Content: We're coming to take you home.

Akira calmly showed the messages to every higher-up, walking around the conference room before returning to the stubborn, knee-hardened Director Minami: "It seems all your plans have fallen through. What will you do next?"

The foreboding premonition became reality. Director Minami's face turned ashen, his already wrinkled lips moving but producing no sound.

"No rush, take your time to think. You can give me your answer when the people coming to take me home arrive."

With that, Akira casually found an empty seat, propped his feet up on the conference table without a care for appearances, and leaned back comfortably in the soft leather chair, closing his eyes to rest.

A pair of emerald hands rested on his temples, gently massaging him.

The young man opened his eyes and smiled. The Psychic girl, who had long been accustomed to following him, also smiled with narrowed eyes.

But behind that smile, the psychic energy enveloping the entire conference room didn't weaken in the slightest. Instead, it intensified further, making even turning one's head or moving one's mouth a luxury.

I can't let you disturb my master's rest.

For today, my master has been staying up late for several nights, just to lure you scheming villains into the trap.

Meanwhile, inside the Sealing Chamber at Tokyo Jutsu High.

Panda and Pangoro stood on either side, each wielding a whip, their expressions ferocious, their appearance somehow giving off a dark vibe.

The grudge our dad (or rather, our nanny) bore from being imprisoned and coerced in the past—we'll settle it this time.

Inumaki Toge sat calmly in the center, playing with all sorts of strange tools, the curve of his mouth even making Growlithe shiver.

The sunny and cheerful Growlithe was learning for the first time that its little master had such a "terrifying" side.

Indeed, Inumaki Toge was the most good-natured and well-behaved student at Tokyo Jutsu High, but don't forget he was also Gojo Satoru's student. The gene of "madness" flowed in his bones.

Cursed Speech: "Transparent tape, sticky hair, become bald."