Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant-Chapter 357

“Neighhh!”

The bronze-colored Iron Horse cut across the Japanese night sky.

After listening to the crash course from the Yamaguchi Guild members, Su-ho came to a simple conclusion.

‘Start with the headquarters.’

Yamaguchi was far larger than he had imagined.

In fact, aside from a handful of prefectures, they had subordinate groups across almost all of Japan.

Meaning their scale was on a completely different level from Sumiyoshi, which only operated in Minato Ward.

But that didn’t matter.

Because Suzuki Endo belonged to Yamaguchi.

Regardless of size, if the enemy was Yamaguchi, then Su-ho had a perfect excuse to take down Suzuki Endo—the most accursed woman in all of Japan—at the same time.

‘Didn’t expect to get the chance to deal with them all in one sweep.’

Still, in terms of order, Suzuki Endo came second.

First, he had to destroy her family home—Yamaguchi itself. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

And so Su-ho rode the Iron Horse toward Kobe City in Hyogo Prefecture.

Kobe sat right next to Osaka.

Flying nonstop from Tokyo, Su-ho confirmed the location on his phone and immediately infiltrated the roof of Yamaguchi Guild’s headquarters building.

Fortunately, the rooftop door was unlocked.

Su-ho wrapped himself in buffs.

[ Blessing is activated. ]

[ Holy Enchant is activated. ]

[ Mana Perception is activated. ]

[ Endurance is activated. ]

[ Enhancement is activated. ]

[ Eye of the Blacksmith is activated. ]

[ Colorless Solitude is active. ]

With his buffs up and his face transformed by [Disguise], there was nothing to fear.

Opening the rooftop door and heading down to the next floor, he found offices as luxurious as Hiro’s mansion.

He thought it was late, yet the lights were still on—no one had left work.

A black company through and through.

Before opening the door, Su-ho rapped on the wall lightly, as if knocking.

[ Ultra-Strong Electromagnetic Pulse is activated. ]

In an instant, blue currents surged across Su-ho’s body, then spread along the wall he had touched, sweeping through the entire building.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Something exploded from within, and the whole Yamaguchi HQ plunged into darkness.

A mass blackout, just like during the incident with Russia’s Thirteen Nations.

“What the hell?!”

“What’s going on?!”

Flustered Yamaguchi thugs burst out of the offices.

Su-ho seized the timing and swung a blood club he drew from [Blood Armory].

Crunch!

“Gyaaahhh!!”

He didn’t use a sword.

Cutting would just splash blood everywhere.

Instead, he struck their clavicles, ribs, and arms, breaking bones in a single blow.

The place was dark, but that was fine.

[ Due to the Original Vampire effect, you are unaffected by darkness. ]

The vampire effect took care of it.

Using [Mana Perception], Su-ho located every thug hiding inside the office and broke their bones too.

He broke their legs as well—couldn’t have them running off.

He then used [Enthrallment] on one of them.

A heart appeared in the Yamaguchi man’s eyes.

“Your name.”

“Muyashi.”

“This is Yamaguchi Guild headquarters, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Where’s your boss?”

“The chairman is currently drinking with the heads of the subordinate groups.”

“Subordinates? How many?”

“I heard all of them, except for a few with circumstances, are attending.”

“That so?”

This was a schedule even the earlier Yamaguchi captives hadn’t known. Timing couldn’t be better.

Fortunately, Muyashi knew the location of the gathering. Su-ho wiped his memory and knocked him unconscious.

Then he returned to the rooftop and mounted the Iron Horse.

“Let’s go, Iron Horse.”

“Neighhh!”

The clever beast quickly found the banquet hall.

It was Sakaba, a high-class ryotei known as the finest establishment in Kobe.

From above, Sakaba resembled a grand Korean noble house, its wide grounds sprawling beneath.

Now—where was the Yamaguchi boss?

Finding him wasn’t difficult.

All he had to do was locate the biggest private room, the one with the densest cluster of people and mana.

After a brief moment’s thought, Su-ho leapt off the Iron Horse.

Whoooosh!

He plunged through the air.

And just as he struck the roof, he didn’t hesitate—he broke straight through into the building.

Kwah-boom!!

“Kyahhh!!”

“Wh-what the hell?!”

“What’s happening?!”

A deliberately loud entrance.

Su-ho rose from the cloud of dust, striking a classic hero landing pose.

“What the hell?”

“Get him!!”

“Kill him!!”

“Kyahhh!!”

The servers screamed and fled while the waiting yakuza charged Su-ho.

Su-ho stood his ground.

Then, as they closed in, he shouted, voice ringing with power.

“Enough!”

[ Mini Fear is activated. ]

[ Lion’s Roar is activated. ]

[ Overwhelm is activated. ]

Rumble!

Three debuff skills at once, powered by mana poured into his voice.

The effect was devastating—ordinary men fainted on the spot, and even Awakened collapsed in spasms, unable to regain control.

Not one remained standing.

There wasn’t a single person here who could withstand a level 236 debuff assault.

Scanning the room, Su-ho grabbed the nearest thug who looked like a lieutenant and cast [Enthrallment].

Even in his groggy state, a heart glimmered in the man’s eyes, and Su-ho asked,

“Which one’s Yamaguchi’s boss?”

“That man.”

Despite convulsing, the lieutenant pointed.

Su-ho followed the gesture.

The man indicated was relatively young—perhaps in his thirties—but held the densest mana among them.

‘But that’s not the face I remember...’

The Yamaguchi boss he knew looked nothing like this.

Apparently, while Su-ho’s attention had been elsewhere, Yamaguchi had gone through a change of leadership.

Su-ho asked,

“You’re Takeda Musashi, the eighth head of Yamaguchi?”

“Y-yes... who the hell are you...?!”

“Is that a yes or a no?”

“Die!”

Rotten or not, he was still a fish.

Instead of answering, the man swung a hidden blade from his sleeve.

Su-ho didn’t dodge.

He let the blade strike him.

Clang! The sword shattered on impact.

“......!”

Musashi’s eyes widened.

Su-ho smirked.

“Did you think a sneak attack would work? Forget it. In your current state, you can’t cut me.”

“What...?!”

“Come with me. I’m busy.”

Su-ho jabbed Musashi’s paralysis and sleep points, then stored him in the [Subspace House].

Afterward, he drew another blood club and laid into the remaining Yamaguchi thugs.

Whack! Whack! Thud!! Crack!!

“Gyaaahhh!!”

“S-spare me!!”

“Insane!!”

Screams echoed through the ryotei.

But Su-ho spared none of the yakuza—except the civilians—crippling every last one with at least severe injuries.

Then he issued his warning, loud and clear.

“Yamaguchi will soon be dissolved. If you want to live, quit the organization immediately and find your own path. If you ignore this warning and keep using the Yamaguchi name, I’ll cripple you or make sure you rot in prison for life. As proof, I’m taking your boss with me.”

With that, Su-ho vanished using [Shadow Step].

“......”

“......”

“......”

A bolt from the blue.

With their boss dragged off before their very eyes, not one dared to speak.

*

Akasaka, Sumiyoshi Mansion.

Yasuda Hiro stood in the residential quarters, gazing silently out over Tokyo.

It hadn’t been long since Su-ho left, promising to crush Yamaguchi.

His heart still pounded.

Not because Paranormal Ability and Yamaguchi had conspired to kill him.

But because the Union Vice President’s true identity had been revealed as none other than the Sword Saint, An Su-ho.

‘Is what he really after just... gates?’

He couldn’t understand it.

Would someone really orchestrate something of this magnitude just for a handful of gates?

But how could an ordinary man grasp the mind of a genius?

Once, he’d thought himself one of Japan’s brightest talents. But faced with the real thing, he found himself utterly speechless.

Hiro’s gaze shifted to the black spear embedded in the center of his living room.

The Guiyeong Spear.

Su-ho had said he’d return through it. Hiro had heard it with his own ears—yet he still couldn’t believe it.

It looked like nothing more than a spear. How could he possibly return through that?

Then—

Whooosh!

[ Shadow Step is activated. ]

A system alert chimed as black smoke-like effects spread from the Guiyeong Spear, and someone emerged.

Su-ho.

“Su-ho-nim?”

Seeing him, Hiro instinctively called his name.

The title had already changed—no longer “Vice President,” but “Su-ho-nim.”

There was no reason to call him Vice President anymore.

“Yes. I’m back.”

Su-ho greeted him lightly and brushed the dust off his clothes.

Then he pulled someone out of the [Subspace House].

Takeda Musashi.

The very boss of the Yamaguchi Guild he had just captured.

“Th-that man!”

Hiro’s eyes flew wide, as much as when he’d learned that the Union Vice President was really the Sword Saint.

Su-ho chuckled.

“At least you recognized another guild leader right away.”

“H-how did this happen? Why is he in your hands?”

“I went to Kobe. He happened to be drinking with his subordinates, so I roughed them all up and brought him back.”

Su-ho released Musashi’s paralysis and sleep points.

“Ghhkkhh!”

Finally able to breathe again, Musashi let out a strangled cry as he pulled himself together.

Then, spotting Hiro, his face twisted with fury.

“Sumiyoshi, you bastard...! Was this all your plan?!”

His rage and killing intent poured out.

Of course.

To him, Su-ho—disguised—would seem like nothing but a mercenary hired by Hiro.

Su-ho struck his points again, freezing him like a statue, then turned to Hiro.

“I looked into it a bit. Yamaguchi is bigger than I expected. It’ll take longer to dismantle than Inagawa.”

“Don’t tell me you mean to kill them all?”

“No. I plan to negotiate.”

“Negotiate?”

“Yes. I’ll go directly to Paranormal Ability and meet with Vice Minister Miyamoto. I’ll tell him to partner with Sumiyoshi instead of Yamaguchi. That way we can borrow the state’s hand to dismantle Yamaguchi.”

“What...?”

“Don’t worry. Of course I’ll ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) go with your face, not as An Su-ho but as the President of Sumiyoshi. After all, Union must officially withdraw from Japan. So... would you allow me to use your face for a while?”

Su-ho smiled as he asked permission.

In his grip, the Yamaguchi boss lay utterly helpless.

It was chilling.

“...Very well.”

“Thank you. Then I’ll see you again soon.”

With Hiro’s consent, Su-ho dragged Musashi out of the mansion once more.