The graduates of Hyakkao Academy eventually took their designated places among the elites of society. Or at least, those that survived did, anyway. Few people were strangers to the rumors of a cruel hierarchy that bordered on slavery at times, but there was never any significant movement against the academy that ever went public, so the public in turn simply concluded that the rumors were indeed rumors, or at worst, an internal matter that was none of their business.
It was in this kind of world that I, Ryota Suzui, became an adult. I knew it had to happen when an old friend of mine finally drifted apart, forcing me to eke out a living for myself. Fortune smiled upon me, however, when I managed to work my way up to a stable gig as an insurance officer over the course of a few tumultuous years. Nowadays, I often looked upon the old me with a certain degree of scorn and pity. What an idiot I was back then, utterly swept up in the high-stakes world of Hyakkao Academy's underground. I could hardly believe I ever thought that kind of life would be feasible for me in the long run.
It was probably a blessing in disguise that she eventually parted ways with me. Her influence had been intoxicating, but also quite disturbing. I could never shake off the feeling that continuing our relationship would probably lead my life into some sort of catastrophic crash, but fortuitously, things were broken off before it ever got that bad.
So it was that I spent day after day doing the mundane work of ensuring that agreements were being fulfilled, claims were being vetted, and everything was on the up and up. Simple law-abiding work that gave me a steady paycheck and actually did some good for the world. Her memories still lingered, but I'd be over them soon, and start a new life with a girl who actually considered me something more than a piece of her game. And then, I'd finally be free of the fool I once was, and start life anew.
My daydream was broken by a phone call. Odd, this had been a remarkably slow day so far.
"Hello?"
"Is this Ryota Suzui, Allianz Japan's liason to the banks?" a gruff voice spoke.
"Uh...uh, yes." I gulped. "Is there anything you need, Takeru-san?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do. I need you at the Tokyo branch. We had an incident that needs to be seen to be believed."
"Oh..." I said, processing this sudden request. "I see, I'll be on my way."
Baffled by this strange turn of events, I put on my coat and headed straight for the Bank of Japan's Tokyo headquarters.
And when I saw the police cars swarming the place, I knew that Takeru-san hadn't bluffed in the slightest.