Read Part 1 here

Five minutes after settling into his room, just as Daisuke was about to drift off, a knock resonated at the door. He was alone, having opted against taking bodyguards. He feared offending the local yakuza, particularly oyabun Hideyo, who might view the presence of his own men as a breach of trust.

“Who’s there?” he called from behind the door.

“Daisuke-san, we need to discuss something,” replied a man with a Russian accent, speaking fluent Japanese.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Daisuke inquired, fully aware that this visitor was likely sent by the Bratva, either to recruit him or eliminate him.

“Ah, the classic questions! Shall we continue our conversation from behind this door, or will you let me in?” the man taunted.

“What if I choose not to? What will you do?” Daisuke asked while discreetly texting oyabun Hideyo for assistance.

“Well, I’ll have to be less kind if you refuse. Please step aside; I’d hate to accidentally kill you,” he warned, prompting Daisuke to quickly move out of the way. Moments later, he heard two gunshots as the man shot through the door’s lock. His message to the oyabun had just gone through.

A tall man, reminiscent of a Russian, entered the room, brandishing a SIG Sauer P320 fitted with a silencer and an Inforce light. With blond hair and a stout build, he wore a smile that suggested he held the answers to life's profound questions.

“Greetings, Daisuke-dono. A pleasure to meet you,” he said with a slight bow. “I’ve heard much about you; legends from the ’90s and ’00s claim you’ve taken more than 30 lives, some with your bare hands. You don’t seem so... lethal now, but I suppose time affects us all,” he winked.

“I’ll ask you again: What do you want? And you’d best hurry, as the local yakuza are en route. I’d prefer not to have my room painted in blood.”

“I’m merely a humble broker, Daisuke-dono, and I’ll be gone before you can say ‘vodka is superior to sake.’ My name is Alexei Ivanov Nikolaevitch, and I’m here to facilitate a meeting. We understand your purpose for coming from Tokyo, and this meeting aims to reassure you and the yakuza clan leaders that we pose no threat and wish only to conduct business with you. I cannot disclose more at this moment, but have your bosses arrive at these coordinates or send trusted men tomorrow at midnight. I will act as the interpreter. Farewell!”

The Russian concealed his weapon and swiftly exited, leaving Daisuke to ponder a business card marked with coordinates. A few minutes later, three yakuza members armed with katanas burst into his room, seeking the threat to their guest.

“It’s fine, gentlemen; he departed some time ago. Please thank oyabun Hideyo for me, but I was not in any danger—only my door was,” Daisuke assured them, gesturing toward the damaged entrance.

Then, a fourth unarmed individual entered. Daisuke recognized him as Hisoka Izanagi, Hideyo’s right-hand man and likely his successor. Hisoka bowed deeply.

“Daisuke-dono, I sincerely apologize for placing your life in jeopardy on our territory. This hotel is under our protection, and our disgrace is compounded. I had assigned two of my finest men to discreetly guard your room, but I found them asleep. The Russian cowardly incapacitated them with a tranquilizer dart; it would have been more honorable had he attempted to kill them…” Daisuke interjected.

“Lift your head, Hisoka-san, and meet my gaze,” he instructed. Hisoka slowly complied.

“Listen carefully. You bear no shame in this. I’m relieved your men are unhurt. Do not be too harsh on them when they awaken. That man was likely a captain or higher in the Bratva; he even spoke decent Japanese. His demeanor conveyed confidence—self-assured but not arrogant, and very well-trained.”

“The Russians sent one of their finest for this. The purpose remains unclear; they may wish to impress us or declare war. Time will reveal the truth.”

Daisuke showed Hisoka the card with the coordinates. Hisoka snapped a picture and examined the location.

“That’s situated right in the heart of the Tokachi wheat fields, approximately 160 miles east! Why there, of all places? It’s desolate, simply wheat fields and barns. I suspect a trap. What time did he specify?”

“Tomorrow at midnight. Even the chosen time seems ominous. I suspect it could be a trap, but for what reason? He didn’t threaten us, merely stated that his colleagues would explain their large presence in Hokkaido. However, that could merely be a facade,” Daisuke replied.

“Better safe than sorry; I’ll leave two men here with you. Takai-kun, you’re returning with me to report to oyabun!”

“Yes, bosu,” Takai responded. Hisoka bowed repeatedly as he retreated.

“I sincerely apologize again, Daisuke-dono, and vow to make amends for this disgraceful night. Our honor—my honor—demands it. I shall report to the oyabun, while you can inform your own. I doubt you’ll fly to Tokyo in the morning, so I expect to see you again. Good night.”

“Indeed, I doubt that too. Good night, Hisoka-san.”

Hisoka Izanagi positioned his two men just outside Daisuke Ono’s room, murmured inaudible commands, and promptly left with young Takai.

Daisuke then contacted the oyabun of Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan’s most powerful yakuza syndicate.

“I apologize for the late call, oyabun Shinoda, but this matter couldn’t wait until morning.”

“What troubles you, Daisuke-san? You sound distressed,” oyabun Shinoda replied.

“We face a significant issue with the Russians.”

The following morning, the sky was clear, void of even the smallest cloud. It seemed as though the previous week’s snow had been fully exhausted. Daisuke Ono pondered whether this was a positive omen for the night ahead.

He was not inclined to believe in signs, omens, or luck, but he welcomed any assistance he could find. His conversation with oyabun Shinoda had seemingly escalated the situation.

“They did what? They shot through your door and incapacitated two of oyabun Hideyo’s men with tranquilizer darts?” oyabun Shinoda exclaimed, furious. Daisuke attempted to soothe him.

“Now that you mention it, it does sound severe, oyabun Shinoda, but it could have been far worse had the Russian killed those men. We would then be in open conflict. However, I’m certain Hisoka-san has dispatched men to search for the Russian as we speak.”

“This is no trivial issue, Daisuke-san. The audacity of the Russians cannot go unpunished. If that man was indeed a Bratva captain, he was acting under orders from a Bratva general, likely tasked with instigating us by you-know-who. I trust you’ve made the connection.”

“The Russians believe they can belittle us on our own territory, within a hotel under yakuza protection. That cannot be allowed! Business, my foot! In the middle of nowhere with just one day’s notice, and they expect the oyabuns to attend. The Russians’ shamelessness knows no bounds!” oyabun Shinoda seethed.

“So, what will you do, oyabun Shinoda-dono?”

“I will confer with the other oyabuns once we conclude this call. Together, we will decide on a course of action. I will propose sending not a small delegation of high-ranking yakuza but at least 40 men. That should suffice. As you mentioned earlier, oyabun Hideyo has recently received reinforcements from the smaller clans, so sending more may imply a lack of trust in their ability to safeguard their own territory.”

“Forty men sounds reasonable, especially considering oyabun Hideyo will have 200 men available tomorrow,” Daisuke agreed.

“As you know from previous meetings, each side typically brings far more personnel than initially agreed upon. Even if the Russians bring their full contingent of 100 men, I believe we can handle them. However, given that they will be armed, we must also be prepared with weapons.”

“I’ll arrange for several crates of Heckler & Koch MG4 machine guns to be sent via the Shinkansen tomorrow morning. A reliable and lethal choice. Forty should be adequate. I know Hideyo-dono won’t touch them; they will be designated solely for our men.”

“Excellent, oyabun Shinoda. I’ll be on standby tomorrow to collect our men from the airport. We will retrieve the weapons together. Do you need any further clarification regarding the Russian situation or my discussion with oyabun Hideyo?”

“No, I’m fine, Daisuke-san. Get a good night’s sleep. I trust you’re safe there. The silver lining in this situation is that we are indeed sending our men to Hokkaido. I will personally instruct them to show all due respect to the island’s yakuza and avoid behaving like arrogant men from the capital. They must understand that they are guests there, and above all, must not mock their accent.”

“Good night, oyabun Shinoda.”

“Good night, Daisuke-san.”

Read Part 3 here