Hayate had pulled off his act flawlessly.

  Hayate had to hold back an smile. Things had gone better than he thought. He had infiltrated one of the most powerful gangs of Japan, and now he was their leader.

  Hayate felt a sense of satisfaction. He had not only stopped the Black Snakes from going after Taro, but he had also gained a position of power within the gang. He had originally come here to protect Taro, but now he had a whole gang at his command.

  Hayate thought about what he would do next. He had control of the Black Snakes, but he knew he couldn’t just sit back and relax. There was a lot he had to do.

  Hayate looked at the members of the Black Snakes in front of him. There were over 200 of them, all looking at him expectantly. He turned to the enforcers, and then back to the normal members.

  “All normal members, go home. Except for the enforcers.”

  The normal members of the Black Snakes exchanged confused glances, but then obeyed Hayate’s command. They began to scatter and make their way out of the area. Only the enforcers remained, standing in front of Hayate.

  Hayate looked at the enforcers, his gaze cold and calculating. He could sense their loyalty to the previous boss, Tanaki, but he knew that they would have to accept him as their new boss. He spoke, his voice firm.

  “You all know that I am the new boss now.”

  The enforcers nodded, their expressions guarded.

  Hayate continued, “I am aware you all were loyal to Tanaki. But things have changed now. I am your new boss, and you will obey my commands, if anyone wants to go to Tanaki . They can leave.”

  The enforcers looked at each other, hesitating and 15 of them started to walk away.

  Hayate walked over to the enforcers who had started to walk away. As he approached, he activated [Death], and they all fell to the ground, dead. The remaining enforcers looked on in horror, shocked by the sudden display of power. This was a clear warning to them that Hayate was not to be messed with.

  Hayate turned back to the remaining enforcers, his expression stern. “Does anyone else want to leave?” he asked.

  The enforcers shook their heads, looking terrified.

  Hayate nodded in satisfaction. “Good. Then we are all on the same page.”

  He surveyed the enforcers, taking in their expressions. “Now, since this is your main HQ and it has been destroyed, there must be a side base?”

  One of the enforcers, older looking than the rest, hesitantly stepped forward. “Yes,” he said, his voice trembling, “we have a side base. It’s a few kilometers away from here.”

  Hayate nodded. “Good. Give me it’s address, We’ll start using that as our new HQ.”

  The enforcer nodded and quickly rattled off the address of the side base. Hayate listened carefully, committing it to memory.

  “Good,” Hayate said, satisfied. “Now, we have to discuss rules and such to make the change of power more smoother but all of that can be done tomorrow. You all can inform the rest of the members what happened here today and ask everyone, to come back to base by the day after tomorrow. All 2000 of them.”

  The enforcers exchanged glances, surprised by the mention of asking the entire gang back to the new base. They clearly hadn’t expected such a request.

  One of the enforcers spoke up, “Boss, with all due respect, we’ve never had the whole gang at one place before. It might be difficult to gather everyone in just two days.”

  Hayate’s expression hardened. “Difficult or not, it needs to be done. I want everyone in that base in tw— no three days, that’s fine for you?”

  The enforcer swallowed hard, clearly intimidated by Hayate’s tone. “Y-Yes, boss. Three days should be doable.”

  Hayate nodded, satisfied with the enforcers response. “Good. Make sure it happens. I don’t want any excuses.”

  The enforcers nodded, understanding the dire consequences of disobedience.

  Hayate looked at them, his gaze steely.

  “All of you can go back now.”

  The enforcers nodded and quickly departed from the scene, leaving Hayate alone in the rubble of the old base.

  As they left, Hayate allowed himself a small smile that showed his satisfaction. Things were going smoothly so far.

  Hayate then looked at the briefcases scattered on the ground, each one filled with documents and information related to the Black Snakes’ operations. There were 10 of them in total, and they represented a significant portion of the gang’s resources and secrets.

  He needed to collect them all.

  Hayate moved over to the cases and started to pile them on top of each other. They were surprisingly hefty, but for him, they were nothing.

  Once he had gathered all 10 briefcases, he picked them up effortlessly and teleported to his room in Tokyo, throwing them all on his bed, he sat down too, when he did a cloud of dust rose up and after a few moments settled back down.

  Hayate sighed but there was no time to rest. He looked at the contract he had signed with Tanaki. The last condition was to not kill Tanaki after this was signed..

  “I’m sorry,” Hayate said to himself. He had to die.

  Hayate closed his eyes and remembered Tanaki’s expression. That last moment when they shook hands. He had enjoyed that but there was a reason Hayate did that, he had casted a spell on Tanaki, allowing Hayate to know his location. That was the sole reason for that handshake.

  Now, Hayate could keep an eye on Tanaki and his movements, and it was a strategic move that he was satisfied with. Hayate then raised his hand and said, [Create fourth tier demon — Doppelganger]

  A crimson magic circle materialized on the ground in front of Hayate, its edges glowing brightly. Within the circle, an intricate web of letters and symbols rotated at a dizzying speed.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  From the confines of the magic circle, a blackish, red liquid pooled into a ball, suspended in mid-air. The substance was blackish red, almost like blood, but it had an otherworldly appearance, defying all laws of physics.

  With a slow and deliberate movement, the liquid began to change, transforming from a shapeless mass into something more defined. It started to take on the form of a human body, the limbs and torso forming in excruciating detail.

  The liquid seemed to stretch and pull as it took shape, like clay being manipulated by an invisible hand. The arms and legs first, slender and delicate, formed out of the pool. Then there was the torso, taking the form of a strong yet lean chest, followed by long, elegant fingers.

  This was a level 67 doppelganger, originally it had been level 45 but it was boosted by Hayate.

  Hayate looked at the doppelganger in front of him, taking in its form. Unlike the last one, this one had a more human-like appearance, although it was still distinctly monstrous, this was because every 10 levels a doppelganger’s base appearance changed.

  The doppelganger’ stood there, it was like naked human male but with pale skin without genitals, its face hidden by a featureless mask. Its limbs were long and thin, and it had long, spider-like fingers that seemed to twitch and move on their own.

  Hayate nodded, satisfied with the appearance of the doppelganger. “Good. Just as I wanted.”

  Hayate circled around the doppelganger, taking in every detail of its form. Despite its humanoid appearance, there was something distinctly uncanny about it, a sense of otherworldliness that set it apart from a real human. Hayate wasn’t going to make the same mistake as last time, this time this doppelganger’s Mission was going to be to replace Tanaki, not spy on him.

  The doppelganger stood still, its milky white eyes fixed on a point in front of it. Its body was poised and ready, waiting for commands. Hayate spoke up

  “Listen to me, Doppelganger,” Hayate said, his voice firm. “You are to kill this person and take his place.” While Hayate said ‘this person’ he was thinking of Tanaki and with their mental link the doppelganger seemed to know who Hayate was talking about.

  The doppelganger nodded in acknowledgement, and spoke up. Unlike the last one, this one could speak even in its base form.

  “Yes, I will do as you command,” the doppelganger replied in a voice that was neither male nor female, but rather a synthesized amalgamation of many different voices. “I will take the form of the target and eliminate him, master.”

  “Understand this: you will follow my commands without question. You will use [greater sending] to communicate with me at all times, and use [teleport] for any travel.”

  The doppelganger responded immediately, its voice flat.

  “Yes, master. I understand.”

  Hayate nodded once more, pleased with the doppelganger’s compliance. He knew that with this level of control, he could ensure that the doppelganger carried out his orders flawlessly.

  Hayate then began to give further instructions to the doppelganger, outlining its mission in more detail, explaining how it should act and behave in order to blend in with Tanaki’s circle...

  ————————————————————

  Tanaki sat on a pink heart-shaped bed in the vip room of a brothel, surrounded by fake roses made of plastic. The room was overwhelmingly pink, the walls and carpet all a shade of pastel, and it was clear that the room was designed to appeal to a certain kind of taste.

  Tanaki leaned back against the pillows, surveying the room with a smirk. It was over the top, but in a way, he kind of liked it.

  He picked up a fake rose from the nightstand, inspecting it with a raised eyebrow. The rose was made of a soft, silk-like material, and he twirled it between his fingers, amused by how lifelike it looked.

  Tanaki tossed the fake rose aside and leaned back on the bed, his thoughts wandering. The room was comfortable enough. He was waiting for the girl he had ordered to finish dressed up.

  He had paid extra for her to wear a specific outfit. It was a bit of a strange request, but Tanaki knew that money could buy almost anything in this city.

  It was a maid dress.

  He let out a soft chuckle, the image of the woman in the outfit already in his mind. He had a weakness for women in maid dresses, and he was looking forward to seeing his request fulfilled.

  He checked the time on a clock, tapping his fingers impatiently on the bed. He didn’t like waiting.

  He knew the woman was getting ready, but he was growing impatient. He wanted her here now. He looked down at his body, sure he may be old but he still had it in him.

  “Come on, already.” Tanaki muttered, drumming his fingers on the bed.

  He was starting to get antsy, the wait was starting to get to him.

  Just then, he heard a knock on the door.

  “About damn time.” He said, sitting up straight.

  The knock on the door came again, louder this time. Tanaki could hear soft footsteps approaching from the other side, and then a soft voice called out, “Master, may I come in? I’m done dressing up.”

  Tanaki grinned, his excitement growing despite himself.

  “Yes, come in,” he called out, sitting up straighter on the bed.

  The door opened, and a woman walked in, dressed in the maid outfit Tanaki had requested.

  The woman stepped into the room, the light from the ceiling lamp casting a soft glow on her figure. She was young and pretty, with long black hair that fell down to her shoulders in waves.

  She had a slender build, but her curves were accentuated by the tight-fitting maid outfit she wore. The dress was a classic black and white design, with a frilly apron that cinched her waist, making it look even thinner.

  The skirt of the dress was short, barely reaching the inner-thigh, and a pair of white tights went up to her legs, emphasizing the smoothness of her skin.

  Around her neck, she wore a black collar, and on her face, she wore light make-up.

  Her eyes were a deep shade of brown.

  She stood there, waiting for Tanaki’s reaction.

  Tanaki’s eyes widened when he saw her, taking in the full effect of the outfit. His earlier impatience forgotten, he let out a low whistle.

  “Damn,” he said, a lazy grin spreading across his face, “you look even better than I expected.”

  He gestured for her to come closer, his hand patting his lap.

  The woman moved forward, her heels clicking on the floor. She stopped in front of the bed, close enough for Tanaki to reach out and touch her if he wanted to.

  She stood there, her hands clasped in front of her, waiting for his next command.

  “Come here,” he said again, patting his lap once more. “Sit on my lap.”

  The woman obeyed, slowly making her way over to him.

  She sat down on his knee, her thighs almost touching his and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

  Tanaki’s hand went to her thigh, his fingers tracing circles on her skin.

  “You’re a good girl, aren’t you?” he murmured, his gaze roaming over her body again.

  The woman nodded, her expression schooled into one of obedience. “Yes, Master.”

  Tanaki chuckled, his hand moving higher up her leg. “Do you like it when I touch you?”

  The woman’s cheeks flushed slightly, her breath hitching in her throat as she nodded and leaned in for a kiss.

  Tanaki’s hand moved to her cheek, tilting her face towards him. He smiled at her, his eyes darkening with lust.

  “You’re so eager,” he murmured, his thumb brushing across her bottom lip.

  The woman parted her lips slightly, her breath mingling with his. She leaned even closer, her body pressing against his.

  Tanaki’s eyes widened as he leaned in for a kiss, but instead of the soft, familiar feeling of human lips against his, he was met with something monstrous.

  The woman’s mouth opened, and kept opening, her jaw dislocating to an almost impossible degree. Tanaki froze in horror as he realized that the face he had found so attractive was now nothing more than a mask, and the truth behind it was something straight out of a nightmare.

  The inside of the mouth was lined with sharp, jagged teeth that looked like they could tear through flesh like butter. A long, snake-like tongue writhed and lashed about, its slimy surface glistening in the low light. The woman let out a guttural, inhuman noise, its eyes glowing.

  Tanaki felt his heart racing in his chest, his mind refusing to accept what he was seeing. He tried to pull back, but her legs around his waist tightened their grip, preventing him from escaping.

  “What...what are you?” His voice was a hoarse whisper as he stared into the maw of the creature in front of him.

  The creature made a noise, a mixture of a cackle and a hiss. It leaned in even closer, its lips, if you could call them that, brushing against his cheek and it took in Tanaki’s head inside it’s mouth and then closed it. It’s teeth closed down on Tanaki’s head. It felt like he was being squeezed in a vice, the pain almost unbearable. His screams were muffled by the creature’s mouth, and he could feel its hot, slimy tongue wrapping around his head.

  This wasn’t real...this couldn’t be real...

  And then a loud crunch echoded throughout the room and with that, Tanaki was dead.

  And with that, the creature released its grip and let the lifeless and headless body of Tanaki fall to the floor.

  For a moment, there was silence as the creature surveyed its handiwork.

  Then, it closed its mouth with a loud snap and let out another guttural noise, this one sounding almost like a laugh.

  It had succeeded in its mission.