Chapter 8 – Macau’s Most Powerful
Main Story 1, Chapter 3, Part 2
Novel Title: 獣はかくして囚われる (The Beasts are Ensnared This Way)
Author：風結子 沙野 (Fuyuko Sano)
Illustrator：小山田 あみ (Oyamada Ami)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 鹿倉 陣也 (Kagura Jinya -MC) & ゼロ (Zero -ML)
*Please read at freenovels.net, the original site of translation. TQ*
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Elio, introduced to them by Detective Somei, was a man in his mid-20s working as a ‘junket’—a concierge who caters to VIP casino guests. Junkets arrange hotel bookings, limousine transfers, and even private jets, effectively serving as personal butlers during a guest’s stay in Macau. It’s said there are hundreds of junket companies in Macau.
Somei, having grown up abroad and with a wide network, had been recruited to the Second Second of Organized Crime Unit, which handled international criminal organizations, for his language skills—similar to Sanae’s situation.
After the introductions, Sanae pleaded to visit the restaurant he’d seen on his tablet. Elio quickly secured them a table.
At a window-side seat with a vibrant neon-lit view of the nightscape, the three enjoyed a Portuguese meal together.
They savored a cataplana brimming with seafood, just as pictured, while Sanae asked a question.
“Elio-san, are you Macanese?”
The term refers to Macau locals of mixed Portuguese and Chinese heritage, stemming from the colony’s 400-year history.
“Yes, I am. My grandmother was Japanese, so I have Portuguese, Chinese, and Japanese ancestry.”
“Wow, is that why your Japanese is so good?”
“I learned from my grandmother. Plus, I became close with Detective Somei’s younger brother while at Harvard, which helped me practice.”
“Oh, so that’s the connection with Detective Somei.”
Sanae clapped his hands, intrigued, and continued, “So you can speak Chinese, Japanese, English, and Portuguese?”
“Yes. I can also manage in Korean, French, Italian, and Russian for work. I’m currently studying Arabic.”
“That’s amazing! I struggle with certain pronunciations in Russian…”
As Kagura sipped Madeira wine, he tuned out their conversation, letting the two indulge in a safe and neutral topic—a wise choice in a place where one could never be sure who might be listening or watching.
Serious information-gathering would begin after their meal, once they moved to the hotel room.
Once there, Kagura seated Elio and Sanae on the sofa and took a chair himself, diving straight into the main topic.
Elio seemed to have anticipated their investigative direction, as Somei must have briefed him, and had already done some digging.
“Unfortunately, human trafficking is rampant. Children kidnapped within China are often traded. Japanese individuals, however, are rare. It must be happening in a completely underground network I’m unaware of. As you know, several triads are active in Macau.”
Chinese triads are analogous to Japan’s yakuza—criminal organizations.
“Which group is the most powerful right now?”
When Kagura asked, Elio listed a few names and shrugged.
“Many of the ‘heihaizi’—the two hundred million so-called ‘black children’—are absorbed into the triads.”
Sanae’s eyes widened.
“Two hundred million? That’s more than Japan’s entire population!”
‘Heihaizi’—children without official registration, unrecognized by the state.
The image of Zero came to Kagura’s mind.
Zero had fought to prevent Japan’s unregistered children from being swept into lawless criminal organizations or becoming their victims.
And the most prominent of those criminal organizations was the Eastern Alliance, led by Toono Ryouji.
“But the strongest of all is Li Azhar.”
Elio’s comment made Kagura’s fingers twitch involuntarily.
“Li Azhar is influential even here in Macau, huh?”
“More than influential—he’s practically a monarch. He’s acquired numerous casinos and now virtually controls Macau’s economy.”
The casino revenue in Macau is said to be nearly seven times that of Las Vegas. Wealthy Chinese patrons, in particular, frequent Macau, spending extravagantly. Reports indicate that the number of wealthy individuals in China has surpassed those in the U.S.
The unimaginable wealth generated was being funneled into Li Azhar’s hands.
And Li Azhar was connected to Toono Ryouji.
Just the thought of the Eastern Alliance evolving into an international criminal organization filled Kagura with a sense of urgency and restlessness.
After their discussion, Elio guided them through a quick tour of an integrated resort.
Despite the late hour, police officers were visible on the streets, and contrary to Macau’s reputation as a ‘casino kingdom’, it felt surprisingly safe—a testament to its government-backed policies.
Yet the undeniable truth remained: Chinese triads and shadowy foreign powers like Li Azhar continued to operate in the shadows here.
Elio pointed to a towering black structure resembling an obelisk at the heart of the Cotai district.
“That is the ‘Invincible Castle’.”
“The ‘Invincible Castle’ is a global chain of VIP facilities owned by Li Azhar, isn’t it? There’s one in Roppongi, Japan, too,” Sanae remarked.
Kagura blinked in surprise.
“You knew about the ‘Invincible Castle’?”
“My mentor briefed me before we came. He said it’d be good to know about it.”
Elio shrugged.
“Ordinary people like us will never set foot inside. The ‘Invincible Castle’ here only admits the world’s wealthiest elites or royalty with invitation cards.”
In Japan, obtaining even the lowest-tier invitation card required a minimum purchase of 200 million yen, while the highest-tier card could go for 3 billion yen. Alternatively, special individuals—like Kiriyama from the legal aristocracy—could acquire them through connections.
The Macau Fortress likely had stricter selection criteria, with costs in an entirely different league.
As Kagura was once again confronted with Li Azhar’s dominance, they returned to their hotel well past 3 a.m. Exhausted from keeping his guard up to protect Kagura, Sanae fell onto the bed and immediately started snoring.
After taking a shower, Kagura sat on the sofa by the window, gazing out at the Cotai district. Even from here, he could see the sharp spire of the ‘Invincible Castle’’s obelisk.
The faint light of dawn began spreading over the city, dimming the once-vivid glow of the neon signs. But for those losing themselves in gambling inside the 24-hour casinos, oblivious to the passage of time, it didn’t matter whether the neon lights shone or not.
Somewhere in this fading city, someone tasked with eliminating him might be lurking.
Even if Kagura stayed confined to his hotel room, an attack was still possible.
Li Azhar commanded a private military force of elite soldiers from various nations. He also played the role of a war profiteer, dispatching his forces to global conflict zones.
In fact, staying in public places with plenty of witnesses might be safer.
Kagura must have fallen asleep while sitting on the sofa.
When he came to, he found myself crouching in front of an elevator—back in that familiar nightmare.
If he didn’t get on the elevator, he wouldn’t meet the girl with the rabbit mask inside the box, nor would he fall into the abyss. Yet, there was another version of him, eager to kick his hesitating self into the elevator.
At some point, a mist began to envelop everything.
A mist emanating from himself.
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Next update: 2025.11.24
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