"The Troubleshooters of Gokurakugai" (
Summary[]
Mysterious events are unfolding on Gokurakugai's 8th Avenue, with disappearances and unexplained deaths. Alma and Tao run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter Agency and discuss a case involving infidelity evidence. They receive partial payment from their client, Mr. Cho, who is later threatened by Tao.
They then talk with Yaya, a waitress at the Hourai Restaurant, about the rising number of missing persons and animal remains in the district. Yaya suggests they investigate, but Tao explains they only act when hired. Auntie playfully scolds Yaya.
Alma notices a reward poster for a missing person, Yukiharu Nishi, outside their office. He meets Luka Kiyomine, who is searching for his missing friend, Yuki. Luka shares details about disfigured animal corpses in the alleys, which connects with what Yaya mentioned. Luka agrees to pay for their help.
Alma and Tao offer to assist Luka in finding Yuki. Luka initially doubts their sincerity, leading to a brief argument. Luka leaves as night falls but later returns to the alleys, finding Yuki and a monstrous creature. Alma arrives just in time, and Tao shoots the creature. They reveal themselves as Maga killers, and Luka learns about Alma's unique nature. Together, they defeat the Maga.
Later, they relax in their office. Luka visits with donuts and a metal standee for their agency. They plan to visit Yuki in the hospital after having a meal.
Plot Details[]
The Gokurakugai District's 8th Avenue
Strange things are happening on Gokurakugai's 8th Avenue, with people disappearing and dying mysteriously every day. The scene then shifts to the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter Agency, located above the Hourai Restaurant. Alma and Tao are meeting with their client, Mr. Cho, who wants to get rid of evidence of his cheating.
When Tao mentions the service fee, Mr. Cho interrupts and puts an envelope of money on the table. However, Alma becomes suspicious and checks the envelope, discovering it’s short on cash. Mr. Cho argues that they are overcharging him, but Tao stands her ground. She hints that they might release incriminating photos if he doesn’t pay the full amount and emphasizes that their agency is the only reliable option for handling his issue.
Alma and Tao currently eating their noodles at Hourai Restaurant
In a bold move, Tao lights her lighter in front of Mr. Cho, prompting him to pay up immediately. Frightened, Mr. Cho quickly complies and settles the bill.
Later, Alma and Tao are downstairs at the Hourai Restaurant, enjoying Chinese noodles. Yaya, a waitress and staff member, comments on Alma's hearty appetite and wonders why he doesn't gain weight. Alma innocently replies that the food usually goes to his rear. Yaya also scolds Tao for her lack of manners, but Tao ignores her, focused on reading the newspaper. The headline reports 108 missing people or deaths. Yaya then shares gossip from customers, mentioning the discovery of disfigured animal remains, mostly cats, with large bite marks and drained of blood. She adds that people have gone missing near these sites.
Yaya telling then that its their responsibility as troubleshooters to investigate
Yaya asks if they should investigate the strange occurrences as troubleshooters. Tao calmly explains that they only take action when hired, and since no one has requested their help, they haven't done anything. Yaya points out that their office is hard to find because of the big Mahjong Parlor sign outside. Alma offers to make a new sign.
Yaya insists they should address the issue first before worrying about signage. Tao asks about payment, and Yaya suggests they do it as a goodwill gesture, mentioning the danger she faces as a cute girl. Meanwhile, Auntie, busy cooking in the background, playfully spanks Yaya with a ladle, telling her to get back to work.
Alma met a young guy who's doing a wall painting outside their office building
After running errands, Alma returns to their building and notices a hand-drawn poster outside offering a 5 million yen reward for a missing person named Yukiharu Nishi. This makes him think about the potential food Tao could buy with such a big reward. While pondering, he smells chemicals nearby and investigates, finding someone spray-painting graffiti. Alma intervenes, punching the person in the head. Knowing both Tao and Auntie would demand compensation for graffiti repair, he stops the person, aware of the potential consequences. The individual explains that the graffiti is related to the missing person he is searching for and shows Alma the same hand-drawn poster, promising a 5 million yen reward.
Tao tells the young man to cover the cleaning expenses and suggests he sell his expensive-looking clothes to contribute towards the 300,000 yen he owes. Initially hesitant, the young man eventually reveals that he is the heir of the Kiyomine Zaibatsu and threatens to inform his parents of the extortion. He explains that he is trying to save money to find his missing friend. Intrigued, Tao asks for more details, and the young man, named Luka Kiyomine, shares the hand-drawn poster he had displayed outside. Frustrated, Luka discusses a recent case involving disfigured animal corpses in alleyways, similar to what Yaya mentioned. Two days ago, Luka's friend Yuki went missing, and his hat was found near an alleyway he frequented, where a disfigured bird corpse was also found. Luka believes that those responsible for the bird's death are also behind Yuki's kidnapping. He hesitates to share this information with Tao and Alma, slightly upsetting them with his choice of words.
Luka meets Yuki.
Luka faced bullying from his classmates due to his wealthy background, which he couldn’t help. His father disapproved of his passion for drawing, leading to frequent arguments over his manga supplies. One day, after his father cleared out his things, Luka was sketching outside when he met Yuki, who appreciated his art. Despite his father’s rule against befriending those he considered inferior, Luka made Yuki his first true friend. Luka’s graffiti outside the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter Agency was initially a way to connect with Yuki and might help find him. Luka is determined to locate Yuki and is willing to pay for help.
Tao and Alma offered to help Luka.
Alma and Tao expressed concern that the Gokurakugai District is too large for kids to handle alone, suggesting they might need help. They offered their assistance and introduced themselves, showing a sign they made out of cardboard. Luka found them suspicious, which frustrated Alma and led to a small argument. Feeling he had already shared enough and owed them nothing, Luka decided to leave. Back in the office, Tao noticed that "Disaster Hour" was approaching as darkness fell.
Luka walks through the streets, reflecting on his encounter with Alma and Tao. Although he feels they might be untrustworthy, he recognizes that they were the only ones who genuinely listened to him, especially since the police had dismissed his concerns. He decides to return to the back alleys to check on the graffiti he made earlier.
Luka spotted Yuki who's completely battered.
After thoroughly inspecting several alleys, Luka encounters a disturbing sight: a disfigured animal carcass and Yuki's hat nearby. As he continues deeper into the alley, he finds Yuki, battered and sweaty, leaning against a wall. Luka's relief and excitement at finding his friend are evident, reflecting his relentless search. However, Yuki, struggling to breathe, urgently warns Luka to stay away from the alley.
A Maga appeared infront of Luka.
Before Yuki can explain further, a terrifying creature appears before Luka. It has a shadowy, dark form that seems to emerge from a gateway. The creature is enormous, with three heads, a muscular upper body, long arms, and a lizard-like tail. Its large, fearsome teeth make it look even more menacing. The creature advances toward the defenseless Yuki, who is on the brink of being devoured.
In a bold move, Luka throws his bag at the creature, causing money to scatter everywhere. Just as the creature is about to attack Luka, Alma arrives. Luka quickly apologizes for his earlier mistrust and begs for help to save Yuki. Tao also arrives and uses a specialized gun to take a precise shot at the creature. The shot decapitates the creature and forces it to release Yuki.
Alma swiftly saved Luka!
With the immediate danger resolved, Alma quickly takes Yuki and hands him over to Luka, who is ready to fight the creature.
Alma reassures Luka, saying it will only take about three minutes to handle the situation. He then demonstrates his skills by swiftly disabling one of the creature’s heads. Curious about the creature, Luka asks Tao for more information. Tao explains that the creature is called a Maga, also known as a "disaster beast." These creatures are dangerous and feed on human blood and flesh. Magas are essentially monstrous beings created from the reanimated remains of humans and animals, which surprises Luka.
Tao clarifies that they are troubleshooters who handle cases involving Magas, often referred to as Maga killers. Luka expresses concern about Tao’s apparent lack of fear when facing such threats.
Alma transformed into his half-maga transformation.
While Alma fought the Maga, he signaled Tao to act. Tao chanted "Kai," which triggered Alma’s transformation into a demon-like form as he pulled out a karmic stake from his heart. Tao explained to Luka that Alma is unique, being a half-maga—a blend of Maga and human traits. Alma has Maga powers in his blood but must be carefully managed to prevent his heart from being overtaken by his Maga side, as his blood is neither inherently good nor evil.
In his transformed state, Alma defeated the Maga with a single strike, causing it to disappear. He then returned to his human form by reinserting the karmic stake into his heart. Luka, deeply grateful and emotional, held his unconscious friend Yuki and tearfully thanked Alma and Tao for their heroic rescue.
Luka surprised Alma and Tao with his newly designed signage for their agency.
After the battle, Alma and Tao relaxed in their office, chatting about various topics. Luka later dropped by, bringing a box of donuts that immediately caught Alma's interest. Luka offered to reimburse them for the money lost during the incident, but Alma and Tao declined, explaining that they don't accept payment for their "cleanup jobs." Instead, Alma suggested that Luka treat them to a meal once his art is recognized.
Luka asked about the sign Alma had made for the office, only to find out it had been ruined by rain. Hesitantly, Luka revealed a surprise: a metal standee with their agency’s name and signage, which he had designed himself. Alma playfully argued with Luka before agreeing to go with him to visit Yuki in the hospital. Alma proposed they have a meal first.
Gallery[]
Quick References[]
Chapter Trivia[]
- The Gokurakugai Troubleshooter Agency is situated on the second floor of the building located on the 8th Avenue in Gokurakugai, directly above the Hourai Restaurant.
Chapter Notes[]
- The chapter begins with mysterious occurrences on Gokurakugai 8th Avenue, setting the stage for a plot filled with disappearances and unexplained deaths.
- Alma and Tao, working at the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter Agency, are introduced, and they engage in a discussion with their client, Mr. Cho, about eliminating evidence related to his infidelity.
- The story introduces Yaya, a waitress at the Hourai Restaurant beneath their office, who shares unsettling information about missing individuals and disfigured animal remains in the area.
- The potential responsibility of the troubleshooters to investigate these cases is raised, but they have not received any official requests.
- The story introduces Luka Kiyomine, the heir of the Kiyomine Zaibatsu, who is searching for his missing friend, Yuki, and shares information about the disfigured animal corpses and Yuki's disappearance.
- Alma and Tao offer their assistance to Luka, leading to a brief argument but ultimately a willingness to help.
- A mysterious and monstrous creature known as a Maga appears, threatening Luka and Yuki.
- Alma and Tao intervene, revealing their abilities as troubleshooters who deal with Magas.
- The story delves into Alma's unique status as a half-maga and his ability to transform into a powerful form.
- Alma and Tao defeat the Maga, saving Luka and Yuki, and Luka expresses gratitude.
- In the aftermath, Alma and Tao relax in their agency office and engage in conversation with Luka.
- Luka's kind gesture of bringing donuts and designing a new agency sign strengthens their bond.
- The story concludes with Alma and Luka planning to visit Yuki at the hospital after sharing a meal.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Author's Comment[]
| Author's Comments | |
 |
Yuto Sano |
I would be happy if you enjoyed reading it. Thank you in advance.
| |