Vagabond King

After contemplating my life a bit more and reconsidering all my decisions, I decided it was time to do something, eat.

However, I don't have a single penny on me. The ones who threw me here are truly ruthless; they didn't leave me with money, apart from my clothes.

Looking around for a few seconds, an idea struck me after seeing a homeless person begging for money on the sidewalk.

*SMIRK*

After taking off my shirt and pants, leaving myself semi-naked, with only a pair of black boxers covering the last of my dignity, I sat down next to the homeless person and spread my shirt in front of me.

I got my hands dirty with the street a bit before rubbing them on my face. I did the same on my torso and legs.

After that, I put on the most pitiful face I could muster while smiling at the people passing by.

"Money, food, please..."

"AAAHH!"

*POW*

After receiving a well-delivered punch to the face and a thousand-yen bill, probably out of guilt from the lady who hit me, I continued on the arduous and exasperating path of a vagabond.

"Hey buddy, I got here first, find your own spot."

"Eh?"

Right, there was another fellow life companion beside me; I almost forgot their presence, or rather, I almost completely ignored it.

"What are you talking about? I got here first."

The vagabond looked at me with a confused expression that seemed to say, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Brother, let's be honest, the job of old vagabonds is coming to an end. Nowadays, people give more money to the miserably young."

After giving him a lecture for a couple of minutes about the society and economy of the homeless like us, the old man looked at me with a gleam in his eyes as if he were seeing an unparalleled sage.

Indeed, the sage of poverty and wretchedness.

Actually, I came up with an idea...

*SMIRK*

---2 days later---

"And for and for our fellow homeless companions, we must fight!!"

I finished my speech, which would even make Churchill get down on his knees and beg for private lessons.

You're probably wondering why the hell I'm trying to be a cheap imitation of a certain Austrian painter. Let me explain. After receiving divine enlightenment and ascending to the realm of the Celestial Emperor, I discovered that I could make quite a profit from these guys and create an organization. I call it 'Down to the Bone'.

Yeah, I know, the name could be better and more creative. I'm not the best at this kind of thing, but whatever.

However, I must say, this business is more promising than it seems. I, Satochi, have become a great presence in this world. Yes, I have become the king of the vagabonds.

Now I have a continuous flow of money and problems with other gangs of vagabonds to deal with. However, the risk is worth it. Besides, it's not like a group of living skeletons would be very difficult to handle.

"Here are today's profits, sir."

"Thank you, Sato #1."

Yeah, I'm lazy enough to even remember their names, but you can't blame me. After all, I have over 100 people under my command. So, I just gave them the abbreviation of my name followed by a number, it works.

"Sato #1, take Sato #46 and Sato #32 with you to talk to the 'Until Starvation' gang and make it clear who's the boss here."

Wait, was it Sato #46 or Sato #76 who wasn't as malnourished? Ah, it doesn't matter, a few more crumbs won't make much difference.

"Send me a pigeon if things go wrong. I'll go for a walk."

"Yes, sir."

After grabbing a couple of thousand yen, I left the base of our organization, or at least that's what I call this place under a bridge.

Today is the day I finally venture into this new world, a world full of endless possibilities, and maybe mysterious powers yet to be discovered.

I must say, there are things I don't quite understand in this world, like why people have such... flashy hair colors?

You can see people with hair colors ranging from red to white, passing through blue, yellow, purple, etc.

After walking for a few minutes, I saw something, something incredible, something that made my whole perspective on life change, something that put a look of horror on my already disfigured face.

A man

But he wasn't just any man, he was an ugly man.

A man so incredibly ugly that even your best friend's face wouldn't compare.

Something truly incredible.