The Yakuza's Second Life

Crimson Shura. That was the name whispered in fear across the neon-lit streets of Tokyo’s underworld. Once the youngest and most feared wakagashira in the Kurojin-kai syndicate, Akashi Ren carved his name into the bones of rivals and rose through the blood-soaked hierarchy with ruthless precision. But power breeds envy, and loyalty is a brittle thing among wolves. Betrayed by those closest to him, Ren was tortured for days—his body broken, burned, and carved until death finally embraced him like a mercy. It was a death so brutal that even the Angel of Death might have turned away. But the story doesn't end there. Ren awakens in a crumbling orphanage in 1980s Japan—the height of the Bubble Era—reborn as a nameless boy with nothing but scars from his past life etched into his soul. The orphanage is run by Tetsugawa Rintaro, a principled yet feared kyodai in the lesser-known Shiden-kai family, a man known more for his stern discipline and warm meals than his bloodstained past. Rintaro offers orphans a sliver of hope—a place to eat, learn, and live without selling their souls to the streets. But fate has its own rhythm, and Ren—now given the name “Ryuji" —finds himself drawn back into the underworld he thought he had left behind. With the scars of his past haunting his every step, Ryuji is determined not to repeat the mistakes that led to his violent demise. However, the underworld never truly lets go. As the Bubble Era inflates, so does the power struggle within Japan’s criminal factions. The Shiden-kai, once a minor player in the shadows, is on the brink of expanding—an opportunity that attracts both allies and enemies. Ryuji, with his unparalleled street smarts and cold precision, quickly attracts attention from both sides. While Rintaro tries to keep the boy away from the family's criminal ties, Ryuji finds himself entangled in a world of betrayal, ambition, and bloody loyalties once again. But there’s a difference now—Ryuji has knowledge of the future, the lessons learned from his past life, and the cold rage of a man who has already tasted death.