Chapter 1

## The Troubleshooters of Gokurakugai

* Textless
* Volume
* Magazine

## Chapter Chronology

**"The Troubleshooters of Gokurakugai"** (極 (ごく) 楽 (らく)  街 (まち) の解 (かい)  決 (けつ) 屋 (や) , *Gokurakugai no Kaiketsu-ya*) serves as the inaugural chapter in both the debut volume and the entire series of *Gokurakugai,* a work written and illustrated by Yuto Sano.

## Summary

The chapter begins with mysterious occurrences on Gokurakugai 8th Avenue, involving disappearances and unexplained deaths. Alma and Tao run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter Agency, discussing a case involving evidence of infidelity. They receive partial payment from their client, Mr. Cho, who is then threatened by Tao.

Later, they talk with Yaya, a waitress at the Hourai Restaurant, about the increasing number of missing persons and animal remains in the district. Yaya suggests they investigate, but Tao explains they only act when hired. Auntie playfully reprimands Yaya.

Alma notices a reward poster for a missing person, Yukiharu Nishi, outside their office. He encounters Luka Kiyomine, who's looking for his missing friend, Yuki. Luka shares information about disfigured animal corpses in alleyways, leading them to connect. 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 small argument. Luka leaves as darkness falls. Luka returns to the alleys and finds Yuki, but a monstrous creature appears. Alma arrives, and Tao shoots the creature. They reveal themselves as Maga killers. Luka learns about Alma's unique nature, and they defeat the Maga together.

Afterward, they relax in their office. Luka visits, bringing donuts and a metal standee for their agency. They plan to visit Yuki in the hospital after a meal.

## Plot Details

The chapter commences with an introduction detailing the peculiar occurrences on Gokurakugai 8th Avenue, where daily disappearances and unexplained deaths have taken place. The narrative then transitions to the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter Agency, situated above Hourai Restaurant. Within this setting, Alma and Tao engage in a discussion with their client, Mr. Cho, concerning the elimination of evidence related to his infidelity.

When Tao mentions the service fee, Mr. Cho promptly interrupts by placing an envelope containing money on the table. However, just before leaving their office, Alma becomes suspicious of his intentions. Upon inspection, he discovers that the money in the envelope falls short. Despite Mr. Cho's assertion of excessive charges, Tao remains resolute and shifts towards a threat, alluding to the potential release of incriminating photographs they've gathered. She emphasizes that their agency is the only trustworthy option for handling matters of his nature.

In a bold gesture, Tao ignites her lighter before Mr. Cho, prompting a request for immediate payment. Fueled by his apprehension, Mr. Cho promptly complies with the demand, ensuring swift settlement.

Alma and Tao are presently situated beneath their office, the Hourai Restaurant, where they're enjoying Chinese noodles. Yaya, a waitress and staff member of the establishment, expresses envy towards Alma's hearty appetite and apparent lack of weight gain. She inquires about the destination of all the food he consumes, to which Alma naively responds that it typically goes to his posterior.

Yaya also admonishes Tao for her perceived lack of manners, but Tao dismisses her, engrossed in her newspaper reading. The newspaper headline reports a significant number—108—of missing individuals or reported deaths. This leads Yaya to share information she's gathered from customers, mentioning the appearance of disfigured animal remains in alleys, predominantly cats with substantial bite marks and drained of blood. She notes that people have gone missing in proximity to these locations.

In response, Yaya questions whether it's their responsibility as troubleshooters to investigate. Tao calmly explains that their services are sought by those in need, and since they haven't received any relevant requests, they haven't taken action. Yaya insists that their agency's office is hard to locate, partly due to the prominent Mahjong Parlor sign outside. Alma offers to create a new sign.

Although Yaya urges them to address the pressing issue before dealing with signage. Tao inquires about payment, prompting Yaya to suggest they do it as a gesture of goodwill, highlighting the risk she faces as a cute girl. In the midst of the conversation, Auntie, who is busy cooking in the background, playfully reprimands Yaya by spanking her with a ladle to get back to work.

After completing errands, Alma returns to their building and notices a hand-drawn poster affixed outside offering a 5 million yen reward for a missing person named Yukiharu Nishi. This provokes thoughts of the potential food Tao might provide with such a substantial reward. While pondering, he detects a chemical odor nearby and investigates, finding an individual engaged in spray graffiti. Alma intervenes, delivering a decisive punch to the individual's head. Aware that both Tao and Auntie would demand compensation for graffiti repair, Alma stops the person, understanding the potential consequences. The individual clarifies that the graffiti serves a purpose—it's related to the missing person he's searching for. He then shows Alma the hand-drawn poster, identical to the one he noticed earlier, promising a 5 million yen reward.

Tao requested the young man to cover the cleaning expenses and also suggested he sell his expensive-looking clothes to contribute towards the total amount of 300,000 yen she indicated he owed. Despite initial hesitation, due to Tao's intimidating demeanor, he eventually disclosed that he's the heir of the Kiyomine Zaibatsu and threatened to inform his parents of the extortion. He explained that he's working hard to save up money to locate his missing friend. Intrigued by his story, Tao inquired further, leading him to share a hand-drawn poster he had displayed outside. Frustrated by the situation, Luka Kiyomine, as he introduced himself, discussed a recent case involving disfigured animal corpses in alleyways, information they had heard from Yaya. Two days prior, Luka's friend Yuki had gone missing, and his hat was found near an alleyway he frequented, where a disfigured bird corpse was also discovered. Luka believed that the individuals responsible for the bird's death were also behind Yuki's kidnapping. He expressed doubt about sharing this information with Tao and Alma, which slightly upset them due to his choice of words.

Luka faced bullying from his classmates due to his wealthy background, even though it wasn't his choice. His father disliked his interest in drawing, leading to occasional conflicts over his manga tools. One day, his father cleared his things, and while sketching outdoors, Luka met Yuki, who admired his art. Despite his father's rule against associating with lowly beastmen, Luka befriended Yuki, valuing him as his first true friend. Luka's graffiti outside the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter Agency initially helped them connect and might aid in finding Yuki. Luka is determined to locate Yuki and is willing to pay for help.

Alma and Tao expressed concern that the Gokurakugai District is too large, suggesting kids can't solve it alone. They offered assistance, introducing themselves and their agency's sign which is drawn by Alma using a cardboard. Luka found them suspicious, frustrating Alma, leading to a small argument. Feeling he'd shared his story enough and owed them nothing, Luka left. In the office, Tao noticed the approaching "Disaster Hour" as darkness fell.

Luka strolls down the streets, pondering his recent encounter with Alma and Tao. Despite feeling that they might be untrustworthy, he acknowledges that they were the only ones who truly listened to his story. This stands out especially since the police had dismissed him. Interrupting his thoughts, he decides to return to the back alleys to inspect the wall paintings he created earlier.

After carefully inspecting various alleys, he comes across a disturbing scene. Nearby, he notices a disfigured animal carcass accompanied by Yuki's hat. As he continues further, he spots Yuki, battered and sweaty, leaning against a wall for support. Luka's excitement at finding him is palpable, indicating his relentless search. However, Yuki, struggling to catch his breath, urgently warns Luka to steer clear of the alley.

Before Yuki can elaborate, a formidable and monstrous creature emerges right before Luka's eyes. The creature's appearance is eerie, with a shadowy and dark form that materialized akin to a gateway from the depths. It possesses an imposing stature with three heads, a muscular upper body, long arms, and a lizard-like tail. Its large teeth dominate its head, giving it a fearsome demeanor. The creature advances toward Yuki, who is defenseless and on the verge of being devoured.

In a swift act of bravery, Luka hurls his bag at the creature, scattering the money in all directions. Just as the creature is about to engulf Luka as well, Alma arrives on the scene. Alma's presence prompts Luka to express remorse for his earlier mistrust and implore for assistance in saving Yuki. Tao, also present, employs a specialized gun to deliver a powerful shot to the creature. The shot is precise, causing the creature's decapitation and a significant impact that compels it to release its grip on Yuki.

With the immediate danger alleviated, Alma swiftly takes hold of Yuki and rushes to Luka, transferring Yuki into his care. Meanwhile, Luka assumes a combat stance, prepared to confront the creature head-on.

Alma reassured Luka not to worry, estimating that it would only take a short three minutes to handle the situation. He then proceeded to demonstrate his capabilities by swiftly disabling one of the creature's heads. Curious about the creature's identity, Luka turned to Tao for answers. Tao explained that the creature is called a Maga, sometimes referred to as "disaster beasts." These creatures are formidable and dangerous, known for consuming human blood and flesh. Tao further clarified that Magas are essentially monstrous entities formed from the reanimated remains of both humans and animals, a concept that initially surprised Luka. Tao's explanation led Luka to question the nature of their own roles. Tao confirmed that they are troubleshooters who discreetly resolve cases involving Magas, often referred to as Maga killers. Luka expressed his concern about Tao's lack of fear when dealing with such creatures.

Meanwhile, as Alma engaged in combat with the Maga, he signaled Tao to take action. Tao chanted "Kai," triggering Alma's transformation into a demon-like form as he withdrew a karmic stake from his heart. Tao explained to Luka that Alma is a unique being, born from the merging of Maga and human elements. Alma possesses the special powers inherent to Magas in his blood, making him a half-maga. Tao had diligently guided Alma to prevent his heart from being consumed by the Maga side, as his blood carries neither inherent goodness nor malevolence. In his transformed state, Alma swiftly defeated the Maga with a single strike, causing it to vanish. He then reverted to his human form by reinserting the karmic stake into his heart. Overwhelmed with gratitude and emotion, Luka held his unconscious friend Yuki and tearfully thanked Alma and Tao for their heroic intervention.

In the aftermath of the battle, Alma and Tao relaxed in their agency office while having some conversation covered various topics. Luka later visited, bringing along a box of donuts that caught Alma's immediate attention. During that incident, Luka expressed his desire to reimburse them for the money he lost during the incident, but Alma and Tao declined, stating that they don't accept payment for their "cleanup jobs." Instead, Alma suggested that Luka treat them to a meal once his art gains recognition.

Luka inquired about a sign that Alma had crafted for the office, only to learn that it was ruined by rain. Luka hesitantly revealed a surprise he had prepared—a metal standee bearing their agency's name and signage, which he had personally designed. Alma playfully engaged in a brief argument with Luka before agreeing to accompany him to visit Yuki at the hospital. Alma, however, proposed that they have a meal first.

## Lead Page Illustration

The lead page illustrates Alma's arrival at the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter Agency, carrying a laundry bag while swiftly making his way to address the persistent ringing phone. Tao is seated, engrossed in reading and smoking, as Alma notices her. Alma playfully nudges Tao about not answering the phone, and then he proceeds to take the call, using the agency's usual tagline.

## 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

**Alma**Debut
**Mr. Cho**Debut
**Tao**Debut
**Yaya**Debut
**Auntie**Debut
**Luka Kiyomine**Debut
**Yukiharu Nishi**Debut
**Classmates**Flashback
**Luka's Father**Flashback
**Police Officers**Flashback