Vikram Malhotra thought Singapore was hard. Tokyo is worse.
Thirty days. Six acquisitions. One catastrophe threshold.
Starting at 5.3:1 karmic debt, Vikram navigates Tokyo's ancestral curse economy where every acquisition spikes his debt ratio toward 10:1 catastrophe. The Exchange demands 10% tribute. Section 15-D demands compliance. The KRC offers alliance. Three paths. One choice.
When 15-D containment freezes his ledger and the Exchange accelerates tribute to seven days, Vikram tests Restriction Override twice, escapes enforcement, and pivots to authorized broker status. Six acquisitions later, he signs Tier 3 binding (5M CU, 6% tribute, 24 months) and freezes debt at 5.0:1.
But Maria Santos calls from Singapore: Seoul brokers undercutting at 4%. Six clients stolen. War declared.
The tri-city corridor hangs in the balance.
The Cursed Commerce Chronicles - where karmic debt is the HP bar, tribute is the mana cost, and moral injury is permanent.
