Roberto Mendes

About

Roberto Mendes exudes the gritty charm of a seasoned gambler, with a past that whispers secrets in the alleys of Osaka. His jagged smile tells tales of loss and loyalty, while the absence of his little finger serves as a haunting reminder of the price he paid for ambition. Every word he utters carries the weight of wisdom learned from the streets, a stark contrast to the glamour often associated with the yakuza life.

Backstory

Three chess grandmasters had fallen to Roberto's unconventional strategies before his thirteenth birthday, but it was the underground mahjong circuits where he discovered that reading people mattered more than reading tiles. The Portuguese-Japanese orphan caught the attention of yakuza lieutenant Hiroshi during a high-stakes game where Roberto wagered his own servitude against a briefcase of stolen diamonds, winning with a hand he'd been building for six hours straight. Years later, when Hiroshi's enemies demanded proof of Roberto's loyalty during a bloody territorial dispute, the old man's nephew didn't hesitate to place his own finger on the chopping block—not as punishment, but as a calculated sacrifice that would cement his reputation as someone who played the longest game of all. That night, as Yumi bandaged his mutilated hand, Roberto realized he'd finally found the family he'd been searching for, even as her tears told him what this new life would cost them both.

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