His breath came in ragged gasps, his body ached with a deep, exhaustion. The boy slumped to the ground, surrounded by the corpses of strange humanoid monsters. Disorientation swirled with fatigue. Why was he here? How did he get here? The questions looped uselessly in his mind.
"Oi, you alright there, Akira?"
The voice was familiar, a nostalgic sound cutting through the haze.
‘My name is Akira?’ "Yeah, I'm fine, Ryuji. Just… wow. Didn't expect there to be this many." ‘Why do I talk like I know him?’
"Heh, good thing I showed up when I did." Ryuji said with a smirk that made Akira roll his eyes.
"Oh, please. As you can see, I was handling it just fine." Akira shot back, his tone deliberately arrogant.
"Sure you did," Ryuji sighed, tired of his friend's condescending tone. "Well, let's report this to HQ and get paid. We should stop by a family restaurant, I'm starving for some omurice." He then extended a hand to help Akira up.
“You're such a glutton, you know that?” Akira said, accepting the hand. “After every fight, you just want to take a break and eat.” He got to his feet, and the world abruptly plunged into darkness.
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‘Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt.’
A boy groaned as he awoke in his bed, fumbling to silence the blaring alarm clock. He’d had another weird dream. His name was Sawaki Kosuke, and another school day awaited him.
“Kosuke! Wake up, it’s time for school.” His brother’s voice, a caring tone, jolted the last of the sleep from him.
“I’m awake.” Kosuke mumbled into his pillow. “You don’t have to tell me.”
“I’m just worried. You got back so late last night. I was afraid you’d overslept.”
He had the most caring brother. Grabbing a towel and fresh clothes, Kosuke headed out of his room. The enticing aroma of breakfast cooking greeted him, and he saw his brother busy at the stove.
Once he was ready, Kosuke sat at the dinner table across from his brother, who was already dressed. He looked down at his plate. Pancakes? He must be in a good mood today. Kosuke stabbed one with his fork, cut a bite-sized piece, and brought it to his mouth. Flavour exploded on his tongue, complemented by the pancake's perfect softness.
This was his brother, Sawaki Kyousuke. Endlessly dependable, quietly doting, and the one who managed everything in the house, from laundry and cooking to the cleaning.
“Kosuke, you shouldn’t keep staying up so late. It’s going to affect your studies and your health.” Kyousuke said, his tone still gentle, but there is a slight frustration.
“Don’t worry about it, Kyousuke-nii. Look, I still managed to wake up early.”
Then, Kyousuke reached out. His hand settled on Kosuke’s shoulder. Not a pat, but a heavy grip. Kosuke froze as he felt the muscles in his brother’s hand harden, veins bulging beneath the skin.
Fear washed over him. His wonderful, compassionate brother was angry. Kosuke had been exploiting that kindness for weeks, staying out late on his missions with the agency. But even Kyousuke had his limits.
"O-okay! I won't!" Kosuke stammered.
His brother sighed wearily, the tension in his grip finally easing. "I don't want you burning out. You keep pushing like this, going to work late every night... Jeez, even an adult wouldn't enjoy that much overtime."
Kosuke will stop working late at night, at least until his brother starting to cool down. After they finished breakfast, the two of them set out for Midoribashi Academy.
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Midoribashi Academy, located in Edogawa City, Tokyo, is known for its many sports clubs and is a fairly respectable institution. Kosuke is a second-year student, while his brother is a Japanese literature teacher.
Kosuke was currently being swarmed by students between classes.
“Hey, Kosuke! Are you playing football with us today?”
“Sorry, I’m busy today maybe tomorrow.”
“Kosuke, you should join the volleyball club!”
“How many times do I have to say it? I’m not interested in joining any clubs.”
“KOSUKE-KUN!” a voice boomed, cutting through the chatter. “YOU HAVE TO JOIN THE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT THIS YEAR!”
Kosuke winced. “Oh, fu— I mean, please don’t shout, Senpai. I’m right here.”
Kosuke is a fairly popular student in sports, largely due to his athleticism. His rigorous training as both a Taimanin and a Mage with the Agency has given him exceptional stamina and a powerful physique, making him a valued member of the school's sports clubs.
Of course, he didn’t join any of them. He would occasionally participate just to have fun and socialize, but he was never interested in sports. His interests were primarily in being a Taimanin and in magic. Sadly, the latter was very difficult, thanks to the Taima Particles that made it challenging to use spells.
He walked through the halls, where students would often greet him. It was now after-school hours. He had plans to visit the Agency later, as a job had been offered by the local police.
As he turned a corner, he noticed the Ishiyama brothers. The younger, blonde Takuto, and the older, dark-skinned Ryoji. Takuto had been flirting with a girl but stopped when he spotted Kosuke.
“Yo, Kosuke. How have you been?” the younger one greeted in a friendly manner.
Despite the amicable tone, it wasn’t out of friendship. If anything, the two were not friends at all. The reason for Takuto’s act was fear: not fear of Kosuke himself, but of Kosuke’s brother. He was simply doing this to improve Kyousuke’s opinion of him.
"I've been fine. Though I keep getting swarmed by people from various sports clubs again."
“Planning on attending the National High School Baseball Tournament this year?” Takuto asked.
“No,” he replied. “I’m not interested in participating this year.”
“Why not? Because of you, the school managed to win first place at Nationals. Plus, if you keep this up, girls will be swarming all over you. You could probably score with some of the beauties in this school.”
“Nah, not interested.” With that, Kosuke walked away, leaving the school to head straight for the Agency.
But Takuto stopped him, throwing a familiar arm over his shoulders. “Hey, relax. Come have some fun with us, Kosuke.”
Then Ryoji stepped in front of them, blocking the path. He stared down at Kosuke, his expression cold and glaring, a clear attempt to intimidate him into agreeing. They could act this boldly for one simple reason, they didn’t know he could fight. They assumed he was weak, having never seen him in action.
Of course, Kosuke didn’t need to do a thing to make them back down.
“What are you two doing?”
His older brother was here.
“K-Kyousuke-sensei?!” Takuto panicked, scrambling away from Kosuke.
“W-we weren’t doing anything wrong!” Ryoji stammered. The once-intimidating figure was now visibly shaking with fear.
Kyousuke sighed. “You two are always causing trouble. I heard you were harassing a girl in this hallway, Takuto.”
“W-well, I was just asking her to help me with my homework.” Takuto said, forcing a calm smile.
“Enough!” Kyousuke raised his voice. “We’re going to discuss this properly. Meet me in the faculty room.” With that, he turned to leave. “Oh, and Kosuke, I’ll be busy with private tutoring this afternoon, so head to the Agency without me.”
Before heading to the Faculty Room, Kyousuke was interrupted by a timid voice. “T-thank you so much, Sensei.” A shy-looking schoolgirl bowed slightly, her gratitude sincere.
“It was no problem.” Kyousuke replied, his tone softening. “I can’t ignore a student in trouble.”
His brother was popular at the school, known as a reliable and caring teacher who protected his students. He went so far as to shield them from bullies and even confronted gang members. But some students would question. What had Kyousuke done to make the Ishiyama brothers fear him so much?
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It had started last year when the Ishiyama brothers transferred in. It didn’t take long for them to cause trouble, Takuto with his aggressive flirting and Ryoji with bullying and shaking down other boys for money. Kyousuke had put a stop to their antics, but they’d continued their behaviour whenever he wasn’t around.
What really made Kosuke take notice, however, was the sudden spike in crime across the city. News reports detailed a string of mysterious disappearances involving women. It wasn’t long before he connected the dots, suspecting the Ishiyama brothers were involved. He reported his suspicions to the Agency and was given a task to gather evidence. Since then, Kosuke had been discreetly tailing them, documenting their activities, Takuto’s predatory approaches and Ryoji’s deeper ties to local gang operations.
There was enough evidence for the local police to handle the case and bring them to trial, but Kyousuke decided to volunteer to deal with the Ishiyama brothers personally. His ever-compassionate nature drove him; he still cared for them as students and believed they could change, despite their actions. Against all advice, he went to their base of operations alone, a move that worried no one but Kosuke. Of course, Kosuke followed anyway, keeping a hidden watch over his brother.
Kyousuke was met by guards but was invited inside. ‘Good thing I planted a listening device on his clothes.’ Kosuke thought, adjusting his earpiece to monitor the situation within the building.
“Well, well. If it isn’t Kyousuke-sensei,” came Takuto’s voice, dripping with mockery. “What are you doing here? Come to lecture us about being better students?”
“That’s enough, Takuto-kun. Please, stop this.” Kyousuke pleaded, his voice steady but earnest.
“I’ve had enough of your voice!” Ryoji snarled, his anger boiling over. “I’ve been waiting for this for weeks. I’m going to punch that stupid, righteous look off your face and crush your throat.”
“I see. No matter what I say, it won’t stop you.” Kyousuke’s voice dropped low, edged with a simmering anger. “Then don’t blame me for what I’m about to do.”
“Huh? What the hell are you—GAH!” A sharp cry of pain burst from Ryoji.
The sounds of a struggle erupted from inside as the sound of grunts, and impacts. Outside, guards began shouting and pouring toward the commotion. Seizing the moment of chaos, Kosuke moved, slipping inside to see the action.
What he saw was his brother kicking ass. Kyousuke moved with startling speed, his punches and kicks landing with brutal efficiency. A single hit was enough to instantly knock a guard unconscious. They tried to swarm him, but he flowed between their attacks, deftly avoiding strikes and even deflecting blows back onto their allies.
It had gotten to the point where none of the remaining grunts dared approach him; some even began to back away. Then, Kosuke heard heavy footsteps marching in unison. A new group of armed gang members filed into the room, various guns raised, as they surrounded Kyousuke.
“Hahaha!” Takuto laughed, a twisted pleasure in his voice as he watched his teacher cornered. “What are you going to do now, sensei?”
Kyousuke didn’t answer. Instead, he extended a hand, and a sleek, ornate sword materialized from thin air, its blade humming with subtle energy, surprising everyone in the building. “Don’t shoot,” he warned, his voice dangerously calm. “A stray bullet might hit your own unconscious men on the ground.”
“You think I care?”
“Kosuke…” Kyousuke whispered. “Lead the bullets away from the wounded.”
The command sent a jolt through Kosuke’s earpiece. His brother had not only known he was being followed, he’d been aware of the bug the entire time. Still, he complies to his brother’s order and waited for the shooting to happen.
“So you summon a sword? How’s that gonna stop bullets?” Takuto mocked.
"You talk too much, Takuto," Kyousuke replied, his tone cool and dismissive. "A single sign of magic and you still act arrogant. Anyone with a brain, or any real experience, would at least be cautious."
“What is that supposed to mean?!” Takuto’s voice seethed with sudden, impotent rage. “Shoot him! NOW!”
The command cracked through the room. A split second later, the thunderous roar of gunfire filled the air
Kyousuke deflected the incoming barrage with his sword, the blade moving at such speed it was hard to track with the naked eye. At the same time, Kosuke redirected the bullets' trajectories with subtle magnetism, ensuring every stray round veered harmlessly away from the unconscious grunts on the floor.
The shooting stopped as the gunmen ran out of ammunition. Rather than disarming them immediately, Kyousuke held his ground and issued a final warning.
“I suggest you all leave now, while you still have the chance. Lest you rot in prison, or…” His voice trailed off, and a palpable wave of bloodlust emanated from him, pressing down on the room. “Worse.” The remaining thugs stumbled back, their will to fight shattered by the sheer, suffocating pressure.
Takuto scrambled to escape, abandoning his brother to his fate, until Kyousuke’s sword sliced through the air and thudded into the door frame ahead of him, blocking his path. Takuto stumbled back and fell, panic gripping him.
“S-sensei, p-please! I’m sorry, I won’t do it again!”
“Am I supposed to believe that?” Kyousuke pulled the sword from the wood and levelled its point at Takuto.
Overwhelmed by sheer terror, Takuto choked, his breath seizing, and then he passed out cold.
The bloodlust that Kyousuke had been emitting faded, replaced by sharp concern. He rushed to Takuto’s side and checked his pulse, then sighed in relief. “He just passed out.”
It was over. The police arrived, and the incident was reported as a gang fight. There was no mention of Kyousuke anywhere in the news. The brothers served only three months in juvenile detention, a sentence that should have been far longer, but was shortened thanks to their father, the corrupt mayor. His influence wouldn't protect them for long, however. It took only a short time for the Agency to uncover enough dirt on the mayor to use as leverage. Now, the Ishiyama brothers were little more than pawns of the Agency.
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Kosuke arrived at the Edogawa Private Detective Agency, housed in a classic old building that stood in stark contrast to the surrounding modern skyscrapers. He entered the lobby and took the elevator up through the quiet, unassuming floors. When the doors opened, they revealed a cozy office area. The place was sparsely staffed, thanks to the various jobs the president had assigned. Only one person was there, locked in on his computer and typing away.
Kosuke greeted the man focused on the computer. “Hello, Gouriki-san.” Gouriki Isamu was both a staff member and a detective at the agency. A man in his thirties, he wore his orange hair in a neat ponytail. A pair of glasses accentuated his sharp eyes, and he was dressed in professional attire, a long-sleeved shirt and vest.
“Hello, Kosuke-kun.” Gouriki offered a distracted gesture, his eyes still locked on his work. “Where is your brother?”
“He has a tutoring lesson.”
“Ah. That’ll make our job harder, then. Call him. Once he finishes, have him track us using the GPS tracker on your phone.”
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They moved through the target location. The investigative phase was over, having been completed this morning. Now came the stage of securing evidence, or so the official report would state. In reality, they were there to deal with the perpetrators permanently, as there was clear evidence of supernatural involvement.
The evidence? Simply put, the victims' bodies were twisted into impossible shapes that no human hands could have created. Their arms, legs, and torsos were bent and contorted to an unnatural degree. Usually, the Taimanin would get involved, but they rarely concerned themselves with a case this small. They mostly operated in crime-ridden districts like Senzaki or the Tokyo Kingdom, not in a peaceful town like this.
In a way, Kosuke held a deep respect for the Agency, or to be more accurate, the Militia. They concerned themselves with the common people, not some distant grand scheme. Yet, there were times they crossed lines, blackmailing figures like the Ishiyama, assassinating corrupt politicians. He didn't question the President's thinking, however. It was always for the bigger picture, one that had yet to fully reveal itself. Kosuke simply had to wait until that picture came into focus.
“Kosuke-kun, how was your training?” Gouriki asked, deciding to start a conversation to pass the time.
“I’m doing well… though I can’t help but feel I haven’t improved much.”
“Well, you don’t have to rush. You’re only seventeen, don’t compare yourself to us veterans. You still got plenty to learn.”
Kosuke nodded in agreement, but he still couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t contributing enough to the Agency. He hoped the skills he’d recently learned would finally change that.
As they continued walking, they passed through a narrow alley and emerged into the slums. The air grew thick and stale. Trash littered the ground, and small, dilapidated houses crowded together in the gloom. They moved on through the unsettling silence of the place. There was no sight of people, or even animals.
“Kosuke,” Gouriki said, his voice low. “Doesn’t this feel wrong to you?”
“Huh… now that you mention it, there’s no one here.”
They both stopped and pressed their backs together, each scanning their surroundings for an ambush. In unison, they drew their handguns and flicked off the safeties.
“What should we be expecting?” Kosuke asked.
"Information we have suggested there should only be one individual, but prepare for the possibility of more." Gouriki said calmly. "His technique appears to activate only through physical contact, judging by the camera footage and witness statements.”
Kosuke couldn’t shake the eerie feeling of their total isolation. This has to be a concealment spell, he realized. The Shroud, a common mage ability that hid actions from the public by sending subliminal messages to the subconscious, creating an isolated pocket of space. The fewer people in an area, the more effective and stable the spell became. Fortunately, trained mages were naturally shielded from its influence; their bodies, constantly coated in a layer of defensive mana, acted as a filter against such subliminal intrusions.
The silence held until a noise erupted from one of the houses. Then, a door burst outward, shattering as a long, rod-like projectile shot straight toward them.
They dodged aside, and the rod impaled the wall where they had stood. Moving quickly, they inspected the weapon. It looked like a wooden rod that had been violently twisted into a spiral.
“Tch. I was hoping at least one of you would get impaled.” He stepped outside, revealing himself as a well-dressed man with a curtain haircut. “So, this is what the Militia sent?”
“You know about us?” Gouriki eye widen.
“Hm, yes. I’ve heard of your activities in Tokyo. But don’t mistake my meaning, I have no interest in your group. My business is with the Sword Saint.” A look of profound annoyance crossed his face at the mention of the title. “So where is he?”
Gouriki gulped, his eyebrows furrowing. He hesitated, his gaze dropping for a moment before he stiffened his posture and met the man’s eyes squarely. “He’s dead.”
“What?” The man gaped, his eyes widening. “N-no. That can’t be.” He raised a hand to his temple, fingers digging into his scalp as if physically grappling with the news. “How can he be dead? He was the Sword Saint.”
“Being the Sword Saint didn’t make him invincible,” Gouriki replied, his hands tightening into fists. “But he didn’t die for nothing. His sacrifice—”
“Shut your goddamn mouth!” The man’s face contorted with fury. “He joined your group. He followed your boss’s orders. So, technically, you and your superiors killed him. You plagued him with ideas of the ‘greater good’ and your precious ‘cause.’ You used him as a pawn.”
He then dropped to one knee, slamming his palms against the ground. The earth beneath him groaned and twisted violently before two spiralled rods burst upward like sharpened bamboo. In one fluid motion, he grabbed them, rising to his feet and wielding the twin spears.
"I will have your lives as payment for the Sword Saint's." he snarled. "An eye for an eye.”
“W-wait!” Kosuke hurriedly attempted to defuse the situation. “We shouldn’t be fighting! You’re from their world, right? Shouldn’t your priority be returning home?”
“Boy,” the mage cut in, his voice dangerously low. “Are you part of the Militia?”
Kosuke gulped, but before he could speak, Gouriki intervened.
“No, he is not. He works as a part-time staff member for the Agency, that’s all. He has never partaken in any Militia activities.”
“I see. I suggest you walk away. This is between him and me alone, unless you’re foolish enough to fight me.”
Kosuke stood his ground. He wouldn’t run.
“Kosuke-kun?” Gouriki’s voice held a note of caution.
“Gouriki-san, let me fight with you. I have a feeling he’ll be more than one person can handle alone.”
Gouriki couldn’t help but smile faintly. “Very well, Kosuke-kun.”
The man sighed, a sound of pure disdain. “Another fool.” Then he rushed forward, closing the distance to engage them head-on.
Both of them raised their guns and fired repeated shots, only for the man to extend a hand and erect a shimmering barrier. The bullets sparked harmlessly against it as he pushed through, unflinching.
They quickly shifted tactics, splitting up to flank him from separate paths. The man veered sharply toward Kosuke.
In response, Kosuke drew his sword in one fluid motion, the blade gleaming as he settled into a ready stance for close combat. They clashed, but Kosuke was steadily overwhelmed by the man’s relentless attacks. Several sharp strikes sliced through his guard, leaving fresh cuts across his arms and torso.
Seeing this, Gouriki holstered his gun. The risk of hitting Kosuke was too great, and closed in to support him in close quarters. Their opponent noticed the shift, kicking Kosuke aside to focus on Gouriki. In one fluid motion, the man pull his right spear to his shoulder and hurled it. Gouriki barely dodged, then pulled his arm back, gathering energy into his palm before surging forward to deliver a devastating strike.
The man thrust his spear as Gouriki drove his palm forward. They collided in a burst of magical energy that shattered the spear. The force of the blow didn’t stop, it carried through, striking the man squarely in the abdomen.
“Guh!” The man gritted his teeth as the impact hurled him backward. He crashed through the wall of a nearby house, sending debris flying. Shaking off the rubble, he managed to recover quickly, coughing up blood as he pushed himself upright. With a roar, he charged Gouriki barehanded.
The two locked into close combat, trading blows in a blur of motion. Gouriki stayed largely on the defensive, he knew if the man’s hands ever got a firm hold on him, he’d fall victim to his technique.
Appearing at the man's flank, Kosuke thrust his sword straight through his forearm. Even wounded, the man clenched his muscles, trapping the blade. With his free hand, he seized Kosuke's wrist. A smirk flashed across his face, a signal Gouriki didn't miss. He immediately pivoted to attack the man's now-exposed side.
But the man was faster. He yanked Kosuke forward, using him as a living shield to block Gouriki's attack. Kosuke tried to pull away, twisting to wrench his sword arm free from the man's iron grip, but it was useless.
"Sorry, boy. You shouldn't have joined this fight." The man's technique activated. In two seconds, the bones in Kosuke's arm should have begun to twist and snap.
But nothing happened.
"What?!"
That moment of shock was all Gouriki needed. He drove a fist into the man’s face, stunning him long enough to deliver a brutal kick to the crotch, followed by a crushing punch to the chest that sent him crumpling to the ground.
‘What was that?’ The man thought, dazed and writhing. ‘His arm should be twisting by now. I concentrated every ounce of mana into that technique. Even if he reinforced his arm, it should have bought me five seconds at least!’
The man pushed himself up and summoned another spiral spear from the ground. Both agents braced for another assault, but instead of charging, the man remained kneeling, pressing both hands firmly against the earth.
The ground beneath their feet groaned and warped, twisting and churning to an unnatural degree. The very floor seemed to liquefy, rippling like disturbed water before hardening again at jagged angles. The two agents staggered, fighting to keep their footing as the world itself seemed to tilt and turn against them, until something huge erupted from the fractured earth, shrouding the entire area in a thick cloud of dust and debris.
Through the swirling dust, the man launched his attack, thrusting his spear straight at Gouriki. Gouriki managed to catch the shaft with his left hand, locking it in place. But that was exactly what the man had planned. Before Gouriki could react, his captured arm began to twist violently, bones groaning, then snapping with a sickening crunch.
“Argh!” Gouriki screamed as his left arm snapped, forcing him to release the spear. 'So he uses the spear as an extension of his technique.' he realized through the pain
The man seized the opening, reaching for Gouriki’s face to end the fight. Stunned and in agony, Gouriki couldn’t move quickly enough, he thought it was over.
Then Kosuke appeared, thrusting his sword between them. The man reacted instantly, splaying his palm toward the blade and activating his technique. The steel shrieked as it twisted in midair, halted mere inches from its target.
As the blade twisted, it suddenly shattered. The man flinched in surprise but still brought his hand up to strike. Before the blow could land, he froze. The glittering shards of steel had halted in midair. An instant later, they shot forward like bullets, lodging deep into his body. One fragment pierced his right eye. He staggered back with a choked cry, grievously wounded, then collapsed to the ground.
Kosuke had planned the move from the start. He thrust his sword forward, used his magnetism to shatter it into shards making the man believe Kosuke sword shatter by the stress of his spiral technique, and then fired the fragments like bullets with his Ninja Art.
“I think it’s over,” Kosuke said, turning to check on Gouriki. “Are you alright, Gouriki-san?”
“I’ll be fine.” Gouriki grunted, cradling his arm. “Arm’s completely broken, though. I’ll need to see Myouga-sensei, I have to check if he’s at his clinic or the Agency.”
“Let me make the call, Gouriki-san.” Kosuke brought out his phone, then froze. The man was standing back up, blood streaming from one eye and seeping from wounds across his body. His right eye remained tightly shut from the injury.
“Not bad. That actually got me.” The man raised a hand, and dark energy began to gather, swirling violently around his palm. “This time, I’ll end this. No matter what tricks you have left, you won’t escape.” The energy coalesced into a spinning, spherical vortex, crackling with unstable power.
“Kosuke, go! I’ll buy you some time to escape!” Gouriki urged.
“But, Gouriki-san—!”
The man hurled the vortex forward. Gouriki threw up a barrier, pouring everything he had into it, but it wasn’t necessary.
Kyousuke appeared in a blur, his sword gleaming brightly. He rose into the path of the attack and slashed downward, cleaving the sphere apart. It vanished with a dissipating hum.
“H-how…?” the man gasped, stunned. Then his eyes widened in recognition. “That sword… it can’t be…!”
Before he could finish, his strength gave out, and he collapsed unconscious to the ground.
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They brought the man back to the Agency. Gouriki and the enemy had been treated by the physician, his broken arm now set in a cast. Once the captive gained consciousness, he was forced to wear a magically-suppressing collar around his neck before being presented to the President, who had just returned from his meeting with the DSO.
“Sorry, I was late.” Kyousuke said, his voice tinged with guilt. “If only I hadn’t been held up…”
“Don’t worry about it. You don't work for the Agency, so you're not obligated to help us.” Gouriki reassured him, trying to downplay the concern.
“Yeah.” Kosuke added with a supportive nod. “If anything, you arrived right on time, big bro.”
Then the door opened, revealing the captive and the President, a man with wavy silver hair and a surprisingly youthful appearance. “Yo, guys,” the President greeted them casually. “Let me introduce you to our new member.”
A stunned silence fell over them. For a moment, all three could only stare, utterly speechless, before the same word escaped them in unison: “…What?”
“Yup. Introduce yourself, new recruit.” The President patted him on the back, gesturing for him to speak.
The captive growled at this but forced himself to calm down. “I’m Chung Ae,” he said, the words straining to leave his mouth. “Nice… to meet… you.”
“Ugh, President.” Kosuke raised his hand. “Do you remember he tried to kill us?”
“Oh yes,” the President replied, his tone breezy. “But now he won’t.”
While both Kosuke and Gouriki hesitated, Kyousuke walked right up to Chung Ae and offered a handshake. “Nice to meet you. I’m Sawaki Kyousuke.”
Chung Ae was confused by the gesture but accepted the handshake. “Hey,” he said. “I’ve got a question.”
“Oh sure. Go ahead.”
“Where did you get that sword?”
Kyousuke hesitated for a second. “It appeared to me when I was in a desperate situation. That’s all I can say.”
“I see. You don’t have to explain everything.”
“Thanks. Oh, do you have a place to live?”
Chung Ae shrugged. “I’ll just sleep on the roof or find an abandoned building.”
The President then spoke up. “Well, I can’t let my new employee sleep in such horrid conditions. Here.” He handed him a key. “This is for your new place.”
“Eh… thanks?” Chung Ae was more than a little surprised by the gesture.
“Well, it’s getting late. I have to go now.” As Kyousuke turned to leave, he remembered something. “Right—there’s something I need to give you.” He pulled out a twenty-thousand yen bill. “I don’t know why, but I feel like I should.”
Chung Ae took the bill, and something inside him broke. Tears began to stream from his one uninjured eye.
“Uh, are you okay?”
“I swear,” he whispered, voice thick with emotion. “I’ll protect you this time.”
The rest of the room was confused, except for the President. “Well, if that’s all, everyone is dismissed. I need to show Chung Ae to his new home.”
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Walking home in the evening, the city was bathed in the bright orange light of the setting sun. The Sawaki brothers stopped at the supermarket to pick up dinner ingredients.
“Any ideas for dinner, Kosuke?” Kyousuke asked.
“Hmm, Chicken Katsu Curry would be nice.”
“Chicken Katsu Curry it is.”
As they gathered the ingredients, Kosuke couldn’t help but ask, “Hey, Onii-san, have you ever thought of returning to the village?”
Kyousuke stopped for a moment, pondering the question. “No. I don’t think I should, not after what I did.”
“Are you still ashamed of killing that Igawa Elder? Kyousuke-nii, that guy deserved it for putting you and Asagi in danger. They even had proof of what he’d done.”
“No, not that.” Kyousuke’s voice grew quieter. “It’s that I left so abruptly… the way I argued with Asagi, the truths I never told. I don’t feel I deserve to go back. I also brought a burden onto our clan by killing that elder. Think of the scrutiny they must have faced from the rest of the village.”
The injustice was not the killing, for the elder had already been condemned. The true offense was that a servant clan had presumed to carry out the sentence, an act that overstepped their station, stealing the rightful authority and honour from the Igawa clan.
“Still, I think you should at least try. Maybe they’ve moved on.”
“No, I’m sorry, Kosuke. But you should go visit the village alone during summer break.”
Kosuke sighed in resignation. “Alright, I will. Still, maybe you could bring them a gift?”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Kyousuke conceded. “I could do that.”
They both left the supermarket and headed home. Kosuke couldn't wait to visit the village, it had been too long. He wondered how everyone was doing. He hoped Asuka was fine, she’d always had trouble making friends when they were kids. And Sakura… was she still the same lazy girl who relied on Asagi or Kyousuke to clean her room? And Asagi. How was she doing? He hoped she was okay after their breakup. He would get his answers during the summer break.