Earlier

  Kito, tall, firm, and burnt, stands over Nowa's fresh corpse. He strokes his chin and stares at the body, thinking to himself.

  "(Now... was that really worth it? Sure, trying to find a trace of ki around the city while running and mapping did lead me to him. But, that, on top of the blast, took a decent chunk out of my ki. If I didn't outrun the initial blast, that would've been a lot more cumbersome. But the other issue was the rest of the damn building exploding.)" He checks his skin.

  He looks at his reddened and charred flesh. Excluding the blackened surface of his arms and a partial bit of his face, he could tell that the damage is mainly just first degree burns. Otherwise, no significant damage.

  He tilts his head side to side. "(Not the worst thing ever.)"

  "(But at least with this,)" he thinks, picking up the corpse, "(I can rest easy...for now. A temporary victory for sure. Now... what to do?)"

  He notices Nowa's bag on the ground. Kito walks over and inspects it. The only thing he could find was a puddle of useless, pink sludge. With a disgusted face, he tosses it to the side.

  Kito then picks up Nowa's phone on the ground.

  "(This could prove useful,)" thinks Kito initially. But after a couple seconds of pondering, he comes to another conclusion. "(Nevermind, that's stupid. First of all, I don't know the password-)" He then looks over at Nowa. "(And even if the OA is capable of facial recognition in their technology, I think a guy with holes in his head wouldn't fare well. Additionally, I can't just take this to some phone repair shop. The OA would instantly know what I'm trying to do. And I don't think an agent's phone is capable of being hacked by some rinky-dinky hacker. Tch. And lastly, the longer I keep this thing, the more it'll act like a tracking device. Especially with what happened, that damn government worker would be able to figure me out soon.)"

  Kito crushes the phone in his hand.

  Looking back at the distant flames of the explosion, the corners of Kito's lips perk up.

  He grabs Nowa's corpse, twirls it around and lets go until it's caught on the top of the dead peach tree. The scant amount of leaves as well as the thick branches barely hides the body.

  "I'll be back for you, so don't move," says Kito with a sneer. "I've got something to do real quick."

  Quickly sprinting back to the apartment, though not as fast as when he initially burst out of the explosion, he blurred past the firefighters, police, and civilians. He then made very sure to take a deep breath, and waltzed right into the burning building.

  "(Man, fire is real annoying. The damage isn't the issue... it's the other part that's the big problem,)" thought Kito to himself, forcing his lungs to expand to their fullest.

  He walks into what used to be the main office. The flames are so tall and vigorous, that despite being only 15 feet away, the firefighters can't see him through the wall of smoke and fire. Kito smiles, strolling through the burning scenery. He drags his finger across a burning desk. With his finger, a cluster of fire, distracted by Kito's presence, follows his appendage. Crawling up his finger, the string of fire coils around. Roping the combusting particles as a string, Kito grabs a hold of the rope, and wraps it around the rest of his fingers, concentrating it into his hand. His flesh is consumed by the heat. He is unbothered.

  "My, I don't have a mirror with me. Well, let's just hope I'm a good of an actor as I think I am." He sarcastically says to himself, hoping someone so close could hear him.

  He lowers his ki output while also controlling his nerves to not feel any pain.

  With the concentration of fire in his hands, he rubs the combustion all over his face. A dab of flame here. A nice burn mark on the face would look more convincing. Yes, that's right. Perhaps a bit on the neck too, no?

  Continuing, Kito dragged along an ever bigger bundle of flame. Contorting it with his hands, he shapes it into a loofa. Scrubbing onto his arms, legs, and neck, his skin sizzles. Boils appear.

  "Now then, the real test." He whispers.

  Running out of the building at a normal human's pace, Kito screams at the top of his lungs. Grabbing onto his face and frantically flailing around, the firefighters, police, and medics rush over to him. The firefighters can't necessarily extinguish people, but they yelled for him to stop, drop, and roll. Kito does so, and immediately extinguishes the fire. He crawls on the ground and rests on his knees, even patting on some parts that were still on fire.

  The paramedics run over to him, immediately trying to diagnose the damage upon his flesh. They ready their tools, and get their tepid water to irrigate the burn, yet Kito softly shoos them away.

  "What do you mean?" Yells one of the medics. "Sir, we need to help you! You're in no condition to-"

  "Step aside. I will only accept help once this business is over with." Calmly responds Kito.

  Feeling the eyes of the news reporters, and seeing the camera pointing at him from afar, Kito smiles and marches forward. The medics try to hinder him, trying to take him to the ambulance, yet he pushes them off.

  "(They caught that? Good. Now on to step 3.)"

  Frustrated, the medics let him go. He seemed conscious enough to deny help, so with that, they can't do much despite their feelings.

  As the news crew set up everything, asking the camera people if they got the explosion, as well as the survivor, Kito walks up to them. The news reporter looks at him with shock and awe.

  "Wha- I... did you-" stutters the news-reporter.

  "Yes. Now, I'm ready for my interview." Simply says Kito. "I'm Ushiyama Kito, by the way. I am running for mayor of Kyoto. The rest, I shall explain once the interview starts."

  And with that, the broadcast goes live again.

  Millions of people all over the country watch the news. From those within Kyoto, and even reaching the humble outskirts of towns. People witness Kito, and can't help but feel a warmth towards him. A tragic figure, yet a captivating presence. What a man.

  Of course he gained even more attraction from the followers he knew, such as Bara, Daiki, and Kasumi.

  As well as the attraction of others that he didn't expect. Such as the likes of former gang members, and certain shut-in extremists.

  On the contrary, people who are against him watch the broadcast, and are immediately alarmed; a few among those against him realize their failed attempt at his life.

  Two hands, laying domino after domino. Carefully making sure not to break their own, while slapping away at the other hand.

  Who's hand shall knock over the other's first.

  And more importantly,

  who's pieces will fall harder.

  .

  .

  .

  An hour after the broadcast.

  Naoki lies in his bed, staring at the ceiling.

  "(The ideals he's taught me,)" thinks Naoki. "(Of doing the right thing. About how as long as evil exists, there will always be people like us who exist to purge it.)"

  He turns to his side. A bothered look besmirches his face.

  "(Yeah right.)"

  "(I'm only one person. And though there are plenty of other people, I hate to admit it but, the definition of 'good' differs from person to person. Saving anyone regardless of what they've done in the past seems virtuous. But that can lead to a slippery slope. They can be punished for their crimes later. But look what happened a couple months ago. The mercenary, with the special forces and his terrorist team, up in the bank. I never found out what happened to him. And though I beat him, I'm not sure he's facing the exact justice he deserves. Not to mention, the main perpetrator wasn't him- it was the CEO. The CEO dared to put the lives of his employees in danger, just so he could get a massive insurance check. I'm not even sure if his employees got paid for that.

  I'm not saying that just for one instance, I should give up.

  But.)"

  Naoki's muscles relax.

  "(It's hard.

  It's hard to care anymore.

  There will always be evil.

  And though there will always be good,

  I don't really see the point.

  Why shouldn't I do what I please.

  Taberu does it. Makoto does it, to an extent.

  It takes effort to be a good person.

  Some will argue that its the bare minimum.

  But if you could profit off of the simplest of actions, and get away with it,

  why wouldn't you?

  If there's a hateful bigot that deserves to get punched in the mouth.

  And you could get away with it.

  Wouldn't you do it?

  Let's say there's a corpse holding onto a suitcase full of money.

  And in this hypothetical scenario, you know for a fact that you could take it with absolutely no way of getting in trouble

  Wouldn't you?

  I find it hard to believe that an average person would say no. Yes you would. Yes you would.)"

  Whether you want to be noble and say its for your family and friends, or be selfish and honestly accept that its only for yourself, it means very little. What matters is that something typically seen as immoral is optimal. And doing anything otherwise is stupid.)"

  He turns around and faces his desk. On the side of computer lies a small compartment meant for books. He stares at it. Among the plentiful amount of comics, lies a couple of philosophy books. He stares at one that he tried reading a while ago. It's from a particularly famous German philosopher from the 1800s.

  He sighs.

  Every time he closes his eyes, the terrible image of an ogre appears.

  He frowns, yet softly accepts the image.

  "I think I'm starting to understand where you're coming from."

  Knock knock knock

  "(Damn it.)" Thinks Naoki to himself, rolling his eyes. After rocking himself back up, he walks over to the door and opens it.

  In front of it is Yamada. He's returning back to his normal brown shade, ever since he molted when he fought Saizo.

  "Oh, Yamada." Says Naoki, pleasantly surprised.

  Yamada's mouth twitches as he saw Naoki in his current state. Though he's been healing in the vat for several hours, the discolored eye, old bruises, and miserable spirit are apparent to Yamada.

  "Oh Naoki," says Yamada. "Are you ok?"

  "No. I'm pretty fucking far from ok." Instantly remarks Naoki.

  "A-ah. That is... fairly obvious. My bad." Says Yamada, looking down.

  "But, I appreciate you for asking," says Naoki, looking up with a smile. "Come on, lets go talk while we walk. I don't want you seeing the mess in my room."

  "Of course." Says Yamada, letting Naoki out the door.

  "So, what brings you here?" Asks Naoki.

  "I heard a lot from the others about last night. You were busy healing in the vat and talking to others so, I decided I would talk to you later."

  "So you come to me when I'm resting instead."

  "Exactly."

  Naoki groans. "Well, at least you care."

  Yamada forces chuckle. "It's not like you saved my life or anything. I think checking up on you is the least I can do."

  Naoki smiles. "You don't have to do that but, thanks again. Anyway, how about you? What have you been up to?"

  "I've been playing Tekken ever since you left me with the console."

  Naoki pauses and looks at Yamada with the oddest stare.

  "The... the entire time?" Asks Naoki.

  "The entire time. Now- granted that sounds terrible and unproductive. However, I can assure you that I've taken everything you said into consideration."

  From one of his arms, Yamada produces a notebook. As he hands the notebook to Naoki, a couple of pages flip outwards. Naoki's eyes widen, as he skims through the notebook. The notebook already has half of its pages written and in a worn state. Diagrams take up entire pages. Countless of tables full of record times, steadily bettering as each page goes on. At least eight essays that seemed to be Yamada's notes and thoughts rather than a real cohesive argument.

  "What...what is all this?" Asks Naoki.

  "While I was playing, I studied the frame data by altering my perception and focusing on my senses by using ki. It took me many times but eventually, I got the correct timings down after the third or fourth try. After this, I slowly started to understand the nature of neutral. When I should approach the enemy, when I should be patient and have them come to me. When to throw a launcher, when to simply poke, et cetera. I paused the game for a bit to take my hypothesis to the gym, and experimented them for several hours. I wrote my conclusions, thoughts, things I needed to improve on, why the approaches did or didn't work, and overall, it was just a massive training lab."

  Naoki, surprised, as much as he was proud, smiled widely. He lightly punches Yamada's arm. "Not bad Yamada. Not bad at all."

  Yamada's cheeks turn into a rustic color as he turns away. "Well, I couldn't have done it myself," he says, returning a pat back to Naoki.

  "OW-" Screams Naoki. "I'M NOT DONE HEALING."

  "AH- I'M SORRY!" Responds Yamada.

  After resting for a bit, Naoki purses his lips.

  "What's wrong?" Asks Yamada.

  "Well my back still hurts so, that's one thing."

  "Again, I'm sorry. But what's the other thing?"

  "Well, it seems I'm losing a battle, and not just of strength."

  "What do you mean?"

  "The guy who beat our team up, Kito. We talked for a bit. I tried proving him wrong these past couple days but, its like the world agrees with him. And its getting frustrating. I know I shouldn't give up but, the last thing I want to become is another person like him."

  Yamada nods. "Ahh, I understand. Well, if it means something, I don't think life is all about philosophy, nor proving other people wrong."

  Naoki rolls his neck. "Yeah, I get that. But this is different. Normally I wouldn't care about how people live, but when your entire life is molded with these ideals, seeing them shattered, especially to this degree is kind of... its definitely a new experience, I'll tell you that."

  Stolen story; please report.

  Yamada rolls his eyes. "Yeah. Tell me about it."

  "With that being said, I think there's something I'm missing. And I feel like learning from others can lead me somewhere."

  Naoki hesitates. "(But, asking strangers for advice is what got me feeling this way in the first place too)." Thought Naoki.

  "So, Yamada, in your eyes, why should a person be good?"

  Yamada is slightly taken aback. "What kind of question is that?"

  "Nevermind then."

  "No, no, no-" interrupts Yamada. "I'll answer it, it's just that it's very unexpected, especially for someone like you, Naoki. Tell me, if you don't mind, what makes you ask this?"

  "Well for starters, living selfishly and taking advantage of other people would make life easier. I'm not saying straight up murder but, with the smallest of things like stealing and sabotaging others, why would anyone be good, given the choice?"

  Yamada blinks and stares at Naoki. "My that's... a loaded question." The both of them eventually arrive at the cafeteria and sit down.

  "To answer your question, let me be honest. I was never really a 'good' person. For starters, I minded my own business. It didn't matter what was happening to other people, no matter what it looked like. I always lived with the assumption of 'the police will figure it out' or 'its not my problem.' I never harmed anyone, I can assure you. But I never helped anyone either so, my input means very little in that regard."

  Naoki glares at Yamada. "So if someone was getting assaulted," starts Naoki in a stern voice, "and you had the chance to do something, you would just leave them, expecting someone else to take care of it?"

  "Yes." Simply says Yamada. "Listen to me Naoki. You're forgetting that everyone else out there don't have superpowers."

  Naoki's eyes slightly widen.

  "If a man has a weapon," continues Yamada, "I would've ran from there 100 times out of 100. Nobody's life is worth risking in that regard. So yes, the best I could've done is call the cops, and hope they get saved."

  "But, the cops still have to take time to get there. If the person already got assaulted, and its already too late, then that's on you."

  "Naoki, what do you want me, or the rest of society to do in that situation? We don't have guns. And in a country where people do have guns, the crooks will have guns too. I wasn't trained to be some savior. So leaving it to the cops is the best I could do. And even then," Yamada's voice shakes. "Sometimes, the cops don't come. So afterwards, you just have to live with what happened and move on."

  Naoki looks at Yamada with confusion and slight disgust.

  Yamada sighs. "Ultimately, it depends on the scenario. We can hypothesize all we want but, at the end of the day, they're hypotheticals. But, what I am certain is that people like you exist, Naoki."

  "What do you mean?"

  "You're a very specific type of person, Naoki. I'm glad that people like you, though rare, exist out there in the world. If it were any other student, I wouldn't be here. Though I was never saved on time or even prevented from turning into... this. At least, getting saved later is better than never. I don't have much experience on the saving side but, I'm glad someone still looked out for me. I still hate the situation I'm in but, I'm glad that I could gain something of value still. So don't give in to these silly thoughts. Just... just keep doing what you're doing."

  Yamada's mandibles softly perk up.

  Naoki, still glaring at the ground, says nothing.

  Naoki thinks to himself. "(You sicken me. How naive. How immoral. What a disgusting way of thinking. Depending on other people to save others instead of standing up and fighting for what's right is how it should be. But at the end of the day, it's my fault for assuming you'd know anything about that. Yamada, I don't blame you. You and I have vastly different lives. But at the end of the day, you're just a coward. I apologize for asking you.)"

  "Thanks." Says Naoki, standing up and walking away.

  Yamada scratches his head as Naoki leaves.

  "(I hope he didn't misconstrue what I said...)" he thinks to himself.

  .

  .

  .

  As Naoki walks through the halls, hunched over and with hands deep in his pockets, he passes Kyouji. Kyouji, with rings around his eyes and a clearly starved demeanor mutters underneath his breath.

  The both of them turn around and lock eyes.

  "...Hey." Simply says Naoki.

  Kyouji walks up to him, and hugs him. "I'm sorry." He simply says. "I'm busy but... but..."

  Kyouji then turns around and walks away.

  Naoki, clearly confused, scoffs. "(The hell is that all about?)" He thinks to himself.

  Kyouji continues walking. Another thing that could have been prevented. Another person that could have been saved. More pain caused by his tardiness.

  .

  .

  .

  Walking through the halls, though aching, Naoki still feels an aura. A negative that matches, and even surpasses his own, yet of an alien quality. The door of the dorm belonging to the new vessel. The stench of malice, vengeance, and hate reek from a bottle.

  Naoki simply moves on. He has his own issues to ponder about.

  .

  .

  .

  Meeting back up, he sees Makoto. She's out in thick forest of the school. The trees in front of her, bent in half, with sawdust and woodchips polluting the air.

  "Oh, I've been wondering where you've been." Simply says Makoto. "What's up with you now? Don't tell its because of that broadcast."

  "What gave it away," responds Naoki.

  Makoto shakes her head and facepalms. "Damn it man. Look, I don't know how but... but we'll find a way to beat him. Ok?"

  "It's not just that. He's proving us wrong, simply by existing. Mocking us."

  Makoto is slightly taken aback. "Proving us wrong? What the hell are you talking about?"

  "It's not a war of just strength. He's not that dense. He's trying to convince people of his ways."

  Flabbergasted, Makoto simply stands there. "Ok first of all, why don't we just take a walk and cool down, ok? You're not making any sense."

  Annoyed, Naoki reluctantly nods his head.

  "I can clearly see you're bothered." Says Makoto. "So... what's with you?"

  "What is a good person to you, Makoto?"

  Makoto instantly snorts. "Well, that's one way to start this off."

  She pauses. The both of them continue walking through the rich foliage. The sun shines brightly on them. The fresh, clean air distorts around Naoki. After pondering for a bit, Makoto simply looks up and puts her hand above her face, casting a shade over her eyes. Eventually, Makoto responds.

  "I don't know, Naoki. And I'm going to be quite honest with you, I don't think I care."

  She puts her arm around Naoki. Naoki slides himself off of her. Makoto winces in annoyance.

  "I know you're a little shaken up." She says. "But what does this have to do with Kito?"

  Naoki explains the same thing he explained to Yamada. The feeling of rendering his existence as wrong, as well as the logical and beneficial means of cruelty. Going beyond what he explained to Yamada, he also told Makoto about his previous talks with Kito.

  Makoto, wide eyed, leans against a tree.

  "That's uh... well that's certainly news to me."

  "(Now I understand what he meant when he said he was trying to disprove me and him.)" Thinks Makoto, before talking back aloud.

  "Though I don't exactly think the same way as him, to a certain extent, he has a point."

  Naoki wrinkles his nose.

  "Oh come on, don't start with me," he hisses.

  "Let me finish," insists Makoto. "I hate the guy but he's right to an extent. People are selfish. He's selfish. Hell, even I'm selfish. However, being selfish doesn't automatically make you a bad person. He's a bad person because he kills people and works outside the law to gain his ways."

  "What about you Makoto. Are you a bad person?"

  She squints. "I don't know. I don't think I've done anything bad yet. All the people I've killed were out of self defense. But even aside from that, I don't think I really care either." She sighs. "Though, don't worry about it. Look, you're naive. And that's not me talking down to you, that's just literally how these things go. I was there too. But you shouldn't change yourself just because its the 'optimal' thing to do. Do what makes you happy. If you genuinely feel like exploiting people for some reason, I'll be upset, but that's you. If you feel joy in helping every single person you meet, I'll still think that's silly but, seeing you happy makes me happy."

  She pauses. She thinks about a talk she had with Taberu a long time ago. She sighs. "No matter what happens, don't lose yourself."

  She then mentally slaps herself in the face. "(Fuck, did I really just say that? God that's so cheesy.)"

  She pats Naoki's arm. "So don't stress about it too hard. Or else you'll start stressing over every single person that opposes you, and that's just not good in any way."

  His face is as still as ever. "I appreciate your words Makoto, but there's a flaw in there. I know its impossible, and even naive in thinking everyone should do good. But living selfishly only invites people to exploit others. And that's the thing. I know there's varying degrees to this, but I feel like even giving an inch with humans will make them go a mile."

  She takes back her arm and tilts her head, challenging Naoki's notion. "So what are you proposing? To control them?"

  Naoki thinks for a second. "Yeah... I guess that is a bad idea too."

  Makoto shakes her head. "Watch yourself. You can think you're saving other people with your ideas, yet that's how people like him pop up."

  "Well, what then? What is there to be done? If you control the way society works, then you can prevent people like him from popping up."

  Makoto gives a confused glance. "What... What are you saying? Nevermind that. Are you trying to save society here, or are you trying to stop this guy."

  Naoki stops for a moment and shakes his head. "Well, of course I'm thinking up a way of stopping him. But if its for the future-"

  "Naoki, we're talking about now." Interrupts Makoto. "Worry about the future after he's dead."

  "I am. I'm actually thinking of ways to stop him. Yet I refuse to stoop down to his level just because it'll be easier."

  "Why not? He's a fucking asshole who deserves cruelty."

  "But if I resort to his ways then everything I stand for will be worthless."

  Frustrated, Makoto scoffs. "Oh come the fuck on."

  "No, you calm down-" interjects Naoki. "If you don't want to live a moral life and just do everything by any means, fine, that's on you. But I actually care for my own sake. I'm not going to be some- some fucking scumbag just because it makes life easier. I'm better than that."

  Makoto, puffing air, gets real close to Naoki and presses him. "If you want to be a pretentious asshole then go ahead. But trying to change anyone else- no, better yet, trying to save your own ego over something like this is stupid, plain and simple."

  "I'm not sure if you understand. Hell, you might think its real silly. But if I don't have this," he says, gripping onto Makoto's collar.

  "Then what am I?" Growls Naoki

  "A kid Naoki. You're a fucking kid."

  She too, holds on to the back of Naoki's neck. Her fingers rest on his nape, yet her thumb creeps between the front of his neck, and the side.

  They stare at each other. Yet, realizing how this always go down, they let go at the same time.

  Naoki looks away and shoves his hands in his pockets. "Thanks for the talk." He stiffly says.

  Makoto doesn't say anything.

  "I'll see you later."

  She doesn't say anything.

  He walks a couple steps later, head hanging low.

  "I love you," he mutters.

  She hesitates, but eventually sees "me too."

  A couple steps later, Naoki turns around and yells. "Well? Say it back!"

  Makoto whips around. She sees his warped face.

  She sighs. "I love you too, Naoki."

  His face returns to normal. "Thank you."

  As he walks away, she pushes her thumb and index finger up to her brow, looks down, and sighs. A huff of hot air escapes her nose. "God, I hate when he gets like this."

  .

  .

  .

  Naoki is out on the field, alone. The only thing to occupy his company is the wind, the dirt and the sand blowing by. He sits on a bench, staring at the sun.

  Eventually, someone sits right next to him. It's Naota Sen.

  "Makoto told me you were here. What's bothering you?" Asks Naota

  "I don't see a point in being good." Says Naoki, not even looking at Naota.

  Naota gives him a confused look. "What makes you say that?"

  Naoki goes over his examples of how he tried to help someone, and it only hurt more people than helped. Additionally, he repeated what he told Yamada and Makoto.

  Naota shakes his head. "I see. Why should a person be good, huh? To tell you the truth, I used to think the exact same thing. If anything, I even began being 'good' just to prove Taberu wrong."

  Naoki looks over at Naota. "So you did it out of spite?"

  "Initially, yes. But over time, I saw the value in it, and realized that being the best person you can be is not only necessary, but its optimal."

  "Really now? Explain."

  "Well for starters, the law exists. At least from what Hanayama told me, for someone like Kito, the only reason he got this far was because he's got powers. Otherwise he'd be facing the death sentence right now. For normal people who want to do heinous shit, they have to worry about the law. And even if they manage to succeed, they have to look over their shoulders every day. Because as well thought out as they think their plan is, a single detail will always be their downfall. The people who get away with something like murder only exists in movies. Not to mention, if someone wants to find a person, whether it be the police or someone worse, with enough patience and hatred, they'll find the person, I can guarantee it."

  "But what about corruption? What about people who like to use other people for work or advancement in life? Your morals don't mean much now, do they?"

  Naota gives the kid a stern look. "First of all, tone it down. I know you're upset but don't take that out on me. Second of all, you're right to an extent. Even though corruption and scumbags exist in the real world, that only goes so far. Even with corruption, not every person at the top of political power is a conniving cartoon villain. Most of them are, I won't deny that. But through slip ups and their scandals, there's still hope. Through the power of newer generations, slowly yet surely, I like to think that we're making a change to the system.

  As for those who take advantage of others, its a shame that it exists. Granted, they're not murderers or something on that scale. But they're still plentiful. Maybe their sabotaging their co-worker or friend. But the way you act is how people perceive you. No matter how calloused the world is, humans are social creatures. Just because it happens a lot doesn't mean everyone agrees with it. So in this case, the scumbag's coworkers will know the guy is a conniving rat bastard. Do you think people are going to hang out or negotiate with him afterwards?"

  "No." Says Naoki, still looking away.

  "Well then there you go. There goes his deals, his trust, small things that make relationships work. Whether you want to call it networking, or in olden terms, 'honor,' that social stigma will stick onto them. And that'll make life a bitch. I know this is all a very broad topic, but you understand what I'm saying, right?"

  "I know what you're saying, but that doesn't really change anything."

  "I disagree. These types of people believe in the 'dog eat dog' world. Now I know that its true to some extent, but listen to me. Do you think those people, and especially the so called 'top dog,' know peace?"

  "What the hell are you going on about?" Asks Naoki in a frustrated manner.

  "They are all dogs. Chasing, biting at each other's tails. Plotting with one dog, only to betray that same mutt the next moment they turn their back. Sure, they may have money, possibly power. But bear with me; do you think they have a good standing with their family? Do you think they have fulfilling relationships? Do you really expect their own sons to love them?"

  "Probably, not." Sighs Naoki.

  "Exactly. If anything, I would expect their sons to plan behind their backs, or eagerly wait for nepotism to kick in and cruise through life."

  "Ok but, what if they don't care for that kind of thing. It's rare but, heartless people like that exist, and only care for themselves."

  Naota nods. "And that goes to my last point. On a pure, practical scale, even with all those risks, even if you're content with leading a lonely life, filled with greed, content with throwing empathy away... tell me. How far will that get you? You can sprint ahead of this race called life. But eventually, the very moment you slow down, the others who are also rushing ahead, will take every opportunity to bite your ankles and take advantage of you.

  As an example, I'm sure you've heard of elites who prefer... younger 'partners', right?"

  Naoki stiffens a bit. "...Yeah."

  "And among those elites, there was a specific, infamous man. He supplied their 'preferences' and conducted heinous acts for his rich friends. A vile fucking stain in humanity, no doubt. But thankfully, he went to court, and not even his power could save him there. And you heard that he died a couple years ago, correct?"

  "...Yeah."

  Naota slowly turns to Naoki. Naoki feels the piercing gaze through the sunglasses. Naoki, shivering, slowly turns to Naota and looks at the sunglasses.

  "Naoki," starts Naota. "Do you think he killed himself?"

  Stiffened, it takes Naoki two seconds before he could shake his head.

  "As I thought. Even at the top of the world, the people you hang out with will dictate your future. Now," continues Naota, "here's the thing. As much as I'm telling you this, at the end of the day, this is your life. If you want to say 'fuck you' to my face and my advise, by all means, go on and live that way. However, I don't know about you, but I care for you. Hell, you can call it weak or naive but I don't care; I like feeling good. Even if there's a stranger out in the street, I may not know them, nor what they've done in the past. But I'd prefer to live comfortably, knowing I'm doing something that makes me feel warm, and not like some miserable, sniveling rat. But that's just me. My advice is to think carefully, and live the way you want to live."

  Naoki doesn't say anything for a bit. "(He's technically right,)" he thinks to himself. "(But there's still a glaring hole. Something I can't understand.)"

  "That's all well and good." Says Naoki. "But I just want to ask, why are people like this? What for? If it goes beyond the way the human brain works, then what's the fucking point?"

  Naota sighs. "Kid, I wonder the same thing. Everyone has different circumstances. Perhaps its trauma. Perhaps its because they see it as the easiest, or even 'optimal' way to live. Competing for resources, for the betterment of life- that's understandable. But I'll tell you this Naoki: those people are weak."

  Naoki makes a confused face. "Well, I don't expect cut-throat businessmen to be weightlifters."

  Naota shakes his head. "No, no- well, not just that but, those types of people who want to take advantage of others are weak. Mentally, socially, emotionally, and so on. They prefer to take shortcuts, and cast discipline to the wayside. They prefer to take petty vengeance over the smallest of things. And I understand that the world is a bit more nuanced than just 'living honestly and hard work' because at the end of the day, even that alone won't get you through life. There will always be some schmuck who cut in line through nepotism. Or a scumbag who gets away with taking advantage of another person. But when the job is done, and the evidence is shown, scum will eventually be cleared. And those who can show their worth will be rewarded.

  Strength isn't just how many people you kill, or how many people you're able to manipulate. It's hard to care for others, I know. It's way easier to say 'fuck you and the world,' and fall towards cruelty. It's easy to fall towards temptation and vengeance. It's the burden people have to endure with relationships. But by enduring, learning, and dare I say, caring for others, you'll realize that the path of cruelty only takes you so far. Even if you don't believe in it anymore, the cycle of karma still lingers. Unfortunate things always happens, even to those who don't deserve it. But by being cruel, you'll only accelerate a violent consequence. I know this was a lot but all I'm saying is..."

  Naota rests his hand on Naoki's shoulder. The sun behind Naota glimmers. Though a shade casts over his face, his smile is as bright as ever. "Don't just be strong. Be better."

  Naoki's eyes well up. He hugs Naota. Surprised, Naota hugs him back and chuckles.

  Naoki, looking down at the ground thinks to himself. "(You're not wrong.)" He clutches onto Naota harder. "(But, you're still not right either. I suppose its just something I'll have to face myself.)"

  "There's another thing I need to mention," says Naoki. "Did you happen to watch the news an hour and a half ago?"

  "No. What happened?"

  "Kito. He was on the news, all burnt. An apartment exploded and that's how he got damaged. Did you know anything about that?"

  Surprised, Naota responds. "No. What else happened?"

  "He sent a message. By blinking in morse code, he said 'meet me at the beach.' I don't know what he wants but I've been thinking about it all day."

  Naota grips on to his own legs. Silence. Naoki can sense the ground get drilled off of Naota's piercing gaze alone.

  "Wait," says Naoki. "I have a plan. But I need all of you to trust me."

  .

  .

  .

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEnd8JIMii4

  An hour later, sunset.

  At the same beach where Kito bought him ice cream, and only half a mile away from their first meeting where they skipped stones. The children still frolic. The ice cream vendor is busy as ever. A couple walk together, holding hands. The ocean waves crash onto the sand. And a lone bench, posted between the sand and the boardwalk.

  Adorned in his typical sorcerer garb, the sun casts a shade over Naoki's eyes. As he sits down, he drapes his hood over the back rest of the bench. He leans on the bench and soaks up the scene. The sun glares in his eyes. His lips are still cracked. The waves drown out the noise of the people around him. He see the darkness slowly taking over the light.

  Step.

  Step.

  Step.

  Step.

  Step.

  A presence sits right next to Naoki.

  Without looking, Naoki could tell by the man's aura that he was smiling.

  One of them wasn't expecting the other to come.

  Kito also leans back, crosses his legs, and spreads his arms out on the back rest.

  With the orange sunset slowly turning red, the both of them just stare, and soak in the scene.

  Silently.