At a small restaurant, Kasumi Murobuchi slurps on some teriyaki noodles topped with shrimp and eel. Though he is a bodybuilder, because his profession demands that he starve himself for competitions, the fact that it is off-season at the moment means he can finally eat a well deserved lunch; rather than measured fragments of meals.

  The cooks are busy in the back. The sizzles of stir fried chicken echo loudly, while the smell of steamed vegetables fill the air. The cashier switches places with one of the owner's daughters, for the sake of a smoke break. Though the quality of the restaurant is a bit cramped and dingy, the humble environment coupled with the rich aroma of the food give the atmosphere a sense of homeliness. Near the ceiling of the restaurant hangs a small CRT television, around 15 years old. Minor static mars the image, yet the audio quality seems fine for the most part. Kasumi pays no mind to it, until a special red bar appears on the screen catches his attention: breaking news.

  Bara Shibukawa is at work. Within the warehouse of a delivery service company, men load and unload bags of cement. Most men shoulder one bag at a time; few shoulder two at a time; only one manages to shoulder eight at a time. Bara Shibukawa, the tallest, strongest, and kindest worker of them all. Despite his strength, all men look at him with admiration rather than envy. "How did you get so big?" Most men would ask. "You are what you eat," Bara would often reply. "I only eat strong animals," he would chuckle, before admitting that genetics also played a factor in his large growth spurt.

  Within the midst of working, a crowd of men huddle around a single radio. Various gasps and worried comments escape the lips of workers. Bara, confused by the scene, walks over to them. "What happened?" He asks. A worker turns up the radio; A live radio announcer comments on the scene about a large explosion in an apartment, and the sole survivor of the explosion. Recognizing the apartment and the survivor, his worried and gentle demeanor evaporates. Bara, bearing the expression of quiet anger immediately marches to the manager. "Excuse me sir, I have to leave on an emergency." Leaving work, Bara opens his flip phone and starts texting.

  Robert Baskerville is at his house, playing with his toddler son. The house is A small yet comfortable enough space for a family. Though the tv is typically on, Robert rarely ever turns on the children's channel, preferring to watch European soccer games. Even then, it acts more like background noise while he and his son play around on the floor of the living room. "Georgie! Georgie!" Robert would exclaim, smiling while swinging his son around like an airplane. The childish giggles fill the room, before both of them playfully crash into the couch, bursting into laughter.

  All of a sudden, something catches Robert's attention. Though the tv was quiet, a bar spelling "breaking news" appears. His smile melts into a still expression. Georgie, noticing his father's attention to the tv, looks back at the tv; Robert covers the boy's eyes, as a gruesome visage of an ogre sends a message to the camera.

  "What's wrong papa?"

  "Georgie... daddy's going to be busy for a moment. Mommy is coming soon just... you'll be going with Grandma for a little bit, ok?"

  Despite being confused and wanting to ask more questions, Robert hurriedly dresses Georgie up, writes a note, leaves it on the table, and runs out the door towards the end of the block.

  "Mother-in-law" says Robert, to an old Japanese woman; her nose wrinkles at the title. "Excuse me but, there's something I must attend to at work."

  "Where's Hana," asks the lady.

  "She's at school."

  "And Matsuri?"

  "She's still working. They'll arrive home soon enough."

  The lady quickly takes the boy's hand, "come in, Jouji." She says; Robert's face twitches for a split second.

  "Bye papa." Says Georgie.

  "I'll be right back, son. Be good."

  Robert then turns around and leaves.

  At a rather large gym, full of various people with all kinds of experience, whether it be casual gym go-ers, or professionals in training, a single blotch stains the crowd, that being Daiki Sugimoto. His odd markings drown nearly every inch of his skin, which of course made him extremely noticeable. Yet, very few people have the courage to bother him, considering his hulking physique, or bruce lee-esque lean body, or thick yet rotund build, or the manifestation of the seemingly perfect body; all of which everybody seem to have conflicting accounts of his build. In the middle of him working, he noticed that the people that had smartphones are all glued to their screens. Yet, unlike most other days, where they all seem distracted by it rather than focused, their faces were of horror and concern. Confused by this display, Daiki walks over to one of the men.

  "What is the matter?" Asks Daiki in a hollow and warped voice.

  The man, having his face switch from worry to startled, quickly shows Daiki the phone.

  There, the smartphone shows an article briefly describing the incident. Daiki, noticing the address of the apartment, stares at the phone, before jetting towards the exit. He then finds the nearest pay phone and quickly dials up Kito's phone.

  .

  .

  .

  After the interview is done, Kito excuses himself. The medics with the ambulance glare at him with frustration and confusion. He hops on the ambulance, knowing full well that people are looking. As the ambulance begins to drive, the medics hook Kito up to a bunch of IV bags while examining his body all over. Kito on the other hand, taps away at the walls of the ambulance, mapping the area around the car, "seeing" where the car is going. After the car passes the busy part of town, he loudly exclaims "hold it." He rips off all of the syringes and whips out his wallet. To the medics, they look confused, seeing that the wallet is unharmed from the fire. He then hands the medics a single 5000 yen bill each.

  "It's not much but, could you do me a favor? If anybody asks, say you took me to the hospital. You can drop me off around the corner. I'll be on my way."

  "Where the hell do you think you're going? You're in no position to-"

  Kito kicks the door of the ambulance as its still driving. The driver brakes hard after hearing the door open.

  "Take the money and leave. This is your final warning." States Kito.

  Already mentally checked out by the situation, the medics reluctantly scoff, shut the door and drive away.

  Kito looks around. He's at the edge of the city, where the town blends into the suburbs. After taking a good look at the scenery, he squints. "(Isn't this... Robert's neighborhood?)" He ponders for a second. "(I'll check if he's still at home, that way it'll be easier to group up.)" He runs around, looking for the familiar house. He eventually finds Robert's house and knocks on the door; of course, there's no response. "(Guess he already left...)" He walks away and continues towards the nearest train station. He then sees a tall wooden post. He smiles and makes a mental note. "Hm. And this place isn't too far; I know just the perfect place to put him." Something in his pocket vibrates. It's his flip phone, which aside from a slightly heightened temperature, was perfectly fine. The call is coming from a random phone number.

  With precaution, he knows there's a very slim chance that it's the Ordinance Academy again; perhaps this time they would use an assassin with a vocal ability. The stunt that caught national attention most likely set something off, and with the government's resources, they could've pulled this off as a sort of second option. Yet, an ability that involved killing someone over the phone must adhere to strict conditions in order to actually kill him. Thus, Kito carefully hangs the phone away from his ear.

  "Speak." He demands.

  "Boss! Are you ok?"

  "Daiki-" says Kito, breathing a sigh of relief.

  "I just read an article on someone's phone. What happened? Do you need anythi-"

  "Woah boy, calm down, it's all over now. By the way, where are you? You didn't buy a cheap phone, did you?"

  "No sir, I'm still saving up for one. I'm on a payphone right now."

  "Ah, I see. Good thinking. I'll explain everything in a bit, but for now start heading to the beach that's not too far from the harbor. Come immediately."

  "Sir yes sir!"

  *click*

  Kito hangs up and checks through his phone while he casually runs at high speeds. Kasumi and Bara both texted Kito that they were on their way. All that leaves is Robert, but considering his culture, he's the one who takes punctuality the most seriously.

  Eventually, through a mix of running and riding the train, Kito eventually arrives at the beach. As he waits for the others to arrive, Kito takes it upon himself to saunter around and enjoy the scenery until then. He's had one hell of a day so, some ice cream and a nice stroll should suffice. An odd feeling whelms his senses however.

  As he saunters, his eyes dart around. "(Eyes.)" He thinks to himself. "(Many eyes. People are looking... Now, it's true that I did just appear on public television, and seeing my outfit, as well as the partially visible damage to my face, that would make me recognizable. Yet, something's off. Someone's Ki... no, is it more than one? It's too blurry, too subtle. It's already hard to mask your presence so it's either someone extremely weak, or someone who's experienced in masking their own presence. But, if they were skilled to begin with, then they'd be able to hide it completely, rather than this pitiful attempt at stealth. Perhaps its the others coming back... but that feels too soon. Unless they were close to the beach to begin with. And even then, it would at least be somewhat recognizable.)"

  As Kito wanders, looking intently for the source, he manages to stumble upon the boardwalk area. There, he sees a familiar figure. A lean teenager with a black cloak, a long brimmed black hat, and blonde hair, sitting on a bench, staring out at the sunset.

  Air escapes Kito's lips as the corner of his mouth also perks up.

  "(No fucking way.)" He thinks to himself.

  He slowly walks over to the bench.

  "(The source of the Ki... its faint, but most of it is coming from Naoki. It seems his levels are very low; suppose last night took everything from him.)"

  Step.

  "(This is a trap; probably an illusion as well.)"

  After step.

  "(Yet even if a lot of my Ki is spent)"

  Kito draws closer.

  "(No matter what you pull-)"

  He stands next to Naoki.

  "(I will still be stronger. As such-)"

  Kito then finally sits down, crossing his legs, and rests his arms behind the bench.

  "(I call your bluff.)"

  Silence.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW3JanrF2rY

  The dying sun's rays grace their skin. The breeze is cool. The water splashes against the sand. People conversate behind them. Children frolic around, squirting water guns at each other. Customers slowly come to the stands for an early dinner.

  They sit and stare out at the sunset.

  Kito patiently waits, even giving odd squints at Naoki with a side eye.

  Naoki, with a slightly crooked neck, simply continues to stare out with dried lips and a slightly opened mouth.

  After a minute of being ignored, Kito starts with an annoyed smile.

  "I wasn't expecting you to be here." Says Kito.

  With a delayed response, Naoki, still not addressing Kito with a look, opens his mouth.

  "Stop lying. I'm already here so we might as well get it over with."

  As such, with that first exchange, the fires have been shot. One is grazed with a realization, while the other unintentionally dodges something important.

  Within Kito's mind, his head races.

  "('Stop lying...?')" Keeping a still expression, Kito ponders. "('Get it over with?')" Immediately, stifling down a wicked expression, Kito's mind forms connections.

  "(The broadcast! He thought the broadcast was for him. But that doesn't explain why he would be here. The OA already knows what I did to him and the others last night. As such, they sent an assassin for me by bombing the apartment. Yet... something like that would have to be premeditated. Plus, it would need a lot of planning to do, especially with so many people in the apartments. But... why would they try to respond with my assault against Naoki and the others with a bombing? The time it would take for them to set up bombs at the apartment would be impossible, since I would be able to sense them, even if I was sleeping. Could it be... could it be that they set up the bombs while I was gone? Was it while I was working? Or was it while-

  The fight. They set it up while I was fighting them.

  But that wouldn't make sense? They were trying their hardest to kill us. And I killed that spirit while they were trying to rescue him. At least that's what they explained. So could it be that they were lying to set the bombing up? But that would be so fucking stupid. To risk their lives to distract me while their meticulous plan could succeed? Besides, the bomber I killed looked nothing like the one's I fought last night. Granted, every one of them had different outfits. Yet, why would they come at me if my first offense at them was bumping into them last night? I talked to Naoki before last night, but I never hurt him, and he had no suspicion of me-

  The government agent.

  He... he was suspicious of me for killing the mayor. And then he had that pesky owl try to kill me with the sniper. But if they're both a part of the Ordinance Academy, what sense does it make for them to come at me at different times with seemingly different means and attitudes? Granted, they could just be relentless, but it seems out of character for them to replace a calculated way of killing me with a sloppy plan. Yet, the one last night seemed a lot more like a coincidence. But that would mean-)"

  Kito's eyes widen. He looks at Naoki intensely. And from the distance, something else stares back at Kito.

  "(OA isn't a single focused group. As such, at least two different forces from the OA are targeting me. And by the looks of it, they aren't communicating with each other.)"

  For the first time that day, Naoki looks back at Kito.

  Naoki gasps for a moment, as the diamond pattern eyes stare back at him.

  "(The kaleidoscope eyes don't lie, Naoki.)" Thinks Kito. "(Your face reflects back what I need to know.

  Myriad truth.

  The nature of the physical world.

  I see it all, Naoki.)"

  A few seconds before, Naoki's mind also scurries for conclusions.

  "('I wasn't expecting you to be here?' Why would he lie? He's already got me in a bind, so what else would he want from me? Why would he bluff this hard?

  But the bombing. Did he think I did this? No. Even if he seems like a muscle brained guy, he's conniving enough to set something up like this. I mean, he managed to use the incident as free advertisement for his campaign. Someone fantastical enough to survive a bombing and rile the public with his words would surely get him votes. But why would he willingly take that damage? He can regenerate so, there's no reason to keep the burn marks unless its for the sake of public believability. So it's most likely him who did it, because nobody else is in charge of this case aside from our team. Unless a group of rogue sorcerers also have beef with him. In which case he just used the best of the opportunity. Even then, that message. Why would he send that message out during the broadcast? All of it makes little sense. Why would he want anything to do with me right after last night; he already got what he wanted out of me... unless-)"

  Naoki's eyes widen.

  "(It wasn't meant for me.)"

  In that moment, Naoki turns to face Kito for the first time.

  "I wasn't expecting you to do something so underhanded." States Kito, continuing to stare while tapping on the bench.

  The diamond pattern eyes, surrounded by the shade cast by Kito's bandana, strengthens its piercing gaze.

  "What you mean?" Says Naoki, in the stiffest form possible. He feels the vibrations of the bench slowly crawl around his body.

  "Risking civilian lives? Tsk tsk, Naoki. I thought you were the moral type."

  Naoki, stiffens up and turns away without responding; his heart races.

  "(Oh no.)" Thinks Naoki to himself. "(I've already let out too much. I don't know if the message was for me, but even then, that look... he knows something I don't.)"

  Salivating, Kito stops tapping on the bench.

  "(Just as I thought.)" Thinks Kito to himself.

  By tapping the bench, the mapping that spread around Naoki's body allowed Kito to read his heart palpitations.

  "(When I asked about the situation, his confusion was genuine. And now that he knows that I know, his heart is racing, and he's trying to avoid saying anything that would give me a lead. That, as well as his avoidance of the subject only confirms my suspicions. But if my theory of there being more than two forces at the OA is true, then the other force didn't let Naoki know. Pahaha. What a mess. No matter how hard you try to hide it, I already know what I need.)"

  With a worried face, Naoki looks back at Kito.

  Kito leans back, arms back to their original position. His eyes revert to their casual poise, looking out at the sunset rather than the intense disposition mere seconds ago. If anything, were Kito a man of vices, his demeanor would perfectly fit a glass of brandy and a cigar. But, Kito does not smoke. And most importantly, Kito does not drink.

  If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  At a loss for words, Naoki looks at the water, slowly crawling towards his feet.

  "Well... I'm already here." Simply says Naoki. "I uh..."

  He chokes on his words. Afraid of spitting something out. What the word or words might be, even he doesn't know. A wave of nausea overcomes him.

  "(I

  Did I

  Did I already lose?)"

  His voice shaky, he turns to Kito.

  "Are you... are you going to kill me?"

  Kito, turns to him with a face of confusion, and scans for a couple seconds, before bursting into a chuckle.

  "Pahaha! Are you serious? Of course not. I need you, remember?"

  "Oh right... the votes..."

  "By the way, about those votes: did you already tell your principal about them?"

  "..."

  "Come on Naoki, spit it out," chuckles Kito. "No matter what you do or say, I'll figure it out. Like right now, with you being quiet, it only implies something I won't like."

  "I told him." Says Naoki.

  Kito senses Naoki's heart beat through the lingering map of the bench.

  "(He's not lying...)"

  "And? How did it go with those spirits?" Asks Kito.

  "They can vote for you, so you'll get the five votes."

  Kito stares out in the open, before turning to Naoki with a soft smile.

  All of a sudden, the squawks of the birds, the sounds of the ocean, and the laughs of children are suddenly muted, as Kito's response silences everything.

  "Liar."

  Naoki's heart sinks.

  Kito goes back to resting on the bench. "I suppose you already know what that means. That goes for everything else really."

  "Wh-what do you mean?"

  "No matter what you do, no matter what you plan, I've already won. If I see those spirits, I think you'll know what will happen. So you might as well just wait your days, and continue what you do without obstructing my business. It'll save both of us a headache."

  Naoki sits, defeated.

  Silence yet again. As the waves continue to crash, Naoki's mind tries to race for an answer. Yet, his mind only computes the sound of dead air.

  As Kito is about to leave, Naoki asks a simple question.

  "Why?"

  Kito turns to him. "Why what?"

  "Why do you do the things you do? Why is this the way you choose to do things?"

  Kito rolls his eyes. "I thought I already told you?"

  "No, you only told me within the context of those things and your future plans. But why?"

  Kito scoffs in an annoyed tone. "What does it matter? Talking to a corpse is pointless."

  "Then would you at least oblige this corpse with one last inquiry? It's the least you could do."

  Kito hesitates. "(By all means, this is a waste of time, and the others are most likely waiting for me. But...)"

  Kito turns around, his intrigue rising up again. "(There's no point in asking these questions. The what and how of what I'm going to do would be important to OA, and though the why part would help them, they already know its because I want to be mayor. Yet, his heart... I can sense it. He's genuinely curious.)" Kito's eyes tilt downward, gazing intently at Naoki. "(Though my Ki is low, his is way lower than mine, so anything he does will be caught by me. I already have all the power in the situation yet... if he genuinely wants to know then-)"

  Kito scoots closer, folds his arms, crosses legs, and leans back.

  "(I'll oblige him. As a final act of respect, I'll oblige him.)"

  "Rephrase the question, because I can easily just say, why does anyone do anything?" Says Kito.

  "Why do you... what's your logic? Why do you feel the need to hold power over people instead of doing things the right way?"

  Kito scoffs at the final part. "Ah yes, I understand now. In simple terms, I was born lucky. My intellect was decent, but what I knew for a fact was that I had a strong body. I eventually learned how to use Ki and from there, I just found it logical to take what I want as long as I'm able to attain it with my hands."

  As the both of them look onwards at the setting sun, Naoki's face contorts into one of disgust. "You’re only saying that because you have a strong body. Take that away and I doubt you’d be saying the same thing."

  Kito squints at Naoki. "Well... no shit. That is that and this is this; the only thing that matters in life is the present. I don't doubt that I would be a different person if I was born with a disability. But, that's clearly not the case. As such, hypothesizing who I would be in a different scenario is fucking pointless. 'Souls' can’t be predetermined. Everyone is shaped by their present circumstances, none of this mumbo jumbo spiritualism or predeterminism. I was born with a strong body, therefore, I'll make the most of it. And hey, maybe in the next life, those unfortunate souls can be born better. But life is a bitch, and everyone is fighting for their own survival. It would be illogical to simply lower myself to other people's standards just because society demands social constructs or emotional weakness from me.

  Not to mention, in the real world, there is no 'right way.' Only ways of inching towards what you want, without getting caught or punished. The leaders have the police, the politicians have money, the elites have connections, and none of those things are available to people like us- well, considering your situation, people like me."

  He turns to Naoki.

  "I'm a god damn fisherman, Naoki." Says Kito, looking intently at his hand. "And I can assure you, I'll become mayor one way or another; even it means wrenching every single neck in office, until it's just me remaining."

  Naoki, wide eyed, continues to look at the ocean. He wants to say "holy shit." Yet, nothing escapes his lips.

  Kito continues to sway his legs forward and backwards. "You're awfully quiet. Tell me, what's on your mind?"

  Naoki, with dried lips, eventually responds. “I’m not gonna lie, I kinda wish I wasn’t alive right now.”

  Kito tilts his head. “So you’re saying you’re suicidal?”

  Naoki shakes his head “no; there’s a difference between being suicidal and preferring to not be alive at the moment. It’s more like I really wouldn’t be that upset if something were to happen to me.”

  “Really now. Not even if I had a hand in it?” Kito says, inquisitively scanning Naoki's reaction.

  Naoki keeps the dead look on his face.

  Kito leans back again, slightly annoyed at the lack of a reaction.

  "You already said you wouldn't kill me, so why would I be afraid of your threats?" Comments Naoki, startling the silence.

  "You're annoying me, so I had a brief change of heart."

  "You suck at lying." Says Naoki.

  Kito rolls his eyes. "(I hate to admit it but, what I said had a hint of truth in it...)"

  "In any case," starts Kito. "Whether you were being genuine or were simply bluffing, in cases like these, everyone has their own prerogative.” Kito stands back up again and starts playing in the water. "Despite what I said earlier, I pity those suffering. I genuinely do. They have no right to tell me how to live my life but, it's still terrible that nature is as cruel as it is giving."

  Naoki looks at Kito, with a baffled expression.

  "But, at the end of the day," continues Kito. "If it's your choice to end it, then…” he shrugs. “Then I suppose you weren’t strong enough in the first place.”

  Naoki’s eyes widen. He looks at Kito. “What?”

  Kito shrugs. “Logically speaking, if a person chooses to feel demotivated or depressed or, whatever word you want to use, then I think they’ve clearly made their minds. Nothing I say will change it. No person with motivation to continue is strong enough to strive in life. As such, I believe they have the right to do what comes naturally. Only the strong survive; after all, they can overcome any obstacles; socially, physically, mentally, etc.”

  Kito hears something.

  Sniffles.

  He turns to Naoki.

  The corners of Kito's mouth slightly perk up, his eyebrows raised in bewildered amusement. “Pahaheh. No way. Are you…Are you crying?” Asks Kito.

  Naoki looks at the ground. One tear slowly rolls down his cheek.

  “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why would you say something like that?”

  Kito sighs and crosses his arms. “You can hate me for it but, I only speak in truths. This planet is already full of liars. Politicians, scammers, thieves, and those who prey on the emotionally weak. As such, I’ll get rid of those liars by toughening everyone else up. Don’t you see? I’m making Japan a better place.”

  Another tear goes down Naoki’s cheek. “A better place? Are you listening to yourself? You're a fucking psychopath who doesn't understand basic empathy. That’s not how it should be done. Strength comes from understanding and growing. Not by turning everyone into emotionally stunted mindless people. How are you this deranged?”

  Kito gives a disgusted look. “'Growing?' That’s not evolving. You’re forcing men to be sniveling, meek children.”

  “And you’re forcing men to be walking ticking time bombs. Toughness doesn’t come from hiding emotions. If you do that, their internal pressure is only going to get worse and worse. And then what’ll happen when they hurt someone huh? Will you put the blame on them? Or yourself? That’s not maturity. That’s not being tough. You're not deranged; you're just stupid.”

  Kito looks at Naoki before shaking his head and sighing. “I think you're misunderstanding so, let me illustrate it from the top.

  I have a feeling you think of me as some greedy man who only seeks power to fill up a hole in his heart.

  If you think that of me, I am insulted.

  Power, by definition, is influence; it dictates how things are run. I technically have power through the use of force; I can kill a majority of the Japanese populace with my bare hands yet, what the fuck is the point of being a politician if they're all dead? I don't want to kill anyone for fun, Naoki. That's pointless. So, though it may seem like I'm a cruel man, in reality, I'm simply doing the logical thing. It may seem brutal but, I'm limiting my force to those who get in my way. Trust me, Naoki. I truly want to guide the people of Kyoto, and eventually, Japan, towards a brighter future. I may be tough on these people, and it may be cruel, but I'm willing to make those sacrifices for the sake of my people; even if it means getting my hands dirty."

  Naoki snarls. "No, I don't think you understand. Power is supposed to be dictated by an ethical good. Otherwise, you're just another dictator waiting to happen."

  “Ethical good?" Snorts Kito. "You say that yet ‘ethical good’ means different things to different people. Your definition of ethical good can seem backwards and ridiculous to the other person. And so far, your 'ethical good' seems real fucking stupid to me.”

  “You say that an 'ethical good' means different things to everyone, knowing that the average person would agree with you. Yet your ideology demands extremism to work in the first place. And extremism in any scenario is like asking an idiot to pilot a commercial plane. See where that takes you.”

  Kito doesn’t say anything and just groans.

  “Don’t you have a counter argument?” Asks Naoki.

  “It’s not that I don’t have one, it’s just that it’s pointless. Debates are just aggressive discussions that go nowhere. It is what it is. And that’s why when it comes to these cases, the only thing that matters, is whoever wins by force. It’s like the smartest man in the world against an army. It doesn’t matter what plans he has in order to defend himself, nor how many weapons or supposed allies he has, nor how correct he actually is in any regard. It’s force that wins at the end of the day, not reason. Do you think wars are won through debates? Come on; quit being so naive.”

  He then turns his back on Naoki and faces the sunset, basking at the dying light's glow. "But of course, these are all just hypotheticals; no matter what we say, we’ll both go nowhere. So, let's just agree to disagree.”

  Naoki, visibly shaking, tightens his fists. He punches his own thigh, over and over again. Then he stops. The tears keep rolling but his sniffs also stop. Staring at the ground, he finally speaks up with a crooked voice.

  “This isn’t the first time... I want to understand you. Dare I say, I shouldn’t. I really shouldn’t. But god damn it, I want to feel like I should help you, even if it'll most likely result in your detainment and death. Even if... it's as petty as proving your wrong.”

  Kito scoffs and smiles. “That’s very nice of you. But I think you’re old enough to know that you can’t convince people, no matter how hard you try. People change their minds only if they want to be changed, not because of how sound your argument is.”

  “I know,” sniffs Naoki. “I know. It’s all worth very little. Not to throw a pity party because ultimately, this is about you, not me. But even if you won’t care, I want you to hear me out. These thoughts, they’re unhealthy. And that’s saying something considering I’m a teenage boy and you're probably the last person on earth who deserves any sympathy. But… but… Though we both know violence, a society exposed to this is just wrong. Towards you, I’m frustrated. Angry. Confused. Saddened. But above all else… I feel sorry for you.”

  Kito stops smiling. He turns to Naoki, and stares at him.

  After 3 seconds of feeling Kito’s gaze stab through him, Naoki tilts his head up, reciprocating the look.

  "What did you just say?" Asks Kito.

  "You heard me."

  Kito's face distorts even further. The kaleidoscope eyes look even more intensely at the teenager. Kito raises his arm, and readies a chopping motion with his hand.

  "I don't need your pity."

  Just as Kito swiftly motions his arm in a decapitating manner, within a hundredth of a second, Kito feels a wicked spear pierce through his own lungs. One single presence, accompanied by three smaller jagged blades, all coming from multiple directions.

  Kito's hand stops, a mere millimeter away from Naoki's neck.

  Kito looks down at himself. Deforming his hand from a bladed formation, he pats his chest from various angles.

  "(I'm...I'm fine?)" Thinks Kito to himself.

  He then looks around. From the rooftops of the shops, to the depths of the water, not too far from him, he frantically turns, only to look towards the left of Naoki.

  Standing only 15 meters away, Naota Sen stands with folded arms. A stern expression barely contains his sentiment, as visible veins envelope his face and arms.

  The kaleidoscope eyes seek the truth within Naota; the Asura stands before the Ogre.

  From one pair of eyes trying to see past a pair of sunglasses, all that was reflected back to Kito is Red.

  Flabbergasted, Kito thinks to himself. "(I was so distracted by the brat that I didn't notice him there. The source of the strange Ki wasn't Naoki... it was him.)"

  Kito licks his lips before taking his seat back down. "(With my lowered levels, this'll be a problem.)" Looking at the scenery, the corners of his lips perk up. "(And even then, I'd like to see them try.)"

  Kito takes his seat right next to Naoki, resting his hands behind his own head.

  Naoki looks back at him with a blank look. "You see Kito, that's your problem. You're too simple minded. You sidestep criticisms by just choosing not to care. Blinded by arrogance and selfishness, and even ignoring things that are right in front of you-"

  "I don't care much for your psychoanalysis; especially when its laughably bad. Get on with it. What are you trying to say?"

  "You're an idiot. You’re nothing but a simple minded, backwards, brutish ogre."

  Kito uses his pinky to poke and clean his own ear. "I thought we were past name-calling. Are you done?"

  "Keep at it with that ego." Says Naoki. "Let’s see where it takes you."

  Kito chuckles. "Personally, I think it’s taken me pretty far, if I do say so myself."

  Naoki pauses.

  "What’s wrong now?" Asks Kito in a sarcastic tone.

  "You know... you’ve been teaching me a lot." Mutters Naoki in a quiet tone. "So how about I return the favor." He looks up at the fisherman with a surprisingly kind look. "Are you familiar with the concept of karma?"

  Kito shrugs. "Kind of. Never got too into the practicing side of religion."

  “Well, not the literal term, because we don't have the time for me to teach what's in the scriptures. But the basic principle goes, what goes around, comes around. What others have done unto you, shall be done to them. And more importantly, what you do to others, shall be done to you.”

  Kito wrinkles his nose. “Naoki, I know you’re not dumb enough to really think that all the people in the world get what they deserve.”

  Naoki stares at the ground. “That’s fair. You’re still standing after all.”

  Kito rolls his eyes.

  "However, I still believe there’s value in that proverb." Assures Naoki. "One way or another, I like to believe that things will line up. Call it naivety, call it hope. I for one, don’t see a bright future for you."

  Kito’s muscles tense up. His nose wrinkles. He stares at Naoki’s head, as if trying to burn a hole through it. “What are you implying? That you will be the one to stop me?”

  “No.” Simply says Naoki in a tired tone. “At the end of the day, we must take responsibility for the actions we take. Consequences domino, and we’d all like for justice to be served. But ultimately, I only have one advice for you.”

  Naoki turns to Kito and stares him dead in the eye. Naoki’s soft, genuine eyes clash with Kito’s malicious, stern gaze.

  “Watch yourself.”

  Kito wrinkles his nose. "You give off the guise of humility, but even I can tell how self absorbed you are. You think just because you got a little hurt means something? Look at me Naoki. I took a bomb to the face and you don't see me preaching about karma, nor empathy or other frivolous concepts. No matter what happens, we all survive; until we don't. You can call me a simple minded brute for thinking that way, but at least I'm not dumb enough to preach my own pretentious delusions to the enemy."

  "You literally just did that for the past ten minutes."

  With a pissed demeanor, Kito turns to Naoki, making sure he doesn't touch him, and yells.

  "YOU ASKED FOR IT YOU IDIOT."

  Kito's yell echoes throughout the boardwalk. All of the children stop playing. All of the people stop talking. Even Naota seems slightly startled.

  With wide eyes, Naoki resets back to his centered sitting position.

  "That...I suppose that's true."

  Returning to a much more relaxed position, Kito looks back at his watch. The final red rays of the sunset hit the both of them.

  In a slightly hurried fashion, Kito starts up again.

  "It's getting late Naoki. And I'll admit, I'm starting to get tired of seeing you and your friends. So as an act of diplomacy, I'll give you two options. You already know you're fucked so just shut up and listen.

  The first is that we can meet at the Hayashi restaurant that's nearby. It's a sushi restaurant with a red forest logo, you can't miss it. I'll bring my crew and you'll meet us with your team. There, we can have a diplomatic setting of contracts between the both of us. And as you know, we can't make contracts for other people unless they're present so, we would all be doing a favor for each other.

  Or.

  We can end this once and for all, right here, right now. All of your friends against me. That one over there is the strongest, I can tell. But, I think you already know the collateral. But who knows. Perhaps heh- just a random earthquake may come out of nowhere and hit this very beach right as we're fighting; one to break records at that. And who knows. Maybe I just happen to be the only one who'll be able to stop it for some unknown reason. A week from now, that'll net me some votes, don't you think?"

  Kito turns to Naoki, smiling. "So. What do you say?"

  Naoki, with the most exhausted face imaginable, turns to Kito.

  "Kito. We already did this like three times. I'll meet you at the restaurant in an hour."

  Kito closes his eyes, smiles, and sighs. "Perfect. One last thing; how many people are you planning to bring with you?"

  Naoki, looking at Kito's relaxed demeanor, contemplates. "(He's most likely plotting something like an ambush. Perhaps the restaurant is just a means of luring us in. But, doesn't he want to keep people alive? I know that he's using them against us, but wouldn't he want as many voters as possible? Unless he's already plotting something to his advantage. He knows he has control over the situation, so what else would he be afraid of? Will my answer only dictate whether he brings more people? I thought it was just the four other men from last night. Does he have more?)"

  Kito then continues. "It's to reserve our place at the restaurant. They get pissy when more people than expected come."

  "(...)"

  "Oh." Simply says Naoki. "Five people, including me."

  Kito nods. "Noted. Well, see you later."

  "...right." Simply mutters Naoki.

  As the night falls, they walk in separate directions. Kito checks his flip-phone, which is full of text messages, while Naoki walks towards Naota.

  As Kito walks out of Naoki and Naota's sight, Naota starts; "Well, I'm glad he didn't actually touch you."

  "Yeah, but if he did, then you guys would've been able to-"

  "He would've killed you, Naoki."

  Out of the shadows from the nearby shops and rooftops, Ken, Makoto, and Viral all swiftly make themselves known.

  "The only reason we agreed to this plan was because we hinged it on being a bluff." Explains Naota. "This was a stupid plan to begin with but, the fact that it actually worked is a miracle."

  Naoki sighs. "Naota, were it anybody else, not only would they have died, the rest of us might've died too. Plus, he probably would've ignored the contract and hunt us down afterwards. It's because of my relationship with him that this worked."

  "(Admittedly, there were some part that were a bit too close,)" thought Naoki to himself.

  Naota huffs air out of his nose. "Next time, we'll set up the plan because this was too risky. I shouldn't have let you go on with it but... whatever, it's already passed. Tell us what he said."

  .

  .

  .

  As Kito continues to walk, he reads the texts.

  Firstly, he reads Bara's texts:

  "Boss where are you!? I already left work and I'm on my way!" - Over an hour ago.

  "I already texted Kasumi and he said he's on his way. I don't know where Kasumi is, but all he said was that he found Daiki and he's headed for the beach." - 47 minutes ago.

  "Please excuse me boss, I'm on the train now. But, I was delayed by a strange man with a leather jacket right before I got on the train. He said he recognized me from your campaign posters and said he was interested in you and wanted to help. Typically I would appreciate his support and go on with finding you but, this one was different; I sensed a bit of magic in him! Not a lot, but its still very strange. Since I was in a rush, I gave him our contact info. What do you think?" - 39 minutes ago.

  "I'm approaching the pier, tell me where you are when you get the time." - 8 minutes ago.

  Kito tilts his head. "(Hm. Now there's a third one after me?)" He thinks, squinting.

  "If you have his phone number, text him that we can meet later at midnight at the harbor. Don't bring anyone else. I'm approaching the cat cafe." Texts Kito.

  As Kito walks past an alley between the shops, he immediately senses a presence full of Ki and Magic right behind him. Kito forms a chopping shape with his hand and in a seemingly instant motion, almost commits to chopping the entire shop behind him in half, before stopping millimeters away from the person's neck.

  Kito instantly realizes the person, scoffs, and rubs his forehead in annoyed fashion. "Robert-san..."

  "Hello Kito." Says Robert with folded arms.

  "Your sense of hiding is getting a lot better. I didn't recognize your presence," chuckles Kito in semi-proud fashion.

  Behind sunglasses, Robert's eyes narrow; his stoic expression doesn't leave his face.

  "How long have you been here?" Asks Kito.

  "Since you and the brat started talking. By the way, I noticed there were at least two other people I saw, hiding around the shops." Responds Robert.

  "Hm. Not surprised. Say, do you know where the others are?"

  "They should be around."

  As the both of them stroll, Kito reads Kasumi's texts.

  "Hang on boss, I'm on my way!" - Over an hour ago

  "Daiki called me so I took a rendezvous to pick him up. We're arriving in around 30 minutes." - 45 minutes ago.

  "Where are you?" - 10 minutes ago.

  .

  .

  .

  Within ten minutes, Kito's crew eventually find each other. As they all get ice cream, Kito explains what he and Naoki discussed, as well as his theories on what's going on with the attempts at his life.

  If you care, Kito got Wasabi mochi ice cream, Robert got Vanilla, Bara got strawberry, Daiki got Yuba (skin that forms on top of soymilk, prevalent in Kyoto), and Kasumi got soy sauce flavored ice cream.

  .

  .

  .

  Time passes.

  Kito and his crew all sit down comfortably at the Hayashi restaurant. It's the busy part of dinner time; several waiters march back and forth to and from the kitchen, while families and lonely people all sit and enjoy their meals. Kito and his men all have water set before them. Despite sitting there for 15 minutes already, Kito assures the waiters that he won't order until the rest of his party arrives, much to the stress of the waiters. He folds his arms and sits patiently, closing his eyes.

  Step.

  Step.

  Step step.

  Step step step step step step step.

  Skitter.

  Step.

  Kito raises an eyebrow, as he looks at the ceiling of the restaurant for a moment, before focusing back to his own senses.

  An overwhelming ocean of Ki, Magic PsychoPower presses against the entrance of the restaurant. Imagining the glass crackling, as well as all the furniture and people getting swept up instantly.

  "They're here."

  Walking down the aisle of the restaurant, Makoto, Ken, Viral, Naota, and Naoki are all directed to the table Kito is sitting at.

  Kito opens his eyes.

  Makoto sits in front of Robert; the two of them instantly wrinkling their noses at each other. Naota sits in front of Daiki, and looking at him with an almost saddened expression. The other four sit in indistinct parallels while Naoki, of course, sits in front of Kito.

  Kito glances at Naoki, then to Viral and Ken, then back to Naoki; his eye twitches as he makes a baffled smile.

  Naoki stares at him sternly.

  "Alright Kito. Let's deal."