Tianlong told Kouta everything he knew about Jikai's past.
Kouta smiled to himself. "Grandpa..."
Tianlong got closer to Kouta's face. "Boy, where are your parents?"
"Dead. Everyone in my family was killed except for me and Taku, my cousin."
"A dreadful scandal... who did it?"
Kouta's face darkened. "Abe Shinya. He's the one who plotted against my dad. I don't know about the others, but that's one man I can't let live."
Kouta's expression became hateful. "I let him live before... I was too weak..."
"What do you wish to do, boy? What is your goal?"
"I want to kill them. I'm gonna find out everyone who plotted against my family, and I'll make sure their reign ends. Permanently."
"Do you know what Divination is?"
Kouta shook his head.
"Divination is what we call espers who have their Zen blessed by a higher spirit. Frankly, I don't like the way you think. But out of consideration for Jikai, I will help you here."
Kouta started glowing with a white light.
He woke up on the bathroom floor. He held his head. "Ugh..."
He was still holding the necklace in his hand. It looked brand new unlike before. He put it around his neck.
There was a knock at the door.
Kouta stood up. He swung the door open. "What is it?"
Saki looked up at him. "Um... there's... someone, looking for you at the entrance."
Kouta frowned. "Someone...?"
He walked to the entrance and slid open the door to see Inouye Kozan, the General of the TPD.
Kouta frowned. "You..."
Kozan glared at him. "Murakami Kouta. It's been too long, hasn't it?"
"How did you find me?"
"Cameras. They're everywhere. I got a nod saying that you were identified."
Kouta's hand twitched. He slowly curled his fingers.
Kozan noticed. "Calm down. I'm not stupid enough to pick a fight at the home base of Sakugami. I'm just here to warn you. I can call the full force of the TPD to fully destroy everything you have here. Just know that I'll be watching. I won't let this city go to hell." He put a cigarette in his mouth and started walking away.
"Kozan!"
Kozan looked behind him.
"Don't make me hunt you down. I don't take threats lightly."
Kozan smirked and kept on. He waved two fingers. "I'm sure you don't Murakami."
Yumi walked up. "Is everything okay?"
"It's fine." Kouta said. He walked back inside and shut the door. "Is everyone here?"
The crew nodded. Everyone was present.
"Exchange phone numbers. We're going to split up for a few weeks. Stay in low-profile motels until then. I'm gonna start reconstruction on this warehouse. I'll be making my own moves until then."
Ryoto, who was sitting on top of one of the crates, spoke. "Where are we gonna put all this stuff? All of it's not exactly legal."
"Don't worry, I have a buyer. Our profit isn't gonna rely on third-party sellers from now on anyway. Just go find someplace to stay."
Kouta walked to the back of the warehouse. "I'm regaining sight on my purpose."
—
[Three weeks later]
—
Sato Kasumi had been living off the emergency funds that Ryoto left her for the last two years.
She just got out of the shower. She was wearing a towel on her head and a robe.
She walked into the bedroom where the safe was. She bent down and entered the code to look inside. There were only a few bills left.
"I'm almost out..."
Kasumi stood up, going through the few clothes that she had. "Guess I'll look for a job today..."
She put on some decent-looking clothes and went outside.
It was a sunny day.
Kasumi walked into the nearest convenience store called Q-Mart. It had a sign out front for recruiting new workers.
A chime played as she walked inside.
The clerk, a young woman with shoulder-length black hair smiled. "Good morning! Can I help you?"
Kasumi smiled. "Hi, is there still an opening for a job?"
She nodded. "Yes there is, in fact, you can start tomorrow!"
Kasumi clapped her hands together with joy. "Really?! That's wonderful! I'll be here! What time?"
"Six o'clock sharp."
"Okay! Thank you so much!" Kasumi left the store with a wave.
The clerk waved back with a smile.
Kasumi headed back to the house. "Wow, that ended up easier than I thought it'd be! Maybe things are looking up!"
-
The next day, Kasumi took her shower early in the morning. She came out, brimming with excitement.
She put on her clothes. "My first job, I wonder how I'll do..."
On her arriving to the store, she saw a depressed-looking ghoul on the sidewalk sitting in front of the window. It had purple skin, and looked up at her with droopy, empty, soulless eye sockets. It let out a short moan.
Kasumi avoided it. "Creepy..." she thought.
A chime sounded as she walked through the doors.
The same clerk from yesterday was still there. "Oh! You're here! Five minutes early even." She bent down underneath the counter and pulled out a blue apron with the company's logo on it. "Here, wear this. You'll be working register soon, but for now I want you to stock shelves. Just write your name down and clock in out back. My name is Hanako."
"Thank you, I'm Kasumi!"
Kasumi went to the employee-only back of the store, ready to work.
The door shut behind her. There was a locking noise.
Kasumi turned around. "Huh?" She knocked on the door. "Um, Hanako? I think the door locked by accident! Hanako?"
Hanako was near the store's entrance. A man in a blue suit handed her a wad of cash. She was counting it, snickering to herself.
Kasumi pounded on the door some more. "Hanako?!"
"You're really a dumb one, aren't you?"
Kasumi whipped around.
Leaning on the wall, dressed in an expensive black trench coat, was Detective Kurihara Takeshi.
Kasumi pressed her back against the door. "You!"
Takeshi smirked. "It's been a while hasn't it, Sato Kasumi?"
"How did you...?!"
"Find you? Easy. You were never pronounced dead, and you were never confirmed as a part of Sakugami, so I assumed you were living by yourself on the low. I also assumed you were within a decent radius of Iwasaki High, since that's the area you always lived in. I had every convenience store and shop in the area recognize your face, saying that you were a convicted murderer. It only took one person to get you somewhere at a specific time and place."
"So Hanako..."
"She sold you out, yes."
Kasumi watered at the eyes. "All I wanted was to start fresh..."
"It really is too bad. I wanted to take you into custody, ask a few questions, but General Kozan has a shoot-first order in place for anyone related to Murakami Kouta." He held up a pistol.
Kasumi's eyes grew wide. Her knees buckled. "No... please! Don't do this!! I didn't do anything wrong, I swear! I swear on my life!!" She began crying furiously, tears falling to the floor. "I'm too young to die...!! I'm too young!! I haven't lived yet..." She started banging on the door. "LET ME OUT!! HANAKO! SOMEONE!! PLEASE LET ME OUT OF HERE!! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!! I don't want to die...!"
Kasumi slid down the door, crying hopelessly. "I should've never gotten involved with him... for the last two years, I didn't have a single person to talk to, a single family member... please let me go... please let me go..."
Takeshi didn't have an ounce of compassion in his eyes. "Sorry. But that's just the way it is. I have to protect this city before all our efforts go down the drain."
A gunshot echoed throughout the room.
Blood splattered the door.