(A week after the events of the Attack on Kuragari, the group has returned to Japan.)
News Reporter: ...As for the events that transpired at a remote forest in France, the exact cause of the wildfire has not been discovered yet, as for the explosions that rang through the sky; officials have stated that it was caused by the ignition and subsequent explosion of a firework deposit inside the forest. In other news...-
(Kane sits inside his room inside Amelia's penthouse, drinking an unhealthy amount of alcohol, while listening to "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" by Blue Oyster Cult and watching the news. Someone knocks on his door and shouts "Come in." Amelia walks into his room.)
Amelia: Kane, do you want something to eat or drink?
Kane: (He reaches around his bed, until he finds a closed bottle of Jack Daniel's.) It's Jack's time...
Amelia: I thought it was already?
Kane: (He opens the bottle and starts drinking it.) No. That was Scotch time.
Amelia: (She looks around the room.) Alright and what is that music?!
Kane: It's my self-loathing playlist.
Amelia: ALRIGHT!!! (She throws a dagger at the bottle, knocking it out of his hand.) Sam might have been one self-hating bastard, but YOU'RE not going to be the same!!! Now get your ass up and go outside for a bit, get dressed, brush your teeth, and do something!!!
Kane: (He starts standing up.) *Sigh* Yes, ma'am.
(Kane dresses neatly, throwing his red coat on and putting the dragon neck collar on. He steps out of his dark room for the first time in a couple of days, the bright light blinding him for a couple of seconds, as he walks down the stairs he runs into Syra walking up it.)
Syra: Hey, Kane.
Kane: Syra. You mad at me for... killing your father?
Syra: I... (She just continues walking up the stairs.) gotta go talk with someone.
Kane: (Looking at Syra as she walks up the stairs.) Great, Kane... you nailed that.
(Kane walks down to the garage and gets in his car, but suddenly someone knocks on his window, he rolls it down and sees Carter standing in front of the door.)
Carter: (He leans against the window frame.) Where you going?
Kane: I guess... I'm going to go say hello to Able, then I'm going wherever the road takes me and don't stop.
Carter: Well, I'm guessing I'll see you someday again. My plane back to Ireland is taking off later today.
Kane: (He shakes Carter's hand.) Thank you... for helping us and being here.
Carter: No problem.
(Kane drives off, towards the cemetery where Able is buried.)
(Inside the Court of Reapers' discussion room, they all sit around the table, the shadow concealing their face.)
The Emperor: So, Reyes is dead?
The Hierophant: It appears so, however we still have Kenji Ford to deal with.
The Emperor: Oh, we don't need to worry about him.
The Empress: And why so?
The Emperor: I spoke with lady Fate, let's just say, we made a deal. He won't be bothering us for a while.
(Inside the very same bedroom, which honestly you should know what it looks like if you're 72 Chapters in. Kenji sits up straight and looks around.)
Kenji: (He peeks under the blankets.) Oh thank fuck, my legs are still there. Wait, HOW are my legs still there?!!!
Syra: (She is sitting backwards on the chair, her arms hanging off of it.) Hey, dipshit, you feeling alright?
Kenji: Samantha? Did you die too?
Syra: No, I hope so at least. (Fate walks into the room, a bit of sorrow on her face.) Oh good, mom. He just woke up, muttered something in his sleep about "Wrath" couldn't understand it.
Fate: Thanks, Syra.
Kenji: Wait, "mom"?
Syra: (She starts walking through a door.) Yeah, I'm Kuragari's daughter dumbass.
Kenji: That son of a bitch wasn't lying?!!!
Fate: (She holds his face.) Relax, Kenji. Say, why don't we go into town and grab something to eat now?
Kenji: Yeah... yeah let's go.
(Back inside the Courtroom)
The Emperor: She agreed to look after him and make sure he doesn't cause any problems for us or Humanity as a whole.
The World: So now what do we do?
The Emperor: The same thing we've been doing this whole time, keep balance.
(Inside the same cemetery where Sara is buried. Kane places a single rose on top of Able's grave which is already covered in flowers.)
Kane: Oh, Able, I... don't know what to say. It's... been one hell of a ride I guess. Annah is... doing fine so is Elizabeth, I guess. I'm not like you or Sam. I don't have a grand speech to give right off the top of my head. Shit, I guess... I'll see you again someday. *Sigh* (He notices someone crying at the grave behind Able's.) Is anyone there? (He sees a man with dark brown hair, missing his right eye stare up at him, his other eye is dark blue in color, he is wearing casual black clothing. He looks around the age of 30.) Something wrong?
The man: (He stands up and wipes his tears away.) No just my wife, today's the 13th anniversary of our wedding.
Kane: Oh... I'm... sorry for interrupting.
The man: No, no it's fine. (He reaches his hand out.) The name is S-...Garridan Himitsu.
Kane: (He shakes his hand.) Kane Pendragon. What was the "S" for?
Garridan: No it's nothing, I'm just use to saying "Sergeant" that's all.
Kane: You were in the military?
Garridan: Yeah, that's how I lost my eye. I'm still questioning if peace was worth it, I wasn't even here for my daughter's birthday. Anyway, why are you here?
Kane: My brother. He died... having fun.
Garridan: As long as they were happy, then their death doesn't matter right?
Kane: (He opens his hand and a flower petal falls on it.) Someone I once knew told that to me.
Garridan: And who was he?
Kane: A wise man, and a fool. (He starts walking away, towards the car.) I guess I'll see you again, hopefully.
Garridan: Trust me, I'm sure we will.
(Kane climbs inside the car and just sits for a minute. He reaches into the glove compartment and puts a cassette tape into the radio. "Carry on Wayward Son." by Kansas starts playing from the speakers as he touches the steering wheel and turns on the car.)
Kane: *Sigh* You really have to hit me this hard already huh?
(He hits the gas and starts driving, going wherever the road takes him. Into the streets of Tokyo, while jamming out and singing along to the song. But he just can't the memories of him, Able, and Sam driving down the countries roads and highways on a hunting trip while listening to these songs. Able would be in the back seat, reading his adult magazines, Kane driving while enjoying the music, and Sam? Just staring out the window, trying to hide the smile on his face.)
(Next to Isabel's riverside grave, Peter, Louis, Gabriela and Annah. All throw in a small memorabilia of Sam into a small grave. Peter puts in Reap and Sow, Sam's revolvers. Louis puts in the photo of the Reaper Recruits mere days before the assault on Karitori Chiku. Gabriela, the necklace he gave her as a birthday gift. And Annah? She puts in the ashes and the jacket Sam bought for her, when she first thought that no one cared about her, this one man as broken as her saved her. Together they completed each other. Louis starts throwing the dirt back in. They all walk away, leaving Annah in peace. She sits in front of Sam's grave, grieving in silence.)
Annah: (She reaches in the bag next to her.) I have one final gift for you, darling. (She takes out his dark blue duster coat over his cross shaped graved, it reads "Not a man shall be put to death on this day, for one man brings salvation to those worthy.") I love you.
(Annah breaks into tears as she falls to the ground.)
(Kane starts tearing up as he drives through the countryside, while still singing the song.)
"The things we love, they're more often than not the things that drive us to the end."
(End of Chapter 72.)