Join the new world

Forgive my indulgence, accept the art as my apology.



"Hey there." The man's voice was deep and gruff, as if he'd just woken up from a nap in an uncomfortable position. A large scar ran down his face and I had to remind myself not to stare at it too long. "I know you're probably wondering why I'm talking with you so early," he said. He looked me over carefully before continuing. "You see, I think we should get together sometime soon." His eyes were hard, but his lips moved slowly through that thin smile of amusement. It seemed like he was playing some sort of game with me, but I wasn't sure what kind of game.



"Eh?" I stared at him for a moment, then turned my head away to keep looking straight ahead. My left hand reached into my pocket, where I felt something soft and smooth against my skin. The knife I'd found last night, buried deep within the dirt, still cradled between my fingers. "Uh... I don't really have time today."

He cocked his head to one side and smiled again. "Ah... well, you never know when you might need a good blade. Especially if you're going to be around me," he said. Then he chuckled lightly, as if he'd made a joke.

We walked along in silence, passing by several small shops. Each of them held only a few customers, despite being open during this busy morning hour. A sign hanging above each shop read "Nowe" — the name of the gang boss and imperial prince walking beside me. I didn't even want to consider how many people had been murdered under his command. But instead of feeling fear or hatred towards him, all I could feel was a slight sense of emptiness.

He must've noticed something strange about me, because he stopped walking and put out his hand. "Well, then, let's go inside here and talk. I'll buy you a drink," he said, and then pushed open the door of a tiny izakaya.

The interior was cramped, with barely room to walk past the table nearest us. There was a small bar opposite the entrance, where two men stood behind the counter. We sat down at the far end of the table, separated by only a low wall and a single lamp.



Kokawayoshi took off his hat and placed it on the table. As expected, his face was youthful and clean-shaven, not what you'd expect from the ruler of the Kyoto underworld. He wore a neatly pressed suit, and his hands rested comfortably upon the table, as if he owned the whole world. Then he leaned forward and smiled at me, revealing sharp white teeth. "So, what do you say? Will you come back to play again?"

"What?" I asked. "Play what?"

"Come on now, won't you join our little party?" The grin faded and he sat back in his chair, placing his elbows firmly on the tabletop. "I thought we were friends. How much longer are you going to make me wait?"

"Friends?" I repeated. "Meaning...?"

His grin returned, full force, and his eyes glimmered with mischief. "You know damn well what I mean! You've been avoiding me since the article incident!"

"Oh..." The truth hit me like a punch to the gut. "Yes, that was quite awful, wasn't it?" I raised my eyebrows and nodded. "But you can't blame me for wanting to keep my distance. Everyone knows you're the head of a major criminal organization."

A muscle jumped in his jaw as he glared at me. But then he burst into laughter.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right. That was pretty stupid. But I guess the articles were more of a nuisance than anything else. Though I was surprised to hear there were other people besides you who wanted to write about the same thing. Like you, I suppose."

I quirked my brow at him, knowing full well that those articles were orchestrated by none other than himself. At least, most of them were. "Why did you do it? Why did you turn on Darshu?"

"Why would I care?" He laughed again and shook his head. "It was fun, wasn't it? And besides, if you had read my article, you'd know why I did it."

"I read your article, but it wasn't nearly as convincing as you think," I snapped. "If you want to tell me, then just say it already. Don't hide behind some half-assed excuse."

When he didn't respond, I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my seat.

"You know, I'm actually starting to wonder if I'm too old for this job. If I'd known there were going to be these sorts of issues, I might have gone into real estate or something." I sighed heavily and rubbed my forehead. "Look, I'm not going to be around here for much longer, Nowe. The portal opening ritual is set to take place in just a few days. I apologise for this conversation, in advance of the real you recollecting it."

As soon as I finished speaking, he slammed his fist onto the table. "Are you saying you're going to leave us?"

"Who knows? I haven't got any plans beyond completing the ritual."

"It just sounds to me like you're running away. Is that all it takes? A bit of failure at your job?" He leaned forward again and placed both palms flat on the table. "No matter how many times you change your identity, it won't work. People will always find you eventually."

"Just shut up and listen for once. I'm not looking to change my identity again. You've done it, I've done it, this isn't about any of that." I shook my head quickly as I spoke.

The man's mouth twisted into a sneer. "Then what are you trying to accomplish?"

I looked sharply at him and then looked away. "I told you, I've changed my mind. I'm leaving Kyoto. I've decided to go to the next world."

I stood up from the table and looked down on Nowe. "Our time together was brief, so it's okay if you forget me."

"Who cares?" He laughed again and waved his hand dismissively. "After all, I'm the one who needs to remember you. I'll see you again, someday, somewhere."

"Enough of that bullshit. What was that supposed to mean?"

"What? Oh, nothing. Just something I wish I could say to someone. There's nothing really special about you."

I turned to take my leave of him. As I exited the izakaya, the chilly autumn wind swept through my hair. The sky had begun to darken, and I knew dusk was approaching. In fact, I could smell its familiar scent. It smelled like snow and rain in equal measure, mingling with the scents of leaves and earth.

When I closed my eyes, I could clearly see the sight beyond the portal again.