AT-6 Maelstrom

......

Don't just stand there! These scoundrels aren't half as well-behaved as the suspect!

...I'm tired.

You think I'm not?

I mean, I really am tired.

We and a whole bunch of scum couldn't catch one bloody woman. Kuso. Kuso.

She wouldn't touch a hair on our heads. The real scum are the ones she knocked out with her sheath, all of them have a rap sheet ten thousand ri long.

And we're working with these scum against her, while she knocks them out one-by-one...

Kuso... Kuso!

Koretou keeps saying, 'it'll get better', but I've been on the job for almost ten years, and I don't see things improving one bit—

Out of the way, cop!

Shougo!

How dare you attack a police!

I told you to get out of the way—

Why you—

Excuse me, officer. May I pass?

Or, I could commit assault on an officer of the law. Or murder. I'm not picky at the moment.

Thanks. For Shougo.

Ding, dong, ding, Lingones Department Store♪

Everything you want, you'll find it here, Lingones Department Store♪

Come in, have a pint! We have just the right lager for an Oni like you—

Or, if you prefer the more traditional stuff, we have a fine collection of imo shochu for you to pick from...

Take this, ojou-san.

Out of the way.

What's the hurry? Are you looking for the most precious thing on Terra, the stepping stone to 'happiness'—

Wait... you're the Ao-Oni of Kinsekikai?

......

May I ask where Momoka-san is?

Are you a fan? Or are you after Mifune's bounty?

Neither. I just want to ask a favor.

Can I ask you to 'disappear' me like Momoka-san? Maybe that'll make me go viral like her!

It's the Ao-Oni!

Can I get a pic?

Out of the way.

Wait, Ao-Oni-san—

Uh... Ao-Oni-san, we're just a drinking establishment...

One Moeshima Black, to go.

The Moeshima Black production line shut down a few years ago. May I interest you in the newest offering from the same maker? It's their premium line, which I'm sure you'll be happy with—

Fine. Whatever.

No one is following.

This is a good place.

This one's for you, Uncle Tessai.

Ugh... how could this stuff taste so thin, when it's so expensive and the alcohol content so high?

This is the second time I've drank to someone. The first was to my father at my old home.

The kaidan chasers must be thrilled about the Ao-Oni drinking with a dead man.

Kaidan... hah.

The story of me and Higashi ended when I chose to step up for what was right, when I really didn't know what it was.

It was stupid, even though I survived. Ch'en, too, faced the same choice, and she survived as well, but I still think it's stupid.

You should have met Ch'en Hui-chieh, Uncle Tessai.

She's a true kyou, although they pronounce it a different way in Yan. But it refers to the same thing: Someone who's willing to stand in the way of an army a thousand strong, armed with nothing more than a sword.

This one's to her.

But I'm not like her.

She's brave. Unlike me—

Hah, awkward, isn't it?

But I'm scared... I can't deny it.

I'm not worried about my own life. But what about other people? Those I'm trying to protect? What about...?

...What about my home?

Honestly, I should just set out for Lungmen right now, and never look back.

It's a big deal, an L.G.D. officer suspected of murder in Higashi. That'd make a headache for everybody, from Missy to Mr. Lin to Madam Fumizuki to Mr. Wei.

They won't abandon me. I know what kind of people they are, and they know me well.

But I caused this.

Will my new home suffer for the trouble that I caused?

How could I keep calling it home, in that case?

Or I could draw my sword and become a real Oni. A killer.

Kill Kinbee, kill any of his men who dare draw on me, kill any police who stand in my way...

Turn into a nightmare that roams the streets of Mitsukue, become a true monster, become the kaidan after all.

Take vengeance. Go with the tide, embrace the times, become the maddest of the revelers, and become exactly what he...

No, exactly what everyone in Mitsukue wants me to be.

There's no way out. Every path leads to a dead end.

Is the bottle empty already?

You certainly can hold your drink, Hoshiguma-san.

Who's there?!

Where are your men?

I came alone.

Where's Uncle Tessai's body?

In police possession. Cause of death was a sword wound, but it was not your sword that did the deed.

Then why are your men after me?

Orders from above.

Are you here to arrest me too?

No, I'm here to drink with you.

Damn, this stuff is strong.

You want to try to convince me to come quietly, so you can carry out those orders from above?

Then, get you out of Mitsukue and back to Lungmen.

Against the orders of your superiors?

......

Why do you think I had you taken into custody the moment you entered Mitsukue?

I would have done the same, if a gang leader who had committed a major crime in Lungmen twenty years ago came back.

Is that all?

What else could it be?

I can't believe you forgot.

The Diet candidate killed by the Kinsekikai was named Koretou.

......

That was for my uncle.

Kono bakayaro. His murder would not have gone ignored all these years, if you didn't stupidly claim responsibility for your stupid yakuza honor.

Sorry...

It's a little too late for that. There's nothing I can do about Mifune now.

He's in cahoots with one of the most powerful Diet member. How else could a yakuza have gained so much influence over the police?

The best I can do—the best the police can do is to let you go, so he won't get what he wants.

And Uncle Tessai's death will be nothing more than a footnote in the Ao-Oni kaidan legend and the Haunted House, and nothing will ever get resolved. Same as it was back then, am I right, Detective Koretou of the Spiritual Affairs Station?

......

You say you don't want him to get what he wants, but all you're doing is helping him.

You think Mifune is behind the kaidan.

You don't sound surprised.

A cop is a cop, even if he's from the Spiritual Affairs Station. I can smell where the rot is coming from, even with this chained collar around my neck.

So you've made peace with the chains?

All you need to worry about is filling your own stomach with fried meatchop with rice. Not all of us are the same.

Do you know how much it costs to get a house that can barely squeeze a family of four in Mitsukue?

I'm not sure I want to know.

If you're willing to pay off my loans and take my wife and kids to Lungmen, sure, I'll turn your old home upside down.

Or, if you're absolutely certain that it'll be a fatal blow to Mifune, I could potentially see myself jumping on this gamble of yours.

Now, it's your turn to answer.

Do you plan on paying off these loans that I'm not even sure I could free myself of before I die, or is there a greater power than the Diet, enough to take Mifune out once and for all?

......

I'm doing my best to help you. Recognize good faith when you see it, Ao-Oni.

Come with me.

No.

Give me a reason.

I...

...guma!

Who's there?

Who's what? What are you talking about?

...Hoshiguma!

Ghost-san!

Momoka?!

Do you hear Momoka's voice, Koretou?

Momoka? The idol? Isn't she supposed to be with you? I was going to ask where you hid—

I'm over here!

......

This way!

There's no one here. But the voice is getting closer—

Over here! This way!

Momoka?!

What—

You're there, right, Hoshiguma?

I'm here! Can't you see me?

I can't see you, but I can hear you!

Oh, I'm so relieved... I thought it was all over...

*sob*...

Hold the tears. Where are you? What's going on with this TV?

Kichisei and I are being held prisoner at Kinbee's base—

Momoka?!

Koretou.

......

I was agitated by Uncle Tessai's death and forgot a few things. My bad.

But what about you? Did you really think I'd hidden Momoka?

Kichisei too. I guess she's not important to you, nothing more than an inveterate pachinko gambler.

Hoshiguma—

What's one or two innocent lives to you, as long as you get this troublemaker out of town? After all, they're already knee-deep in this Kinbee mess. Why bother?

We'll do our best to protect them—

The people who died in the Haunted House, Uncle Tessai, that yakuza killed in Kajimachi a few days ago... since when have you been any good at protecting anybody?

......

I don't need you to remind me of my failures.

But you're not a troublemaker to me. You're my trump card, the only thing that can hurt Mifune, the only thing standing between him and total control of Mitsukue.

And the way you play it is to get me out of the city?

It's the best a cop can do.

A cop, eh?

You're a cop too. You know the limitations.

Go back to Lungmen, Hoshiguma. Your 'particular individual' and the L.G.D. will take care of things for you.

......

You're right.

Good, you've seen the light. Now hurry up and—

I mean, you're right that the L.G.D. would take care of things for me.

Maybe I've been too cautious... too concerned about bothering my friends.

What do you mean?

You're going to use the sword? For what?

I have a promise to fulfill.

You're going to rescue them?

Don't be sil—

Missy would probably be angry enough to burst a few blood vessels if I just went back to Lungmen with my tail between my legs, assuming I had a tail. And I'd never be able to look Lin Yühsia in the eye again.

As for Ch'en... I still have to fight Chi Xiao with the reforged Hannya. I can't very well go back empty-handed.

Aren't you afraid that you'll regret it for the rest of your life, like twenty years ago?

Uncle Tessai said that Hannya was imbued with the secret art of the temples. But I didn't have the discipline to suppress the madness in my Oni blood.

Discipline, madness... don't you think all that's a little vague?

I don't know what would've happened twenty years ago if the secret art was there, and I don't care. I don't need it now.

As long as this ribbon touches my hand, Hoshiguma will never fall to bloodlust.

As for regrets, the only thing I regret is that I tried to shoulder everything myself, but I was obsessed my sacrifice meaning something.

Why do you think you have to do this? Is it because you're a cop, or because you're yakuza?

Cop? Yakuza?

None of that matters.

I promised Momoka, that's all.

......

Oh, and since I'm going to rescue them, it's more likely than not I'll run into Mifune at some point... and I'll go find him if I don't. There's something I have to ask him.

You'll fight him?

I'm not looking for a fight, but I'm not sure there's a way out of it.

......

Put a gash or two in him for me.

You don't even have to ask.

Is that enough, though?

Like I said, I'm a cop.

......

I'm going back to the station.

I'll do my best to fend off pressure from upstairs, as long as there are no corpses.

Words cannot express my gratitude.

I hope I live up to it.

Hoshiguma! Hoshiguma! Can you hear me?

Can you hear—

Quit yappin'!

Hoshi—

You know what, yap all you want, we'll give that aho a warm welcome!

What does Kinbee want with me?

Kinbee? Who's that?

I mean, Mifune.

How am I supposed to know? You're an idol, so maybe the oyabun has some use for you. Or maybe he just plans to do you in.

Should've buttered him up more with that pretty face of yours. I don't know what you're thinking.

Bakayaro, who the heck's texting me? Everyone knows I got assigned last-minute guard duty—

What? Some other unlucky sod's taking over the shift?

Ya—hoo!

He's gone.

What happened? Why did I feel like I was hearing voices... even talking to Hoshiguma?

Am I going crazy?

Behind—you—

Eek!

Pfft!

So you weren't acting in those shows. I didn't believe it when Kichisei told me.

You know Kichisei? Is she alright?

Locked up, like you, but probably safe for now.

Wh-Who are you?

You can call me Sarasa. I'm a fan of yours, and I guess you could say I'm Mifune's employee, but my true identity is an undercover cyber ninja!

Cyber... ninja? How's that different from a regular ninja?

Look, ninja are nothing more than hired killers. But the cyber kind? We're wanderers of the intercity net!

But I thought cyber ninja were pretty much the same, hired by corporations to attack each other, just specializing in intercity net operations?

Fine, I'm a cyber ronin ninja!

But I don't know where you came from, or why you're helping me—

That video that you saw at home, the one where Mifune and Mio plot to infect you with Oripathy? I was the one who leaked it to warn you! Do you trust me now?

You were the one who gave me that fright in the middle of the night?!

Well, it was the first time I worked on a Mitsukue—I mean, the Kinseki Channel signal system. It was a mistake. I didn't do it on purpose, I promise!

A-Alright... well, I guess I do owe you my life...

Honestly, I only applied to Kinseki Channel because I heard it was the biggest TV station in Mitsukue, and I needed a job.

But the longer I worked, the more things began to stink. But at least they had you as their poster girl... but they wouldn't even keep their hands off you!

Especially that Mifune. I would've just kept my head down and did the work I was paid for, if he wasn't so yabai.

But I'd rather jump into the sea than work another day for that piece of shit.

...Hehe.

I located Hoshiguma using Mifune's monitoring network, so I patched you in briefly.

You can do that? I remember how the technical director spent a long time fumbling with a pre-set connection the last time I was live on air...

That just means he sucks at his job.

Now, listen to me. I'll patch you in with Hoshiguma again, and have her wait outside.

We'll take Kichisei. Listen to me, and I'll make sure those stupid yakuza never even catch a glimpse of your shadow.

No, I can't go.

Are you crazy? Do you WANT Mifune to cut you up into burdenbeast feed?

Where can I go, if I leave?

The Southern Court's a big place. Plenty of places you can go.

Lay low the rest of my life, always looking over my shoulder? No way.

I didn't give myself the name Momoka Hanyuu, but if you tell me I have to give it up now...

How's that any different from being dead?

Are you serious? Aren't you afraid to die? Do you have a death wish or something?

I don't know. All I know is that it's the only path I have left.

Fine. You know what, that sounded really cool, like a line straight out of a movie. You're a star for a reason!

How do you plan on continuing to be a star, then? What if Kinbee won't let you?

Whoever stands in my way... they're gonna find out that even I can bite when backed into a corner.

Didn't Kinbee make up all those kaidan stories? I'll tell all Mitsukue that they've been lied to.

Interesting.

Can you connect me to every TV set in Mitsukue? I'm going to expose Kinbee to the entire city.

How long do you think it's gonna take, hacking all those TVs, one at a time?

But they're doing that accession ceremony and broadcasting it to the whole city. All we need to do is take a ride on it.

You still have that broken sword? It'll come in useful.

The first thing that Kinbee's people did when they captured us was take it from me...

But I'll say it, with or without the evidence.

Good.

I'll get that Kichisei girl, and Ao-Oni on the other side of the TV, and then we can talk about how we'll teach Mifune a lesson!

Where are you?

Where are... you...?

Did I doze off?

......

Wait, did the kami-sama...?!

I'm not in that much of a hurry.

It's you?!

Kami-sama...

It... it's been a long time.

......

You're finally willing to show yourself to me.

I'm very grateful that you pulled my family out of poverty.

Did you spend all these years looking for me, just to say thank you?

I wanted to thank you, of course, but there was also something I wanted to ask.

Why... why did you leave us? Why was it that we lost our happy life, little by little, until it was all gone?

Did we offend you? Or was it fate that not even you could avert... and that was why you chose to avoid us?

What does any of that have to do with me?

I-I understand, of course it couldn't be...

What I mean is, did you spend all these years looking for me just to learn the reason?

Were you not looking for me because you wanted to seize happiness again?

......

I've said this many times, but I guess you were too young to remember, so I'll be patient and tell you once more.

I never give anyone anything.

Think of it this way: there's something I like, and I appear in front of people when I see it.

Something... do you mean, happiness?

Yes.

I didn't avoid you because I was angry at you, or ashamed to see you. I simply chose not to see you because happiness had left you.

But now, I have a reason to see you again.

Choose the right path, and you shall know happiness beyond your wildest dreams.

Please... tell me.

You stand in the eye of the storm.

The Oni, Hoshiguma; the snake, Kinbee. Add to that a poor goldfin, and a wolf who believes its own nose—you. All your fates are intertwined.

Oh, there was also an unfortunate old man, but he's dead now.

Tessai-san?!

With his death, you finally have the chance to seize the happiness that you have longed for.

His death... my happiness? What do you mean?

Why... why is Tessai dead? Who killed him?

Is it so hard to guess?

What you REALLY should ask yourself, though, is if it matters?

You stand where countless people could only dream of standing, Moriuchi. This is a business opportunity, a big one. Choose right, and everything will be yours.

You want me... to stand on Kinbee's side?

Kinbee is a liar. He wouldn't let me live.

That's why it's a big business opportunity.

......

Kinbee is a liar, certainly, but he needs you. More specifically, Kinsekikai needs you.

The separation of the Kinsekikai and the Kinseki Group has entered the final phase. Only a catastrophic event could stop it.

Everything seems to be going according to Kinbee's plan, but he's about to find that he isn't as powerful as he thought.

You've survived for so long between the overworld and underworld of Kajimachi and Nita Street. As a man, you're not that far off from Kinbee.

You want me to take Kinbee's place? Is that the happiness that you're talking about?

Yes.

What if I take his place, but find it beyond my abilities...?

But you'll be rich. Very rich.

Rich...?

You'll be rich, whether you have the ability or not. Maybe not as rich as Kinbee is... but the kind of wealth that you could hardly even imagine right now.

Is money not happiness?

Was it not money that you and your family found when you were young?

Is it not because of money that Mitsukue, and this country, enjoy endless happiness?

Where would happiness be if money left you?

......

...Is this the lesson you have for me?

It's not a lesson, just the simplest law of existence.

Kinbee knows it. The Diet knows it. Virtually everyone in Mitsukue knows it... you knew it too, when you were little.

Money is happiness, you say?

......

Maybe. Maybe that's what I always thought, deep inside.

But did you ever stop to think... before all that happened, I only ever thought of you as a friend, the only friend of a lonely boy?

The friend brought me happiness, for which I was very grateful, but could never repay. You had no intention to accept everything that I did.

When you disappeared after I failed to come to see you for a while, I thought it must be because I had neglected you.

I thought I deserved it, because I had abandoned my only friend.

You know? I almost did the exact same thing when I was being coerced by Mifune.

The Oni?

Yes. My guts wrenched in shame when she came to rescue me, but I couldn't say anything.

But you just told me that I got it backwards all along. It wasn't you who brought me happiness. You simply came to me because happiness was there.

Yes.

I see. You're a kami... you've never been any more or less than a kami.

I'm sorry for my arrogance, to think that I could befriend a kami, never mind trying to catch its tail.

Thank you for coming to see me, and telling me that I have been walking down the wrong path my entire life.

How could an information broker have any true friends?

But I wanted a friend. A true friend.

Can you understand that? Would it make you... angry?

......

If you're not angry... might I be so presumptuous as to... make a bet with you?

If I do as you say...

I'll never have a true friend for the rest of my life...

I'll never have true happiness.

...Sayounara.

Where are you going?

To find Hoshiguma. If Tessai's dead, as you said, then I have to go and help Hoshiguma.

She's in the back alley of Nita Street. The one with that tiny shrine.

Huh... huh?

What are you huhing for? It's me?

Maneki-Neko-sama, It—

That neko left because you rejected It. Does that surprise you?

Then... why did you help me?

It's not me who wanted to help you. The star of our shrine told me to help you if I have time, for all the chikuwa offerings you made.

That neko could've done it Itself! Hmph!

......

Thank you for the help, and pass on my thanks to that... er... 'star'?

Don't expect me to help you fight. I'm just pointing the way.

After all, both of us have a score to settle with that bastard Mifune.

Moriuchi-san?

......

Did you come to help me, or stop me?

Help.

Did you find your kami-sama, then?

It's doing fine. Much better than I am. But It has nothing to do with me, now that I've found It.

Where's Momoka? Isn't she with you?

I was about to go in and rescue her—

Moriuchi? Is that Moriuchi?

The TV?

Moriuchi-san! Momoka told me your oden's the best in Higashi! I want to try it, once this is all over and done with.

Who are you?

Call me Sarasa, but we don't have time for introductions right now!

Momoka, Kichisei, get closer to the mic! Time to make battle plans!

Mitsukue's in for a BIG surprise!