Kazuhiko Shirogane and Isamu Narukami stood in the gardens of the Narukami estate, blades in hand but neither moving to strike the other.
"It's been a long time since you called me that. It's been a long time since anyone called me that." The old man sighed, sorrow in his voice. "It saddens me to see what you've become, Isamu. You were loud, brash and arrogant, but you had a heart of gold. And I still remember how much you loved Makoto, the way you looked at her whenever she was at the agency. Was it possessive envy that caused you to kill them?"
Shaking his head, Isamu responded, "You've only got half of that correct, Sensei, and that's only a portion of my reason anyway. I never begrudged Makoto a thing; I knew better than to be possessive of my master's daughter, and so I accepted her choice to marry Takefumi." A hint of genuine sorrow entered the corporate executive's voice as he closed his eyes. "I wouldn't have killed them if they hadn't been investigating me, and even then I always regretted having to take Makoto's life. Even once I married Chiaki, she was the only one in my heart."
Kazuhiko's voice was surprisingly gentle given the crimes of the man standing before him, the elder asking, "Why only them? There have been countless investigations of your corrupt practices, yet Makoto and Takefumi were the only casualties. The two detectives you knew, befriended and cared for – why did you only kill them, of all people?"
"I was being pragmatic. If any detectives could pierce the veil of lies and legal manipulation I could raise and finally get me convicted for my crimes, the only ones capable of that would be the Shirogane clan. The fact that I was familiar with Makoto and Takefumi just made it easier – I could predict where they would stay, where I could target them. But if they hadn't posed a threat to me, I would never have raised a hand against them." Isamu's regret was obvious in his voice, yet he still stood with blade in hand. "The fact that I killed my best friend and the woman I loved have haunted my dreams for fourteen years."
"If your regret is that strong, why do you continue your descent into darkness?" The old man's question was one born of genuine confusion, not understanding his former pupil's motivation. "You could have changed your ways, Isamu. Do you not realize that?"
Shaking his head, Isamu's lips contorted into a self-mocking smile. "A man must stand resolute on his path and pursue his objectives, regardless of the pain or hardship involved. The true detective will continue the search for that which he seeks, the quest only ending with the goal achieved or the detective's death. I'm no longer a detective, but those words you taught me remain in the forefront of my mind, and so I stand resolute on my path in pursuit of my goals. To change my ways would be betraying the credo you taught me, Sensei." His voice dropped as he asked a question of his own, his eyes locked with those of his old mentor. "Now it's my turn to ask a question. What possessed you to come after me now? I honestly thought you'd discounted the idea of confronting me, seeing as you left me alone after Takefumi and Makoto died. Why have you changed your mind?"
"I have no desire to kill you, Isamu. I would rather let the law punish you as it is meant to do. But if I do not settle this myself, then Naoto will be the one to come for your head – and neither of the possible results is appealing to me. I wish for my granddaughter to live a long and happy life, but I refuse to allow her to become a murderer in the process. The Shirogane family has a duty to uphold the law, not to break it."
A visible flash of pain was visible on Isamu's face as he gripped his sword tightly. After a few moments, he raised the blade before hurling it point-first into the ground. "Hah… I thought I'd stopped caring about anything outside my own ambitions years ago. Seeing you has reminded me of the old days, before I lost my way."
"Pick up your blade, Isamu. I will not raise this blade to an unarmed man." Kazuhiko's voice was stern as he snapped out the command, clutching his weapon tightly.
Isamu shook his head, an almost serene look on his face. "Don't you get it? I'm done fighting. I can't take a weapon to my old master, especially not after taking the time to talk with you again. The minute I let myself get all conversational, I lost my will to kill you." Isamu's smile was twisted with regret as he closed his eyes. "Besides, if you die, there will be no one to look after little Naoto-san. I may have used her life as a bargaining chip in regards to my son's engagement, but it was nothing but a bluff. I regret killing Takefumi and Makoto; I would never be able to bring myself to kill their child, let alone bring an end to the Shirogane legacy. I have done enough damage to your family already, Sensei."
Kazuhiko was stunned into silence by his former protégé's words. When he finally regained his composure, he murmured, "Isamu… So you haven't lost your compassion after all. I must say I'm surprised that you're surrendering this easily, though."
"Surrender? What are you talking about? I'm not letting you determine my fate, Sensei. I'm just not fighting you." Isamu's smile turned into a self-satisfied smirk as he spoke. "I want to set my affairs in order, and I want one chance to talk with Yu and Naoto-san. Once I've done both, I'm revealing my crimes to the prefectural office and turning myself in. It's time I passed the torch to the next generation and pray that Yu will avoid my mistakes." For the first time in thirty years, since leaving the Shirogane Detective Agency in Sapporo, Isamu Narukami felt true peace settle over his heart.
The elder detective allowed himself a small smile at Isamu's words. "I won't say I'm unhappy with your submitting to justice. I just wish we'd been able to reconcile before all this happened."
"Things would have been better had I not been such a fool, but no man can change the past. We can only look to the future." Chuckling serenely, Isamu added with a smirk, "You know, you should think about retiring too. You're getting up there in years, Sensei; it's about time you let Naoto-san start coming out from under your shadow. I know she'll be a great detective, and maybe she can help keep my son in line while she's at it." Laughing with a refreshed expression spread across his features, the head of the Narukami clan allowed himself to relax and shed the stresses of his past.
Nodding, Kazuhiko laughed, "I have confidence in Naoto's skill, but she still has a bit of growing to do before she can start handling major cases. It's thanks to Yu-kun that she's come as far as she has – without him, I would have lost my granddaughter years ago."
Isamu smiled happily at his teacher's words and said, "It's good to know that I failed to mold Yu into my ideal successor. It sounds like he's become a good man, despite my best efforts. Well, Sensei, do you mind if I take a few days to prepare the company for my departure? I'll come to Inaba once everything is in order, and once I've spoken to Yu and Naoto-san I'll make my exit."
"That's a fair agreement. We'll be waiting for you, Isamu." Kazuhiko turned and walked away, knowing that Isamu would keep to his word. Thirty years had passed, but the Isamu he knew had finally returned.