Author's Note: We're back to good old Japan and 2P!Japan again. I got the idea for this match from another playlist I was listening to this Saturday. It's called "[you're visiting a haunted victorian circus (creepy theater vibes)]", in fact. Add some information about the video for "The Next Day" by David Bowie and we got this. I love it all came together so nice and neat. I want to see what Kuro is planning for the world. You know that he's up to no good. Anyway, I have matches four and five lined up in my head. For now, enjoy this week's match.


Match Three: Jigoku Tayu:

There are now two Japan's. One is still struggling to keep his sanity together. The other is taking in the vice of the country and spreading it to the world. For now, they both exist in the living world. The two of them can't exist together. One of them is going to have to go. However, one doesn't want to fight. The other is okay with this but knows that he can't fully take over like he wants. Only he can hear the ticking in the background.

So who is going to make the first move to tip the scales?


-Kiku-

It's the dreams again.

He hears Victorian Circus music in the distance. Only, Kiku can't see from where. He can feel that he's in the middle of a crowd of people. They were only going in one direction. Kiku felt compelled to move as well.

Dim red lights filled the sky. This has to be her work. Kiku knew this. He could feel it in his old bones. The people around him started to take shape. They had no facial features or body parts. They kept their heads down. Their shoulders were hunched up. They didn't make a sound. Only Kiku stood out in the crowd. As they got closer, the music started getting louder.

The air around the Japanese man became so cold that he started to shiver. When he looked forward again, a giant red tent appeared before them. The flaps slowly drew open like a woman giving the crowd a curtsy. More and more people started walking inside. They went up the stairs and into the tent. Was someone yelling in the distance? Kiku shivered. When did he get closer?

A female harlequin dressed in black and red stood at the entrance of the tent. She had a little smirk on her face. She held out her arms to the crowd. Kiku walked closer with his mouth slightly open. He was close enough to see the malice dancing in the harlequin's eyes. They reminded him of that woman.

Her laughter danced in his ear.

Interestingly, she was nowhere in sight. Kiku didn't lift his head or turn around. He could feel traces of her, but she wasn't there. It would be foolish to think that she had left him alone. She had to be plotting something.

He was now face to face with the harlequin. She smiled and silently giggled. She could see the fear in his eyes. The harlequin took him by the cheeks and her smile widened in an unnatural way. She opened her mouth to speak. White noise filled Kiku's ears.

And then…

The music sounded so much louder. Kiku turned and looked around. This was a dark, nightmarish circus. Did he go back in time?

The shadowy people all took their seats in the tent. Kiku was the only one standing up. An invisible hand rested on his shoulder and pushed him down. The poor Japanese man didn't get a chance to act. His head was forced straight forward.

Suddenly, the music stopped. Light lavender lights lit up an empty stage. The black curtains slowly drew up. A figure walked into the middle of the stage. A red mist began to fill the tent. Through the mist, Kiku could see a woman. Her white kimono swallowed up her skinny frame. The audience couldn't see her face. She kept her head down. Bronze hair pins held her black hair up in a bun. The tent didn't make a sound.

The woman slowly rose her head. Crimson tears ran down her pale face. The only other thing that stood out on her face was her black lips. She opened her mouth to sing. All that came out of her mouth was static. Not a single person in the crowd moved an inch.

As she sang, more crimson ran down the woman's cheeks. Wounds started to open up on her wrists. More crimson ran down onto the stage. The woman reached behind her back to the bow of her white obi. Her movements were jerky when she pulled the knot apart. She clung to the obi like it was her lifeline. Her kimono fell to the floor. The lights focused on her frail pale body. Her black corset seemed to be crushing her ribcage closer into her body. The black fishnets stood out against her skinny legs. The crimson from her wrists looked so vibrant. She sang as the wounds on her feet opened up. She released the obi when she reached up for the pins in her hair. It looked like someone was pulling her strings to move. Her bun fell loose into long wavy black curls. A crown of thorns floated down and rested on her head.

A tear ran down Kiku's cheek. Her pain stirred something in his heart. How can so much suffering produce so much beauty? How was she standing from all of that crimson pouring out? He watched as her body jerked from being flogged by an unseen force. Still, she didn't stop singing. More crimson ran down her cheeks. She didn't stop as the crimson ran down into her eyes. The crimson steadily poured from her wrists. It started to form rivers down onto the floor. Another wound opened in her side. The crimson stained her corset.

Suddenly, Kiku stood up. He didn't know why he was doing this. No one else mattered in this tent. The Japanese man slowly moved towards her. The woman turned to look at him. She reached to him. He shouldn't be doing this. But he can't stop. His body moved closer and closer. Kiku could now see her face. Her eyes were just dark pits. More crimson ran down her cheeks and into her black, inky eyes. The crimson ran from her wrists. Her body had no scent. Kiku couldn't even smell metal. The woman was still singing as the Japanese man stood within her grasp. Kiku gulped. More tears ran down his cheeks. He managed to say two words when they were inches away from each other.

"My… lady…"

Kiku leaned in and kissed the woman. Cheering roared in the man's ears.

He doesn't know why he keeps having this dream. Was it that woman's doing? It had to be. But why? Had she come up with a new way to torture him? In one way, that made sense. But in another way, it didn't.

A pair of ghostly hands rested on his shoulders. That woman's lips were inches from his right ear. She whispered something almost inaudible. His spine went stiff.

Meanwhile, Sena slept peacefully beside him.


-Kuro-

He can see everything his light side dreams. Kuro couldn't help by to smirk to himself. There was one person that he had to see. He knew exactly how to get it.

Kuro walked up to the tent with the crowd. He stood out from the faceless figures. The Japanese man kept his gaze low. Everything had to be timed just right. Kuro smirked to himself as he went over the plan in his head.

The harlequin stood waiting for this next crowd. Kuro glanced up to see her. She stared as if waiting for him. He stood face to face with the harlequin. The Japanese man had no emotion on his face. He only said one thing to her.

"Can you show me the lady of the show?" Kuro said. The harlequin's smile stretched out to an unnatural length. She turned and walked into the tent. He smirked as he followed her inside.

He didn't sit down in the crowd. Instead, he went down a narrow hallway. The harlequin had already gone by then. Kuro didn't really need her anymore anyway. He could see where he was going in his head. The Japanese man didn't mind the silence surrounding him.

Kuro came up to a large paper sliding door. He reached out and pushed it open. Behind him, the crowd started cheering.

He didn't mind the smell of death. Kuro poked his head inside.

"Hello? Anybody in here?" he asked. His eyes adjusted to the darkness. He found himself in the dressing room. There wasn't much in here to look at. Only a vanity desk, chair, and a mirror. There she was. Her hair came down to her lower back. The crimson was still running for her face, wrists, feet, and side. Her face looked so empty. The woman paused when she said the Japanese man dressed in black in her mirror. Kuro gave her a graceful bow.

"Good evening, my lady," he said. The woman stood up. She didn't have to say a word.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Kuro asked. He bowed again.

"My name is Honda Kuro," he said. "I really enjoyed the show." The woman blushed. Kuro took a step forward and held out his hand.

"I do apologize," he said. "But I do have a request." The woman gave him a curious look. Kuro flashed her a charming smile.

"You see, I am trying to build up a kingdom out there," he said. He pointed behind him. She looked over his shoulder. The woman gave him a curious look.

"I want to show you another world," he said. "I know you love your show here. Wouldn't you like the whole world to see your show?" Kuro bowed as he held out his hand. She looked like she didn't understand him at first. But there was in his words that stirred something inside of her. Kuro waited with his hand out.

She reached out and took his hand.

Kuro led the woman out of the tent. And just like that, he had his second woman in his harem. However, his party might come to an end before it truly begins.

On the outside, she is still looking for him. She clutched her charm to her chest. She knew that he was close. A little smile came across her face.

"He's close. I can feel him!"

She started making her way down to the red light district.


There are now two Japan's. One is struggling while the other is thriving. However, there can only be one Japan in the living world. It just takes one push to make this happen…