My name is Adachi Tohru.

You might recognize that name. You might not. It's been a while since it made the news, I guess.

Think back to ten years ago, if you were even alive at that point. Maybe you heard about those telephone murders? Corpses being hung from electrical poles? That was me.

I'm the Inaba Killer.

I've done a few interviews from my prison cell about that year. They all ask the same fucking questions.

"Why'd you do it?"

"Do you regret it?"

"Why did those women deserve to die?"

Blah blah blah.

These fucking people just don't understand. They think there's some big, elaborate plan. A goal I wanted to achieve by murdering those two bitches.

Then they get all upset when I tell them I did it because the world is shit.

Sure, Yamano had an affair with that Namatame guy, and that pissed me off. How could she betray me like that? I didn't exactly plan to kill her, I just shoved her into the TV.

Then she wound up dead.

I can't lie, it was kind of shocking at first. I'd never actually killed anyone before. But it felt so good , being in control of life and death like that. It was a nice bit of excitement to distract me from how dull that town was.

That high schooler, whats-her-name, she found the body. I had to make sure she didn't tell anyone something that might put me away.

After that? Well, after that it was just fun. I tricked Namatame into throwing a bunch of kids into that other world.

Alas, the game came to an end when my old partner's nephew, Yu Narukami, put the pieces together. Him and his friends, they all figured out it was me, chased me into that world, and threw me in prison.

I lost the game. Fair and square.

So, for the past ten years I've been abiding by the rules, atoning for my sins.

It's kinda funny. All that time I thought there couldn't be a place worse than Inaba. I never thought I would end up in prison.

The worst day in Inaba is better than the best day in prison.

At least there I could just sneak off to do nothing when I wanted to. Here, I'm watched every second of every day. I can't even take a shit without someone watching me.

It's almost time for exercise when I'm pulled aside by some guards.

"You got a visitor, Prisoner," one of them tells me.

I can feel one of my eyebrows raise. A visitor? Dojima, my old partner, comes once every six months or so to check up on me. The idiot just can't let go of me. That was only three weeks ago, so it can't be him.

I'm brought to a very small, windowless room. There's a table in the center, very little lighting, and two rickety chairs facing each other. I'm seated in the one further from the door and I'm told to sit there and not make a noise.

I'm sitting there for ten minutes before anything else happens. That's when the door opens and in walks… a woman?

The strangest woman I've ever seen. She's tall, made even taller by her heels, beautiful and has some of the reddest hair I've ever seen. On top of that, she's wearing an absolutely massive white fur coat.

She saunters over to the other chair and takes a seat, and she's followed by one of the guards standing in one of the corners facing me. He's holding a folder in one of his hands and does not look happy. Less than usual, anyway.

"Adachi Tohru," she says, giving me something that looks like a smile but I know better. She has a voice like ice and a demeanor to match. "Former Detective, last based in Yasoinaba. In prison for two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and several instances of kidnapping."

That's bullshit. I didn't kidnap anyone. I just nudged someone into thinking that was the best idea.

I nod, still not speaking.

"My name is Kirijo Mitsuru. I'm here with an offer."

An offer, huh? I snort, not bothering to hide the derision. The guard shoots me a glare and steps forward, but this Kirijo woman just holds up a hand and he stops.

"Feel free to speak, Adachi-san. I want this to be a conversation and that can't easily be done with you silent."

I bare my teeth and lean back. "I have nothing to say to you, lady."

"You haven't even heard my offer yet," Kirijo says, looking a little confused. "I would assume after ten years you would like to leave."

That got my attention. I lean forward. "Say that again."

Kirijo flashes that pseudo-smile again and snaps her fingers. The guard walks forward and hands her the folder. She turns her head towards him and says, "You can leave, now."

He stutters. I can tell he doesn't like being ordered around by a woman. It's funny when it's not happening to yourself. "I'm sorry, Kirijo-san, but-"

"Leave."

She doesn't exactly raise her voice. It's just as cool and calm as it was before. Instead she picks up this tone that says, "Question me again and I'll disembowel you."

That's what I got from it, anyway. Maybe the guard heard that there'd be cookies in the breakroom or some shit.

The guard wisely decides to leave without another word, leaving me and Kirijo alone.

She turns back to me and places the folder on the table. "I'm part of a government agency known as the Shadow Operatives. We deal with threats of a… supernatural variety."

Supernatural?

"What does that have to do with me?" I ask, knowing full well what the answer is.

"I have it under good authority that you committed murder by throwing people into a TV," Kirijo calmly explains. Christ, she is ice cold. It's kind of creeping me out. "The police don't believe that's how it happened and while I admit that the idea does sound far-fetched, it would not be the strangest thing I have ever witnessed."

"Uh…?"

"I'll be blunt, Adachi-san." She leans forward, bridging her fingers. Her smile drops and she's glaring daggers at me. "I detest being in the same room as you. You're a murderer who has shown no remorse for his actions. If matters weren't more pressing, I would be content to leave you here to rot, as I'm sure most people in the world would be."

Fuck you too, bitch. No, I don't say it out loud, that would be suicide. I choose to scowl instead.

"However, Shadow activity has been increasing lately for reasons we are not aware of. We need all the help we can get, and the nature of our work means we have low reserves to tackle these issues."

"You must be desperate," I say before I can keep my mouth closed.

Her eyes narrow. After a few seconds where I think I'm about to die, she agrees. "We are very desperate. So, here's the offer; you work for us and you will be released. You will go where we tell you to go, you will deal with what Shadows we tell you to deal with, and you will do exactly what we tell you to do."

"How's that any different from this place?" I mutter, resting my chin on my hand.

"Think of it this way, Adachi. What other choice do you have?" She slides the folder in front of me. "I know why you were so cooperative with the police. You said you were here to 'atone for your sins'. But that's not entirely accurate is it? You repeated it so often during your trial that I couldn't help but be suspicious of the true reasoning."

Kirijo leans forward. "I'm well aware of how you feel about Yamano and Konishi, but answer me this; is there truly nothing you regretted about those murders?"

The murders? No. They got what was coming to them.

I didn't even care when those teenagers started getting kidnapped. I put my feet up and cracked a beer whenever the Midnight Channel came on. It was the most entertainment I got back then.

But… Nanako was never supposed to get involved.

She's Dojima's daughter. She was only seven and one of the few good people in this shitty world. Looking back on it, letting those kids leave that room in the station to go help her was what led to them putting me here.

I wouldn't change a thing, though. Nanako Dojima was innocent. She didn't deserve to die.

I'm silent long enough for Kirijo to pick up a little bit of my inner thoughts. "I thought so."

She opens the folder and shows me a few casefiles. The most prominent is an image of a map of the world, showing Shadow stuff happening all over the world. "I'm giving you a new way to 'atone'. I'm allowing you to go out there and stop other people from abusing the powers you did."

I don't exactly want to. It sounds like work, which isn't much different from what I usually do.

But I get to leave. I get to go to bed when I want to, I get to eat when I want to, I get to take a shit when I want to. Hell, I might even be able to kill a few Shadows.

Besides, what did I say earlier? The worst day in Inaba was better than the best day in prison? I doubt I'd be as bored as I was in Inaba.

"How the hell would you even get me out of here?" I ask.

She smiles. It's as if she knows she's got me. "We have connections. We'll be able to get you an early release. Especially based on your status as a model prisoner here."

Well, I can't deny it anymore.

"Say I agree to join your little club… what then?"

"Your first assignment will take you out of the country," Kirijo explained. "There are some strange occurrences in New York City that we would like to check out. If it turns out to involve Shadows, you'll need to deal with them. If not, you'll return to Japan for your next assignment."

"What do my vacation hours look like?" I ask, expecting to be told I'm not getting any.

"We'll discuss that over official paperwork, along with your pay.

I'm getting paid?

"So… what do you say, Adachi Tohru?"

I look down at the folder.

My ticket out of prison.

My freedom.

"Alright," I say. "You've got yourself a deal, Kirijo. I'll be your lapdog."

She smiles again.

"Excellent." As she begins to gather the papers, she offers up one more detail. "You'll be released by the end of the week. We'll have you meet your new partner and get your flight arrangements set up."

"My partner?" I frown. She never mentioned I'd be getting a partner.

"Of course," she says, as if I were an idiot for not thinking I'd get one. "I'm not letting a known and unrepentant murderer run around New York City with no supervision. We're desperate, not stupid."

"You could've fooled me," I grumble. "Alright, who's my 'partner'?"

"You're actually already acquainted with him," Kirjio says, tucking the folder under her arm. "He's the one who recommended we come to you, despite our strong objections. He thinks you can turn over a new leaf."

My stomach falls.

There's only one person alive that stupidly naïve.

Oh, no. Not him.