Count Kage stared at the ceiling of his living room. He did not know of night or day since the thick curtains permanently blocked the outside light. But it did not matter. Ever since he had regained his powers, Shishima had less need for sleep, even if he was in a weaker human form. That way he could ensure that his eyes were permanently on the city of Sagakin, the new domain where he was the undisputed ruler who lurked in the shadows. His thoughts had remained fully fixated on Hajime Shirayama, who not only managed to infiltrate the Spawns of Shishima, but also got right into Shinobu's personal circle. Never in his eternal life did he expect to see his rival fatally torture someone. Perhaps Hajime's morals were not as strong as they both believed, or he must have grown really desperate that he dared cross the fine line of murder. The more he thought about it, the count realized that the most likely explanation was that the mortal must have killed before, no doubt in self-defense. When compared to his friend Jack who hesitated on his own initiation, Hajime definitely stomached the act a lot better.

Count Kage leaned back against his couch as he imagined the grandson of his former enemy Tsugumi Shirayama ultimately stooping to the level of his own cultists. It made him sick. Hajime was a special human being, if he were to become another mindless raving murderer who was nevertheless loyal, there would have been no more fun. No, corrupting him was never the goal. He was perfect the way he was - a shining knight of justice for humanity who opposed the evil of Shishima, the strongest daiyoukai, until the very end. Yes, they were both perfect the way they were, there was no reason for either of them to change. The count giggled, exposing a few sharp fangs, as he grew aware of just how high the stakes had already become. Now infiltrated among them, with a single wrong move either Hajime would get mangled by the Spawns or Shinobu and her cronies would be arrested and then the jig would be up. No, that was not entirely true, for even if his High Priestess and the other cult founders would have been taken into custody by the police, there would always be an insane human somewhere who would be willing to murder in the name of Shishima. Yes, belief was a well that would not dry any time soon, thus ensuring his powers would remain at their peak constantly. Count Kage picked up Hajime's chess piece and placed it right in front of Shinobu's, symbolizing that both kept each other in check. But he would make his next move soon...

The head manager's office of the Sagakin-based headquarters of Shirayama Industries was located at the top level of a twenty-storey building. It paled in comparison to their Tokyo headquarters and its seventy levels, but ultimately it was just a regional branch which was barely overseen by Tsugumi Shirayama in her twilight years. It was passed on to her son Takuma after her death, but ultimately the role and responsibility of head manager fell on her grandson Hajime's shoulders. The main reason for this was that both his parents always had more business at the Tokyo headquarters and especially in their outsourcing foreign branch from the United States. He was also certain that in at most ten years his parents would begin slowly retiring from the company, thus enabling him to ascend further among the corporate ranks and become the sole owner of Shirayama Industries. Although an increase in his finances and fame was always welcomed, he dreaded the incoming responsibility and increased work time.

Hajime sat with his jaw resting on clasped hands and elbows on his desk, leaning forward from a revolving chair made of leather while paying attention to three middle-aged men who were presenting a slideshow with the latest clothing designs for their upcoming summer and winter lines. Once the presentation was over, silence filled the room as Hajime mentally pondered on what he had just witnessed.

"My verdict is..." he finally spoke, the three men tensing up at the sound of his voice, "...the bikini and speedo designs from the summer line are approved. They are stylish, colorful and the material seems comfortable. We will be able to rival our competitors easily with them and win the summer market." His top executives smiled at each other, relieved at the apparent success. "However," his voice become more serious, causing them to grow tense once more, "I must confess that I am not too pleased with the winter jacket sketches I've seen so far. To put it bluntly, they look no different from the rags found at a local goodwill store. I wish to see brand new models until next Wednesday."

"But sir, we've paid our top artists to work with our models! Hours of hard work have been poured into these sketches!" one of the men protested and was met with an oddly cold glare from his superior's blue eyes.

"If those hours don't translate into satisfying results, then they are wasted. You have exactly one week to save the winter line. We're at the beginning of October, by the middle of the month we must be already producing new clothes lest we rely on last year's products, and that is never a good sign." Hajime paused for a moment, allowing the executives to exchange glances among themselves. "Gentlemen, I am not an unreasonable man. You know as well as I do that in order to maintain our top position both in the Japanese and international market we have to keep innovating. And we both know whose salaries will be affected if this year's winter sales decline compared to last year..."

"We got the message loud and clear, sir," another executive said, bowing to his waist. "We will reconvene next week on the same day and at the same hour to present our new designs, if this is convenient for you."

A satisfied smile grew on their boss's face. "That's what I like to hear. You are dismissed!"

Hajime watched them leave, internally having no regrets in regards to his harsh attitude. His father had taught him that in order to properly maintain a business as large as theirs and keep top executives in check, a firm and rational attitude was required. He recalled his first weeks when he took over the head manager position from Takuma and how those same men kept giving him tips and passive-aggressively suggested that he was too young and inexperienced to handle everything. Then at the first slight decrease in their sale profits, he cut their salaries by 20%. Their protests were met with nothing but cold stares and blunt demands for them to recoup their losses on that season. That was the moment when they learned to fear him and no longer mock him for his young age.

Hajime took a sip from his warm cup of coffee and reflected on the previous night's happenings. The disgust and contempt he held towards himself for daring to torture an innocent soul merely to achieve his goals still lingered. But ultimately they paled in comparison to the progress he had made with the case. At long last, he was physically close to Shinobu and he knew where her main hideout was. For years he had speculated that she had moved in another region of Japan to evade the police's searches, but ultimately she was still hiding in Sagakin, right under their noses. Once he had access to her occult secrets and figured out how her strange bond with Shishima worked, he would make his move and have them all arrested. Then when the demon inevitably returned, he would have his deck fully prepared to defeat his foe once more. He recalled how five years ago Shishima did not willingly leave Earth after his defeat until Sayo stepped in to convince him. Despite being a monster like her lover, somehow she was also a Shinto priestess with strong spiritual powers. Perhaps the true answer to defeating his mortal enemy lied in the welcoming chambers of a local shrine.

A chill awoke him from his thoughts as he noticed that a new visitor walked into his office - the mysterious Count Kage. Remembering their scheduled meeting, Hajime set his coffee aside, adjusted his blue tie and ran a hand through his blond hair to quickly fix it.

"Count Kage, welcome to my office, I am happy you could come!" he greeted with a big smile on his face.

"It is an honor to be here in your presence today," Count Kage said with a reciprocating smile, regarding him with a pair of warm brown eyes which he only bore for the public, then he set his cane aside and took a seat in front of the large desk. "I sure hope I was not disturbing anything important."

"Not at all, I had just finished another meeting and have no more planned for the rest of the day."

"Good to know." The count reached his gloved hand to take off his top hat. "Do you mind?"

"Oh no, I don't mind. You can keep it if you wish," Hajime reassured him. "Now, may I know the reason why you wished to have this meeting today, sir?"

"I thought it would be quite obvious. I wish to commission a brand new caped suit and tuxedo!" He got up and grabbed the edges of his cape, stretching them to the sides while giving a mock bow from his knees as if he were a stage actor. "With how outdated and dusty these current clothes of mine are, people would mistake me for a B movie vampire."

His host chuckled at the self-deprecating joke. "It's always good that we young men stay up to date with fashion, ey?"

"Indeed it is, Mister Shirayama." The count sat down once more. "After all these years of traveling through Europe, I must confess that I am looking forward to rejoining our elite peers in Japan's high society."

"Perhaps 'your peers' is better said. I'm just a clothes designer and part-time detective. I'm certainly not as refined as the rest of the upper class, even those our age."

"You underestimate yourself. Even if your family is not an old Japanese clan like mine, it doesn't matter. Sure, you lack the ties to both our politicians and the yakuza that I have; and for that you compensate not only with your fabulous clothing lines, but also with your great efforts of helping the police cleanse the world of those terrible, terrible Spawns of Shishima!"

"I appreciate the compliment, count. More so, I appreciate you breaking your reclusive routine to honor me with your presence." It was Count Kage's turn to laugh. "I am serious, sometimes you disappear from the public image for almost a year, so it is indeed a great pleasure to be talking to you face to face! Speaking of which, how was your trip to Europe if you don't mind me asking?"

"Southern Europe was the most pleasant part in my humble opinion. Especially the Balkans and Italy. You see, I have a great fascination with Ancient European cultures, especially Greco-Roman civilization. While visiting those two peninsulas, I made sure to drop by the ruins of each ancient temple. I must confess, I had a strange sense of escapism while there, almost as if I looking at a gateway into the past," Count Kage recalled with a melancholic tone in his voice. "You know the saying 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'? It's a universal piece of wisdom, regardless of one's environment."

Hajime nodded in agreement and said, "That is true, but ultimately we have to worry more about our families and loved ones before we do about our place in society."

"Families, you say..."

"Oh, my apologies, I forgot that your parents were murdered by the Spawns of Shishima. My condolences!"

Count Kage turned his stare at the window and admired the clear sky as he replied, "Despite public appearances, my parents were anything but a healthy couple."

"How so?"

"I admit, I was much closer to my father. My mother was always cold and distant. She saw me as a 'trophy son', someone to build up into another accessory she could display to the public. My father did love me, he tried his best to teach me how to be a proper member of high society. It is him I must thank for the man I am today; a part of me still feels his absence. But in regards to my mother, I am indifferent to her ultimate fate."

"I am sorry for bringing this up." Hajime bowed his head for a moment. "It must be quite a delicate subject for you to discuss..."

"There is no need to worry." Count Kage raised one of his palms reassuringly. "It has been five years since their passing, I have already gotten used to it."

"While not perfect, both my parents loved and cared for me to some degree. I can never imagine lacking a mother's love. In that aspect, I do apologize."

"You have not offended me in the slightest. It is what it is," the count concluded and got up from his seat. "In a way I suppose I envy you. Your childhood must have been much easier compared to mine." He picked up his cane and turned to leave. "Mister Shirayama, I cordially invite you to my mansion next week. We will be holding a party by Wednesday evening. I have invited other rich families as well, so I would love for you to drop by and even bring me my commissioned clothes. You have my guarantee that I will wear them for the entirety of the event!"

"Thank you for the invitation. I promise I will be there as soon as I finish my work here!"

Count Kage turned to regard Hajime one last time and gave him a parting smile before he went on his way.

Left alone once more, Hajime picked up his cup of coffee and took another sip. He was aware that despite his reclusive and eccentric lifestyle, Count Kage was still a highly influential person. This was the reason for the overly-polite attitude during their meeting. Ultimately it was better to be on his good side than to later regret offending him. However, the detective in Hajime could not help but wonder why his guest did not pour any resources into helping the police deal with the Spawns of Shishima. It seemed that the young count was content with throwing his family's wealth away on expensive trips and antiques.

The sun shone brightly on that afternoon. Sagakin's streets were filled with people who just got off their jobs and were either headed home or going to deal with whatever appointments or obligations they had left. It seemed that despite the growing danger of the city's worst nightmare returning, its inhabitants either were ignorant or chose to remain so. The murders by the Spawns of Shishima, while keeping their fear high, ultimately became just another part of the status quo, another number for the 5 PM news to report. If even those heinous acts did not properly mobilize the average citizen into doing more than just respecting a silently agreed upon night curfew, then it was obvious that modern man had grown way too complacent. Perhaps it was unsurprising that a minority chose to succumb to their primal instincts of murder and follow a dark entity as soon as it manifested on Earth.

Hajime reflected on this absurd reality while on his daily walk from Shirayama Industries to Sagakin University. While there was always the option of calling his limousine or taking the public transport, he preferred the hour-long walk in order to stay in shape. Due to his busy schedule, the only time he had to work out at the small gym he built in his mansion's basement was during the weekend. He stopped and looked at his own reflection in the glass of a closed jewelry store, immediately adjusting his dark gray suit's collar. How shameful that he of all people had been wearing mostly the same clothes for three days in a row. As much as he tried to keep his stylish image, in the end work seemed to be getting the better of him.

"Psst, Hajime..." a voice whispered from the nearby alleyway, prompting him to look towards its source while internally growing on high alert. "Come here..." it eerily called.

Whoever it was, they most likely had a trap prepared if they so bluntly tried to lure him while out in the open. The crowd was too busy to notice if anything happened while he walked in all alone. But he had prepared for such situations to the point where perhaps on a subconscious level he yearned for the thrill of danger. Hajime placed a hand in his pocket, ready to pull out his gun if necessary, and slowly walked into the alleyway while inspecting his surroundings with the corner of his eye. It was empty, perhaps his mind was playing tricks on him, but he did not let his guard down for a moment as he took careful steps, going in deeper. He paused at the halfway, where the shadows of both buildings perfectly shrouded him. There he was the perfect sitting duck - nobody would see or hear him if he were assaulted.

He noticed a shady figure crawling from behind a broken carton box, approaching him with carefully measured steps. He would play its game and pretend he was unaware that someone was sneaking up on him. As soon as it got close enough to aim a hit, he saw from the corner of his eye that his pursuer was incredibly short, perhaps a midget, and they were holding a sharp scythe. Not taking any chances, Hajime immediately roundhouse kicked the would-be attacker, knocking them into a brick wall. Taking a better look, he immediately recognized the purple plush fur and wolverine features.

"Borof, is that really you?!" he uttered in disbelief.

"Your reflexes have grown sharper," the plushie replied while adjusting his head, then he flapped the demonic wings on his back and rose in the air to Hajime's level. "Yes, indeed it is I - the great Borof, Shishima-sama's number one servant!"

"If you've returned, then that means your master..."

"Wouldn't you like to know? In fact, I think you'd kill for it!" Borof raised his bone scythe and wasted no time in lashing at his prey once more.

Great was his surprise when he saw Hajime pull out a gun and shoot a laser right through him. He paused and looked at his plush body. Even greater was his shock once he saw a burning hole in his chest and dark red jacket.

"This time I'm not playing your sick games anymore!" an angered Hajime declared as he rushed forward and in the span of a second he both knocked the weapon out of the plushie's gloved hands and managed to pin him against the wall with the entire force his arms allowed. Borof's own arms were immobilized, rendering him unable to attempt any sucker punches. "I know you Funky Knightmares get off both from torture and being tortured, but trust me, I know some ways of torture from which you will not gain any joy. In fact, your death will be quick and highly unpleasant!"

"Hah, you're bluffing!" Borof laughed in his face. "There's no way any mortal would be capable of actually harming my kind!"

A smile grew across Hajime's face. "I got three words to say to you - Galza Galza Galza."

The plushie's laughter ceased, fear beginning to show on his face. "The Funky Knightmare Dragon who devours our kind? How did you-"

"I've done my research while you and Shishima were away, and trust me when I tell you that this time around I mean business!" Hajime moved his hands closer and clasped the toy's neck tight, slowly strangling him. "So if you don't want me to summon that big bad dragon and have you fed to him, you will answer my questions right away!"

"N-never...!" Borof managed to growl back and kicked his aggressor in the stomach, causing the two of them to crash on the ground, rolling into the broken carton box. Taking advantage of Hajime's moment of dizziness, he attempted to bite off his nose. Much to his surprise, his plush fangs ended up biting his forearm instead, and then a fist collided with his face, throwing him in the air. Mustering the remainder of his strength, he flapped the wings on his back and regained balance while in the air. "Curse you, Hajime Shirayama..." As much as he did not want to admit it, he felt a sense of dread when he saw the human rise back on his feet. Not wanting to risk another physical confrontation, he pulled out his deck, challenging him to a duel.

"I see your cowardice is finally showing," Hajime snidely remarked as he took out his own deck.

Two dueling tables arose from the ground between them and both players set their cards on them, five blue rectangular shields materializing above each.

"I expand DG Parthenon ~Where Dragons are Created~ and draw a card," Hajime said and their surroundings changed to those of a temple resting on marble pillars, the faceless head of a dragon made of purple crystals floating in the middle. "Now we're only allowed three creatures and three spells per turn."

"I summon Linkwood, Explosive Dragon Edge." A young humanoid with long red hair and dressed in a white kimono appeared by Borof's side. "With his effect, I reveal the top card of my deck. If it's a Dragon or Draguner, it goes into my hand. The top card is... Borof, Final Dragon Edge, which goes into my hand!"

"Galaxyshield 3, I set Azure Rising General as a face up shield and draw a card."

"I summon Glenislay, Dragon Edge and equip her with Beginning Start, Initial Dragon Tool." A young female humanoid with long pink hair which covered her eyes appeared, dressed in a white and purple kimono, three swords by her waist which were colored golden, black and red. She reached for the sky and a white metallic glove with a white angelic wing and a black demonic wing on each side descended from a hole and fitted perfectly onto her hand. "I attack with Linkwood and double Invasion! I evolve both Linkwood and Glenislay into not one, but two Deadman=the=Origin, Dragon Edge Dragon!" The two humanoids fused together and transformed into a bipedal eyeless green dragon who wore a fur loincloth, a belt of skulls, and wielded an axe in the hand which still had the metallic glove. "With Deadman's effect, I bring out draghearts which cost 3 or less for each card under him."

"But one Deadman has two cards and the other has three..."

"Exactly, that means I bring out a total of five draghearts! I equip Deadman with two more Beginning Start, as well as Proto Gigaheart, Invincible Sword, Migawari, Nightmare Swastika and Joan Mizell, Revolution Spear!" A second metallic glove appeared on his other hand, a third on his head, alongside a sharp blue sword with constellations depicted on its blade, a red shuriken with a frowning fanged face appeared in his left hand and, lastly, a sharp white metallic spear appeared in his right hand. "Deadman, double break his shields!" The heavily-armed creature rushed forward and slashed two shields with the sword and spear.

"Shield trigger, I summon Mage of Cursebreaker!" A small robotic humanoid in a golden white armor with a circle of light surrounding his waist appeared in the battle zone by Hajime's side. "With his effect, I set I Am Justice If You Want as a face up shield. Also, shield trigger, I cast Goten! Ginga MAX, and since I have both a Light and Water creature in the battle zone, I get to use both its effects - I set Lightning Sword Paladin as a face up shield as well and I send Deadman back to your hand!"

"No you won't - I dragsolution Proto Gigaheart into Ohginga Zero, Strongest Dragon and Deadman stays!" The sword was tossed in the air and it transformed into a blue-armored dragon with a flaming mane, still wielding said weapon. "And now I end my turn, since Deadman is tapped I dragsolution Joan Mizell into D'Arc-en-Ciel, Holy Spear Dragon Elemental!" The spear was also tossed in the air and it transformed into a silver-armored angelic dragon wielding the same weapon. "And since I brought out another dragheart this turn, I also dragsolution all three Beginning Starts into Final the End, Finishing Heaven Dragon!" The three metallic gloves were also tossed in the sky and each transformed into a white-armored dragon, a black demonic wing and a white angelic wing on each of their backs.

"At the start of my turn, since they are all face up in my shield zone, I summon Azure Rising General, Lightning Sword Paladin and I Am Justice If You Want as if their costs were paid!" A blue robotic warrior wielding a glowing lance, a golden-armored knight wearing a helmet shaped after a cone and wielding a sword made of blue lightning and a small blue robotic humanoid sitting in front of a giant golden golem all appeared by Hajime's side, forming a small army. "I draw a card from Azure Rising General's effect and Lightning Sword Paladin sends a Final the End back to your hyperspatial zone. Now I cast Goten! Ginga MAX and use both its effects again - I send another Final the End back to your hyperspatial zone and set Absolute Shield Knight as a new face up shield. With Absolute Shield Knight's effect, I check the top two cards of my deck, add one to my hand and set Jyuu Ni Shin Ki as a face up shield as well."

"Shields that become creatures later? That's quite the defensive spam you've got there, I'm sure the master would be pleased to face such a deck!" Borof remarked. "But alas, I'll prove to you that my spam is greater! With my remaining Final the End's cost reduction, I summon Rosia, Final Dragon Edge with 4 mana and I equip him with Gaiheart, Galaxy Greatsword!" An angelic humanoid with long green hair, donning a white and golden armor, a golden helmet with a green visor covering the top of his head, appeared in the battle zone, wielding a blue sword with the images of galaxies painted on its blade. "D'Arc-en-Ciel, attack the Absolute Shield Knight shield and I tap Azure Rising General!" The angelic dragon fired a bright beam of light from its spear which forced the blue robot to kneel, then it flew headfirst through the targeted shield. "Final the End, double break the Jyuu Ni Shin Ki shield and another one!"

"Mage of Cursebreaker blocks the attack!" Hajime intervened and the smaller white and gold robot flew in front of the hybrid dragon, getting hacked into pieces by its claws.

"Since this was my second attack, I dragsolution Gaiheart into Gaiginga, Passionate Star Dragon!" Borof announced and Rosia tossed the sword in the air and out of it emerged a white and blue dragon with a flaming red mane who wielded the blade in his left hand. "When Gaiginga is dragsolutioned, I destroy one of your creatures with power 7000 or less, so I'll get rid of Azure Rising General!" The dragon used his blade to hack the blue robot in two. "Deadman, double break the same shields as before!" The eyeless green dragon tossed his only remaining weapon, the red shuriken, in the opponent's direction, tearing through two shields. "Ohginga Zero, break his final shields!"

"Not so fast - I activate Lightning Sword Paladin's effect and discard Kirazeus Savark from my hand to save one of those two shields!"

"Futile move - Gaiginga breaks your final shield!"

"Shield trigger, I expand Memento Guardian Shrine, Prison Court of D!" Their surroundings changed again, this time to an empty throne room with a floating golden staff in its center. "All my creatures gain blocker. And now it's my turn - Galaxyshield 4, I set another Lightning Sword Paladin as a face up shield. You went full on with your attacks? I'll now do the same! I Am Justice If You Want, triple break his shields!" The robotic duo dashed forward and broke three opposing shields. "Lightning Sword Paladin, break his final shields!" The golden-armored knight rushed as well and slashed away the two remaining shields with his lightning blade. "I end here."

"Hahaha, foolish mortal, your efforts were for naught! You don't have enough cards in your hand to discard and save your last shield. And since you didn't even set a shield trigger, you've just spelled your own doom!"

"I beg to differ - at the start of your turn, Denjara Switch! I turn Memento Guardian Shrine upside down and tap all of your creatures!"

Borof's mirth soon turned into shock as he saw his entire army of creatures incapacitated. "Why you... you had this planned, didn't you?" His opponent did not reply, he only smiled at him with a smugness which filled the plushie with impotent rage. "Final the End's cost reduction effect, I summon Borof, Final Dragon Edge for 5 mana. With my own effect, I self mill the top card of my deck and recover Nicol Bolas. Then I equip myself with a Beginning Start, Initial Dragon Tool." The metallic glove appeared onto one of his hands. "Then I... end."

"I summon Lightning Sword Paladin as if his cost was paid and send Final the End back to your hyperspatial zone. Galaxyshield 6, I set Absolute Shield Knight as a face up shield. With his effect, I check the top two cards of my deck, add one to my hand and set Goten! Ginga MAX as a face up shield too." Hajime paused for a moment and regarded his opponent directly, his expression utterly cold. "Let this message be loud and clear - if you or your ilk ever dare threaten my family or loved ones again, you'll get this and much worse!"

"Y-yes, sir..." Borof nodded frantically, unable to hide his fear anymore.

"Now tell me, has Shishima indeed returned to Earth?"

"That's... not for me to say. But I'll tell you this much: the master will come after you when you least expect him!"

"Useless as always. I Am Justice If You Want, todomeda!" The robotic duo rushed ahead and punched the wolf plushie, blowing him and his entire deck high in the sky.

Hajime watched the creatures disappear and sighed with relief. In a matter of minutes he packed his cards and dusted his clothes which would definitely go into the washing machine once he got home. Had he suffered a similar assault five years ago, he had no doubt that the encounter may have been fatal. Now he not only managed to fight back, but he could also properly intimidate his enemy. Truly those past five years had forged him into a stronger man, and sometimes he wondered at what cost. Weary of the ominous warning left by Borof, he walked out of the alleyway on his way back to college.

Count Kage set down his mirror next to the chessboard and picked up a book he had been intending to go through since his return but never had the chance to - a collection of ancient Greek myths pertaining to the Underworld. To most they were pretentious archaic stories best suited for bachelors studies, but to him they were way superior to the literature mankind had churned in the past two millennia.

"Sire, I've done as you ordered!" Borof said as he walked into the living room.

"I'm well aware, I've seen your duel through my mirror and was highly entertained by your showdown. I can hardly wait for my turn to face Hajime Shirayama once again!"

"I don't know what to say, milord. That fellow is now much scarier since I've last seen him. Maybe we should just expose him to the Spawns the next time he tries infiltrating them? Surely those crazies will outnumber him and then he'll be out of our hair forevermore!"

"No, that will ruin all the fun of our rivalry," Count Kage sternly replied and his minion got the message right away. "For now we will stand back and witness his next move. I am curious as to what he will do now that he's managed to get this close to Shinobu," he concluded and rose the book to his face.

Borof nodded submissively and left his master to enjoy a reading session while he would prepare dinner. In the end what truly mattered was Shishima's will and nothing else.