Snowfall had taken Sagakin by surprise. It was merely the start of December and yet winter had settled its reign earlier than in previous years. Although the United Nations had managed to solve the global warming crisis almost a century ago, the greenhouse effect had persisted; and yet with the passage of time it lessened to the point where places with a temperate climate could once more have colder temperatures in the winter. All around the streets there was a display of joviality not unlike the celebrations of annual Shinto festivals. Children were throwing snowballs, making snowmen and frolicking in the snow without a care in the world. That was their reality - a frosty peppermint paradise.
Hajime Shirayama's reality was much different - a double life as a corporate figure and detective, both juggled while trying to maintain a social life. Having Shishima constantly appear by his side at random times during the day did not help in the slightest. At the very least he magically shrouded himself, so nobody would be freaked out at the sight of one of Japan's most famous figures being accompanied by a demon.
The atmosphere at Shirayama Industries seemed to mirror the joviality which filled the streets. A group of wealthy investors had gathered in a meeting room to witness Hajime hold a speech wherein he presented his company's latest winter clothing line. For such an event he ensured to put on his public mask of a pleasant and polite gentleman in order to appease the gathering. Deep down he felt utterly bitter by the imposed formality ranging from suits and ties to fake smiles and even faker attitudes. When thrust in such situations, even Hajime had to wonder if there was some truth in Shishima's screeds against human civilization.
"My goodness, do you see the makeup on his face?" an elderly lady asked another investor, outrage clearly seething from her murmured voice.
"Makeup? I'm sorry, madam, but I can't see it," the younger man replied with a similar hushed tone. Even if they were both sitting at the very back of the gathering, it was still possible for others to notice they were not paying attention.
"Take a better look then, I can clearly see he powders his face. Most likely to hide those dark circles under his eyes."
"I see. The family business must be dragging him down."
"Nonsense! He's in his twenties, a young man in his prime! He's got a full life ahead of him, there's no reason whatsoever for him to grow tired so easily!"
"Can you blame him? He single-handedly banished Shishima and rid Japan of that accursed death cult. To be honest, we all expected him to fully pursue a career in the justice system."
"This pretty boy raised in luxury, a crime fighter? Hah, don't make me laugh!"
"There were some rumors that the secret services, both local and foreign, had tried to co-opt him, but he downright refused all offers."
"Most likely unfounded rumors. I don't see this kid lasting a single day in the army, let alone doing a spy's work!"
"Madam, I wouldn't let appearances deceive me if I were you. We've all seen him defeat Shishima five years ago. He is obviously an extraordinary man, hence his increasing popularity in the media."
"If he's such a knight in shining armor, why is he still a bachelor?"
"I heard that he has many suitors, but he has shown no interest in any of them. Perhaps he's waiting for the right woman?"
"Or he's secretly a libertine pig like the majority of kids these days. I swear, I'm tired of turning on the news on a daily basis and always seeing some kind of report on the Shirayamas. I'm telling you, this blasted family's popularity is undeserved!"
"Maybe so. But ultimately we are here to see if it's worth investing stocks in their current product, not to gossip over them," the younger man said and returned his attention to the speech and slideshow.
"And that concludes today's presentation. I humbly thank you all for being here." Hajime bowed to his waist and was met with thunderous applause. "I must take my leave early, I'm afraid. But please stay, for my executives will be here in five minutes to discuss our expected market prices, as well as our supply and demand." Thus he left the room under a second wave of applause.
Once he found himself all alone walking down the hallway, Hajime could finally lose the smile and cheery disposition and revert to what was commonly referred to as a resting bitch face. He always found such meetings as needlessly tiresome and felt that they dragged on to no end, especially when he was under the spotlight. Like the average Japanese, he was also a workaholic, but in his case he felt much more at home doing detective field work. A buzzing noise disrupted his trail of thought. Hajime pulled out his cell phone, checked the number that was calling and answered:
"Yes, Ben?"
"I checked the cameras as you told me."
"Good, did you find anything suspicious?"
"I'm afraid so. Someone left the meeting early and is headed for the kitchen."
"The kitchen? I just instructed the staff over there to prepare lunch for a dozen people and have it served at the meeting room within an hour."
"I don't suppose he's going there to be a food taster."
"Only one way to find out." Hajime then hung up on the call and ran down the stairs, putting his Achilles mask on.
There was a surprising variety of dishes in the kitchen. Left unsupervised while the cook went to the bathroom, it was easy for anyone to sneak in and leave behind a nasty surprise on the menu. The shady individual who managed to infiltrate was of average height for a Japanese man, dressed formally like the other special guests. He approached the large pot filled with ramen soup which lay on the electric stove. A small box containing a strange powder was pulled out of his pocket and then...
"Don't move," a deep and cold voice demanded from behind, petrifying him with fear. He felt the tip of a gun being pressed against the back of his head. "Raise both hands in the air and turn around." He hesitated for a moment and did as told. The imposing figure of Achilles was indeed striking. Did that wimpy Hajime Shirayama hire foreigners as part of his security? "What are you doing here? You best answer honestly if you know what's good for you."
"I'd rather you just shoot me and get it over with," the ambushed one meekly replied. "My boss would do way worse if I ever spilled the beans."
"Way worse, you say?" In the next second, Achilles changed the aim of his laser gun and with one shot he burned off the intruder's right earlobe. A scream of agony, followed by him dropping the small powder box and collapsing on the floor in the fetal position. "No, wise guy, I can assure you that I will do my best to rival your boss," Achilles threatened and kicked him hard in the stomach to prove his point. He then leaned down and pulled him up by the hair so that they were once more face to face. "It's your choice in how many pieces the police finds you. If I were in your place, I'd suck it up and cooperate."
"Fuck you!"
The wounded one spat in the eyes of his captor and that was enough to distract him. Taking advantage of that split second, he grabbed a kitchen knife and lunged at him. Both men ended up rolling on the floor, struggling to overpower each other. During their fight, Achilles received a cut on his cheek which not only pierced his mask but also sliced Hajime. He paused and stared blankly for a moment, seemingly in shock at the sudden wound. The aggressor pinned him down and raised the blade, ready to pay him back tenfold, when he was suddenly poked in the jugular by two fingers which had enough pressure to knock him out.
Achilles shoved the stranger off of himself and got back on his feet. He picked up the small box and was shook upon discovering it was powder cyanide. Not wasting any time, he went to the corner where his suitcase lay and took out a rope which he used to properly tie up the criminal. What followed next was another phone call to Ben.
"It's the third time now," he gravely announced while trying to stop the bleeding on his cheek with a napkin.
"You've got to be kidding me."
"I wish I was. First someone tries to hack into the company computers to steal our clothing designs. Then all of a sudden there are these defamatory rumors in the business world that Shirayama Industries is exploitative. And now someone tries to downright poison Hajime's investors. There's no doubt about it, Shirayama Industries is under attack."
"In that case I will begin compiling a list of potential suspects for us to go over through tonight. I'll start with each of your rivals on the fashion market."
"Make sure to call the police so they can deal with this punk. We'll talk more when I get home."
Thus he hung up on the call and took off his mask. As he walked out of the kitchen, a giggling Shishima appeared behind him, flapping his leather wings calmly as he followed at a similar pace.
"Life is never boring for the likes of you," he crudely remarked. "Isn't that right, Hajime?"
"Times like these make me wish I still had a mundane life."
"That's a lie. Deep down, you're as much of a thrill seeker as I am."
Hajime said nothing in response and proceeded to ignore him as he put on his winter jacket and left the company building. The cold air from outside stung his face and served as another reminder of reality's cruelty. The world was filled with evil people, and unlike the endings of bedtime stories and cartoons, most of the time they won the fight against good. But if evils the caliber of Shishima could be defeated and forced to change their ways, then perhaps there was a sliver of hope that good would prevail in the end.
While wandering the snowy sidewalk aimlessly, Hajime reflected over the past month. He may have hated Shishima to no end, but occasionally those demonic powers had proved useful with finding thugs and, in certain cases, even petrifying them with fear. As much as the very idea of resorting to evil in order to fight evil disgusted him, it was a sacrifice he had to make. But as long as Hajime held on to his morals, that was the one barrier which prevented him from sinking to Shishima's level. In the end he was not a white knight in shining armor, but a gray warrior who sought to prevent others from facing the same tragedies he suffered.
"You know, Borof told me something interesting last night," Shishima began again, catching Hajime's attention, who slightly turned his head to regard him. "He's visited the creature world sometime last month and had noticed that the battlefield over there has shifted. The Ten Kings saga is coming to an end."
"Ten Kings saga?" Hajime repeated with a low voice as to not catch other people's attention.
"Yes, have you not been paying attention to the latest cards? There are ten factions, each representing a combination of two civilizations. Five are dubbed as 'teams' while the other five are dubbed as 'kingdoms'. They are all led by a creature which has a King Master Card incarnation. Borof said that in order to unlock the next saga, we must gather all the ten kings."
"Sounds like a much harder task than you hunting down All Over The World's pieces."
A confident smirk grew on Shishima's sharp face. "Keh, not quite." Hajime once more peeked at him with interest. "The Light Nature Bouken Kingdom's leader is Gorio Bugori, Gorira King. His user, General Rufu, was defeated and I now own a copy of the card. The Water Nature Team Wave's leader is King Manifest. His user is your friend Ben. The Light Water Team Ginga's leader is I Am Justice If You Want, which you wield oh so proudly. The Light Darkness Gekko Kingdom is led by Moon, Destruction, Satan and Angel. My mother wielded him once, but thankfully she is now dealt with and I own a copy of her ace. The Water Darkness Team Zero's leader is Genmu Emperor, Infinite Dragon. This one is played by my mentor, the great Fukurokuju."
"Wait, Fukurokuju? As in one of the seven lucky gods in Shinto?" Hajime asked in disbelief.
"Yes, that is indeed one of the forms he had when he appeared to mankind. But worry not, he is far from a malevolent deity. I'd say he is more of a... silent observer," Shishima reflected with a solemn smile. "Needless to say, he gave me a copy of Genmu Emperor. Next up, the Water Fire Bikkuri Kingdom's leader is Meteorshower Auroratheater. Her wielder was senator Sazansho, who like his friend Rufu was defeated, meaning I now own a copy of this card as well. Afterwards comes the Darkness Fire Onifuda Kingdom, led by Jaouga, Oniga Overlord, who is currently one of the secondary finishers in my main deck. And lastly we've got the Darkness Nature Fushigi Kingdom led by Gigandydanos, Big Tree King. As you are aware, he is Nekohana's latest ace."
"I've counted only eight factions so far. And you already said you owned five of those cards, while the others are in the hands of Sayo, Ben and I."
"A valid point. The only combinations missing are Fire Nature and Light Fire."
"And who, pray tell, would be the users of the remaining kingdoms?"
"Let's tackle this matter logically. Each kingdom has a main race and they are as follows: Bouken Kingdom - Beast Folk, Team Wave - Tricks, Team Ginga - Metallica, Gekko Kingdom - Angel Command and Demon Command, Team Zero - Mafi Gang, Bikkuri Kingdom - Mutopia, Onifuda Kingdom - Demonio, Fushigi Kingdom - Giant Dragon and Gransect. Did you notice any of the new races missing?"
Hajime counted on his fingers, "You said Tricks and Mutopia which belong to Water, Metallica which belongs to Light, Mafi Gang which belongs to Darkness, Gransect which belongs to Nature..." He then paused in his tracks and stared ahead blankly. "No..."
Shishima flew ahead and then turned around to face Hajime with a smirk of anticipation. "Yes, the missing races are Beat Jockey and Jokers. Do you happen to know any duelists who specialize in them?"
"No, we are not bringing Jack and Lori back here!" Hajime growled through his clenched teeth.
"Why not? It's not like our blood oath allows me to harm them."
"I don't care! Shishima, you of all people should know that Japan and especially Sagakin hold bad memories for the both of them. After you severely wounded them like the rabid animal that you are, they pretty much cut all ties with me and moved back to America."
Shishima fake-gasped in response. "You mean the same America which launched nuclear missiles in my direction that I then threw back at them? The same America whose West coast is now a radioactive hot spot? Say it ain't so!"
"It's not like they live in that area. Besides, I'd rather not bother them by reminding them of my existence. If it weren't for Sayo and I insisting that they remain and help us fight you, perhaps they would not have ended up the way they did."
"We have no way of knowing what I might've done back then. This is why wallowing over the past is pointless, Hajime. There are a thousand of scenarios that might have happened had I chosen to run away with Nekohana on the night of my father's death. Alas, even youkai are unable to turn back time in order to fix their mistakes."
"It seems like your kind has something in common with us humans," Hajime snidely remarked and went past him, resuming his walk through the snowy path.
Shishima did not waste any time in following him from above. "Come on, aren't you the least bit curious what the new cards hold in store for us?" Hajime remained silent in his walk and proceeded to ignore him once more. There was no clearer answer.
The snowfall had ceased in Tokyo on that late afternoon. Sayo busied herself with swiping the snow off the sacred grounds of the Musashi Shrine. She only wore a brown fur jacket over her priestess garments, much to the protest of her colleagues, but she insisted that it was enough to keep her warm. Besides, there were matters of greater importance than her health. In at most half an hour the sun would set and she wanted to ensure that everything was left in order before her departure to Sagakin. Yoichi and Mikio had also promised to lend her some of the shrine's recently-brewed sake for her trip - a most befitting present for her beloved. Since primitive times the belief that the coming of night heralded the rising of evil had persisted. While not necessarily true, this common belief shared by the mortals served to fuel certain dark energies in places of worship. As such, she needed to ensure that the proper wards were all safely erected while in her absence.
Having left the courtyard, garden and pathways spotless, she circled the main shrine building with a handful of salt and lit incense in a bowl. With her hands clasped together, she closed her eyes and lowered her head in humility, praying to the gods with firm conviction and begging for their blessing and protection. The sound of footsteps coming from behind interrupted her ritual. What kind of people dared visit the shrine during those low temperatures?
"May I help you?" Sayo politely asked as she turned around. She froze right then and there at the sight of the newcomers. "It can't be, you are..."
Having finished compiling a full comprehensive list of suspects for Hajime, Ben closed his laptop and turned off his computer screens. He got up from his chair and stretched his bones intensely. It had been a tiresome day and he had been researching various cases from the early hours of the morning up until late afternoon without a break. Others would have complained that they were being overworked to no end, but in his case he was glad that there was still a need for him. Ever since the Spawns of Shishima had been fully captured and brought to justice in Japan, a feeling of dread lingered in the back of his head. What if Hajime would eventually come to a point in his life where he would give up the detective work and no longer require someone to aid him from behind a computer? What purpose would there be for someone like Ben to remain in his life? He downright feared the day when Hajime would shake hands with him and tell him that their partnership had ended. What would the future hold in store for him then? A return to London? A return to working for the secret services? A return to the same bleak and empty life which his parents had foisted upon him as a method of snapping him out of his self-destructive clubbing and whoring ways? While he was indeed passionate in regards to his work and had an innate curiosity when it came to computer technology, Ben could not deny that deep down he was a pleasure-hungry sex fiend. Crude? Possibly. But it a was bloody honest assertion.
Hajime on the other hand was definitely straight. Never once did Ben get any signals that he may have even been slightly interested in men. Despite his attraction towards him, Ben never once attempted flirtation. After getting to know him better, it became obvious that Hajime was a broken man who bore the weight of emotional trauma. It came to no surprise that he willingly chose to end his healthy relationship with Audra due to the belief that he was cursed and did not deserve love. In moments like those, Ben wished he was a woman. That seemed like the only way he could get close enough to Hajime to help heal his emotional wounds. After all, Ben had also suffered a great loss and fought tooth and nail for justice and revenge; there was nobody who would better understand Hajime's pain than him. As he headed downstairs to enjoy a cold drink, a plan began to hatch in Ben's head. One way or another, he would get closer to Hajime and get him to open up. They would become friends, then best of friends, until only one barrier would remain between him and what he truly desired. Yes, that was the only option for Ben Shaw. He would never be lonely and desperate again. He would get his happy ending, no matter the cost!