"I never decided this for you, son. What strength you have, much of it you were born with. But I just want you to know that you will have the opportunity to do great things with it in life. It's what our family has done forever. It's your birthright, but it's also your choice. I don't want me and my past to decide your future. And if you ever have felt that way, I'm so sorry…"

Prologue

Sae could not sleep, not for the life of her. She tossed and turned, her exhausted mind yet racing in a furious maelstrom of doubt, worry, and apprehension. That single image of her sister's shocked face replayed a hundred times in her mind's eye, tormenting her to no end. Her muscles tensed and clenched every time she saw Makoto's eyes, the lingering pain and betrayal in them hacking at her heart mercilessly. Sae wondered – nay, hoped – that such pain and betrayal was a figment of her imagination, but doubt clawed at the back of her neck like a rabid animal pinning her down, rending her flesh as she tried to flee from it.

Her hands scratched at each other, and it was a long time before she dared to open her eyes, illogically afraid that Makoto, or any other member of her dearly departed family, might be before her, looking down on her, judging her for her failure and incompetence. When Sae opened her eyes, she saw that she had drawn blood on her knuckles and palms from the scratching, her sheets and pillows now lightly stained red. They were only minor scratches, but they still stung, and enough blood had been spilled to seep under her fingernails and coat their tips in drying orange-tinted red.

She grunted and huffed in frustration, writhed around in bed before flinging herself upward and to her feet. Sae stomped around her apartment, groaning in anger and dismay as she hugged herself and rubbed her hands together more, occasionally running her blood-stained fingers through her silver hair as she barely managed to repress her infuriated screams. It was only then, as she felt the nonexistent eyes of her family passing ruthless, wrathful judgment on her entire life, that she realized she was having a panic attack.

Her breath sharpened and shallowed, and the room became smaller around her as breathing became more difficult. She rubbed her face, smearing blood along her forehead and eyes. Coherent speaking became impossible, instead letting out more hyper-emotional grunts and cries as she quickly paced, kneeling down into a squat and shooting back up to a standing position. Tears began to sting Sae's eyes as Makoto's voice rang in her ears from many angles. All the fighting, the scolding, the arguing; all of these played all around her at once cacophonously, deafening all other sound. Sae tried to cover her ears to drown it out, but the words only rang clearer inside her head. She could swear her father's voice was mixed in as well… then that of her mother, who had so much faith in Sae her whole life… faith thoroughly squandered as she had turned her back on the last important thing in her life…

Sae screamed furiously and ran out of the apartment, tearing down the staircase and out into the silent street. Leaning against a streetlight, she desperately tried to catch her breath as the memories finally began to abate. At last, there was only the sound of the wind, the air conditioners, and quarreling cats a couple alleys down the way, and breath finally filled Sae's lungs again. She leaned her body against the streetlight, relaxing fully against it as she breathed heavily, and knew it would be some time before she would be able to try sleeping again, if at all.

Sae did not want to return to her apartment, to the anxieties and terrors that now plagued her. But there was nowhere for her to go to let off steam, no casino nor bar to wile the night away, what little left there was of it. There was only one option left to clear her head, and perhaps… No, no, there was no chance, and therefore no sense in getting her hopes up. But perhaps, if the gods smiled on her just once…

She went behind the apartment building quickly, nearly stumbling over herself to find her beloved, having been left unused for far too long. Yes, this was an incredibly stupid idea, but it was now only the rush of wind, the smell of gas, and the illustrious roar of her motorcycle's engine that would alleviate her woes. Only a few blocks would be needed, just a few minutes. And perhaps, if there was some justice in this world, she would stumble upon her dear sister, and take her away from those despicable monsters she, for some god forsaken reason, now kept company with.

Her black and blue love roared to life just as it should, and she gallantly charged the accelerator and flew out into the street. Sae pushed the bike as hard as she could without flying out of the tight turns of Kamurocho's streets. She nearly crashed three times in two minutes, but did not care a bit, a wild, deranged smile appearing on her face as she revved the engine with abandon.

This was in her blood, and it caused her blood to heat up and sing so greatly that it drowned out her anxieties for a blissful moment. Both her parents had taken to the open roads in powerful motorcycles, especially her dear mother. To cast away her fears and woes on the back of a mighty machine at mighty speeds was a hereditary instinct passed down to her from both her parents, and she guffawed with a burning need to find one good, long straight to shoot down like an angry bullet.

Nakamichi Street was a good choice. Thoroughly abandoned, and still lit up, it was a safe bet. She rode off with a determined smile, turning down the brightly lit corner and flying down the wide road packed with restaurants and shops. She rode to the end of the street toward the main road then drifted to turn around on a dime, causing smoke to billow up from her tires screeching against the pavement. It was an invigorating symphony to her ears.

Before Sae was the rest of the road, pitting itself against her like a racetrack. The smell of the exhaust and the smoke from the burned rubber filled her senses with adrenaline-fueled glee. She was about to start her next lap when she spotted another figure at the end of the road. A man, rotund in size and shape, stumbling out from around the corner, his extravagant clothes tattered and stained in water and God knows what else. Sae thought for a moment that she must be hallucinating, for there was truly no way this could possibly be real. Her hands clutched harder around the handles of the motorbike as she accepted what was before her: her father's killer, Kaneshiro.

From across Nakamichi Street, they met each other's gazes, the smoke from the tires and exhaust partially obscuring Kaneshiro's silhouette in front of her. Sae remembered. All of it, in a flash that she felt physically throughout her body, she remembered. The day it happened, the meetings with the police and the coroner, trying to explain to her little sister what had happened while trying to traumatize her as little as possible. She remembered in the most explicit detail.

And Sade revved her engine furiously.

Her tires screeched as she peeled out, charging down the street with abandon. The engine roared like a mighty beast, and Kaneshiro fell over himself trying to flee from the deranged madwoman. He got to his feet but stumbled again, looking back at her in a panic. The headlight of Sae's bike grew brighter, closer; the engine grew louder and louder. Kaneshiro held up his hand in the most pitiful of resistance, and Sae cried out wrathfully as she was about to repay retribution for her fallen father, her hero.

Her father… his face… how proud he was of her graduation… how he commended her for stepping up and taking care of Makoto, for being her role model… she was happy and proud too…

"Your mother would be so proud of you," said her father's voice, as clearly as when he had truly spoken it. "I know she is. She's watching you right now, Sae. Always has been, always will be…"

With less than a second left before impact, Sae diverted her bike. She slammed the breaks, sliding along the side of the tires. She managed to slow down, but something gave out, and she no longer felt the handlebars in her hands or the seat underneath her. The concrete came up to meet her, and she rolled over three times before coming to a stop. There was some metallic crashing sounds in the midst of all this, though Sae was barely cognizant of it.

The adrenaline pumping through her forced Sae to her feet before her conscious mind did, and she trudged in the general direction of Kaneshiro. He saw her coming, noticed her panting and gasping, the glassy, disoriented gaze that had trouble focusing on him. She grunted in pain and sneered at him. "You!" she called out, and clumsily tackled him before he could try to escape.

"Fucking bitch!" he cried, trying to swat her away, but his size and weakened state made it impossible, especially when she unceremoniously beat him on the head a couple times.

Sae held Kaneshiro at gunpoint, digging the barrel of her hitherto concealed pistol into the back of his head, and pulled out her emergency radio that she kept on her at all times. "Anyone on this frequency? It's Niijima. I've apprehended high-priority target Kaneshiro at Nakamichi and Taihei."

"Copy, Niijima," came a man's voice over the radio. "Moving for pickup. Remain at your current location. ETA four minutes."

"Copy." She put the radio away and looked down in disgust at the fat man. "Why'd you stick around, huh? Thought you must've left by now."

"My business here ain't done, bitch," he snapped back. "And… wait. Niijima, was it?" Sae did not answer. "I'll fucking be, it is you. Daddy's little girl got revenge, huh? Just didn't have the guts to make it poetic—"

"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!" she dug the barrel into his head harder. "You don't get to talk shit to me after you killed my dad. Just shut the fuck up and come fucking quietly, or I swear to God, I will get back on that motorcycle and finish it this time. Got it!?"

To her chagrin, he laughed. "Whatever you say, Miss Noble. I got plenty of friends to meet up with in prison anyway."

"You all can revel in your defeat for the rest of your worthless lives."

"If I'm really worthless, then why didn't you just finish me off like I did your old man?"

"Because I'm not worthless. Some people actually believe in me, unlike you. I have standards, expectations, ideals – alien concepts to your kind, I'm sure."

"Geez, touchy, touchy there, huh? Yeah, you're right. I'm sure daddy is smiling down on you from Heaven above because you didn't have the balls to actually avenge his death—"

Sae shot her gun into the air once, silencing Kaneshiro before putting the barrel to his head again. "Do you want to die?" she sneered down at him.

"If it meant spoiling the reputation of a bunch of bureaucratic pets, sure. I'd die with a fucking smile, bitch."

Sae's eyes widened in rage as police sirens became audible, quickly growing closer. Kaneshiro smirked proudly up to her as she brought down the handle of her revolver on his head. He did not even care about the quick flash of pain before the world went dark, as eliciting such a reaction from a hero of the law was sweet, priceless fortune…

…

Chapter 1

All Roads Lead to Home

The late summer sun shone brightly over the steadily moving highway, and the breeze blowing in from the open windows of the van was perfectly warm. Haru, Futaba, and Ryuji were making fun idle chatter amongst themselves in the center seats. Makoto and Yusuke only broke the comfortable silence of the front seats periodically to comment on passing cars or scenery, while Ann and Akira, sitting in the back with Kasumi, had yet to say much of anything in the past two hours.

Akira just looked out the window, lost in his own world and contemplating something that Ann found irritatingly difficult to parse. He seemed a thousand kilometers away at all times, and when asked even the most simple questions, would only respond with the most basic of yeah's or nah's if he could even be bothered to speak up. And yet, he lightly held Ann's hand the entire way, indicating to her that he at was at least somewhat existing in the present and not entirely lost to himself. She worried for him greatly, but thought it best not to interrupt whatever he was processing or preparing for at that time. As frustrating as it was, she was somewhat content in just holding his hand, as if anchoring him to the real world in some small way.

Ann admitted to herself that it may have been presumptuous of her to take his hand so flippantly when they were leaving, but was relieved that he was so accepting of it. Whatever he thought of the gesture, it must have meant something to Akira, since he had yet to let go of her hand, and even would occasionally rub her palm with one of his fingers for a moment, and she would repay in kind. She also found herself thinking back to those hazy memories of almost kissing this young man in Yusuke's house, and how she still felt a selfish pang of disappointment that she had yet to taste his soft-looking lips. He was right that that was not the best time to try anything like that, but she still wished in some small, deep part of her that she had been able to kiss him.

Ann wondered if he had any experience with women at all, at that. The subject had not really come up, but he still seemed distinctly distant regarding his feelings on romance and companionship since she had known him. Obviously, in both holding her hand and promising her a talk once their war was over, there was something between them, and that was a comforting thought, but the anticipation, the wondering, the silence – it was all palpably tense for her. But she knew she must stick it out anyway. His feelings would be made known in time, whatever they were…

Makoto exited the highway, leading down to a more rustic road through sparsely forested areas. Akira perked up a bit at this, and Ann noticed immediately. A slight spark of life shown in his dark eyes once again, yet also seeming somewhat apprehensive. She squeezed his hand once, and his eyes looked down away from the window for a second. He squeezed her hand back and looked back out the window. At least he was still alive.

Twenty minutes later, they were seeing more residential buildings on either side extending into a cozy little neighborhood. The buildings were quaint and older, but charming and well kept. Families were playing outside in the beautiful summer weather, or sitting on their porches with a cold drink in hand. The air of the place was palpably pleasant, and pleasantly quiet.

"Is this the right place, Akira?" Makoto asked.

Akira nodded slowly. "Yeah, this is it," he said flatly. "Shimonosuke."

"It's so pretty," Haru remarked. "This is the kind of place I'd want to open up a coffee shop."

Ryuji asked, "You make coffee, Haru?"

"Yes. If I wasn't an heiress, I'd want to be a restauranteur, honestly. I'd love to have a cozy little countryside coffeeshop in a place like this. It may not be as glamorous as I've grown up with, but it would be perfectly fine for me."

"Sounds real nice," Ryuji added.

"There's one just like what you described a few minutes from my house," Akira said. "It's called 'Little Nook'. My dad is good friends with the owner. Maybe… I could take you all there sometime soon."

Haru's eyes lit up brightly. "That would be wonderful! If it's not too much trouble, I'd be delighted!"

"So would I!" Kasumi smiled to him. "Sounds so relaxing. Just what we all need, I think."

"You can say that again," said Futaba.

The tiniest smile snuck to the corner of Akira's mouth. "Guess it's settled then," he muttered, looking back out the window. "Hey, there's a community center just up the road, Makoto. We can stop there to stretch and I can call my house again, see if they got my message. You mind?"

"Not at all, it's a good idea." They came on the community center soon after – just a small gray building next to a gas station with a bus stop, restrooms, and a few townspeople coming and going. They stopped the passenger van and all exited quickly, with Futaba in particular bemoaning and groaning about her stiffened back. Akira walked around the building and found a payphone to call his parents.

It rang, and rang again, and Akira was shamefully somewhat relieved that they did not pick up, though he was confused as to why they were still not home. He could imagine his father being in the office, and his mother must just be out and about, probably running errands or something. The message tone rang, and he said, "Hey, mom and dad. It's Akira. Just got into town and we'll be at the house soon. Uh, sorry for springing this all on you so suddenly, but I'm gonna see if I can get my friends rooms at the inn once we're settled, so there's nothing to worry about with having to be too prepared, Mom. I'll… see you soon. Bye."

The message was short and awkward, and Akira was just happy to be done with it. He rejoined his friends by the van as they were piling back in when he saw a small motorbike pull up beside them at the gas station, and he made eye contact with the driver, which stopped both of them in place.

A young man Akira's age, with messy light brown hair and a Junes uniform worn by employees of the local supermarket was locking eyes with him, and Ann noticed the awkward silence with perplexed confusion. "Uh, do you know him?" she asked, coming up beside him.

The young man suddenly perked up with extreme shock and excitement, crying out gleefully, "OH MY GOD! AKIRA!" and came rushing over to them as the gas station attendant filled up his bike, looking just as confused as anyone else.

"Yosuke!" Akira called back scoldingly as he ran up to him, "please, not so loud—"

"Oh my god, I can't believe it!" Yosuke shouted loud enough for all around to hear them. "You're back, man! You're freaking back! Wh-where have you been all this time!? Your mom said you were out for some internship or something, but—"

Akira grabbed him by the shoulders as the rest of his friends looked on with befuddlement. "Can you please try to calm down, man? I'm trying to keep a low profile right now."

"Wait, why?" Yosuke shook his head. "I mean, you're finally back! We gotta tell the gang! Get them all together so they can see you're not freaking dead!"

"We really don't—"

Yosuke jolted out of his arms and sprinted back to his bike. "I'll tell everyone to meet up at your house ASAP! They're gonna go crazy when they hear about it! Sorry, Akira, gotta run! See you soon!"

"Yosuke, wait!" he called after him, but Yosuke was already speeding down the street back into town, and Akira could only facepalm in annoyed response.

Yusuke asked casually, "Um, a friend of yours?"

"Yup," Akira replied irritably. "One of my best friends."

"He seems happy to see you," said Makoto.

"Very."

Futaba asked, "You didn't wanna see him?"

"Not quite yet, same goes for all my other friends who I guess are going to be heading over to my house now. I mean, I want to see them, but I wanted to sort some stuff out with my parents first."

"Well, at least you have really supportive friends," Ann added. "That's a plus, right?"

"The explanation of why I've been gone may not be. Guess Mom wasn't too keen on telling people the truth either," he shook his head exasperatedly. "This is gonna get complicated."

Haru said, "If they really care about you, they'll understand and won't be judgmental. That's something to cherish."

Akira clenched his jaw, thinking through her words. "Maybe they won't like the new me," he muttered quiet enough that no one heard. "Whatever it is," he said at normal volume, "we should get going. Guess we're gonna be having a party now, anyway."

Ryuji said, "At least we might get to unwind a bit. And this town seems pretty cozy too, just right to take the load off in."

"You're not wrong," said Akira flatly, and they got back in the van and drove off.

Shimonosuke had such a relaxing and friendly air about it, not unlike a small country community one would see on a touristy postcard. There was plenty of people about, running errands, dining at the small locally-owned restaurants, though with far less density than in the big city. The group only recognized a couple of chain shops and outlets, with the rest being endearing mom-and-pop businesses. A brunch diner, a textile shop, a beef bowl joint, a book and manga store, and many others, all so quaintly warm and attractive to the eyes. Ann noticed Akira watching each passing building intently, occasionally nodding to himself as if confirming that everything was yet the same as he had left it.

Then they came upon a winding lakeside road, the water out before them being very clear and luminously blue. Cranes and other fowl congregated in the reed by the shore and floated on the water's surface, and the shadows of fish could be seen beneath. The sun shone off the water beautifully, and the trees on the opposite bank bending in the wind made for an even more picaresque sight. Akira seemed even calmer now as he peered past Ann and out onto the water, not even noticing that she was looking at him. He pursed his lips and looked away again, his thoughts inscrutable.

A small neighborhood came into view further up the road, and at the end of the road was a comfortably large white house sitting at the top of the small beach on the riverfront. It showed a tasteful mix of traditional Japanese architectural disciplines and more modern, Western inspired construction, appearing very welcoming in spite of how obviously expensive it must be to own such a home. "That's the place," said Akira. "Turn right up there and then just pull up on the street front."

Makoto did as she was instructed and came up to the front of the house, parking on the curb. They each got out slowly, Akira slower than the others. He stopped for a moment, looking up the driveway to his home, and then visibly twitched. His friends noticed it but did not comment on it. Akira breathed in deeply and quickly exhaled. "Home," he muttered to no one in particular. "It's been… a while."

"Are you okay?" Ann asked him.

"Doesn't matter, really. We're here, I need to see my parents, so that's what we're going to do." Ann held back a huff at his slightly condescending over-rationalization and followed him up to the front porch along with the others.

"You think your parents know we're all with you?" asked Ryuji.

"Dad always listens to the answering machine when he gets the chance, so they should. If not, they'll probably be too preoccupied with me being home to care as much about all of you at first."

"Makes sense, yeah," Ryuji shrugged.

Haru asked pleasantly, "Everyone ready for a nice vacation?" No one responded, and Haru's smile quickly faded.

Akira knocked on the door thrice callowly. No response. Thrice more, and they heard footsteps on the other side. Akira tensed up immediately as the door swung open, and a light brown-haired man with glasses and a friendly demeanor stood before them. His eyes immediately widened when he saw Akira, and he gasped with a growing, beaming smile.

"Akira?"

"Hi, Dad," Akira could not help but smile, though his voice was yet shaky.

His friends stepped back as Akira's father embraced his dear son, seeming to not even notice the other young adults behind him. "We got your message," Takuto began, "but things have been… well… We're just glad you're back, Akira. Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm find, Dad, promise."

Takuto finally looked behind Akira, noticing his guests. "And these are all your friends you told us about on the phone?"

"Yeah, that's right. They're pretty amazing people," he looked back at them with a reassuring grin. "I was still thinking of getting them set up at the Amagi Inn so the house doesn't need to be crashed."

"Oh no, it's no trouble at all. We'll get them settled, even if they have to stay with us temporarily." Takuto stood up and smiled to them. "Pleased to meet you all. I'm Kurusu Takuto. Thank you, so very much, for taking care of my son while he was… away."

Akira's friends all thanked him at once, with many sayings of "It was no big deal," and "He did just as much for us," and the like.

"Well, I'm sure your mother will want to see you. Come on in, everyone. My wife is just coming back from the store, she'll be here any minute."

They entered slowly into a well-decorated, tasteful, spotlessly clean house. To their left was the foyer, with very comfy looking furniture, a standing piano in the corner, and many framed pictures of Akira and his parents. Remembering their last "date", and how Akira had described his mother to her, Ann caught slight glances of pictures including his mother, though wasn't able to see anything clearly as they were escorted into the kitchen.

"Please, have a seat," Takuto gestured to the simple wooden dinner table surrounded by four seats. "I'll get more chairs in just a moment."

"You're too kind," said Haru. "You really needn't trouble yourself, sir."

"It's my pleasure, not trouble," Takuto replied with a gentle tone. "But thank you for your concern, Miss." Takuto grabbed a couple more tables and a bench from the living room, and all were seated amidst the awkward air of the situation.

Makoto broke the silence with, "You have a lovely home, sir."

"Thank you very much. My wife and I like to keep things clean and cozy. It helps the fact that this is sort of the hangout spot for Akira and his friends. 'There's always room at the table', we say."

"How sweet," Makoto smiled to him.

Akira was sat by a window looking out into the backyard, which was spacious and clean, as inviting as the interior. A shed, some lawn furniture, a swing set at the back of the property and a deck with a nice grill extending out from the exit in the living room to their right. Akira scratched his chin as he looked outside, watching the gentle breeze blow the trees in the warm sunlight, deep in thought as his legs twitched with anxiety under the table.

He contemplated the fact that he was about to have an extremely awkward, painful conversation with both his lifelong best friends, thanks to Yosuke's over exuberance, and his own mother – a person whom Akira had always had a very special bond with. And this being the first time in his life that that bond felt strained, creaking, as if balancing on a tightrope over a dark abyss, was the most painful aspect of it all. He did not notice the idle yet friendly chatter his friends made with his father, all of them seemingly trying their best to avoid the elephant in the room as much as possible, as well as avoiding Akira's potential discomfort or ire. He did notice, however, the many concerned glances his father made his way, which he would respond to with a reassuring, slow nod before looking back out the window.

Many, many hours had spent on that swing set with his friends throughout the years, even well into their teens. At least when they were not hanging out on the beach in front of the house. Akira could still hear the laughter of himself and his friends echoing throughout the different periods of their lives, with new friends coming and going each school year and summer. It was on the beach and around that swing set that they talked through their problems, small and large, all while enjoying his parents' rather famed cooking – his mother being known for her exceptional baking and comfort food, and his father renowned for his grilling skills.

While Akira never had any siblings of his own, nor much of a family outside of his parents, it was with his friends that he felt like he truly belonged in a way he expected must be what a close-knit family is like. They were more than just friends, they were brothers and sisters with whom he had shared countless memories, both in the easiest and hardest times of their lives. And now, he knew in his heart of hearts that he was different. The young man that had been swept away to the big city was not the same young man now sitting at his parents' dinner table, looking out the window and reminiscing on what felt like a past life. This made his stomach turn and his eyes twitch as they did so often with his flashbacks.

He was falling deeper into one of discordant images of Kamoshida taunting him when the door opened, and in stepped a strikingly beautiful woman in her early forties carrying a bundle of groceries.

She caught the attention of everyone present, yet no one spoke a word as they took in her image. Her black hair fell down her back past her shoulders, exhibiting the same lightly windswept and naturally, endearingly thick and messy look that Akira's hair had. Her face was fair yet stern, her age only lightly touching her looks with the smallest wrinkles around her bright, piercing eyes. Her build was strong yet womanly, with a well-defined bust set between strong shoulders and equally strong, proud hips. Immediately, Ann recognized her from Akira's description, recalling how she thought of the image of this woman as some sort of goddess. In truth, she was entirely correct, yet this feminine strength before her appeared also incredibly tired and dour. Until she lay eyes on her son, who stood up as their eyes locked.

Anri's eyes welled with tears as she quickly put down the groceries and stepped toward the dinner table. Both her and Akira's moves were hesitant, yet the way they looked to each other was indication enough for anyone that there was a very special connection between the two. As tears fell down Anri's face, so to did Akira's eyes sting with his own tears. Guilt, shame, and fear welled within him in an instant, but intermingled with unexpected joy at the sight of his mother. He was a murderer, a monster, confused and debased and scornful, but before him was his mother, pleading with her own eyes to know that he was okay.

"Akira…?" she folded her hands in front of her, more tears falling down her face.

And for a brief moment, the shame and fear he was paralyzed with receded. "Hi, Mom," Akira croaked out, barely forcing a smile.

One more fearful step toward each other, and Anri swept him up and embraced him tightly, crying into his shoulder. He repaid the hug in kind, his breathing becoming labored as he too cried. "Oh, my baby," she murmured into his shoulder. "My baby boy," she whimpered.

"I missed you, Mom," Akira barely got out.

"I missed you too, sweetheart." They hugged each other tighter, the sweet, emotional image bringing a tear to the eyes of Ann and Haru. When they finally parted, Anri still holding her hands on Akira's arms, she looked him over from head to toe. "You seem… well."

"I'm not hurt, if that's what you're asking," he wiped the tears from his eyes.

"That's good… That's good." Anri's words came out torturously, the smallest syllables stinging their way out of their throat like someone was dragging a knife up it and out of her mouth. As if desperate to change the subject, she looked behind her son and asked, "These are your friends you told us about? I'm glad you found some good connections while you were away. I was worried Sojiro might just keep you locked up at the hotel."

"Not quite," Akira shook his head.

Anri stepped beside him and bowed to her guests respectfully. "I am Anri Kurusu. Welcome, all of you, to my home. And, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for looking after our son." She stood back up, now giving everyone a good look at her.

"Pretty," Futaba mumbled.

Anri wiped her own tears away and now stood tall and stalwart, giving off an aura of tempered strength. Being closer to them, his friends could see the defined, tempered muscle lining her arms exposed by her shirt. Even her stance was solid and strong, with a narrow gaze that seemed like it could make the very air crackle and spark if she were focused enough, or angry enough. But now, the aging mother standing before them still seemed exhausted, but standing on her own two feet anyway as if sending some message that her strength yet remained in spite of their family turmoil.

"I'm afraid I was not able to prepare much lodging for you all yet," she continued. "Please make yourself at home until I have something ready, and let me know if you need anything."

Yusuke said, "We appreciate the offer, but we understand there is also an inn nearby we may be able to stay at. We wouldn't want to trouble you, especially given the, uh, current circumstances."

"That's something we honestly may have to discuss further," Anri said darkly."

"What?" Akira asked. "Something happen at the Amagi Inn?"

"Not exactly," she looked over to him. "But there have been some com—" The doorbell rang, cutting her off. Akira knew instantly who this must be and cringed at the thought. He had so much to talk about with his family already, and now he had apparently something else to worry about as well. Just one moment of peace would have gone a long way, but he surmised it was still nice that his friends cared about him so much.

"Sorry," he said to his mom before walking to the door.

As he did, Anri got a better look at all the friends that were with him, and her eyes fell on one particular young girl with orange-dyed hair. Her face, her eyes, her demeanor, becoming more shy and apprehensive when she noticed Anri looking at her. A wave of anxiety fell over the mother, realizing just who she must be looking at.

Slowly, Akira opened the door, and before him were seven young adults about his own age, all seemingly exceedingly interested in him.

"Is that them?" Ryuji asked.

"AKIRA!?" all seven exclaimed.

"Hey, guys," Akira said, his annoyance slowly dissipating at the sight of their excited faces.

"You're back!" shouted a bubbly girl with long hair. "Where were you!?"

"Uh, well…"

A guy, tall and black-haired wearing black-rimmed glasses, looked over Akira's shoulder at the group behind him. Both groups met each other gazes awkwardly, and Akira was once again ready to crawl out of his skin. "Who the hell are they, man?" the guy asked.

"It's a… long story."

The Phantom Dragon – Part 3

Truth and Justice

Truth

Is elusive, it's nowhere to be found

Yeah the truth can never be written down

It's not in any magazine

You can't see it on your TV screen

Truth

Is evasive though you might have the facts

Got it straight, you think but then it all cracks

Wide open, you can search the world far and wide

The only truth that you can ever find

Is

In another

A soul that's got the same burning need

To find out what's

Neath the cover-up

The one can't be without the true other

So let's get together, see what we can uncover

One

That defines your world

Gives you truth and life

One

That excels

Special enough to guide your way through

This shadow world

…