#kagutsu genji

[itsuki-minamy]

RED CASE FILES: HOMRA IN LAS VEGAS

CHAPTER 12: MADNESS, ILLUSION, AND HIS FUTURE

* List of Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

Ed took a step forward, planting his feet firmly on the grass.

Suoh looked at Ed with eyes that showed no emotion. He looked at the kicking steel giant and jumped from there to face Ed. He put his hands on the back of his neck, cracked his joints and asked.

"Who are you?"

Ed responded with a flash of hate.

"I am a member of the "Purgatory" clan, Edward The Red. I have come to eliminate you."

Suoh tilted his head. It is possible that he did not understand what he said to him in English. Either one would do. Ed hadn't come to chat.

His right arm burned with a roar.

Edward's "stigmata" were supposed to be on his right hand. The four fingers torn off by the Kagutsu installation, and the flames that spewed from them, were his proof and weapon.

Flames were now engulfing Ed's right arm. Even the heat pain that was driving him crazy at the moment was numbing and he couldn't feel it. No pain, no sensation, but the burning arm moved as Ed intended. It was hot, strong and fierce, incomparable with the flames of the past.

Ed interpreted it as gospel. It was given to him by Kagutsu in Hell to punish the one he pretended to be the "Red King".

Clenching his fiery fist in front of his face, Ed muttered.

"You will die."

Then Ed swung his right arm out to the side.

The distance between them was about 10 meters. Rippled flames spread out like a snake's neck and attacked the sides of Suoh's head.

Suoh slightly widened his eyes and raised his right arm.

With a dull sound, the flame attack was blocked.

Ed smiled.

Using Suoh's arm as a fulcrum, the flame arm extended further. The same movement as a throwing weight ball that entangles the prey. The rope-like flames wrapped around Suoh's body, blocking his movement, that was supposed to be the case.

This time Suoh laughed.

He was blowing a hot wind. A hurricane of auras containing destructive power ripped away the fire rope and hit Ed from 10 meters away. Ed reflexively blocked it with his meat arm.

When he lowered his arm, he saw Suoh's face in front of him.

Something exploded around his plexus. Heaven and earth spun in his field of vision, and intense pain, fierce nausea, and acceleration attacked him at the same time. It was as if the shock of being hit by a car a while ago had been multiplied tenfold.

Before long, Ed landed on his back in the street, bounced, and landed face down. Unable to contain the gushing out of him, Ed sprayed the area with gastric juices.

"Gah, uh..."

Supporting his body with his bare arms, Ed sat up.

Suoh didn't go after him. He just looked at Ed curiously.

If he had wanted to, he could have punched a hole in Ed's stomach.

He was taking it easy. Those words made Ed's hatred boil even more.

"Damn! This must be a joke!"

With a cloudy and angry voice, Ed raised his flaming arm.

The arms of flames spread out in a parabola and rained down on Suoh. Suoh stepped back a bit to avoid it, but the fist exploded as he crashed to the ground, spreading flames all around him.

However, the exploding flames were drowned out by Suoh's overwhelming aura. Let alone the skin, even burning down downy hairs did not come true.

Suoh raised his leg and stomped on the fiery fist.

The sensation of his own aura being eroded by someone else's aura, Ed gritted his teeth at the pseudo-severe pain. As he did so, Ed forced the fire fist to regenerate. Five flaming claws tried to dig into Suoh's ankle.

Suoh took a step forward.

It wasn't even an attack. It was like putting out a cigarette that was dropped on the ground, crushing it. With just that action, the fiery fist flew out, creating a crater in the grass with a loud sound.

With sweat dripping from his face, Ed raised his eyes and looked at Suoh.

Elephants and ants. Hawks and winged insects. "King" and Clansman.

The difference in strength between them was so overwhelming that there was no place to think about it. Genji Kagutsu and Jin Habari. Ed, who had witnessed the two "Kings" before, knew this very well.

If Kagutsu was his opponent, there wouldn't even be dust left.

If Habari was his opponent, his neck would already be completely severed from his torso.

The fact that he was still alive made him angry more than anything else.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

With a roar, Ed stamped his feet. He hardened his fiery fist and punched right.

He was blocked with one hand.

Suoh's eyes were far from the strain of battle as he looked closely. Discomfort and suspicion. The look in the eyes of a lion chased by a fly seemed to disgust him.

Suoh's fist hit Ed's side.

"Guh..."

His toes kicked into his face, and he groaned and looked down. The sensation disappeared from the neck up, and Ed wasn't quite sure what was happening to him.

Before he knew it, the night sky was reflected in his field of vision.

Looking towards the distant "Sword of Damocles", not even a fragment of it floated.

Walking slowly towards him, Suoh stared at Ed's face. The disgust was gone, and only doubts appeared on his face.

Moving his bloody lips, Ed tried to curse Suoh.

"......"

He could not. Like a dying goldfish, he just bounced and no voice came out of his mouth.

Even so, it seemed that Suoh understood his intentions. He bowed his head and said...

"Do you want to die?"

Ed's bloody lips gave a slight smile.

"That's right."

Ed wanted to die.

He didn't want to survive, he just wanted to die. Not once in the last 10 years had that thought disappeared.

He traveled to the United States, fought countless mobsters, and reigned as the anonymous king of Las Vegas. The whole thing seemed meaningless to Ed. There was nothing quite like it when he went berserk as a member of the "Purgatory" clan. There were no chills like when he faced the strong men of "Scepter 4". He just lived... That was it, life was like coals.

That's why he wanted to end all of that quickly. May all life shine like them, and fall spectacularly against the false "Red King".

Ed focused all of his attention on his missing right arm. A small amount of flames escaped from his charred shoulder. A weak flame that was less than the flame of a lighter. Still, that was all Ed could do at the moment.

Suoh narrowed his eyes.

The aura gathered in that fist. A glowing red symbol of power.

Suoh finally got it. Ed would never stop. As long as he lives, he will always target Suoh and spread destruction and chaos.

Ed stared at the glowing red fist, signaling the end of himself.

A shot rang out.

Suoh widened his eyes slightly.

Of course, the bullet didn't hit Suoh. Due to the probability deflection field, normal weapons are not effective against psychics. Also, if the opponent is the "King", then a mere bullet is meaningless.

Suoh calmly turned his face away. Ed also looked at him unintentionally with only his eyes.

A woman with long black hair and brown skin trembled as she held a gun.

She was Maria.

She was shaking, tears welling up in her blue eyes. It must be terrifying. Despite being a lover of the mafia, she had never tasted chaos. She was the type of woman who was afraid to even touch a gun, even though she was given a gun to defend herself. Cowardly, obedient, just a woman. Even if she was wrong, she was not a good person to be in that place.

She pointed her swinging muzzle at the "King".

A voice filled with fear issued from Maria's mouth.

"Y-Y-Y-You... Get away!"

Contrary to that resolution, Maria's appearance was comical. Her presence made no sense here. Pointless resolution, pointless weapons, pointless threats. He wondered if Maria knew.

If he hadn't been crushed, Ed would have been huffing and puffing. Turning his gaze to Suoh, he finally made a voice that he could do.

"Keep going."

Suoh also looked at Ed again. Suoh must have been aware that his existence was meaningless. Raise your fist and lower it. With just that, all the troubles that bothered Suoh would end.

A series of shots rang out.

All the bullets flew in the same direction.

Although he was on the verge of death, Ed was stunned. Even without the deflecting probability field, Suoh would not have been hit even once. It might be unavoidable if it was shot by a woman he had never trained and was shaking with fear.

But...

The aura disappeared from Suoh's fist.

"......?!"

After that, Suoh seemed to have lost interest in both Ed and Maria. He turned around, crossed the golf course, and walked slowly toward the trees in the distance.

Ed distorted his face and put all his strength into getting up.

As he tried to stand up, his legs lost strength. With both knees and one hand on the ground, he barely supported his body. Maria ran over, but Ed didn't even look at her and yelled at Suoh's back.

"Wait!! Hey, where are you going?! Aren't you going to kill me?!"

Suoh didn't even stop walking.

He just took his hand out of his pocket and waved it around.

A dark killing intent grew inside Ed. Kill. He did what he did. Thinking so, he tried to run, but his legs didn't have enough strength. Like that dream trying to catch up with the funeral procession. There was a back in front of him that he really wanted to reach for, but his body wasn't listening to what he was saying.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

Slamming his forehead into the ground, Ed screamed as if he was vomiting blood. The night wind blew like a fool, and the scattered grass brushed his ear.

A woman's tearful voice could be heard mixed with the sound.

"Ed, stop it, Ed!"

The swollen killing intent found a place to go.

As Ed watched, Maria wore an unmistakable expression of fear. As if facing a monster, she placed her buttocks on her back and stepped back.

It was a distance that he could reach if he stretched out his arm. A woman's thin neck can be tightened without using special powers.

There was a good reason to do it. That woman got in his way. She botched the fight with Suoh and wasted the precious opportunity. That alone was worth dying for. He should have killed her and he wanted to.

Five fingers bent into hooks were about to reach for Maria's neck, but stopped halfway.

He heard a voice telling him to kill her.

Would he kill his own woman for his revenge because he was no match for the "Red King"?

Is that the meaning of not being able to die and having lived until now?

The trembling fingers finally lost their strength and fell.

"Guuuuh!

Covering his face with his hands, Ed crouched down and let out a bloody sob.

++++++++++

Mizuchi was crawling in the dark.

The eye chamber was broken a long time ago, and he didn't know what was happening around him. The ground, which had been grass until a while ago, now had the feel of wet earth. Could he escape through the trees? It would all be over if Suoh chased after him, but that was no reason not to run away.

In the darkness, Mizuchi muttered.

"Fufufu... Thank you, Mr. Edward... I appreciate it..."

He did not despair. The "golden" dream he pursued, the "king-slaying" dream, glowed brightly even in the dark. Survive by crawling or drinking muddy water. Then he would move towards his goal. Mizuchi knew that repetition was the only way to make his dreams come true.

Brilliant wisdom and talent. The only way to polish it was with his bare hands.

(That's right, master! Do your best!)

(You're almost there! Survive!)

(You do it for us too!)

In his ear, "Grasshopper II", "Fireworks Master II" and "Piercer Mark II" encouraged him.

"Oh...! Thank you, thank you all... I'm sure I will...!"

Even as he climbed up the tree roots and buried his face in the mud, Mizuchi was still smiling.

Someone would find Mizuchi, if he could just crawl to the main street. Since America is a civilized nation, an ambulance would come to help a person who is covered in blood and falls. If that were to happen, the headquarters of operations should eventually pick up Mizuchi.

He couldn't beat the "Red King". On the contrary, he couldn't even kill one of "Homura". That is the result of a study that does not lie.

However, regardless of whether top management could understand it or not, failures were inevitable in the investigation. No, the accumulation of failure data was the very meaning of the investigation. The fruit of success was on top of that accumulation. That result was just one of the many failures that are necessary if you want to kill the "King".

Mizuchi must have conveyed that. Through his own mouth, to the people above him. That is the reason why he came to this country.

At that moment, his fingers reached out in front of him and touched something.

Hard, cold and slippery: someone's shoes.

"Mizuchi."

The voice coming from above was unmistakable. Mizuchi's lover... was Jane.

"Uh… oh, Jane. Thank God it's you. I was worried."

"What?"

With his half-destroyed face raised, Mizuchi smiled.

"I received a message from headquarters that you betrayed me, but I understand. It's a ploy to trick them, right? We are comrades with the goal of "killing the king". You can't betray me."

"......"

"Come on, take me to the headquarters. Let me explain. And then, the next strategy! It might be good to do it in Japan... I'm also interested in the "Silver King". When you say "unchangeable", how much "unchangeable"? is? If I can catch him... I'm sure I can do all kinds of experiments... Fufufufu."

A metallic sound echoed above Mizuchi, who was laughing to himself.

He didn't know what it was. The next thing he heard was Jane's voice.

"I wonder if Doctor Frankenstein felt that way."

Unable to understand the meaning, Mizuchi turned his invisible eyes towards Jane.

Jane was lying.

"It is definitely us who turned you into a monster. Your superiors may not admit it, but I do. I am definitely responsible for that."

At that expression, Mizuchi smiled.

"Huh, "Monster"... I see. Maybe that's the case. I'm sure I'm a monster."

"......"

"But, Jane. As you know, the "King" is also a monster. To kill a monster, you have to become a monster yourself. Isn't that right?"

"...That's how it is."

After sighing, Jane muttered.

"So I'll be a monster too."

And then a shot rang out.

After that, Mizuchi's consciousness, the shining "golden" dream, the most valuable battle data against the "King" that had been accumulated in the main device, all disappeared into eternal darkness.

++++++++++

Tanaka glanced at Erin as she returned from the golf course.

He didn't dare question the meaning of the shot that rang out earlier. He guessed that she did it because she said: "I'll draw a line.". And there was only one line that Erin had to draw.

Erin looked at Tanaka. They were tired eyes. Right next to the minivan parked across the street, she sat on the railing and breathed out deeply.

"It's over."

"Yes."

That's what Tanaka replied. He could only answer yes. Even with his shared interests, Erin was still an agent of another organization. The words that could be spoken were limited.

So Tanaka took a cigarette from his pocket, put it in his mouth, and lit it.

He offered the box to the surprised Erin. Erin smiled and took out a cigarette. She turned it on, inhaled and exhaled.

And so the two spies breathed in the purple smoke for a while.

"What's going on over there?"

Tanaka answered while he smoked a cigarette.

"A while ago, a Japanese diplomat contacted us. The United States said that they had no idea what was happening in Las Vegas, but said that they would do everything possible to calm him down."

Erin raised her eyebrows. She must know the meaning of the sign.

"Isn't that "investigation"?"

Tanaka chuckled slightly.

"Since the silence of the "Punching Machine Mark II" was confirmed, the United States has responded to our communications. Perhaps destroying it was their... apology, their breaking point."

A weapon to kill the "King" with a supernatural person. That's what America thought, Tanaka's icy side thought. Superpowers are always suspicious of being toppled from their thrones. The "superhuman body" that the Third Empire once envisioned was literally the "Sword of Damocles". It was kind of an instinct to look for ways to prevent it.

However, it ended in failure.

In the end, the supernatural weapon created by Mizuchi was useless against the "King". He did not know what conclusions the United States would draw from that failure. By holding them accountable, they might interfere a bit with that conclusion. That was the job of "Tokijikuin" and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Everything he could do there was over.

Tanaka looked up at the night sky at the sound of the rotor. A military helicopter crossed the night sky diagonally. Looking at that, Tanaka asked.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know."

Erin looked at the light at the end of her cigarette and responded with those words.

"There are not many paths for a traitorous agent to choose. If you stay like this in the country, you will be persecuted in the near future, and at best you will go to prison, at worst you will be eliminated. If you don't like that, why don't you change your face and name and fly abroad?"

"You mean me to go to "Tokijikuin"?"

Erin's blue eyes looked at Tanaka.

Placing his cigarette in the portable ashtray, Tanaka continued calmly.

"I knew that other countries viewed the existence of supernatural beings as a threat, but I never thought that they would use force to this extent. I need to review my expectations. The information you have will be of great help."

With a laugh, Erin tossed her cigarette onto the asphalt. She put on her shoes and laughed a self-deprecating laugh.

"If I can predict what the United States will do, I can also think of ways to avoid it. In terms of avoiding conflict, it is also for the benefit of my motherland, right?"

"......"

"I've also tried to recruit spies from other countries for my own camp. The trick is to make them believe they're doing the right thing. Half of it should be true. I'll make it easier to swallow to protect myself."

Erin pushed back from the railing and shrugged.

"If it's that simple, I won't betray you in the first place."

"That's all."

Tanaka had no choice but to reply.

Erin got into the minivan and started the engine. She asked Tanaka through the window.

"Speaking of which, how are the members of "Homura"?"

"After meeting with Suoh Mikoto, I took him to the hideout you prepared for me. As soon as it is safe to do so, we will move to another hotel."

"Actually. Please excuse me for causing you trouble."

Tanaka remained silent and nodded slightly. He was a miserable person. He combined benevolence and righteousness. If a person like her entered "Tokijikuin", the peace they wanted would have become more secure.

But her choice was her freedom.

The minivan took off slowly. The tail light went back. A blue patrol lantern and a siren approached from a distance as if to pass him. Tanaka stared at him and took out a second cigarette.

++++++++++

His body trembled and his confused awareness slowly surfaced.

"Where I am?"

When he blinked his blurry vision several times, he looked like he was in a car. It was the passenger seat of a pickup truck. When he looked to the side, Maria was driving with an exhausted look on her face.

"Guh..."

When he tried to move his body even a little, severe pain shot through him.

He gritted his teeth and endured it when he heard Maria gasp.

"Ed! Are you awake? Are you okay?!"

Ed looked at Maria. Seeing the anger in his eyes, Maria showed fear of being hit.

But even so, Maria lowered her eyes and whispered.

"I'm sorry. But I can't help…"

"......"

Ed didn't say anything either, gritting his teeth.

He knew what Maria was thinking. He supposed that she didn't want to die. It can be love, or it can be self-protection. He doesn't know what will happen to Maria if Ed dies. At least he got out of Las Vegas. "Blood & Fire" is not a loyal organization to the extent that the position of "previous boss's lover" is accepted.

No, or maybe even now...

"We'll be home soon. Good luck until then."

Ed frowned.

When he thought to tell her to stop, he had already reached a familiar section.

After stopping the car in front of the hideout, Maria got out of the driver's seat. Ed straightened up, got out of the passenger seat looking good at best, and wobbled. Maria lent her arm there.

It was nasty. He thought so reflectively. If they saw that...

"Boss. Are you okay?"

A low voice called from the shadow of the alley.

Leaning against Maria, Ed looked up. The organization's executive, Douglas, approached slowly.

An ugly burn ran down his cheek. Ed did. The other organization he once belonged to was crushed by Ed and the others, after which the surviving Douglas was recruited.

"Why are you here, Douglas?"

"I was worried about my boss. Looks like you did a good job."

Ed spent half of his life in the underworld.

It was much more important to read other people's thoughts there than in public society. You can't survive if you can't say what you want, what you're thinking, and what you're trying to do. That's why Ed relies on his sense of smell, which has survived until now.

And now, the scent emanating from Douglas was something he had smelled many times before.

Ed dared to speak bluntly.

"It's an extra help. What happened to Diego and Alan?"

"They left."

Two members appeared behind Douglas in the shadow of the alley.

He had a submachine gun in his hand.

Douglas's burns created an ugly smile.

"This bullet can also be used on psychics, right?"

Douglas pulled out a gun and pointed it at Ed.

Maria screamed. The passenger door was still not closed. Ed's damage was so severe that he couldn't grow his arms of fire in an instant. Something had to be sacrificed. Ed made an instant decision on what to sacrifice.

He grabbed Maria's shoulder with his left hand and turned his body at the same time. He let his body get between Maria and the gun. Ed pushed Maria into the passenger seat.

A shot rang out and a hammer-like discharge exploded from his back.

Blood gushed from Ed's mouth and splashed across Maria's face, who was writhing in fear and shock.

At that moment, the flame arm was finally ready.

The extraordinary arm that extended from his shoulder stretched out like a whip with a movement that was impossible for the human body, dragging the three people behind it.

Shouts and gunshots echoed down the back alley.

Ed looked ahead. His bloodstained lips were laughing. Shoulder, stomach, thorax. Despite the hail of bullets, Ed was still laughing.

"Hahahahahahaha!"

The two of them rolled on the ground, turned into balls of fire and writhed. Douglas, whose stomach was burned, his eyes widened in fear, but he still tried to aim the barrel between Ed's eyebrows. Ed burned the gun first. He then smashed his fiery fist into Douglas's face, sending flames down his throat at will.

When Douglas was extinguished, the other two had already stopped moving.

Ed got to his knees.

"Ed, Ed, Ed!"

Maria covered him from behind. The heat of tears fell on the flesh that had been torn by the bullet.

"Ha." Ed chuckled.

Is that the reason why he couldn't die until now?

To save the life of his lover with his own life. Cheesy and cliche. Anyone in "Purgatory" would laugh. That's why he couldn't die.

That was true.

That is why he had lived until now.

Maria was crying, his voice was fading. He was very pleased with that. Not because he loved Maria. It was because a conviction settled in his chest.

A funeral procession crossing the white desert.

Far, far away, the march in black receded as if they were vanishing over the horizon.

Looking at them, Ed didn't feel the impatience he had before.

Because he realized that he was not qualified to do it.

Ed was no longer in "Purgatory". That day, "Purgatory" disappeared from this world together with Genji Kagutsu.

You cannot belong to what has disappeared. You can't touch it; you can't reach it. It was just something inside Ed, with bright memories.

It took him 10 years to figure that out.

Ed closed his eyes and murmured with a small smile on his lips.

"She's so sweet I hate myself."

++++++++++

Foolishly, there were also slot machines in the departure terminal. A few people here and there were reluctantly playing slots even though they were about to become flight attendants. They wanted to make up some of the money they had lost in Las Vegas, but most of the time they were only going to widen the wound.

Looking at him with numb eyes, Fushimi leaned back in his chair and checked the ticket again.

It was business on the way there, but first on the way home. He could see the guilt of "Tokijikuin". Thanks to his clumsiness, Fushimi ended up traveling to Las Vegas. If he hadn't done at least that much, he wouldn't have been worth it.

At that moment, his PDA received a call.

After putting the ticket in his pocket, Fushimi took out his PDA, confirmed the call, and clicked his tongue. It was a name he didn't want to see as much as possible. He could have chosen to ignore it, but Fushimi took the call with a sigh, thinking it would be a bother if he found out later.

"Good morning, Fushimi-kun, oh, excuse me. It's still noon there."

"What's up, Captain?"

The reason for his dismissive tone was because the report had already been submitted. From the arrival in Las Vegas to the present, he had been sending almost every event that happened. Now that the enemy Intelligence Service had withdrawn and the incident was circulating in the media, Fushimi had nothing to say to Munakata.

However, Munakata hit a sore spot.

"What was in Tanaka-san's report was not in your final report, so I confirm it. I heard that you injured your left arm, is that true?"

"......"

That was true. Fushimi's left arm was in a cast and bandaged and dangled from his neck.

"Fushimi-kun?"

"There was a problem trying to stop the guys from "Homura"."

To be more precise, Misaki Yata's staff broke Fushimi Saruhiko's left arm, but it was too unpleasant to put into words, so he won't report it in detail.

"That's it. Then, you must file a work-related accident claim after you return home."

"I understand. Is that all?"

"That's all there is to talk about work. From now on, it will be small talk, but your activities have been spreading across the sea."

"Eh?"

At the same time, he frowned, the television in the living room played a news video.

It was a familiar image.

"The CIA cover story says that this incident was a conflict between members of the mafia, but it seems that you were unable to cover up your activities. So it seems that it was a new show at the Varangia Hotel. Congratulations on your debut in Las Vegas."

Three men fighting as if dancing in a fountain. They rained down fire, wielded glowing wands, and slashed with glowing sabers. It certainly looked like a spectacle depending on how you looked at it.

Fushimi whispered his impressions.

"This is the worst."

Munakata laughed.

"You've been unlucky for a long time. At that rate, the casino wasn't good enough, right?"

"I don't go there except for work. I didn't come here to play."

"Oh. That's a waste. Why don't you try your luck one last time? Aren't there any slot machines at the Las Vegas airport?"

Fushimi snorted.

"I'll cut it when I'm done."

"Yes. Please let me know when you get back home the result of the slot. After..."

That was it, the call was disconnected.

Fushimi tilted his lips and looked at the slot machines in the living room once more.

He supposed it wasn't an order. It was none other than Munakata who said that it was a talk. However, he could imagine that he would be the first to be asked about it when he returned to Japan, and he could also expect to be lied to at that time, or criticized for answering "I didn't.".

Just to avoid it, Fushimi got up and walked over to the slot.

He sat down at the machine and entered a dollar bill. Upon pressing the button, the reels began to spin at high speed. As it was, Fushimi randomly pressed the button three times.

The 7 was complete and "JACKPOT!" showed up.

A terrifying volume of fanfare and sickening flickering lightning were emitted from the slits in front of Fushimi. A crowd of onlookers gathered around and the staff flew away in a hurry. Fushimi looked at them with the eyes of a dead fish.

++++++++++

"Hey, Yata-chan. What are you doing?"

Yata snapped out of his thoughts when he called out to him.

"Oh, no, wait a minute..."

"Do you drink alcohol? Did you?"

Yata smiled wryly at Kusanagi's joking comment. He was sitting at the bar in the room. The "Pyramid Hotel" had similar facilities, but this one seemed more sophisticated.

The place to stay that "Tokijikuin" prepared was a VIP room in a fancy old hotel.

According to Tanaka, the crisis is over and there is no need to worry about the public eye. The sun was out and it was time to return to a fun vacation. The other members seemed to have already gone out to play the casino.

But Yata still didn't feel that way.

Seeing that, Kusanagi made a very nonchalant gesture and sat down next to Yata. He picked up the bottle in the cupboard and showed exaggerated surprise from him.

"Oh, it's Ballantine's 30th. As expected of a luxury hotel, that's a ridiculous thing to put in a room."

"It is expensive?"

"Well, at the HOMRA bar, a popular bar like ours, you can't really sell it. If it's a genuine product, it's probably around 80,000."

"Eh...?!"

A strange voice came out. Yata did not know of any other bottle that cost so much.

However, Kusanagi cleverly opened the bottle. He took out two glasses, he poured just a little and slid one of them towards Yata.

Kusanagi smiled at the puzzled Yata,

"In the beginning, it's better to drink good sake."

"Haa..."

When he raised his glass, it smelled like vanilla. When he looked at Kusanagi, he was drinking as if he was licking it. When he followed suit and he dipped his tongue into the amber liquid, it spread an indescribably smooth taste, and the next moment his throat burned.

The reason why he could barely contain himself was because he heard the price. Kusanagi looked at Yata with amused eyes. He knew that was going to happen. Yata raised the glass forcefully and made a toast gesture.

"It's good."

Kusanagi laughed out loud, then brought his mouth close to the glass again. Yata also looked ahead, but he put the glass down and started looking at the sake bottles lined up on the cabinet.

Before long, Yata opened his mouth, still unable to collect his thoughts.

"I was thinking about Ed."

Kusanagi didn't know about Ed. He had heard about the former "Red Clan member" who attacked Yata and the others, but he had never actually seen him. When Yata and the others joined Suoh, Ed had already disappeared.

In fact, it turned out exactly as Fushimi said. Yata, filled with irresistible anger, had no choice but to admit it. Ed tried to kill Suoh and failed. No matter how heinous it was, there was no way a mere clansman could win against the "King".

Ed must have known.

However, he challenged Suoh. He kept wondering why he did that.

"That guy said that he belonged to a clan called "Purgatory". I'm sure that was the Red Clan from before."

"Yes. I've heard that too. It seems they were quite unreasonable."

Yata nodded vaguely. He wasn't really interested in "before". If Yata only had "Homura", that would be enough.

But...

"He lost his "King", right?"

Yata began to reflect on what Ed was shouting.

(There is only one "Red King". You cannot do anything other than that.)

"Even if we were "next", he couldn't allow it. He couldn't accept it. That's why he attacked us."

No matter how favorably he interpreted Ed's actions, it was nothing more than resentment. It wasn't like Suoh or Yata had done anything to him. That man was just spewing out the anger and hatred that had been swelling up inside of him against "Homura".

"At that time, it wasn't a joke, I already figured it out. But when I think about it now, I feel like I understand his feelings a little bit."

Losing his "King".

Yata hadn't even imagined such a thing. Suoh Mikoto is the strongest and most invincible "King". Even if something happened, even if the time came when "Homura" had to fight with everything, he couldn't even imagine that Suoh would die. First, at that time, he was supposed to have died first as the captain of the vanguard.

But what if he was in the same position as Ed?

What if the "next" Red Clan appeared in the life of losing the "King", losing the clan and continuing to smolder?

"If that happens, I could do the same. I would not allow the "following" to praise the new "Red King", and so..."

He couldn't put it into words. Yata let out a breath.

Kusanagi slowly shook his head.

"I don't know much about this Ed guy. But how is he different from you, Yata-chan?"

Yata looked at Kusanagi. The eyes behind the sunglasses were thoughtfully downcast.

“There are times when you need to think, but you don't do meaningless things. The Yata-chan I know should have been that kind of person. Even if the same situation happened, I don't think that would happen to Yata-chan."

"...Yes, it's true."

"Do you believe me?"

Kusanagi smiled. Number 2 of "Homura", his unmistakable words had considerable persuasive power.

On the other hand, Yata wanted to ask Kusanagi the same thing.

"Kusanagi-san, have you ever thought about that?"

"By chance... you mean? Haha, that happens all the time."

Yata rolled his eyes and Kusanagi shrugged.

“Mikoto is that kind of person. I wouldn't be surprised if something happened."

Yata asked as he chose his words.

"If that happens, what do you plan to do, Kusanagi-san?"

Kusanagi turned the glass in his hand. As if playing with his own thoughts, Kusanagi repeated that gesture for a while before muttering.

"I don't know what will happen then."

Then Kusanagi looked at Yata and smiled.

"I just have to do what I can. At that point, do what you can do to the best of your ability and leave the rest to me."

Yata tilted his head.

"Leave you what?"

"I don't know. Luck or heaven. Maybe something like that."

Saying that, Kusanagi tipped his glass.

It was a story he could understand and couldn't understand. Yata was not smart. He knew it very well. Moving his body was more suited to his nature than thinking, and he still wanted to.

Even so, Yata thought of Ed.

Do what you could. That's how it is. If so, did Ed have no choice but to do that? For the sake of his "King", he challenged the next "King" knowing that he couldn't win. Was that all he could do?

"......"

Yata frowned, and then, like Kusanagi, drank the glass in one go.

"Ah."

Kusanagi let out a nervous voice. The hot alcohol slid down his throat and burned his stomach. Gritting his teeth and bearing it, Yata looked at Kusanagi with slightly reddened eyes.

"Thank you, Kusanagi-san. I can't say it right, but I'll do the same. If that happens, I'll do my best."

To be honest, Kusanagi smiled wryly. He picked up the whiskey bottle again and poured it into Yata's glass. This made Yata happy, as if he had been recognized for something.

[1-lightofjustice]

What are your headcanon about Kagutsu?

Sorry for a very late answer Anon!

Admittedly I haven't had enough time to surf on later K contents, so I'll put my headcanon based on what I know about Kagutsu :

His mother died while she gave birth of him. Like she got burned while pushing Kagutsu out and then died

Because of that he has a liiiilll bit soft spot for women

I mean let's face it, some Homra members are kiiinda bit sexist (Yata baby being gay doesn't give you an excuse to be a sexist) before Anna became their king. Purgatory has no such issue because Kagutsu will burn you with Respect Women Juice (Fuel)

Still that means he and his clan won't hold back against enemy/traitor even though they were women. Hencewhy the Minato twin's mother's death and that Juliet Purgatory member. Equality in cruelty.

He's light sleeper, so he didn't snore

People thought that he resembled dragon. One of the reason is that his skin are kinda scaly

Things that cracked me out is that canonly Purgatory members wore fancy suits with TIE. While I believe most HOMRA members can't distinguish between tie and belt. I know that Purgatory were based on Yakuza and in Japan Yakuza wore fancy suits while they were doing their business but I'd like to think that Kagutsu, unlike Mikoto, knew how to wear tie.

Speaking about tie, old Sceptre 4 also has tie in their uniform, something that was absent in Munakata's Sceptre 4 uniform. Well sounds like both Kagutsu and Habari are old gen who believe in the power of tie while doing their business. Munakata, Mikoto, and some of us gen z can't relate

He can shoots hot lasers from his eyes. Seriously I can't believe NONE of the kings are canonly capable to do that. That's like the most kingly power for me imo!

His favorite food is yakiniku. He just liked the smell of burnt meat. Of course he's a spicy lovers

I think if he had his own Totsuka he'll burn them to death because he loved his fire and his power too much. He won't forgive anyone who tried to restrain that.

When he gave a new member their initiation, he made a personal game on which body parts that would get burned. No one was aware of that.

I seriously can't imagine him as a child at all but I think ever since childhood he can't touch snow without being instantly melted.

[turkey-sandwich]

[whatever-whatsoever]

You haven't forgotten Kagutsu right?

No way I would forget him.

[endless-season]

Kings and their Eggs !!

~ Presented without context because who needs context ~ ~ Update: now with a crappy edit to go along with it bc I originally wanted to include one but then got lazy!!!! ~

Adolf/Shiro

The only reason why Adolf’s egg survived is because Klaudia stopped him from doing experime- oh wait she ded :( The only reason why Adolf’s egg survived is because it appeared when his sister died and he took it with him on the blimp as a momento of sorts. It was left on the ship when he got kicked off but luckily the colorless was already too delusional to notice it. After the crash the Rabbits delivered the egg to Dai. Dai had his chicken look after it. On Dais death bed he handed Shiro back his egg and told him to look after it. It is now happily living amongst Hakumaitou. (It took a few days for Kuroh to remind Neko that the egg is not for food which soon turned into reminding Neko that Keggs don’t hatch that fast. And whining about it everyday wasn’t going to make it hatch any faster) What the trio don’t know is that the Silver egg is much more durable and stays in egg form for much longer than the other eggs...

Dai

Most people don’t notice it and you’d have to see it to believe it. But amongst his “Rabbits” there’s one that isn’t as anonymous as the rest, one with a distinct height difference, one that has a tiny mask and a spherical robe. No one could pull off a kimono as well as the chicken secretary (in training). The chicken secretary (in training) is not to be underestimated and will cluck after you if it sees you doing anything suspicious. ChicKings do not have the normal lifespan of chickens, in this case the chicken secretary (in training) outlived Dai by around three months and peacefully passed away of old age.

Kagutsu

Someone lowly member of Purgatory found the egg and notified Kagutsu. Kagutsu ignored it until he realised it wasn’t a normal egg and then immediately crushed it into the ground.

Mikoto

Mikoto came downstairs and found a random egg on the bar counter. He was hungry but since Kusanagi was still hidden in the kitchen cooking lunch, he took the egg and handboiled it. It was at that moment that Anna walked in with a small box of feathers and a horrified expression. ~ an hour earlier ~ Mikoto’s egg was buried in the depths of Bar HOMRA’s tras- basement. Anna stumbled upon the small dusty box with the egg in it while exploring. Mikoto was still asleep so she brought it to the bar counter and asked what it was. Kusanagi got nostalgic and started explaining the story of how the mysterious egg suddenly appeared when Mikoto became King. Anna decided to adopt the egg so she took the egg out of the box, and went out to the park with Totsuka to gather material to make a comfy nest for it. The rest you know...

Anna

After the previous tragedy Anna was determined to look after whatever pet she may have in the future. She remembered about the existence of Keggs a week after she became King, at which point she became worried that maybe she didn’t get one, or maybe it was actually in that omelette she had for breakfast 4 days ago... As she was starting to get stressed about it, Kamamoto offhandedly comments on the new egglooking rock in the fish tank. Turns out the egg was very clever and hid itself where it wouldn’t accidentally be eaten. Anna made sure to notify everyone about its existence and gave it a home in nest 2.0 on her bedside table. She diligently looked after it, but after three months it suddenly dissappeared without a trace.

Habari

Habari’s egg was the most active egg of all eggs. He threw it at Shiotsu, he threw it at Zenjoh, he threw it at random clansman as they crossed paths. On a number of occasions he even threw it at Dai and the Chicken Secretary (in training). No one knew how it managed to survive. Whether by sheer luck (landing on a soft cloth) or protective aura (Habari tried throwing it at his Sword of Damocles once) the egg seemed invincible. Shiotsu on the other hand lost his mind trying to rationalise how any of this made sense. One day Habari forgot it was on his shoulder, brushed his hair aside, and the egg fell onto the floor and cracked. “Ah...” said everyone except Shiotsu who was forced to surrender to the irrationality of reality. The next day however it was fine again, and Habari never told anyone about how actually he usually instantaneously mended the egg each time it broke.

Munakata

Munakata’s egg was mysteriously found floating around him on the airplane. It looked peculiar so he decided to keep it. Fast forward and it was given a custom uniform and sit perfectly fitted on his custom made belt. He ensured it would have optimal conditions for hatching. In the middle of a raid, the egg indeed hatched, evoking various comments such “it... really hatched...(seri)”, “are you serious...(fushimi)”, “...(A&K&F)”, “how did a full grown wolf fit in an egg that small(C)”, “wolves hatch from eggs??(H)” and “A REAL LIFE POKEMON!!!(D&E)”. After that, Munakata decided to adopt and train a few dogs as well and that was how Sirius the Wolf obtained his own pack of dogs to patrol the streets for animal strains.

Hisui

The Kagutsu Crater incident wasn’t exactly the best time to worry about eggs or what not. Having freshly dug Hisui out of the rubble Iwa-Ootori Seigo had more important priorities. One day Hisui noticed Iwa’s egg and asked about it. After a brief explanation, Hisui understood and accepted the fact that his was probably gone for good. A few weeks later Hisui happened to notice a very smooth rock on the ground. They decided to adopt the pet rock as a replacement. The pet rock was placed on top of the fridge and has been part of the Jungle family ever since and forever more.

Ootori Seigo / Iwafune

During the days of Cathedral, Ootori had a chalice in his room where he kept his egg for most of the time. He also had a chalice necklace he would sometime wear to bring the egg with him to various events. The egg survived the Kagutsu Incident, and although Iwafune did consider throwing the egg and his necklace away, it was one of the few things he had left and served as a reminder of what he failed to protect. It was only an egg and it felt like a shame to abandon it. He simply kept it in some dusty corner of the hideout and forgot about it. Eventually, roughly a month or so after adopting Hisui, on a day where he drank too much beer... he lost the egg. He didn’t particularly care though, because now they had their pet rock egg to share.

Ichigen

Ichigen’s egg grew up in the mountainside sitting on Ichigen’s window sill, listening to haikus. Ichigen would sometimes take it out to the garden with him where he’d sit, read, write haikus, and practise swordsmanship. Mishakuji often glanced at the egg wondering why it was there, but Ichigen would simply smile without answering. What eventually hatched from it was a Japanese bush warbler, but of course Ichigen already knew a long time ago. He named it Chouwa and bid it farewell as it took off into the sky. Although it was free to roam wherever it liked, every summer it would return to Ichigen’s residence and greet him with a song. It became an annual event on the first day of summer for Ichigen, Mishakuji until he left, Kuroh when he arrived and the occasional Watanabe-san. After Ichigen’s death, the bird lingered around with Kuroh for a while, and when Kuroh left the mountain, it also went back to its wandering lifestyle.

Kitsune 

Thinking it would give them powers, Kitsune cracked it into a glass and drank it raw.

The Slate

The slate often mourns about the tragedy of most its grandchildren but was content watching the Chicken Secretary (in training), Sirius the Wolf, and Chouwa grow up. When the slate was “destroyed” it didn’t have enough power to keep its grandchildren in the world and had to let them go...

But, the slate itself had an egg once upon a time... that egg hatched and took on a younger form of the Slate’s creator, and had been observing the world for many many years.

So many years, it now exists and continues to exist as a separate entity...

[mikototsu-trash]

Would you indulge me with an AU? I love Yata, he's so spirited about Homra and he's their Vanguard. I like to think that maybe Yata's bio dad was a member of Kagutsu's Red Clan or something. The Kagutsu Crator happened around when Yata was 7? So like Yata's mom separated from his dad when he was younger than that and then his biological father dies in the Damocles Down. I think it's really fitting and a nice Headcanon. Your thoughts? :)

Ooh this is a really interesting idea, especially seeing as the timeline fits. It could certainly explain why his dad is AWOL. If Kagutsu had a clan that was anything like Mikoto’s, it could certainly be the case that Misaki’s dad was a roughian who didn’t make the best father/husband, which could explain the divorce. I’ve always imagined Kagutsu’s clan (if he had a clan? I don’t know if there’s any information on the subject) to be sort of a worse form of Homra - less disciplined, less driven by good motives. I explained before in this post why I see Homra as sort of a chaotic good, and using the same system, I feel like Kagutsu’s clan would be a chaotic neutral. Not necessarily bad people or a proper gang or actively criminal, but potentially causing trouble and engaging in low-level mischief. So if Misaki’s dad was sort of a deadbeat who hung around with that crowd and caused trouble, it could easily be the reason why his parents separated. 

If Misaki ever found out about it, it could be the reason why he never really contacted his mother after he joined Homra. He might have been ashamed that he saw himself as following his deadbeat dad’s footsteps, or worried he would be a bad influence on his little siblings, but he didn’t really realise how much good Homra did, even if it was through unconventional methods. I don’t think Misaki’s mother would be too worried when she eventually learned about Homra, though. Her son isn’t involved in crime, and he’s happy and healthy and he has friends he cares about, so she’s happy.

[reysonsmanymuses-archived]

TO WHICH CIRCLE OF HELL DO YOU BELONG ?

Fifth Level of Hell

The river Styx runs through this level of Hell, and in it are punished the wrathful and the gloomy. The former are forever lashing out at each other in anger, furious and naked, tearing each other piecemeal with their teeth. The latter are gurgling in the black mud, slothful and sullen, withdrawn from the world. Their lamentations bubble to the surface as they try to repeat a doleful hymn, though with unbroken words they cannot say it. Because you lived a cruel, vindictive and hateful life, you meet your fate in the Styx.

[chopinlovescupcakes]

The Kings as aesthetics. Part 3.

Done. Well, that was interesting.

[ridiasfangirlings]

Fushimi time traveled to Habari’s Scepter 4.

Imagine he gets sent back in time to like a week before the Kagutsu incident happens too, and Fushimi doesn't know if he's supposed to try and prevent it or if he needs to get out of this place and back to his own time before he inadvertently becomes a casualty (also considering his childhood home is nearby imagine he has to take extra precautions not to run into himself – or worse, Niki – and create a time paradox or something). Say Fushimi gets hit by a Strain and he's sent back in time, the way the Strain's power works is that there's something from Fushimi's time hidden in the past that he has to retrieve if he wants to get back home. After he gets hit by the power he wakes up back in Scepter 4's infirmary, Fushimi's momentarily confused and wonders if all that Strain business was just a dream when the door opens and Habari Jin steps in to check on him. Fushimi immediately recognizes him from Scepter 4's official files and is even more confused when Habari treats Fushimi as if he's a member of Habari's Scepter 4, just checking on him after his 'injury' that he apparently got from a member of 'Purgatory.' Fushimi has enough wits about him to play along, just going with whatever Habari says and doing his best to act like he is definitely supposed to be here. Habari gives him a long searching look at some point and Fushimi tenses, but then Habari puts a hand on his shoulder and tells him to take it easy.

Once he's released from the infirmary Fushimi immediately sets about figuring out 'when' he is and what's going on. He recalls the power of the Strain they were chasing and assumes he needs to find something from the future so he can go home, the Strain's power also apparently doesn't just send someone back in time so much as it 'inserts' them so to the rest of Scepter 4 it's like Fushimi was always there. Maybe the power does have limits though, like when asked what squad Fushimi's in members will look momentarily confused and when Fushimi tries to check and see if he's in the personnel files the place where his own file should be is blank and the Records office doesn't get why. Fushimi does get his own Scepter 4 uniform, a normal one (he can't even pop the collar, it's terrible) and a sword, though it feels strange to be without Subaru or his knives. As he's observing Scepter 4 and listening to the talk of Purgatory and the state of Kagutsu Genji's Sword Fushimi has a sudden thought and he hurries to check that day's date. When he sees it his stomach drops, realizing they are exactly one week from the Kagutsu Crater happening and that half these people with him now are going to die when that Sword falls.

So now Fushimi has to figure out how to get home before that happens while also trying not to get too close to the people who he knows aren't going to make it. Maybe he has to fix some small almost time paradoxes too, like Zenjoh gets sent away on a mission and normally wouldn't be back for the day Kagutsu's Sword falls and therefore he wouldn't be there in time to kill Habari. Fushimi convinces Habari to let him accompany Zenjoh, Habari's very intrigued by Fushimi and notes that it's odd, he is certain that Fushimi has been a long time clansman but then at the same time he feels as if they've never met before. Fushimi just gives this very flat 'is that so,' trying not to show any surprise as mentally he's clicking his tongue thinking that Blue Kings are such a pain. Later he ends up as part of a skirmish with Purgatory and saves Shiotsu's life, Shiotsu is grateful but Fushimi's wondering if this is one of those paradoxes where he has to be here and is he going to end up a casualty of the Crater anyway.

He's supposed to be part of the team that fights with Purgatory on the day the Sword falls but then at the last minute Habari stops him and tells him to stay behind. Habari mentions that he's been thinking all this time about why he doesn't recognize Fushimi and he thinks he may understand now. He hopes to talk with Fushimi more as soon as he gets back from taking care of Kagutsu but in the meantime he thinks he has something that belongs to Fushimi. It seems somehow Fushimi's been carrying the wrong sword, and Habari holds out Subaru to him saying again that they will talk after this mission. Fushimi takes the sword and then just quietly nods like 'right. After this mission.' Habari's eyes look hooded for a moment and then he tells Fushimi that he hopes Fushimi's King will carry on their work before turning and walking away. Before Fushimi can respond everything goes fuzzy and he wakes up back at his Scepter 4 in the correct timeline, holding Subaru but with his sword from the old Scepter 4 still sheathed at his side.

[itsuki-minamy]

GROUND ZERO: FRAGMENTS

CHAPTER 7: THE END OF DREAMS

* List of Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

It looked like a typhoon.

A large typhoon. A deadly storm that rained fire instead of rain.

As if the change in air pressure signaled his approach, he could clearly feel his approach. Facing the approaching destruction, the "Grey King", Seigo Otori, sighed for a long time.

"Didn't "Scepter 4" arrive on time? Habari... No, it's wrong to blame you."

The gray clan "Cathedral".

In the central chapel of the church, Otori knelt before the cross and offered a deep prayer. As he did so, he endured the current situation with his entire body.

A strong pressure that could crush him if he let his guard down even a little. In the midst of that, he repeated to himself many times what he should do.

Seigo Otori's mission was to protect.

Help the weak, the people gathered in the sanctuary. But that was it.

"What's the answer to "Purgatory"?"

"Ah, no. Even those who went directly to them lost contact."

"What about "Tokijikuin"?"

"They said they would send urgent reinforcements. However, whatever happens, right now..."

"I guess so."

The aide's report was bitterly self-critical.

He knew it. Otori stood up suddenly and turned his sorrowful gaze to the cross. However, he immediately walked away and turned his back on the metaphysical paradise.

"I'm leaving. I'll give you as much time as possible, so proceed with the evacuation with all you might."

"Please wait! Please, 'King', let's evacuate together!"

The helpers correctly understood that Otori's words amounted to a testament. He pleaded while twisting his body... but Otori just smiled silently.

He didn't answer directly.

"Leave it to me."

After saying that, he left the chapel without hesitation. He doesn’t look back even when he stops calling him out.

He knew that this "situation" was due to the intentions of the "faceless man".

However, since the "faceless man" was dead, there was no turning back. No, even if he had lived, he would have been defenseless. It was a "situation" created by such a genius, betting his life, his existence, entirely. It was ridiculous to think that he was inferior in resolve to him, but he had to admit the fact that he wasn't one step closer to insanity.

However, it is up to each one how responds to the "situation" is forced into. He didn't know how far the "faceless man" scenario went, but Otori simply followed his own beliefs.

He left the church.

In the sky high above his head, he enshrined a supernatural giant sword. It was neither black nor white, but a greyish "Sword of Damocles". A strong mist barrier had already been deployed in the surroundings. Sanctum, the sanctuary of absolute defense, the authority of Otori, the "Grey King". However, Otori's expression twisted at the feeling that the myth of "absolute" would collapse that day.

He headed to the edge of Sanctum.

The surrounding area was already screaming. Scared, lamenting and confused by impending death. Meanwhile, the Otori clansman desperately tried to lead the evacuation.

Even in the face of danger that threatened their lives, the clansmen were doing what they should with sincerity and resolve. It was a waste of clansmen for him. Responding to that belief was also Otori's mission.

He wanted as many people as possible to survive. That's why he was taking action.

Then, he come to an open six lane street. It was a vague "city" boundary. But at that moment, a thick fog, more than ten meters high, got in the way of what should have been an ambiguous boundary.

It was a wall of mist built by Otori. A shield with supernatural abilities that confused foreign enemies, crushed them, and engulfed them in smoke. But how much help would the Gray Mist, which had protected him and his clan so many times, be of any help this time?

"...No."

He was wrong. It was not enough to simply rely on the "power" obtained from the Slate. He had to do it himself.

Otori slowly raised his right hand and yanked it down.

At the same time, the wall of thick fog blocking the front split left and right like Moses' flight from Egypt, opening the way.

A heat waves rushed in.

Heat and fire were emitted by a group of men, all dressed in dark suits, who slowly approached the other side of the mist.

They were strange people.

Some were burning with anger, some were laughing, some were staring persistently, and some were crying.

"Purgatory".

Like Otori, they were the members of the Apostle Clan of Fire and Destruction, who were chosen by the Slate and crowned as the "King".

The black hordes approaching from far away could only be mistaken for demons from hell. Following the laws of purgatory that were not of this world, they were trying to invade the Sacred Garden.

"...Ha."

Otori snorted as if to cheer himself up.

He raised his voice, though he knew it was useless.

"From now on, "Cathedral" is a tributary of the royal authority! Those who enter without permission will perish! This is the final warning. Withdraw!"

Of course, it was useless.

After waiting a few seconds, Otori relaxed his shoulders slightly.

He then slowly reached his right hand between his waist and pulled a single revolver from an old holster.

++++++++++

Bam!

A dry sound and a vibration ran through his body like the beating of a heart.

A bullet was ejected, sucked into the distance, and smoke from the explosion shook the ground.

The greatest characteristic of "Purgatory" was its contempt for life. All those who were fascinated by Genji Kagutsu, the "Red King", yawned and threw away their lives out of boredom.

A debauchery that burns his own life and destroys the lives of others around them. Each of them was a single bullet that wanted to burn in an instant.

And at that moment, Otori was completely destroying the pitiful swarm of bullets with bullets with supernatural powers.

Every bullet fired from Otori's gun became a cannonball. Otori overwhelmed the enemy with firepower, like a heavy tank destroying infantry.

The "King's" arrow flew.

A soldier died.

There was no mercy or piety, just efficient work. Beyond the fingertips that squeezed the trigger, many lives exploded and disappeared. Otori was not a cleric in the official sense, but a so-called "Moguri", but that did not mean that it was an acceptable act. He should go to hell. Still, Otori was willing to commit crimes if even one of the people he protected could be saved. Behind Otori, there were innocent people who only trusted him. Not a single strand of their hairs would be burned by the red fire.

Explosive smoke danced, fire danced, blood and flesh shattered, and mist was disturbed. Dodging the approaching scorching chin with a mist of supernatural power, enveloping it, and then simply pulling the trigger, he continued to pull.

"......"

The bullets are over. Silently and fluidly, he reloaded the revolver. He didn't even remember how many times. It did not matter. He had a lot of ammunition. Whether it was a full day, two days, or three days, he was prepared to see it through to the end.

Shoot, shoot, shoot.

Kill, kill, kill.

Amidst the roar and scorching heat, Otori acted cool and racked up kills. Still, the "Purgatory" march did not stop. Angry, laughing, silent, crying, they never stopped coming there.

The simple fact is that "Purgatory" was a gathering of eccentrics, but even so, the guard was down that day. His true nature, his essential "way of being," seemed to be exposed.

He didn't understand it.

At the same time, he felt that he knew something.

Those guys probably lived like that. That "ardor" towards death was probably their lifes. Don't think about it, Otori told himself. All he needed to keep in his heart was his own mission. At that time, other distractions were not only useless, but also harmful. Otori mechanically squeezed the trigger.

At that moment, an explosion was heard.

It wasn't Otori's shots. Far. It was in the direction of nine.

Otori stared. In the distance he could see the walls of mist breaking apart. He didn't break through with a direct attack, but he slipped. An internal orientation, or a conspiracy. Of course, it had to be both. In any case, a red presence had invaded the Sanctum, Otori's shrine, though it was only a small part of it.

It seemed to be a detachment from "Purgatory". Furthermore, the "pressure" transmitted was greater there than that of the clansmen in front of him. There was a controlled presence that was not typical of "Purgatory", he could feel the "will" of the "unit".

"No way?!"

Was the enemy in front of him a distraction? However, it was hard to imagine that "Purgatory" would use such a strategy. He was about to make a quick decision, but before he could come to a conclusion, a man appeared in his mind.

Executive of "Purgatory", Hitoshi Soma. The number two of the clan and staff officer. If it was that man's command... it was very possible.

"Shit!"

After the invasion of "Purgatory" was revealed, Otori immediately prepared multiple escape routes. The wall of mist broke around the main route.

Otori clenched his teeth.

He then engaged the enemy in front of him and fired the remaining two shots in the magazine barrel in rapid succession.

The explosions chained together and the smoke swirled violently. Without even having time to see the result, Otori turned around and started running in the direction of the detachment that had launched a surprise attack.

However, his legs soon stopped.

The smoke caused by Otori's attack was absorbed by the rising heat wave and dispersed in an instant. The wave of heat surged like a raging wave, covering Otori's entire body.

Otori involuntarily turned around at the burning air and at the "sign" of even greater heat.

He then saw it.

"Kagutsu..."

Even the words that should have been embedded in his body didn't come out.

In that place was hell.

There were ruins, death and evil.

The "King" was there.

And then there was "something" that surpassed human understanding, melting and burning them all.

Beyond the gaping wall of mist. What he saw was a sea of ​​flames. A scene from purgatory that resembles a religious painting. In the middle was the silhouette of a red and black pillar. At least the form looked "human". That fact turned out to be a bad joke or something.

Otori sighed in resignation.

He was there.

The owner of "Purgatory".

The "Red King" Genji Kagutsu.

Advancing until just before the attack might have been a distraction just as Otori had imagined.

However, that was, after all, the realm of "people". It was something that Otori and Soma thought stupidly, and it was not something that they knew. He shouldn't mind the speculation of "people".

So it couldn't be helped. Unfortunately, the frustration resolved itself naturally.

He regained his composure. On the other hand, his preparation "team" increased by one.

They had met before. He expected that from his experience. Exaggerated even by himself.

But apparently it was not enough. That was completely beyond his expectations.

So, as expected, it couldn't be helped.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it? God..."

The slowly approaching signs of fire, death, and destruction made the concept itself feel deadly. Both reason and instinct understood that it was "different."

In other words, Seigo Otori's life would end there.

Nevertheless...

It was surprising to him, and he was proud of it, but...

Otori was unwavering in his determination to protect.

That absolute mission supported Otori even in the face of an unprecedented threat.

Delight filled his brain. As "King", he seemed to be able to accomplish his mission. He seemed to be qualified for it. Conveniently, fear, sense of danger, common sense, and survival instincts were paralyzed in the face of unreasonable existence. In that case, he wouldn't think too much, just buy some time. To keep people alive, even for a fraction of a second, he would stop that. All he had to do was put all of his soul into that spot. That simple and direct conclusion gave Otori unexpected relief.

He couldn't put out that "fire" by himself. But he had no intention of giving in to despair. It was not black or white, win or lose. From the beginning, it was Otori Seigo's destiny to walk down that narrow path.

"Well. Do you want to do it...?"

Otori straightened his back and faced the distant ruin head on. He laughed, but it was even exhilarating.

He never dreamed that he would lead a life like that.

It wasn't bad at all. Otori thought honestly and smiled brightly.

But...

"It's useless! Otori!"

A cry of restraint was released from behind. Hearing that familiar voice, Otori flinched and turned around.

A person with a cane in his hand was running towards him. Otori asked him to be his right arm, and he was the only person he could trust "Cathedral" after his death. One of the executives who built the clan together with Otori. Otori's partner.

With Otori facing inevitable death, losing him was the same as losing the clan's future.

"Idiot! Run away!"

Otori's throat was hoarse, but his partner didn't hear a word and ran towards him.

Confusion spread throughout his body, causing confusion in his judgment. As if to take advantage of that fatal gap, of course, he shouldn't have paid attention to such a trivial matter, but a powerful wave of heat surged up like a tsunami.

Otori reflexively unfolded a barrier of mist. The heat waves easily covered the barrier and dragged Otori and his partner along with the barrier.

Hot and strong.

If he hadn't stopped breathing immediately, his lungs would have burned. Otori's body was at the mercy of being swallowed by a pyroclastic flow. Still, he desperately defended himself and his companion who screamed with the mist.

"No, uh...!"

Otori developed a thick fog like tar, resisting the torrent of red. Both feet on the ground. The soles of his shoes slipped violently, but he finally stopped himself. Otori manipulated the mist and shook off the wave of heat surrounding him.

He reloaded and reloaded his favorite weapon at lightning speed. With both hands sticking out, he aimed beyond the open walls.

He fired all the bullets.

Rapid fire at God speed synergizes military power and destruction. Six bullets hit almost simultaneously. Like an airstrike from a bomber, a roaring sound and impact swept through the surroundings, and smoke rose in the distance.

The hidden power of "harm" inherent in the "Grey King", which was originally intended to be "protection".

However, the smoke from the distance was expelled at a speed that exceeded the speed of expansion.

A red flame burst out violently.

Then, after thinking that it had exploded, he suddenly sank to the ground as if he had lost motivation.

Otori never looked ahead.

Beyond the disintegrating mist, he could still see the unchanging sea of ​​flames and the unchanging silhouette. It was as if those attacks and counterattacks had never happened. He could feel the disappointment weighing down on his entire body. Otori swallowed his overflowing pain.

He felt that he was seeing a mythical giant who crushed the earth with a single sneeze. Otori reloaded the weapon as he laughed in his heart. There was no last moment in that movement.

It was very bitter.

But that was the reality. There was no change in the given resolution. There was only what he had to do.

Then his partner gasped and coughed from behind. In other words, it was proof that he was breathing. It was proof that he was alive. Otori once again shouted at his partner behind him without turning around.

"Do you understand? Run away now. I don't want you to die. After that..."

He didn't know if he was trying to say: Leave it to me.

Otori kept looking into the distance, bracing himself for the next heat wave.

"Eh?"

His entire body stiffened. He was so focused on the front that he couldn't resist one bit.

Otori's consciousness was forcibly harvested.

++++++++++

Otori, who boasted such mighty power, collapsed as if he were a normal young man who could be found wherever he looked. Looking at the "King" who was lying on the ground, the man trembled and blamed himself for what he had done.

But that was only for a moment. Before his eyes, infallible death was approaching step by step. The man threw away the stun gun he was given, at least it looked like a commercially available one, and carried an unconscious Otori over his shoulders. Then, without leaning on the cane, he frantically left the place.

As explained beforehand, the "Red King" showed no interest in him running away, even in the unconscious "Grey King". By taking the appointed route, the man escaped death, which should have been infallible, with astonishing ease.

The man walked out of "Cathedral" as he carried the "King" on his shoulders.

Eventually, his physical strength gave out and the man stopped and lowered Otori to the ground. Looking back the way he came as he gasped, he could see that the clan he belonged to, the dependent territory, was stained with red fire.

The man's body trembled once more at the size of what had been destroyed. He was about to be overwhelmed with great regrets... but he knew that even if he could do it all over again, he would make the same choice.

He wanted to save Otori, even if it meant abandoning his comrades and the people he protected, and betraying the trust placed in him. To this man, Otori was like a son.

"Forgive me..."

Immediately after muttering that, he felt ashamed of himself. He shouldn't allow himself that. He didn't even have the right to ask for forgiveness. He had no choice but to bear that sin.

That was why...

"Oh, God."

At that moment, what came out of his mouth was not a plea for forgiveness, but only a pure prayer.

However, as if he answered that call, the cell phone in his pocket rang.

The man shook his entire body. After a few seconds of stiffening, he pulled the cell phone out of him like he was touching a burned stone.

However, before he could operate on it...

"Hey, looks like it went well."

He heard a voice from the other end of his cell phone.

More precisely, he did not know if it came from his cell phone. Anyway, he heard voices. That alone was weird enough, but what was weirder than anything else was that the person he was talking to was already dead. The man was present with Otori at the time of his death. Despite that, he could hear a familiar voice from his cell phone and it didn't change at all.

In other words, it was an "auditory hallucination".

That must be it.

"It was great that you were able to save the "King" as you wished. However, as expected, I wanted you to intervene a bit later. Even though I hit him to warm up, I didn't have enough time to adjust the "Red King's" W deviation. Well, the real thing comes after this."

"......"

The man could not understand the words spoken by the dead man's voice. The other side probably didn't tell the man either because he thought he could understand. In other words, it was a "complaint". However, the voice was clearly enjoying the "situation".

"The faceless man".

That "auditory hallucination" contained a different kind of madness and despair than the "Red King" that he had just glimpsed.

"Anyway, your job is done. Good job. Goodbye. Since it's a big deal, I'll give you one last piece of advice, but after this, you should run far away."

After saying that, the "auditory hallucination" disappeared.

While he was standing, the man slowly lowered the hand holding the cell phone and finally dropped it to the ground, it had never worked.

Before he knew it, all the blood had disappeared from his body. Although the fire spread a little farther, he couldn't feel the heat.

It was strange.

He wondered what he had done.

"Guh..."

Otori let out a low moan. The man came to his senses, shook off his sinister premonitions and great regrets, and carried Otori on his shoulders.

A car was parked up ahead. He would take Otori and leave that place. As for the advice they gave him, he would go as far as he could.

A few hours later, his beloved church clan disappeared from history and maps.

++++++++++

The tomb was on a small hill far from the city.

It was a place where you could see the sea. However, until fourteen years ago, it was not the sea. The Kagutsu Crater. It was a fateful place that claimed many lives. The tomb stared at the excavated land and sea as if in mourning for the lost past.

"It's been a long time, comrade. Come to think of it, the last time I came here was for a funeral, so this is my first time visiting a grave."

As he spoke to the tombstone, Iwafune held out the bouquet he had prepared in front of the tombstone.

He opened the lid of canned beer that he also brought and placed it next to the bouquet. After that, he took out another bottle, opened it and made a small toast.

"If it wasn't for Kagutsu Crater, it would be a nice place with a beautiful view."

With so much irony in his mouth, Iwafune put his mouth on the can.

"The other day, I was asked to talk about the old days... but I couldn't help but remember. Well, it's a good opportunity... I have a lot of free time..."

Iwafune slowly sat down in front of the grave while he made some embarrassed excuses.

Sleeping in the grave in front of him were two priests who worked in a certain church. One was a strong and compassionate giant, and the other was a naive "Moguri" who drowned in undeserved dreams. They were both teacher and disciple, comrades in arms, and perhaps even father and son.

They both died.

Afterwards, he left behind a desolate shell that was only meant for good and sloth.

"It's been a long time. Actually..."

After saying that, Iwafune silently looked at the tombstone for a moment and tilted the can again.

"At that time, I couldn't forgive you. But... now I understand your feelings a little more."

Iwafune now has only one "King". The "King" that he helped and raised. He is the "King" who gave him a second life.

He wants to be the power of that "King". No matter what. The prayer that he once wished to save the weak was now directed at a single young man. So, he understood the thoughts of his partner at that time. The pain that tore through his body and the attachment he couldn't let go of.

"Well, you were tricked quite a bit, but it didn't change that you were adamant until the end."

Iwafune laughed, then slowly undid his smile. He stared silently at the tombstone with a piercing gaze.

If he was put in the same position as him, would he give everything to help the "King" as he did?

Everything, even betraying the will of the "King".

"It's a big deal, so let's go see it. What kind of decision will I make?"

After drinking the canned beer, Iwafune sat up, stretched out his body and looked out at the sea behind him.

The wind blew.

The weather was good. It was a comfortable place.

However, when he closed his eyes, what he remembered was the flames and mist of that day.

Otori Seigo died. However, his regret still burns slightly in Iwafune Tenkei.

"See you."

Bidding farewell, Iwafune left the tomb.

The future was still shrouded in a thick fog.

[1-lightofjustice]

Heyyoo! Saw that you answered an ask regarding of Ground Zero, and I am very impressed of how you explained each chapters 👀

With curiosity, I want to know if you have any hcs regarding of backstories of some certain Kings, mainly Habari and Kagutsu?

Heya! Glad you enjoyed my incohorent ramble haha

Headcanon time? *rubs hands* You asked for it Anon.

I hc Habari to be a social butterfly in any stage of his life. He’s a cutest baby, charming toddler, playful kid, attractive teen, charismatic King. Like Munakata, I can imagine him having a normal family, was genius and over archiever too, but he doesn’t have Munakata’s awkwardness at human interaction. He was totally being animal and kids’ magnet, while Munakata’s aura draws them away (poor my King 😭). I know that makes Habari looks like a Gary Stu, but to be fair his narrative foil is literal human nuclear. Also, he was an only child, judging by his interaction with Shiotsu and Minato twins, I can’t see him having a sibling before. Zenjou was kinda.. his pet? Like serious their backstory is him finding Zenjou in a mountain and like “You’re mine now” and Zenjou dutifully followed him. He also has Blue King’s classic cryptic tendencies, but weirdly only Shiotsu and some people outside Blue clan that got annoyed with him, while others like Zenjou and Minato couple are happily don’t know and don’t care what he was talking about. He would adore Kusuhara and Kusuhara would ADORE him.

Blue clan in general have sparkly hair disease but Habari washed his fabulous locks 4 times a day with Scepter 4 special blend of shampoo. Minato twins skipped this ritual and always refused to bathe, that’s why their hairs are suck.  Remember Habari’s crop top uniform? Shiotsu persuaded him to change it, with painstaking effort. And we all should be grateful for him, because that outfit is honestly horrible. Well, at least for me. Habari loves minimalistic clothes and would hate cloak, that’s for sure.

I don’t think Habari’s sword’s name is ever mentioned (cmiiw) but Chainsaw Squad is a RAD name so Habari is also gifted with Blue King’s great sense at naming.  

For Kagutsu, as I said before, it's hard for me to even see him as a person, so I can't quite imagine him as toddler, kid, or any other stage of human life except "adult and ready to erupt". But looking at how Purgatory activity and members so far weirdly attentive to women problem for a criminal organization, like freeing human trafficking women, speaking about Akio’s death highly, even one of Purgatory clansmen willingly marry a pregnant woman to help her, I kinda hc Kagutsu to have a woman he loved in the past. In this I am talking about love in broad sense, either romantic or platonic, so like mother, sister, girlfriend or else.

This segment in particular intrigued me :

Kagutsu that day was in a good mood. He took two women with him when he returned from outside, but of course, that was not the reason he was in a good mood. It always happens that Kagutsu likes women. There are a certain number of women who like dangerous men, but if it is too dangerous, some survival instinct will cause a mistake. They are happily hugged by Kagutsu and turn into corpses of joy.

LIMITED KINGSHIP, WAR STORIES: CHAPTER 5: DRUNK WITH THE KING

Yeah technically he murdered those women, but the segment clearly shows that they CONSENTED to embrace Kagutsu, Dunno if those women know that they will die in the process, but hey, Icarus amirite? It’s in their desire to like dangerous man. Also, probably just language disparities, but “hugged” is quite a weirdly innocent word to portray the last collision between a man and women? 

This is so interesting for me because, actually, the writer didn’t have to do that. Kagutsu was portrayed and designed to be Pure Evil Villain who is better died, so not very jarring if they wrote Kagutsu to forcefully drag women and kill them for his own amusement. Heck, they wrote a poor clansman was purely in terror on Kagutsu’s presence in the same chapter! Yet Gora put emphasis that those women were HAPPY on the short moments they spent with Kagutsu. So, at the very least, Kagutsu is not a rapist. Also he was totally down to raid gangs that trafficked women. This trivia pushes my headcanon button but also frustrate me because so far we never get a proper interaction between any characters with Kagutsu without the said character noting how inhuman he is and how they completely don’t understand him. Like if no one inside the story can understand him, how can I? My hands are tied here 😰

[di-glossia]

If Scepter 4’s job is to manage strains, what is that of Homra and the other clans?

Oh, man, it's been forever and a day since I did anything K Project-related.

Homra doesn't have a job. Most of the Clans don't. Timeless Palace does and Scepter 4 works with and under them. The other Clans do what they want. Auras have a purpose/use but their wielders choose what to do with them. The Gold Clan and Scepter 4 are multilayered organizations with a core group of true Clansmen who can actually wield the Aura. They exist because their Kings chose to buils structures to do jobs that are in some way related to their Auras.

Homra is a loose structure that really is best described as a Clan with a central chieftain and a weak hierarchy. It's unusual in that everyone is initiated with a trial by fire and can wield the Red Aura. To a certain degree, the members use the Red Aura to protect locals and break up abusive gangs. They don't have a purpose but they're also not hurting anyone. Basically, they're just a hot-blooded but relatively harmless gang who are ignored until they step out of line.

I strongly believe that this aimlessness comes from Suoh's youth, inexperience, and heavy pressure to avoid another Damocles Down. Now I haven't been keeping up with things but last I checked, there wasn't any indication Suoh had contact with members of the previous Red Clan or that he knew much about them. I think the Red Clan did have a purpose under Kagutsu Genji, we just don't know it.

[turkey-sandwich]

Imagine Habari flipping his hair just to piss off Kagutsu and Shiotsu...

[whatever-whatsoever]

Bruh I could never imagine myself to love any characters I have no knowledge on, both in terms of appearance and personality. And you can still able to love Kagutsu! How did you do that? Tell me!

That's the point!

Actually we have knowledge about how Kagutsu looks:

(A collection of his appearances, both manga and anime-wise 😅)

About his personality, the last chapter of Before Zero might provide us info and I'm still waiting for it. However, I did read something like Kagutsu also slept a lot just like Mikoto 😆 We'll see more with Before Zero and Ground Zero, hopefully.

(The guy also caused a huge incident, there's barely info about him.. Idk, I guess I like mysterious and disastrous ppl)

[sugurusgeto]

The history between the previous Kings... it happened more than ten years ago. The former Red King, Kagutsu Genji went head to head against the Blue King, Habari Jin. It ended with the Red King allowing his powers to go out of control, bringing destruction.

[mikototsu-trash]

When does K Ground Zero come out? Also does anyone else think Kagutsu Genji and Suoh Mikoto look similar? Like before Anna became Red King I had this personal Headcanon that all Red Kings were red heads, all Blue Kings were bluenettes, all Green Kings etc. but Kokujoji doesn't follow that and neither does Anna, I mean she has red EYES, but not red hair. I'm a bit sad.

There’s no info atm about when Ground Zero is expected- AFAIK it was supposed to be released in 2016 but it wasn’t, and there’s been no revised release date that I’m aware of. @secretsoftheslate is a good blog to follow for side material updates. 

And I get what you mean- there’s a pretty strong resemblance, which is part of the reason I ended up writing Kagutsu as Mikoto’s father in an AU fic I wrote- tbh Habari Jin looks a lot like Reisi as well- if he had dark hair, he could be his brother, they have pretty similar faces. 

It’d be p cool if the kings had hair that matched their clan colours, and I guess it’s possible that’s still the case but Anna has albinism, but might have had red hair if she wasn’t albino?? She’s very pale and has reddish eyes and white hair so it’s possible, and we don’t know what her parents looked like. But yeah it’d be kind of weird if Kokujouji had gold hair?? Tho I guess some of the other clans fit that theme too- Adolf W. has silvery hair, and I guess black hair is colourless and Ichigen Miwa had greyish/black hair. Idk, I kind of like that the Kings look a little different from one another even within the same clan, though I like that they tend to have similar aesthetics and their colour schemes all match their clan colours.