#mikoto suoh

RED CASE FILES: HOMRA IN LAS VEGAS

CHAPTER 2: NIGHTLESS CASTLE IN THE DESERT

*List of Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun
Raws: Ridia

Two men were looking at each other in the dry desert.

One was stripped to the waist, and though his woolen hat had fallen off, his eyes still held uncontrollable anger.

One person was leaning against the seat of the white truck, wearing an annoyed smile that seemed to enjoy his anger rather than anything else.

Misaki Yata and Saruhiko Fushimi. The two men looked at each other in the brilliant heat.

“Yata-san! I’m glad I finally found you!”

Suddenly, a voice echoed from behind the vehicle.

Yata opened his eyes and looked over there. There was a familiar face in the back seat of the boxcar. Akagi, Dewa, Fujishima, the people who were supposed to be in Japan leaned forward with joy.

Bando muttered in astonishment.

“Shohei? Why are you here…?”

“Ah, San-chan! No, actually there are several things.”

“Hey.”

Fushimi coldly interrupted the conversation. With a knife look at the backseat, as if he was throwing it.

“This story comes first. Don’t get in the way, San-chan.”

Akagi was full of words, and Yata felt anger rise from his temples.

“There’s no reason for me to tell the traitor. Bastard. What did you come for, Saru?”

A teasing smile appeared on Fushimi’s mouth.

“It’s a job. Unlike you, who have free time, I’m a civil servant here. I have to go on a business trip abroad.”

“Because you are a dog in blue, will you come to America if a bone is thrown at you? It is not like a monkey. There is no such possibility that you pass through here, what is the purpose?”

Fushimi’s smile deepened. With his elbows on the window, he brought his face closer to Yata’s.

“Is it a situation where you can say that? Think about your position with me now and say it properly.”

“……”

Yata clenched his fist tightly.

The California sun was burning his neck. The dry wind evaporated the sweat in the blink of an eye and mercilessly deprived the body of water. In fact, Eric was dehydrated and fell. If he was left as he was, there was no doubt that he would fall into a serious situation.

“I’ll say it again, Misaki. If you ask someone for something, there’s a way to say it, right?”

Yata is the captain of “Homura”. It was definitely himself who intervened in this situation. So he had to be the one to take responsibility.

Yata bowed his head as he bit his lip.

“…Saru. Ask. I’m begging you. At this rate, Eric will die if you don’t help him.”

“……”

Fushimi’s facial expression had changed to something that looked bored.

5 seconds or 10 seconds. Fushimi lightly squeezed his chin after a choked silence.

“Get him in the back. There’s water in the car.”

Yata looked back and nodded. Bando and Chitose carried Eric, and Kamamoto, who had come to his senses, hurriedly opened the back seat door. Fujishima, who was inside, laid Eric down in the car and doused his lips with water from a plastic bottle.

After seeing Kamamoto board, Yata returned to Fushimi. Fushimi looked at him suspiciously.

“What are you doing? Get in quick.”

“I won’t go up.”

A voice hard as steel bounced off the words.

“The reason I bowed down was for you to help them. I won’t go up. I’ll stay here.”

Surprised, Kamamoto and the others stuck their faces out the window and shouted.

“What are you talking about, Yata-san?!”

“You’re going to stay here; do you really want to die?!”

Yata didn’t reply to that, but looked at Fushimi. He held the “Homura” mark that was on his left collarbone as if he was scratching it.

“I still can’t forgive you for desecrating this pride, Saruhiko. It’s better to hang out here than lay my head on a traitor and survive.”

Fushimi narrowed his eyes and muttered coldly.

“…So is.”

He turns forward and lift the window. The engine roared and the vehicle began to move slowly. A member in the car yelled to stop Fushimi, but he silently continued to press the accelerator. In the blink of an eye, the vehicle sped up and sped off, finally disappearing beyond the horizon.

Yata wiped away the sweat and started walking again.

++++++++++

How much time had passed since then?

The bright sunlight did not weaken, and the heat and dryness gradually drained Yata of his physical strength. As Yata walked down the road, he turned his grudge against the sky. The sky in California was as blue as black, and no clouds could be found anywhere.

At that time, he was about to lose the strength of his body and wanted to lie down on the road. Each time, Yata shook his head and berated himself. He couldn’t die in a place like that. Anyway, he had to join the “Homura” members and play hard in Las Vegas. Good rice. Overflowing money. By the way, he would punch Fushimi in the face…

Yata stabbed his knee on the spot.

“Damn.”

Consciousness was stunned. The field of vision was blurred. Desperately shaking off the thoughts that seemed to arise so far, Yata looked past the road that swayed in the heat.

Something was shining on the road.

At first, Yata paid no attention to him. He thought the bumpers and empty cans that had slipped were just reflecting light. Instead, he had to move to survive.

As he got closer, it became clear what was glowing.

It was a PET bottle.

Yata opened his eyes and approached with an unbelievable expression. When he picked up the PET bottle, he could feel the heavy weight in his hand.

As he held his breath, he opened the lid, placed it to his lips, and tilted.

Viscous water flowed into the dry mouth.

Even if he became slimy, it seemed to Yata like the finest sweet dew. He stopped thinking and swallowed hard, snorting. As the water level dropped by half, Yata suddenly returned to sanity. He couldn’t drink it all. He didn’t know when he could rehydrate next time. He had to save it in order to survive.

Yata hit his cheek with both hands.

“Ok!”

The relief of surviving restored vitality to the withered legs. Yata started walking down the road again as he carefully grabbed the plastic bottle with both hands.

Suddenly, he turned his gaze forward.

The road was flooded with strong sunlight. The water in the plastic bottle he bathed in was lukewarm but not rotten. That means it hadn’t been long since it hit the ground.

Until now, there hadn’t been any cars that had passed on that road other than that white van.

That’s what he believed.

So who dropped that plastic bottle?

As the color of the sky changed from purple to ultramarine and the stars began to flutter in the sky, Yata heard the sound.

Sound of an engine. A car was running.

With the expression that he was finally saved, Yata raised his hands and tried to stop the car with his whole body. It was not necessary. The truck slowed down and stopped well in front of Yata. The driver jumped.

Not that he didn’t expect this situation. Still, his English did not come out. Yata desperately spoke, moving his tangled tongue and his head forcefully.

“Ah, uh…hell! Help, too! Aim…um…um, come on, Las Vegas!”

“Las Vegas?”

“Oh, yeah! Las Vegas! Las Vegas!”

The driver blinked. He had a deeply carved face and dark skin. He shook his head and asked questions.

“Chinese? Japanese?”

The word Japanese was barely audible. Yata nodded many times,

“Ah, yes! So, Japanese!”

“Oh!”

The driver smiled and gave a thumbs up with his right hand out.

“Japanese! Nostalgic! Well, get on!”

Yata stared in astonishment at his right hand wrapped in black gloves. However, he immediately grasped the situation and quickly made his way to the passenger seat. As he sat down on the seat, he was thankful for his unexpected luck.

“Ah, thanks! Thanks, man! You really saved me!”

“Hahaha! No problem! It’s a bit tight in here though!”

With a cheerful smile, the driver hit the steering wheel and immediately started the car. Yata hurriedly closed the door and fastened his seat belt. The driver looked at Yata out of the corner of his eye and smiled.

“Boy, what’s your name?”

The usual Yata would have been angry at being treated like a child, but of course that kind of anger had not increased now. He answers honestly.

“It’s Yata. Misaki Yata. What about you?”

“Edward! Call me Ed!”

“Well, Ed. No, thank you very much. If I had stayed like this, I would have been really dry or frozen.”

Shaking himself off, Yata turned his gaze out the window. That heat was like a lie, and it was cold at night. Even if he managed to escape dry death, he might have frozen to death if Ed hadn’t passed by.

“You walked through Death Valley, the Japanese have guts.”

Yata smiled bitterly at the familiar word “guts” coming from foreigners.

“Ed is incredibly good at Japanese. Have you been there?”

“Yes! I lived there! It’s nostalgic, my young days, it was more than 10 years ago.”

“Hey… is it work?”

“Hmm, well, that kind of kanji? What about Misaki? Why are you going to Las Vegas?”

“That’s a long story! Listen!”

Yata began to speak as if he had cut a dam. He desperately works part-time to save money and try to travel abroad for the first time with all his friends, but the destination was Los Cabos, and the van they got in to cross the border cheaply was actually from an illegal immigrant. That’s it, and Yata suddenly stopped talking.

“Really?”

Ed’s eyes widened as if he was surprised. Yata believed that he was in trouble. He talks too much, maybe they’ll take him to the police, he wondered if he should cheat, but when he thought so much, Ed burst out laughing.

“Hahahahaha! Misaki, you! The Japanese have guts, I love them!”

“Well… really?”

“Yes! And I’m a friend too! Because I’m a foreigner too, it’s okay!”

He said something out of the ordinary. Ed shrugged happily at Yata, who was scared.

“I was not born in the United States in the first place. Mexico! From Mexico to Nihon to Fuhonukoku, then from Nihon to the United States to Fuhonukoku. Ok! You rarely see a Japanese! Ordinary Japanese is not that crazy!”

Apparently, this guy named Ed seemed to be pretty tough. Perhaps he noticed Yata’s confusion when he replied, “Uh, oh…”. Ed casually got back on topic.

“And then, did you go to Las Vegas? You’re not having such a bad time; can you go home on your way?”

“Well, that is…”

Then Yata suddenly stopped talking.

“Why did you want to go to Las Vegas?”

Anna won the ticket for the tour and everyone decided to go. Aside from Anna and Suoh, Kusanagi and Totsuka weren’t dissatisfied with the fact that they were going. Since there were only four tickets, it was only natural that there were only four people in the end.

What he was really unsatisfied with was that they couldn’t go together.

Therefore, Yata was burned. He tried to go to Las Vegas with all the instructions so that everyone could go. Those who didn’t want to go couldn’t be helped, but at least Kamamoto, Bando and Chitose agreed with Yata’s philosophy. Doing a black part-time job, suffering all kinds of problems, the passion to go beyond the desert was born there.

Where he got stuck.

“I think because I have friends.”

That was it.

Ed looked at Yata. Embarrassed, Yata scratched his cheek. But Ed didn’t make fun of him or make a fool of him. With a bitter smile on his mouth, he nodded deeply.

“I see. Friends are important. I get it.”

Yata was a bit surprised and looked at Ed. Ed smiled, but his gaze seemed to be somewhere far away. Yata stopped talking, thinking that he might be remembering his “friends”. Everyone has memories they want to treasure.

Looking out the window again, Yata noted the change.

Before he knew it, the desolate desert was over. The two-lane highway had changed to four lanes, and beyond that, it was even wider. The volume of traffic was also different from before, and SUVs and sports cars were beginning to be seen here and there, mixed with large trucks and wagons.

In the distance, the night sky lit up brilliantly.

Ed walked over laughing to Yata, who opened his mouth halfway and looked at him.

“About time to arrive. The proud jewels of America’s Nevada. Welcome to Las Vegas!”

++++++++++

This city is full of colors and light.

No matter where you look, neon lights and lightning will be reflected in your field of vision. Bright reds, poisonous purples, luxurious whites, and golds shimmer throughout, and it’s a bit of a flicker for the eyes after a long plane ride.

If you look into the distance, the sky lights up brightly. Perhaps looking down from space, the city must appear to be a dome of light that drives out the darkness. Simply “City without night”. Kusanagi and his friends have landed in Las Vegas, a city without night.

“Anna. Isn’t it cold?”

Kusanagi called out to Anna’s back as she walked out of the airport and stopped. Anna didn’t react. She opened her mouth and looked at the city that was still shining.

For a moment, Kusanagi felt sorry for Anna.

What they see is different from what Anna sees. Due to a congenital disease, her eyes can only see red. The avalanche of colors that was spreading at that moment seemed vague to him.

Still, Anna seemed amused.

The life she has led until now is very different from that of a normal child. As a Strain, under the patronage of the Red Clan, she doesn’t even go to school. To her, who has lived in the warm, cramped world of Bar HOMRA, the colors of Las Vegas may seem magnificent, if at all.

“Yes, Anna. Take this.”

Totsuka handed Anna a steaming paper cup. It was hot chocolate. Anna grabbed it and took a sip as she looked at the sight in front of her. Her face was smiling.

“Delicious.”

“Yes? Good! It’s a souvenir of my first victory, so feel free to drink!”

Kusanagi was surprised at the word “first victory”.

“Well, Totsuka. Have you already done that?”

“Because there are already slots at the airport? If so, I have no choice but to do it!”

Totsuka made a peace sign and Kusanagi showed a bitter smile on his face.

Surely, as Totsuka says, there are a lot of slot machines installed in the airport baggage claim. Tourists are sucked in like bugs jumping into a moth lantern by a cluster of machines that emit fluffy blue and purple light. It was a suitable setting for the entrance of the casino city.

Totsuka said with a smile as he waved the withdrawal coupon.

“I bet $100 and win $110. Well, the first game goes like this.”

“Was it moderate? No, how did you feel?”

“Looks like I was finally able to quit smoking on the plane, so I said I’d smoke somewhere. Uh…”

Totsuka looked around and solidified. His smile was just as stiff. Seeing that, Kusanagi was caught in an unpleasant premonition.

It quickly came true.

“Kusanagi-san, maybe it’s bad.”

Kusanagi followed Totsuka’s line of sight and also stiffened in the same way.

Suoh was surrounded by security guards.

Even in such a situation, he was truly a personality to calmly smoke cigarettes. However, in a foreign country where words cannot be understood, Suoh’s personality only had the opposite effect. He could see from a distance that the guards were frustrated by that attitude. If Suoh was touched, Suoh would not hesitate: Kusanagi knew too much about the character of the Red King.

“Wait, wait, wait! Mikoto, hold still!”

As he yelled, Kusanagi ran towards them. Anna mysteriously watched his back as she tilted the cup of chocolate.

++++++++++

The truck stopped and Yata landed on the ground from the passenger seat.

“Uh, oh…this is Las Vegas!”

What he saw was a scene that he had only seen in movies and photographs. Heavy stones that make you feel history pile up endlessly towards the sky. Yes, this was the world-famous quadrangular pyramid, the Great Pyramid of Giza, which contained the sublime pharaoh’s coffin.

Why is it in Las Vegas, it shouldn’t be in Egypt of course? Why is the Sphinx sitting instead of the front door? He had many doubts and Yata was amazed. It was decided that this pyramid-shaped hotel would be the inn for Yata and his group during their stay in Las Vegas.

“Over there. It’s famous, the pyramid! I know it too!”

As Ed said, the “pyramid” only seems to reach the locals. If so, this way can be quite useful on its own.

Yata looked back at the truck and gave a thumbs up with a big grin.

“Seriously, thanks, Ed! Thanks to you, I think I can finally join my friends!”

“Hahaha! No problem, Misaki! Say hello to your friends!”

Ed laughed happily too and gave a thumbs up and started the truck. Yata took off his beanie to a friend he met during the trip, he was shaking it until he couldn’t see the truck.

A sudden call came from behind him.

“Yata-san! You’re safe!”

Looking back, Akagi and Bando were about to jump out of the hotel like they were rolling. Yata smiled and opened his arms.

“Oh! Have you guys arrived yet?”

“I arrived at night and then I ran to help Yata-san! Kamamoto-san, Chitose and Dewa are now looking for a rental car or a taxi.”

“Then, it’s alright for you to come back, please contact them! My PDA can’t be used here yet.”

“I understand!”

Bando took out his PDA and began to make a phone call. As he glanced sideways, Yata asked Akagi.

“How’s Eric?”

“He’s sleeping in the room right now. I’ve seen a doctor, but it seems his life isn’t in danger since it’s mild heat stroke, and if he gets a night’s rest, he’ll recover soon. Fujishima is taking care of him, so I think he’ll be fine.”

“Oh! I’m glad…”

Yata exhaled deeply. If you get injured or sick due to your own poor driving, you can’t really enjoy traveling. After deciding to check on the situation later, Yata looked up at the top of the pyramid.

For a while, after looking at this, Yata opened his mouth.

“What happened to that guy?”

It seems that he just came up with it. Akagi shook his head, looking up.

“When he brought us here, he left early. He had a job to do.”

“I work…? Well, why did you come to this place in the first place? Also, with you?”

At that question, Akagi scratched his head as if he was weakened.

“I don’t really get that either. When he was out, he suddenly came over and asked me where King was.”

“Mikoto-san…?”

Yata’s facial expression turned steep. “Scepter 4”, where Fushimi belongs, is an organization that has a skirmish with “Homura”. If such a person was looking for a “King” at work, he could not have been calm.

Akagi continued to explain in a traceable manner.

“When I said he was going to Las Vegas, he started contacting somewhere. So, we were on the sidelines too, so he told me to follow him and they put me in the car, and by the time I knew it, I was on a plane.”

“Huh?! Guys, the Blues are our enemies! They told those guys where Mikoto-san is, and that’s why you guys got trapped?!”

When Yata got angry, Akagi shrugged and Bando, who had ended the call, said something.

“It’s different, Yata-san. Fushimi said that Mikoto-san is in danger. If he tells them that, Shohei and his friends can’t just hold his fingers and look at him, right?”

Agitation spread in his chest.

Mikoto Suoh is in danger. If he had heard it, he would have laughed with his nose. He does not believe that there are so many things in the world that can harm the Red King.

However, on the other hand, Yata trusted Fushimi in a way. He is a traitor, dark, cunning, sarcastic, disgusting, and extremely capable. If such a man says “dangerous”, it is definitely “yes”.

“What is that danger?”

“Yata-san, do you remember Mizuchi?”

Mizuchi’s name didn’t immediately stick in his head. He tilted his head, he thought for a moment and said, “Oh.”.

“Mizuchi, I’m sure he was the bad guy who kidnapped Anna and locked her up in a place called "downtown”, and Mikoto-san finally beat him up. What happened to that guy?“

Bando’s cheeks tightened with tension and he answered the question.

"He looks like he broke out of prison a while ago. He flew overseas, so he’s here in Las Vegas now.”

K ~ HOMRA IN LAS VEGAS (Novel / In progress)

*Chapter 01
*Chapter 02
*Chapter 03
* Chapter 04
* Chapter 05
* Chapter 06
* Chapter 07
* Chapter 08
* Chapter 09
* Chapter 10
* Chapter 11
* Chapter 12

Note: This story will be released on the first day of every month in Japan.

K - ONE YEAR LATER

CHAPTER 3: KUSANAGI’S SMOKING CESSATION AND THE “HOMURA” DAYS (BY TATSUO MIYAZAWA)

* List of Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun
Raws: Ridia

A year has passed since then.

Kusanagi thought that there were several reasons why he decided to quit smoking.

Smokers always feel the narrowness of his shoulders. Articles and news about health risks. The price is very small, but it increases year after year. It is common for bars to have heavy smokers.

“A little while ago a boy was born.”

 And,

“Kamisan is noisy.”

He felt a bit lonely when he saw them coming out of the smoking category one after another. These factors overlapped in various ways.

He was clearly aware that he would quit when he went to the commercial district for business on a cold winter morning. He obtained the necessary documents to operate the bar safely and was hungry, so he came to a corner where the restaurants were lined up to grab a bite to eat.

When he first saw the procession,

“Is it a delicious ramen shop?”

So he thought, he glanced at first with interest.

And he was shocked there.

It was a public space for smokers. Several men were huddled in a glass-enclosed space, smoking.

Despite the centrally installed smoke exhaust device, the interior looked slightly cloudy with purple smoke.

The people queuing outside patiently waited for their turn while shrinking their backs as if they were cold.

(I wonder if smoking is that bad!)

Kusanagi agrees with the recent trend of smoke separation. Smoking should be done with good manners so as not to disturb others.

Nevertheless.

(I don’t think it’s wrong that there is a place where you can smoke a little.)

It was the real intention as a cigarette only.

And when he was looking at the procession as something mysterious, Kusanagi himself also wanted to take a break.

Although he thought it was stupid, he lined up at the end of the line. He had a hard time getting into the smoking booth as the Kogarashi was blowing, and when he tried to take out the cigarette, he bit his fingertips and dropped it on the floor twice.

Then when he finally lit the fire with trembling hands and inhaled the smoke.

(Not good. Consider quitting for a moment.)

He suddenly thought that.

++++++++++

It was the first time in a long time that the main members met at the HOMRA bar.

Izumo Kusanagi, the master of the bar, Anna Kushina, the resident of that building, as well as Shohei Akagi, Saburota Bando, Yo Chitose, Masaomi Dewa, Eric Surt, Kosuke Fujishima, brought sake and snacks and gathered in groups of three and five.

The purpose was to hear the story of a trip from Eric, who had been away from Shizume for a while.

Eric has recently become addicted to wandering hitchhiking. Like Tatara Totsuka did for a while, he traveled around Japan with his camera in one hand, and when he found something that caught his eye, he would turn the camera lens and take a picture.

From time to time, he would take pictures that were as beautiful as a professional, but at the time it was still a hobby.

And Fujishima, who he often sends the photos to from his travel destination, is now a disciple of a senior builder in Shizume, and was on his way as a carpenter.

Originally, Fujishima, who liked crafts and was skilled, seemed to continue his training quietly.

And Chitose, who wanted Fujishima to “build his house one day”, finally met a woman he could seriously face, and has an innocent relationship with her as a teenager.

On the other hand, Chitose’s comrade Dewa is preparing to enter university saying, “I can seriously study something.”. Chitose bought him a beer saying, “If you’re smart, it’s an easy win.”.

By the way, Rikio Kamamoto and Misaki Yata had told Kusanagi that they would be a little late.

Kamamoto has taken over the liquor store in earnest, and Yata has been busy with skateboard shop work and started being an instructor.

There were no particular toasts, and each of them divided into small groups and drank alcohol. As he looked around at those friends,

“They’ve all changed a lot. I wonder if they’ve grown up?”

Akagi muttered with deep emotion. He himself has recently become addicted to tropical fish and is increasing the number of aquariums through various trials and errors, but there is no particular change in the environment.

Hearing that word,

“Is that so? Everyone still seems noisy as usual.”

Kusanagi laughed. Then he narrowed his eyes.

“Well, there are some guys who have changed to strange winds.”

Saying that, from a distance, he pointed at Bando, who was warming up to his heroic story, at the reluctant Fujishima.

He has been active in online gaming competitions lately and has been winning decent prizes. So to speak, he is in a semi-professional state of the game and is in an easy to understand way.

The name when entering the game is “Sanchan”.

His sunglasses as a brand also became eye-catching.

“However, when it comes to big competitions, it seems like the pressure has crushed you and you haven’t been able to produce much results, and the essence hasn’t changed at all, San-chan.”

Akagi responded with a bitter smile. Later,

“What about Kusanagi-san?”

Changing the subject, they pointed at Kusanagi.

“Huh, me? I’m not that different either.”

The person himself was bowing his neck a lot, but Anna, who was quietly drinking orange juice next to him, opened her mouth.

“Izumo. He started to quit smoking.”

It was like saying that a great change began.

It was noted that Kusanagi himself took a big step.

“Yes. No smoking! I haven’t for about three days.”

“Eh?”

Akagi looked away. And the “Homura” members, who had been chatting with each other until now, stopped talking at once and looked over there.

Kusanagi was confused by the reaction.

“What’s going on?”

The next moment, everyone started laughing as if they were going to explode.

“No, that is impossible!”

“Kusanagi-san is quitting smoking? That’s really weird and hard to believe, right?”

“It hasn’t even been a week, right?”

Kusanagi was surprised at first, but little by little,

“Oh, you…”

He seemed to be angry.

Originally, quitting smoking did not start with such a heavy feeling. If he could continue, he would continue, and he began with a light stance.

But…

Kusanagi had no choice but to be hungry if he was covered in moss like this.

“Ok! If you believe that, you will quit smoking decisively!”

And he firmly promised everyone that if he broke the ban, he would serve the best liquor.

They all cheered.

It was strange and not too painful for a few days when he refused to smoke without any particular concern. In addition, the psychological margin of being able to return to smoking at any time alleviated the obsession with cigarettes.

However, from the day after everyone had a big problem, Kusanagi gradually died from smoking. The more he realized that he shouldn’t smoke, the more he reached for the cigarette box and was surprised.

He tried chewing gum as a substitute or applying a commercially available nicotine patch, but it had almost no effect.

(It looks like the withdrawal symptoms will go away in about a month.)

Until then, it would be a long way to go.

Overall, Kusanagi’s job was not a very good factor to quit smoking. Although times have changed, there are still many places where smoking is allowed, not only in HOMRA but also in bars that serve alcohol.

Ironically, the HOMRA Bar, since then, had been properly licensed, and had turned it into a commercial form that allowed cigarettes to be offered and sold in the store.

Kusanagi quit smoking as an individual, but he couldn’t remove all the cigarettes from around him.

It was painful to see customers smoking deliciously.

Also, recently, the anko monster that he had stopped ordering anko, appeared frequently and drank anko cocktails that looked really delicious. He was jealous that she enjoyed luxury items to her heart’s content.

This was how various tensions were accumulated. Kusanagi had a dream.

Suoh and Totsuka were at the HOMRA bar when they were young and relaxing.

As the soft sunlight shone down, Totsuka was still playing the guitar he had learned with clumsy hands, and Suoh was looking vaguely at the ceiling as he smoked a cigarette.

“Hey, King.”

Totsuka put down the guitar and asked.

“Can I have a little cigarette?”

“Ah?”

Suoh looked at Totsuka.

“You tried it the other day, didn’t you?”

“I want to try again.”

Suoh laughed.

“Do it yourself.”

Totsuka, who got permission, took out the cigarette and lit it on fire. He inhales the smoke. And the next moment…

“Geh gaaak! Not good.”

“Hehe.”

Suoh shrugged.

“Don’t say that.”

It was a soft teasing voice that was unusual for Suoh. Totsuka had teary eyes.

“Well, I also want to be a man who looks good with cigarettes like King and Kusanagi-san.”

“Stop this.”

The nostalgic and tearful exchange between those two people. Kusanagi woke up there.

By the time he realized it, tears were actually floating around the corners of his eyes. Kusanagi climbed onto the bed and laughed helplessly.

Although it was in a dream, was he happy to meet his friends for the first time in a long time, or was it regrettable that he wanted a cigarette even in his subconscious mind?

The next day, before the bar opened, Kusanagi was thinking about it with a brand of cigarette that he had smoked since he was a teenager.

Strangely, soft light was shining in the store as he saw it in his dream.

Totsuka and Suoh weren’t there, but Anna was sitting by the window, slowly turning the pages of a hardcover literary book.

Anna suddenly said without warning.

“I liked the look of Mikoto smoking a cigarette.”

Kusanagi looked at Anna.

“I also like to see Izumo smoking, but if you’re worried about too many things, stop. I think Izumo does what he wants.”

Anna said that and fell silent again. A soft smile floated slightly on his mouth.

By the way, Anna hadn’t expressed any particular opinion about Kusanagi quitting smoking. She didn’t describe it as a good or bad thing.

“……”

Kusanagi silently lowered his eyes to the cigarettes again.

That brand had memories. Originally, Mikoto Suoh did not have a smoking habit until he met Kusanagi. As they were about to hit it off, he saw Kusanagi casually take out a cigarette when the two of them were alone.

“Is it good, is it a cigarette?”

He heard that, so he told him.

“Would you like to smoke?”

He gave him one and lit it up when it was in Suoh’s mouth, it was an act that he couldn’t believe it was the first time he did it.

“Delicious.”

So he looked up at the ceiling and muttered a word.

Kusanagi’s face was broken. At the time, he was convinced that he was a fun guy.

In fact, after exchanging cigarettes at the time, Kusanagi and Suoh quickly deepened their relationship. He didn’t think it was a bond created by cigarettes, but it was also true that there were cigarettes at the end of the memories of him with Suoh.

At that time, he put a lot of effort into the hand that was holding the box.

“Anna. Oh, colored glasses.”

The door was flung open and Neko of the Silver clan staggered into the room.

Kusanagi and then Anna looked at her with round eyes.

It was covered in muddy mud.

“Well what did you do?”

Anna ran over and got a towel from the bathroom. She was ready to get dirty with mud and cleaned Neko’s face.

Neko seemed to be apologetic seeing the mud splattered on Anna’s clothes and the mud pooled under her feet.

“I’m sorry.”

Unusually, she was very apologetic. Looking at her, she was quite fashionable.

She was dirty with mud.

“The store is not a good place for that.”

Kusanagi said it once and for all.

“Isn’t this a good place for this?”

“Yes.”

Neko started talking about the situation with tears.

He heard that she had come to Shizume with her friends to go shopping. When she saw a grandmother who was the victim of a robbery and tracked down the criminal, it seems that the robber had the power of a Strain and he was hit back.

“A Strain that manipulates mud?”

Kusanagi frowned. Then his eyes shone behind his sunglasses like a swordsman.

“Don’t be playing in our garden.”

He clicked his tongue.

Neko often comes to see Anna over the last year or so. The clans they belong to are different, and although they have different personalities, they are oddly matched horses.

Her friend, a girl, was muddy, so Anna was angry, although the others had a hard time understanding it.

She told him quietly.

“I’ll do the cleaning. I’ll take Neko to the bathroom, so go get him.”

It was a strict decree of the “King”.

“I’ll teach him discipline.”

Kusanagi nodded loudly.

Kusanagi ran through the streets of Shizume.

He knew any secondary road in that city. When he crossed paths with an acquaintance at a key point, he obtained information from witnesses and gradually tracked down the criminal.

Kusanagi was thinking as he tracked down the Strain.

Although the power of the Slate was lost, the number of Strains that had explosively increased once did not decrease that much, and some of them committed crimes that way.

For now, he wanted to discuss the problem with Shiro, the “Silver King”.

Kusanagi moved deftly and finally cornered the Strain in a corner of the alley.

He was a small middle-aged man.

“You can’t escape anymore!”

When Kusanagi yelled, he turned around and glared at him. The man was even wearing waterproof clothing with a hood, rubber boots and rubber gloves.

(Why do not you come?)

Kusanagi was so skeptical for a moment.

“Take this!”

He was convinced as he avoided the fist-sized lump of mud that the other party suddenly expelled from his palm as he bent his upper body.

(I see. Because he handles mud, he doesn’t want to wear such heavy equipment.)

The man floated a ball of mud on his left and right palms and fired them one after another.

Kusanagi gradually closed in on the opponent as he avoided the attack with plenty of space.

“I see, that’s the idea.”

At that moment, the man finally laughed and stepped on. At the same time, an unprecedented amount of mud spilled around the man.

“……!”

Kusanagi took off his glasses.

When he thought it was bad, he was swallowed by the mudflow in no time. Tons of mud covered the top of Kusanagi and filled the back alleys. It was also a disaster that the left and right sides were sandwiched between walls.

The seemingly modest power of manipulating mud becomes a deadly attack when it comes to the amount of scale of the disaster.

Kusanagi was suffocating in the torrent of mud.

(This is not good.)

He couldn’t die for something like that.

He held a box of cigarettes and a lighter that he had unknowingly slipped into his pocket.

Mikoto Suoh.

(It does not seem.)

He felt that he was laughing.

At that moment, something exploded in Kusanagi.

The Strain that used the power of mud, was the first to evacuate to a telephone pole.

Looking towards the alley buried in the mud with a look full of superiority. He was nothing to a man to the point of a handsome boy dying.

After checking that there were no signs of pursuit, he tried to leave the scene.

He had to escape before “Scepter 4” came, which cracks down on different abilities.

And at that moment, the surface of the mud trembled once.

The man looked at him suspiciously.

The mud began to boil in front of him. The next moment…

“Gyaaaah!”

A column of flames erupted in front of the man, causing a huge explosion. Hot mud sprayed in all directions.

“Uh-huh!”

The man fell off the telephone pole as he clumsily yelled. It had been blown up, but there was still mud in the back alleys, the size of a muddy paddy field. The man’s half body was buried in it.

“Wow, oh!”

The mud was also fiercely hot. The man rolled over and managed to lift his upper body.

There was a shadow slowly approaching there.

He was messy.

It was Izumo Kusanagi who stomped through the mud and came closer.

The usual fashion clothes were full of mud. The hair that was carefully combed was also covered in mud. A small amount of mud also adhered to the sunglasses.

However, Kusanagi had tremendous sex appeal and power. He smoked a cigarette and looked up at the sky.

Then, when Kusanagi saw him flinch, he stared at the trembling man and gently twirled the end of the cigarette he was smoking.

At that moment, several fireballs rushed out from there and exploded with a conspicuous sound in front of the man.

The man got scared.

“Ugugugu.”

He blew bubbles, lay on his back, collapsed and passed out.

The case was too different.

Kusanagi lit the cigarette again.

“After all this is my style.”

He laughed and lied about it.

In the end, Kusanagi was forced to buy high-quality sake for all the people in “Homura”, but he was still in a good mood.

Next chapter, “Neko. Before the test. Canned.”.

mikoto suoh (wip)

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Mikoto meets the other clansmen and thinks this might just be enough for him to relinquish his oath. Between a woman naked half of the time and a seemingly skilled swordman who was previously charged to kill his king yet insists to cook their food for every meal, it might just be the strangest mix of personalities he had the chance – or misfortune, he’s not quite sure yet, to encounter.

But then, then he recalls his people, his former clansmen, and truly he had been no better, gathering a hoard of traumatized children to grow in the hearth of his smoldering flames as he had even though he knew his time was near.

So all in all, Mikoto will silence his words if he witnesses the black-haired swordman chase the apparent cat hybrid down the road for clinging to their king. Even if he deems it ridiculous, they remind him of Yata and Fushimi in their younger days, when the latter made fun of the former for offering Mikoto his blind and unying loyalty.

And if a laugh escapes him, just as the swordman finally takes hold of the lady, reminding her of their king’s greatness, if they all turn their heads to him in surprise, if Shiro looks at him with wonder in his eyes and suddenly join in an unrestrained laugh, Mikoto can’t find it in himself to hold it against any of them.

He wondered, at first, how the Silver King could call his clan a family, and yet how futile had his thoughts been, for it was it. A family, a sense of kinship he too had tied his clansmen with.

Mikoto found, he wouldn’t mind being tied to this one either.