Tadatoshi stood before Jūrōbei, the towering man struggling to rise from the rubble. The orange glow of the raging flames bathed Tadatoshi's face, illuminating the confident grin carved onto it, unshaken and proud. Smoke curled around his silhouette, embers drifting lazily through the air like dying stars.
Jūrōbei growled as he finally forced himself upright, cleaver clenched tightly in his hand. His breathing was heavy, uneven, his anger boiling over. "You… surpassed my master?" he spat, veins bulging along his neck. His face twisted with rage. "How dare you compare yourself to him? What makes you think you're even on his—"
He never finished the sentence.
In a blink, Tadatoshi vanished.
Jūrōbei's eyes widened just as Tadatoshi appeared directly in front of him, smiling.
THUD!!
The hilt of Tadatoshi's wakizashi slammed into Jūrōbei's face with crushing force. The impact sent the massive man hurtling backward, his body crashing into flaming debris. Ash, splintered wood, and sparks exploded into the air, scattering across the battlefield.
"Hahaha!" Tadatoshi laughed, his voice ringing with unrestrained confidence. "You should know something by now. We were involved in a fight just two days ago." He rolled his shoulders casually, eyes locked onto Jūrōbei as the man struggled in pain. "And yet here I am, using you as a warm-up."
Jūrōbei groaned, blood trickling from his face as he attempted to rise again, his movements slow and unsteady.
"I knew Tadatoshi was a monster," Reiko muttered, eyes wide as she watched the fight unfold. "But I never thought he was this strong."
Sentarō smiled faintly, his grip tightening around his katana. "I'd expect nothing less from someone who plans on beating me."
Jūrōbei coughed, spitting blood onto the scorched ground. "Who… who do you think you are?" His voice was ragged, breath labored. That single strike had done real damage. For the first time, doubt crept into his eyes.
Tadatoshi tilted his head. "Who do I think I am?" He laughed softly, confidence radiating from him like heat. "I already told you." He raised his blades slightly. "I am the Lord of Festivals."
Something about those words hit Jūrōbei harder than any blow. An overwhelming presence pressed down on him, not raw power alone, but certainty. Unshakable belief. It sent a chill crawling up his spine.
"The… Lord of Festivals?" Jūrōbei repeated under his breath.
Grinding his teeth, he forced himself upright and glared Tadatoshi straight in the eyes. "No matter what it takes… I'll avenge my master's death!"
With a thunderous roar, Jūrōbei launched forward. His movement shattered the ground beneath him.
BOOM!!
He became a blur of muscle and fury.
Tadatoshi only grinned.
He stepped into a stance, right leg forward, left leg drawn back. Both swords crossed before him, forming a perfect X. His movements were fluid, almost graceful, appearing slow yet impossibly fast at the same time.
"Two Sword Style," Tadatoshi said calmly.
Then he vanished.
Jūrōbei swung instinctively, cleaver crashing downward—but before the blade could land, blood burst across the air. A sharp pain tore through his chest.
An X-shaped slash carved itself deep across his torso.
Jūrōbei froze.
The sound of chaos faded. The roaring flames dulled. His vision blurred as his strength drained away. His massive body began to fall, knees buckling beneath him.
As he descended, memories flooded his mind.
A fire crackled beneath a moonlit sky. Abe Nobuyuki sat among his band of criminals, sake flowing freely, laughter echoing into the night. Jūrōbei sat among them, younger, hopeful.
"I know you already rejected," Abe said, the firelight dancing across his face, "but are you sure you don't want to join us?"
Jūrōbei shook his head, lifting his cup. "No, Master. If I want to be like you, I have to walk a different path."
Abe chuckled. "Alright. Just make sure you enjoy yourself out there. Do what you want most."
"Hahaha! You don't have to tell me," Jūrōbei said, raising his sake to the moon. "I'm gonna be just like you, Master."
The memory shattered.
Back in the present, flames engulfed his body, heat overwhelming his senses. As his consciousness faded, one final thought echoed through his mind.
"Who would've thought… being like you wasn't enough, Master."
The fire consumed him completely.
Tadatoshi stood silently as Sentarō and Reiko watched the flames swallow Jūrōbei's body.
Tadatoshi turned toward Sentarō, grinning. "See that, Sentarō? Beat that."
Sentarō smirked, eyes sharp with determination. "Try me. There's no way I'm losing to you."
Reiko stared at the two of them, utterly dumbfounded—not by Tadatoshi's strength alone, but by Sentarō's complete lack of shock.
CRAAAACK!
A nearby wall collapsed under the spreading fire, snapping them back to reality.
"What's the plan now?" Sentarō asked.
Both he and Tadatoshi turned toward Reiko.
"WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME?!" Reiko snapped, veins popping comically.
She sighed, then scanned the blazing surroundings. "First things first, we get out of here. Luckily, the Fourth Division is built in a wide area, so the smoke has somewhere to disperse."
Sentarō and Tadatoshi nodded in perfect, clueless unison.
"And after seeing him," Reiko continued, gesturing toward where Jūrōbei had fallen, "I'm sure there are more like him."
"If there are more, then there's no question," Tadatoshi said, cutting her off with a grin. "I'm fighting them."
"Why would you—"
"Reiko," Sentarō interrupted, his expression hardening. "I joined the police force to bring true justice to Japan. But I've seen injustice even within the police itself."
He clenched his fist. "This is a chance to rebuild it the right way. Running away isn't an option."
Reiko exhaled slowly. "If we're doing this, we do it properly."
She paused, then sighed loudly. "Anyway, we don't know their numbers. Splitting up is dangerous—but staying together in this fire is suicide."
She met their eyes. "When it comes down to it, splitting up is our best option."
"Splitting up?" Tadatoshi laughed. "Sounds fun."
"Solid plan," Sentarō said honestly.
"You two are idiots," Reiko muttered.
"Meet outside once we're sure all enemies are dealt with," Sentarō said.
"Right!" Reiko and Tadatoshi replied together.
In a burst of speed, they scattered—Sentarō to the south, Tadatoshi to the west, Reiko to the east.
Sentarō soon heard screams.
He burst into a courtyard to see a man in a dark blue kosode and black hakama sitting casually atop four bodies. One of them was still alive. The man stabbed his sword into the victim again and again, an apple resting in his free hand.
"What are you doing?!" Sentarō roared.
The man looked up slowly, amused. "Oh?"
"Who are you?!" Sentarō demanded, rage burning in his eyes.
Tadatoshi moved west, finding bodies untouched by fire or blade. Their skin was purple. Foam spilled from their mouths.
Then she appeared.
A woman in a radiant blue kimono stepped forward, the firelight accentuating her beauty. She held a man by the neck, his body limp and purple.
"Well, well," she purred. "This one's handsome."
"So you're the cause," Tadatoshi said bluntly. "Who are you?, Woman!"
She smiled. "Assertive too."
Reiko pushed east and suddenly caught a flying body.
"Tōkichirō?!" she gasped, catching him as he collapsed into her arms. Bloody, battered, but alive and conscious.
A laugh echoed.
"Kekeke… and who are you supposed to be, darling?"
A slim, shriveled man dressed entirely in a black Ninja Shōzoku stepped forward, his presence light yet suffocating.
"A ninja?" Reiko demanded. "Who are you people?!"
He chuckled. "So you didn't tell her about us?"
"Friends?" Reiko whispered.
"All you need to know," he said, eyes gleaming, "is that we are the top brass of the Black Lotus."
From across the inferno, three voices echoed.
"We are," said the slender man.
"We are," said the woman.
"We are," said the lazy man.
"The Lotus Petals."