KAEI YEAR 6 (1853)
Nothing pleasant to talk about lately, eh?
The way I hear it, foreign ships along the coast have been getting aggressive with us,
but the Emperor won't do diddly squat.
Kake-soba, order up!
Okay!
H-here is your order.
Nice! You're getting the hang of it, Ofuu!
Worse yet, there's word of a serial killer in the streets.
It's really got me stressed out for my daughter's safety.
I wish the Emperor would just get his act together already.
You should watch what you say.
Fair point. Don't wanna see my shop crash and burn just 10 days after we opened for business.
But ya know, I got this place dirt cheap from the previous owner with all the trappings included.
No surprise there.
I must say, you've got strange taste, pal.
Our shop is practically a ghost town, and yet you've kept coming for five days straight.
Dad! You're going to scare away our only customer!
Oh, don't have a cow. We're just making small talk.
So, give it to me straight. How's our soba?
Not bad by any means. But it's plain.
You're a real straight shooter, ain'tcha?
Well, I'm more of a chef that makes soba out of passion than talent.
Yet you set up shop anyways.
Was there a reason for it?
Sorta. It's complicated.
Everybody's got baggage. I bet the past hasn't exactly been kind to you, either, huh?
That's for sure.
That'll be 16 mon. Thank ya kindly.
Say, pal. You seem to have a decent amount of cash for a ronin.
I work for it.
Doing what, pray tell?
Slaying demons.
Ain't that something!
Ya gonna visit Atlantis next?
Speaking of demons, remember that slasher I mentioned?
Rumor is the bastard might not even use a sword,
since all the victims have been found with their bodies horribly mangled.
And what's more, the number of corpses doesn't add up.
There are more people who've gone missing lately than the number of bodies discovered.
So they were either attacked or whisked away,
which has everybody convinced that demons are to blame.
Where does this slasher appear?
Let's see. Around the Edobashi area, as I recall.
Serial killers and demons. It's all so terrifying!
Indeed.
Be careful out there, okay, Jinya-kun?
The streets are dangerous at night.
I'm a little too old to be getting lectures about going out at night.
Well, putting on that tough guy act just goes to prove you're still a kid.
Here I was hoping it'd make an appearance tonight.
Alas. Things don't always turn out how we wish.
N-noooo!
SHIANBASHI BRIDGE
Just men?
Then who did I hear screaming?
An interesting power you have there... demon!
I suppose it's fortunate there were no survivors.
Now I don't have to hide this.
All right, slasher. Let's try this again.
Please wait!
My name is Jinya. Give me yours before I cut you down.
I am Mosuke, sir.
Your name will live on in my memory.
Now say your prayers.
Wait! I have no intention of fighting you!
That's funny, because I got the opposite impression.
It's because I thought you were the serial killer.
Rumors have been spreading that it's the work of a demon.
So, I tracked a demonic scent and then came across you.
I had every reason to assume that's who you were, okay?
But then I heard you called ME the slasher.
Which just didn't make any sense. You see?
And that's why you revealed yourself.
But what is a demon doing hunting down serial killers?
Well...
How about we find somewhere else to talk, first?
So nobody sees us.
As demons grow older, some choose to pass as human and spend their time living among society.
Demons don't lie, but they do hide the truth.
That's true for you as well, yes?
Here. It's just cheap booze, but I promise it's not poisoned.
Poison wouldn't be enough to kill me, anyways.
Thank you.
Let's start over.
My name is Mosuke. I'm a simple villager who lives in this cheap, back alley house.
But in reality, you're a demon with the special ability to completely erase your presence.
My power is called "invisibility."
It may come as a surprise, but I'm one of the so-called "superior demons" that has lived over 100 years.
Yet you are weak.
Well, we're considered superior mostly due to our awakened ability rather than our physical strength.
So yeah, even among superior demons, there are some who can be weaker and slower than the ordinary ones.
As much as I hate to admit it, I'm one of those.
Let's be clear here.
You mean to say that you're not the serial killer. Is that right?
Yes, that's right.
And neither are you, correct?
Very well. I'll believe you.
I appreciate that.
So, when you assumed I was the slasher, why did you go straight to attacking me without saying a word?
Because of a grudge.
Have you heard about the disappearances?
I've been told the number of victims don't match with the number of people who have gone missing.
Which seems to be true, seeing as how I heard a woman scream earlier, but found no sign of her body.
Right. The only victims the slasher kills on the spot are men.
Because it always abducts the female ones.
How can you be sure?
Because it took... my wife.
Her name was Hatsu.
And she was a kind-hearted human.
She was okay with our relationship, even though I was a demon.
But then, she vanished without a trace about a month ago, until 10 days later...
her body was found near the Kanda river.
The officer I spoke to said that... her body indicated she had been horribly raped.
Hatsu was charming and got along with everyone.
She even loved... a demon like me.
I know she never did anything to deserve such an awful death.
It's just cruel!
Jinya-san. I need you to understand that I don't live as a human because I'm fond of them or anything.
But I honestly loved my wife.
And so...
I have nothing but hatred for the goddamn monster that took her life in such a sickening way!
I want to avenge her with my own hands.
That's why I would like you to step away and leave this to me.
Not happening.
Why?! What stake do you have?
Slaying demons is what I do.
And that's your only goal?
All right.
Then how about we split up and tackle it together?
We'll each search for the serial killer and share whatever information we come across.
But I hope you're willing to let me put an end to him.
Mosuke.
Is revenge really what you're after?
You doubt me?
No.
But regardless of whether the killer is human or demon, you must bear the burden of taking a life.
I just want to know if you're ready for that.
Jinya-san. Demons never lie.
Not even to themselves.
All right. We work together.
Another day of nothing.
We can't catch a break can we?
That's just how it goes.
All we can do is keep our nose to the grindstone, I guess.
Yeah.
I'm curious, why do you hunt your own brethren?
Money, for one.
Money?
There is no shortage of humans who hate demons and want nothing but to destroy them.
So I make it a point to take a tidy sum from those people in exchange for slaying demons.
Does that upset you?
No.
I don't get the impression you're the type who just kills without good reason.
Besides, I can't exactly complain when I'm sitting here enjoying the booze you bought
with that money, now can I?
Ah, good stuff!
You said that was one reason, what's the other?
To amass power.
I've made it my mission in life to stop a certain demon.
Stop? Not to kill it?
I was originally human.
But the experience of watching a demon kill the woman I love ultimately turned me into one.
So, slaying demons that threaten humans feels natural to me.
Yet you plan on letting that demon live?
I won't decide what to do until we actually cross paths.
In either case, I need power.
Sounds complicated.
I'm just spineless.
So, Mosuke. What will you do after avenging your wife?
Nothing, really.
To be frank, the only reason that I decided to live as a human is because I hate violence.
I don't want to get hunted by humans, nor do I want to fight against my own kind.
All I want is to live out an uneventful life.
I just wish it could've been with my wife...
So, once I get my revenge, I'll simply go back to living incognito like I always have.
And tending to my wife's grave.
A little earlier, you said I wasn't the type to do something without good reason.
But you shouldn't think so highly of me.
Huh?
The truth is... I'm consumed by mindless hatred for my own sister.
One order of kake-soba, Dad.
Comin' up!
Have you found the slasher, Jinya-kun?
I don't recall ever saying I was looking for him.
You pretty much did, though. Since you told us that your job was slaying demons.
It's fair to assume that pursuing rumors like the slasher is part of what you do, right?
Well, it hasn't been going well.
That's too bad.
Rough going for you, too, eh, pal?
Making a living is a real pain in the ass!
You said it.
A lovely waitress like this should have a line out the door.
Oh my!
I guess everybody in Edo is too pressed for time.
Shucks...
Oh?
Well now! Sounds like you think my Ofuu is a real looker, eh, pal?
I imagine eight out of every ten people would say the same.
Now that's what I like to hear.
You've got excellent taste!
Dad! What's the big idea?!
Oh, c'mon. You've never had a real relationship in your whole life.
W-well, that's true, but...
You shouldn't put Jinya-kun on the spot!
Jeez, I was just trying to get the ball rolling for you.
Don't worry. I definitely plan on leaving the nest someday.
But until then, I want a little more time to just be your daughter.
Hm. All right.
Sorry, Jinya-kun. My dad never knows when to shut up.
That's okay, I don't mind.
Your father is a good man.
Yes, he's my pride and joy.
Um, pardon me if I'm getting too personal here, but... was your father not like that, Jinya-kun?
My apologies. I shouldn't have asked.
I have a little sister, you see.
Oh, do you really?
Her name is Suzune.
My father never treated her well. He would always beat on her while saying she didn't belong in our family.
So I took Suzune and we ran away from home.
But that was a long time ago.
Do you hate your father?
No.
To be honest, I understand why he felt that way.
Except...
Except what?
Things don't always turn out how we wish.
Any luck on your end?
Another fruitless search.
There haven't been any sightings of the slasher recently.
And we can't just search blindly without a lead...
You're right.
Whoa.
What is it?
Look over there.
Ofuu?
Someone you know?
She's the daughter of a soba shop I frequent.
It's not good for a lady like her to be out alone.
Pardon me, Mosuke.
Sure.
Oh my, Jinya-kun?
The moon is beautiful tonight. Are you out here by yourself?
No, with a friend actual-
I'll just be on my way.
Please, feel free to escort the young lady home.
We don't want her falling victim to the serial killer.
Um, is something the matter?
Nothing. May I ask what you're doing out so late, Ofuu?
I was enjoying the cherry blossoms.
But these are willows, aren't they?
Not exactly.
Look.
This is called a "snow willow."
The layers of blooming flowers make it droop down,
almost like snow on the branches of a willow tree in winter, right?
That's how it got its name.
But it's not actually a willow. It's in the same family as cherry blossoms.
Really now?
I don't see the resemblance.
Cherry blossoms that imitate willows, yet aren't willows despite how they appear.
In the end, it can't be either of them.
What a pitiful plant.
But it's pretty, isn't it?
It may not be a willow, nor resemble the cherry blossoms,
but this plant gives bloom to adorable flowers nonetheless.
I can't claim to understand how the snow willow feels,
but I don't believe it sees itself as something so empty and sad.
I mean, why would it bother blooming each year otherwise?
So it doesn't need your pity.
Because no matter how we label it, whenever the spring comes,
it will always bloom beautiful flowers.
A flower's way of life, eh?
Let's go. Your father must be worried.
Please and thank you.