I had spent quite a bit of time s out all of the details at Shirohebizumi shrine, but at least everything was about to start. Running into Kana- was a bit of a surprise, but at least she liked her present. Shaeu insisted we got gifts for pretty much everyone she knows, and not cheap o that. Still… sidering that a good k of our winnings, plus most of our luck all came from her, it really would have been churlish to refuse. Besides… It does feel good to make people smile, especially cute girls. Cute girls...

  I let out a long sigh, thinking of Eri and the versation I was going to o have with my father ter, about her. The train journey back to Nishimorioka from Tokyo was an annoying one, with ges and slow local trains through the mountains, so they shouldn’t be home yet, but… I looked at my watd guessed I would have some time. I do want to go to the Boundary and support Shaeu, but if I miss my father’s iable call… Yeah, that didn’t bear thinking about.

  Might as well keep on with the gift-giving then. I remembered the couple of bottles of very expensive whiskey I had bought for Karen-, since she ehe st bottle I had, and as I reached my apartment, the run barely tiri all, I opened my door. Shaeu was still lying there, motionless, and it made me feel... unfortable… somehow. After all, since I pleted the Throne of Heroes weeks ago, we had always been in the Boundary together aurogether, so I had never seen her Material body… like this.

  Moving closer, I pced my head very close to her face, ear turo her mouth. I couldn’t feel or hear any breath. Taking her wrist I also couldn’t feel a pulse. It was like ay shell, holy extremely creepy. Patting her head gently I made sure she was still covered with a b. Evey, that’s still Shaeu’s precious body. My eyes were drawn to my posters and figurines, and a bad thought occurred to me. Damn, I bet there’d be a real market for … perfect sex dolls… I felt nauseous, and obviously would never demean her so, but if another would-be Astral Emperor could use a Throo grant pretty spirits Material bodies, thehem back to the Boundary… shit, that’s fug sick, but the world is fucked up enough for someoo think of it, I bet that the owner of o El Diablo would go for it…

  The ws of the world as they stood wouldn't be able to keep up with the ges. Hopefully most didates would be reasonable, but… the shrines have influence, but do they have enough to reach the wmakers and politis of the try, and vihem of the need for ws c this new paradigm? I could certainly prove such powers existed now with ease, but I didn’t want to be the first man out of the trenches, so to speak. My position was still too weak, in terms of Territory, finances and potential weaknesses. If someone was to go after my family, or Eri, when I’m not about to protect them…

  I would alut my loved ones above strangers, so the issue would have to be put on hold for now. Spotting the nice decorative bag taining the booze, I grabbed it. Since Hashimoto-san had told me that Karen- had been off work, she robably in need of cheering up, and should be in. I went out of my apartment and over to her door, knog politely. I waited, the still evening air crisp yet still warm. And waited. And waited…

  Maybe she’s asleep? I probably shouldn’t wake her, but… I decided to try once more and if there was no response I’d e baother day. Rapping on her door a bit more forcefully I was greeted by the sound of something heavy hitting the door, which trembled uhe impact, flecks of paint knocked free from the cheaply painted wood. It was followed by a snarling, muffled voice, full of anger and other heavy emotions. “Fuck off, fuck off, fuck off! I told you, I quit, I’m never ing back you fucker! If you don’t stop hassling me…” I heard a choked sob, the thin door barely muffling it. “.. I’ll go to the police, I will! I’ll fug sue you, scumbag!”

  Uhh… what? I rapidly sidered the situation, but all my pointlessly effit stats could give me was that Karen- sounded really bad, and the sobs were now full-on tears. Yeah, no way I let this go, not after I set her off. Something terrible must have happe work, since she says she quit…

  Knog on the dain I spoke loudly. “Karen-, it’s me, Akio. Don’t worry, it isn’t your work. I came to see if you needed some cheering up, but… I could e back ter if you want? Though by the sounds of it you could really use my pany and what I’m carrying.” I kept my voice kind, as if I was talking to a child, aware I was being patronising, as Karen- robably a fair bit older thahough I’m not a big enough fool to question a woman’s age.

  For a long moment there was nothing I could do but listen to her g. I was about to walk away, when I started to hear motion through the thin walls and door. I heard the drawing of a metal bolt, squealing shrilly, and then the door opened a crack, her face peeking out from behind it.

  Gods, you look awful. I wasn’t stupid enough to air that thought out loud, but it wasn’t wrong. From what little I could see she was a mess, her face pale, her eyes red raw fr, her hair u and tangled. It was not her usual stylish appeara all.

  “I brought you a gift… from Las Vegas.” I held up the bag mely. “It’s very good, and you look like you could use a stiff drink, and maybe someoo talk to?” I offered. “I wait if you want to take a shower or something though. I might have caught you at a bad time.”

  She looked at me for a while, and then, biting her lip, ay pin, she opehe door some more. “Akio-kun…” she managed, choking out some words. Furiously she rubbed at her face with her hands, as if to wipe away evidence of her tears, if that ossible. I noticed the clothes she was wearing were just an old t-shirt and sants, and they were… well, sweaty. Just how long has she been sitting there? For days?

  Spoiler

  [colpse]“Sorry… about my behaviour. I’m sorry you had to hear that. I… I…” She started to tear up again, before looking dowed, her face deathly pale. “… maybe you should go… or… I…”

  She seemed fused, not sure of what she wanted. Still, it was a good sign that she had at least opehe door. Although… God, the smell. It hasn’t been aired in days, and the summer heat still hasn’t died off yet. The pce wasn’t either, clothes and other items tossed everywhere, alongside empty beer s and bottles of water. No food packages though… with my high Acrity I could quickly identify everything in an area. Including things I shouldn’t, like her underwear lying tossed in the er. I’d better not say anything.

  “No, seeing you like this, how could I just leave you? Shaeu would be super mad at me if I did. It’s a shame she’s at work now, or she could have kept you pany too. All right, why don’t we take a seat?” I shut the door behind me and turned on the light, sihe blinds were drawn. The room appeared little better illuminated, and she looked away, eyes dark and lifeless. So, my first time in her room, and it’s in this state… anyway, I ’t just leave her like this. She’s an acquaintance, and a neighbour, and Shaeu siders her a friend, and any friend of Shaeu’s is important to me too.

  My mind made up I asked her to sit down, going to her kit area arieving two gsses. Rinsing them out I brought out the first bottle of whiskey, the Ameri brand, a smooth bourbon that came highly reended, and filled the gsses with two generous measures. “Sounds like you’ve had it tough while I was away. Why not have a drink and tell me about it? I might be able to help.”

  She looked up at me from the ground where she sat on a cushion by her low table. Seeing the bright amber liquid in the gss and the bel otle she licked her cracked lips involuntarily, fists g. Gingerly she reached out, and I passed her a gss, not missing how her hand flinched when it came close to miill, she took a long gulp of the precious liquid, a out a sigh as the warmth hit her, the fvours soothi fiery.

  I took a sip myself, deg that my father would like his share, since I got him a few bottles as well. “I'm sorry for barging in like this, but… it sounds like you’ve had to quit your job, and it didn’t go so well. You said harassment, so… have they been ing around? You know, I never asked you what you did for a living, my bad.”

  She didn’t answer me immediately, iaking another long gulp. Wordlessly I refilled her gss and waited, trying not to pressure her. When she finally spoke, it was with great difficultly, the words like hot coals she just had to spit out. “I work… hah, worked… for a bpany, one you’ve probably never heard of. It wasn’t like I could have a good job, living in this crappy shithole, is it?” Her nguage was brutal, quite uhe Karen- I’d shared a few pleasant hours with previously. “Still, I made the mistake of joining them after I left Uy. The job market is hard right now, after all, isn’t that why you are a freencer?”

  I nodded along with her, careful not to upset her further.

  “So anyway…” she sighed. “I’m just a secretary, sving away for little pay. Even so, it was bearable, but retly my direct superior has been going through some… home troubles. His wife is div him, the pig.” She spat out the epithet venomously. “I always had to put up with some… well, office banter and casual harassment, that’s just the way of being a woman in a bpany, right? But it started getting worse. He’d… well he’d…” Her face screwed up in anger, hand white around her gss.

  “You don’t have to talk to me, I think I get it.” I said gently. “Bastards like that are everywhere.”

  “No, no…” she said with a sigh. “I think I o tell someone, someone who listens.” She looked down at her gss, before putting it oable.

  “It was just toug at first, maybe my thigh, or my back. Plus lewd ents and suggestions that we should ‘get together’ if I waress or a pay rise. I could just about ha, but… after that, the fucker kept esg it. He’d grab my ass, and when we went out for drinks with the others, he’d joke that I was going to sleep my , and everyone would pie. He’d even touch my chest or… oime… he tried to put his hand down … below.” Tears glimmered at the er of her eyes. “That was just before the time I drank with you and Shaeu. Thanks for that. I needed… needed some time to get over it, you know. Something else to think about other than hoy everything was.”

  I was starting to get extremely angry, but I mao keep a poker-face. Fuck, I hate this guy already. I may appreciate a fine woman with my eyes a bit too much, which I really should stop now I’m an engaged man, but I hate scum who would force themselves on women more than anything. If aried that to Eri, or my sis, or Shaeu, or hell, any of the irls I know… well, they’d find out just how deadly I get…

  “The women in the office started calling me a slut, spreading rumours I was a whore, sleeping with all the guys. Now pretty much everyone was harassing me, and my boss was demanding more overtime aloh him or more drinks after work.” She sounded heartbroken. “Then he exposed himself to me one night, tried to make me … service him, with.. you know. With my mouth.”

  She shook her head sadly. “I was going to quit then, but after I fought out of his grasp he said that if I did he’d snder me with all the other businesses in the area and I’d never get a referehat didn’t make me out to be shit, a thief or simir. Besides he told me something true. Quitters never get hired anywhere good, do they? It’s the golden rule.”

  “Wao kill him? What’s his name?” I asked, and she managed a dry chuckle.

  “That’s a good one. I wish you could. Still…” she shrugged. “I did sider it hard. I stayed off work, and you and Shaeu took me shopping with you. it was fun, to see the pair of you being colleagues who didn’t hate each other.”

  I’m fug serious. I absolutely could kill this guy… I doubt I’d ever get caught if I used elemental wind or fme…

  “Oh, don’t look like that, Akio-kun. It makes me feel worse.” she said softly, seeing my facial expression, that had escaped my trol. “So… I went back to work. What else could I do? Then finally… after refusing him long enough…”

  You didn’t, did you? Oh e on, please tell me that you didn’t give in… if you did, I’m going to mince his dick before I kill him, like Shaeu did to that thug…

  “I see what you’re thinking, but I’m no blushing schoolgirl. I’ve been around a while. I knew if I gave i wouldn’t be a oime thing, I’d just be his toy. And the others, they’d just…” She smmed her fist down, nearly spilling her drink, but I caught the toppling gss deftly, seg it.

  “… but there was an ultimatum. He ered me, and said if I didn’t sleep with him, he’d frame me fross misdud have me ruined. So I told him to get fucked. Then he…” She took a long deep breath to steady herself. “… theried to… tried to rape me.” She shuddered, g again. “Luckily he’s out of shape and older, so I mao fight him off. I did knee him rather hard in his fat guts. So I fled the offid quit, and I’ve been hiding at home ever since. I’m fucked now though. No refereno job, no savings. No future. A couple of times he’s called me up to say if I go crawling bad …. bee his mistress officially, he’ll let me wain, but… I have my pride. My dignity. I’d rather die here in this shithole than give in. Then when you knocked on my door, I thought it might have been him or some of the other bastards. Sorry about that.” She shot me a wan smile, terribly fake.

  Okay that was heavy stuff ihat’s it, I’ve decided. Again, what good is power if I ’t make those around me happy? I’m not going to try and help everyone in the world, but those within my sight who have been good to me, Shaeu, or any of my precious people…

  At my silent thought, Karen- spoke weakly. “I bet I disgust you, don’t I? I’m pathetie woman guys think they abuse and py with who won’t be able to fight back. Pride, dignity, it’s all a sop in the end, maybe I’d have been happier as his toy, at least for a while… damn it, it isn’t like anyone else cares about me anyway. I just… I hate to give in. Why the fuck should I?” At that the tears came again, and this time they were a great cascade, great heaving sobs that shook her whole frail body. Yeah, you’ve not beeing, have you? Well, I’ve made up my mind.

  As I stood she suddenly flinched back. Dropping to my knees before her, looking into her bloodshot eyes I smiled. “Right, that’s it. I’m taking you out to dinner. No refusing. On me of course.”

  She leaned backwards, her face twisting into a mix of wariness and rage. “Oh, so you hear my story and you think I’m easy, down on my lud ready to fuck too, do you? Well, unlike my boss and the worms I worked with, you may be hot, but I’m not so cheap.” She threw out the words to hurt me, gain some satisfa that she had been denied against her ex-colleagues, but I wasn’t stupid enough to bite. I merely tio smile gently while I pulled out my phone and opened up an image. She watched me, wary, fused and at her st tether.

  “See here? Look.” I showed her a picture of me and Eri, photographed irat, e ring on her finger, us tight together, looking overjoyed.

  “What…?” Karen- said, puzzled at the dire this was going.

  “I got engaged in Las Vegas. To my long-time childhood friend. That’s Eri. She’s geous isn’t she? So I apologise, but I’m off the market. No way I’d cheat on her. Besides, you are a good looking woman normally, but right now… sorry, but I think you o look in a mirror.”

  “gratutions?” she answered instinctively. Thehoughts caught up and she squawked indignantly. “What, are you saying I’m not good enough for you? Not even when I’m down on my lud vulnerable? Bastard…”

  “I think your pride is getting angry at the wrong things.” I chided her gently. “Seriously though, isn’t she geous?” I bragged about Eri, this time as a fiancée, not a childhood friend like I used to. “I don’t mean to rub it in, but if you think I’d put that at risk for a quick bout of pity sex with you, you don’t think muy intelligence or faithfulness, do you?”

  As she was uo protest, I poio her bathroom. “Seriously, you are a friend of mine, a neighbour, and Shaeu often brags about the times we’ve been drinking. My work is going well, so let me get you a meal at least. You’ve not beeing, I tell. And while we are out, you tell me about the name of the man I o kill…”

  She smiled then, a genuine one for the first time since I had entered. Dashing away her tears she sniffled, snot running down her fad soaking her clothes. “I think… I wouldn’t want you to go to prison for me, and I definitely wouldn’t want to make your fiancée sad.” She sighed, heavy feelings leaving her. “Seriously, gratutions. I’m gd at least one of us in this shitty apartment is a wi life. Maybe it isn’t too te for me yet.”

  “Just go and yourself up. Do your hair and makeup, put on your best dress. While you are doing that, I’ll tidy up this shitty mess, if you’ll pardon my swearing, and make a reservation somewhere det. Don’t worry, I promise I won’t steal your underwear or look at things I shouldn’t.”

  The only thing I had to wait for was a call from my parents, so I could take that here or at the restaurant if necessary…

  “I don’t think you need my underwear if you are marrying a girl like that.” She snorted indelicately, and then ughed loudly, her body shaking from released emotions, her gloom reg, at least a little. “Still though, no peeking while I’m iub, okay? Else I’ll make sure she finds out.”

  “As if a gentleman such as I would do that. Now, go, and you’ll feel better for it.”