Kuroishi, clutching his wrist, grins with bloody teeth: "You’ve gone soft. The Fable who killed 17 men in one night… now he plays policeman."
Kuroishi slits two of Takeda’s men. Takeda is on his knees. Kuroishi raises the blade—then stops. He looks directly at Akira’s hiding spot.
Akira leans close, voice a whisper: "Those 17 men didn't have families eating dinner. I watched their widows. I’m not soft. I’m tired."
Akira: "Tell him I used a rubber knife." (He didn’t.)
Akira: "He spared me once. I hate debt."
Kuroishi, on the night bus, holds his broken wrist. He’s still smiling. He dials a phone.
Kuroishi laughs—a dry, rattling sound. He tosses a photo on the table. It’s a rival yakuza captain, , with a red X over his face.
