"Ethan please tell me you're not serious."

He shakes his head. "No. Not really. I'm dead serious."

I scratch my head. "You're about to be dead."

He smiled. "Come on, bro, it's not that bad, right?"

"I don't know, it's pretty troublesome." I look over at the woman beside me. She's...pretty.

She grins at me. I touch her face, by instinct.

"I'll help you, Akira. If you want."

I glance away. "Not now. I have things to do. Maybe later."

I get up, taking my sword with a sigh. Sometimes I have nightmares. About the things I do with this sword. And the things I've done.

But that doesn't matter. I'm here, I'm this person...because Dahlia is safe. That's all. Everything was fine. It's not like it mattered much.

I don't have to do anything violent. Not much. It's very peaceful here. I just find that sometimes...I want to.

I'm going to check something out. There's a little mishap with one of the associates.

Daichi Sato. A writer. He's been raping women around Kabukichō, over in Shinjuku. We don't stand for that behavior here.

Not in my territory.

I try not to hurt people. Dahlia is very kind and I think she would be disappointed if I was very violent with people.

But this man is trash. He rapes women and makes money off the stories he writes about them. Spinning it as some fairy tale.

Trash isn't killed. It's just taken out. As trash should be.

And there's no way she would be upset. I don't think so.

I smile, taking the car down to Shinjuku where he lives. He's supposed to making some deal today. I don't want to hurt any innocents. I'll ambush him as the club he frequents.

Today is his pick up. Japan is pretty peaceful. Low crime rates, usually. They don't like to publicize any crime. It seems they view it as...failure. So the Yakuza isn't illegal. They don't mind us.

Not the violent kind, we mostly just deal in gambling.

"We're here sir."

I nod, getting out. I'll set up here, and wait for him.

I sit between two of the workers there.

"Ai, Mikki," I greet them.

"If it isn't Akira. What are you doing here?"

I shrug. "What I always do here. Wait for trash to pickup."

They grin. "What would we without you, Akira?"

I shrug. "I dunno. End up dead I guess."

They shrug me off, saying that essentially I'm strange and they leave me. I just sit there for a few hours before he walks in.

He walks in with someone else, maybe the agent from America they sent for his stories. I don't mind them, but can't see them either from this distance.

"Well, well," I whisper, as he hands the person drink after drink. "Must be a woman. Scum."

I stand cracking my neck. I go to approach him, but suddenly the agent is moving to the dance floor. I find myself curious.

I go over and inspect her. She's dancing. Dancing like nothing in the world could touch her. He blinked. Something about her...

She turned around and smiled. Smiled at him. His breath left his body.

"Who...?" I whispered.

She paused, cocking her head. "A-?"

I smiled. "And you? Who are you? Do you speak Japanese? You're not from around here—"

"I do, speak Japanese. Akira."

"How do you know my name?" I asked.

She smiled, looking away. "So you can see?"

I nodded, with a frown. "You...are you Dahlia?"

She looked away. "Do I look like her?"

I close my eyes. "Speak, take my hand."

She took his hand, smiling. "I said...Do I look her?"

I left my hand drift up to her face, following the contours of her face.

"Dahlia," I whisper.

She smiled, grabbing my face. "Akira...you can see."

I nodded. "You were right. I got treatment. Took time, money...a lot of money, but...they were saved. Thanks to you. I'm alive—"

She just shook her head. "How did you get here? Do you remember? I—"

I smile, looking over her shoulder. She smells like flowers but less so. I glance at Ethan.

I nod over to him, and then to the writer. He will die tonight, this discovery aside. I smile down at her kindly.

"Dahlia, dear Dahlia. Come...let me show you my home, let me show you a fraction of the hospitality you showed me, please."

She smiled. I've always wondered what her smile looked like. I can't see her well in these lights.

"I would love that, Akira," she takes my face between those soft hands. "Oh..I can't believe your here."

I smile, looking at my target.

"I'll give you the address, go there tonight. I'll make you dinner, we'll catch up, talk. And I can see you, in the light."

She smiled with a nod. "I-I'm with a client right now but—"

"Don't worry. I'll send a car for you, right now. I'll talk to your client. It's been two long years. I have my sight. You're here. Let's celebrate."

She smiled. "Okay. You're right. I have so much to ask you," I start moving her toward her Ethan.

"My friend Ethan is going to take you home. He speaks English, and I trust him with my life. Come on," I direct her to him, pushing her gently into his hands.

He looks up at me in confusion. "Akira what's this I thought—"

I smile forcefully. "This is my good friend, my savior really. Dahlia."

His eyes widen. "Ah. Okay. Do you want me to take her?"

I smile. "Yes. Take her to my home. Make her comfortable. Whatever she asks, give it to her. If I don't have it, buy it."

He nods uncomfortably. I narrow my eyes. "Don't day anything that will scare her now," I grin. "You know we Japanese speak more harshly than English speakers."

He nods. "Of course."

I watch her walk away, Ethan smiling and laughing as they speak.

I set my sights on my pickup. I corner him quickly, and walk him out the door. "Hey, hey! What's this about?"

"Oh, yknow..." I sling my shoulder over his. "They day I collect the trash. They count on me for that."

"Are you?"

I smile. "Yeah. This is going to be you last day alive. The ladies of Shinjuku, really don't feel safe with you around. So...you won't be around. Understand."

"Please. I have money,"

I grin. "Really! Me too," I walk him into the alley. "Your next victim. Was it going to be the agent they sent from America?"

He glanced away. "I-I was only gonna—"

I grin. "I'm...really going to kill you now. That woman is very important to me."

"Please!"

I sigh. "Don't say please. Say thank you. I'm putting you out to pasture. I'm retiring you. So..." I draw my sword, "Happy retirement."