Chapter 41

Sam set foot in Tokyo, returning to one of the streets he used to work on. He took a deep breath and thought, 'Man, I missed this city.'

Currently, he was assuming the identity of Tony: white-waxed hair, a long black coat, and gloves.

He reached for his phone and made a call.

"What's up, Musafa?"

"Hey, Tony. Have you arrived?"

"Yep."

"I'll send someone to pick you up."

Before coming to Tokyo, Sam had asked one of his contracts for an apartment to stay in. He could have bought one with the money he had accumulated from his life as a mercenary, but he didn't want to attract any attention. Besides, Power seemed to have moved on to a new place. As for his old place, it had been provided by the government, so it shouldn't be available.

"Don't bother, I'm not going there yet. Give me the address," Sam said.

"Do you have a job to complete first?" asked Musafa. "In that case, I hope it's not against my people."

"Don't worry. There are a few places I'm going to visit."

"Alright."

Sam hung up the call. He received a message with the address of a new apartment and the location of the hidden key.

With his hands in his pockets, he started walking back to his old house.

Sam stood there, gazing at his previous apartment. Through the window, he could see a traditional family having lunch. He could faintly recall memories of himself walking around, cooking, playing, and even playing with Meowy in that house.

He sighed as he watched the family that had taken his place.

'No wonder they found out about Makima pestering me. I underestimated the trouble my loose lips could cause.'

'It could be anyone with a grudge, but something doesn't add up. If it were the gangs coming after me, they would have attempted to kidnap Makima or something, and they would have been dealt with before I even knew it.'

'However, the government might see me as a liability that needs to be eliminated.'

'Still, I need to be sure,' he thought, his gaze hardening. 'When I have doubts, that's when I become the bogeyman.'

But there was no rush.

'Until then, I need to avoid Makima. She'd recognize me by my scent.'

Sam hailed a taxi. His next stop was the graveyard, specifically the section dedicated to the devil hunters. He stood before his grave, looking at his own name.

He rubbed his eyes, tears forming. "You poor soul. Even in death, you couldn't rest in peace. Your work was stolen, and now motivational speakers are using you for their scams. You were like a lion feared in life, but in death, the vultures didn't leave you."

By vultures, he meant Power.

He sighed and sat down, contemplating how he could exact his revenge.

Revealing that he was alive to everyone wouldn't work, as many would come after him. So, here was his plan: he would clarify things with one of the gangs. Afterward, he would get back to work and instruct Makima to keep his identity a secret. If it turned out to be the government, they would send someone after him whom he could interrogate.

"Rest in peace, Sam. I promise I'll avenge you."

Sam stood up and turned when he heard someone entering the graveyard's section. It was a blue-eyed woman with an eye patch, Himeno.

Right, she still visited the graves often.

Sam felt a pang of guilt for allowing her to come to his grave for so long.

"Maybe I should tell her, but she'll nag me anyway," Sam thought as he shook his head, stood up, and walked away.

As he walked past Himeno, who appeared somewhat absent-minded, she turned her head toward him.

"Who are you?" she asked, stopping him.

Sam replied, "Does it matter?"

"That grave," she pointed at Sam's grave, "he doesn't have family, and no one visits him. Yet, you sat there for a long time."

Thinking quickly, he responded, "I was curious about him, so I decided to take a look."

"Why do your eyes look swollen, then?"

"Bad air," Sam said, rubbing his eyes.

"Look at me," she demanded.

He shrugged his shoulders and walked off. He wanted to use Flash-step, but that would give him away, so he walked briskly.

Himeno followed him, her eyes wide open. "You know, you two have the same bone structure, the same walk, and the same voice pitch. And hair wax doesn't work."

'I really don't like this drama... Shit.'

Sam stopped and sighed. He turned his face and looked at Himeno, smiling. "What do you think?"

She paused and looked at his face as if she had seen a ghost.

Sam grabbed a bottle of water and began pouring it over his head, washing the wax away, his hair falling and turning black.

"You know, I've always wondered why people never recognize me. I guess you and I have a special bond," Sam said, smiling at her stunned expression.

Her jaw dropped as she stared at his face. "I was going to say you're his long-lost twin brother or something. You're alive?"

"No," Sam walked toward her, placed his hands on her shoulders, and softly whispered, "This is one of those dreams where you dream of your deceased loved one."

"Oh, I see. Should've expected it, since it's not the first time," Himeno replied, lowering her gaze and hugging him.

Sam hugged her back, and his hand accidentally slipped onto her butt cheek. He pinched her gently, then applied more pressure.

Himeno's eye began to twitch from the pain.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed as she pulled away, staring at him angrily before looking at him with a dazed expression.

"Bet pinches don't hurt in dreams," Sam smirked. "Want more of a reality check?"

"You're fucking alive!" she screamed.

Sam covered her mouth with his hand to hush her. "Shh. Someone is after my life. Don't shout nonsense."

"Em ehm eem?" She tried to say something, but he was still blocking her mouth.

He pulled his hand back, and she held him by the collar.

"And it didn't occur to you to contact me until three months later?"

"I wasn't in Japan. It's a long story."

"What happened?" she asked.

Sam reached into his pocket and grabbed a coloring wax. "I'll contact you later. Just stop crying at my grave, will you?" He then applied the wax to his hair.

"Who cares about you, anyway?" Himeno faked a chuckle.

Sam pointed at himself.

"You haven't changed your phone number, have you?"

"You didn't think of contacting me either."

Sam shrugged and took out his new phone. "My phone was left on the plane."

"You have a lot of explaining to do..." She took her phone and typed her number.

He then took his phone back. 

"I'll contact you. Anyway, keep this encounter a secret." Then he vanished into thin air.