[35] Post Tragedy

Yazaki Toshiji, the original manager of the brothel Under Eden, now lay helpless, his battered face and fat body dragged mercilessly by Asuka and Rinko. Each step was accompanied by the restrained gritting of teeth, while the two women walked with no hint of compassion. The man had fallen into the snare of sin, and now, like a helpless pig, Toshiji was being dragged towards the end of this grim tale.

Asuka, with furrowed brows and sharp eyes, occasionally glanced around the now silent place, adorned only by the ash of battle and destruction. In the midst of the silence, her heart wondered where Kaoru was.

Shiranui, not far off, was busy assisting Yukikaze with the cremation ritual for her father. Thin wisps of black smoke rose to the sky, marking the end of a tragedy. Despite the somber atmosphere, Asuka could not restrain her curiosity. She knew that although everything seemed to be over, one piece was missing—Kaoru.

"Where is Kaoru?" she asked with a tone of keen interest while dragging the nearly unconscious Toshiji.

Shiranui turned slowly, his weary eyes slightly lowering as if gathering the strength to explain something hard to believe. "Kaoru... He said there was something he had to do," Shiranui replied with a hesitant tone. "He... he tore through dimensions, as if he just entered another world. It's hard to explain if you didn't see it yourself."

Asuka's eyes narrowed, her expression shifting from surprise to shock. Before she could ask further, the air around them suddenly trembled and tore apart. A dimensional rift appeared once more before them, accompanied by a fierce wind carrying strange rumbling sounds. From within the rift, Kaoru emerged calmly, as if he had just returned from a stroll in the park.

"Pfft... a dreadful outing. Hmm?" Kaoru glanced at Asuka and Rinko, who were stunned by his arrival. His hair was dishevelled, but his aura remained calm, as if nothing of consequence had occurred. "Ah, you're finished! Good, our work is finally done."

Asuka, who had long been holding back her curiosity, could no longer contain her demand. "Kaoru, explain! What actually happened over there when we weren't around? You suddenly disappeared and then came back like this. What did you do?" Her tone was sharp, demanding a clear answer.

Kaoru chuckled softly, his tone almost teasing. "Ah, it's a long story and, to be honest, you might not believe it. But for now..." Kaoru raised a hand, gesturing to the helpless Toshiji. "The important thing is that it's all resolved down to the roots. Both the evil organisation and the demon mastermind behind all this have been removed. Now it's just a matter of clean-up."

Rinko, who had previously been a silent observer, finally gathered the courage to speak. Her voice was quiet but clear enough to break the tense atmosphere. "So... it's really over?" Her expression still bore disbelief, as if her mind couldn't process how quickly this chaos had come to an end.

Kaoru turned to her, his sharp yet calm eyes meeting Rinko's. With a meaningful smile and a touch of arrogance, he replied, "Yes, nearly. There are still remnants of chaos to tidy up." His tone was calm, like a storm that had passed but left traces of wind in the distance.

Moments later, the chaos was cleared with almost astonishing speed. The brothel, once a den of darkness, was now nothing more than ruins left to decay. It didn't take long. As an illegal place hidden in the depths of Yomihara, "the lawless city," there were no complex regulations to deal with. No authorities arrived with questions, no bureaucracies to bind. This city was a shadow roaming free, where every soul stepping within brought their own laws.

However, the events that had taken place here—despite being hidden in Yomihara's dark shadow—did not go unnoticed. Another figure was quietly observing from behind the veil of the world. This figure, with sharp eyes monitoring every movement in the shadowed world, was Edwin Black.

In the silence and gloom of Yomihara, Edwin's deep gaze implied a profound interest in what had transpired. Indeed, Kaoru, with all his actions, had attracted the attention of a greater and more dangerous entity. Edwin Black could not ignore such a significant event, knowing well that occurrences like this could determine the fate of the world.

Kaoru, despite appearing relaxed, seemed to sense that he would not easily escape from a larger conspiracy. The world he stood in was not only filled with petty criminals and sly demons but also with more powerful entities hiding behind the veil of reality, manipulating the world's fate like pieces on a chessboard.

Above him, a beautiful woman with long black hair was pressing down on him, her previously calm eyes now appearing confused and awkward. The woman was a widow, a mother of one, who had somehow lost her memory due to the recent mysterious incident. Instead of her adult memories, she reverted to her teenage personality—full of uncertainty and endearing childishness. Currently, she looked like a blushing teenage girl, her face flushed red, awkwardly gazing at Kaoru.

"I-I didn't mean to...!" Her voice was panicked, while her hands tried to support her body that had fallen right on top of Kaoru, making the situation even more awkward.

Kaoru, who usually could face demon kings and terrifying creatures without flinching, now found himself silent, breathless. His usual calm demeanour abruptly faded, replaced by shock and confusion. "Ahem... could you... get off me?" Kaoru tried to steady himself, though his face reddened slightly.

The woman—who had once been a responsible mother, now with a clumsy teenage personality—bit her lip and tried to rise. But, whether from panic or loss of balance, her body only pressed down more on Kaoru.

"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, growing more panicked as she tried to find footing but only worsened the situation.

Kaoru sighed inwardly, This is harder than facing Asmodeus, he thought. Every time the woman tried to move, somehow, her position became more complicated, until Kaoru decided to handle the matter himself. Swiftly, he lifted her and gently moved her aside.

"It's... safe now," Kaoru said, taking a deep breath, trying to regain his usual composure. But the woman's expression of deep embarrassment made him smile slightly.

"I'm so sorry again, I didn't know what was happening..." The woman lowered her head, biting her lip, feeling deeply embarrassed.

Kaoru looked at her for a moment, then said softly, "It's alright. All of this... well, it's just the effect of the lost memories. It might take time for everything to return to normal."

The woman looked at him and then gave a small smile, "You're always so calm, Kaoru-kun."

Kaoru chuckled inwardly, Calm? In a situation like this? Perhaps, dealing with a world full of conspiracies, demons, and threats is easier than facing an awkward situation like this. But one thing was certain, whether on the battlefield or in unexpected romcom moments, Kaoru's life was never truly calm.