Chapter 18

Chapter 18 – Interlude

"It was all that damn girl's fault. If she had just done what I told her none of this would be happening." Inoue Kisho stomped across the stone floor of the training hall. This chamber – once a natural cavern found by miners in his great-grandfather's time – had been the training ground for Inoue earth quirks for generations. They had worked and finished the space into the semblance of a great underground hall - with stone block floors and walls, interspersed with pits of dirt, rocks, and gravel. Only the high ceiling had been left natural – held up by pillars that were half shaped stone and half natural stalactite.

"But what do we do now?" his idiot son Goro asked. Inoue almost struck him again.

"Stop whining! I want you to go to some friend's house and call your elder brothers. Don't be seen by anyone, especially the police. I want all my son's here at 2100. Do you understand?"

"But Kenichi …"

"Is not my son!" Inoue pulled his mewling brat off his feet and lifted him until their noses touched. "Never mention him again. Now go!"

When he dropped him, the boy scrambled backwards on all fours until he was well out of reach of his father. Then he sprang to his feet and sprinted towards the entrance. The hall could be reached on foot, though Inoue always came through the Earth instead. Just as he'd ridden the earthflows to this safe haven after he and the brat had escaped the ambush at the southwest site.

"Damn her!"

"It's all ruined," he muttered. "Everything's gone to shit. If only…"

He'd had such plans. A few simple risks. Not even gambles really. He'd done his homework. He knew the players and the game. There was no way he should have lost so much so quickly. He was certain the Chinese bastards had cheated somehow. He never should have gone off-shore. Even more, he never should have gone back.

If he had won like he was supposed to he would have made enough to pay off all the previous debts, pay back the company, and had enough to sink the new shafts. Now he owed the Nine Head Dragon on top of the Shie Hassaikai. His family had a long time relationship with that yakuza clan going back generations. Real Japanese did not do business with foreign devils.

Then the old Oyabun had said he was too far in debt. Wouldn't let him place bets anymore. He was still willing to extend credit because of the relationship they had. Now the old man was sick and with the new punk taking over, he had no more credit and no more time. Overhaul would only loan him money with the mines – the whole valley – as collateral.

So he'd signed the notes and taken every yen in the company and the valley and laid it out on a sure thing. He would take the Chinese at their own game. How could he lose?

Damn cheaters.

Even then, it wasn't too late. Sure, the punk was making noises about how the mines would make a secure place for him to manufacture and store some new drug, but that was just talk.

Inoue had started pushing his miners to produce more and started raising rents in the valley. He stopped his bribes to the prefectural government. He stopped payments to vendors and contractors, all while pressing them for kickbacks. Anything to get the money to keep both gangs off his back – without letting anyone know. No one could know. Otherwise, it would all fall apart.

His brothers were always nipping at his heels – wanting to take his place at the top of the mountain. They started complaining about how he was ruining the company's reputation and hurting the people of the valley. Who cares? He'd fix it all.

When he found the old deed to the Temple, he immediately bullied Yanagi into paying. Why not – they had been living on valuable Inoue land for centuries. It didn't matter that some long-forgotten Inoue had promised them the Temple as long as they cared for the people of the valley. Who cares about any of that? It wasn't even a proper Shinto temple.

He needed the money. He would have been back for more. Maybe even sinking a shaft in the middle of that damned eyesore.

He found enough money to keep Overhaul from foreclosing – barely. He had months before the next payment was due. Enough to figure some way out.

Or he would have if that damned Yanagi girl hadn't gone crying to the media just because Goro was mean to her. She and her thrice-damned video.

Overhaul had showed up in his house while he was sleeping – pulled him out of bed and let him know that the valley property was of no value to him if people – official people – started looking at it too closely. Shut the girl up, make the problem go away or Overhaul would collect the debt immediately, just to burn it all down in front of him.

He'd gone to her to get her to stop. To tell everyone she was lying. Nothing was wrong with the valley. Everyone was happy. How could she refuse him?

Inoue owned her. He owned everyone in the valley and they all knew it. How could she have said no? Why didn't she submit like her father had been submitting every year her whole life?

He couldn't let her get away with it. Even when there was nothing on the line, no Inoue could let anyone in the valley defy them. Not for centuries. If they did, they risked losing it all. Every Inoue was taught that simple truth from birth. "We are the law. We are the masters. Everyone else bows before us."

But she refused to bow. So, Inoue had to show her her place. Or he tried, when that damned Mirko butted in. What right did she have to interfere with valley business? He was exercising powers given to his family by the Shogun himself. Centuries of authority.

Sure, he was able to pay my way out – but that was another thing he owed the Shie Hassaikai. If they had not pulled strings he might still be in jail, money or not.

And when Inoue returned to the valley the government had sent investigators. Outsiders in his valley. It was not to be endured.

He had to get the evidence – copies of the agreements with the Shie Hassaikai, the records of my debts to the Nine Head Dragon, along with all the mortgage papers and other files out of the safe in my office. Get it to the secret vault.

The underground complex had been built during the Interregnum when his grandfather feared the collapse of order and society would reach the valley. It never did. His family was too strong, their mines too rich. They held them off with only a few compromises with the Warlord and the Shie Hassaikai. No one remembered the existence of the vault. His secrets would be safe there.

Once Inoue got rid of the investigators he would be able to ensure Overhaul his collateral was safe and find a way to pay back all those he owed – both money and retribution.

Then she came along and interfered again!

She must be a demon. Her father must have summoned her from the depths of Hell to plague Inoue. How else could she defeat him in combat on his own ground?

She must have cheated.

When Inoue's three sons gathered, he explained the situation.

"Now it is all too late. I'll never be able to stop the investigation. Everything will come out. All the wrongs done to me will somehow be laid at my feet – as if I were to blame."

"I will not give them that opportunity."

"I will show them how a real man – a samurai – deals with such problems."

"I will show them all."

His sons followed him as he opened a tunnel to their house. The earth moved them forward like an escalator. The shaft opened into the courtyard of the Inoue home compound.

"Lock the gates. Gather the family and staff. Bring them here and have them bring cameras. I want them – and the whole world – to watch and never forget the courage of the Inoue."

The old man and his oldest son went into the house. A half hour later, they emerged into the gathered crowd. The middle son had set a white cloth on the ground and a white screen as a background.

Inoue was dressed in white formal regalia and carried the two swords of the samurai. His son was dressed similarly – if less elaborately.

The old man knelt, laying the short sword before him and handing the long sword to his son. He read out a short poem –

Clouds gather, night falls

The world does not see the stars

Light dies in darkness

Then he pulled the silk aside to bare his torso and eviscerated himself.

His son took his head before he could finish the first cut, as he cried out in agony and shame.