The northern district was unlike any other.
Nowhere else in [Fumetsu] resembled ancient Japan so closely.
The houses, the public architecture, and countless small details had been inherited from the nation
that once stood so close to the artificial island.
Visiting that district was like taking a trip back in time about eighty years into the past.
Of course, technology was still present in that small piece of paradise.
The cars speeding through the streets and the teenagers glued to their phones were proof enough.
Even so, it remained a charming place to visit and to live in.
Unbeknownst to its inhabitants, they were blessed for another reason as well.
Goto's corruption did not reach this place.
Illegal laboratories, abuse of power, assassinations, kidnappings, money laundering
and every other underhanded crime were forbidden by strict agreements.
The reason for this privilege was simple: Shogun.
Could one man really keep Goto in check?
Yes….and no.
The leader of the northern district was a special kind of man:
one who obeyed the law but placed his morality above it.
The samurai was no ordinary [esper]; he was a [Beta Rank],
someone even the head of the [Black Corps] feared and respected at least, to a certain extent.
An impressive feat, considering they were essentially enemies.
"(Such peace…)"
As he watched the people walking peacefully, unaware of the civil war looming ahead,
Shogun quietly drank his coffee in a small, unknown café.
He carried no armor or weapons, so no one recognized him.
His true identity had always been hidden even from his most loyal subordinates.
Only a handful of people on the island knew his real name and face.
"(…And such serenity. Yet I'm about to make a decision that will destroy it all.)"
⸻
(Shogun's P.O.V. – Past)
I hadn't rested on my laurels over the years.
Since the day I took this position, I had done the unthinkable to protect my district.
Some of my actions still make me ashamed they keep me awake at night.
The horrors I took part in will weigh on my soul forever.
But among them, the pact I made with Goto years ago was the worst of all.
When I met him, that man already controlled nearly all of the [Black Corps] and many of the island's most powerful figures.
His mask of false virtue never deceived me not even once.
I never underestimated my enemy.
Before he could see me as a threat and act against me, I took full control of my district,
surrounding myself with trusted men and women.
For a brief time, I even believed I could expose him for what he truly was.
My youthful arrogance burned with the desire to defeat the great Goto and save
[Fumetsu] from his bloodstained hands.
I was just a fool with delusions of grandeur.
Goto didn't confront me with military or political might.
Not because he didn't want to but because he couldn't.
My district wasn't weak, and the evidence I had against him was too damning to ignore.
No, he faced me with the cruelest weapon of all: the truth.
The truth of what would happen if the island fell into chaos there would be no victory.
Even if I somehow prevailed, the fragile illusion of peace my people lived under would be shattered forever.
He was a greedy, hollow monster one who would destroy thousands of innocent lives.
And yet, he was still a better alternative than letting Japan intervene directly.
The world had become more tolerant, but everyone knew there were still those
who believed the artificial islands weren't enough to contain [espers] and [mages].
The men and women in power in Japan driven by fear or greed,
would never allow Goto to be overthrown.
To them, he was a useful watchdog.
His willingness to keep open the laboratories that experimented on [mages] and [espers] was more than appreciated.
His secret dealings ran deep almost impossible to uncover but they existed.
If I had started a war against him, too many would have paid the price.
"To give peace to the many, a few must be sacrificed."
That line haunted me for months.
To pacify me and the district, Goto granted me more freedom:
the freedom to turn this corner of the island into a paradise.
In a sense, I became the true ruler of this sector, while he governed the remaining four-fifths.
For a time, I wondered why he'd stoop so low, why a man so proud and ruthless would give me so much power.
Then I understood: his wife had just died, and his daughter was still a child.
He was vulnerable, and he knew it.
But his true concern was the girl. Her eyes were clear, her intentions pure perhaps too pure.
I never knew whether he used that grief as a weapon in our negotiation,
or whether he was simply too broken to hide it.
A part of me hoped for the latter.
I wanted to believe a spark of humanity still burned within him.
That I hadn't made a pact with a demon entirely devoid of it.
Over time, things settled into a fragile equilibrium, an illusion as brittle as glass.
Outwardly, for the island and for Japan, we presented a united front.
I was willing to work with them for the greater good.
But in truth, I was the only one who truly cared for [Fumetsu].
My colleagues, the heads of the other districts, were the worst of the worst.
Watching them was my way of reminding myself that this piece of paradise I'd built was born from a pact with monsters.
But the balance couldn't last forever.
Goto had grown bolder over the years.
Disappearances of [mages] and [espers] with rare abilities had become increasingly common.
I was no longer young, though I had long reached my peak as a fighter.
One day, I would slow down and weaken.
Goto, meanwhile, kept searching for a way to overcome his greatest fear: the [Omega Ranks].
My spies told me he had nearly, perhaps already, achieved that goal.
If that were true, then this "rebellion" brewing in the shadows might be my only chance to change things…
and to atone for my sins.
As I pondered this, someone strange walked in.
(End of P.O.V.)
*******************
While sipping his coffee, Shogun noticed the newcomer entering the shop.
"?"
Her presence made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
Discreetly observing the small, delicate girl with pale blue hair and crimson eyes, he instantly sensed her danger.
"(Who is she? And what does she want? No, perhaps I should first ask why no one else can see her.)"
Even without an expressive face, the [mage] could tell such a girl would have drawn everyone's attention.
"(I can feel [magic] in the air… Hmm. So she's here for me.)"
The girl smiled faintly as she approached, her unnaturally long fangs glinting.
"Shogun? I'm the leader of the [New Dawn].
We're planning to overthrow Goto. How about a little chat?" (Yukihime)
Faced with a startled yet composed Shogun, Yukihime giggled softly.
"I'm not here to hurt anyone.
As you can see, I've made sure no one notices me." (Yukihime)
"…If that's the case, it would be rude of me not to let you speak.
Please, sit." (Shogun)
"Trust me," she said with a smirk, "this will be a most enlightening conversation." (Yukihime)