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I want my sacrifice to mean something, but everything in Mitsukue is denying it.

What else is left for me in this empty city?

It's time to go.

It's time to go home.

I hope Missy had a better summer in Siesta than I did here—

...guma!

Who's there?

Who's what? What are you talking about?

...Hoshiguma!

Ghost-san!

Momoka?!

Do you hear Momoka's voice, Koretou?

Momoka? The idol? Isn't she supposed to be with you? I was going to ask where you hid—

I'm over here!

This way!

Hoshiguma runs in the direction of the voice.

Koretou sighs and follows her.

There's no one here. But the voice is getting closer—

Over here! This way!

Momoka?!

What—

...What are you doing in a TV?

Neither Hoshiguma nor Koretou say it out loud.

A shabby TV set lies outside a tiny shop. It is hard to tell what the shop does, or if it is even open at all.

Inside, Momoka is yelling something at Hoshiguma.

She is not looking at Hoshiguma, but knocking on something in front of her, as though she is trying to break the TV screen and climb out.

You're there, right, Hoshiguma?

I'm here! Can't you see me?

I can't see you, but I can hear you!

Oh, I'm so relieved... I thought it was all over...

*sob*...

Hold the tears. Where are you? What's going on with this TV?

Kichisei and I are being held prisoner at Kinbee's base—

Bzzt.

Momoka?!

The TV goes dark.

A cold wind blows through the gaps between the buildings, and Hoshiguma's sword hums in its sheath.

Koretou.

I was agitated by Uncle Tessai's death and forgot a few things. My bad.

But what about you? Did you really think I'd hidden Momoka?

Kichisei too. I guess she's not important to you, nothing more than an inveterate pachinko gambler.

Hoshiguma—

What's one or two innocent lives to you, as long as you get this troublemaker out of town? After all, they're already knee-deep in this Kinbee mess. Why bother?

We'll do our best to protect them—

The people who died in the Haunted House, Uncle Tessai, that yakuza killed in Kajimachi a few days ago... since when have you been any good at protecting anybody?

It is Hoshiguma's turn to punch the detective in the face.

The detective stumbles back a few steps before steadying himself.

I don't need you to remind me of my failures.

But you're not a troublemaker to me. You're my trump card, the only thing that can hurt Mifune, the only thing standing between him and total control of Mitsukue.

And the way you play it is to get me out of the city?

It's the best a cop can do.

A cop, eh?

You're a cop too. You know the limitations.

Go back to Lungmen, Hoshiguma. Your 'particular individual' and the L.G.D. will take care of things for you.

Hoshiguma instinctively reaches into her pocket, where her L.G.D. badge is.

But the first thing she feels is something soft, the ribbon that Tessai gave her after removing it from Hannya. A gift from her friends, bearing their best wishes.

For some reason, she feels like she can smell the sea breeze of Siesta.

The haystacks of the Victorian plains.

The aroma of Lungmen's downtown restaurants.

...And the scent of Kajimachi's old wooden houses.

You're right.

Good, you've seen the light. Now hurry up and—

I mean, you're right that the L.G.D. would take care of things for me.

Maybe I've been too cautious... too concerned about bothering my friends.

What do you mean?

Hoshiguma does not answer. She takes the sword and sheath from her belt, and begins wrapping the ribbon around the handle.

You're going to use the sword? For what?

I have a promise to fulfill.

You're going to rescue them?

Don't be sil—

Missy would probably be angry enough to burst a few blood vessels if I just went back to Lungmen with my tail between my legs, assuming I had a tail. And I'd never be able to look Lin Yühsia in the eye again.

As for Ch'en... I still have to fight Chi Xiao with the reforged Hannya. I can't very well go back empty-handed.

Aren't you afraid that you'll regret it for the rest of your life, like twenty years ago?

Uncle Tessai said that Hannya was imbued with the secret art of the temples. But I didn't have the discipline to suppress the madness in my Oni blood.

Discipline, madness... don't you think all that's a little vague?

I don't know what would've happened twenty years ago if the secret art was there, and I don't care. I don't need it now.

As long as this ribbon touches my hand, Hoshiguma will never fall to bloodlust.

As for regrets, the only thing I regret is that I tried to shoulder everything myself, but I was obsessed my sacrifice meaning something.

Why do you think you have to do this? Is it because you're a cop, or because you're yakuza?

Cop? Yakuza?

None of that matters.

I promised Momoka, that's all.

Oh, and since I'm going to rescue them, it's more likely than not I'll run into Mifune at some point... and I'll go find him if I don't. There's something I have to ask him.

Hoshiguma sees a light begin to appear from within the policeman's sunken, world-weary eyes.

You'll fight him?

I'm not looking for a fight, but I'm not sure there's a way out of it.

Put a gash or two in him for me.

You don't even have to ask.

Is that enough, though?

Like I said, I'm a cop.

I'm going back to the station.

I'll do my best to fend off pressure from upstairs, as long as there are no corpses.

Words cannot express my gratitude.

I hope I live up to it.

Hoshiguma! Hoshiguma! Can you hear me?

Can you hear—

Quit yappin'!

Hoshi—

You know what, yap all you want, we'll give that <i>aho</i> a warm welcome!

What does Kinbee want with me?