Akio and I were pretty much stuck since our oyabun of New York was not in New York but in Japan and there was just the two us from the top heads since everyone else had gone back to Tokyo already. So aside from the lower heads, we were the only heads of the 36 Moons. There was the Yami and Itto Ketsuen...but this was Jia's land. I called Ichiro on my way over to the restaurant as I let him know what was going on. He, along with Karasu, was there when I arrived, standing outside with his guards, dressed in all black, a white shirt on this time as he said,

"We haven't gone inside yet."

"I see. Is anyone inside?" Said Akio.

"Tsubasa and the rest of the Yami."

I nodded as we went inside as well, Ichiro's guards out in front as he went in behind them and Akio and myself behind him. We walked in a small group towards the table where the Yami sat with the newest enemy. As Ichiro sat down, Karasu beside him and the guards, along with myself stood behind them. Akio took a seat as one of the 36 Moons business head and I looked at the new enemy.

I had seen coldness and ice before. I've seen it in Mikkie's eyes, I've heard it in Aoki's tone of voice, I had seen it in myself when doing my job. But this guy...he took it to a whole new level. His eyes gazed at the newest people that just sat down, then at the guards behind them. When his eyes fell on me, I felt a chill run through my body and a shiver run up my spine. His eyes were hard, cold, almost a gold color since the hazel was very light, the center a pitch black. So chilling where his eyes...I had never seen anything like it...not even within Mikkie. He leaned back in his seat, a black coat on while a red wine colored shirt was underneath. It was not buttoned up so the top of his collar bones were shown along with the top of his chest. His hair was short, yet long enough to fall around his eyes and around his cheek. It was colored a honey blonde and his skin was white, paper white. He smoked a cigarette, a half filled glass of wine sat not too far front of him, two guards stood behind him as he sat quietly. Tsubasa then said,

"Eirinsu Reikoku, these are my associates from the Itto Ketsuen, Sozaburo Ichiro, the oyabun and his second in command Kuroi Karasu. And one of the business heads from the 36 Moons, Ryuunen Akio."

"Why a business head from the 36 Moons and not someone of importance?"

His voice was deep, almost not fitting in his young looking face and body. He brought his hand up to inhale part of his cigarette as Akio looked angry as well as insulted. Akio then said,

"Our oyabun has business to attend to elsewhere. Minor problems are usually dealt with business heads."

Eirinsu's expression did not change. He just in fact, nodded as he then reached up to the table and took a drink from his glass. Tsubasa did the same as he said,

"We'd like to know what your business here is."

"I'm not after the Yami. Or the Itto Ketsuen...or the 36 Moons. I want nothing to do with any of you. In fact, I could careless about what any of you have to say. I'm here after Nagashima. Plain and simple."

"Why'd you try to kill his kid?" Said Akio

"One or the other...same thing. Both are Nagashima. And say the old man died now...then his child would be left to face me anyway."

Tsubasa took a drink as he set his glass back down and said,

"Nagashima is allied with us."

"And there's probably a good reason. The old man is scared."

"Why would he have reason to be scared of you?" Said Ichiro.

Eirinsu looked at him as he then rubbed out his cigarette as he exhaled and said,

"Nagashima and I go back for a few years. He's been taking over a small part of California. Since most of California was divided among the Koreans and the Japanese, we kept what we could and stole what we could from each other. The Japanese on Cali's side were broken into sections. We dared not travel anywhere else unless allied or with legit reason. Nagashima got ambitious and began traveling through, taking what was not his from allies of mine. I didn't get involved until he took it a step too far. From there, Nagashima and I were pit against each other. I swore to the old man that if came near anything of mine, I would not stop until I killed him or his child. It's where the baby sitter for the brat-emperor came in. Nagashima and I fought with each other as the kid grew up. More recently, he tried to take my own city. After a battle and blood shed, Nagashima skipped out on Cali and traveled here to hide behind the 36 Moons. Who would dare come after them anyway?"

Karasu then said,

"But you're here."

"I'm here to make a deal. I want Nagashima. I won't do battle with any of you. Give the old man and his kid to be done with and I'll go back to Cali."

"You can't have them. Nagashima is allied with the 36 Moons and what was his in Cali is now ours." Said Akio.

Eirinsu then shrugged his shoulders as he said,

"I'm not concerned with all that. The 36 Moons can keep what they have of California. That does not concern me at all. I just want Nagashima."

"You don't seem to understand. Nagashima is with us. If you wish to battle him, you battle with us." Said Ichiro.

Eirinsu swept his hair back, some of it still framing his face perfectly and naturally. He kept his same stern, cold expression on his face, unchanged during the entire course of the dinner as he nodded and fingered the brim of his glass as he stared at the remains of the red wine.

"I see."

His voice still deadpan, the same steady tone that neither rose or changed. It gave me a cold feeling again. I think everyone else sensed it too but said nothing in front of Eirinsu. Ichiro then let his blondish red bangs fall around his eyes as he said,

"What are you thinking Eirinsu?"

"How I plan on getting around all of you without going through all of you. Three syndicates against me...that's a bit much. But I have to ask each of you this. Why so much protection against Nagashima? Has he instilled so much trust in each of you already?"

"It's a matter of business." Said Karasu.

Eirinsu nodded, as he brought the crystal to his mouth and said,

"Oh. I see."

He drank the rest of the wine, his elegant pale throat shown as he leaned his head back slightly. Once he was done, he gave a sigh as he went into his coat pocket and retrieved his wallet as he gave a gesture for the waitress to come over to him. She came over as he asked for the check. Once she was gone, Eirinsu then said,

"I'll pay. We'll meet again, Yami, Itto Ketsuen and 36 Moons. I look forward to it."

Once the waitress came back, he paid for the dinner and then got up as he and his guards left.

Not too long after that, Akio let Jia know. Jia was not too worried, but nonetheless he sent Tai back over to New York to conduct on his behave. I was sent to pick him up the night he arrived. Tai was of course exhausted. Jet lag does that to a body no matter how many times he traveled back and forth across the oceans. He thanked me for picking him up and we shared a cab back into the city as I explained the situation in a hushed voice so the driver wouldn't hear.

"His name is Eirinsu Reikoku. He's from California. He's got personal vendetta against Nagashima and he's looking for just him, no one else."

"Nagashima is allied with us. He can't get just him."

"Karasu and Sozaburo let him know that but I don't think Eirinsu cares. He's like ice. He's got no change of face...it's sort of disturbing."

"Hm...a true yakuza."

I didn't understand what he meant by that. I thought I had seen all the faces a yakuza could possibly have. From Aoki to Mikkie to Tai I thought there was all I could see.

"What do you mean?"

"He's inhuman. Unlike us who stop to the point of loyalty, when we feel it would cross each other, Jia, our allies, we stop. We have a line to never cross. Someone like Eirinsu does not have these lines. He would, if need be, kill whoever stood in his way. Oyabun, associate, allie, mother, father, wife, children, lovers...it wouldn't make a difference to him. He's so two dimensional and unlike the rest of us, he truly feels nothing. Nothing could move or break his ice statue face...he knows no shame, no fear, no joy or anger. His concern is getting his job done and whatever ends justify his means."

"How do you know?"

"I've seen it so few rare times. The times I do it, it would send chills down my spine. Eirinsu is one of those that functions that way."

I nodded slightly as Tai reached up and covered his mouth as he yawned. I then felt myself smile slightly as I said,

"I'm surprised Gabriel didn't come."

Tai didn't even flinch or react. He simply said,

"No. Gabriel has work to do in Japan."

I nodded as we got into the city and Tai was dropped off at home. I went back to Ichiro's place.

The next day, I woke up by myself. I wasn't sure where Ichiro had gone so I got up and rubbed my eyes as I yawned. I drew my knees up as I looked around the room for a moment and then casted off the sheets as I picked up my pants and pulled them up as I then left the room, lighting a cigarette on my way. I saw Ichiro was in his living room, pacing back and forth on the phone, a cigarette in his hand as he stopped every now and then and shouted at someone. Finally when he saw me he gave an exasperated sigh and told whoever he was on the phone with that he would call them back. He looked at me as he frowned and sat down as I said,

"What's wrong?"

"Long morning."

"It barely started."

"Shows how long it feels."

He exhaled his cigarette smoke as he motioned me over to him. I sat down as he threw his leg over mine and said,

"This Eirinsu guy is going to cause some serious problems."

"Why do you think that?"

"He's not just after us, but we're in the way."

I nodded, knowing the feeling as I said,

"Tai's here though. Maybe he could talk to him."

"There's no reasoning with Eirinsu. It's like reasoning with the sessions. It's just not going to happen."

He leaned back, putting out his cigarette as he brought his arm up and rested it over his eyes. He seemed frustrated. I then pet his knee as I said,

"Where's Katie?"

"Went out with her nanny."

I nodded as I said,

"I should go home and change. I have to meet up with Akio later."

"Sure."

He moved his leg off mine as I went to get dressed, finishing my cigarette on the way. I then got redressed, tied up my hair and then went back out to see Ichiro about ready to start working again. I kissed his cheek as I left and went home.

That same night, Tai was working in place of Jia, doing paperwork, figuring everything out as he talked to Tsubasa, Karasu and Sozaburo now. Work got in the way, he was Sozaburo to me again while he worked. He got Yuki involved as random checks were made on Kotei, Ren and Nagashima. Ren was released from the hospital after he was well enough, though he was still sore from surgery and such. Kotei didn't want him going back to his own apartment where his supposed bitch of a wife would neglect him. Kotei urged him to stay with him. Ren, knowing what that meant, turned down the offer and went home. Which made me mad because I had to make two checks instead of one. Meanwhile, Eirinsu's icy presence was made known again when Tai had him tracked down. The lower heads, all afraid of Eirinsu's reactions, fled from him and told Tai where to find him. Tai himself pulled on his coat, checked his weapon and went without telling anyone. Akio found out later since the lower heads watched him go. We tried calling but Tai wouldn't answer his phone and for a moment, we feared the worse. Akio was about to run out and look for him but soon, Tai came back, unharmed and well. Akio rushed up to him as he said,

"Tai where the hell where you!?"

Tai shrugged off his coat as he said,

"I went to speak with Eirinsu."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"It was a conversation, not a shoot out."

Akio sighed, pulling back his hair as he said,

"You took fifty years off my life man."

"You do that on your own by smoking."

Akio frowned as Tai said,

"Eirinsu will go through us all if not stopped."

"What are you suggesting we do then Tai?"

Tai looked at the both of us as he said,

"Kill him before he starts."

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Definitions

Reikoku- Literally translates into "Cold-blooded"