Ren's hands started shaking again.
The photo.
Kaito smiling.
Three weeks ago, bleeding on the apartment floor.
"I don't..." His voice cracked. "I don't understand. If his way failed, why do you still use his system? Why the Five Virtues?"
"Because the name means something." Hasegawa pocketed the photo. "People in this district still remember what Sakuratei stood for five years ago. That legacy keeps us legitimate. Keeps the yakuza from crushing us. Keeps police from mass arrests."
He turned back to the city. "But the system? I rebuilt it. I made it practical. Kaito's trials used to be tests of character. Mine are tests of survival."
"Trials?"
"You'll learn about them soon enough." Hasegawa waved a hand dismissively. "The point is, we keep the symbols, lose the sentiment. That's how you survive."
Ren's chest felt tight.
"Did you know that until five years ago, Yugen was the most violent city in the tristate area?" Hasegawa asked, changing topics.
"No."
