[Friday, Satoru Inoue's POV]
I'm sitting on a cushion, my legs folded beneath me on the tatami floor.
When I first obtained membership in this society, I had this room remodeled. Brought a slice of Japan with me to remind myself of home.
The walls are a warm, natural wood. A scroll of calligraphy hangs on one wall. My bonsai tree sits on a small table in the corner.
I take a deep breath, letting the ambiance of the room settle my thoughts. I need to be calm for what comes next.
My eyes fall on the katana laying on the low table in front of me. It's still in its sheath: a black, plain container made of wood, decorated only with a small, simple symbol in its midsection. A crescent moon.
The blade itself is unremarkable to anyone who doesn't understand what they're looking at. But I know its history, its purpose. It's been in my family for generations, passed down through men who understood that sometimes, justice requires a personal touch.
The weight of what I'm about to do settles over me like a familiar coat. I've killed before. In my younger years, when the business required more... direct methods. When competitors needed to understand that the Inoue family was not to be trifled with. But this is different. This is personal.
Some lessons need to be taught in blood.
Daichi stands at ease beside me, his posture relaxed but alert. "It's almost time," he says quietly.
"Indeed," I reply, standing slowly. I reach down and pick up the katana, feeling its weight in my hand. I run my thumb over the crescent moon symbol, then tuck it into my belt. "Let's finalize our deal."
It's been exactly one week. I gave Silas the time he requested. Kept his son's disgraceful conduct a secret. Now he fulfills his part of the bargain.
We step into the hallway outside my room. The corridor is wide and welcoming, the floor covered in thick carpet that muffles our footsteps. Dark wood paneling lines the walls.
It's quiet. Anyone with membership here wouldn't waste their time loitering in hallways.
We walk in silence, until eventually, we find ourselves in front of a set of double doors. Daichi opens them for me, revealing the room beyond.
It's large and brightly lit, designed for meetings and negotiations. A massive marble table dominates the center, surrounded by white leather chairs. The walls are lined with display panels showing images of the city skyline.
I walk to the head of the table and take my seat, placing the katana carefully on the surface in front of me. The black sheath stands out starkly against the white marble. I clasp my hands together, resting them in my lap, and wait.
The knock comes minutes later.
The door opens. Silas Richardson walks in with six bound figures stumbling behind him, bags over their heads, hands tied behind their backs. Some are shaking.
Walking beside Silas is Jack himself, unbound but looking like death. His face is completely pale, drained of all color. He's shaking so hard I can see the tremors from across the room. His eyes are wide, darting around frantically, and there's a sheen of sweat on his forehead.
On Silas's other side walks a mountain of a man. He's enormous, easily a head taller than Silas, with shoulders that barely fit through the doorway. Silas's bodyguard, I presume. The man's face is impassive, professional.
Silas is all smiles and energy, with the same casual arrogance he showed in our first meeting.
Daichi begins translating as Silas speaks, his voice cheerful and jolly: "Satoru! I gotta say, when I asked for a week, I figured you'd at least give me an extra day or two. But nah, exactly seven days. You're eager, huh?"
I don't respond. I simply stare at him with a blank expression, letting the silence stretch.
His grin doesn't falter. "Not big on small talk today? Fair enough. Let's get to it then."
Silas pulls on the rope connecting his captives, dragging them further into the room.
Then he walks down the line slowly, making a show of it. He reaches the first figure and rips the bag off with a flourish.
A boy is revealed. Teenage, overweight, with a face that resembles a pig. His round cheeks are slick with tears and sweat. Fred. He's gagged with cloth, his eyes wide with terror. Next to him are two middle-aged people: his mother and father. They're also gagged, their faces showing the same fear but mixed with a deep sadness.
"This here's Fred," Silas says cheerfully. "One of Jack's little buddies. Brought his mom and dad along too, figured we wouldn't want any loose ends, right?"
I study Silas's face carefully. There's a gleam in his eyes, something dark and eager. He's enjoying this. The suffering. He's taking pleasure in Fred's terror, in the parents' desperation. This is entertainment for him.
How disgusting. I can see now why Jack turned out the way he did. His father is a psychopath, someone who finds human suffering amusing.
I nod at Daichi.
He steps forward and carefully removes the gags from Fred and his parents. Then he unties their ropes, his movements efficient but gentle. The three immediately collapse onto their knees, too weak from fear to stand.
Fred is crying openly now, his chest heaving with sobs. His parents try to maintain composure, but tears stream down their faces too. Fred's eyes dart to the doors of the meeting room, then he looks back at his parents, at me, at Silas. The desperation on his face is palpable, he's trying to figure out if there's any escape, any possibility of survival.
I stand. Look down at Fred, then at his family.
"Is there anything you wish to say?" I ask.
Daichi translates my words to English, his voice gentle despite the circumstances.
Fred's father grabs the opportunity like a lifeline. His voice comes out hoarse, desperate, stumbling over words. "Please—I'm sorry. We're sorry. We didn't raise him right, we know that. We failed as parents." His voice breaks. "But please, give him another chance. Please, he's our son—"
The woman beside him can't hold it together any longer. She begins to cry openly, shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs.
"Please, please, please," she's saying it over and over, her voice raw and broken. "He's my baby. I know he did terrible things, but he's my baby. Please don't kill him. Please."
She gets on her knees and tries to approach me.
Daichi steps between us smoothly, kneeling down to her level. He presses gently back against her shoulders until she stops trying to move forward, his touch firm but not cruel.
I've done my research prior to this meeting, of course. I already know everything there is to know about Fred and his family.
Fred's father owns several factories. The working conditions are good, the pay is fair, and by all accounts, he treats his employees with respect. His mother is an accountant who manages their books, and the finances are clean. There are no signs of embezzlement, fraud, or hidden dealings with unsavory elements. They're normal people. Decent people who made mistakes in raising their son.
And Fred himself... I've reviewed the evidence extensively. The messages on Jack's phone paint a picture of a weak-willed boy who was constantly pressured by his friends. In the videos and photos, there's visible reluctance in his actions. He was being egged on by Tyler and Jack, manipulated into participating in things he clearly had moral reservations about.
He's not evil. He's stupid. Easily influenced. Morally compromised but not fundamentally rotten.
And that makes all the difference.
I lay down my ultimatum, my voice flat and carrying absolute finality. "Your son has done unforgivable things."
Fred's mother makes a sound like she's been stabbed.
I continue, waiting for Daichi to translate each part. "Things that are, by any measure, deserving of death."
Fred's father starts speaking, but I'm not finished.
"However." I pause, letting the word hang in the air. "You have lived upright lives. You are good people who failed as parents. And I understand a parents' love for their children, even when those children make mistakes."
I see hope flickering in their eyes, dangerous and fragile.
"So I will spare his life. But he will serve five years in a maximum security prison. And I will be monitoring him closely. If he changes, if he becomes someone worthy of that second chance, then he will have a future. If he doesn't..." I let the implication hang.
The translation finishes, and for a moment, there's absolute silence in the room. They're processing, their minds struggling to shift from certain death to conditional mercy.
Then it crashes over them.
"Oh God—" Fred's father chokes out, his face crumpling. "Oh God, thank you—"
His wife is making sounds that aren't quite words, half-laughing, half-crying as she lunges forward to embrace her son. Fred collapses into her arms, and his father wraps around both of them. They're a tangle of limbs and tears, holding each other like they'll never let go.
"Thank you," Fred's father keeps saying, looking up at me with a tear-streaked face. "Thank you, thank you, Mr. Inoue. We won't—he won't—"
"I won't waste it," Fred manages through his sobs, his voice thick with emotion. "I swear to God, I won't waste this. I'll—I'll be better. I'll—"
He breaks down completely, burying his face in his mother's shoulder.
They stay like that for a long moment, crying together.
I gesture toward the door. "Wait outside. But don't try to leave."
"We won't," Fred's father says immediately, helping his wife and son to their feet. "We won't. Thank you. Thank you so much."
They stumble toward the door, supporting each other. Just before they exit, Fred's father turns and bows deeply. His wife bows too, pulling Fred down with her.
Then they're gone.
Silas looks disappointed, like a child who just had a toy taken away. He was clearly hoping for blood, for screaming, for a show of cruelty. My mercy has robbed him of that entertainment.
"Well shit," Daichi translates his casual drawl. "That was anticlimactic as fuck. I thought we were gonna have some fun there."
I ignore him completely, turning my attention to the remaining three bound figures.
Silas shrugs, his disappointment fading quickly. "Oh well," Daichi continues translating. "It's your call."
He walks over and yanks the bags off the remaining three captives without ceremony.
It's the kid with the rat-like face, Tyler. And his parents beside him. They have hopeful expressions on their faces, having heard what happened with the other family. They're thinking they might get the same mercy, the same second chance.
They won't.
I nod at Daichi. He steps forward and moves behind the three, gently pushing them onto their knees. They oblige easily, falling to the floor without resistance.
I pull out my katana from its sheath in one smooth motion. The blade catches the light. It's perfectly maintained, sharp enough to cut through bone with minimal resistance.
I step forward, raising the blade above my head with both hands, then I swing downward.
The katana glides through the air smoothly, nearly silent except for the faint whistle of its passage. Then it reaches Tyler's neck and there's resistance, just for a moment, before the blade cuts through skin, muscle, bone. The edge is so sharp, the cut so clean, that there's barely any sensation in my arms. It's like cutting through water.
Tyler's head separates from his body.
It falls to the ground with a wet, heavy sound. Splashing in its own blood. The head bounces once, gently, before coming to rest on its side, Tyler's features are frozen in shock.
His body remains kneeling for a moment longer, as if it hasn't realized it's dead yet. Then it topples forward, hitting the marble floor with a dull thud. Blood pools around it, spreading across the white marble in a dark red stain that looks almost black in the bright lights.
Tyler's parents, still gagged, try to scream. The sounds come out muffled, desperate, terrified. His mother is making a high-pitched keening sound, her body shaking violently. His father is trying to move, to get to his son, but Daichi's gentle pressure on his shoulder keeps him in place.
They understand now. There's no mercy coming for them. No second chances.
Two more quick slashes. And then there are three headless bodies on the meeting room floor, three heads lying in expanding pools of blood.
The room is quiet except for the sound of blood dripping. The metallic smell hits me, sharp, cloying, unmistakable. Some of it has splattered on my clothes, warm drops that will need to be cleaned.
"Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!" Silas claps, the sound sharp and inappropriate in the quiet. "That was great! Beautifully done!"
He walks closer to examine the bodies like he's admiring artwork. "Three swings, three kills. You've done this before, haven't you? I can tell. There's an art to it."
I ignore him, taking the clean white towel Daichi offers. I use it to wipe the blood off the blade, careful and methodical. The towel comes away red, and I fold it to find a clean section before continuing.
When I'm satisfied that the blade is clean, I slide it back into its sheath. The click of it settling into place is satisfying, final.
I think about the evidence I've reviewed so extensively over this past week. In the messages between Tyler and Jack, Tyler was often the instigator. He would point out vulnerable girls, suggest targets. Sometimes he actively encouraged Jack to harm girls that Jack had no initial interest in approaching. And Tyler's family. The evidence suggests they're in the human trafficking business. They've destroyed lives, broken families, profited from human suffering.
Fred was redeemable. Tyler was not.
Some people don't deserve mercy.
I turn to look at the other side of the room. Jack is there, having watched the entire execution. He's thrown up on the floor, I can see the puddle near his feet, can smell the acid bile mixed with the blood. His face has gone beyond pale into a sickly green color. He's shaking so violently that his legs are giving out, only staying upright because his father's bodyguard has a hand on his shoulder.
His eyes are locked on Tyler's severed head, unable to look away. His mouth is moving, making small, pathetic sounds. He might be praying. Or he might just be whimpering.
Good. He needs to understand the reality of violence. The permanence of death. He needs to know that actions have consequences.
Silas is still grinning, looking thoroughly entertained. He glances at his son with something between amusement and contempt.
"Jack." His voice is sharp, cutting through his son's dissociative state.
Jack doesn't respond, still staring at the bodies.
"Jack!" Silas snaps his fingers in front of his son's face. "Focus up, boy. You're next."
That gets through. Jack's eyes snap to his father, wide and terrified and desperately hopeful. "Dad—" His voice cracks. "Dad, please, I don't—I can't—"
"Can't what?" Silas's tone is mocking, almost playful. "Can't handle watching? Should've thought about that before you fucked with the wrong girl." He shakes his head. "I made a deal, boy. You knew this was coming. I gave you a whole week to make peace with it."
"But I didn't think—" Jack's voice is rising, panic making it shrill. "I didn't think you were serious! I thought—I thought you'd figure something out, I thought—"
"You thought daddy would save you?" Silas laughs, and he sounds genuinely amused. "Son, I'm the one who agreed to this. Mr. Inoue wanted to kill you. I talked him down to just the arm. You're welcome, by the way."
Jack's legs finally give out. He drops to his knees, and the movement makes him retch again. Nothing comes up, he's already empty.
"Please," he's gasping between heaves. "Please, Dad, don't let him—I'll do anything, I'll—"
"You'll take your punishment like a man," Silas says flatly, all humor gone from his voice. "Or you'll take it like a coward. Either way, you're taking it." He nods to his bodyguard. "Get him in position."
The mountain of a man lifts Jack like he weighs nothing, one massive hand gripping the back of his shirt, the other supporting his legs. Jack is sobbing now, openly crying.
"No, no, no, please—" He's begging anyone who will listen. "Please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll never—"
The bodyguard sets him down in front of me, keeping one hand locked on Jack's shoulder to hold him steady. Then, with surprising gentleness, he pushes Jack onto his knees.
Jack looks up at me, and I see the pure terror in his eyes. Tears and snot run down his face. His whole body is shaking so hard his teeth are chattering.
"Please," he whispers, his voice hoarse from crying. "Please, Mr. Inoue, I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry. I'll never—I swear to God, I'll never go near Luna again, I'll—"
I pull out the katana again, raising it above my head with both hands.
"Dad—" he screams one last time. "DAD, PLEASE—"
This boy is the most deserving of punishment. He was the ringleader. He's the one who harassed Luna, who had that entire collection of evidence on his phone. He's the one who created this situation.
And yet I feel pity.
Not for what I'm about to do, he deserves worse. But pity for what he could have been. He was raised by a psychopath who sees suffering as entertainment. Given everything except moral guidance. He never had a chance to become anything better.
But that doesn't change what needs to happen.
This is for Luna. For all the girls he hurt. And for Adam, who had the courage to stand against him.
I swing downward.
The katana glides through the air. Then it hits his shoulder and I feel it tear through skin and muscle, feel the slight resistance of the joint before the blade passes through cleanly.
Jack's arm separates from his body.
It hits the ground with a meaty thud.
For one heartbeat, there's silence.
Then Jack screams.
It's a bloodcurdling sound: primal, agonized, inhuman. The scream goes on and on, echoing in the marble room. Blood spurts from his shoulder, painting the floor, splashing across the bodyguard's suit, spattering my clothes.
Jack's eyes roll back in his head. His scream cuts off mid-note as his body goes limp, unconscious from shock and agony.
The bodyguard holds him upright easily, even as blood continues to pour from the wound.
And with that, the deal is done.