"Who the hell are you, old man?!" He knew he probably looked pretty ridiculous right about now, holding a goddamned garden hoe in a threatening manner to a frail old man that appeared to be on his final legs. Like just a small breath would knock him over the line. He didn't need murder on his record. But that didn't mean he wouldn't at least try to scare off this geezer. "Don't think just because you're old that I won't bash your head in!...I've killed before, you know! One more won't affect me much anyway!"
A lie. Harming anything was so outside of his nature that an entire wing of his home had been claimed by a nest of cockroaches that were a bit too big to ignore comfortably...how long they would be content with just that wing, he didn't know nor did he really look forward to that oncoming conflict that would assuredly leave him homeless.
But the old man didn't need to know th-
"So have I." The gray haired man nodded easily, as if he hadn't just admitted to committing a felony. And for some odd reason, the truth could be felt through his statement. Making that hoe be gripped a taddist bit harder. Which, honestly wasn't helped in the slightest by what he said next. "Some with my bare hands, others with a blade or arrow...but they do start to blend together after awhile."
"Yeah right!" He blustered, buffing his chest out to hide the slight shaking to his voice. The old man might've seemed like a braggart but he hadn't lied yet. That much he could tell. "You still haven't answered my question, who the hell are you and why shouldn't I smear you across the grass and deal with the cops later?"
"First," His hand waved to the heavily overgrown grass, muscling past the small shrine to the founding ancestor. "It wouldn't do you good to make such a mess here. I came, because of this."
From his sleeve, the old man pulled out a very familiar looking token and just like that, a sense of shame filled the man. He honestly hadn't expected to see this family heirloom ever again, except if it was behind a couple layers of bullet proof glass and security guards. But now with the evidence of his own foolishness forced directly in his face, he felt a flush run through him.
"How did you get that?" Despite wanting to stomp over there and snatch it away, the old man's so casual confession of murder made him a bit hesitant. What kind of criminal had found his way here? "Are you connected to that lady in some way? I don't offer refunds, you guys already bought it and the money's all gone!"
Takemoto Tatsuo could remember that night very vividly. He'd been out of a job for well over a few weeks and had just spent his last couple yen to nurse a small shot of cheap sake that the bartender had been nice enough to slide his way if he could move some boxes for them. His mind had been shadowed by the unknown, just completely confused on what exactly to do. There had even been a few thoughts of reaching out to one of his old 'friends' to accept the lead in an adult film, but just as quickly as it came he shunted far out of his mind.
He was no dainty flower, nor a prude that thought sex was something sacred. And it wasn't like he hadn't been paid for sex before by some lonely women, but with how he looked to the general populace there was no way his 'friend' would put him in anything but an antagonist role in a NTR film. He wouldn't judge anyone's taste in tha...never, he had every right to absolutely judge people for their strange tastes.
But, if there was an offer of playing a protagonist in a romance oriented film….
He remembered a rather attractive black haired women wearing what looked to be a...french maid's uniform? Just standing right behind him, her expression cold and blank. There was this air of disdain about her that honestly made him want to just turn around and enjoy the last few bits of his alcohol before he was too broke to afford water.
But then she said her offer, she wanted to buy a family heirloom of his and apparently money was no hindrance. No flowery language or attempt to get to know him first, just right to point. He'd been slightly drunk that night and hadn't really appreciated her rather snobbish attitude, and just spouted out an absolute ludicrous amount. Inspired by a scene from an American film, he had slurred out a solid million yuan.
She hadn't hesitated and agreed without any form of bargaining, greed had caused him to triple the amount instantly with not even a drop of shame.
And that's how he became 4 million yuan richer in a single night.
Fat lot of luck that did him. His mom had been a bit of gambling addict and once her debtors heard of his sudden influx of cash, they'd come knocking. And unlike him, some of them were actual mobsters. People whose job was to inflict great amounts of violence for the smallest things. So it was safe to say he partied it up for a single night before being slapped back down to Earth, all just to get ahead a measly year.
The regret he'd felt after sobering up and losing everything had actually been the cause of this recent spiral he's been in recently. So now seeing that same heirloom he'd so casually sold just appear right in front of him, his hand itched to just take it and deal with the consequences.
"I'm not connected to them, Takemoto Tatsuo." The old man tilted his head to the side, vibrant blue eyes piercing right through him with not even a hint of resistance. Laying every secret, every insecurity and every deed out for display. "They probably wish for that to be true though. No, you can thank your ancestor Takemoto Fuji for this visit. I am his mentor and master. I taught him everything he knew about the path. I turned him from a simple farmer to a man that could slaughter his way to attaining a better life. I am known, in the wider world, as The Heavenly Demon. But you may call me Yamato Iori and I'm going to change your life in ways you could never believe."