The Fable Episode 4 ✦ Free

Akira looks out the window. The rain has stopped.

Youko: "Boss is going to kill you."

Youko (his "sister" and partner) is cleaning a pistol while eating a popsicle. The office is quiet. Suddenly, the door slides open. A tall, gaunt man with a shaved head and glasses enters unannounced. It’s . He’s smiling, but his eyes are dead.

Kuroishi, clutching his wrist, grins with bloody teeth: "You’ve gone soft. The Fable who killed 17 men in one night… now he plays policeman." The Fable Episode 4

Youko: "Don't. Boss said no. Kuroishi is a test. He wants to see if the legend is still sharp."

Akira steps out. No tracksuit—just a black jacket. His face is still blank.

Kuroishi: "He’s still alive. But the ghost has a heart now. That’s worse for them. Send Episode 5." Akira looks out the window

Akira reads it, deletes it, and buys his noodles.

Akira: "Tell him I used a rubber knife." (He didn’t.)

Youko: "That’s not debt. That’s bait. You kill Takeda, the whole city war starts. And we get exposed." The office is quiet

Akira stares at his yakisoba. It’s gone cold.

Kuroishi laughs—a dry, rattling sound. He tosses a photo on the table. It’s a rival yakuza captain, , with a red X over his face.

Youko pauses. Then she smiles—rare for her. "You’re a terrible liar. But you’re still the best."