Five years.
"A demon?
Really?" You scoff to the recruit, "You think a
demon is behind those botched jobs? What are you, five?"
"I'm serious, man!" He shouts back, "You know the legend, too!"
"Oh,
that?" You laugh in his face, "It's a load of bullshit! You honestly think that some girl's ghost hunts every Yakuza clan in Akami Springs because some "big shot" clan killed her parents?" You smack him on the back of the head, "Be for fucking real! That's just some story made up by the police or something!"
"Then how do you explain the incident at the docks?" Another guy, older than you, chimes in.
"Simple. You guys fucked the job up, got too loud, and most of you got arrested for it!" You sneer at him, "Ghosts and legends ain't got a damn thing to do with it!"
Five God-damned years.
"Wait, did you hear that?" Your older companion asks, whipping his head around wildly.
"Hear what? The sound of
me chewing you out for not getting to work?" Your boss asks, "Get the product inside, jack offs. We ain't got all night." His command is met by grumbling, but you and oldie silently start working.
"A'ight, boss!" The recruit turns to the pallet, "So, uh, about that legend from the--?"
"White Canyon made that shit up because they got humiliated by some other clan." Boss says, lighting a cigarette, "There ain't no fucking Demon of Akami Springs, capiche?"
Silence fills the air.
"I said capiche!" Boss turns around to the rookie, "You're supposed to say--!"
The cigarette drops from Boss's mouth.
"Where'd he go?" Boss asks, glancing at his surroundings.
The oldie draws his gun, some 9mm piece of plastic trash, "Fuck! It's the demon!"
"
Enough about this demon!" Boss pulls a knife, "One more word outta you about this God-damned demon and I'll cut your tongue out!"
You catch something in the darkness of the docks. A flash of red.
Five years of hate.
You reach for your gun, a .45 from across the pond, "Hey, I think I saw--!!"
"I swear to
God, Oishi," Boss grabs you by the collar, "If you start raving about some fucking fake demon, I'll--!!"
Oldie drops, landing face first on the pallet you were just unloading.
Boss lets you go, motioning you to follow him, "What the fuck...?" He mumbles as he steps towards Oldie, "Oi! You narcoleptic or something?"
No response.
"Did someone get in?" You ask, scanning the area, "How'd they get past your guys?"
"
Shut up! Let me think!" Boss shouts, "Who else knew about this shipment?! Did you fucking rat me out?!" He points his knife at you.
"No! I didn't squeal!" You put your hands up defensively, "I swear! Kuma Pack to the grave!"
"To the grave...?"
Five years of agony.
"Boss...?" You back up, nervous, "You, uh, alright?"
"Kill yourself." Boss says.
"What the fuck are you--?"
"Get your gun and blow your brains out."
"Boss, I--!"
"You
said to the grave!" Boss shouts over you, "You mean it?"
"Get a fucking grip, Shinji!" You shout, actively reaching for your gun, "Now's not the--?"
It's not there.
"Well?" Shinji--
Boss walks closer, "I'm waiting."
"Where's my gun?"
"What?" He snaps.
"I-I can't find my fucking gun!" You look around for it, "I
just had it, I--!"
A brick hits the light over the warehouse door, plunging you both into darkness.
"What the f--
hurk!!" Boss takes an unseen hit, "Where are you, you little--"
There's a loud thunk, then nothing.
It's only you, now.
Five years you'll never get back.
"Where are you?" You huff into the darkness, "
Where are you?!" You turn your head--
...There she is. A kid, couldn't be older than 15, standing over the rookie with two bloodstained fists, her eyes roaring with the fires of hell itself.
You don't even know what to say to that. "You--?!"
She rushes you.
I thought that was just SMT1. Nowadays, he's typically a member of the Chaos aligned Kishin Race, including in Strange Journey and its remake.
