Youko is waiting. Akira walks in, sits down, opens a fresh pack of yakisoba.
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."
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: "Don't. Boss said no. Kuroishi is a test. He wants to see if the legend is still sharp." The Fable Episode 4
Kuroishi: "Boss said no engagement. But I’m not asking. I’m telling. You owe me from Tokyo. Remember the warehouse? I didn't shoot you then."
Akira: "Tell him I used a rubber knife." (He didn’t.)
Akira steps out. No tracksuit—just a black jacket. His face is still blank. Youko is waiting
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.
Akira: "Kuroishi left on a night bus. Takeda’s in a coma. No bodies."
A rainy night in Osaka. Akira Sato (The Fable) is grocery shopping, wearing his usual blank expression and a cheap tracksuit. He picks up a pack of instant yakisoba. His phone buzzes. It’s a text from Boss: "A former associate is in town. Kuroishi. Dangerous. Do not engage. Let the juniors handle it." The Fable who killed 17 men in one
Kuroishi: "I know you’re there, Fable. Finish it. Show me the monster."
Youko pulls Akira aside.
Flashcut: A memory. Five years ago. Akira (Fable) is tied to a chair. Kuroishi holds a revolver to his temple, then lowers it. "Killing a ghost is boring." He walks away.