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Turned out Yama-Oroshi was nothing more than a really hungry bear, fighting against starvation in one of the coldest landscapes in Japan.
Thinking about his mentor’s view of killing, Saejima came to the conclusion that Yama-Oroshi’s death served no cause at all. It felt wrong. Undeserved. The bear was a formidable opponent. Big, powerful, and, since he was an animal, he was of no ill-will. If he were human he’d deserve tribute.
So tribute was served.
For weeks Saejima laid out his game and sold the pelts and antlers.
After not too long he noticed a presence whenever he was hunting, found big round footprints in the snow when he circled back.
A little while later he saw the big shadow. Always some feet behind him. Hunting became more difficult but the traps still provided enough food for both of them.
Eventually, Yama-Oroshi tried to follow him into the village, too. Saejima scared him away with warning shots.
On his next hunt, his shadow would be back.
By the time a new group of strangers arrived in the village, Saejima was both admired for his relationship with the man-eater and feared for it. He could tell, every day now they’d chase him out of the village or someone would follow him to try and shoot the bear. His own mentor most like.
As he talked to the strangers they turned out to be scientists. On their truck, covered under a thick cloth, they hid a giant cage trap. He paid them with the fortune he’d made by hunting, returning to a life without money.
*
Kamurocho was a wild place of its own, its current ruler hardly more than a boy in Saejima’s eyes. But a boy who valued his men. He didn’t try to chase Saejima out of town, not even because of a bear almost twice his height. Saejima was, however, banned from HQ for the foreseeable future, meaning for as long as Yama-Oroshi lived. It was a feat Majima still tried to accomplish without success. No wonder he reacted with jealousy and dislike.
Yama-Oroshi didn’t get the memo.
Saejima wasn’t sure if it was the time he spent with his kyoudai that made the bear take an interest or if it was the fast food he could steal whenever Majima was distracted. He’d roar when Majima slapped him on his sensible nose but self-preservation was a mood that only got triggered in his kyoudai at random.
So it was really to no surprise when Saejima and Yama-Oroshi strolled through the streets of the neon-lit jungle that the bear would walk off around a corner.
“Go away!” A muffled voice came out of a trash can in answer to Yama-Oroshi’s grumble.
“Kyoudai?”
“Take yer fuckin’ teddy ‘n scatter! I’m at work.”
At work usually meant Majima was stalking Kiryu.
“He in the Poppo?” Saejima asked.
“Oi, stop pushing!”
Yama-Oroshi’s head was pressed against the metal, tilting the trash can to the side at a precarious angle.
“He’s hungry. Yer hidin’ in his feeding bowl.” It seemed rather obvious to Saejima that one of them would have to give up his claim on the trash can. Before the squabble could escalate he decided to act.
His thump moved over the tiny buttons of his cell phone with a speed similar to a tectonic plate shift.
‘He’s in a trash can north o the store’
With a thud the trash can fell, Yama-Oroshi on top of it, denting and pushing it. The lid came off and clattered to the ground. Then the trash can started rolling, gaining momentum and an uncouth attitude.
‘South’ Saejima corrected.
The bear ran after the screamed curses.
“He’s just playing!” Saejima called out.
“Fuck you!” the trash can screamed agitated.
His cell beeped.
‘Can you get Haruka? She’s at New Serena.’
‘np’ He flipped his cell shut.
“I’m gonna take a stroll. When I come back ya two better be done!”
*
Kiryu left the store only a couple of minutes later, a white plastic bag with magazines in hand. Debating if he should put in the extra effort pretending to be surprised by Majima’s attack he turned south.
There was no trash can.
Dangerous, deep growling came from an alley nearby underlined by the sound of metal scraping against concrete.
The sight of a bear with its head in a trash can was still new enough that it gave Kiryu pause. The smell of cigarette smoke was a way more usual thing to catch his attention.
Majima sat on the ground, back leaned against a dirty wall. His hair stuck out to the sides and his snakeskin jacket, as well as his leather pants, were torn in several places. The way he refused to do anything else but glare at the bear made Kiryu feel sympathetic.
“Majima-no-niisan.”
No reaction but another drag of his cigarette.
“You want to fight?”
Seeing Majima’s lips curve into a smile was like watching the sunrise. Slow and blood tinted. He must have bitten his tongue recently.
“Aww, Kiryu-chan, yer so considerate!”
Kiryu sat down his magazines and rolled his shoulders while Majima rose to his feet.
It was a good fight. Kiryu could see Majima’s mood getting better with every punch and kick that hit home, with no regard as to who was receiving them.
They could have danced this dance for a while longer if it weren’t for the giant bear suddenly hitting Kiryu in the back, claws cutting through his clothes and drawing blood.
When he stumbled to the side, the bear moved in front of Majima and the sight was as baffling as it was kind of cute. Majima hit the furry lower back with his palm but it didn’t seem to have any effect.
“Move yer bum outta the way!” His voice hit such a high pitch that it hurt in Kiryu’s ears, drowning out the burn in his back for a moment. It sounded like utter desperation.
The bear rose to stand only on his hind legs, roaring at Kiryu.
Well, it didn’t seem like he had much of a choice.
When the bear came down on him, giant claws first, long, sharp teeth second Kiryu charged forward. His fist collided with the head, the impact sending a jolt through his bones and flaming hot agony through his back. The weight of a heavy load transporter buried him and took his breath. He heard Majima cursing and yelling.
After a torturing long moment, the bear came to and shook its head.
Eventually, it moved off of Kiryu, Majima pushing at its side with what looked like all his meager 80 kg.
After more yelling, the bear went back to the trash can.
Majima flopped down near the wall, leaning back and groaning.
“Fuckin’ teddy.”
Kiryu sat down next to him, cross-legged.
“I think it likes you.”
The glare he received was meant to kill.
When Majima pulled out his cigarettes Kiryu was quick to light one for him.
“It’s no good. I gotta tell him. It’s either me or that stupid bear”, Majima muttered.
As if the bear thought it was called it came over again, making noises Kiryu couldn’t identify. It was like a growl-whine. Then it smacked its lips.
Majima lifted his leg but not to kick but to brace his foot against the giant head.
“Beg somewhere else, yer over-sized spoilsport.”
Undeterred the bear pushed closer until its wet nose first pushed against Majima’s chest and under his jacket and then moved to inspect Kiryu.
Carefully Kiryu ruffled through the thick fur, marveling at the size of the head. In comparison, his hand looked small. He’d never seen anything like this before.
The bear sneezed. It was a wet thing.
Kiryu scrunched his nose.
“Fine. I’m gonna get food. Ya better watch Kiryu-chan ‘til I’m back. Don’t let ‘im go anywhere.” Majima rose and strolled off without so much as a glance in Kiryu’s direction.
“Don’t you dare sit on me”, Kiryu growled as deep as his voice would allow.
The bear sneezed again.
Kiryu pushed the massive head away.
*
They didn’t have to wait long.
Packed with six bags of fast food Majima sat down again.
“Wait, plushie, gimme a sec. No! The fuck, Kiryu-can? Hold him!”
The bear’s teeth had sunk into a bag. Fries and chicken nuggets hit the ground. A long tongue snaked out while eager lips moved to collect the food.
Kiryu tried to push at the bear but it wouldn’t move.
In the end, they wouldn’t get a single bite. There was just too much starving bear for them to have a real chance.
*
“Yo, kyoudai!” Saejima’s voice rumbled, drowning out the smacking of the somewhat satisfied looking bear.
“Wow, that’s a bear!” Haruka’s soft voice could barely be heard.
Kiryu jumped to his feet, grimacing at the pain searing in his back. He held out his hands to stop her from coming closer.
The bear looked up at his sudden movement.
“Don’t touch it!” he called.
“Is that junk food?” Saejima asked. He’d come around the bear and eyed the torn plastic bags.
“Nah, it’s Kanrai’s best.” Majima didn’t try to sound convincing. “Yer little friend here costs me an arm and a leg as it is.”
Kiryu tried to move as slowly as he could while feeling the need to hurry. The way Haruka stared wide-eyed at the bear didn’t bode well.
“It looks so fluffy!” There it was.
“It’s a wild animal”, Kiryu explained.
“I told ya not to feed him this trash”, Saejima growled.
“Ha! But yer fine when I eat it!”
“Can I feed it?”
“No, Haruka you can’t. Step away from the bear.”
“It’s not like I could stop you”, Saejima countered.
“It’s not like we could stop him!” From the sound of it, Majima was working himself up about this.
“Have you touched it, Uncle Kaz? Is it as soft as it looks?”
“It’s yer own fault for danglin’ food in front of his nose.”
“You’d rather have us starve?”
Kiryu didn’t like the way Majima emphasized he wasn’t alone in this. He took Haruka’s hand which trembled with the temptation to reach out and pet the suspiciously silent bear.
“Can I visit the bear, Uncle Kaz?”
“Some other day”, Kiryu said weakly, making plans for an overseas vacation long enough for Haruka to hopefully forget about the bear.
He pulled her out of the alley without so much as a goodbye to the other two.
“You’re bleeding, Uncle Kaz!”
A bear roared in the alley, loud and dangerous.