"Neko no Namida. But still… what is this Dominion exactly?"
Her smile widened — unreadable.
She began to circle him slowly, barefoot on the moss-covered ground. The earth beneath her feet seemed to pulse gently with each step, like it was breathing with her — alive, aware.
Her head tilted, and her smile curved — not cruel, but not entirely kind either.
"Don't ask questions," she said softly, She stopped directly in front of him, the hem of her robe brushing the ground like fog.
"Wanna join?"
Kami hesitated. A chill crawled up his spine. The air felt heavier around her.
"Y-Yeah… Neko no Namida. I-I'll think about it."
She didn't press. Instead, she gently offered him the rolled poster again.
"No problem. Take this. If you decide later — you'll be welcome."
Then she lifted her hand. Right in her open palm, a flower bloomed — impossible, otherworldly.
Its petals flickered like fire. The stem curled in wisps of mist. And at its center, something glowed — a soft, rhythmic pulse of light. Like a heartbeat.
She placed it gently into Kami's hand.
"Soon… you'll come to join us."
And with that, she turned. No farewell. No footsteps. Just… gone. As if she'd never been there at all.
"Laaaaadies and gentlemen!"
The Joker's voice rang out one final time, grand and echoing across the square.
"Thank you for being present…"
He bowed low, the fringe of his patchwork coat sweeping the ground.
Then, with a sudden leap, he jumped high into the air—higher than should have been possible. In that instant, a thick cloud of mist erupted swallowing him.
When the mist cleared… he was gone. Vanished—without a trace. All that remained was his hat. Placed gently at the center of the circle.
Then a wave of warm applause rose like a tide, swelling into cheers and whistles. People smiled, clapped, and some even laughed in wonder.
One by one, they stepped forward.
They dropped coins into the hat—no fixed price, no demands. Just offerings from the heart. Some gave little. Some gave much. Others only bowed their heads with a soft smile and walked away. It didn't matter. Give… only if you feel something.
Kami stood quietly among the fading claps and cheerful murmurs. The crowd slowly began to scatter, but he remained still, eyes fixed on the Joker's hat at the center of the square.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
"I should contribute too… even a little."
He reached into his pocket—
And froze.
Empty.
He patted the other side nothing. His smile faded slightly as realization struck.
"Ah… right. Sis gave me some money this morning, but…"
His shoulders sank.
He had left it on the table—forgotten in the rush, right next to that letter, That letter. His heart twitched. He hadn't read it. His brows furrowed as a sudden unease crept in.
"What was that letter...?"
He turned, slowly walking away from the now-quiet square.
Kami walked slowly, the folded poster crinkled between his fingers.
His eyes stared blankly at it, thoughts clouding his mind.
"Maybe I should join… Just for a while"
"At least I can earn something… not be a burden to sis"
"Or maybe… maybe there's something better out there?"
He exhaled deeply.
The streetlamps flickered on as he reached home, the sun bowing out behind the rooftops. The door was unlocked. He stepped inside quietly… and then saw her. His sister.
Sitting on the small floor cushion, elbows resting on her knees, both hands over her face—like someone carrying a world too heavy for one person.
She didn't say a word.
But when she looked up. Her eyes spoke. They held warmth—painfully deep warmth—but also a storm of disappointment.
"Why did you try to do this, Kami?" she asked, her voice steady, but soft. Almost trembling.
Kami stood frozen at the doorway. His heart dropped.
"…Sis?" he asked, confused.
"What do you mean by you have to die?"
Her voice trembled, barely holding itself together. Tears weren't just falling—they flowed like a river down her cheeks. Her lips quivered, her whole body shaken, but still… she had to ask.
Kami stood frozen, his eyes empty. He said nothing. Not because he didn't want to. But because he didn't know how.
"Why… why did you try to kill yourself?"
"You were expelled from school… why didn't you tell me?"
Aria kept throwing questions at him—again and again—each one like a knife, sharp with pain, soaked in worry. But Kami… still couldn't answer. Not a single one. His mind was a storm of silence.
"Sis… please, listen to me—"
But before he could finish, she stood up—her eyes burning—and slapped him.
Hard.
So hard, the rolled-up poster in his hand slipped free, crashing to the floor as he stumbled sideways, slamming against the wall.
The air in the room was still—but not calm.
It was the kind of silence that clung to the skin, heavy and expectant, like a storm waiting just beyond the windowpane. The ceiling light flickered once before steadying, casting sharp, angular shadows across the wooden floor. Every creak of the old chair, every tick of the wall clock, rang out too loudly—like the entire room was holding its breath, waiting for something to break.
Before Aria could speak—or even gather her breath—two figures stepped onto the doorstep.
They wore crisp, dark uniforms. An official badge glinted on each of their chests. No names—only numbers.
Officer 020. Officer 448.
Their presence wasn't loud, but it cut through the silence like a blade. Officer 020 held a large map, rolled halfway open.
Officer 448 gripped two heavy briefcases, their metal edges clicking softly as he shifted his hands.
Aria and Kami both turned toward them, startled. Before either could form a question, Officer 448 spoke flatly:
"Why are you two still here?"
"You were supposed to have vacated this property."
The words dropped like iron into the silence, far too heavy for the fragile room to carry. Aria blinked, confused. She lowered her head slightly and asked quietly:
"Why… why do we have to leave?"
Officer 448 didn't flinch.
"Because this house stands on government property."
"We've received final orders from the Grand Axis. All structures illegally built on restricted government zones are to be cleared immediately."
Silence again—but this time, it stung.
"The Grand Axis?" Kami thought.
Aria stepped forward, her voice trembling but firm.
"Sorry, but we're not here illegally. We paid for this house."
Officer 448 didn't blink. His tone turned colder, heavier.
"Do you have a registered land ownership document?"
Aria hesitated, then said, "No… but we've paid all the taxes. All the bills. We've lived here for more than twenty years!"
The officer shook his head. "That's not our problem. We're just following orders."
His voice sharpened.
"Now get out. Both of you."
Kami stood frozen. Powerless. His fists clenched at his sides.
But something inside him snapped. Without thinking—without control—his body lunged toward Officer 020.
A desperate move.
But before he could land a single hit, a guard stepped in and grabbed him, twisting his arms behind his back with brutal force.
"Kami!" Aria cried.
She moved, but Officer 448 was faster. His voice dropped to a whisper—sharp and cold as steel.
"Leave. This. Place."
Then, without hesitation, he began smashing things—bookshelves, photo frames, drawers. Precious memories turned into debris.
"Hey—wait! You can't do this without a formal notice or even a letter!" Aria shouted, trying to block him.
But Officer 448 didn't stop. Didn't even look at her.
Crash. A glass vase hit the floor.
Snap the leg of their father's old chair broke in half.
Kami struggled in the guard's grip, trying to break free. Aria turned toward Officer 020, pleading.
That's when he finally spoke.
"Miss, the eviction notice was already delivered—two hours ago."
"If you didn't see it… that's not our concern."
Kami's eyes widened.
Two hours ago?
He remembered the letter. The one that came earlier. He hadn't opened it. Hadn't read it.
And now it was too late.
He stood there, silent… the weight of his mistake pressing harder than any hand holding him down.
Aria looked at Kami.
There was no need for words—she understood. The realization hit her like a slow-moving wave, heavy and cold.
"Did you know?" she asked quietly, her voice barely a whisper.
Kami hesitated. His throat tightened.
"Hmm… y-yeah," he murmured.
He tried to say more. "Sor—"
But before the apology could leave his lips, Aria turned away. Without a word, she walked past him… and stepped out of the house.
Kami stood there, frozen. The weight of his mistake crashing down all at once. His legs felt numb. His chest hollow.
Outside, Aria stopped at the edge of the doorstep. She didn't cry. She didn't scream. She just stood still, like someone who had already accepted the loss.
Then, in a quiet, resigned voice, she said—
"Kami… this home doesn't belong to us anymore."
Kami stepped outside, silently. But what he saw made his heart sink even deeper. It wasn't just their house.
The entire street was lined with families—confused, broken, watching helplessly as bulldozers rolled in like monsters with steel jaws. Officers barked orders, pointing to homes, one after another. No sympathy. No pause.
A bulldozer approached their home. It was so small… it didn't even take a full minute. Just a single, crushing sweep—and it was gone.
The place where they laughed, fought, cried, and grew up... now nothing more than dust in the wind.
Kami and Aria stood side by side, powerless. Their arms hung at their sides—but it felt like something invisible, something cruel and ancient, had bound their wrists. Like even nature itself refused to let them fight back. In their eyes, their home vanished. Just like that.
As if it had never even existed. Kami's chest tightened with guilt, suffocating him. His breath turned shallow. The silence screamed louder than anything.
And then—
His body moved on its own again. His fist flew—hard, fast—straight into his face.
One punch.
Then another.
Right. Left. Right.
Crack.
His knuckles burst open beneath the bandages. Blood spilled down his hands. But he didn't stop.
Aria turned to him,"Kami—!"
But he couldn't hear her. Not over the roaring in his head. Not over the weight of his own failure. He wasn't fighting the world. He was punishing himself for not protecting the only thing that ever felt like home.
Kami finally stopped.
His bloodied fists trembled at his sides, his breath ragged. Slowly, he turned to Aria. She was still there. Standing just a few steps away, silently watching him.
Her eyes… hollow. Not from emptiness, but from overflowing. The kind of pain that didn't need tears anymore—because it had already drowned her from the inside.
Kami took a step forward, lifted his shaking hand, and gently placed it on her head. In a soft, broken whisper, he said—
"Don't worry, sis... I promise... I'll bring our home back."
But Aria reached up and removed his hand from her head. Her fingers were trembling. Her voice, when it came, was barely more than a whisper—but it cut deeper than any scream.
"You don't have to do anything."
"You've already done enough."
Then, without waiting for a response, she turned. And walked away. Not once did she look back. Kami didn't call out. Didn't move.
His legs wouldn't listen. His arms felt numb. Even his heart felt like it had stopped trying. Something in her had changed. Deeply. Suddenly. And he didn't understand why.
Then—
It hit.
A blinding pain exploded in his skull, like a hammer striking bone. He staggered, clutching his head.
Throb. Crack. Slam.
It felt like something inside him was breaking—shattering—trying to claw its way out.
Memories. Images. Flashes.Things he couldn't recognize—couldn't control.
He fell to his knees.
Then to the ground.
"AaaAAAHHHH!"
His scream tore through the silence.
"PAIN! PAIN! PAIN—"
"What is this pain for!?"
He screamed again, thrashing, shaking—completely lost to it.
People nearby watched. Faces blank, frozen. But no one stepped forward. No one helped.
After what felt like an eternity of agony, the pain began to fade.
Kami lay still on the ground, trembling, drenched in sweat and dust. His chest rose and fell in sharp, uneven breaths. His fingers twitched against the dry earth. Slowly, his body stopped shaking.
And in that silence…
Something inside him shifted.
A memory—no, not a memory, but a truth—surfaced.
He wasn't Kami.
Not originally.
The soul within him belonged to someone else—Ren.
Transferred. Displaced.
A stranger in a broken body, in a broken world.
He didn't belong here.
He had nothing to do with this pain, this place, this life.
And yet…
As he sat there, hunched over, knees to his chest and hands limp at his sides, the weight of the past—of Aria's voice, of the destroyed home, of the silent stares from the people around him—pressed down on him.
And he felt it.
He felt the loss. The guilt. The helplessness.
Not as Ren.
But as Kami.
Because the pain wasn't borrowed—it was real. It was his now. And in that quiet, dust-covered moment...
He stopped resisting.
He accepted it.
Ren was gone.
There was no "before" to go back to.
No other name to hide behind.
Only this body.
This pain.
This life.
Now—finally—Ren had become Kami.
Kami stayed there on the ground, motionless, his hands resting in the dust, eyes staring at nothing. Just moments ago, there had been a life.
A sister. A home.
Laughter.
And now… silence. Not just around him, but inside him too. Not emptiness. Just a still, quiet resolve. A boy once lost in two identities. Now born again from the ruins of both.
"Why… why did she leave me here… like this?"
Kami's voice cracked, barely audible lost in the stillness that surrounded him.
His legs trembled as he forced himself to stand. Every movement hurt. His body screamed. His mind was drowning. His vision blurred—not from injury, but from tears he refused to let fall.
The world around him was smeared in shades of grey, like he was looking through a fog of grief. But even in that blur… something caught his eye.
He turned, slowly…
Where their house once stood—just broken wood and dirt now something remained untouched by the chaos.
A single object lying in the dust. The folded poster. The one given by Neko no Namida.
It lay there like a whisper from fate, waiting to be seen. Kami staggered toward it, every step heavy. He bent down, picked it up with shaking hands, and stared at it.
The colors were faint. The edges were torn. But the words were still there—inviting, mysterious.
He didn't think.
He didn't question.
He just whispered, like the decision had been made long before he even opened his mouth—
"I'm gonna join… Clown Dominion."