Yama found his room with little difficulty after Jochi took pity on his wandering ass. None of the servants bustling through the halls had the time to give the giant directions and Yama wondered if they knew that he was a champion at all. I do kinda look like a wanderer, he thought as he looked himself over in the bathroom mirror of his apartment. Honestly surprised nobody called security on me.

  If security is even working at all, Yama reasoned. With a little luck, this dinner will be cancelled.

  The apartment itself, however, made another part of Yama look forward to whatever dinner entailed. The suite had been divided into two square rooms with a wall in between each, a hallway ran alongside the rooms and connected to the entrance. On the other side of the hallway was a long room that Yama discovered was a sitting room. Am I going to have guests? Yama hoped not, having always worked bouncer duty when Ishimasa or one of the other lords would entertain guests.

  I suppose I need to learn at some point, though, Yama reasoned. I’m sure Kano has no problem entertaining for the queen.

  Of the doors opposite the sitting room, the one closest to the entryway revealed a bathroom behind it, with faux-wood walls, laminated tile floors, a marble vanity, and a bath and shower combo. Yama nearly sprinted to the bath before he remembered he was still wearing clothes. Later. It’s been decades since I’ve had anything more than a laser scrub. A few more minutes won’t hurt.

  Opening the door to the other room, Yama cheered when he saw a large bed against the center of the far wall, with several gis stacked neatly on top. A window spanned the length of the room overlooking the city rings that still looked oddly breast-like. To Yama’s right was an island with four chairs and beyond that was a small kitchen complete with a fridge, sink, and oven.

  A white business card rested on top of the stack of gi tops. My hands worked fast to get you this. Wear it well.

  -N-

  Flipping the card over revealed an angrier message. I swear to all things cloven and strong, you had better show up to this dinner in your outfit and not that poncho, Yama read before chuckling. “I wouldn’t pass up a chance to wear a gi, especially one like this.” The stitches were good, and Yama knew from a single grab it would provide good padding. Part of him wanted to take a bath and another part wanted to find someone else to grapple in one of the other gis with. Yama did not do the latter, if only since there was nobody big enough.

  And I’m sure Namuunaa will be displeased if I show up dirty, Yama thought as he stripped out of the clothes he had been wearing since…Have I been wearing this since I left Claire’s?

  The girl sighs deeply. (Please tell me you changed your clothes.)

  Our hero holds his hands out defensively (I think I did,) he explains before smelling his pits. (I am 90 percent sure.)

  (I am 90 percent sure I’m gonna need a bucket,) the girl says before leaving the room.

  (I showered today!) the giant calls out after the girl had left. (And yesterday,) he mumbles before continuing the story.

  Unsure of the state of his clothes, Yama grabbed a gi before stripping and stepping into the tub. With the holographic nobs along the side of the bath, he set the heat and flow before sitting down. Mother would always help bathe me while she was still alive, Yama thought as he looked around the bathroom for the woman. Nobody.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Yama’s mother wasn’t there, but he imagined she was anyway. Like the man from the fire, she appeared, along with a four-legged wooden stool. Black hair ran to her shoulders, but her face was void of any features like a nose or eyes. “Hi kaa-chan,” Yama said sheepishly.

  She smiled, still with no eyes or nose. “Hello Yama-tan,” Yama’s mother said in the same light and airy voice he remembered, like her words were feathers across his brain. “Even after all of these years, I’m still helping you bathe,” she said, materializing a soap cake and washcloth. The ability to materialize things was not something Yama remembered his mother for, but the man ignored this as his hands mimicked hers.

  “Seems so,” Yama said with a chuckle as his mother scrubbed over his body. “It has been a while.”

  “Yes, it has. Before you left Ni and met Ishimasa, even,” she said as she undid Yama’s bun before humming a wordless tune that Yama joined in. “Now close your eyes, you hate this next part.”

  Yama did so and felt the little dots of the fabric pass over his face before he submerged himself in the hot water. Ichi, ni, san, shi, go! Yama counted before he came out of the water like his mother had instructed all those years ago.

  When Yama surfaced, he expected to hear laughter and some small praise for being brave under the hot water, but instead only heard slow and mocking claps. With each clap, Yama lost an inch until he was a small grey schoolchild again. “I’m not sure if I’m supposed to laugh or cry at how pathetic that is. Oh wait, in this body, we don’t cry. Laughter it is!” the man at the fire said before throwing his head back in laughter.

  Between Yama and the specter rested a grey rectangular prism with splotches of rust. It had been rendered in HD so that Yama could count each flake and measure the degree to which the sides were indented. Yama wanted to leap out of the tub and fling the lid open so he might look upon his mother once more, but he knew she wasn’t in there. He had made that mistake once. Yama glared an arsenal at the specter, hoping to put him in the box instead. “What do you want?” he growled.

  The man stopped laughing before he leaned forward, nearly pressing his nose to Yama’s. “You don’t need her, she’s gone. I’ll”—the specter jabbed his thumb into his chest—"get you through this. Get out of this bath and get dressed. We have a samurai to kill. If we hurry, we might even get it done before dinner.”

  “No,” Yama seethed. “She wouldn’t want me to kill him like a damned animal. She’d want me to be strong and do it right. That is what got us here, and it is what will get me through this.”

  “You have gotten here because you are strong and resourceful, Kikuchi.”

  “I am strong because I am composed and honorable, and I am not going tarnish that for a quick revenge,” Yama said through his teeth.

  “You were strong before you knew of Tenshi and honor, when you only had me.”

  (Maybe I should have listened,) the giant muses before returning to his work. The girl is not entirely sure if she hears this at all and returns to watching a holo-projector on the couch nearby.

  “And the honor has made me stronger. I am my honor,” Yama said smugly.

  The man scoffs. “No, it has made you brittle, a goddamn idiot who can’t see a thing.”

  Enough, Yama thought as he shot up out of the water to pummel the man. “I told you already, we have—” Yama stopped when he saw the specter was no longer there. With neither specter to distract him, Yama was reminded of how cold he was and hurriedly dried himself.

  Now I remember why I don’t take baths, Yama thought sullenly as he ran the towel over his body. With each pass over his face, Yama expected to see the man or the box again and was disappointed each time. Yama grabbed his outfit for the night and put it on before styling his hair into a tight bun. Before leaving the bathroom, Yama gave it one last look for any guests who felt like stopping by, leaving when none appeared. They had their own schedule of haunts and taunts, it seemed.

  Seeing his bag where he had left it, Yama unpacked its contents. It will give me something to do, if nothing else, Yama reasoned as he put his pistols and rifle parts in one of the dresser’s drawers.

  A samurai must be able to support himself.

  A structure with holes inside is of no use to its lord.

  The Tenets of Tenshi.