It was my 20th birthday. 

Today was the day. It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. The beginning of my adult life and my initiation into the family.

I, Amano Eisu, would become an official member of the Mochizuki Family.

A true yakuza from this day forward. That was how it was supposed to be.

I was going to swear my oath to the boss today. 

The boss of the Mochizuki Clan, Mochizuki Takahiro, 65 years old, the man who raised me like one of his own. I haven’t had any family besides him since I can remember.

I was abandoned. Some blonde baby left from who knows what country. 

I was given a name by the state but I was given a home by the boss.

 

I had run away from the orphanage when I was 10, the orphanage directors were in it for the money, and if it means starving us to keep it, they would. 

Sure not every last one of them was rotten but at best it was an arms-length of warmth. 

It wasn’t a place I would call home. It was a place without a future. I couldn’t stand it. So I left.

I began living on the streets, became a pickpocket to stay alive. I snatched things discreetly. I got pretty good at it too.

I stuck to Kabukicho in Tokyo and other redlight districts. Lots of men and women go there to cheat and can’t afford to get caught.

I could steal their stuff and they’d fumble about reporting to the cops.

 

Then I chose the wrong… the right target. He was a big man and I don’t mean that just in the literal sense. Something about him just screamed to me that he was special.

His face was rough, with a few knife scars here and there. Dark hair that was combed back and eyes that glimmered like steel. A full beard that stretched down to the middle of his neck. 

He was wearing a dark suit, a stainless white shirt, and a dark blue tie. 

Yet, I could tell he had huge muscles below the attire. Normally, I wouldn’t have risked going after such a dangerous-looking target, but I was blinded by greed. 

 

His left arm had a wonderful golden watch and his shoes were practically glowing black.

If I could get away with taking some of his stuff I could be set for quite a while.

He caught me the moment I made my move. His grip on my arm was like a python strangling its prey. I thought I was done for… but instead of clobbering me and throwing me to the cops he smiled and laughed. “What’s your name kid?” 

His voice was and always had been rough. Smoked a lot back in the day. I was quite happy when I learned he gave it up a few years back. Anyway, I stared him dead in the eyes and told him.

“Amano Eisu.” I didn’t have anything to lose. I felt it was just a matter of time before I got caught anyways.

At least in juvie, I’d get regular meals so it wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen.

“That doesn’t sound like a foreign name. You half or something?” 

 

I groaned at him. “I don’t know man. Probably not. I don’t have parents, never have. Now, let me go or throw me to the pigs. Just stop breaking my damn wrist.” 

That only made him look more amused at me. I had failed to steal from him so I couldn’t even say that my skills were what impressed him. I was confused about why he took a shine to me for the longest time. A few years later he’d clear it up. Apparently, it was because I had the balls to actually see a guy like him, know he was bad news, and still take my chances.

I told him that was stupid. It just meant I didn’t have a good grasp of danger.

He just shook his head and said that taking risks, having the courage to defeat fear, that was the true worth of a man. 

 

“How would you like a job instead? My family needs a new errand boy. I’ll give you room and board too. Trust me, you don’t want to get your name on the records for committing crimes.”

I rolled my eyes at him and scoffed. “Well, that’s more coercion than an offer.”

He chuckled. It was warm, despite how awkward the situation was. “Exactly.”

I followed him to his home. A swanky traditionally Japanese mansion and was given a room that looked to have been lived in a long time ago by a kid probably around my age.

At the time, I didn’t think too much about it but one of the other reasons I was probably picked up was that the boss lost his own son and wanted me to fill the void.

Well, no matter the reason, I’m damned grateful for it. 

From that day on, I helped around however I could. Made food, cleaned the house, greeted guests, and took their coats. Lit their cigarettes and fetched them their booze. 

Did some heavy lifting. Whatever I could to keep myself valuable.

Getting ditched would mean the end of this cushy position.

 

The boss took me to his personal indoor gym one day, out of the blue.

He took me to a punching bag and taught me how to go at it. 

One, two. Jabs, straights, and hooks. Everything you’d expect from a boxer…

As well as some dirty moves you wouldn’t expect. Thumbs in eyes, knees to the groin, all sorts of underhanded moves mixed in with legitimate strikes. 

From that day on, I’d train there too. Sometimes the boss would be around to spar with me and show me the ropes.

For five whole years, I didn’t even get close to beating the man.

Sure, once in a while I’d make him sweat a bit but it wasn’t until I was almost sixteen that I landed a few good hits.

Five whole years of coming up short. 

When I landed that uppercut and knocked him on his back I was so happy. Then terrified he’d be pissed. He laughed it off and stood right back up. “Guess I’m getting old. That or you’re just getting that good. Nothing less from a brat I taught first hand! I’m an excellent teacher! Hahaha!” 

 

That was the day I really started thinking of him as my dad. 

I’d start to follow him from then on. Walking in his shadow as he went to lay down the law of the underworld. Smacking around the brutes who took far too much advantage of their illegal employees. Giving kids like me a second chance under the organization. 

Crushing the clans that dare mess with his men. Living the high life in the shadows.

I’d help a bit too. There was no need for pops to personally get his hands messy.

It didn’t matter if it was one guy or ten of em. I’d lay em flat on their asses in no time.

Just the way dad taught me. Though the first time I did it without him even asking, he was pissed. “No one told you to do that!” It was the first time I think I ever saw him angry.

I had pummeled a bunch of thugs who began to make a scene on his turf and stood there like a deer in headlights when he yelled at me. I could only blankly reply.

“I did what I wanted to do.” He sighed, shook his head, and mumbled. 

“Is that really what you want?”

He didn’t raise his voice to me any other time I did it though.

He’d watch me follow his example. I’d try to tell the jackasses who were extorting their clients, or the assholes who were making power plays, or the drug dealers who were killing their victims, I told them all to clean up their acts because even Yakuza have pride.

They’d laugh. They’d spit in the face of the code and the boss. 

Then I’d let the hammer of justice fall on their necks. 

 

I know this lifestyle is grim. Blood will get on your hands, literally and otherwise.

Still, I wanted to be like my dad, he did all of this with honour. 

If you make waves that get your workers killed or the cops sniffing at your door, you’ve gone too far. Brought disgrace and unnecessary heat to your benefactors, to dad.

I couldn’t let that slide. So, even though I wasn’t a member… I began to bust heads.

If they’d apologize and change their ways, that was fine with me.

If they didn’t? I’d crush them until they learned or ran out of town. 

And trust me, some people are shit at learning. The same lesson has to be beaten into them over and over again. Still, there were always second chances for those willing to try.

 

All I was trying to do was be like the boss. To pay him back for what he did for me.

Yet he always looked so conflicted whenever I’d do things in his name. 

He never told me to stop but he never praised me for it either.

Still, it wasn’t long until he told me to buy a suit. On my 17th birthday, he gave me the money and everything. Pointed me to a tailor and it felt like he was finally approving of me.

I bought something a little silly though. I made the suit and shirts reversible.

Black on the outside and white on the inside. A nice blood-red tie to go with it.

The final piece was a pair of aviator sunglasses. With these other people can’t see my eyes were blue. I hated getting shit on for not being Japanese within the clan and having random people stare was the worst. I even tried to dye my hair black once but dad washed it out and told me to never do it again. So I didn’t. Well, at least looking like this, I thought I’d look like every other wannabe punk in a gang in the country. Blonde hair and a pair of dark glasses.

 

When I came back to him the first thing he did was laugh.

“Ahahaha! That’s what you picked out? I mean… well, I’m sure you’ll grow into it but it looks ridiculous! Hey, boys, come here! Look what he’s got on!”

I was embarrassed and wanted to curse. I had no idea what fashion was. 

Still, like many things. Dad was right. I grew into it.

White suit and black shirt when I wanted to play nice.

Black suit and white shirt when I was going to coerce.

Chucking the whole ensemble off and fighting bare-chested when I was pissed.

No way was I going to get my birthday present dirty with the blood of scum.

 

I started to make a name for myself as the years went by.

My name was Eisu and I wasn’t Japanese, at least by blood, so they started to call me Ace.

First for the silly name pun and second because I kicked ass and took names.

They started giving my fists silly nicknames. Lightning Left. Righteous Right.

Silly shit but it made me feel at home with the boys, at least the ones on the ground.

The stuck up ivory tower bitches who prioritized raking in dough more than the survivability and honour of the clan.

Short term gains by sacrificing history and our rep. 

Thoughtless. Just like bloodsucking corporations and pigs who like to force the innocent to squeal. Becoming the very thing they hated. They disgusted me and I disgusted them.

I should have paid more attention to those cold heartless fools. 

 

I would ask almost every day for the boss to make me a proper member of the clan.

He’d refuse. I was basically one already but he didn’t want me to join for some reason.

Nagging worked eventually though. “Fine. When you’re 20 you can drink. 

You can swear a proper oath then, okay?” I stayed silent when he finally said the words I wanted to hear. My heart was elated but my cheeky ass had to ask. 

“...You’re yakuza and you’re worried about me doing underaged drinking?”

He got up and smacked me around the back of the head good for that one but I pushed my luck.

“Oh, what tattoo should I get? I’d like a tiger just like yours!” 

He rolled his eyes and went to paw at me again but I dodged it easily.

“...Geez. Getting inked isn’t a good thing… ah, I can’t stop ya. I’ll pick a good one out for you when it’s time. I’ll get my best artist on the job. Just wait, alright? Don’t go getting any half baked shit from some kid with a needle.” I smiled and nodded and he sighed.

 

That was my life. I tried to do right by my dad. By his name. By the clan.

It was a few days before my birthday. I had closed my eyes and gotten my ink done. 

I got up and had a look in the mirror. I groaned and looked at dad with disappointment.

“It looks good and all but…”

A geisha now sat on my back and held two playing cards in her right hand.

A western and eastern playing card.
The ace of spades on the left and the moon and crane on the right.

 

“You couldn’t resist putting the ace in could you? You and your jokes. Can’t you take me more seriously? I mean… if it ain’t completely traditional some people won’t even know I’m yakuza. I was hoping to get a tiger on my back, same as you pops...”

He looked me dead serious in the eyes and told me this. 

“It’s not just a joke. It’s because… I still want to give you an out. It can just be a piece of fashion some blonde boy got or it could be your oath to the clan. Being a yakuza is tough. It’s a life of crime even if you try to do the right thing behind its bars. I never really intended this for you but before I knew it you started copying me… are you sure you want to do this?”

I bowed before him. This man gave me my life back. I owed it to him to bring honour to the name.

“...If that’s your answer after all this time, then I’ll accept it. Ace. Be the fire that brings this clan back to greatness. Don’t let it go cold and cruel. Do as you’ve always done.” 

Leaving me with those words, it took a while for it to rest and set in… I was truly grateful to hear those words from his lips. To know he held such high expectations… I was going to prove myself worthy of them. Or so I thought.

 

Now back to the beginning… my 20th birthday. I dressed in black.

Pops and I went around with some of his closest boys.

His lieutenant and his other officers. We began to drink sake and stuff ourselves with food.

First some expensive sushi and then crawling from pub to pub eating the cheap, greasy, and delicious stuff. Every so often a guy would collapse and someone else would drag him away.

Until it was just me and pops at some stall serving oden in the middle of winter.

 

Eating fish cakes and slurping soup… just having a fun time.

Until he took out two red sake cups and a bottle from his jacket.

He filled them up and handed one to me and took another in his right hand.

We were both really red and drunk but we composed ourselves for this one moment.

We drank. I swore a personal oath to pops on top of one to the clan. 

It was bitter and really strong but it felt right. 

 

“By the way, I’m making you Captain. Hashiba’s been looking to get out of the business so you can take over for him. Do me proud, son.”

I almost spit out and choke on the burning sake in my throat. I finally force it down and swig some water while smacking my chest to flush it out. “Excuse me? You’re joking right pops? ...Awh, fuck! You’re not! Why! There’s no way they’ll accept this! I just joined and I’m way too young! Sure, I’ve been helping out before today but that’s nowhere near enough!” 

He just laughs dryly at me and takes another swig of sake before responding. “You’re more popular than you think Ace. Nobody in the main family or among the foot soldiers will object, the people who dislike you are a vocal minority at best. So, man up and show me you’re worth making captain or I’ll expel you from the family as quickly as you got in, in an instant.”

Well, that’s that. Once pops makes a decision like that he won’t back down no matter what you say. All I could do was smile and nod. I have to meet his expectations.

 

Then I heard footsteps, not just one person, had to be at least thirty.

A bunch of clansmen, in suits and sunglasses, and a single woman at the head of the helm.

Hair that was as dark as the night and danced towards her hips. 

Her skin was pale. Her lips were red. She was tall and strutted in heels towards us.

Clothed in a black dress… one you’d see at funerals. Her eyes glimmered. Like steel.

Yet she was cold. As if looking down upon me. A look I knew all too well.

 

“Kokoro…? What are you doing here?” Pops looked at her with something I had never seen in him before. Fear. I never knew he could feel such an emotion. He was my hero after all. 

“Kokoro? Wait, is this your daughter? I’ve never had the chance to meet you before! Your dad’s taken really good care of me! I hope we can-”  I got up to greet her, show my respects but… she pulled out something from her dress. A small piece of glowing silver.

A gun.  A revolver.

I stopped in my tracks. I knew this looked bad before she drew the gun but I was hoping…

I was boozed up. Thirty people. Half armed with guns and the others with blades. 

Shit. What was going on? Kokoro reached into her dress again. This time with her left hand.

She drags up a crumpled piece of paper in an iron grasp. 

“You know why. You’d dare give my Mochizuki clan to this foreign bastard! He doesn’t even have a drop of our blood in his veins! You’ve gone crazy old man!”

My heart is filled with sudden weight. The clan? To me? Indeed, what was he thinking!?

“...You stole my will?” Pops didn’t move from his seat. He just looked her in the eyes.

“Of course I did. One of my men saw you meeting your lawyer. Did you think you could get away with this? Skip me over and leave me to some new punk you brought off the street? Is it because I’m a woman? Is that why? You shitty father.” 

She spat on him. My fists curled up.

 

“Kokoro. You’re excellent at making money. You’re intelligent and wise. You’re strong too. No slouch in a fight. You know how to break people. You know how to get what you want. You’re a true modern yakuza. That’s exactly why I can’t leave the clan to you. Not because you’re a woman. It’s because you’re cruel. You would lead the clan the same way the other yakuza have. 

A machine that ingests blood and spills out cash. That’s not what I want for our future.

I want the yakuza to be… what we said we were. Honour. Holding the reins on the underworld so that the world can have the least amount of evils within it.”

Kokoro scoffed and trained her gun on me.

“Old man, the yakuza were never and will never be like that. We’re just a crime syndicate. Sure we have some rules and codes but that’s what all organizations have to keep them in line. 

Wake up! We live in reality! It’s cold and cruel and we have to be even crueler to survive! 

You’d risk everything we’ve built!? For this silly pipedream!? Putting all of that on this kid!?
He’s just a shadow. A replacement for Daiya. Yet, you care more about him than… 

That’s insane. I’ll never allow it. None of the brass will. He’s got strength and swagger.

I’ll admit that. He’s got the footsoldiers worshipping him like a legend. Though that alone can’t change the whole damned world! I’ll give you one chance. Rewrite this will… or else…”

 

She cocked the gun. “You’ll kill him?” Pops asked with a heavy weight in his voice.

She smirked. “Of course. If he’s gone, then you’ll need to give it back to me.”

“That’s not going to happen. I’ll never give the clan to you.” 

There’s silence. I stare at him. I don’t know what I’m feeling.

“No matter what, whether you kill him or every other person I take a shine too… you’ll never Finherit the clan. I won’t rewrite my will.”

Irritation growled from Kokoro. She turned her gun to her own father.

 

That’s when I felt it. Anger flash. Boiling in my veins.

“You’ll kill me? Kokoro?” I see her fingers begin to apply pressure on the trigger.

My legs move before I can really understand what’s going on. 

My left fist flies out. It knocks right into her face. She’s sent flying and her gun with her.

I hear the cocking of several guns trained at me and the boss.

I run in front of pops. He gave me life. It’s only right I give it back.

 

Bang. One after another. The sounds of gunfire and the scent of smoke.

Maybe it was all the liquor but I barely felt a thing… but blood leaving my lips.

“Aww… you got my suit all… bloody. I… cough…!” 

I fall on one knee. If I wasn’t in this state… if I wasn’t drunk…

Nah. I can’t give myself any excuses. At this point all I can do is…

“Kill them both!” Kokoro screams. 

 

I charge at them and roar. My vision becomes a blur. 

I can feel my fists knock into skulls and guts. I feel blades in my sides and bullets pierce my body. I can hear pops yelling something out from behind me. 

I… I gotta… take 'em all out. So he can get out of here…

For better or worse I can ignore the pain. I grab someone’s face. I chuck them into the crowd.

I pick up a gun and a knife. I let loose a hail of bullets and shank some poor bastards in the neck.

 

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. 

I count to myself as I knock em down. There’s 31 if I include Kokoro.

Six. Seven. Eight. Easy. These money grubbing punks… don’t know what it means to risk your life! Pops is right. They can’t lead the clan. It’d ruin itself.

Nine. Ten. Out of bullets. The knife is jammed in one guy’s guts. 

I drop it and let it go. I just swing wildly. 

 

My strength is leaving me along with my blood.

Even though I have one foot in the grave… These fuckers look like they are moving in slow motion. A few hits connect to their jaws. A bunch of them are laid at my feet. 

My vision is almost completely coated in blood and sweat. I can’t count them anymore.

 

“Stop! You inhuman monster! Or I’ll kill him here and now!”

Kokoro! Damn you! I turn to see pops with a gun by his left temple.

“You’d really kill your own dad!?” She glares. It’s cold. Yes. Yes, she would.

No, worse than that. Pops won’t give the clan to her no matter what. She’ll kill him eventually.

Once he refuses long enough, she’ll just end him and destroy his will.

...Surrounded like this though, it buys him just a bit more time. Maybe someone smarter than me can save him. I hear it. The readying of guns again but this time in trembling hands.

 

I snort and smile. At least I can go out…

“What are you waiting for… go on. Pull the trigger. I’m just a man… but I’ll be waiting in hell for you all as the devil himself.” My life is over before it really begins.

“Stop! I’ll rewrite my will! Just let him live!” 

 

My blood runs cold. I hear pops say something truly stupid.

If he rewrites that will, Kokoro will have no reason to keep him alive! It’d be too much of a risk!

I’m not going to survive this anyway! What the hell is he thinking!?

I scream. I charge at her. Bullets riddle my back from her goons and from the front from her.

I fall. Two meters. I’m about two meters off from her. I’m out of strength.

Everything is going black. No… I can’t let it end like this. Pops… is going to die.

Sooner or later. I can’t let that… happen… please… 

 

I died.

When Amano Eisu woke up again he found himself in a small yellow room with a table and two chairs with a tea set on it.

There was a single golden door and two windows. He found himself sitting in one of the white chairs while a woman sat in the other one. She looked relatively young but with an air of maturity… though her appearance was anything but, at least to Eisu. 

Her hair was the colour of blue sand and seemed to have the same sparkles you’d expect from such novelty. It waved out like the ocean and fell down to her hips.

Her eyes were larger than he was used to seeing and were the same shade of blue as his own. 

Her clothes were… well reminded him of a certain Arabian princess. Except her clothes were a cool yellow tint. As expected from such attire, her navel was exposed and her chest had quite a lot of emphasis given to it. They were rather large, perhaps D cups.

 

Overall she had a rather alluring figure. Most men and even women would be stunned by her drop-dead gorgeous looks. Too bad for her that Eisu’s mind was preoccupied with other things.

He looked around. Silently. Without saying a word. Letting it all set in.

She coughed to break the silence. Usually, people would be asking where they were and who she was by now but a change of pace would be welcome.

“I am the Goddess of Reincarnation Lailah! 

“You’ve been selected to live a second life in another world filled with magic and adventure and-!”

Eisu raised his right hand, made a fist, and slammed it on the table. The tea set flew in the air.

It spilled its contents all over the table. He got her attention real quick.

“Alright. I gotcha. Listen, lady. I don’t care. I’ve seen this stupid shit play out a thousand times in the books everyone is interested in nowadays. So, here’s my question for you. Can I go back to my world? I have to save my dad. He’s going to die and it’s my fault. I can’t let that happen.”

 

Lailah blinked. Not a single guest reacted this way. 

Her job was to give unfortunate souls a second chance. 

Those who had their lives cut short or those who were perhaps not the best for peacetime.

Not a single one of the souls that came here have ever been… so brazen.

“I-I cannot return you to your world. Your body over there has already expired...”

He took off his aviators. His eyes were much like her own and she was drawn to them.

“You’re a goddess, right? Send me home. I don’t even need that long. Three minutes. Give me three minutes of life and I can save pops and I’ll happily die without a second life. I owed my whole life to the man. I can’t live the next one if I can’t settle the debts of the first!”

She gulped. No one had wanted to go back this badly before.

 

“I’m sorry. I can’t do that. There are rules and regulations about these things!” 

He didn’t flinch one bit at her assertion.

“Make it happen. Or I’ll have to use force. That’s how important this is to me.”

He threatened her. She was aghast. This was the first from a mortal.

“Now, see here! I can’t go breaking the rules for every little heartbreak that-!”

His right hand was wrapped around her neck in an instant.

He pushed her against the closest wall and she began to claw at his grip to escape.

“H-how…! A mortal…!? Gah…! Why can’t… !?”

She began to flail with her legs too. Somehow he could touch her. 

Hurt her. This was impossible! No mortal could even scratch a god.

 

She looked again. For real this time at the man before her. 

A scent filled her body. The scent of blood. Divine.

This made it a bit easier to understand. If he had god blood then… still, it didn’t make sense for him to overpower her this easily. 

Also, she couldn’t recognize it.

No god she had met before has this scent. His grip was tightening.

 

“Send. Me. Back. Now. Or I’ll break your neck and find a god which can.” 

She tried to strike back at him but her arms were too thin and too short to reach this man as tall as a mountain. His body was muscular but not overwhelmingly so… and he still held this much power. Her grip tightened further. She couldn’t breathe. He was really going to kill her.

“I-I can’t… b-but I can… teach you… how!” 

He threw her to the ground. She slammed against it and her body bounced off the tile floor.

“Ghhkk… khuuhhggh… ugghh.. Hahah… hahhhhhh… hahh… hah…” 

She scrambled away like a centipede to the opposite end of the room while gasping for air.

“...I’m not allowed to open portals back to Earth. Even if I wanted too… I can’t. My power is being restricted by my superiors… but you’ve got divine blood. You can learn time and space magic. 

If you get strong enough you’ll be able to open a portal to Earth right at the time you would have died. You’ll need to gain a lot of experience though. So it’s actually in your best interest to go to the world I’ve prepared for you. You’ll find strong opponents there… that’ll help you grow.”

 

Eisu stared down at her and stood there. 

“Well. I’m waiting. Send me to the most vicious world you’ve got.” 

Lailah bit her lip in frustration and rage began to well up within her.

“Gotcha. I’ll send you to the worst place in the multiverse!” 

He won’t last five minutes. That’s what she believed. 

A fitting punishment for one who would dare lay their hands on a goddess. 

He was coated in golden light that would soon send him away.

 

Just then the door to the room opened. Another woman entered. 

Short blonde hair and a tanned muscular body, wearing a sports bra and shorts. 

Green eyes and a smile on her face. She waltzed in as if she owned the place.

“Wow! When was the last time I saw one of yours Lailah?” 

Lailah and Eisu focused their gazes at her and looked mystified.

“What do you mean, one of mine, Bas?” 

Lailah felt a cold chill suddenly run through her body. Gods weren’t supposed to get cold unless they wanted to... “I mean, his scent. It’s just like yours. When was the last time you got a descendant come through here? It must have been at least a thousand years ago.” 

Eisu stared at Lailah again with a look of disbelief… but then he vanished completely.

“Aw, you’re such a doting parent. I bet you sent him to a nice and comfy world.”

...Lailah began to sweat bullets. It made sense now. How he broke through her divine protection with his bare hands. They were the same type so her body hadn’t recognized it as a threat.

“Bas. The first thing he did was chokeslam me.”

The other goddess tilted her head like a curious cat.

“So I sent him to… the worst world I could think of.”

There’s an uncomfortable silence between the two women and a look of complete horror.

 

“No. You didn’t!? Why!? That’s…!” 

“He chokeslammed me! He threatened me! I didn’t realize he was…”

They both began to panic but Lailah especially.

“Wait, if he’s one of mine… he might really make it back here with his magic! He’s going to be so pissed! Ah! I can’t just let him die either..! Dammit! What should I do!?”

Bas swallowed hard and looked her friend dead in the eyes.

“You have to go and get him back. Otherwise… they’ll never let you hear the end of it.”

Lailah growled and wailed at the realization. 

 

She’d need to follow him. Her pride was on the line.