Satisfied with Dou Tang's answer, the wraith gave a deep, formal nod. "Then, Kiryu-dono … please, grant me release."
But Dou Tang hesitated.
"Uh … don't you have any resentment at all? Because, honestly, before you I met another sentient spirit — but …"
He shook his head, still perplexed.
"You two are different from every wraith I've seen. You've lost your attachment to the living world, yet you're still here. If there's no hatred binding you … then why become a wraith at all?"
Corporal Yamashita smiled faintly.
"Kiryu-dono, that is not a question I can answer. Perhaps you should find that answer yourself."
Find it myself …? Dou Tang frowned. The idea gnawed at him.
What exactly was resentment? What twisted a life into lingering spirit?
He'd never been one for philosophy — yet meeting Yamashita planted a question that refused to fade.
Maybe, after facing more of these higher-level entities, he'd uncover the truth piece by piece. "So," he asked at last, "what's your full name?"
"I am Yamashita Daichi," the wraith said, lowering his head.
"Alright, Mr. Yamashita," Dou Tang mused, rubbing his chin. "As for this whole exorcism thing … let's put it on hold for now. Sound fair?"
Yamashita looked startled.
"What? Kiryu-dono — do you mean that I am unworthy of your purification?"
"No, nothing like that," Dou Tang said quickly. "It's just … you're more useful to me as you are. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to delay cleansing you."
The wraith's eyes lit up.
"Kiryu-dono … what do you require of me? To slay someone? To guard something? Anything — whatever mission you assign, I shall complete it!"
"Uh, no killing required," Dou Tang said, half-amused. "I just need an unpurified wraith for a little experiment. Your choice, of course."
"Of course!" Yamashita straightened, trembling with excitement.
"Kiryu-dono may not grasp what this means to me — but for a soldier, this is what I've waited decades for! To a soldier, nothing is more precious than orders. Than purpose. If you believe I can serve, then I will obey without question!"
…This guy had just talked himself into becoming a loyal dog. Dou Tang sighed inwardly — but it suited his needs perfectly.
"Alright then. You can stay like this for now. Come on — I'll take you to Paradise." He rose, holding out a hand.
Yamashita clasped it earnestly with both hands, bowing. "I'm in your debt, Kiryu-dono!"
"Why are you holding my hand?"
"Eh? Didn't Kiryu-dono extend it for a handshake?" "…No — forget it. Down you go."
Before the ghost could react, the towering Candy Man — two meters of muscle and latex — swung his arm mightily and hurled the wraith like a discus.
"Waaaaahhhhhh!!"
With a scream fit to rattle the heavens, the ex-soldier spiraled through the air and splashed headfirst into the creamy ocean of the Candy World.
Dou Tang followed with a running leap —
Thud — splash!
The milkshake sea embraced them both. Most spirits that once floated there had long since been transformed into Candy Men, leaving only one lonely blob drifting far away.
This time, the sea didn't purify Yamashita. It simply carried him downward, then up again, until they both tumbled onto the pastel shore of Paradise.
Yamashita staggered to his feet, eyes wide at the impossible landscape. "Kiryu-dono … is this … your Yomi? Your underworld?"
All around, Candy Men of every color waddled closer, giggling in their bubbly voices, surrounding the strange newcomer who clearly wasn't one of them.
"Every spirit I purify ends up here," Dou Tang explained, gesturing around. "No ranks, no grudges — just simple, unfiltered joy."
He pointed to the horizon where roller coasters looped under cotton-candy clouds.
"I call this place Paradise. It's their playground. You may not be purified yet, Yamashita, but I hope you'll find some happiness here."
The wraith nodded slowly, still uncertain.
"When I need you," Dou Tang added, "I'll come get you."
"Understood!" Yamashita barked, snapping to attention. "Kiryu-dono, rest assured
— I shall await your orders faithfully!"
"Stop," Dou Tang sighed, waving a hand. "Here, you've already crossed the bridge of forgetfulness. That means no soldiers, no borders, no sir stuff. Got it?"
The old soldier faltered, then nodded. "Understood."
"Good. Then settle in. I've got things to do." "What will you do, Kiryu-dono?"
"Cook dinner for Huaiyin," Dou Tang said simply. "I'm taking her shopping today."
…What?
The being who ruled this bizarre realm — the one who purified evil — was leaving to make dinner for a girl?
Before Yamashita could recover, Dou Tang's form dissolved into mist and vanished. Leaving behind silence.
And several dozen Candy Men.
They swarmed immediately, hopping and chattering, tugging curiously at the bewildered soldier. "U-uh … please … personal space …" Yamashita groaned, overwhelmed.
Desperate to escape, he crawled through their stubby legs until he reached a strange open-topped vehicle running along a looping track.
It looked … fun.
Curious, he climbed in and buckled the oversized harness — clearly meant for rounder bodies.
The coaster began to move, rising slowly, higher and higher. From the peak, Yamashita glimpsed Candy Land stretching to infinity — rides, slides, games, colors without end.
Perhaps this world … had no end.
He was just beginning to marvel when he realized something was wrong. " … Why did it stop?"
Two seconds later, the cart plummeted.
For the first time in his long-dead existence, the Shōwa veteran experienced the sheer, unholy terror of a roller-coaster drop.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The scream that echoed through Candy Land that day … was the sound of a man's entire worldview collapsing.
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