01x12 - There's Always Someone Better

[bunniefuu]

[Misaki grunts]

[Sunagawa's lackey]
Come on, honey. Let's get it on.

Remember what I said? The bad guys win.

[screams]
No!

- [Misaki whimpers]
- [Sunagawa's lackey chuckles]

[gasps]

[grunts]

[body thuds]

He's got it wrong. The strong win.

[♪ theme music playing]

The Fable

There's Always Someone Better

[Misaki breathing shakily]

I'm, uh... I'm here to save you.

Hey, what was that loud noise?
What's going on?

[Akira] It's okay. I didn't k*ll him.

[Yoko] Misaki's an ordinary girl.
She's not used to violence.

[Akira] Uh, yeah.

Anyway, put her at ease,
even if you have to lie.

[Akira] How am I supposed to do that now?

[Yoko] Give her a smile, darn it!

Or tell her a joke or something!

[Akira] A joke, huh?

- [Akira] A joke...
- [gasps]

- How come it's destroying me too?
- [whimpers]

Darn it! You're just copying
Jackal's TV commercial.

Enough of that!

[Yoko] Just give her a smile, would you?

[sighs]

Anyway, how are you going
to get Misaki out of there?

The three guys just outside are an issue.

[Akira] If I could k*ll them,
I'd be out of here in one minute.

[Yoko] Don't you dare k*ll anyone!

Maybe I'll sh**t them in the leg.

[Yoko] Make sure Misaki doesn't see it.

[trembling breathing]

[Akira] This is just a toy.

[grunting]

- See? Even doing this isn't dangerous.
- [breathing shakily]

I'm going out for a sec to have a chat
with those three guys out there.

I'll be back real quick,
so just wait right there.

- [door opens]
- Okay...

Let's see now...

What exactly is it
you want to do with Sato?

Hmm...

There was once a five-year-old girl
who drew as good as da Vinci.

[Boss] She was celebrated as a genius.

The girl had a speech disorder,

so her parents gradually taught her
to speak words.

But then her artistic talent
gradually disappeared.

More than likely,
she was a kind of savant.

Some are able to memorize
a phonebook within seconds.

Some can play a piece of music
after hearing it only once.

Come on, let's be frank with each other.

You k*lled him, didn't you?

I told you,
I don't know what you're talking about.

Other residents at the condo saw
someone who fits your description.

If you know anyone else
with a scar on his face like yours,

I'd like to meet him.

Okay, I'll admit I went to see him.

I lent him three million yen, after all.

I was simply collecting my own money.

It's only natural to want it back
after 15 years.

And...

did you k*ll him?

[♪ suspenseful music playing]

[♪ suspenseful music intensifies]

[Sunagawa grunts]

[high-pitched ringing]

- Mm?
- [gasps]

[♪ ominous music playing]

[muffled g*nshots]

[grunts]
From above?

[grunts]

Why you!

[snickers]

I think that guy wearing a hood
is in the same line of work.

[Yoko] What? "The same line of work"?
You mean...

Yeah, a hitman. No doubt about it.

I think Sunagawa hired him.

I bet he intended
to snuff out Kojima from the start.

[Yoko] Want me to go and provide backup?

[Akira] No, you'll just get in the way.

[Yoko] You're so mean!

[Takeshi] Are you saying Sato's the same?

That he's a savant at k*lling?

The word "savant" covers
a wide range of people.

I can't be sure
if Akira fits into that definition.

To see if he does,
I wanted to see how he would do

if he had to live an ordinary life
for one year.

My objective is to see

if he loses even an ounce
of his superb k*lling skills.

If it seems like he can fit into
ordinary society, I would like him to.

But then someone
suddenly interfered in my plan.

- [knife clinks]
- You,

Ebihara.

Do you know this knife?

It's a Rambo knife.

Right. Or at least you're 90% correct.

I love that movie too.

[Boss] Partly due to that movie,

this knife was used
by armies around the world.

When you think of a survival knife
from the 80s,

almost everyone thinks of this one.

Setting aside the technical stuff,

there are lots of knives nowadays
that are sturdier and more practical.

So, it's behind the times?

Well, that too.

What's more, this is a Jimmy Lile knife,
the same guy who made that Rambo knife.

[Boss] But the reason I said
you weren't entirely right is

because this model
wasn't used in the movie.

This knife is called the "Sly,"
but it never saw the light of day.

It's an obsolete but fine blade
that never made its debut.

When I look at this knife,
I'm reminded of Akira.

I discovered his natural talent
and raised him to be an assassin.

But in this era,

Akira's analog style of k*lling
is obsolete.

There's DNA testing,
surveillance cameras everywhere,

and mobile phone cameras.

The time has come
for our industry and methods to change.

If I were to do a job,
I'd select a modern practical knife.

But if I were to live in the mountains
and do things my own way,

I'd take this knife with me.

In the same way
that I don't want to toss out this knife,

I don't want to get rid of Akira.

Listen carefully.

I'll overlook what you've done this time.

Don't get involved with Akira.

If you do, this knife won't just pierce
this pillow, but your neck too.

[grunts]

[kickboxer] Take that!

I heard you're a kickboxing champ.

[kickboxer] Yeah. I'm a pro.

[laughs]
Is that so? Well, too bad.

In my world, you're an amateur.

- [slashes]
- [gasps]

[grunts]

For pros in this business,
we use this kind of thing.

This isn't a game.

[attack grunt]

[grunts]
Damn...

[Sunagawa's hire] If you're going
to get involved in pro work,

then you'd better be prepared.

But don't you worry, I won't k*ll you.

The ones we're k*lling are Kojima and...

- [footsteps thud]
- [surprised grunts]

Who the hell are you?

Where'd you come from?

[Akira] You're a pro, you say?

Then you'd better prepare yourself too.

Don't worry. I won't k*ll you.

[kickboxer] Huh?
[confused grunt]

Uh...

Stay down!

Get me Misaki's bag.

[Takahashi breathing shakily]

[Kojima]
That shot came from outside the window.

Looks like he planned on k*lling me
from the start.

Sunagawa!

[Kojima] Be careful what you do.

- They've got a g*n too.
- [Takahashi] Okay.

[exclaims]

Hey, you missed, damn it!

Kojima's inside here!

I can k*ll Kojima anytime.

I'm more worried about upstairs.

[hitman] You've got an outsider in here.

[Akira]
You've got the key to the car, right?

Uh, yeah.

[Akira] You know
there's a woman in that room, right?

[grunting]

- You know that woman's in there, right?
- Yes.

[Akira]
Get her out of here and drive her home.

[kickboxer] In this situation?

[Akira] I'll clear up the situation.
You just wait with the woman.

You protect her until then.

- [kickboxer gasps]
- [grunts in pain]

[Akira] The mosquito tone is ringing now.

Mosquito what?

[Akira] Tell the woman.
She'll understand.

When the sound stops,
go downstairs and run outside.

That's the signal it's safe to leave.

Got it? Then go.

[kickboxer grunts]

Are you...

Don't tell me you're Fab...

[grunts in pain, groans]

[Akira] Shut up. I'm trying to focus.

[high-pitched ringing]

[Misaki gasps]

[flustered gasp]

Mr. Sunagawa, you have a g*n?

Heck no.

I left this job up to you.

Then go hide in a corner.

[hitman] I'll handle them one by one.

- [Kojima] You take this.
- Um...

isn't this a model g*n?

It's no good in a real shootout.

I'm the one Sunagawa wants dead.

You just take it for now.
It's better than nothing.

[Yoko] Hey, fill me in on the situation.

[Akira] I arranged to have Misaki rescued
once I've secured a route

and shut off the mosquito tone.

[Yoko] What are the hitmen
you're up against like?

[Akira] They're no big deal.

Hey, you really
in the same line of work as me?

Uh...

- Despite how it looks, I've...
- [Akira] I've immobilized one of them.

I think there's just one more.

I don't want to wait,
so I'll go down and take care of him.

I'm not playing any hide and seek.

A b*mb?
[grunts]

A smokescreen...

- There's smoke outside.
- What are we? c*ck?

[Kojima grunts]

[♪ thrilling music playing]

- [thuds]
- That guy's unbelievable.

[shouts]
It's Fable! We're up against Fable!

[Sunagawa's hire] This guy's Fable!

- Don't let your guard down!
- [grunts]

[Takahashi breathing shakily]

[♪ thrilling music continues]

[soft gasp]

[hitman] Those didn't hit.

Who the heck is this guy?
If he really is Fable, I want to meet him.

And then, I want to k*ll him.

[muffled g*nsh*t]

[b*ll*ts clash]

[panting]

Huh?

[hitman] What the heck is this? A toy?

You've got to be kidding.

[hitman] Even I feel a chill
going through my spine.

Can you still hear that whatever sound?

[Misaki] Yes. It's a mosquito tone.

[high-pitched ringing]

[kickboxer] I can't hear it.
What the heck is going on?

Shh.

Anyway, when it stops, we'll go outside.

[panting]

[g*nsh*t]

[g*nsh*t]

[g*nsh*t]

[heavy breathing]

[hitman grunts]

- [Kojima groans]
- [yelps]

[hitman] He completely ignored me?

I was beneath his notice.

I wasn't even a threat to him.

[door opens]

[door closes]

Stay back or I'll sh**t!

[Akira] That toy will never hurt me.

- [trembling breathing]
- [door opens]

[high-pitched ringing continues]

- [ringing stops]
- It's stopped.

[kickboxer] Good. We're going outside.

[Misaki] There's smoke...

- [gasps]
- [door opens]

[Sunagawa's lackey groans]
Ow...

Come on. Let's go.

[in trembling voice]
Okay...

[hurried footsteps receding]

You stuck Kojima in the trunk,
but is he okay?

I haven't heard a peep out of him.

Yeah, he's probably unconscious.
But he's not dead.

Are you sure?

Don't you dare go k*lling anyone.
I mean it.

Are the others okay?
The ones you attacked in the factory.

None of them died, did they?

[huffs]

Come to think of it, the first guy
I knocked out when rescuing Misaki,

he didn't move at all.

[Yoko shouts]
Now you've done it!

I think he was just unconscious.

How did you attack him?

I went bam-bam-bam
to his throat and flank.

"Bam-bam-bam"?

Well, just as long as you didn't k*ll him.

I think he was just unconscious.

It was easy for you, right?

Can't you make sure you do it right?

Like I said,
it's hard for me not to k*ll people.

Especially with my bare hands.

It's probably safer when I use a g*n
since I can sh**t what I aim at.

You can't be serious!

The guy in the trunk hasn't made a sound.

Sorry if he's dead.

It's not me you should apologize to!

[slurps]

Have your nerves calmed a little?

It feels like I'm dreaming.

It's like what just happened
actually happened days ago.

So much happened all at once.

No wonder you're tired.

That guy in the mask, why did he save me?

He saved me too.

I just don't get it.

What will happen to me?

It probably depends on what happens
with Mr. Kojima.

But I'll tell Takahashi
to keep his hands off you, Misaki.

If they try to pull anything else,
let's go to the cops.

I know what's happened,
so I can talk to them with you.

Won't I just get harassed again
and cause trouble for people I know?

That won't happen anymore.
I'm on your side now.

[phone buzzing]

Oh, it's Takahashi.

[kickboxer] Hello?

Where are you? You okay?

Oh, I see.

Huh? You're with the woman?

Forget about it.

[Takahashi] Mr. Kojima got abducted,
so things here are a mess.

The back-alley doc will be here soon.

So who the heck is that Fable guy?

You don't know either, huh?

He's a hitman.

[hitman] There's a g*ng
that specializes in m*rder nicknamed that.

What?

What's more,
they do work for the Maguro Group.

[grunts]

[hitman] We don't know any details though.

I mean, they're like urban legends
even in the underworld.

I hate to admit it,

but I've never been
so outclassed like that in my life.

They wanted to protect Kojima so badly
that they hauled him off like that?

Not sure he's being protected.
He ended up getting shot.

[hitman] This is all a total humiliation.

[engine rumbling]

- [beeps]
- [door rattles]

[Kojima panting]

You...

You, huh?

Is this good here?

[Misaki] Yes.

Ah. Hold on a second. Um...
[sighs]

Here, it's my mobile phone number.

Huh?

[kickboxer] I'm not being weird.

If anything, you know,
troublesome happens again, give me a call.

I won't let it be
like what happened today. Okay?

Thank you.

Anyway, I'll meet up with Takahashi.

You take it easy tonight.

- Uh... is your arm all right? You're hurt.
- Hmm?

Ah. I'm just fine.

The bleeding has stopped.

- I see.
- Yeah.

Bye.

[car door closes]

[engine revving]

[sighs in relief]

[sobs]

Hmm.

[Sunagawa] He used a toy like this?

And they used a hitman I don't even know
who serves the Maguro Group?

Was this the boss's orders?
Or maybe the captain's?

[hitman] Mr. Sunagawa.

What about that other target
you showed me a photo of?

If you want me to continue,
I can do it tomorrow.

[Sunagawa] I can worry about Fable later.

I need to get a grasp of the situation
and prioritize what needs to be done.

Takahashi.

[grunts]

With Kojima gone,
there's nothing we can do now.

Let's end this for now.

- Get up. Let's go.
- [Takahashi's friend groaning]

Are you sure? You want to let them go now?

Yeah. There's only one thing
that needs to be done now.

[♪ ominous music playing]

[♪ closing theme music playing]

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