Little King

Little King is the first chapter of K -Count Down-.

Summary
Yukari Mishakuji walks through the city with Kotosaka, and comments on the events that occurred previously within Mihashira Tower, calling them "interesting", however he mentions that it is a pity that he did not receive a "direct present".

He continues to talk about Kuroh Yatogami's growth since they last met, and seeing Anna Kushina become the new Red King. Another notable scene brought up is, now, JUNGLE has confirmed the status of the Blue King's Sword of Damocles. Amused, Yukari exclaims that everyone is now involved, but Nagare Hisui, using the bird Kotosaka as a medium, points out that a crucial person is missing. Yukari acknowledges this fact, and notes Nagare's obsession with Adolf, along with trailing about what might happen if Adolf does not involve himself soon.

That aside, Yukari states that what's done is done, and that things are only getting started, which Nagare agrees with.

The focus changes to two days after the events of 13 October at HOMRA (building), with Misaki Yata asking Izumo Kusanagi where Anna is. Izumo says that Anna is still sleeping. Yata asks if she's okay after the damage she endured at Mihashira Tower, but Izumo mutters about her exhaustion being over something other than the damage. Before he can elaborate, Rikio Kamamoto enters, and Izumo notes how all of HOMRA is present now.

Izumo asks HOMRA what they want to do now that Anna has become the Red King. No one answers aside from Yata, who confidently states that they will re-establish HOMRA, re-open Bar HOMRA, and support Anna. However, Yō Chitose questions if things will be okay with Anna as their King, and if anything will be the same. This upsets Yata, who accuses Yō of not accepting Anna as their King. Yō says that Yata is wrong, whereas Shōhei Akagi ponders if it's okay for a child like Anna to lead people like HOMRA's clansmen.

On the contrary, Eric Sōlt says that he still wants to be with HOMRA, however even Masaomi Dewa is doubtful of things being the way they used to be.

Yata believes everyone is being narrow-minded, and Kōsuke Fujishima asks Izumo what he plans to do himself. Izumo says he will continue to stay by Anna's side, and points out that it is up to the rest of HOMRA to decide what they want to do, and says that arriving at the bar out of habit would only trouble Anna. Masaomi and Yo say that they will think about it, ultimately not wanting to trouble Anna. In a panic, Yata asks if they are implying that they might leave HOMRA, but Yō points out that Anna is important to him, but she isn't Mikoto, and accuses Yata of the same mindset before he and Masaomi leave.

Kōsuke mentions how Yo's respect for Mikoto might make it difficult for him to come to a decision, and that Masaomi was worried about Anna and Yata's state after the Clan's disbandment. Izumo asks what the remaining group will do. Kōsuke, Bandō, and Eric all decide to remain with Anna.

Just then, a rock is thrown through the bar window, with a paper that tells HOMRA to leave Shizume City. While everyone is angry, Izumo calmly notes how people must now know that HOMRA has begun to frequent the bar once more, and Shōhei worries about what might happen once people find out a child is now their leader. Yata doesn't understand why he's worried, and tells them that Anna is amazing, and talks about her fire bird manifestation. In the middle of his praise, however, he remembers Yō's words about Anna not being the same as Mikoto to him, and acknowledges that Anna's technique is different from Mikoto's.

Shōhei says he initially joined HOMRA for the power, but now it feels like home to him. However, no matter what his decision may be, no one has asked or heard about Anna's about feelings about all this.

A bit later, Yata goes upstairs to tell Izumo he's finished cleaning the bar, but, in Anna's room, he sees Anna surrounded by the red Aura, with Izumo by her side. Anna says that she is okay and she'll control the flames, and Izumo notes how, maybe, a King's power is not something one person can hold.

Anna mentions a dream she had, where flames are everywhere. She isn't sure if she is controlling the flames, if she is the flames themselves, or if the flames are her. The red she sees is still beautiful, but frightening. She remembers her vision of Tatara Totsuka telling that Anna would never let a nightmare end as one, and she states that she will make that power and red her own. She's accepted becoming a King, and won't run away. The entire time, Izumo makes a face of worry and regret over Anna's condition, but says nothing aside from agreeing with Anna's decision. Yata remains just outside the room, leaning against the wall with a troubled expression.

The next day, Bar HOMRA is covered with graffiti demanding that they leave and calling them hoodlums. Along with the vandalism, people have broke their water pipe, spread insults around the city, and stuck a pornographic image on Yata's back. Customers have been harassed, and acquaintances of HOMRA's are wary around them due to the harassment. Bandō says that none of this would happen if Mikoto were still alive, which bothers Yata, to hits his head against a vandalised wall. He remembers Mikoto's strength, danger, and power within HOMRA and the city, and how everyone feared him. He further remembers Izumo's decision-making for HOMRA, and how Tatara kept the space safe for them. However, despite Yata's respect for Mikoto, he never took into consideration what Mikoto was thinking.

The scene changes to Mikoto walking away, and Yata pleading for him to wait. He yells himself awake, sitting up on the couch, where Anna stands just about to put a blanket on him. Anna asks if he's okay, and Yata says he's fine. Yata had tried to stay up all night in order to catch vandals, but fell asleep. Anna notes how this would not have happened if Mikoto were alive. Yata, once again bothered by Anna's position, asks if he can say something. He calls himself stupid, something Anna immediately agrees with, much to Yata's chagrin. Yata stays on topic, and goes on about his devotion to Mikoto, not understanding Mikoto, and his dislike to being left out of things, and how Anna has to tell him things or else he won't know or understand. Anna agrees to this.

Izumo later enters, on the phone and talking to someone about receiving information, and sees both Yata and Anna asleep on the couch.

In the morning, Rikio is shocked to find out that Izumo has found out the vandals' objective. Izumo explains that the vandalism and harassment are because of groups HOMRA has angered in the past that have all temporarily joined together in an attempt to drive HOMRA out. Investigations on the groups are still being carried, Yata being one of the people patrolling, and Eric asks if Anna is aware of this yet. Izumo assures him that he told Anna, but right now, Anna went outside to be on her own for a bit.

Anna is seen outside, and she thinks to herself about how Mikoto was a King just by being around, and how compared to him, she is small, and wonders if she can do anything. A shadow forms behind her, and she turns to the unknown person.

Meanwhile, Yata enters the Shopkeeper's shop, where both Masaomi and Yō are as well, having heard of the same information about the vandals as Yata has. Once more, Yō brings up how Anna is not like Mikoto. This time, Yata happily agrees and says that Anna is Anna, and while his respect towards Mikoto is different from how he respects Anna, he will nonetheless support Anna. Then, Yata is called by the group that has been vandalising Bar HOMRA, and that they have Anna captive. In order to get her back, HOMRA has to leave Shizume City.

At the vandals' base, one questions how Anna is dangerous, while another man says that they just plan on scaring her, nothing reckless. A third man points out that without Mikoto, HOMRA is as good as gone, and just have to leave Shizume City. The entire conversation, Anna sits calmly and silently, even while being blindfolded and her hands tied up.

Anna wonders if she should burn the men, and if that would makes things right, like how Mikoto often thought. A man insults HOMRA, which makes Anna stand up, even after being told not to move. Anna burns the blindfold and restraint off, shocking the men. HOMRA has also shown up at the base, yelling at the kidnappers and asking Anna if she is okay. When HOMRA readies themselves to engage in a fight, Anna tells them to wait. She says that she can't be like Mikoto, and that her red is different from his. Because of that, she won't do things like Mikoto would have. Her fire manifests as wings on her back, and declares that they won't burn the men. She says her desire to protect things important to her is the reason she became a King, and because of that, she won't burn anything that doesn't have to be burnt. She says it's better off to point out that people are better off not attacking them.

A scared man tries to shoot her, but Yata deflects the bullet with his weapon, a steel rod, and tells the men that if they want to mess with HOMRA's King, they have to go through him first. Kōsuke, Eric, Yata, Bandō, and Yō are seen standing beside Anna. Happy, Anna says that while she cannot be like Mikoto, she would still be happy if they all stayed with her, to which everyone agrees. Rikio tells Anna that, to celebrate HOMRA's reunion, they should yell their usual chant. Everyone, Anna included, chant loudly. Outside, one man that tries to escape is stopped by Izumo. Izumo asks what the man thinks he is doing, running away, ridiculing how they've been annoying HOMRA, and forces the man into an interrogation.

Later, HOMRA is seen cleaning Bar HOMRA once more, and Yata excitedly announces the bar's re-opening tomorrow. Before he leaves, however, Izumo tells him to wait, and gives him a cocktail, as not only an early celebration of the bar's re-opening, but a belated celebration of Yata's twentieth birthday. Yata gulps the drink down, and Izumo scolds him for drinking it so quickly. Yata comments that it's delicious, and tells Izumo to fully rely on him now that he is a grown man.

The noise wakes Anna up from her slumber on the couch, and she asks what happened. Izumo says it was nothing, and offers to make Anna some warm milk before she goes back to bed, to which Anna happily agrees.

At the end, the focus once more changes, this time to SCEPTER 4, where Seri Awashima summarises HOMRA's condition, and admitting that Anna is doing well. Reisi Munakata agrees with her, and that Anna's being a King is nothing to disapprove, even if she is so young. He adjusts his glasses, and tells Seri and Saruhiko Fushimi to concentrate on their job, and that they must go to Mihashira Tower, which is now under SCEPTER 4's control.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * 1) Nagare Hisui/Kotosaka
 * 2) Yukari Mishakuji
 * 3) Kuroh Yatogami
 * 4) Reisi Munakata
 * 5) Yashiro Isana
 * 6) Misaki Yata
 * 7) Izumo Kusanagi
 * 8) Rikio Kamamoto
 * 9) Shōhei Akagi
 * 10) Yō Chitose
 * 11) Kōsuke Fujishima
 * 12) Masaomi Dewa
 * 13) Saburōta Bandō
 * 14) Eric Sōlt
 * 15) Anna Kushina
 * 16) Tatara Totsuka
 * 17) Mikoto Suoh
 * 18) Shopkeeper

Battles & Events
HOMRA reestablished.

Bar HOMRA re-opens