Dear Raizen (or dear Demon Daddy from who knows what generation)
Dear Raizen,
We got off to a hell of a rocky start, didn’t we? You went and pissed me off because you cut in on my fight with Sensui and started pullin’ the strings just when I caught my second wind. It was fuckin’ weird enough dealin’ with the changes that came with finding out I was a demon, but it was a slap to the face to find out you were the reason I left the Makai with a hollow victory under my belt.
I remember following Hokushin and the others through the Makai with hell in my eyes and a fuckin’ smile on my face because I was sure as shit I was gonna make you pay for gettin’ in the way of my fight.
Fuck, I was wrong, wasn’t I?
You were a hell of a lot stronger than I imagined. Even while you were standin’ on your last leg, you had me beat. I gotta give you credit for flipping everything I fuckin’ knew upside down, because now that I look back on it… You motivated me to continue on. I wanted to find out more about myself and this demon blood that coursed through my veins. I knew I had you to thank for that, but I didn’t want to thank you for anything at first. You stepped in on my fight, and for that, all I wanted was to kick your ass… But I guess after a while, it grew into more than just that. I wanted to become stronger to beat you, sure… But maybe deep down I just wanted to measure up to somethin’ more than what I was. Maybe I wanted someone to be proud of me… Hell, whether it was my friends, my mom, Hokushin, or even you, old man.
The first time we met, you had the nerve to call yourself my old man and at first the thought of you being my father made me fuckin’ sick. The thought of my father in general made me sick. My father was never a part of my life and I guess a part of me wasn’t ready to have someone take on that role– Especially not someone like you. I didn’t think you had a fuckin’ clue about what I was thinking or feeling. I mean, c’mon… You’re a demon king. What the hell would you have in common with a angry teenager that came from a broken home? Or at least that’s the way I saw it. It wasn’t until you and I had the chance to talk that I realized that maybe you and I weren’t as different as I thought. Hokushin said it all the damn time, and I never wanted to hear it. I didn’t want to believe that you and I had anything in common, just like I didn’t wanna hear that I’ve got my father’s temper or his eyes, or his smile… None of that meant shit to me because my father was never there for me.
But you were.
I know it took me a while to realize it, but you were more of a father to me than my real father ever was. You gave me the tough love I needed and you helped me grow as a person. Even after you passed, you were there to pull me out of the funk I was in during my fight with Yomi. You helped me remember what I was fighting for.
You might’ve been in my life for a short time, but I’m glad I got the chance to meet you. The others were right. We’re more alike than I thought, but I don’t mind anymore. Hell, I’m proud we share so much in common. I’m proud that I had someone to look up to… Someone I could proudly call my father.
So thanks again, Dad. I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I promise I’ll come back to visit someday. In the meantime, rest easy. I’m gonna make you proud of me.
- Yusuke
