Original Volume IV Afterword

The twilight wars continue—Setsura versus the Demon Princess and her gang. And my editors versus me. Every time I complete a volume, my book publisher and magazine editor say, “Hey, you haven’t finished it. After one more volume, right?”

I feint and bob and weave. “Sure. I’ll wrap it up in six volumes. You guys don’t want me just dragging this thing out, do you?”

When fighting a twilight war, it’s best to avoid a head-on confrontation. So they’re not going to declare, “You’re doing a seventh volume!”

And I’m not going to shout, “The hell I will!”

No, it’s better to begin by assessing the battlefield in civil and courteous tones. In any case, we’ve come to the end of volume four. The end is in sight. But as Confucius said, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Step by step.

And that journey gets even longer when the story starts taking side trips along the way. I’m well aware of that. And though I know I’m guilty here of getting the ends and means mixed up, I do love the diversions.

Granted, any journey goes smoother with all the bumps smoothed out and the pacing evened out. But as another philosopher said, you’ve got to pursue your bliss.

I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m in no hurry to wrap up Yashakiden with a pretty bow. Sure, trilogies are easy to digest. I could crank them out, one after the other. Except that’s not my style.

Yashakiden is well on its way to six volumes. That makes at least two more after this. I can’t say whether my readers will consider that “short” or “long,” but having come this far, I do know that the necessary ingredients in the rest of the Setsura/Mephisto series are beginning to gel.

As is the deeper nature of Setsura and his alter ego. The killing art of his devil wire, and his special (physical) abilities sans it. The sights and sounds of Demon City. The lives and livings of its ordinary citizens.

For the time being, at least, Demon City Shinjuku and I aren’t ready to part ways yet. My publisher asks, “How about a new Makaikou? Another Manhunter story? When you are going to write a sequel to Night Tales?”

They’re trying to lure me down that rose-petal path.

But I’m a pro too, and see them coming a mile away. I’ve got my explanations and excuses lined up, and my defenses readied. It always comes down to a wrestling match in the end, so my workout regime is proceeding apace.

I’ve got it in mind to send for one of my old kenpo instructors. It’s time for this writer of action novels to become a man of action in more than just words.

Well, it looks like I’ve wandered off on a tangent here. There are still hungry wolves lying in wait along the paths Setsura and Mephisto are treading and licking their chops. Here’s to hoping you will savor to the fullest the best that is yet to come, in those two volumes to come.

Hideyuki Kikuchi (while watching Dementia)

May 31, 1990