The day continued to pass by as usual, investigators of the SBI going out to find more evidence around Matsugaya, Hojin, and Itakatsu. While the SPA worked on their investigation, Kyoto and the Valkyrias arrived at the Bureau for a meeting with Mr. Mori.
The two guards looked at Kyoto and the others as they approached, their eyes widening as The Banished was in their presence again. They quickly saluted to her, allowing the five of them inside the building while questioning if her banishment was lifted.
"Whoa! Look how huge this location is! They have Supernatural Bureaus here too? This is so cool!" Yufumi exclaimed and gasped, pointing at one of the banners and hurried over to it. "Girls look! They have Misao's Clan Crest here!"
"Misao's Crest? She was part of this organization at one point? In fact, now that I'm looking around...here's the Yuta Clan Crest as well," Kikyo said, walking to the beautiful white banner to her right with a four petal design on the flag.
Hisumi stopped walking as she noticed her mother's crest inside the building then looked over at another banner, her eyes immediately recognizing the Izuna Banner near the front. "Izuna...that surname sounds familiar."
"It should. It's the name of the clan that tried to help me before they were killed. They deserve to be at the front of all of the banners," Kyoto said, walking toward the elevators and pressed the button to go up.
"Inquiry: Who are the Izuna Clan? Headmistress Yuta mentioned them once before. Do they have any abilities like us?" Saito asked, tilting her head to the side curiously.
Kyoto stayed silent for a bit, her mind wandering back to the memories of my father and mother helping her through her first years of banishment. "The Izuna Clan are known as Believers. I highly doubt that Lady Mikoto was even originally from these mainlands. They had teachings that even...helped me beyond revenge."
Hisumi stared at Kyoto as she answered and exhaled softly. "But your entire thing for catching this Jeht guy is revenge."
"It's justice, not revenge. There's a difference," Kyoto said, a hint of sass in her voice yet part of her truly wanted revenge on Jeht for Nanako and my parents.
"Other than being God fearing people, what else? What makes them these super duper people that you talk about a lot?" Yufumi asked curiously, walking toward the group after looking at most of the banners.
"It's their abilities. You all know the history of Valkyrias and Strijders right? They come from a far off land named Aetheria and are known as The Lord's Warriors, right? Well...there is a second group of warriors that come from Qutsade," Kyoto explained, her gaze remaining ahead at the silver doors that have yet to open.
Yufumi gasped with surprise and covered her mouth. "Q-Qutsade? You mean the land where those Mazzaroth Wars were taking place and where most of our Stigmatas come from?"
"Affirmative. Saito believes she is referring to that place. Do you mean to tell us that this Mikoto woman is Qutsadian? Like her Clan comes from Qutsade originally?" Saito questioned, her tone becoming more expressional as her curiosity grew.
Kyoto looked back at the girls and hummed softly. "While each spiritual ability we have originates from God, He still made people in our century to pass on these gifts. It just happens to be that the Izuna Clan was blessed with Divine Insight and some form of... resurrection ability."
Hisumi scoffed lightly and tilted her head to the side with her arms crossed. "Divine Insight and resurrection potential, yet every one of them is dead? How does this insight compare to mine? If they couldn't solve this case, maybe it's time for a real Cerebral Mind to take this on."
"Ha. You become an Honorary B Rank and deemed one of the most intelligent and now you think you can ride waves reaching the moon tides. Stay in your lane, Shadow Gardens...the Izunas are not to be underestimated," Kyoto said, her words holding high respect for my clan's legacy.
The elevator doors opened and Kyoto and the others stepped inside to ride up to the top floor of the building where Mr. Mori's office was located. Once they reached the top floor, they stepped out of the elevator with Kyoto leading the group down the halls to Mr. Mori.
Hisu noticed the office door open and watched Kyoto step inside, a small smile forming on her lips. She stood up from her seat with her hands behind her back. "Kyoto Nagagami, welcome in. It has been a long time since we last met."
Kyoto looked at Hisu and stopped in her tracks, not expecting to see Hisu standing in front of her. "Obaasan... you're here as well? Why? Where is my sister?"
"Onaka is still in Okinawa as usual. If you're wondering if your older sister has asked about you, she hasn't. However, I am here to see you since she won't come," Hisu answered, walking around the meeting table to Kyoto then looked over at the four Valkyrias with her.
Kyoto looked over at Hisumi and the others then back at Hisu. "Oh, these are...kinda my students? I train and teach them here and there. This is Hisumi, Yufumi, Kikyo, and Saito. They come from St. Fraskia."
Hisu hummed softly and looked at the four Valkyrias with interest. "I see. With how this investigation is going, we might have to involve St. Fraskia. Oh right, don't let me take up your time with Mr. Mori."
"Ahh, don't worry too much about me over here. I actually enjoy watching such reunions," Mr. Mori said then chuckled as he rose from his seat. "I actually called you here because I was informed of your run in with the Mato Clan."
"What? You ran into the Mato?" Yufumi asked, looking at Kyoto with surprise. "Those guys are super bad news!"
Kyoto exhaled softly through her nose, her eyes glancing around at everyone in the room. "I did...and I am still on the hunt for Nousagi and Hanabi. I also think I may have found our target."
Mr. Mori pushed up his glasses and held his hands behind his back with his eyes closed. "That second part. That is what I wish to speak with you about that. I'm sure you know the tale of the tortoise and the hare right?"
"Yeah? That's a kids story. What about it?" Kyoto asked, raising an eyebrow at the SPA Minister.
Mr. Mori cleared his throat and walked over to his desk and looked at the reports on his desk. "Well, in this situation you'd be the hare...and the one who found Nousagi is the tortoise."
"What is that even supposed to mean?" Hisumi spoke up, placing her hands upon her hips with confusion.
"What he means is that a slow and steady racer will always win the race most of the time. Someone on our end already found Nousagi, by accident...or maybe he was just at the right place at the right time?" Hisu answered with a light chuckle, her gaze shifting back to Kyoto.
"He? Who is this person? Was it Inoue? No, did my big headed nephew find her already?" Kyoto asked with a sigh, lowering her head.
"It was neither. If you didn't know this about Erik and Mikoto, but they have a son. His name is Motosaki Izuna and he was the one to find Nousagi. You might grow to like him as he's made the most progress on the MHI-30 in a while," Mr. Mori answered, looking over at Kyoto to see her frozen in place.
"I-Izuna? Wait, you mean to say that there is an Izuna out there?" Hisumi asked, her gaze quickly shifting over to Kyoto with disbelief.
Hisu chuckled at their reactions and walked over to Kyoto before taking her hand. "Motosaki is like...no he is one of my own grandchildren at this point. Currently, he's focusing on his academics, but it would be nice if you could meet him."
"Meet...Erik and Mikoto's child? I have to know something...is he like Mr. Erik?" Kyoto asked, her hand instinctively squeezing Hisu's.
Hisu hummed softly and looked over at Mr. Mori. "He is in a sense if you think in terms of Inspector Krisis. You remember that show right?"
Kyoto's lips curled into a small smile as she mentioned one of her favorite shows then scoffed at Hisu. "Of course I remember that. I still remember when Mr. Erik played as Inspector Krisis for a bust on the set...one of my favorite cases ever."
"Well, while Motosaki has not solved any cases just yet, he has a Krisis Mind. It may even rival the Cerebral Hound," Hisu said in a joking tone, her gaze shifting over to Hisumi.
Hisumi grunted softly and averted eye contact then crossed her arms with a light scoff like Kyoto's. "Rival me? I'll have you know that I am one of the only students in my academy to discover Imaginary and Quantum elements. Can he do that?"
Hisu laughed softly at Hisumi's defensive response and stroked her own chin lightly as she began to think. "Hmm...maybe not, but I do know that he has the ability to speak with a spirit and regulate her. It may not sound like much, but he's only just now reconnecting with his religion."
Hisumi looked at Hisu and rose an eyebrow at her. "So far, he doesn't sound too impressive...but I can't be the one to talk. I am an Ex-Judgement member."
Hisu chuckled softly at Hisumi then looked back at Kyoto. "He's still in school where your nephew should be headed. He usually goes out with his friends after classes, so you might catch him in the city."
Kyoto nodded at Hisu, her heart pounding with excitement to meet another Izuna and smiled at Hisu. "Should I protect him? After all, this is an Izuna we are speaking about."
"No, that won't be necessary. I want you to train him up. Take him on a few small cases to solve to build his resume," Hisu answered then walked over to the meeting table to grab a small folder before walking back to Kyoto. "These are a few small cases that happened yesterday."
Kyoto took the folder and opened it to read over the cases then her mood slightly soured. "Seriously? Misdemeanors? Let the police handle these. This is an Izuna, I should be giving him Mr. Erik level teachings."
"Just trust the process, plus I'll even let Hisumi tag along with you two. I am curious about her since she seems to know about the Izuna Clan also. Think of this as...a God Aunt bonding with her God Nephew," Hisu chuckled and pat Kyoto's shoulder before heading out of the office.
Kyoto groaned softly and lowered her head. "I already babysit Heido when he pops up...now I gotta dog train an Izuna?"
[August 29, 2418 - Wednesday, 2:45 PM]
"Get back here, you delinquents!!" Tsubami yelled out, chasing Kenji and Kaido through the halls of the school.
Kenji rushed through multiple students with a stack of answer keys in his hand, looking back to see Tsubami storming down the halls like a track star. "Crap! Bro, we gotta go! I am not failing Mrs. Kazama's English Class tomorrow! I barely speak it other than a few slangs!"
Kaido laughed as his adrenaline rushed through his body, a rush he thought he had lost coming back to him as he tried to escape Tsubami's wrath. "Don't worry, Ken! I got us in the ba—!"
Kaido grunted as he tripped and fell to the ground then looked up, noticing me casually looking out the window with my leg out and my hands in my pockets. He frowned at me then scoffed, standing up on his feet and dusting himself off.
"Are you serious, bro? I thought you were one of us? We dapped and everything earlier!" Kaido said, playfully pushing me back with light frustration.
I chuckled softly as my back hit the wall and rose my hands up. "Hey, I am still the Vice Student Council President of Matsugaya. There are rules to be adhered to."
"Adhered, like bro. You don't need to flex your vocabulary," Kenji scoffed then gagged as Tsubami yanked his collar.
"Got you! You thought you could sneak into the teacher's lounge and steal without Lotus snitching?!" Tsubami chastised, her loud voice causing Kenji's eardrums to vibrate and ring.
"Aye! Yo, lower your voice!" Kenji groaned, holding his hand to his ear to block Tsubami's voice.
Tsubami scoffed and let go of Kenji then sighed, picking up the answer keys from the ground. "You know, if you wanted to cheat, you could've just asked Motosaki to tutor you."
"Cheat? What were they going to cheat on?" I asked, looking at Tsubami and walked toward her to look at the papers. I stared at the pages then looked up at Kaido and Kenji with a blank expression. "There's no way you two are serious."
"Come on, big bro. There's no way you expect us to know how to say extravaganza and pneuomiphoratious," Kenji groaned softly, rubbing his neck and looked away from us.
"Pneuomiphoratious isn't even a real word, and two...this is literally just a STARR level test. Aye, you already know the drill. All Hounds, to the library!" I said, marching my way down the hall.
Kaido and Kenji groaned as they knew they were headed for another study session and began dragging their feet behind me. Tsubami chuckled at the two and watched as they begrudgingly followed behind me, waving at the two and wishing the both of them a great study session.
In the Library, each member of the Hounds sat at a table with a notebook in front of them while I had Rebecca help them with their studies by teaching them on ADV English 4 terms and definitions. A few of the Hounds sighed and grumbled throughout the study session, which began to annoy Rebecca slightly.
"You know, maybe if you all would shut your damn mouths for a second and not skip classes, you'd learn something!" Nanako erupted through Rebecca, her sharp gaze shifting over to the Hounds.
"Ouuu shit," I commented, curling my lips and glanced over at Kaido and the others with my hands behind my head.
"What? It's not our fault that your teaching methods are so boring and drawn out! You know, we have better things to do!" Reiko scoffed, tossing a ball of paper toward Rebecca.
Rebecca tilted her head, the ball of paper missing her head and hitting the white board behind her. She stared at Reiko with a cold stare then scoffed at her, immediately calming down and recollecting herself for a moment.
"It's only boring because you all won't take the time to actually learn something. Aren't all of your clans religious? Isn't Long-suffering a fruit of the spirit? You do realize you got in trouble because of a Believer right?" I commented, looking at each of the Hounds with a smile.
"After all, even if you did get away with it, the Angels still are around us as witnesses. And maybe the fact that Lotus was following you around, but that's besides the point," I added, chuckling softly at them.
Kaido sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes at me, laying his head down on the table. "At this point, I don't even care. When is Heido supposed to be getting here? We want to meet the White Wolves Captain."
Rebecca exhaled softly through her nose then glanced over at me. "They're doomed."
"Okay, okay, hold on. No need to lose faith in them just yet. Each of these guys specializes in something, academically or extracurriculars. I do know that Satoshi is the smartest of the group, so he can definitely—" I began then heard my phone ringing.
I took it out of my pocket then looked down at my screen, seeing it was an unknown number then I looked up at everyone, holding a finger out to them before getting up. They each watched me walk off to accept the mysterious call before bringing their focus back to a slightly frustrated Rebecca.
I answered the call and brought my phone to my ear. "Moshi Moshi..."
"Hello. Is this Motosaki Izuna?" A woman's voice asked on the other end of the call.
I rose an eyebrow then lowered my phone for a second before looking back to make sure the coast was clear. I began walking off and brought my phone back to my ear. "This is he. Who are you and how did you get this number?"
"Hm. This is Hisumi Nomura speaking to you and I am calling to inform you that Kyoto Nagagami and I will be giving you training. Lady Hisu Fugigami has set out the order," Hisumi answered, her voice sharp as she spoke each word.
I scoffed lightly at Hisumi's comment and walked outside the library into the main hall. "Kyoto Nagagami? The one who was banished from her clan? I see and you said your name is Nomura, correct."
"That is correct, Izuna. You know, you have a legacy to live up to and I have heard good things about you. Your father is known as a legend around New Japan," Hisumi replied.
I stepped outside the main building and began looking around the campus lot, my expression becoming more focused. "So you know my father, Erik Izuna? I'm guessing you know why I'm taking the MHI-30."
"Really? You've made progress, I've heard...but I don't think you'll be able to solve this one. You're punching beyond your weight class, you won't solve this as long as you remain here," Hisumi replied, looking up from her nails and watched me walk onto the lot.
My lips curled into a smirk of slight irritation then I chuckled softly at her comment. "Really? And what have you done? Become a puppet for your own father? I know about the Nomura Clan as well, my mother researched your all before she passed."
Hisumi's eyes grew more sharp as a smirk formed upon her lips from my stinging comment. "Hmph... Who knew an 18 year old boy like you could be so snarky? I suppose I might've been a puppet in my past, but what matters now is the present and future."
I turned my gaze to the left, noticing a young woman with rose gold hair and a kimono sitting on one of the benches. "The present and future does matter...but only when we can finally move on from the past."
Hisumi chuckled softly and lowered her phone, hanging up then stood up on her feet. She looked around the local high school campus, noticing multiple passing students looking at her with curiosity and murmured to each other. She began approaching me with an analytical gaze, her eyes already studying my presence.
I watched as she stopped in front of me then lowered my phone as well, meeting her sharp gaze with an intrigued expression. "So, you're Hisumi Nomura. Hm...I can see in your eyes that you've had a rough life."
A slight twinkle shone in Hisumi's eyes as I immediately began analyzing her, a smirk forming on her lips as she began studying me as well. She stared at my eyes for a moment then felt a slight chill crawl down her spine as she noticed my mother's discerning gaze studying her.
"Something about this guy sets me off..." Cerebral said to Hisumi mentally, watching me and her master interact in her Hound Form.
I continued to stare at Hisumi before lowering my gaze down beside her, noticing a second shadow beside her in the shape of a dog. I made no comment about it and returned my gaze to Hisumi before giving her a smirk.
"So, you said over the phone that I was to be trained by you and Kyoto huh? Well, that works out for me because I still have to investigate her myself. If what I know is correct, she definitely knows Jeht and The Burnout," I said then inhaled softly before exhaling.
"But...I am not too sure on how well I can trust someone, who's known as Omega. After all, you could be working with Jeht and want to take Nousagi down," I added, crossing my arms and staring into Hisumi's eyes.
Hisumi chuckled softly at me and placed a hand upon her hip as she stared at me. "Oh yeah, you're gonna be just as annoying as Ryder is. I can already tell we are butting heads a lot."
"Can you blame me? You come to my home, my turf...and invoking what I can and can't do? Hm. It's not like I can expect a Valkyria to understand," I said, turning around to go back to Rebecca and the Hounds.
Hisumi sucked her teeth and hummed softly, yellow static crackling in her hair as she grew slightly annoyed. "Understand what? I know how it feels to lose parents and I know that's why you're doing this. You're getting revenge for your parents."
I stopped walking and laughed softly, shaking my head and turning around to face Hisumi again. "That's not the only reason. I'm doing this for Nanako as well. The more time I spend with her, the more I grow to realize what was taken away from her. For 30 years, she sought justice, a life she couldn't have."
"If you truly believe my mind is that tunnelled, you're mistaken just like everyone else. It's good now that her friends are speaking up, but where were they when she needed them the most? Silence for 30 years...and had I not found her, more would die," I added, my eyes becoming more sharp.
"What? You're doing this for...Nanako?" Hisumi asked, raising an eyebrow with slight confusion.
"Not just for Nanako. For my mother, my father, for Inspector Han, for Detective Weiss, for Exorcist Lina. I will catch the perpetrator and he will be brought to justice! Jeht Mato will be brought down," I declared, my voice stretching across the lot.
Otsuki heard my declaration as she walked outside the building and looked over, noticing me talking with Hisumi and grew curious on why a Valkyria was on campus. She heard Naomi calling behind her then looked back, noticing Naomi hurrying toward her with a hug from behind.
"Huh? What's with the sma crowd?" Naomi asked, looking ahead to see me and Hisumi talking.
"Tch... something in me told me that you and Kyoto would be similar. However, how will you find him? What leads do you have to even know it was Jeht? I am not defending him...but I've read false arrests have happened before," Hisumi asked, crossing her arms as she looked at me.
I looked around and noticed a small group of people were watching then I looked back at Hisumi. "I'm 80% certain...his son attends here. An imprint of him that will get him caught."
Hisumi rose an eyebrow with curiosity and hummed softly. "A son..? Here? Like an actual Mato Clansman here?"
I nodded and exhaled softly, crossing my arms. "If my theory is correct...and this guy is Jeht's son, we know who killed Nanako and silenced 30 investigators..."
[August 29, 2418 - Wednesday, 4:45 PM]
The final bell sounded for the end of the school day, each student making their ways through the halls to leave the building to enjoy the rest of their day with their friends. A few third years of the Hounds lagged behind to scout the campus, making sure each student gets through the gates safely.
Kaido leaned against the gates and sighed softly, watching as the last student finally left then got off to head to the school gym. "Bro, where is Heido? We get a Valkyria instead and she's talking about recruiting Moto?"
"Maybe she's a nice one! She's a Valkyria after all and I've always dreamed of being one! Oh, maybe we can ask her for advice!" Hanna said excitedly, holding Kaido's arm with glee as she hopped beside him.
Kaido scoffed at Hanna and rolled his eyes. "I am not interested in becoming a Noble. I would become a Prosecutor before I think about risking my neck for people who lack common sense."
"Like think about it, a building is caving in backwards. What do I do? A. Find an escape before I die brutally? Or B. Scream at the top of my lungs and stand in place?" Kaido added sarcastically, shaking his head and sighing softly.
"And this is probably why you should remain a delinquent," An older woman's voice sounded behind the two.
Kaido and Hanna looked back to see Kyoto making her way past them then grunted in shock, their eyes returning back to the closed gate. They both looked ahead, watching Kyoto walk ahead in her white cloak with confusion.
"Hey! Wait up! Do you have a Visitation Pass?" Hanna called out, running after Kyoto and managed to grab her cloak.
Kyoto stopped walking and looked back at Hanna, her eyes lowering to Hanna's grasp upon her cloak. "Unhand my cloak, girl."
Hanna shook her head and stood her ground. "I will not! You are under violation of the MHI District Code Rule 3.b, you can not enter the grounds without a visitation pass!"
"I do have one, now unhand me," Kyoto said, snatching her cloak from Hanna's hand then began walking off.
"Ha! Babe, you're too nice! Let me handle this! No proof, no entry!" Kaido howled, lunging forward toward Kyoto with a claw strike.
Kyoto sensed Kaido's attack then dodged his attack and grabbed his wrist before delivering an elbow to his chest to push him back. Kaido grunted as he stumbled backwards then scoffed, rushing forward again with a sweep kick which was evaded with ease.
"A delinquent actually guarding the campus. How cute, but you're too predictable," Kyoto said, dodging Kaido's jab then parried his cross to the side before countering with a flick to his forehead.
Kaido hissed and held his forehead, grunting softly in pain then went for another attack, but Kyoto flicked his head again. "Ouch! Yo, stop that!"
Kyoto chuckled softly at Kaido then sighed, taking her SBI Badge out of her cloak to show Kaido and Hanna. "Here, is this what you want to see?"
Kaido looked at the SBI Badge with annoyance then quickly became surprised after reading her name. "K-Kyoto...Nagagami? As in The Banished..?"
Kaido immediately kowtowed toward Kyoto and cleared his throat. "My apologies, ma'am! I did not recognize it was you!"
Hanna gasped and quickly joined Kaido in prostration, bowing her head as well. "I'm sorry, ma'am! We didn't know you were with the SBI!"
"Damn, what's going on over here? Tsubami must've caught y'all again doing some bullshit?" I chuckled as I walked toward them with Rebecca then looked up to see Kyoto.
Kyoto looked at me and Rebecca, wondering who I was and hummed softly. "You know these two?"
"Yeah, unfortunately. These two knuckleheads are part of the Hounds, the leaders in fact. That's Kaido right there, the Alpha Hound. I call him Big Dog. And that's Hanna, the Pomeranian," I said, chuckling softly as I pointed at the two.
"C'mon, Motosaki! I'm at least a Husky!" Hanna whined, looking back at me with a playful frown.
Kaido snickered and closed his eyes. "Pomeranian. That's low-key accurate."
Kyoto froze as she heard Hanna call my name then looked back up at me in disbelief. 'This guy is Motosaki..? He's nothing like how Obaasan described him! He's hanging around delinquents! No...Heido must've gotten to him first..!'
I looked at Kyoto with a smile then glanced at her badge, noticing her name and let out a soft hum. "So, you must be the great Kyoto Nagagami. Y'know, Granny Hisu was worried about me meeting you a month ago but here we are."
"And you're Mr. Erik and Lady Mikoto's son? Obaasan described you as this...prodigy, and I see you here lingering around delinquents and playing lover boy," Kyoto said, gesturing at Kaido, Hanna, and Rebecca.
I looked at Kaido, Hanna, and Rebecca and let out a soft hum with a nose chuckle. I glanced back at Kyoto then stroked my chin, my gaze becoming more analytical. "Ah. So you think there is something wrong with me because of my choice in friends? I see...well, I hope Nanako feels the same about you."
Kyoto paused for a moment, her cheeks becoming flustered with annoyance at my snarky come back. "Wha—"
"Oh shit..! Damn, Moto, calm down bro," Kaido said and looked back at me while standing back up.
"You see...I already encountered your little junior and she's already tried my intelligence, now you come judging my company. I don't mean so sound arrogant, but I refuse to become like the last generation. We need some barking dogs in the yard," I said, walking forward and slipping my hands into my blazer pockets.
"I can tell you idolized my father, so you expect me to be the same. One thing I've grown to learn after rewatching Inspector Krisis is that...he tended to linger around those with social stigmatas," I added then walked by Kyoto to head toward the gym.
Kyoto looked back at me and rose an eyebrow at my sassy attitude toward her. "What? Obaasan sent me here to train you, and I'm not leaving until I complete my mission."
"Your mission? I guess you're assuming because you have more years on you, you expect me to 'fall in line'? Huh...I guess you underestimate me, Kyoto. I am already being mentored," I replied, stopping in my walk and turned around to face Kyoto.
"By who? Who could you be mentored by that could be causing you to reject me so heavily?" Kyoto asked, crossing her arms as she looked at me.
"I'm being mentored by someone who doesn't judge a book by its cover off first sight. Hisumi comes here telling me what I can do...and you come here telling me what I should be. Maybe...you two are too focused on my mystique and not enough on your friend," I said, turning around to walk away from Kyoto.
Kyoto stared at me and watched as I walked away from her, hearing my mother's righteousness within my tone but couldn't see an image of my father within me. She sighed softly and closed her eyes, chalking it up to me being in my rebellious phase and began following behind me.
"Motosaki, where are you going? We need to talk," Kyoto said as she walked behind me, her eyes tracking each of my steps.
"Talk about what exactly? How I need to be trained on actual investigative work? You know..." I answered, stopping in my tracks again and clenched my fists inside my blazer jacket. "I can handle Granny Hisu's restrictions. It helps me focus on my academics, but you know what's annoying?"
"What?" Kyoto asked, stopping behind me and rose an eyebrow.
"Everyone always questions what I can and can't do off first meet with me. For the last 30 years, no one has made any progress with Nanako. Hell! If I never showed back up, not even my own parents, the people you've made legends, would have seen justice!" I exclaimed, looking back at Kyoto with a fire in my eyes.
"It's almost as if none of you actually gave a shit until the Last Izuna showed up! What? Did you all wait until I showed up to finish the job? What in the world were you all doing while my parents and their friends risked their lives for Nanako?" I asked, meeting Kyoto's eyes with slight irritation.
Kyoto could see the frustration in my eyes and exhaled softly, closing her eyes and slipped her hands in her pockets underneath her cloak. "I can not speak on the others, but all I know is that I was at least trying to find the Izuna's murderer."
"Is that so..? Well, I can speak on the others. Usagi was going to stay silent until the SBI showed up. Nousagi was most likely hunting down for Jeht, and Hanabi is still missing out there. Even till this day... knowing there is foul play, people still believe my mother killed my father..." I replied, scoffing softly and turning back around.
"I see that you hold a lot of unresolved anger within you, Motosaki...but I promise to you that I'm not your enemy. We all loved your parents and loved the fact they fought for us and Nanako. I...I just want to catch the one who killed my mentor," Kyoto said, taking a step forward then placed her hand upon my shoulder.
"Take a break from the MHI-30 for a little bit and join me and Hisumi on a few smaller cases. Build your name a bit. I've seen what happens when you obsess over a case like this," Kyoto added, her voice softening a bit into a comforting tone.
I exhaled softly as I looked at Kyoto then looked away from her. "Fine...what cases are we going to solve?"
[August 29, 2418 - Wednesday, 5:15 PM]
I sat outside a convenience store with Rebecca while Kyoto and Hisumi spoke with the store worker about a robbery that occured here a few days. Rebecca looked inside the store as the store worker showed Tsubami and Hisumi the camera footage behind the counter, her eyes lingering upon Kyoto.
Once Kyoto and Hisumi got the information they needed, they walked outside the store and made their way to the picnic table Rebecca and I sat at. Hisumi sighed softly and sat down on the seat across from ours while Kyoto lit up a cigarette in her mouth.
"We're handling a petty crime? Let the actual police handle this," I sighed, lowering my head and ran my fingers through my hair.
"Yeah, it's getting kinda late, and I'm growing tired. Plus, my Obasan Nousagi is making her famous ramen tonight and I don't want to miss it," Rebecca said, sighing softly as she rested her head upon my shoulder.
Kyoto blew the smoke from her mouth and flicked some ash from her cigarette onto the ground. "Trust me, I had the same reaction as you. However, we all gotta start from somewhere."
"Yeah, and I had a starting point and I'm going twelve steps backwards," I grumbled under my breath.
"Yeah, I know how you feel. I was also investigating the Judgement Organization and now I'm here with my instructor solving a robbery crime. At least the criminal was dumb enough to not wear a mask and left scent traces," Hisumi said, stretching her arms over her head with a light grunt.
"So...what leads do we currently have? What did that store clerk tell you?" I asked, looking up at Kyoto and Hisumi with a blank stare.
Kyoto blew a small cloud of smoke from her mouth then exhaled softly. "Well, two things...One, the robbery was a group of delinquents. They only stole around 2,000 yen and some alcohol. Two, they are with Hojin High."
"Really? That's all, huh? So, we're looking for a group of delinquents? How many heads?" I asked, my gaze shifting over to Hisumi.
"Only two. Not dangerous really, but apparently they were armed with the usual baseball bat and crowbar. Surprisingly, these are rich kids acting like this," Hisumi answered then looked down at her watch. "I'm hoping to get this done fast."
Kyoto nodded then put out her cigarette in the ashtray on the table before walking forward to the car. "We should be done quickly. It shouldn't take long finding some rich kids wondering around a rural area like this."
"We're in Fujioka, so they could realistically be anywhere. If they really are attending Hojin, they could be hiding out around here," I said and stood up, helping Rebecca out her seat as well. "Let's split up for now and ask around. Just following a scent will only have us running everywhere except where we need to be."
Hisumi scoffed softly under her breath then walked over to Kyoto. "Alright. I'll go with Inspector Nagagami and you can take the girl with you."
"I have a name you know," Rebecca said under her breath, holding onto my arm and looked away from Hisumi.
The four of us split up to ask around the town if they had seen anyone robbing the local convenient store recently. As we looked around, there was already a small police team investigating the area with certain alleys blocked off with caution tape and another detective talking with the police.
I made my way to the detective, recognizing him to be Inuoe and I let out a soft scoff. "I didn't know you were also taking on petty crimes as well."
Inuoe glanced back after hearing my voice then gave me a soft hum, fixing his coat with a light exhale. "If it isn't Detective Izuna. I guess Lady Hisu decided to let you take on smaller cases now? Giving up on the MHI-30?"
"As if. If anything, this is going to help me out. So, tell me, what did you find out about the recent robbery?" I asked, crossing my arms and looking over at the two police officers.
Inuoe looked down at his clipboard with a soft hum. "Well, the suspects are your age and did escape through this alleyway. This alley is called the Rabbit Tunnel because kids and teens use this to escape adults due to the maze like structure the buildings were built in."
"Rabbit Tunnel? There are sure a lot of rabbit themed areas around here..." Rebecca said in a thoughtful tone, looking over at me with intrigue.
"Yeah, there are," I said, slipping my hands into my jacket pockets and stared down the alleyway.
Inuoe noticed my focused expression and noticed I was focusing on the alleyway itself then looked down the alleyway. He didn't see anything that he didn't already inspect, but I wasn't looking at the ground nor the walls, but straight ahead.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, breaking me out of my focused state. I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at the screen, noticing my GPS had turned on and began leading me somewhere. I looked over at Rebecca, who looked just as confused as I was.
"I think there might be something ahead...just a hunch though," I said, looking ahead and slipping my phone back into my pocket.
Inuoe stared at me for a moment and began to grow curious about my phone before adjusting the lens of his glasses to activate the UI on his right lens. 'Does he also have Spirit Tech..? Why was his GPS on..?'
Inuoe and I walked through the caution tape while I had Rebecca stay behind with the police just in case. While we walked down the alley, Inoue shared with me the current information they had about the suspects. One male, one female. The male is a third year of Hojin High while the female was only a first year. The female had on a white backpack with a face mask.
I stopped walking for a moment to check my phone, noticing the GPS wasn't leading me anywhere else. I looked up from my phone to see we had entered the rabbit's maze. "It is like a burrow system in here..."
Inuoe looked around as well and exhaled softly, crossing his arms while looking at the display on his right lens. "I'm not getting any heat signals here either. How deep does this place go?"
I continued to look around the area then decided to walk in a random direction. Inuoe watched me walk off then followed behind, wondering where I was going. I continued to look around as I walked then noticed the white rabbit hopping in front of me quickly, prompting me to chase after it.
"Moto— Detective, where are you going!?" Inuoe called out, running after me through the alley.
I continued to chase after the white rabbit and watched it take a sharp left then I drifted around the corner. Inuoe continued behind me, watching me vault over a dumpster to spring over a fence to catch up with the white rabbit that burrowed under ground.
Inuoe hurried behind and broke through the fence with a shoulder tackle then shook the debris off his head. He looked up to see me racing ahead then scoffed, clicking the tip of his shoe against the ground to activate speed mode within them.
"Where are you running to?" Inuoe asked, boosting ahead down the alley, the shockwave of his stride shattering the old windows as he dashed ahead.
I continued running after the white rabbit then watched him wall bounce off a building and onto a power line. I grunted as I watched him disappear in the distance before stopping and glancing ahead. "An opening..? Does this alley lead to different areas of the town?"
Inuoe noticed me leave out of the alley then came to a skidding stop. He jogged after me, finally catching up and patting my shoulder. I looked back to see Inuoe had caught up then looked ahead, wondering what lied before us ahead.
"Aye, don't you let up on him!" One guy cheered with a loud laugh.
"Oof! That one might leave a mark!" One girl called out, holding her phone out to record the brawl in the fight circle.
Inuoe and I walked out of the alley to see a group of delinquents having a fight stream, bottles of alcohol and drug wrappers sitting around on the abandoned lot grounds. I stopped and bent down to grab a wrapper off the ground to inspect it.
"What is it?" Inuoe asked, looking down at me with a curious expression.
I hummed softly and looked up at him then glanced back down at the wrapper. "This might be a rookie mistake...but don't tell Granny Hisu or Tsubami."
Inuoe rose an eyebrow at my comment, wondering what I was doing then grunted as I dipped my pinky into the leftover dust and sniffed it. "What are you doing..?!"
I grunted and turned my head away from my hand while covering my nose. "What the hell..? It has this...pineapple, earthly scent yet...it has a hint of rancid peanut butter?"
Inuoe paused for a moment then immediately realized what I had smelled. Quickly, he took the wrapper from my hand and turned it around to see if it had a logo. "What you smelled was 100% the scent description for satura. These people are doing this and drinking?"
I cleared my nose and rubbed my nose with a sniffle and looked around. I blinked a few times, noticing a few patterns forming in front of my eyes then glanced over at Inuoe. I stifled my laugh as I stared at him, noticing white butterflies fluttering around his head.
"What? What are you laughing at?" Inuoe asked, checking around himself for anything.
"Everything just...seems more happy and colorful around here. Wasn't it just about 5:40? Why does it look like the sun is shining? I feel like I could have happy thoughts..." I blabbered, looking up at the sky with awe and wonder, noticing iridescent birds and cute animals roaming around the area.
Inuoe froze hearing my nonsense and looked up at me, realizing the satura had taken immediate effect upon me. 'Oh no... he's high...'
"Oh right, the investigation! And I think I know where those two crooks are," I said, grabbing Inuoe for a huddle then pointed at the crowd ahead of us. "But we can't go like this...I have an idea."
Inuoe watched as I walked off for a moment, his mind racing with concerns. Once a few moments passed, I had returned with a face mask of my own and adjusted it on my face. Inuoe looked at me then let out a soft sigh, facepalming from my antics.
"Don't worry! Inspector Krisis's Protege is here. Say hello to Detective Binah!" I said with a chuckle, my grin widening behind my mask.
Inuoe began to feel an increase in spiritual pressure from me, a chill crawling down his spine as he began to realize I was slightly losing control of my spiritual energy. He grunted as he watched me rush forward toward the crowd without a plan, only hopes and prayers.