[August 31, 2418 - Friday, 5:30 PM]
Senkaku stood in front of his planning board with his arms crossed, his mind wondering between the next steps after news reports came out that Hideyoshi was arrested. He took the thumbtack off of Hideyoshi's picture, allowing it to float down onto the floor.
He hummed softly as he turned around and walked toward his computer on his work desk, using the wheel of the mouse to scroll down upon his screen at those who were on the scene of the arrest. His eyes landed upon my name, his eyes lighting up as he read my last name.
"Izuna..?" Senkaku asked under his breath, memories of my father and mother playing in his head.
~Senkaku's Memory of Erik and Mikoto~
Erik stood on the top of a skyscraper under the rainfall, his blade clenched in his right hand as raindrops rolled off his blade. Mikoto used her wings to fly to the rooftop of the skyscraper, her gaze landing upon Senkaku with a golden gaze.
Senkaku laughed as his pink and green aura circled around his body, his gaze shifting between my father and mother. His cloak flowed within the high winds, water droplets hitting off his mask in rhythmic beats. "Well, well... Inspector Krisis and Miko Mikoto, so the chase has led us here.."
"It's time you give it up, Senkaku! It's time for you to face justice for what you've done to Nanako!" Erik exclaimed, taking on his stance with his mask appearing over his face. "The time for running is over!"
"All evidence stacks against you and this game of charades you play. I know it's you under that mask, Jeht. You might've gotten away with your crimes for the last 20 years, but by the powers in Heaven...your time has come!" Mikoto declared, flying toward Jeht at blurring speeds with a spinning slash with her katana.
Senkaku laughed at Mikoto and blocked her slash with his rifle then leaped backwards while firing multiple rounds at her. "No! My time is just now starting and soon, my project will be complete! My perfect Darling will be set! I will not have you taking away my Wonderland!"
Erik charged forward and deflected every bullet Senkaku fired before hurling his blade toward him. He launched his light blue butterfly toward his blade and warped toward his blade. Catching his sword, he unleashed three swift spinning strikes, each strike Senkaku blocked with great struggle.
Senkaku grunted as he was knocked back then chuckled, fixing his mask on his face then outstretched his arms in a confident manner. "Izunas! You, along with the Nagagami and Fugigami, are the best challenges I've had yet! Let's have this night last forever!"
~End of Senkaku's Memory~
Senkaku chuckled lightly at his own thoughts then glanced over at a large scientific capsule in his office, the silhouette of a woman seen inside the device while contained in life-energy water. "So, the Izuna's had a son I was unaware of. It seems I've missed one...I might take a visit."
Senkaku logged off his computer then began making his way out of the office and turned off the lights. As he began making his way downstairs to the lounge area, he noticed the Womato-gumi gathered around the large TV screen mounted on the wall.
"While we do have the leader of the Burning Bulls detained, we are still working to undercover the true mastermind behind the satura regime for the last 30 years," Kyoto said as she spoke with an interviewer.
"Ah yes, the Satura Regime. It is said that the researchers in the SPA have stated that satura is currently the deadliest drug on Earth right now. Is it true that satura alters your mental irreparably?" The interviewer asked, his tone fascinated about the topic.
Kyoto stared at the interviewer with a serious expression then looked into the camera. "Satura is an illegal combination of datura and salvia. Even the lightest dosages can temporarily alter your mental state, cause hallucinations, and cause a Delirium effect."
"My best friend was killed by that drug these Yakuza keep advertising as anxiety and ADHD pills to trap the newer generation into the same cycle. Nanako Hashi, her name will be remembered. I will find her killer and bring justice!" Kyoto stated firmly, her eyes glowing with conviction.
Senkaku smirked behind his mask and clapped his hands at Kyoto's statement, a few Womato-gumi members turning around to see him standing behind them. "A wonderful declaration. However, justice will not be getting served. Only a few more preparations and our new friend will be complete."
"Uhm, sir. We don't have the necessary life-force to even wake Project: Alice. If anything, she's just a vegetable and a vessel," One Womato-gumi member reported, giving Senkaku a concerned expression.
Senkaku chuckled at his henchman and looked at him with a grin. "I know that and that's why we need to be strategical about our preps. Our target's spirit is still alive...or at least was when she was with that Miko. The Izunas have a son...and if my hypothesis is right..."
The Womato-gumi member grunted as Senkaku broke out into laughter, backing away from him a step with uncertainty. "U-Uhm..."
"Oh man...this year keeps on getting better for me. Let's go take a trip to the MHI Division. We should be there by tomorrow morning," Senkaku said, walking off with a dark chuckle.
{Chapter 28: Charades}
[September 1, 2418 - Saturday, 10:20 AM]
I waited outside the park's restroom for Aisha to finish up, my eyes glued to my phone screen as I checked for any updates on the SPA website. After having a successful arrest yesterday, I felt more motivated than ever to continue the work at a steady pace.
Aisha began walking out of the restroom with a smile then looked over at me, noticing my attention drawn to my screen. She smiled at me then gently pat my shoulder while skipping in front of me. "Hellooo~? Earth to Saki, I'm back~!"
I glanced up from my phone screen and smiled at Aisha, putting my phone in my pocket with a soft sigh. "About time. Did you fall in the toilet or something?"
Aisha scoffed and crossed her arms, thumping her foot upon the ground while puffing her cheeks. "How many times must I explain this to you? A lady needs her time to refresh! I know Okaasan Mikoto taught you this."
"Oh, don't bring my mom into this," I said with a chuckle, pointing at Aisha as I got off the wall.
Aisha giggled softly at me then wrapped her arms around mine, the two of us continuing our stroll around the park. The birds sang their songs while various butterfly fluttered around the flowers and sipped the rejuvenating nectar from the blooms.
Aisha gasped and pulled me over toward a patch of white angel trumpets then crouched down. She cupped her ear with her hand, closing her eyes as she began to listen. I watched Aisha with amusement and crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow at her usual antics.
I chuckled at Aisha and rolled my arms with a soft exhale. "You've been doing this since you were little. How many times do I have to tell you the flowers don't speak. These aren't Qutsadian Whispering Clovers."
Aisha opened her eyes and looked up at me with a grin then stood up with excitement. "The flowers do speak and they just told me that you're a know-it-all."
"Oh, hah hah. I'm sure they said that," I said with deep sarcasm, a bit more sarcasm than I'd usual give.
Aisha snickered at my response and playfully nudged my shoulder. "C'mon! I'm just tugging your chain, Saki~! Laugh a little!"
I rolled my eyes at Aisha and began pushing forward on the path with Aisha hurrying behind me, asking for me to wait up for her. While we continued on our path, a man wearing red sunglasses watched us from the distance while holding up his phone with my picture on it.
"Master Jeht...is there a reason why we are stalking high schoolers? Isn't this a bit strange?" Jeht's secretary said, laying her head down upon the picnic table they sat at.
Jeht lowered his phone and hummed with a smile, watching me walk alongside Aisha with interlocked fingers. "That high schooler is the son of two of the most legendary investigators and Clansmen in New Japan. He is no mere ordinary boy, Tenshi."
"Really?" Tenshi asked in an uninterested tone and sat up in her seat while stretching her arms over her head. "We could be doing anything better...like figuring out how Hideyoshi got caught and arrested to begin with. We are missing over 5 kilos of satura and you still paid them full."
Jeht exhaled softly and ran his fingers through his bangs, straightening them out as Tenshi complained. "Tenshi, you do remember the rule right? Rule 1, do not mix day and night affairs. What issues Senkaku has, we'll deal with it. Right now, it's time to be Clan Representative."
Tenshi watched as Jeht stood up then began silently mocking him before getting up as well. She followed behind him as they began to make their way to us. "I just don't know how these two kids will be important to us. We need to find a way to get our tasks done."
"Calm your nerves. This is very important. It's critical that I see who I may deal with in the future," Jeht replied, glancing back at Tenshi with a stern gaze.
Tenshi sighed and held her arms under her chest, closing her eyes with sass as she went silent. She continued to follow behind Jeht, only growing more curious about why he was curious about me.
I watched as Aisha let go of my hand to hurry forward to a few children who recognized her from her Early Care Program that she helps out in. I smiled as Aisha gave a few of them hugs, but I noticed Nachah hopping forward in the the distance which caught my attention.
I hummed softly and glanced behind me, noticing a man wearing a stylish red suit with sunglasses approaching me. Studying his appearance, I noticed a Mato Embroidery upon his shirt pocket then immediately got on edge.
'No, Motosaki... There's children here and he doesn't seem hostile. Calm down...' I said to myself mentally, calming my nerves and exhaled softly then looked back at Aisha, who was playing with the children at the playground.
"What a pleasurable sighting. If it isn't the son of the legendary Izunas. Motosaki isn't it?" The man said as he approached, holding his hand out toward me politely.
I looked down at his hand then hesitantly took it for a polite handshake. "Uh, yeah. I'm Motosaki. You're a Mato Clansman.."
The man chuckled softly and looked down at his embroidery then let out a soft exhale. "I am. While we Mato have a bad representation, I am not working alongside the criminals. My name is Jethro Mato and this is my secretary, Tenshi."
Tenshi waved at me with a light smile. "It's nice to meet you. We heard about your successful mission regarding the arrest of Hideyoshi Fuga and wanted to meet the SPA Rookie in person."
"Jethro and Tenshi. It's nice to meet you two as well. I'm guessing you heard of me on an article?" I asked, crossing my arms as I began quietly investigating the two.
Jeht nodded at me with a impressed smile, slipping his hands into his pockets. "It would expect nothing less from the son of the legendary Strijder and Valkyria. I also heard you were stepping down from the MHI-30? Why?"
I took a moment to gather my thoughts before answering Jeht's question, not knowing if I should reveal my intentions to him or not. "Well, the load is rather big for a rookie like me. I just need more practice on the field before I can track down my target."
"A wise choice. Rookies often make the mistake of dreaming too big. If you don't mind us asking, who is your target?" Tenshi asked curiously, her eyes shimmering with curiosity.
"That is classified information for now, but if you must know...this man is most likely related to someone my age named Amon Mato. I'm sure you know him," I said, my gaze meeting Jeht's gaze with a discerning eye.
Jeht stared back at me with a light smirk, noticing the same glimmer in my eyes as my mother, his own spirit growing excited. He chuckled lightly and hummed softly with a light breath to calm his nerves. 'His discernment and Insight is definitely from his mother...but knowledge without wisdom means nothing to me.'
"I am aware of Amon as he is my son. I also know about his drug abuse and I am taking action to be sure the drugs stay away from the youth of your generation. I am hoping to work together with the Bureau soon for a collaboration," Jeht said with a genuine smile, nodding his head.
My left eye twitched lightly as I was backed into a corner, and I knew I was in a corner. In my spirit I knew Jethro was Jeht in plain sight, but I literally have zero evidence beyond his word. "I see. Well before we can have that, I am looking for one more person."
"Who?" Tenshi asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Hanabi, The Burnout. I still have to investigate her before we can push forward with the MHI-30, and I suspect she's below the grid since even her son can't find her," I said, hoping to get any information out of them.
"Hanabi huh? I did hear she was taking on missions from St. Fraskia to deal with a few syndicates, but that was about two years ago. She could be anywhere now," Jeht said, shrugging his shoulders while fixing his sunglasses.
I exhaled softly as I knew the search for Kenji's mother continued then gave the two a bow. "Well, thank you anyway. It was nice meeting you two, but I have to get back to my girlfriend."
Jeht nodded at me and watched me walk off to Aisha, who was staring at him intently. He felt a cold chill brush down his spine as he noticed Aisha's pupils flash magenta with spite as if she knew who he was. Jeht's lips curled into a smirk with an idea in his head before turning away and walking off with Tenshi.
[September 1, 2418 - Saturday, 12:45 PM]
Lotus stood in front of a large cross inside of a church with her hands cupped together as she prayed to God for wisdom and strength, two Sovereign Butterflies circling around her peacefully. As she prayed, she heard the church doors opening and opened her eyes.
She looked behind her to see me walking into the church then smiled at me. She hurried to me and noticed Aisha behind me and became more excited. "Oh wow~! Motosaki and Aisha, what brings you to the Okinawa Church today?"
I walked forward and looked at the cross ahead of me, feeling a squeeze upon my heart as I stared at the cross. "I ran into Jeht...and my Discernment failed against him. The target was right in front of me and I couldn't do anything."
Lotus glanced at me with concern, her eyebrow raising with confusion as I spoke to the cross. "Motosaki? What happened? What are you venting to God about?"
"I'm just as confused. I've never seen him run to church since we were little! He wouldn't even tell me what happened or who that guy was!" Aisha exclaimed, looking at Lotus with concern.
I continued to stare at the cross, my hands balled into fists. "Usually, I can take my small victories and move on, but you spoke to me against Hideyoshi! He was right there and not a word to assist this time? What was different this time?"
My voice echoed off the walls of the empty church, the sunlight gleaming down upon the cross through a small hole on in the ceiling. Lotus and Aisha stared at me with concern, the both of them wanting to help me but didn't know how to help.
"What about Nachah and the butterfly? Nachah showed up, but what was that about? Was I supposed to avoid this 'Jethro' guy or not? What am I supposed to do? This was our chance to take him down!" I bleated, pointing at the cross with a decisive finger.
"And how do you know that?"
I grunted softly as I heard a thunderous voice within the church, Aisha and Lotus also falling into pure silence while looking around. I searched around the church as well and looked up at the cross again, lowering my hand and staring at it with awe.
"What...what do you mean? He's the guy we are looking for. We can take him in for questioning," I replied, my eyes glancing around the church.
"Limited information and wisdom..." The voice spoke again, this time in a softer whisper.
Lotus recognized the whisper and looked back up at the cross, noticing a small white dove on top of the cross before it flew off. "W-Wait!"
I looked back as Lotus ran off after the dove then glanced at Aisha with a silent question. Aisha shrugged her shoulders with equal confusions then the two of us began chasing after Lotus through the large church house.
The dove flew to the upper floors of the church and went inside of a large ball room while soaring through the chandeliers. Aisha, Lotus, and I rushed into the ballroom then stopped as the doors were missing with a ladder leading to the upper exit pulled up.
I looked at the ladder with the dove perched upon the top of the ladder. "Where is it leading us?"
"Not it, but He! However, I don't know how this room managed to shift this much. I'm always at this church and know every door here, but they're gone!" Lotus blurted, holding her hands out at the four walls around us.
"Let's split up and find a way to the upper platform. There's something here to bring the ladder down," I said, looking at the two girls.
Aisha and Lotus nodded at me then the three of us split up to find a way to the upper platform of the ballroom. I began scanning each corner of the room before spotting some scaffolding that led to the upper level. I noticed it looked unstable and could support only one usage, so I decided to take the chance.
Sprinting forward I leaped up to one wooden pallet to use as a platform for my second jump. Jumping up, I grabbed onto a rail and looked down, grunting as the scaffolding began collapsing under me.
Aisha gasped as she heard the crash and looked back, noticing me hanging from the top rail of the remaining scaffolding. "Motosaki, be careful!"
I grunted softly as I began pulling myself up onto the upper platform then looked at the ladder and hurried to it. Fiddling with the ladder, I noticed a device that activated with a pull of a lever. "What in the world..? Where is the lever..?"
I stood up and looked around before noticing the lever on the other side of the upper platform with no way across other than using the ceiling rails above me. The first rail was a far leap from where I was, my legs freezing up at the thought of that leap from this height.
The dove stared at me for a moment before looking ahead and taking flight toward the first rail. He flapped his wings with a trill and wanting me to leap toward him. I hesitated at the dove's call, not knowing if I would make the jump as my mind began going back to the first time I leaped into my father's arms.
I curled my lips and began taking a few steps backwards while Aisha and Lotus watched nervously from below. I gulped lightly then took a deep breath and exhaled before charging forward and leaping forward with my hand held out toward the rail.
My hand began reaching the rail, but my finger slipped off the rail due to my slightly short leap. Before I could plummet to my doom, the dove flapped his wings, warping me onto the rail.
I opened my eyes slowly, noticing my hand gripping on the the rail and looked a bit surprised before looking up at the dove. "You— Thank you..."
Lotus and Aisha sighed a heavy sigh of relief as I was brought to safety then watched as I climbed across the ceiling, using the railings as monkey bars. Reaching the other side and pulling the lever, the ladder dropped down and a benevolent light flashed in the room, a sovereign butterfly appearing in the ballroom for the success.
The three of us began moving on from the ballroom with my mind wondering what lesson God was trying to teach me with the ballroom. Cutting through a corridor and leaving through the exit, we stopped on the church's rooftop with more rooftops stretching ahead of us.
Lotus began to grow excited and began running in place while bursting with energy. "Yatta~!!! You guys, do you know what we are in right now?"
"What is happening? Why are we on the rooftop and where did the dove go?" Aisha asked, walking ahead and leaning against the railing of the roof to see Okinawa below them.
"We're in a Trial! I love going through these spiritual trials because they offer a lot of development, plus this is how I usually meet my spirit animals," Lotus giggled then hurried over to the edge of the church roof and pointed at a makeshift bridge leading to the other rooftops.
"We can use this to get to the other rooftops. Seems our trial is gonna be in the skies. I wonder what God is trying to show us," Lotus hummed, turning around and jogging forward with excitement and her notebook ready.
I walked ahead and glanced over to my left, noticing a wooden sword resting against the wall with the Sovereign Butterfly resting upon the pummel. Making my way to it, I picked up the sword with more questions running through my mind.
"Limited information and wisdom...and you give me a sword. What am I supposed to be learning right now?" I asked, looking toward the path Lotus and Aisha took before following behind them.
The three of us followed behind the dove as we ran and leaped from rooftop to rooftop. I continued to scout around each rooftop, keeping my eyes peeled for anything unusual. Looking ahead, we noticed a hideout upon one rooftop within a plaza area hiding deceptively on top of a mall building.
The dove trilled and soared toward the hideout, swooping down and landing on top of the small hut on the Mall's rooftop. Once we reached the area, I immediately began sensing a few presences and felt a sharp tug on my chest. Immediately, I pulled Lotus and Aisha behind a large ventilation fan.
Lotus looked at me with confusion and noticed my finger on my lip to keep silent and pointed behind the ventilation fan. Lotus peeked around the fan and looked around, noticing a group of Yakuza walking onto the rooftop.
"Alright, Boss, what's the next move? We could meet up with the Red Dragons and make the settlement. After all, that Womato-gumi dude is paying a hefty amount for our tech," One delinquent said, grinning as he walked behind his leader.
"Nah, I got a better usage for these babies. Why settle for a measley 100,000 yen when we could get millions! Hell, we could probably steal from the Red Dragons with these!" The leader chuckled, using his keys to unlock the hut door to go inside.
I exhaled softly as I got little to no useful information from the conversation then closed my eyes, wondering what we should do next. This set of Yakuza seemed more technologically advanced than the other syndicates and seemed more concerned about money.
The dove chirped and wondered if I wanted to pursue these unnamed Yakuza members. Hearing his chirp, I shook my head and declined to pursue then watched as the dove flew off to the right toward a path that would help us avoid being seen by the Yakuza.
"Let's go," I said, getting up and bolting forward toward the right path.
Aisha and Lotus got up as well and began running off behind me, the three of us running across rooftops once again. Our second destination began to close in upon us, another hideout using an abandoned skyscraper with a Daimo-kai Banner stretching across the building.
"Daimo-kai..." Lotus gasped in shock, looking at their hideout with surprise then walked forward to look at the ground level. "The streets are flooded with Yakuza...it's like Old Tokyo Town here."
"Who are the Daimo-kai?" Aisha asked, looking at Lotus with curiosity.
"The Daimo-kai are the largest Yakuza family in New Japan ran by one man who's name no one knows. They are in charge of families like the Womato-gumi and the Suga-ikka. If information is what we want about anyone in those groups, this is the place for it," Lotus explained, looking at Aisha with seriousness.
I crossed my arms as I stared at the Daimo-kai hideout and began wondering if information about Jeht could be inside. Knowing the opponent I was dealing with, I needed to just gasp upon anything that could get me closer to the truth.
What do you think about this next scene:
I began walking forward and looked down at the street from above and began counting the risks in my head. Lotus just told us the Daimo-kai was the largest Yakuza family in New Japan and waltzing into their territory would be plain stupid without a plan, but if anyone has information about Jeht, it's them.
"Whatcha thinking, Motosaki? Do we go in?" Lotus asked, looking at me and waited for my instruction.
I continued to stare down at the streets then looked at the skyscraper, uncrossing my arms and unsheathed my wooden sword from behind me. I looked at the wooden, splintered blade and exhaled softly. "No, it's not worth the risk."
"So what do we do? We came all this way here," Aisha questioned, looking back at me with confusion.
I stared at the skyscraper once again and began peering into the window directly ahead of me, noticing a few people working on technology and lab equipment inside. A few scientists were inside working with funnel shaped flowers, grinding each bloom into dust and powder.
I rose an eyebrow as I looked at the lab section once again and leaned forward against the railing, taking a glance at the logos on the side of the equipment. "Chi-Teck-ii...wait, let's go back to the other Yakuza for a moment."
The dove heard my play then trilled and flew to the left, leading us back to the mall hideout. The three of us followed behind the dove and watched as he perched back onto the hut. Reaching the hut, I didn't sense anyone nearby and began leading the girls toward the hut's entrance with the door left wide open.
"Whoa, look at all this tech...I haven't seen anything like this before," Aisha said, walking inside and looking around at the planning board and the work station.
I looked around inside the hut as well, looking through blueprints and documents regarding each piece of technology. There was also a planning book sitting upon the table with plans make deals with various clients to sell their technology.
"Motosaki, look at this!" Lotus called out, waving me over to her to look at a large screen.
I walked over to Lotus and noticed plans to craft high tech weaponry that most B Rank Valkyrias and Strijders couldn't combat against. "So these guys are enemies of the Valkyria and Strijders...what about their brand?"
"It's right here, hitting within the blue interface. I can barely read it because of the font color, but I think it says... Chi-Teck-ii?" Lotus questioned, squinting her eyes to see the characters better.
'Hm...glad I dismissed them early. So these guys are working with the Daimo-kai...these Yakuza are high in the hierarchy. They must know something about Jeht,' I thought to myself, turning around and spotting a fusion sword resting upon the work table.
Walking toward the work table, I noticing the Sovereign Butterfly resting on top of it. I realize I had a choice to exchange my wooden sword for the fusion sword. Though we hadn't run into combat since we've been on trial, something was telling me to make the exchange just in case.
I decided to take the fusion sword and leave my wooden sword behind then grabbed the blueprint showing me how to assemble it. Lotus and Aisha watched as I assembled the six blade fusion sword together to create one trapezoidal blade with great strength.
"Whoa, that think looks epic! That's a really cool sword!" Lotus gasped, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Right!? I've never seen a sword do that before!" Aisha beamed, inspecting the sword closer with adoration.
I smiled at the girls then heard laughing from outside and grunted, noticing the Chi-Teck-ii Yakuza coming back from their outing. "They're coming back, get ready."
The Chi-Teck-ii Captain laughed with his subordinates from their successful robbery then noticed us inside their hideout. "What do we have here? A bunch of kids fooling around in our turf?"
I readied my sword and grunted softly at the Yakuza. "You work with the Daimo-kai, and I have a few questions for you all."
"Yo, boss...I think they wanna play hero around the streets. Should we teach them a real life lesson?" One Chi-Teck-ii member asked, grinning at me with a wide, toothy grin.
"No, let me have him~! I would love to know what a young man's scream sounds like," Another member said sadistically with a soft giggle, unsheathing her dagger and locking onto me while licking her lips.
Lotus reached inside her bag then pulled out her shinai, taking her stance with a courageous expression. "You're not laying a finger on our leader!"
Aisha nodded in agreement and braced herself, grabbing my previous wooden sword and taking her stance. "That's right! You have answering to do!"
The Chi-Teck-ii Captain chuckled and rushed into the hut, pushing a table aside and grabbing my jacket before I could react then used his strength to throw me out of the hut. I grunted as I rolled outside and got back onto my feet before barely dodging a laser beam.
"Whoa now, Cap'n! Not too much or else their mommies will miss them dearly!" The Captain's subordinate laughed, rushing toward Aisha and threw a heavy punch toward her.
Aisha slipped through the punch and began running outside of the hut for more space while keeping her sword ready. She watched as Lotus hurried outside as well while dodging the woman's devious slices then leaped backwards toward me.
"Ugh! I hate when sweet kittens move too fast," The woman groaned, huffing lightly and marching outside with frustration.
I began using my Insight upon the three, studying each of them with the limited seconds I had before rushing toward the woman first. 'One of them uses long ranged weaponry, this woman is an assassin, and the leader's friend is a brawler. I have to find a way to calm them down...'
The woman hummed with excitement as I rushed toward her with multiple slashes at her feet then she countered with a leaping straight kick upon my face. "A bit too eager, aren't you~? Don't worry, sweet boy... I'll take good care of you!"
The woman landed on the ground then rushed ahead in swift zigzag patterns before coming up behind me with a killing slice. Before her blade reached my neck, Lotus rushed ahead and struck her with a shoulder check and pushed the woman back.
"She's so fast and the others are no better!" Lotus called out and looked behind her to see the Chi-Teck-ii Captain charging another laser blast with his gauntlet gun. "Get down!"
Aisha, Lotus, and I each dove to the ground as the captain unleashed a massive laser beam which flew over our heads and stretched into the distance. I opened my eyes and looked behind me to see the Captain's subordinate charging ahead just as we began to get up.
I grunted as I blocked the subordinate's uppercut with my blade then disassembled a side blade and launched a forward slash which he dodged. He rushed forward for another attack, but I dodged his attack and countered with a knee to his stomach.
"Too slow!" The subordinate laughed, catching my knee then grunted as Aisha struck his back with her wooden sword, forcing him to let me go.
I stuck my sword into the sturdy rooftop and swung myself around the blade, striking the subordinate's face with my foot then let go while in the air. I came crashing down with a horizontal tornado kick, but the subordinate barely dodged my attack with a backstep and went for a punch to my jaw, his strike connecting and dazing me.
I stumbled backwards slightly then found my footing before reaching the edge of the roof. I panted softly as I looked at the Chi-Teck-ii group ahead, wondering how I was going to deal with their experience. I met the gaze of their leader and huffed softly, taking a gamble.
"I overheard you wanted to sell to the Womato-gumi, but wanna rob them? Well, if you need clients, I have some that will make it worth your time," I offered, reaching into my jacket pocket and noticed them grow on edge until I pulled out a badge shaped like a white wolf.
"A White Wolf Badge? Hold on, you're a member of the Nagai Clan's White Wolves? Who are you?" The Chi-Teck-ii Captain asked with high interest, a hustler's sparkle shimmering in his eyes.
Aisha glanced over at me in shock, wondering how my distraction worked. "Saki..."
I shook my head Aisha, silently telling her not yet. "My name is Motosaki Izuna, a member of Heido's White Wolves. I was sent here to collect because you have unpaid loans to give back, but I'm willing to make a deal."
The Chi-Teck-ii Captain sucked his teeth and sighed heavily. "Oh my God...I completely forgot about those sharks..."
"You didn't pay the loan you got from the Nagai Clan?" The woman asked in shock, wondering how her leader could miss out on his debt.
Lotus looked at me, surprised that my Hail Mary plan worked and inched closer to me. "How did you know he didn't pay..?"
"I didn't...it was literally a life or death gamble. I'm not gonna fight a guy blasting us with alien level beams and a sadistic assassin. Right now, let's get the next phase started while I have them on the hook," I said, putting my badge back into my pocket while thanking Heido silently for giving me a badge.
Once everything had calmed down on the rooftop, the Chi-Teck-ii Captain allowed us inside their hut to talk business while the white dove remained outside the hut. The Chi-Teck-ii Captain sighed as he sat down in his chair, crossing his arms as he looked at me with intrigue.
"Alright, let's talk clientele. Who's wantin' to buy our stash? Oh, and the name's Riggs by the way. The woman to my right is named Madam B and my subordinate here is named Fists," Riggs introduced, leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed.
"Holy Codenames. You all can't be this mysterious especially the way you were firing orbital, atomic beams at us from your...your gun!" Aisha exclaimed, raising her hands as if the were insane.
In which they were.
"Well, firstly, you're the one who trespassed and stole our modular blade, question us about the Daimo-kai, and then flash loans in our faces. However, I must commend you three. You got guts..." Riggs said with a chuckle and shrugged his shoulders.
"And second, we supply the underground with technology, but not only the underground. We go wherever the money leads us and we will sell to military if the cost is right. However, since we sell to the Daimo-kai, we have to keep our identities a secret," Riggs explained.
I hummed at his explanation and looked around at the other projects they were working on. "So, it seems your only targets are Valkyrias and the few Strijders that exist."
"Why yes, we do target them just to get them off our butts. It's hard for a woman of my beauty to sell beautiful Chi-Tech to others when those high-flying birds and vikings keep popping up. Honestly, is selling a crime?" Madam B asked while fanning herself with her X-Fan with a exasperated sigh.
"It is when one, you don't have a permit, and two you plan on robbing your buyers. Look, your group doesn't seem to have your morals in the gutter. You're just greedy, but I may be able to help you out if you help me in exchange," I offered, holding my hand out to Riggs.
"Oh, of course~! I would love to help a handsome—" Madam B began before Aisha stepped forward.
"Hands off! He's mine and you can't touch him! Especially after not after you tried to kill him! You're lucky you're too fast for me, or else I would have you missing..." Aisha said, a hint of Nanako's aggressiveness leaking from her as she possessively hugged my arm.
"Yeah, plus..." Lotus said, hugging my other arm with equal possessiveness. "You're too old for him!"
Once Riggs heard Lotus call 25 year old Madam B old, he let out a sigh and lowered his head into his hand. "Ahh shit....here we go."
"Old? Little girl, I am one of New Japan's Top Beauties, chosen by Mr. Lei himself for the top beauties! You don't get this type of skin from ordinary products like what you use!" Madam B scoffed, her tone oozing with pure pride and vanity.
Just greedy and prideful...perfect candidates for solving future cases dealing with the underground.
[September 1, 2418 - Saturday, 2:40 PM]
Jeht walked through the streets of Itakatsu with Tenshi and looked around the city with a smile, enjoying the scenery of various citizens enjoying their lives. He walked to a fountain and took a seat upon it, taking his sunglasses off and cleaning them with his handkerchief.
"Master Jeht, I have received news that the new Chi-Teck-ii modular sword has been stolen. How will you deal with the S Rank Valkyria, Yusa Yuta? She's also on your tail about this MHI-30 case," Tenshi informed, looking through her reports upon her tablet.
Jeht looked up at the sky and hummed softly, enjoying the sun hitting down upon his skin with a light smile. "Stolen huh? By who? Did Riggs say?"
"No, he just reported it stolen. He seems disappointed because you were gonna buy it. Seems like they still have a little trouble with their rivals. Nevermind them...look around you Tenshi. Look at the billboards," Jeht said, looking around at the billboards displaying Usagi upon each of them.
Tenshi looked at the billboards and held her arms, noticing one advertising Usagi as New Japan's number one beauty then looked back down at Jeht. "Are you seriously about to do this?"
"Why not~? It's been 30 years...why not pay an old friend a visit while I am already here in this division? Imagine her face...when she sees me for the first time in 30 long years. It's almost like our high school reunion..." Jeht said with a soft laugh, standing up and fixing his tie.
"Oh my God— it's him! Mr. Jethro~!" One fangirl cheered, hurrying over to Jeht with her friends with a photograph of him in her hands. "Mr. Jethro! I love your work! You were so stunning in your interview!"
"Why thank you, I appreciate your support and your admiration," Jeht said, taking a pen out of his suit pocket and autographed his name on his photograph. "Remember, no one is faster than truth and justice. We must defend our planet from tyrannical rule and addictions."
The fangirls all began to fall weak as Jeht stated his famous quote and began giggling as they walked off. Jeht watched each of them walk off, checking each woman out and hummed. He chuckled softly as he continued forward, moving on with his day.
"He's a little too good at this mask thing..." Tenshi said to herself, looking back at the women as she followed Jeht through the city.
As they continued through the city, Jeht noticed a man leaned against a wall as if he were waiting for someone then immediately recognized the man. The man opened his eyes as Jeht walked by him then he got off the wall, pushing his glasses up with his other hand in his pocket.
"Mr. Mato... you're gonna act like you don't remember me?" The man asked, looking at Jeht with a calm gaze.
Jeht stopped walking with a light nose chuckle and a smirk, glancing back at the man with intrigue. "Well, how could I forget your face...Feliz Hoshido. What is Matsugaya's best teacher doing in Itakatsu?"
Mr. Hoshido stared at Jeht and let out a soft hum. "I suppose you don't understand how Motosaki works huh? You might've gotten him walled at Matsu Park, but he isn't as submissive as you think."
Tenshi began growing curious about Mr. Hoshido and what he meant. "What are you talking about?"
"Well, Motosaki still reported his findings to us that already gives us a reason to begin investigating you and your son, though I'll let Motosaki handle Amon," Mr. Hoshido stated, turning fully to face Jeht.
Jeht chuckled softly at Mr. Hoshido and faced forward with high interest. "Good luck. You may find my son guilty which he makes his crimes known, and even if you do throw him in jail, I can just bail him out. What Motosaki gave you is information I wanted him to know..."
"None of you are worthy of my time aside from him and your superior, Hisu Fugigami. As far as the rest of you detectives, you're better off following your rookie's leash," Jeht added, walking away from Mr. Hoshido.
Mr. Hoshido watched as Jeht walked off and crossed his arms with a soft sigh, watching as he disappeared within the crowd. 'Nothing seems to rattle him...so how did Kyoto manage to rattle him 30 years ago?'