[September 2, 2418 - Sunday, 7:30 AM]
I stood outside my father's office inside the Izuna share house in Kojima Town, looking at each award my parents earned during their time in the SPA. I walked to the back of the room, looking at my mother's katana sealed away in a protective case with a crystallized butterfly resting on the scabbard.
I placed my hand upon the case and closed my eyes, a small smile forming on my face. "Okaasan...Otosan... It's time. I'm finally doing it. I'm finally going after the Womato-gumi...the Yukuza that beat you and killed you."
Lotus walked into the share house, searching around for me since she didn't find me at the Fugigami Residency. She heard talking coming from the office and wandered her way toward the room, noticing the door cracked and peeked inside.
I opened the drawer the case rested inside and found my mother's golden gauntlet inside, taking it out and slipping it upon my right hand then took out her white cloak. I smiled at it and began reminiscing of the time I first saw her wear it as a kid, and now I was about to put it on.
Putting on the cloak, I placed the hood over my head then strapped the scabbard of my modular sword around my shoulder. I swiftly detached the back blade of my modular sword then sliced behind me, the cloak flowing around my body gracefully.
Lotus gasped softly as she watched me throw a few practice slashes, each slice flowing gracefully into the next one. "Motosaki..."
I tossed my back blade in the air then caught it, attaching it back onto my blade then exhaled softly. I slowly opened my eyes, my eyes flashing a faint golden hue. White energy began to flow around my body, a comforting warmth spreading around me as if someone were holding onto me.
I looked into the drawer and found a mask inside with a note resting atop of it. I rose an eyebrow and took out the note, opening it up and reading it.
"March 23, 2410
To my son, Young Krisis
"I am writing this to you just in case you do follow up on your dreams of becoming a Spiritual Detective. This mask is something we made during your art class back when you was in grade school, a mask you called Binah."
"Motosaki, I want to let you know how proud I am of you. You are my pride and joy, and to see you accomplish your dreams one day would be something me and your mother would be proud to see..."
"So, if you do find this...take this mask, and not be another Krisis like me, but something greater. You are Detective Binah, my young soldier. I know you'll accomplish great things..."
Sincerely, First Class Lieutenant of the SPA,
Erik Bin Izuna.
I set the letter down on the dresser and picked up the white and silver mask, staring at the face of the mask as a single tear drop rolled down my cheeks. I turned the mask around and put it over my face, the silver energy lines recognizing my spiritual energy and began to glow softly.
"Dad..." I began, allowing my mask to hide my watery eyes. I exhaled softly and closed my eyes, balling my hands into fists. "Jeht won't win, I promise that...I'll keep digging. No matter if I have to go to Sheol and back!"
Lotus's eyes began to shine as she heard my conviction, her gaze focusing upon my chest as she noticed a small ember forming upon my chest. 'What...is that..?'
{Chapter 30: Rosa und Grün}
[September 2, 2418 - Sunday, 8:10 AM]
Kyoto looked down at her watch while waiting in the meeting room then looked up at everyone else with a sigh. "Where is that boy? Don't tell me he got cold feet already.."
"I doubt it. I've known Oto since he was a lil pup. He's got heart and I know my bro won't leave us stranded," Heido said confidently, leaning back in his seat in a relaxed manner.
"You are far too relaxed right now when we're about to pull a seige upon an entire city for one person," Hisumi said, leaning forward against the square table with a deadpan expression to Heido.
"Also, is there a reason why the Chi-Teck-ii are joining us? Aren't they a technological Yakuza? What reason do you have joining us?" Hisumi added, gesturing toward Riggs, Madam B, and Fists.
Madam B pat her face with a blush pad while looking at herself with a pocket mirror, letting out a scoff at Hisumi. "Well for one, we are currently under the White Wolves' lead. You know, at least until a better offer arrives."
"Yeah right. You still owe my Ojisan a whopping two million yen, which I know you can pay back and won't. So until then, you follow my orders coming from direct orders of Ojisan Nagai," Heido said, sitting up against the table and glaring at Madam B.
Madam B glanced at Heido then gave him a sly smirk. "Mmm, I do love my men a bit spicy..~"
"Flattery will get you nowhere with my nephew when money is involved," Kyoto said, looking at Madam B and sat back in her chair.
"Now hold on, Okaasan...this is the famous Bellatrix talking so I meeaann..." Heido said, glancing at Kyoto with a light smirk.
"And this is why you're in debt right now. Spending too much money on random women and not enough investing. Just like my good for nothing brother," Hisu scoffed, shaking her head then felt her left ear wiggle as she heard two sets of footsteps down the hall.
The meeting room doors began to open and everyone brought their attentions to the door as it opened up. Lotus hurried through the doors with excitement, her eyes sparkling as she looked at everyone with a bright smile.
"Everyone! I managed to find our favorite rookie! Hold on, he should be coming," Lotus beamed, looking out the door with bubbling excitement.
"You found Motosaki? Where is he? Meeting is about to start," Kyoto asked, looking down at her watch once again.
"I'm here," I said, walking through the door while adjusting the multiple straps upon my mom's gauntlet around my arm. I glanced up at everyone, noticing everyone's surprised expressions on their face.
Hisu's eyes widened for the first time in many years, immediately recognizing my mother's cloak and gauntlet then looked down to see my mask hooked to the waistband of my pants. She felt goosebumps crawling along her spine as she glanced at my chest, noticing a small ember sitting upon my chest.
Tsubami looked at me while leaned against the wall, smirking at me with a light chuckle. "Well, well...look who's coming in with full armor on."
Riggs whistled as he studied my appearance, letting out a chuckle as well and rested his hands behind his head. "Now, there's an attire I never thought I'd see again. It looks like someone is finally embracing his clan fully..."
"Hm, and I hate to admit...but that sword looks better on him than any of us," Fists complimented, studying how my modular sword worked with my current color scheme.
Kyoto stared at me in awe, seeing the conviction in my eyes and felt a bit of chills crawling down her spine. 'That look...it's that look of conviction. That Izuna gaze...'
"Sorry for being late everyone. I just had something important I had to take care of," I said, walking forward to the meeting table then looked at everyone sitting at the square table.
The Fugigami, the Nagagami, the Chi-Teck-ii, even Mr. Mori showed up for this moment. Today was a historical moment for each of us. 30 years ago, the Womato-gumi defeated the SPA, killing my parents who were the last vanguard of the Bureau.
Today, the Bureau rises back up, but this time with a different strategy. One that not even the underground would think the SPA would even attempt. A final resort.
"30 years ago, the Bureau has tried to bring justice to the alleged suspect named Jeht Mato using diplomacy and professional skills. Today, I want to try a different strategy..." I said, setting down a flier with the Karma Logo on the front.
Kyoto stared at the flier then looked up at me with confusion. "What is this?"
"What? No way you're part of Karma as well! Are you doing what I think you are?" Hisumi asked, looking up at me with a dumbfounded expression.
Mr. Mori stared at the flier and hummed softly, crossing his arms and glanced up at me. "Isn't that an organization that works for the Sanctuary Agency in New America? That's interesting...we are actually allies with the Sanctuary Agency."
"Charlotte White is her name. The leader of the Sanctuary Agency. So, you're gonna use the Karma name to go after the Womato-gumi?" Tsubami asked, walking forward to the table and looked at the flier with interest.
"It's our best bet...to beat the underground, we have to go to the underground. You don't just fight the underground while trying to walk the surface. And you can't beat the Womato-gumi...just using Discernment and Faith," I said, taking the flier off the table then set down a stack of documents on the table.
Madam B stopped patting her cheek with her blush pad to look at the documents, each one coming from my father's filing cabinets each one named A-Z. "What the heck is this?"
"Yeah...are these all cold cases?" Fists asked, grabbing one stack of documents off the table.
"Yes. Each one of them are cold cases. We want to beat the Mato Clan? We start pruning the tree of its weakest branches before we think about cutting down the entire tree. We have until December 20th to bring Jeht down..." I said, looking at everyone seriously.
"Why until December 20th?" Riggs asked, raising an eyebrow at me.
I looked at Riggs then glanced at Lotus and Tsubami, noticing their knowing expressions then exhaled softly while lowering my head. "Are you all aware of...The Border?"
"The land between Life and Death?" Hisumi asked, tilting her head slightly. "I'm aware of it since I've had an NDE myself. What about it?"
"This case is 70% a spiritual case and 30% a physical one... because more than half the evidence relies upon a single spirit. However, according to The Chronicles...The Border does not stay open for too long," I began, looking forward at Hisu and meeting her gaze.
"The Tomodachi is a Resident of The Border. There are many openings to that Border and if it closes, The Tomodachi can not pass on and remain restless and vengeful. The Border opened months ago and closes in 3 months," I finished, noticing how serious Hisu became.
"December 20th...the day Nanako died. The Border is open for nine months and December is that ninth month," Hisu said under her breath, closing her eyes as she began to understand the need for slight haste in the case.
"So, what do you intend on doing? What's the plan here?" Heido asked, leaning forward with great interest.
I looked at Heido then smiled at him, glancing back down at the cold cases before splitting them into two separate stacks. "The plan is simple. I know some of you aren't willing to dig too deep into the ground like I am, so we split into two teams. One team remains the professional crew, remaining on the surface to investigate."
"The other team will be starting small, financial scandals. This seems easy enough to knock out in a few weeks, even less if we find favor. I will be leading SPA's Karma Division," I continued, looking around at everyone else.
"Then I'll lead the Bureau, just as Mr. Erik would have wanted," Kyoto said, looking at me with a nod.
I looked at Kyoto and gave her a smile then closed my eyes as I took off my SPA Badge then set it on the table. "That's fair, and I'm sure my father would love to have seen you lead where he stood. Also, I am going to be momentarily step down from the SPA."
"Why's that?" Mr. Mori asked, looking at me with a bit of intrigue.
I met the Minister's gaze and looked back down at my badge. "Because I will be going underground, and I would need to blend in or else the plan would not work."
Mr. Mori chuckled softly and shook his head, sliding my badge back toward me. "That won't be needed, Mr. Izuna. After all...your mother did the same at one point in her life. Also, doesn't Koshin have diplomatic immunity? Wouldn't hurt having another unbreakable piece on the board."
Madam B hummed softly at Mr. Mori and glanced up at me with a smirk. "Oh? I didn't know the Bureau played dirty too."
"Sometimes, every farm needs a black sheep. A raven to fly amongst the doves. After all...you don't understand darkness by being blinded by light. You'll have to confront the darkness so you can see what light actually looks like," Mr. Mori said, giving Madam B a nod.
"Why do you think we're so lenient on my brother?" Hisu asked, reading through one of the many cold cases.
"That's why I'm starting out small. We are going to Kabetori to investigate a scandal regarding a floral shop, Rosa und Grün. It is said they scam their consumers by offering aromatherapy using trumpet flowers, but their clients always leave feeling worse..." I said, looking through the R cold case that my father never solved.
"Oh, like one of those false advertisment schemes? I wonder how the perp got away from Ojisan Erik," Heido said, humming lightly as he began thinking.
"Whatever the reasoning, we'll uncover it!" Lotus said with determination, looking at me with a proud grin.
I nodded at Lotus's excitement and looked at the suspect upon the photo, a seemingly innocent looking couple, but a verse spoke in my head as I stared at their innocent smiles. John 7:24 - Do not judge by outwardly appearances, but judge right judgement.
[September 2, 2418 - Sunday, 10:30 AM]
Tsubami drove into Kabetori, the Wall Street of New Japan, where buildings stretched up to the sky with flashing neon lights upon every corner letting you know that you were in Kabetori. Citizens of this city filled the busy streets, everyone either in business or casual attires.
She parked into a random plaza in the city and stopped her car before stepping out with a sigh. Lotus, Heido, and I each got out of the car as well while Riggs pulled in a few moments after we did. We all took a look around the surroundings, the air filled with the scent of one thing.
Money.
"Oh~ I nearly forgot how much I love this area. Clients everywhere! Oh, I've got to visit one of my sisters who lives here," Madam B giggled, holding her arms under her chest as she looked around for a specific building.
"Your sister? What is her name?" Heido asked, glancing over at Madam B curiously.
"Madam K," Madam B answered with a soft giggle, her gaze shifting over to Heido.
"There's genuinely no way your sister is named Madam K," I said, looking over at Madam B with an unamused expression. "What's next? You and your sisters are named Madam A through Z?"
"Mhm!" Madam B nodded, giving me a smile and chuckled. "You know, you're highly intelligent, sweet boy~"
I glanced at Tsubami and noticed her look back at me, the two of us closing our eyes and turning away from each other to prevent each other from laughing. I sighed softly and walked forward, looking around to see where to start. "Anyway, we should probably split off and try to find the flower shop."
"It's gonna be nearly impossible here though. There are so many alleys and back streets around here. Where would we find Rosa und Grün?" Lotus asked, searching around for a place to begin.
"You lost children...you don't just 'find' Rosa und Grün. It's a luxury, secret shop, and it's hidden along a specific back roads you can't find unless you ask around," Riggs explained then stepped forward, pointing up at a billboard.
"There's one of the Big Three in Kabetori. His name is Averice. A well known gambler around here and is a member of Rosa und Grün. He's also the most chill of the trio so we can start with him," Riggs explained, lowering his hand then scratched the back of his head.
Tsubami noticed Riggs seemed a bit sketchy and rose an eyebrow. "But? I know when there's a but coming."
"But, you'll have to find his casino which is also hidden. See, the buildings here all look the same for a reason. To hide the Womato-gumi landmarks from law enforcement. It's a shady world out here," Fists answered, crossing his arms with a light sigh.
Of course...
"Suddenly, it's now understandable how Mr. Erik couldn't solve this. Kabetori sucks!" Lotus exclaimed, stomping her foot down on the ground.
"Not even five minutes here and the rules are already wonky...can we find our bearings first at least before entering crunch time?" I asked, sighing softly as I looked around the plaza.
As we began to wonder where to start from, Madam B walked to me and grabbed my hand then pulled me with her with a smile. I grunted softly as I was forced to join her to wherever she was taking me then I glanced back at Lotus, Tsubami, and Heido, silently asking either of them for help.
Heido chuckled softly at my expression and began walking forward then looked over at Tsubami. "Yo, Itoko! Keep these lackies out of trouble would you?"
"Yeah, sure. Go off with the literal seductive witch while I stay with the geek bros," Tsubami said, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes at Heido with a scoffing chuckle.
Fists looked over at Tsubami, his feelings slightly hurt that he was called a geek by Tsubami. "C'mon, no need for all that. If anything, we are probably the smartest Yakuza family you'll meet."
Riggs chuckled softly and walked off with his hands in his pockets. "Don't worry, man. She's just mad she didn't call first dibs on her little brother figure, however, there's no need to be frustrated."
"In fact, I already have a few locations we can ask around at. To find the hiding spots of the Big Three around here, you'll need to go to populated areas such as malls, libraries, banks, the sorts," Riggs added, resting his hands behind his head.
Lotus hummed as she looked around, searching for the best first location to go to then spotted an attraction nearby. "How about that large Golden Ram over there that everyone is taking pictures at?"
Riggs snapped his fingers at Lotus with a grin. "Bingo. You're starting to learn, kid."
Lotus beamed a smile at Riggs' gruff praise then looked over at the attraction with determination. "Alright! Let's go ask for the casino!"
"Yo, shut up with that yelling!" One Kabetori citizen called out as he walked by, giving Lotus an annoyed look.
Tsubami frowned at the passerby and rolled her eyes at him. "Someone must've took a crap in his bowl of oatmeal this morning."
"Or maybe he just missed Bible Study today. I'm always at peace when I think about God," Lotus hummed, holding her hands together and closing her eyes with a peaceful smile.
Fists chuckled softly at Lotus and walked off, slipping his hands into his jacket pockets. "That's admirable. I remember when we were once like that..."
"Huh? You believe in God too?" Lotus asked, watching as Fists walked off.
"More or less. I know He hasn't abandoned me since I'm still breathing and get to experience the sun...but I just wonder if I would be in a difference circumstance if I just listened to my parents," Fists answered, shrugging his shoulders.
Tsubami hummed softly at Riggs, following behind him and moved her eyebrow up and down. "I'm guessing your parents were very strict, controlling. Well, in cases like this...God is mainly all we have to rely on right now."
"No objections here," Riggs said, following behind the group and looked over to where Madam B was dragging me and Heido.
------------------------
I continued to follow Madam B through the city, finding finding ourselves walking through a back road together. The number of heads began decreasing slowly until we reached a spot with two well hidden shops resting near the end of the road.
To the left was a shop offering relics named Arks, rare orbs that grand the wielder various abilities depending on the type of Ark. To the right was a lone massage parlor, a small building with a sign at the front with their horrendous prices known.
"Oh snap, 200,000 yen for an average experience and half a million for the luxury? Damn, Kabetori is taxing," Heido said, reading the sign in front of the parlor while stroking his chin.
"Why are we even here, Madam B?" I asked, snatching my hand away from Madam B and looked around the scarce road with only a few people walking to and fro.
Madam B chuckled and looked at the parlor with pride and joy. "This is where my sister works, well, she works here when I'm not here. This is actually one of my downtime jobs when I'm not doing anything."
"And we are here why? I'm not trying to meet Ninja Girl K. Did you not hear me when I said a deadline?" I asked, crossing my arms as I looked at Madam B skeptically.
"Mhm, I was listening, darling. Loud and clear, December 20th. However, that is three months and some change. We have time during the starting moments. Think of it like building connections. You wanna find Rosa und Grün right?" Madam B asked, playfully pinching my cheek before walking forward to enter the parlor.
Heido watched Madam B walk in then looked at me with a chuckle. "Hey, Oto, a lead is a lead."
I sighed softly and lowered my head, putting on my hood and dragged my feet behind Heido and Madam B. "I guess this is my life now..."
Entering inside Madam B's massage parlor, the lobby immediately hit me and Heido with the beautiful, soft scent of lavender with a gentle warmth touching every corner. To the back was the massage room with a black curtain to add extra privacy for the customer and the worker.
"Oh man, this is my kind of place," Heido said, chuckling as he checked out a few workers in the building and listened to them giggle at him.
The woman behind the desk turned around as she heard Heido's voice then smiled at us, covering her mouth with her fan. "Oh? Newcomers here with Bella? Come right up."
Heido looked at the woman then glanced at me, nudging me with his elbow with a chuckle while I groaned lightly, growing to understand Tsubami a bit more the longer I hung around Heido. The two of us walked up to the counter with Madam B following behind.
"Welcome to the Tactile Dreams parlor. What manner of massage can I offer you two today?" The woman asked, her gaze shifting between me and Heido. "Are you here for a special deal since you arrived with Madam B?"
"What?" I asked, looking at the woman with confusion then glanced back at Madam B.
The woman giggled cutely at my confusion then rested her slender hand upon the desk, exposing her soft skin for Heido and I to see. "First time here isn't it? Well, this is a body massage parlor where our customers recieve the best possible massages to their pleasure~"
"Our customers always leave here with a smile and feeling more refreshed than ever. We can offer a regular massage to open your joints, or one that'll release stress built within your energy points. We offer nearly anything, and I mean anything," The woman advertised, gesturing to the board behind her with a 'Birthday Suit' special.
"Oh. Hell. Yes. This is where I belong. This Alpha Wolf could use a bit of downtime," Heido chuckled, rubbing his hands together and reached for his wallet.
I stopped Heido by grabbing his wrist and scoffed at the woman lightly. "We didn't come here for this, at the very least I didn't. Came here because I'm wondering if you know where Rosa und–"
"Ugh...I'm gonna have to stop you right there," The woman said with light annoyance, her entire personality flipping like a switch as her gaze became more stern. "This is the last thing I need right now..."
"What? I suppose my sister brought you all the way to Kabetori from wherever she returned from for what? A favor? I get it, you're naive and stupid. A kid who probably doesn't even know how this world works," The woman chastised, walking from behind the counter and began walking around me and Heido.
"Oh shit bro...I think she's pissed," Heido whispered to me, glancing at me with slight hesitation.
"You don't think I see that..!?" I whispered back through my teeth.
"Allow me to explain how this works. My name is Madam K, as in Kanna, and this is a prestigious massage parlor which strict rules and a code. So, if you don't require my services...Tell me! Tell me why I shouldn't have my Valkyrias drag you outside and gun you down for wasting my time!?" The woman yelled, getting into my face with a scowl.
Madam B watched our interaction with her arms crossed, a smirk forming on her face as she noticed my unmoving gaze. She looked back at Madam K, noticing her gaze slightly softening as she stared into my discerning gaze as if I was analyzing her in real time.
Madam K closed her fan and held it under my chin, raising my head to take a look at my eyes. "Name, boy."
"...Motosaki Izuna," I answered, staring into Madam K's fierce, fiery gaze as she began analyzing me as well.
"Hm. Hand. Now," She ordered, holding her hand out to me.
I glanced over at Madam B with uncertainty if this would be my final moments. I even glanced over at Nachah resting on my shoulder, unmoving as if he were sleeping peacefully. Madam B shrugged her shoulders at me with a smile and gestured at her sister.
I sighed softly as I gave Madam K my hand, knowing I didn't have much of a choice. "What is this for?"
Madam K grabbed my hand then moved my cloak up to expose my arm, gently pressing on multiple areas of my muscles. She began squeezing my hand then trailed her finger along my palm. "Such an elegant build for someone with toned muscles...tense, yet graceful. Military?"
I grunted softly at Madam K with a bit of surprise by how quickly she assessed my background just by touching my arm and hand. "Military Child..."
"I see..." Madam K said then let go of my hand then opened her fan to fan herself while stepping backwards. "I think I can work with you..."
"What? What about me? I'm tense too, y'know," Heido said, holding his arms out and rose an eyebrow.
Madam K held her fan in Heido's face. "Tah, as if I'd let a White Wolf in here. What, so I can owe some debts as well? I'll let one of my Valkyrias take care of you."
"We don't need to be taken care of. Before you cut me off—" I began once again before Madam K held her fan in my face this time.
"You want to talk Rosa und Grün, but I'm not willing to talk about it unless you wish to talk about my business first. I may be a hostess, but I can decline services for any conceivable reason. So, let's talk actual business," Madam K said, fanning herself as she stared at me and put on a fake cute smile.
My left eye twitched lightly from annoyance then I sighed softly, rubbing the back of my head with one eye closed awkwardly. "You don't serious expect me to pay half a million? I don't even have that kind of money."
"Welp, looks like you're out of luck, handsome. No money, no negotiations. Talk to my sister if you wanna visit a flower shop," Madam K said dismissively, turning around at her desk while fanning herself.
"Seriously? What's up with this stuck up ass city? You know... You're acting awfully suspicious for someone who's casually running an illegal business. It would be a shame if I made some calls right now," I said, looking at my nails and blew on them.
"You won't like the kind of Valkyrias I have on standby," I said, glancing at Madam K.
Madam K laughed softly and looked back at me, closing her fan then turned around to face me. "Aww, how cute. Going to throw a tantrum because I won't let you know where the flower shop is? Bella, where did you find this kid?"
"He found me~" Madam B giggled, glancing at me with a warm grin. "He's a smooth talker when he's not acting like an angsty teenager~"
"Smooth talker? Yeah, he's really a Casanova. I think I might drop my panties right now," Madam K said with extreme sarcasm, looking at me and noticed my insightful gaze once again.
I knew I wasn't getting any closer to breaking her and I knew I needed to try a new tactic to at least break the ice. I crossed my arms and held my hand out to Heido. "Wallet."
Heido's eyes sparkled as I gave the command then he reached into his pocket, grabbing his wallet and smacked it into my hand. "BAM! Go get that tiger, Oto!"
Madam K rose an eyebrow at me, noticing my light brown eyes gleam lightly as if a switch had flipped in my brain. "Deciding to pay finally?"
"Sure, but I'm not paying six digits. We're going to play a game and if I win, you drop your prices by 50%. And you'll give my brother a free massage for your sister wasting my time. If you win, I'll pay for me and my brother," I challenged, staring into Madam K's eyes with conviction.
Madam K chuckled softly and lowered her head, taking a deep breath and exhaling softly. "This is such an Averice move, but coming from you...you must have something up your sleeve. Alright. Hit me."
'Let's see how much you know your sister outside of the underground...' I thought to myself.
"I'm sure you're aware of Bellatrix as an actress, so there's no need for the baselines. If you really know your sister, how many Assassin's Honor movies are there currently that Bellatrix has starred in?" I asked, staring into Madam K's eyes with confidence.
"Three," Madam K answered, scoffing at me then held her hand out. "You now owe a million yen."
I smirked at Madam K and chuckled softly at her, exhaling softly and only took out 50,000 yen from Heido's wallet. "Wrong. There are four movies out. Assassin's Honor 4 came out recently..."
Madam K froze in place for a moment then glanced at Madam B with confusion, lowering her hand slowly. "What? You made another one?"
"What can I say? I love milking everything until it's dry, men and movies alike," Madam B giggled, shrugging her shoulders.
Madam K sighed softly and looked at me, taking the money from my hands then slid open a drawer to put it inside before closing it. "Alright, go to the back and wait tight. I'll be there in a moment and once we're done, we'll talk."
Heido rubbed his hands together and walked up to me, nudging my shoulders. "Just know, I never had a single doubt in my mind."
"Yeah, I know and that's a problem...there was zero guarantee Madam K did not know Madam B's filmography. I could have put you in economic ruin and Madam K would not have cared," I said, looking at Heido and handing his wallet back.
"And this is why I like the sweet boy~ He has nerves of pure steel and the heart of a true risk taker~ Oh, Kanna-chan~ Can I do the honors of giving the sweet boy the massage?" Madam B asked, clapping her hands together with a sly smile.
"Hell no. I'd rather take my chances getting punched on by Madam K than to deal with whatever you have planned. Let's just get this over with...this is ridiculous," I said with exasperation, walking toward the back and took off my mother's cloak.
Madam B chuckled at my reaction then glanced at Heido with a sigh and shrugged. "I guess I could deal with you for a bit. Better thank your little brother for getting you a luxury massage for free..~"
Heido clapped his hands together and bowed at Madam B. "To become stress free by the hands of the famous Bellatrix...it would be an honor."
"Dear God," Madam K scoffed, walking off to the back and throwing the curtains closed.
While Heido and I were at Tactile Dreams to get our morning massages, Tsubami and the others were wandering around the Golden Ram to find anyone who looked like they knew who Averice was. While searching, they were getting blown off by multiple people, neither Lotus nor Tsubami being able to get an answer.
"Jesus of Nazareth, why is everyone here a...a," Lotus began, charging up for an insult but couldn't get it out.
"Come on, just let it out girlie," Tsubami said, looking at Lotus with her arms crossed.
"A stuck up, stupid brain soccatash! It's ridiculous! Like all we wanna know is where to find a stupid gambler!" Lotus groaned, stomping her foot down with heavy breathing, her butterfly bow fluttering angrily on her head.
"Ooo, big words there kid. Careful, you might blow a fuse," Riggs chuckled, sitting on a bench and ashing out his cigarette on the ashtray nearby.
Lotus scoffed at Riggs, crossing her arms and turning her head away from him like a child. "Hmph! You're not even helping, Mr. Riggs! I found the location, and here you are just sitting around with metal lungs! Don't you know the body is a Temple for the Lord?"
Riggs looked at Lotus then laughed softly at her gentle chastisement toward him then finished his cigarette before standing up. He exhaled softly and fixed his shirt, looking around and walked toward Lotus, placing his hand atop of her head. "Look there."
Lotus looked up at Riggs then looked at where he pointed, noticing two people playing a game at the nearby chess table. "What? What about them?"
"Do they look like gamblers to you?" Riggs asked, looking down at Lotus.
"No, they look like businessmen," Lotus answered, shaking her head.
"Exactly. In Kabetori, Discernment is your best friend whether you're solving crimes or going for deals. No one here is going to look like who you're picturing, not even Averice. So, what do you do?" Riggs asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Uhm...you go up to them...and ask about Averice?" Lotus asked innocently, tilting her head to the side.
Riggs snickered softly and sighed, shaking his head. "You still have ways to go, kid.."
"Ugh, are you serious?! This is bullshit!" Someone groaned before walking away with frustration.
"Aww, no luck for the misses there! However, one of you might have some luck around here! Come one, come all! Win a coin flip and earn a prize!" A trickster announced, waving his arms in the air in front of the Golden Ram.
Fists tilted his head to get a look at the trickster. "Huh? Isn't that one of Averice's guys? What he doing out right now?"
Lotus gasped then looked up at the sky, closing her eyes with a big smile. "Thank you God for just placing that guy there..."
"Yeah, that seemed a bit too convenient...but then again he was there the entire time. Kinda hard to miss him when he's just flailing around," Riggs said, watching as a few people walked up to the trickster.
"Come on, Tsu-Tsu! Let's go get this lead!" Lotus said excitedly, taking Tsubami's hand and pulled her toward the trickster.
"Wait huh—" Tsubami began then gasped as Lotus pulled her along with surprising strength.
Riggs watched as the girls went toward the trickster while sticking behind and taking a seat at the bench again. He hummed softly, keeping a close eye upon the trickster, the hustler's intuition sparkling in his eye. "Fists, you thinking what I am?"
"Yeah, they're getting screwed over. But, this is the lesson to be learned in Kabetori. This world...is truly a fallen one," Fists said, watching as Lotus and Tsubami approached the trickster.
The trickster watched as Tsubami and Lotus approached him, Lotus looking at the man with excitedly then looked at the coin in his hand. The trickster saw Lotus's childlike excitement, a sly grim spreading upon his face then he clapped his hands together.
The trickster parted his hands, showing the coin was gone then reached behind Lotus, pulling the coin from behind her ear. "Well, well...seems someone is excited to see the Great Aurum of Shikoku in town. How I adore my fans. Come to play a little game?"
Tsubami crossed her arms and looked the man up and down, getting strange feelings about the man and began studying him. "We didn't come for circus shows and magic tricks. We came to find a flower shop."
"Oh? Seeking Rosa und Grün aren't you? I guess you heard of their great reviews in the city huh? Well, how about a little wager. You win, I'll tell you. If you lose, you can get lost...for this once it's free of charge," Aurum said, holding up his coin with a grin.
Tsubami stared at the coin and met Aurum's gaze, sucking her teeth and looking the man up and down. "No deal."
"Not a gambler huh? Heh, well I understand," Aurum said, flipping the coin up and catching it in his hand.
"She might not be, but I play guessing games all the time with my Obaasan! I choose Heads!" Lotus beamed, waving her hand in the air with excitement.
"Lotus..." Tsubami said with disbelief, unable to believe how open-minded Lotus truly was.
Aurum looked at Lotus, seeing the pure innocence in her eyes then opened his hand, looking at the coin and looking back up at Lotus. "Tough luck, girlie. It's Tails."
"Aww..." Lotus said with a dejected gaze then looked over at Tsubami, holding her hand to her heart. "Sorry, Tsu-Tsu..."
Tsubami sighed softly then looked back at Aurum, glancing down at the coin in his hand then hummed softly. "Hold on...let me see that coin for a moment."
Aurum hummed with a smirk, flicking the coin toward her. "You can keep it. I have thousands of them. Now, ride along. I have more customers."
Tsubami scoffed at Aurum and walked off with Lotus, inspecting the coin then turned it around. She exhaled softly through her nose and looked at Lotus, showing her. "It was a trick coin...you were never going to win anyway."
"What?! That's cheating! That's totally not fair!" Lotus said, looking back at Aurum then puffed her cheeks as she noticed him wave at them. "Oh, that sly midas goon..."
[September 2, 2418 - Sunday, 12:00 PM]
Madam K swung open the curtains and opened her fan, slightly covering her mouth as she stared at me. "All done. I hope it was to your liking and you return once again..~"
I got up from the massage table, staring at my hand and began balling it into a fist a few times as I slowly walked out of the massage room. Each step felt lighter than before, my mind finally quiet after so long to the point I could finally hear one thought at a time.
Heido looked up at me from the waiting room, noticing my tired yet rejuvenated face as I walked back out to the front. He chuckled softly at me and stood up. "So? How was it? Did it feel like magic?"
"Huh?" I asked, still going through an out of body experience, barely registering Heido's question.
Heido rose an eyebrow at me then glanced over at Madam B, his smirk growing wider as she began to laugh softly. He looked back toward me, watching as I leaned against the wall with my arms crossed. "Hm...you're acting strange, Oto."
"I am?" I asked, looking up at Heido then looked ahead, watching Madam K trail her way out of the curtain and walked toward me.
"Hm, I hope you'll make this a habit someday?" Madam K chuckled, looking at my face then closed her fan and began walking back to behind her desk before sitting in her seat. "Alright, I've seen all that I need to see. So let's talk Rosa und Grün."
"Oh right, the flower shop," Heido said, walking toward the desk and crossing his arms. "Do you know where it is?"
Madam K hummed at Kaido, taking a soft breath then exhaled softly. "I do know where it is as I am one of Kabetori's Big Three members. However, to get information means you must give it as well. Why do you want to know where the flower shop is?"
"Aromatherapy..." I answered, crossing my arms and looking up at Madam K. "I want to know what aromatherapy is like."
"After experiencing the touch of a Tactile Dreams Hostess? Man, you young men today are something else. Just can't be satisfied huh... Well, getting into Rosa und Grün isn't easy. You need a VIP Card to get in," Madam K explained, opening her drawer and pulling out a pink and green VIP card.
"One of these. You can only get them if you get approval from Kabetori's Big Three. Me, Averice, and Kabetori's Black Bunny manager, Marlucia. Only then would you be allowed access to Rosa und Grün," Madam K continued, setting the VIP Card down.
"Well, there's another issue. How do we find Averice?" I asked, looking at Madam K with confusion.
"You follow his pawns. Averice is a chess grandmaster, and he builts his kingdom like chess. He has 8 pawns across Kabetori and each one will lead you closer to him. I recommend following Aurum as he's the least annoying to deal with," Madam K answered.
"Aurum? Ugh, you mean that golden loser? All he knows how to do is steal customers using lame coin tricks. He's nothing worth noting..." Madam B scoffed, rolling her eyes at the mention of Aurum.
I began to truly realize what may have caused my father to put the Rosa und Grün case down. The conditions were nearly impossible, just by Averice's conditions alone. I didn't even know Madam K's conditions yet and knew it was going to be a lengthy one.