📌 Tags: Psychological Thriller, Urban Noir, Vigilante, Mature Themes, Serial Killer, Crime Drama
⚠️Authors Note - Mature Content
"This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, nations, corporations and events are products of the author's imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real events or persons is coincidental."
The Kodoma Bank was abuzz, the outside was closed off by the authorities and Kodoma security.
Walking out the main door would be foolish. And so I climbed out of the skylight roof, opening a small gap in the glass panels. Shimmying myself free into the open, freezing cold outside.
Crunch Crunch Crunch
'So, Lady Kyoko failed.' a voice pondered, with the sound of ringing metal, a katana being drawn.
Standing still. The snow slowly fell around me. My cape is covered in frost. I was motionless, but that didn't mean I was doing nothing.
I could feel figures around me, using the mist as a smokescreen. One, two, three, four-
Five.
Five ninjas.
'Reina taught you well.' I mused, my armoured hand slowly drifting to my utility belt. Flipping open a small compartment. A residue pellet. Then I can see the ninja, not just sense them.
Pop-
Residue filled the air, floating along with the cold wind..
My HUD illuminated blue.
I could see them. One stood on the building's chimney. One on the ledge. One on the skylight. And two in front of me.
'Do not speak the Empress' name, outsider.' One of them hissed.
'Outsider? Reina and I have had this dance for how long?'
'Too long, vigilante.'
'So, you are the elite Kodoma Oni Demons? I have made Reina angry enough to draw YOUR attention.'
DING DING DING
My gauntlet deflected a blade one time, then two and three.
BONG-
My legs buckled as a sudden strike rippled through my body.
Two ninjas attempted to pin me down.
With a loud grunt, my body burst open, my arms wide, throwing them backwards, their katana's scattering away.
But before long another thrust forward, hitting my back with a blunt weapon, a club more than likely I couldn't see immediately.
The fourth and fifth ninja jumped into the air, they reached into their pouches, grabbing a handful of its contents and dropping them like a rain of metallic spheres.
Caltrops.
Makibishi. Caltrops in English.
They are trying to herd me into a wider confrontation.
I will give them one.
I drew my blade. With a metallic ring. With a swift motion, I aimed the tip towards the pair in front of me. Immediately behind us, another prepared to throw metsubushi (Blinding powders). I recognised the Kodoma styled stun weapon anywhere. It was the same one Reina trained me in when I was a kid.
There was a solid tap. As the sphere echoed, bouncing towards me.
And when I was a kid I learned one thing. They have a weakness.
And with a swift motion of my foot.
I kicked the grenade away, like a football.
Fwooooshhhh-
WHAAAAA-
BAAAANNNGGGGGGG-
'AAAughhh!' one screamed in shock-
'Close your eyes sisters!'
'Hmph.'
Now.
SLAM.
SMACK.
'Oofff-' a ninja clenched her stomach after my strike.
One wheezed.
Two were down.
'How-'
One approached me, this time, both of her blades drawn.
'Did you know, to do that?' she asked calmly.
I looked down at the armour covering my sides, and lower torso. Deep markings. Scratches from the long night.
'When you have experience fighting Reina Kodoma's ninja and soldiers you pick up a thing or two.'
The answer seemed to have satisfied the ninja who nodded her head in acknowledgement.
She reached to her own mask.
Gripping the red Oni mask she pulled it away.
The fight quickly resumed with myself and the leader of the ninja clashing. Every strike was returned with a counter. A counter would become a counters counter. Every maneuver was fast paced. I swung my blade to block an incoming katana with a-
CLANG
From the corner of my eye I could see another lunge through the mist, taking a leap from one of the chimney's, a katana raised above her head.
Within a split second, the figure was only an arm length away-
FWACH-
A solid kick to the mid-rim sent her cascading into the brick wall.
And then the fight resumed between myself and the leader of the Oni ninja.
'Omaetachi! Soitsu wo kakome! Sumooku peretto wo tsukae!'
(you two! surround him! Use your smoke pellets)
I immediately understood-
With a smooth roll aside, my cape trailing behind, covered in frost-
narrowly avoiding a handful of kunai-
Followed by shurikan-
Crunch crunch crunch
I circled my opponent, fists clenched.
The Oni ninja nodded at one another, and then one by one vanished with a flash of blinding light.
I covered my eyes with my arm, protecting my retinas.
After a second, I looked up, they were gone. With the commotion at the base of the bank still ongoing I stood still, looking around. And pressed a button on my gauntlet-
Beep
'Sunohara.'
Sunohara: 'Finally. You disappeared.'
'Complications. Make a case file for the Embertrator.'
Sunohara: 'On it. So what happened?'
'Found a thief that can become smoke at will. Then was locked in the Kodoma Bank Vault. Then my cousin found me.'
Sunohara: 'Ah, so, it was awkward.'
'Very.'
I walked to the building's ledge, and peered below at the many flashing blue and red lights, the halted traffic, the blockades cutting off every road and SWAT troopers currently organizing.
Slowly, another vehicle arrived, it was long. A black SUV armoured limo.
Sunohara: 'Did you find the Ice Thorn Princess?'
'I think she just arrived.'
The limousine door opened, and one heel appeared, it was sharp and spiteful, like an icepick.
She had arrived on scene.
Krak
Then another-
Krak
She stood proud, her pale boney hands on her thin hips. Her provocative blue dress is partially covered by a fur coat. Her twin black haired pig tails flowed effortlessly in the cold wind.
'Hmmm so mother sent me here.. This is where the vigilante is..?'
She calmly walked forward surrounded by the busy commotion. Security officers by now had entered the Bank, secured it, and swept it. No vigilante found.
Kyoko walked out, her ego bruised-
Her nose broke.
Visibly been crying tears of anger.
HA!
Ayaka barked in amusement-
'Did the Vigilante kick your ass?!'
…
Kyoko stared, absolutely unimpressed.
'F*ck off.'
She dismissed it with a middle finger.
'Don't frown too hard cousin, you may bleed more.'
…
Kyoko's gaze didn't break.
'I… was caught off guard.. He was..'
Blood lightly fell down Kyoko's tanned cheek and chin.
Ayaka leaned forward prodding her arm.
'Handsome? Hot? Pick the word. Waiting. And I am sure mother is also waiting for an answer.'
'Answer? For what?' Kyoko spat. Blood sprinkling across the snowy ground.
'The head of the ninja branch of the Kodoma, getting her ass kicked by the vigilante she was sent to kill.' Ayaka recalled with a cruel amused smile.
'You bitch..' Kyoko sneered.
'Hehe, anyway, mother wants to see you. She's in the car.'
Ayaka gestured to the SUV behind her.
'Go on then.' She urged.
Kyoko strutted past, holding her bloodied broken nose. Her kimono was covered.
Ayaka watched Kyoko go into the SUV. But then her attention was snatched away by something in the corner of eye. A silhouette.
'Got you.' she whispered.