Flickering candlelight illuminated the room as a gathering of young men convened there. One of them, an orange-haired youth who looked much younger than he really was, looked to the man beside him and exclaimed, "You can't be serious! You know what he's planning and you're still going along with it?!"
"Enough, Ayumu!" The recipient of the criticism snapped back in a harsh tone. He was very similar to the first speaker in appearance, but his features were rougher and his eyes narrow instead of wide and rounded. "We have our duty as the scions of the Yanagi clan to restore our family's prominence in the underworld. If Ashiya-san is willing to do so much for us in return for a single job, how can we possibly refuse?" His right hand balled into a tight fist, a vein pulsing in his forehead.
On the other side of the table, an elegant young man with shoulder-length crimson hair and rectangular glasses smirked. "Rift in the family, Yanagi-san?"
The rough man responded with a flat gaze and a snorted, "Ignore my little brother, Ashiya-san. I'm the one who makes the decisions; Ayumu just needs to follow my orders." Ayumu looked away worriedly as his elder brother continued the negotiations.
"I have my doubts as to whether the Yanagi can handle this." Ashiya's companion, a wiry yet large and muscular young man growled. "They've lost most of their assets in the last two generations. Can we rely on them, Kagetsune?"
Kagetsune chuckled and clasped his hands, hiding his lower face. "It's precisely because of their situation that I'm calling on them, Kouzei. Those who have all the power cannot be trusted; you need them more than they need you. The Yanagi family and the Ashiya clan are on the same level – neither of us can accomplish our goals without the other."
The elder Yanagi grinned viciously, so much so that one would expect fangs to sprout from his gums. "Leave it to us, Ashiya-san. I'm interested in forming a lasting partnership between us. Now, if there's nothing else, we'll get preparations started immediately." Rising, he glared down to his younger brother, who wordlessly got up and followed him out of the room.
"You don't honestly trust them, Kagetsune?" Kouzei asked after the Yanagi brothers had left the room.
"Of course not; one can never fully trust villains like the Yanagi. But they're necessary if I'm going to make my beloved mine. It wouldn't do for the Ashiya family to make a direct move, after all." Kagetsune chuckled coldly before getting up himself. "We have preparations of our own to do, Kouzei. I want your input on this too."
"Osaka? Why there?" Yu Narukami asked his love as they sat across the dining room table from each other.
Removing her signature hat and playing with her hair, Naoto Shirogane answered, "It's a case. I've been contacted by a client who was looking for Grampa, but when I told him he was working abroad he asked if I could take up the case in his place. The client's circumstances prevent him from coming to Inaba, so I've decided to pay him a visit in Osaka to get the details."
Standing, Yu moved toward the stairs as he said, "I'll get my things packed, and we can leave on the first train."
"No, Yu. I'll do this alone." Naoto's voice stunned him as she spoke the words. "I don't know how long I'll be away, and Nanako-chan's birthday is in two weeks; it's far more important for you to be there for her than working with me on this case."
His gray eyes locked into her blue ones as he slowly muttered, "But…"
The small young woman rose to her feet and strode over to him, gently kissing his lips. "I'll be fine, Yu. You worry too much; remember what family I belong to. I'll come back as soon as I can, so don't worry about me. Please, tell Nanako-chan I'm sorry that I can't make it." She picked up her bag from the table and stepped out the door, the sound of it closing behind her echoing in Yu's ears.
"I've got a bad feeling." He murmured. "It's the same as two years ago, right before I found Izanami. It must just be my imagination…" Shaking his head, he retreated upstairs to the room he and his beloved shared. It was exactly as they'd left it this morning, but the air seemed cold and dead thanks to the chilling feeling in his heart. "You'd better be alright, Naoto…"
As Yakushiji drove Naoto to the train station, the girl detective flipped open her phone and started examining the picture album within. There were photos of her and her grandfather, Kazuhiko Shirogane, as well as the group photos she'd taken with Yu and the rest of her friends. But the vast majority were just the two of them, her and Yu, and the memories they'd shared – the beach trip last year they'd taken behind the others' backs, the celebration they'd held for Naoto's high school graduation, the summer vacation they'd taken to Kyoto earlier that year. And, of course, one photo that had been taken by Yu's father Isamu; the moment when Yu had proposed to her, offering the ring she now wore on her third finger.
"Don't worry, Yu. I'll be fine, I always am." She smiled as they reached the station. Naoto would take a train to Okina City, and from there to Osaka. She fervently hoped the case would be closed quickly so she could be reunited with her fiancé as soon as possible.
The train trips were long and tiresome, but eventually Naoto made it to Osaka. Stepping off the train with her duffel bag over her shoulder, she glanced around for her client. "I don't even know what he looks like. I suppose I should have planned this better."
As if on cue, an older man walked up to her, seeming very nervous. He looked around before asking, "Y-You're Shirogane-san, yes? Kazuhiko Shirogane's granddaughter?" A single bead of sweat rolled down the older man's forehead.
Nodding, Naoto replied, "Yes, I'm Naoto Shirogane. You must be Aisaka-san, I presume?"
"Yes, yes. I'm Tanjiro Aisaka. But we shouldn't discuss this out in the open. Please come with me; I have a hotel room booked where we can discuss matters in private." The suit-clad man turned and beckoned to Naoto, who kept a watchful eye on her client as they walked.
Aisaka-san seems very nervous, she thought. The weather is warm, but not much more than usual. Could this case be causing him that much grief? Then again, he could have contacted another detective for a lesser fee, but he chose to hire the Shirogane family. It must be important.
The businessman's hotel room was one of the expensive ones, in one of the most posh hotels in Osaka. Sitting in the comfortable chair the man offered her, Naoto folded her hands in her lap and asked, "Now, Aisaka-san, please tell me more about this case. It is obvious from your demeanor that it is causing you some degree of anguish."
The older man nodded, still agitated. "Yes, yes. It's my daughter, Taiga. She's been kidnapped by a gang of thugs, and I don't know where they've gone. Please, find Taiga, Shirogane-san!" He bowed his head in supplication, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Is there anything else you can tell me, Aisaka-san? I need all the information you have if I'm to find your daughter." Naoto's voice was calm and even, but inside her heart was pounding. She knew it wasn't connected to her own experiences, but even hearing about kidnapping sent shivers up her spine.
Nodding again, he responded, "Yes, yes, there was one thing. The kidnappers left this note behind; I've saved it in case it would help. The police didn't know anything about it at all." He extended his hand, a scrap of paper within. As Naoto took it, Aisaka-san answered her unspoken question by saying, "That's Taiga's hair clipped to the back of the note. I'd recognize it anywhere."
"'Tanjiro Aisaka-san.'" Naoto began reading the note, unconsciously voicing the words. "'We have your daughter. If you want to see her again, meet us on the roof of the St. Regis Hotel in Osaka at six o'clock PM on October 2nd. You have one chance – refuse or fail and you will never see Taiga-chan again.' This symbol… I recognize it."
Slow applause sounded behind Naoto as a flat, cold voice said, "Good work, Shirogane. I wasn't sure if you'd recognize our trademark." Noting the horrified look on Aisaka-san's face, the girl detective stood and turned, drawing her revolver from its concealed shoulder holster. A dinner fork struck her hand as she drew the gun, sending the weapon skipping across the carpeted floor.
Before her stood two young men easily identifiable as brothers – short orange hair and wiry builds, though the details of the faces were quite different. The shorter one was wide-eyed and almost innocent-looking, with an expression of displeasure, while the taller of the two sported several facial scars and had narrow eyes that spoke of danger. The scarred one held another fork in his hand for use as a throwing weapon as he smirked coldly. "Name's Naoya Yanagi. My brother is Ayumu Yanagi. Point is, we got the old man to lure you here for us. Someone wants you, Shirogane, and we've been hired to make sure he gets the chance to meet you."
Aisaka-san looked slightly apologetic as the detective shot him a hard glance. "You must understand, Taiga is my only daughter. She's important to me, and these two promised to return her if I handed you over to them." Turning to the Yanagi brothers, he asked, "I've done my job, so you'll return Taiga to me, right? Please, give me back my daughter!"
The elder Yanagi smirked coldly and narrowed his eyes even further. "Come on, you're fifty years old, aren't you? You're too damn naïve for a guy your age. You actually thought we'd give Taiga-chan back to you if you cooperated with us? Idiot!" Glaring at Ayumu, he ordered, "Make yourself useful, Ayumu! Kill the old man; he's outlived his usefulness, and he's too stupid to live anyway. I'll handle the lovely Shirogane."
Ayumu Yanagi closed his eyes for a few moments before running across the room, taking a knife from his belt and slamming it into the older man's chest. Naoto couldn't help but notice a solitary tear running down his cheek as he pierced Aisaka-san's heart. Meanwhile, Naoya lunged and vaulted over the chair Naoto had been sitting in, landing athletically behind her and looping an arm around her throat. Almost immediately he began cutting off her air supply, he taunted into her ear, "Yeah, you're cute. Kinda sad I can't keep you for myself, but the client's wishes come first. Business, y'know?"
Naoto threw a few blind kicks toward her aggressor, but his lithe frame allowed for quick movement and he easily got out of the way. "Stop struggling already! The client's gonna be on my ass if I have to damage you, so just pass out and let us carry you off already!" The young detective's vision began to go black – it was evident that the older Yanagi brother had considerable practice subduing others. Her lungs were starved for air, and as her consciousness faded she could only whisper a few words.
"Yu… I'm sorry…"
