Part 9

Ichigo had entered Beri and Fumio's dorm room to show them a flyer advertising a huge sale.

"A 'Grand Opening'?" Fumio scanned the flyer.

"A shop that sells a whole bunch of stuffed animal plushies is opening at the mall today. In order to attract many first-time customers, their whole stock will be at least 60% off."

Fumio continued looking through the flyer, gathering as much information she can get from it. Not only did it sell stuffed toys, the shop also sold collectibles, figures, pillows, clothes, and anything else one can think of that a company could brand and still market to children.

"60%? Are you sure this isn't some kind of hoax?" There was hesitation in Fumio's words. She scanned the flyer over and over in her head, and each time her body trembled more and more.

"Are you okay?" Ichigo said. "I can go and ask if it makes you feel better."

Beri tossed a meatbun in her mouth and grabbed another from her bag. "What's the name of the store?"

Fumio turned the flyer over and hid her face behind it, slowly inching towards Beri.

"Oh," Beri said, tossing another meatbun in her mouth and quickly devouring it. "Yeah, it's the real deal. L'evenche Animals. It's one of the largest toy companies in all of France."

Ichigo sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. It would have been embarrassing turning up without a sale in sight."

"Yeah, no, it's real. My plush toys were all made by this company. Well, except for Kuro. Whenever they open up a shop anywhere, they always have a huge sale like this. It's like a holiday. It's pretty expensive stuff, so they aren't losing as much as you'd think."

"Well, at least we know it's good. Aren't you excited?"

"My collection at home is probably bigger than the store's whole stock."

Fumio lowered the flyer revealing her eyes glistening with tears.

"I don't wanna go," Beri said.

Fumio was rather excited about the grand opening, more so after hearing Beri's confirmation of its legitimacy. However, no matter how much she gave Beri her desperate eyes, Beri had no desire in going. Unlike the rest of Tokiwadai, Beri wasn't easily swayed by her.

Beri ate another meatbun, "Mu."

Fumio wiggled her body, shoving the flyer closer to Beri's face.

"Mm meh mu!"

This continued back and forth.

Ichigo let out a nervous laugh as she watched the quarrel between the stern Beri and the cute and childish Fumio. It was a scene she didn't think she would ever witness outside of this dorm room.

"Fumio, would you like to come to the grand opening? I'm going to be busy handling the garden, but I'll try to make it later. In the meantime, I have a friend who loves collecting stuffed animals as well. You can join her if you'd like."

Fumio nodded. "Please, Beri?" She begged, grabbing Beri's hands and placing them on her heart. "You know a lot about this store. Help me look for things to buy. The cuter the better. Please, I'll owe you."

"I already have enough stuffed animals… And you have enough pajamas."

The closet in their dorm was filled with Fumio's pajamas in various colors she thought were cute. Some had patterns all over them; animal faces, fruits, whatever she found cute. They have bought a separate wardrobe larger than their dorm closet to hold even more of Fumio's pajamas, and at least some room for Beri's clothes.

"I get it…" Ichigo sighed. "Beri, the mall has a lot of restaurants that have the finest barbecue in all of—"

There was a sudden gust of wind and the door slammed shut behind her. Before she realized what happened, Beri and Fumio were already gone, leaving only the flyer drifting in the air.

Part 10

It was the grand opening of a certain french toy store. Posters were plastered all over the mall's front entrance and nearby lamp posts. People wearing rather stylish clothing — beige suits and dress pants — were handing out additional flyers advertising the opening and major sale.

Leaning against the glass window at the corner of the mall's front side were two middle school girls in their black and red uniforms.

"No, that's fine, I'm looking forward to it," one of the girls said into their cellphone. "I really hope you get here before everything is sold out."

A group of students walked by showing off their new stuffed animals and accessories. Young kids were begging for their mothers to enter the mall so they could get their own as well.

The younger of the two girls was hopping in place, looking back and forth at her older sister and the mall entrance.

"Siiiis, we need to goooo or there won't be anything left for uuuuus!"

"Settle down, Yuria. We promised Ichigo to wait for her here. She's going to be late, but she told us her friends are coming to join us."

She noticed someone walk into the mall with a green band around their upper arm.

Her eye twitched and her face contorted. "Looks like the fun will be over soon. Damn Judgment officers."

Yuria pressed her body against the glass window as if trying to phase through it. People were walking around carrying the same brand of plushies. Balloons of animal heads and colorful banners were everywhere. It looked less like a shopping center and more like a convention.

"Siiiis, you can see iiit, riight? Do you see what I seeee?"

"Yeah, yeah, I see. Just stop singing. You're not even the collector here. Can't believe you're just a year younger than me. Oh, is that them? Look, they're he— would you get off the damn ground!?"

"Uu… I don't care as long as we can finally get insiiide…"

Yuria started to hyper-ventilate. With all the customers walking around with their new toys, her patience was growing thin. If she didn't step inside soon, she will lose her mind.

The older sister yelled, "What are you doing under my skirt?"

Yuria sighed in relief, her heart now beating at a normal rate. The warmth between her sister's legs and the breeze through her skirt calmed her down. That was until she poked her head from under the skirt and found herself face-to-face with a large grizzly bear.

"Woooah…"

"Great, so now they're two animals! Get the hell away!" the older sister yelled before stomping Yuria's head to the ground.

"My name is Hikari Utsuwa," she said in an uninterested tone. "And this is my little sister, Yuria."

"Nice to meet ya," Yumio jumped, covering her redden forehead with her hands.

Fumio returned the friendly gesture. The sisters were in awe at her aura that can only be described as "godlike", hypnotized by her bright smile and graceful posture.

Beri laid exhausted on the back of a fully-grown Kuro. When they left the dorm room, it was Beri who sprinted while dragging Fumio with her, but along the way they spotted a couple of students with stuffed animals. It made Fumio anxious and caused them to switch roles; she sprinted as fast as she could while Beri flapped through the wind like a kite.

"Uwah~" Yuria petted Kuro. "Can I ride on his back too?"

"No," Beri said, half-alive.

Hikari crossed her arms. "The hell is that? You're that Lacoste chick, right? Yeah, Ichigo told me about you. I expected better manners from a fellow toy collector, you damn foreigner."

Beri lazily climbed down, sighing as she regretted leaving Kuro's fluffy back. "I really don't have the time for this, okay? We're just here to window shop and possibly buy pajamas."

Beri and Hikari stared into each other's eyes, both filled with killer intent. Meanwhile, Kuro was enjoying himself being petted by Yuria.

With the growing tension between the two bickering girls, Fumio tried to start a friendly conversation. "Oh, did you say 'fellow toy collector'? Does that mean you're the collector Ichigo mentioned?"

Despite Yuria's excitement about buying a whole bunch of stuffed animals, Hikari collected them as a hobby. She didn't look at the store's grand opening the same as most girls, but just another opportunity to grow her collection. Even without the sale, she would have come anyway.

"I see," Beri said narrowing her eyes, grinning. "So, you're here to buy more, huh? Well then, allow me to give you permission. Mine is probably bigger than this store will have in stock. Actually, I might as well be the owner."

Hikari stepped back, her pride wounded, pissed at Beri's spoiled princess attitude. She clenched her first and took a fighting stance.

Beri laughed. "Ohoho, so you wanna go, eh?"

Fumio tried to hold her back, but Beri brushed it aside and stepped towards the older sister.

"Get ready you little—…"

Beri's eyes widen as she stopped in her tracks. Hikari held her ground, wondering why Beri stopped her charge. Suddenly, Beri rushed forward. Hikari was caught off-guard, but managed to cock her fist. However, Beri was too fast and Hikari flinched, getting ready to take a blow.

She didn't feel any pain, or felt anything at all. Confused, she turned around. She stood dumbfounded as Beri sat on top of one of the mall's employees, eating the free samples of food they were giving away.

Part 11

It was one of the larger-sized stores in the mall; taking up two — maybe three — regular stores. "L'evenche" was displayed in large golden letters above the entrance. Inside, it seemed to stretch forever in every direction.

"This is amaziiiing," Yuria rushed to the nearest pool of plushies while holding a small Kuro in her arms.

"Is this what stores look like in France, or is this company completely insane?" Hikari sweated, feeling lost as she drew the store's layout in her head.

Hikari looked around from her position to find the first point of interest. She started to move but stopped when Fumio asked her what she's looking for.

"The stuffed animals, of course," she said rather listless. "Don't be surprised by my enthusiasm. I do plan on buying every stuffed toy they have, but… I'm not sure. I'm just trying to find one that…"

She lost herself in her thoughts. She looked off towards the direction of playful cheering.

Yuria and a group of children stood atop a large castle that reached the store's ceiling. One by one, they slid down a large slide into a pool of colorful plastic balls and plush toys.

"Hikari?"

Hikari shook her head, scratching her hair as her cheeks turned red. "Why do you care? A collector must look for the quality of the item before anything else. That's it."

With that, Hikari headed off, walking through the flood of balloons and serpentining around the island displays of merchandise and collectibles.

"By the way," Hikari remembered. "Where's Lacoste?"

"Where is everyone? I can't see…"

Beri wandered around on a different floor from the rest of the group. She lost sight of them after spending too much time checking out the different restaurants, enjoying their aroma, and taking any free samples.

Tears ran down her face, but she wasn't crying. No matter how much she tried to focus her eyes, she felt disoriented. Nearby people and objects contrasted with the background. It was all a blur and was putting too much stress on her eyes. The bright lights from the ceiling wasn't helping either.

"Now I remember why I never shop at malls…"

Beri leaned against a pillar. She rubbed her eyes, but it was only a temporary solution until she looked back at her surroundings. Finding the toy store should be top priority, she thought. The faster she can find Fumio, the better. She shaded her eyes with her hand. She wouldn't be able to see farther than a couple meters from her feet, but it was better than torturing her eyes for even longer.

She took careful steps to avoid bumping into pillars, advertisements, and other people. It was harder than she thought, but she managed. That was until a spicy aroma invaded her nose. To her side was a Korean-style barbecue restaurant that did their cooking in front of its customers. Her mouth started to water. Distracted, she bumped into another person and fell backwards.

"Oh no, you cute thing!"

Beri was dazed from the fall. Once she came back to her senses, her face was between the bosom of another woman. Realizing this, her faced turned a deep red, both in embarrassment, but also in anger due to their size.

"Are you okay? I hope I didn't hurt you."

That voice, Beri couldn't tell if she was mocking her, or she genuinely believed that Beri was a small child.

Beri pushed the busty stranger away, finding the air to breathe.

You've got be kidding me.

The girl didn't look that much older than her. She looked like another middle schooler, but the size of her chest was that of an idol's. In a way, Beri felt threatened.

The girl tilted her head. "Are you feeling all right?"

Beri couldn't take her eyes off her abnormal-sized chest. She swallowed her saliva and her eyes slowly tried to wander until she noticed a green strap around her upper arm.

Her eyes dipped in annoyance. "Greeaat… you part of Judgment or something?"

"Ta-dah~!" she twirled, her chest bouncing. "That I am!"

Beri averted her gaze as she rubbed her eyes. "Just when you think these bastards had enough reasons to degrade us common folks, they send out this monster," she muttered so the officer wouldn't hear.

"Are you lost or anything? Want me to help?"

"I'll be fine…" Beri said under her breath, rubbing her eyes with her palm. A tear escaped and ran down her cheek.

"Oh dear, are you crying? Here, let me help you with that."

Beri stepped back, but the girl wrapped her arms around Beri's shoulders and kissed her eyelids until they dried.

"Are you feeling better?"

"I… I-I… W-what do you think you're doing!?"

Beri stood in front of a reception desk in the lobby of a backroom office. The floors had a soft carpet that made it feel like she would sink if she didn't move around for too long. There was a cabinet with a glass display with a large amount of trophies and awards, some with the Judgment emblem on them.

From what that Judgment officer said, this is supposed to be a Judgment Branch Office. She leaned over and peeked around the corner, looking down a long hallway with multiple doors. She wondered what were through those doors. Probably a mess from paperwork, she thought, but the lobby was kept very tidy for a workplace for officers.

"I just needed help finding a store…"

The Judgment officer she met told her to wait here for assistance. She had called someone to help her. Beri thought she might as well stay despite how trivial her problem might be to officer who could be busy with more important matters. They did offer to help, after all.

There was a sound of a door opening and closing with footsteps that were barely loud enough to hear due to the soft floorwork. Around the corner came a taller male officer. He wore a blue jacket around his shoulders and a police cap tilted to the side. On the front of the cap was the Judgment emblem.

Their eyes met. Beri shot up from her seat and saluted. "Beri Lacoste. Second Year at Tokiwadai Middle School. Level 4. Puppet Master. W-what the hell was that?"

She gave away her information without thinking about it as if something in her head told her to do so and she had no control over her mouth.

"Okay, Lacoste," he said, losing his patience. "What is it that you want? No one is allowed to be here without an accompanied officer of my branch, so be happy I'm bothering to give you my time."

"I, uh, was told by another Judgment officer to wait here for assistance."

"Impossible. The other officers of this branch are currently off-duty. I'm the only one present at the moment."

"But, it's true! I just wanted to find the new stuffed animal store that opened up today, but I ran into an officer with a huge set."

"I don't recognize anyone like that, and even if I did, they are not part of my Branch and they shouldn't be patrolling outside of their jurisdiction."

"But…!"

"The store you're looking for is on the second floor. There is no way you could have missed it." He grabbed Beri's shoulder and turned her towards the door, pushing her. "Now, leave."

Her arms shook as she clenched her fists. "Where do you get off bossing around someone who's just trying to get help?"

"I don't have time for this," he said rolling his eyes. He picked up a piece of paper from the reception desk and started reading it.

Beri was about to lose it. She gave these officers a chance because they happened to be nice for one time, but she should have known this was the kind of attitude she would encounter working with these tools. Typical Judgment officers. She sure as hell didn't want anything else to do with them, but she thought she could take this opportunity to give him a piece of her mind, but before she could act, she was already heading out the door.

After leaving the Branch Office, Beri walked blindly towards the middle of a cross intersection on that floor. She stood there staring into space for a moment before snapping out of it.

"Now listen here you bas—… What the…?"

She looked around trying to figure out how she got here from the Branch Office lobby. Scanning her surroundings, her vision started to blur and tears welled in her eyes.

"I… I still can't see…!"

Part 12

Hikari explored the entire store, walking a path she had set for herself so no parts of the store would be hidden from her. She walked that path many times now and showed no fatigue. She memorized the placement of every toy, key chain, hats, pencil boxes, and everything else sold and could tell whether one had moved from their original position from another customer's fiddling. She's been walking around this whole time because none of the stuffed animals on display had "clicked" for her.

With a sigh, she picked up a stuffed snow leopard and headed towards the front. On her way, a soft object hit her behind her head. She looked at the ground to see a curled up stuffed snake.

Looking at the snake, her vision faded and slowly transitioned to what seemed to be colorful fluffballs near her face. Light was shining through between the cracks. Sounds of giggling can be heard.

Her vision went back to normal and the toy snake was back into her sights. She looked down the path she came from noticing a large pile of plushies built up like a small mountain. She walked up towards the mountain of plush toys and kicked it, scaring nearby shoppers as the toys flew in every direction.

"Huwaw~! You found us~!"

Yuria and Kuro jumped out of the pile of stuffed animals, throwing their arms around in celebration.

"Ooh, is that what you're getting, sis?" She pointed at Hikari's snow leopard. "It looks just like you."

"What the hell do you mean by that? Anyway, are you done playing around? Hurry up and get something you like."

"I already have one, see?" Yuria held up a similar animal as Hikari's, but instead of black spots, it had stripes. "It reminded me of you, but now that you have one just like it, this one can be me! They're sisters!"

Hikari blushed from her sister's sudden outburst. Embarrassed and unsure whether to take the comparison to a wild animal as a compliment or not, she was about to say something back. However, before her words could leave her mouth, Yuria pressed her tiger against the leopard. Yuria laughed as the stuffed animals looked like they were hugging. Seeing the happiness on her little sister's face, Hikari smiled and petted her.

They headed towards the front together with Kuro hanging on Yuria's shoulders. Near the front, they were taken aback by Fumio holding a number of large bags filled with pajamas in each hand.

"You two ready to find Beri?" Fumio said.

As if on cue, all of the lights inside the mall were turned off, shrouding the whole place in darkness. Everyone in the building were asking each other the same question: "What's going on?" Then, a loud voice amplified by a megaphone alerted everyone in the area. A high school boy was giving out instructions for an evacuation.

"Everyone, please stay calm. Everything is under control. Please stop whatever you are doing and slowly walk towards the exit immediately."

"Excuse me." Fumio ran up to the boy, the sisters following behind. "Could you tell us what's going on?"

"What are you doing?" Hikari warned her. "That's a Judgment officer. They're not going to play nice."

"Young lady, I told you to leave the building immediately."

"But I have a friend who's lost. We can't leave until we find her."

The officer narrowed his eyes. "Hold on… are you…"

Hikari grabbed Fumio's shoulder and pulled her back slightly. "Let's just go. These guys are nothing but—"

Fumio grabbed the officer's hand and stared at him with her wide eyes.

The Judgment officer sighed and said what seemed like jargon and protocol numbers into the radio near his shoulder. There wasn't a response after he finished speaking.

"Don't worry. Leave the mall and get a safe distance away. We will have your friend safe and sound. I promise."

The officer walked away repeating the same instructions into the megaphone as he headed towards the next floor up.

Hikari placed a hand on Fumio's shoulder. Fumio looked at her with a worried face and nodded.

Those near the entrance have already left the building while those from the second floor are still on their way out. Those on the higher floors probably still have no idea what's going on, but those gathering outside were just as confused.

A female Judgment officer was standing within the crowd. Adjusting her glasses, she looked at the elementary school student next to her; her apprentice and officer-in-training.

"Stay right here and wait for me."

The shorter girl crossed her arms. "No fair. I'm part of Judgment too, aren't I? I can take care of myself following you on missions."

"You still need more training before you can tackle actual missions. Besides, I have a bad feeling about this. If you get hurt, you won't be able to continue training as an officer, you know."

The girl pouted, admitting defeat. Her senior patted her on the head and ran off, twisting her way through the crowd and entering the mall.

There was a loud explosion. Screams filled the air as more people ran out of the building. There was smoke coming out from the rooftop. Debris was blown away, pulverizing the smaller buildings nearby. The smoke soon covered the sun, blanketing the block in shade.

Yuria held onto her sister, burying her face into her shoulder. Hikari hugged her to keep her calm.

"Hey, Fumio, is that friend of yours going to be all right?"

She expected Fumio to respond with assuring words about her friend's safety, but Fumio remained silent and kept staring up at the building. The area had gotten dark under the smoke, but Hikari noticed something glowing in Fumio's eyes.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a tug on her shoulder. Yuria was on the verge of tears.

"Sis… Where's Kuro…?"

Part 13

It was the fourth floor. People were starting to panic from the explosion. Some were rushing towards the escalators and stairs. Some were desperate enough to ignore the hazards of the current situation by taking the elevators. It was getting more chaotic by the minute when more people from the higher floors came down. With how dark it was, there were bound to be accidents, but it beats having her own eyes burning in their sockets.

Beri stood near a pillar. She wasn't sure what the cause of the explosions were, but she figured she would be safer being away from the chaos. Some students had the same idea, gathering together for comfort.

A loud voice echoed throughout the floor. It sounded familiar. It was commanding and with vigor and filled the heart with morale. The chaotic atmosphere then eased and the shoppers moved at an orderly fashion, evacuating the floor without any trouble.

Beri followed the voice, squeezing through the waves of people. There he stood; a familiar boy directing the crowd where to go and keeping them all in line. As Beri got closer, she could make out a blue jacket and a police cap.

"Hey, it's—"

"You think you're so tough?"

A group of boys surrounded the officer like bullies picking on a kid in a back alley.

"Just because you're a Judgment officer, you think you can tell us what to do?" he said poking the officer's chest with his knuckle. "Are you stupid?"

Anyone that could hear their altercation stopped in their tracks and listened.

The officer kept his composure and a stern face. "It's my responsibility as a Judgment officer to protect the lives of the students in Academy City."

"Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say, but you're just in it for a promotion, aren't ya? I think you have enough luxuries, you selfish, greedy fuck. Everyone's had enough with you damn officers leeching off the higher ups and leaving the rest of us in the dirt."

One of the other boys whispered in the leader's ear.

"Hold on… Oh, I see, you're one of those head captains, huh? So you're up there with the worst of them. You've got some nerve showing your face in public."

The officer shined his flashlight in their faces, blinding them for a second. "I'm flattered you know who I am. Understand that I'm here to make sure the evacuation goes smoothly as possible and make sure no one gets hurt. Especially suicidal ones like you." The officer narrowed his eyes. "Unless, you wish to join Judgment and risk your life facing off against the real threat?"

Whispers filled the air and those who stopped and watched carried on to the lower floor.

The leader of the group clicked his tongue and waved his hand. "Leave this punk. Let's go."

As they left, the officer sighed and collected his thoughts. He felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Tough day at work?" Beri said nonchalantly. "So you do take your job seriously."

The officer coughed, regaining his composure. "You should really get going. Get to safety until Anti-Skill gets here."

"Yeah, well, I was about to, but it's pretty crowded as you know and—"

The officer pulled Beri's arm and kissed her forehead. He pushed her away and she was caught by an ongoing wave, forced to follow them and take the escalator.

He motioned his hands leading the shoppers to their destination and resumed ordering instructions. For a moment, it was going smoothly until the shoppers became agitated and ran, pushing others out of the way and bottlenecking the top of the escalator.

Damnit, I had it all under control.

Knowing he had lost control over the shoppers, he jumped over the railing and fell to the lower floors.

Beri was halfway down the escalator. She was flustered and her face was completely red. "W-what the hell is with that guy!?"

She held her forehead, still able to feel the spot where the officer kissed. She wasn't sure if she was trying to preserve it or trying to prevent it from spreading. She couldn't think of anything else, but it replayed in her head over and over.

The ride down was going smooth until she was pushed from behind, almost causing a domino effect. The whole thing was starting to piss her off, but she understood the anxiety everyone may have been feeling.

There was a gust of wind and a blue hue that dropped from above, but Beri couldn't get a good look due to the darkness. When she looked up at the floor she came from, her eyes widen at the sight of people shoving their way through. It was like a funnel, but there was no way all of them could get on. It was like an avalanche of bodies, and Beri was about to be swept away by it. The last thing she heard was screaming until everything turned black.

It was dark and cold. The touch on Beri's skin was cold as ice and there wasn't anything in sight other than pure darkness.

This is what it's like to be dead, she thought. However, if that were the case, how did she think of that in the first place?

A faint voice echoed throughout the dark. It kept repeating. She wanted to block it out as it was starting to get annoying, but it kept getting louder and louder. Then the darkness turned into a blur. Long and very thin slits of light pierced through the empty void.

"Are you okay?"

The voice became clear and the light grew stronger. The muscles of her eyelids reacted, and the slits slowly opened wider.

"Hey, you're awake. You okay?"

The voice was loud and clear. With her eyes starting to open all the way, she immediately closed them when the light became too much to bear.

"Please… Stop shining that light in my eyes…"

The light was aimed away from her face. She was helped up, and once she stood, she realized the person that helped her was the same Judgment officer. Before she could thank him, he pulled her and held her in his arms. It was so sudden. She didn't know how to respond, or if she should do anything at all. His warmth was clouding her mind.

Part 14

Beri sat at an empty public table in the middle of the dark. The seat on the other side was empty. Her breathing was getting erratic and she was shaking in her seat. Sitting out in the open inside a dark mall, she felt that at any moment, some monster will appear from the darkness and devour her.

She yelped as footsteps came from behind. A large milkshake was set on the table in front of her. She looked at it for a moment until looking back up at the seat that was now occupied by the stylish Judgment officer. He didn't have a beverage of his own, but he seemed to prefer staring at Beri which made it uncomfortable for her.

Breaking the silence, Beri spoke. "Shouldn't we be on our way out?"

"The emergency shut down doors have been activated. We're stuck in here for a couple hours."

"Then what about that explo—"

"All taken care of. Just relax and drink your shake. There won't be anyone here for a while, so it's fine."

All of this was weird and out-of-the-blue. The timing of it was strange; right after a total evacuation and inside a dark and empty mall. His attitude was also much different than the first time she met him.

Maybe it's nothing, she thought. Beri adjusted the straw and took a sip of the milkshake. From the first sip, it tasted wonderful, so she continued drinking. The officer smiled and laughed as Beri's face looked like a happy child.

In just seconds, Beri cleaned out her glass and let out a sigh of satisfaction.

"Thank you for that."

"Anything for a cute one like you."

Beri caught her glass from tipping over. "What's with you? You've been acting all weird."

"I'm just having a little fun with you."

"See, there you go again. Could you stop?"

Beri avoided his eyes by looking away, but she could still feel his gaze. She was starting to turn red from the weird sensation. "…I've never gotten your name."

The officer sat up, raising his eyebrows in surprise. He blew his spiky bangs and checked his clothing for a quick second. "It's Takeshi Yamanoue," he coughed.

"Yamanoue, huh?"

"Yeah, you heard? Highest ranking Judgment officer and head captain of Branch Office 61. With my standing and connections, everything regarding Judgment and even Anti-Skill is relayed to me. Sometimes the governing board. I guess you can say that I'm the 'bridge'."

Beri was in awe. She wasn't sure how the inner workings of the organization worked, but she was impressed at how much respect and responsibility was given to a single person in Judgment. With the location of the office and how he looked, it probably isn't a surprise.

There was a loud grumbling sound.

"What was that?" Takeshi looked around. There was another long growl. He looked at Beri who had her head down, but he could easily see her whole head glowing bright red.

He laughed. "I'll get something for you to eat, okay?"

She nodded and Takeshi got up and disappeared into the darkness, leaving Beri alone.

After a few minutes, there were footsteps. Beri held her hand out to block a bright light shining at her face.

"Is that you, Takeshi? That light still hurts my eyes."

The light dimmed and Takeshi stood next to Beri. Beri's eyes widen when she noticed the scary glare on his face.

"Is… Is something the matter?"

Takeshi grabbed her arm, twisting it and pulled her up as she cried in pain.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Ow, watch it," she cried, trying to pry his tight grip from her arm. "What's with you? I thought you were getting us something to eat."

"Stop fucking with me," he said, twisting and yanking her arm as if trying to remove it from its socket.

"But," she yelped, "you brought me a milkshake, see? And then you left because I was hungry."

Using his height, he pulled Beri's arm up and dangled her for a couple seconds before throwing her to the ground.

"Enough with your bullshit. I'm taking you into custody. I could interrogate you right now, but that's up to Anti-Skill."

He reached out to grab her again, but he was hit in the head by a hard object. Dazed for a second, he looked at what hit him and noticed it was a flashlight similar to his. He pointed his own flashlight towards where it came from and saw the silhouette of a person, but before he could take a closer look, the glass of his flashlight shattered. There were loud footsteps, and at that instant, Takeshi found himself knocked on his back.

Beri, still stunned and on the floor, quickly backed away after hearing the loud thumps. After a while, her eyes adjusted to the constant darkness and could barely make out Takeshi laying flat on the ground. Another person was standing over him. Beri couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the same hat and jacket, but she thought she was dreaming when the person had Takeshi's face.

A shiver ran down her spine when her eyes met his and saw the large grin on his face that said: "Want to watch me hurt him some more?"