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Mai-hime and related belong to Sunrise.


Sublimation

"What?!"

The two men dressed in business suits visibly jumped when they heard Tomoe Marguerite's fist slam into the executive desk. She glared at them wildly and they stiffened as those cold gray eyes locked onto them. The soundless pleas of leniency were directed to the taciturn foreigner standing behind Tomoe but they were largely ignored.

"What the hell do you mean, he escaped?" she demanded in a shrill yell.

The braver of the two coughed and adjusted his glasses.

"We are merely conveying what the Hokkaido office is telling us. They told us that approximately four hours ago Fujino Shigeru wrestled off his guards and managed to fight his way out of the facility."

Another slam, this time with both open palms. Tomoe gripped the edges of the desk and looked up at the two men.

"What the fuck do I pay you for?" she snarled. "Get your men ready and find that son of a bitch before he ruins everything!"

"… Ma'am? You are dealing with the leader of the Fujino family… your uncle, ma'am."

It did not matter which one of the two spoke. One of the men lurched forward as her hand closed around his tie. With a great yank his head slammed into the edge of the desk. The sickening crack of his glasses smashing into his skull was followed by his body slumping forward as his colleague looked on wordlessly.

"Do not remind me… of that unfortunate fact."

She cocked her head over towards the lone man who stared back at her with an incredulous expression. Her lips twisted into a saccharine smile as she folded her hands on the desk in a placating measure.

"Do I make myself clear, hm? I want you to find him and drag him back into that warehouse." In a split second her gaze darkened. "If that bastard resists you can shoot him down."

The man stammered out a response and practically flew out of the office. She stared at the mess on her carpet before rubbing the bridge of her nose and turning around to acknowledge the blond-haired man beside her.

"… Clean up this mess, I'm going to go take a break."

He inclined his head slightly before pushing his glasses up over his cold blue eyes.

"You may have overdone it, Miss Marguerite."

Her lips curled once more into an ugly frown.

"What the hell do you care, Smith? You're under my payroll."

Tomoe gave a dismissive wave. She stepped over the bleeding mess and made her way out to one of the many balconies of the area office at Fuuka. She leaned over and fished for a pack of cigarettes and a silver lighter in her coat pocket. With a few practiced flicks the lighter produced a steady blue flame that she directed over to the cigarette perched on her lips. The initial rush of nicotine made her sigh out a lengthy cloud of smoke. She rubbed her forehead in agitation.

Mother never said it would be THIS hard.

Her instructions had been magnificently simple. She would dispose of the current head of the Fujino family, incapacitate the heiress, and reap in their profits as her own. The most suitable revenge, her mother mentioned, would be one that strikes at the core of the family. It was very hard work, much harder than she had expected. Now the initial rush of being able to run around and do whatever she pleased under the Fujino name was fading. She found herself itching to reap the final profits of her ventures and just get it over with.

There was a good incentive to keep going. She never knew her cousin would grow up to be that beautiful. She licked her lips before drawing another breath through the cigarette. Sure, she had her childhood crushes over the various attractive people that the interconnected families of Kazahana, Homura, and Fujino sired. Her generation seemed to lack some of that perfection. Mashiro and Nagi were creepy children. No, Tomoe mused after taking another drag, Shizuru was it as far as she was concerned.

There was something deliciously tragic about the Fujino family and Shizuru was not an exception. She had been born into extreme wealth and history that dated back over a thousand years. She was trained in the family's own branch of martial arts and mastered the art of naginata in her formative years. She inherited the trademark maple-red eyes and received even more visual enhancement through the timeless beauty of her mother. Despite all of this, those enticing lips were always drawn into a polite smile that never quite reached the exotic eyes. The girl who had everything was searching for something. There was no other way to describe the quiet earnestness behind those blood-dipped eyes.

The accident was just the catalyst she needed to begin the plan her mother had planned for years. She dug herself into her uncle's life and very nearly ended it with a high-speed crash to Fuuka's seas. The fact that he was in such a hurry to get on with his own plans only exacerbated his downfall. She locked the leader of the family in a warehouse in Hokkaido to keep him away from the public eye and from Shizuru herself. The drugs were not very original, she knew that, but there was only so much someone could be inventive over before it became less effective. After disposing of Shigeru and tossing Shizuru aside, her mother would have full reign over the company as the most direct link to the main family. Tomoe would then be the heiress. Her plans were almost complete.

She very nearly bit down on the filtered end of the cigarette as she thought of it. Almost complete. Now it was in danger of complete failure.

"Ma'am?"

"What is it," she growled without bothering to turn around.

"Shizuru-ojou-sama has a visitor."

Now Tomoe turned around. She threw a suspicious look towards an expressionless maid dressed in a plain blue kimono.

"If it's that gorilla Suzushiro or her walking set of glasses you can show them to the door."

"The visitor introduced himself as Kanzaki Reito."

"Kanzaki? …Never heard of him." Tomoe relaxed against the railing. "What is his business?"

"He merely wishes to catch up with an old friend, he says. Kanzaki-sama was Vice President of the Student Council when Shizuru-ojou-sama was President."

Tomoe checked her watch and noted that it was close to midnight.

"Are you sure he can't come by tomorrow?"

The maid shook her head.

"He says that this is most urgent, as he is due to leave for Tokyo in the morning."

"… Fine, show him in. Remember that Shizuru-sama needs her medication."

The maid bowed and left Tomoe, who in turn returned to her cigarette. She ground the stub out on the railing and lit another. Halfway through the smoke she suddenly flicked the cigarette over the ledge and walked back to her office. The body was now gone and replaced by a cleaning crew. The foreigner glanced at her as she pulled up the computer keyboard.

"Have you heard of the name Kanzaki?" she asked musingly as the screen shuddered to life.

"… Rather powerful family if memory serves correctly," Smith noted. "I wouldn't want to get on their bad side."

She paused in the middle of her typing before turning to regard the man. To his credit Smith stood his ground albeit with a hint of a simpering smile. Tomoe shot him a suspicious look but returned to her typing, whereupon he adjusted his glasses and simply let her have her way. There was really no way or reason to stop a headlong crash.

Meanwhile in the lobby Kanzaki Reito looked up from his position on a plush couch and stood up. The maid bowed and he returned it with a bow of his own along with a charming smile.

"Please follow me, Kanzaki-sama."

The elevator ride was in complete silence before the contraption informed them with a soft chime that they had reached the 30th floor. They stepped out into plush carpeting and soft lights that provided a hazy sense of comfort to Reito.

"These are the private quarters of the heads of the families," the maid announced. "Shizuru-ojou-sama should be awake at this time."

"I don't mean to be of any trouble," Reito replied.

The maid shook her head.

"Ojou-sama would do well to have visitors aside from her cousin."

"Cousin?" Reito asked quietly. "But the other two families are not in Fuuka at the moment."

The maid nodded.

"Correct. But I am talking about her first-cousin, Tomoe-sama."

The maid seemed to be wrestling with something as they reached the door but in the end returned to her relatively calm state. She withdrew a small medicine case from her sleeve and presented it to Reito.

"Would you be so kind as to give her the medication for tonight, Kanzaki-sama?"

Reito took the pill case and nodded his agreement. The maid knocked twice before entering. Reito stepped in after the maid and was pleasantly surprised by the simple furnishings of the room. Undeniably it was a cozy place, even more so than the building in which it was contained. The room was divided by walls that denoted a bedroom, bathroom, a small kitchen and a vast sitting room combined with an office. The maid bowed before leaving the two behind. Reito walked through the plush carpet of the room and finally came to a stop in front of Shizuru's desk. The heiress was sitting there now with a cup of tea and a stack of papers next to her. Her clothing consisted of a long dress and a turtleneck sweater. Despite the plainness of the attire she looked even more poised.

She looked up and lowered her reading glasses before registering the man before her. The man stood tall and straight with tousled black hair. Several of the more stubborn locks fell over his forehead and towards eyes of a peculiar golden shade. He was dressed smartly in a well-fitting black suit with a black shirt and gray tie. A bulky overcoat the same shade as his tie was tucked under his arms. His eyes spoke of a teasing warmth, of days spent idly drinking tea and relaxing from a hectic world filled with the outrageous shouts of a tyrannical Executive Director.

"Ara, Reito-han. It's been a long time," she murmured with a small smile.

Reito nodded.

"It has been a long time, Shizuru-san."

She waved him towards a seat and he complied, sinking into the leather with a quiet sigh. She tucked the packet of papers into a neat pile before setting them aside.

"Shall I ring for tea?"

"No, thank you. I am not staying for very long."

Shizuru frowned. "It won't be any bother."

"Ah, it's fine. I had some tea before coming here, after all." Reito straightened from the comfortable chair and regarded his colleague. "You seem much better than when I saw you last."

"I have been treated well," Shizuru replied agreeably. "The doctors say I will make a full recovery in a few days."

"That is a relief. Congratulations on your recovery, Shizuru-san."

The conversation lapsed into a comfortable silence as Reito stared out at the impressive floor-to-ceiling windows behind Shizuru. The view was absolutely breathtaking. Snow fluttered down to a sleepy cityscape below. Even the mountainside was in view from this vantage point and Reito found the Suzushiro construction logo over Fuuka Gakuen.

"I heard that you visited Suzushiro-san and Yukino-chan nearly a week ago," Reito remarked.

"… Ara. It was regretfully cut short due to a company meeting with the school."

He shifted his glance so that he was focused on the outside view.

"I heard that Suzushiro-san was about to pick a fight," he replied.

"Well… I suppose Tomoe-han was not helping," Shizuru noted with a soft sigh.

"Tomoe?" Reito echoed.

Shizuru smiled grimly and stood. She gathered her hair up into a loose bun that she clipped into place with a silver clip in the shape of a stylized wing before she returned to the world through the windows. Reito joined her and he merely folded his hands behind his back as he stared at the landscape.

"My cousin. Tomoe Marguerite is a rather… volatile individual. At least, that was what I thought of her while growing up. All I saw from her was an overwhelming bitterness towards the rest of the family, which I suppose was a product of her mother."

Shizuru closed her eyes. Something screamed at Reito to do something. He tensed and his brain threw up warning signs everywhere. This was not a safe place to be. They were in danger. Shizuru looked up at him and he swallowed, wondering if his thoughts had been caught. Reito broke the eye contact reluctantly to return to the landscape even as he felt her eyes still on him. She seemed to be searching for something before he spoke once more.

"I would imagine that your father's disappearance is frustrating in the least," Reito said. "From what I hear it seems the conglomerate is going to steady itself through your cousin."

"I harbor no such illusions. It's all an act," Shizuru replied quietly.

"Why do you not leave, then?" Reito asked.

Shizuru remained silent for a moment and looked out towards the ebony sky. For once it did not contain the heavy gray of clouds brimming with wet snow. A hazy moon peeked through with its reflected light down to the world. She heaved a sigh and turned to face Reito. He took in her weary eyes and frowned sadly.

"I have to uphold my family name right now, and the only way I can find at the moment to do so is to watch my cousin and bide my time. There is little to be accomplished by running around blindly."

Trapped like a bird in a cage.

Reito could see that something clearly agitated her. She clenched her jaw once.

"The medication."

Reito blinked at the sudden sharpness of her tone. When he reached into his pocket for the tin she shook her head roughly.

"Keep it." She flinched but managed to make it back to her chair before collapsing on it. "I'm lucid without it. But come here, please."

Reito knelt down beside her and craned his head closer.

"From the amount of noise I've been hearing it seems that something big has happened. I will remain hopeful that this news will turn out well for us in the end." She took in a shaky breath. "You aren't safe here with me."

No matter how he looked at the situation he knew she was right. If he stayed there would be no telling what would happen to him. Against his better judgment he picked up his coat and tin before bolting from the room. Reito nearly ran into the maid who had escorted him to the room, but contrary to his initial panic over the workers the maid simply grabbed his wrist and directed him towards another elevator. She slipped something in his hand and shoved him into the open elevator. As the doors closed he could hear the other elevator chime in along with the enraged shouts of a woman. He played it safe by slamming the button for the tenth floor and taking the stairs the rest of the way down. He kicked his way into the fire exit and quickly stumbled down the steps with his hands on the rails to help vault him over five steps at a time. Taking the fire exit had conveniently led him to the back exit of the hotel.

Snow crunched beneath his shoes as he registered his surroundings. He was not very far from Fuuka's downtown district. It was too far to walk to the Suzushiro mansion… but not too far to a familiar place. His mind began to race as he broke into quick strides towards the streets leading to downtown. If he could blend in with his surroundings well enough he would be able to avoid any sort of capture. After all, he mused, this Tomoe had not seen him during his arrival and as such would have no way of finding him without running a background check. He looked down at his hand and registered the gleaming black steel of an expandable steel baton.

"I suppose I am going to be followed by some interesting individuals," he mused as he wedged the baton in his belt.

Numerous footsteps echoed around him as he quietly made his way through the snow. He stopped and took in a deep breath as his hand curled under his coat. He turned at the exact moment he heard something swing towards him.

The cold metal of a knife clanged against the steel baton he held in his hand. Reito planted his feet and overpowered the assailant with an almighty push. The force of his swing caused the man to fall onto his shoulder and the knife to fall out of his grip. He whipped the butt of his weapon across the man's left temple and the assailant fell back. The snow swirled around Reito as he stood. There were two more individuals armed with similar knives in the distance. With a short puff of breath he whirled around and took off with the men soon following after him.

His instincts directed his feet towards the alleys while his mind raced through several plans of escape. He could not draw them out into the open. He was lucky with the first assailant and luck usually did not transfer after the first shot. His best chance would to be fight in a narrow alleyway where his opponents would be forced to come at him one at a time. The alleyway was thin enough—he could touch both sides with the tips of his fingers if he stretched his arms out. His pursuers did not look very nimble. He turned and whipped the baton out in plain view as the men finally caught up to him. He only hoped that would be the only two sent after him. Bringing thugs along with him as he went to his haven was not a very polite thing to do after all.

The first man was just as hasty as his initial attacker. Reito sidestepped the swipe intended for his midsection and pivoted on the ball of his foot. He ended with his back flush against the shoulder of the man's attacking arm. A heavy elbow to the gut caused the man to lurch to the side in surprise which freed his neck for a swing. Reito kicked the downed body over to make sure he was out.

The second man was not about to play by the rules. Reito jumped away in time to avoid his face being sliced into ribbons but could not avoid one swipe to his cheek. He flinched and backed way several steps as his palm flew to his face. It stung terribly but was not deep enough for worry. The man came at him again, this time for a slice towards his chest. He jumped back and touched the wall. The man noticed this and darted towards him with every intention to skewer him. Reito grit his teeth and shoved himself off of the wall, taking the man by surprise by locking his arm out of the way and shoving him into the opposite wall. He kneed him in the stomach and viciously whipped the baton over the back of his shoulders before slamming his knuckles across the man's face. As the man slid down against the wall with a heavy groan and a broken jaw, Reito backed away from the prone body and struggled to recollect himself. The implications of his actions evaded him as he blindly tore away from the two men he had just pummeled to the ground.

Self-defense, that's all there is to it. Just self-defense.

The doors to the Edelweiss café slammed open and Reito rushed in to the rather comical sight of Mai gaping at him with a pot of ramen in her oven-mitted hands. Mikoto was also gaping at him at her position at one of the café's tables with chopsticks poised in her hand.

"A-Aniue!!"

Mikoto jumped from the table and scampered over towards Reito who slammed the doors shut and locked them.

"Cut the lights, Mikoto!" he ordered in a sharp voice.

Mikoto turned and swiped her hand down across the light switch near the register. The café was blanketed in complete darkness save for the faint illumination from the street lights.

"Upstairs, now."

Mai—still carrying the steaming pot—and Mikoto followed Reito's instructions silently as he ushered them up the stairs to the apartment above the café. It was only after he locked the door to that as well that he finally sighed and leaned against the door. Mikoto and Mai stared at him through the semi-darkness and he raised a finger to his lips as he made his way over towards the veranda of the apartment. Mikoto turned on a lamp while Mai settled the pot on top of a pot warmer on the kotatsu. The younger girl stared at the pot but maintained her admirably quiet vigil near the lamp until her brother finally nodded his head. Mikoto then went to the kitchen, extracting three bowls and pouring out a glass of water for each while Mai studied Reito for a terse moment.

"Reito-san, your face…"

Reito looked at the dried blood beneath his fingernails.

"It's only a slight cut, Mai-san. I will be alright."

Mikoto gave her brother a keen glance when she went to the ramen pot to dole out the portions for the late-night snack.

"Did you run into trouble with Kaichou?"

"Not with her," Reito replied as he accepted a wet washcloth from Mai. He began to rub his cheek. "But I am afraid that we will not be welcomed back by her family anytime soon."

"Were you at least able to speak with her?" Mai questioned while bringing a first-aid kit over to him.

"I did." He paused when Mai dabbed at the cut with a rubbing alcohol-soaked cotton ball. "She was probably the one who allowed me to come out of the situation relatively intact."

"What did you get out of it?" Mikoto asked before delving into her snack.

"From what I gather… it would be best to extricate ourselves from this situation."

Mai digested this statement as she placed ointment and a bandage over Reito's cut. He thanked her with a nod and walked over to join his sister who merely shoved him a bowl of ramen. His stomach gurgled in response—he had forgotten just how hungry a fight had made him. He picked up the chopsticks but paused before diving in.

"While Shizuru-san knows that she is not in an ideal position I am guessing she is waiting for something... or rather someone." He watched Mikoto polish off her first helping and dig into a second. "I am pretty certain she waits for news of her father."

"So… she hasn't heard from him either," Mai mumbled in disappointment. "Or from Natsuki."

"I'm afraid not. She made no indication of it, at least."

He paused but ultimately decided to leave the last few minutes of his meeting unsaid. His break was finished when he put his chopsticks down and heaved a great sigh. The clock to his left chimed the hour and he frowned.

"As much as I would like to stay, I am afraid I will have some pursuers on my back. The sooner I leave Fuuka the better." He shifted and turned his gaze towards Mai. "I am sorry I have not been of more help."

"It's fine, Reito-san. Just agreeing to talk to her was more than enough. By what Yukino-chan explained it seemed as if Shizuru-san was drugged up or something."

Reito frowned as he walked over to his coat. After some shuffling he retrieved a pill case. This he popped open and a white pill nearly jumped out due to the force. He stared at the pill as he tapped it onto his palm.

"What is it?" Mikoto called from the table.

"I'm not sure," Reito murmured. "I was told to give this to Shizuru-san by her maid but she refused to take it."

He returned the pill to the case and handed it over to Mai.

"Perhaps Yukino-chan will find something useful from this pill," Reito said with a small frown. "If she finds anything please let me know."

He gathered his coat and put it on. After a few seconds of deliberation he left the baton in the apartment. He ruffled Mikoto's hair and was rewarded with a half-hearted complaint but a warm smile which he mirrored. Mai offered him a smile as well and he found his mood growing lighter at the sight of it.

"Well, I am off."

"Be careful, Reito-san."

"If something needs to be beaten up just let me know, Aniue!"

Mai turned over to the younger girl and the two began to squabble over the use of violence. Reito shrugged and chuckled before turning towards the door. The cold stole his breath as he stepped out of the café and back into the streets of Fuuka. With an almighty shiver he drew his coat closer around himself as he began to walk down empty streets. He had a flight in two hours and the airport was quite a distance away. He hailed a cab and rattled off the destination which the driver obediently set a course for. While in the heated cab he paused and drew deeply into himself.

She knows something is wrong but will not act until certain of her plan of attack. Admirable, but I am afraid she might be too late to react.

He frowned and viewed the snow-laden landscape with thoughtful eyes.

It wouldn't be long, now.


AN: I keep wondering how these chapters are getting longer but I'll roll with it, haha.

I feel like Tomoe would've made a very ambitious individual in business or politics. If, you know, she wasn't insane and beating on her subordinates. And that "Smith" is indeed John Smith.