XXIX

Resentment

"It really is, isn't it? You must really like it then, don't you?" Sakuraba asked as she leaned in next to the younger girl, "I used the best fabric that I could get, it's for a very good friend of mine so I wanted to make it extra special just for her," she mentioned as she pointed out some of the finer details of the design. Attracted by the older girl's explanation and her willingness to showing it Yuzuka, Azusa, and Hinami all came closer as well. What Sakuraba was telling them was really interesting as she had even managed to capture the full attention of Saeko who kept exchanging gazes between the older girl and the outfit.

"It's beautiful, don't you think? So cute and lovely that you would just want to wear it for yourself don't you think." It was more of a statement than a question but it seemed that Saeko took it far too serious and honestly felt that Sakuraba was asking her a question whether she wanted to wear it or not.

"Y-Yes Sakuraba-senpai, I'd really like to wear it. Is it alright for me to wear it, senpai?"

"Ehm Saekorin? I don't think she meant that as a question. Besides it's meant for somebody else so it would be wrong for you to wear it," Yuzuka was quick to inform her friend, surprised and a little confused but she could understand why her friend wanted to wear it.

"She's right, that outfit isn't meant for you, Isuzu-san. Senpai, we are truly sorry for this," Azusa apologized towards Sakuraba who did seem to take the matter as a bit less serious than them.

But it didn't take away the rather awkward feeling that both Yuzuka and Azusa were experiencing at the moment, they felt a little ashamed of what had just happened, not really decent behavior given they had come here to get some information as well as leaving behind a good impression.

"Our apologies senpai, Saekorin can say some odd things from time to time but she means it well. I guess she must really like the outfit you worked so hard on," Yuzuka mentioned, silently praying that the older girl wasn't going to reprimand them for it as she had heard some horror stories on how some older students could be when not shown the proper respect.

"I must admit that it was a little awkward at first but I do take it as a compliment if somebody really wants to wear an item that I designed. That said I have to decline it as this is meant for a good friend of mine and it wouldn't reflect well on me if I allowed a stranger wearing it first."

They all understood that but it still didn't entire sink in with Saeko who just kept staring in disbelief at the outfit. For a brief moment, it even seemed like she was even going to cry.

"Isuzu, it's alright, if you really want to wear it then you could always ask if Sakuraba-senpai would be willing to make one just for you. What do you think of that?" Hinami said as she too could see the sadness in her friend's eyes and felt a need to comfort her.

"Unfortunately I have to inform you that for the time being I won't be taken any more commissions, I have already four projects running and those are taking up most of my spare time. I don't mind making one for you but you are going to have to wait."

Saeko didn't say a word, she felt a bit disappointed in not getting a chance to wear such a cute outfit but perhaps it would also be for the best. After all, she might just do something stupid and embarrass herself with it.

After a long but pleasant talk to both Sakuraba and Hinami the three of them left the clubroom feeling satisfied, being more aware of what it actually meant for a student to be a member of the sewing club. That said they had also become aware that while it looked to be fun it also wasn't exactly the kind of club they were looking for. It had been a great offer by Hinami for them to come visit but sadly they would need to look further for a club that would suit them.

"Saekorin, I do agree with you on that was a nice outfit, all of those frills make me feel so girly. Maybe I should ask senpai if she could make me such an outfit for me as well. Don't look at me like that Azurin, you know how much I like frilly stuff," she mentioned before pouting her lips in reaction to seeing the look on her friend's face.

Azusa smiled slyly, "You don't need to explain your preferences to me, Yuzuka-san, I know what you like on clothing. I do have to say Isuzu-san that you keep surprising me, I wasn't aware that you like maid outfits that much."

Yuzuka left it at that, not willing to give her friend any more ammo to shoot with. Therefore she decided to change the subject, "Well, it's getting late, what do you say if call it a day and go home, tomorrow is luckily a short day and then we can get to enjoy the rest of the weekend?"

Saeko nodded. "Would it be alright I we were to wait for Hinami-chan to come, it want to have her walk home with us if that is alright?" she asked, her voice betraying her uncertainty.

"Of course it is, she's our friend as well. Besides we also need to thank her for having taken the time and effort to introduce us to her senpai, I think that we should take the time that we have to wait for her and come up with a way for us to show her our gratitude."

They all agreed on that, Hinami had certainly earned it but the question was what they could do for her. What was it that she would like the most? Saeko offered that she would do her best to find out when she and Hinami would be walking home as they had to go the same way.


Sitting outside Nana felt like she was out of breath, she couldn't recall the last time she had felt this exhausted, right now all she wanted to do was to close her eyes and rest but she couldn't. Her lungs felt like they were burning, stinging with every breath she took, her body felt spend, heavy, even her vision was hazy at times.

Lying in her arms was Saori, a combination of being exhausted and numbed finally having taken their toll on her frail body, causing the girl to collapse on the floor.

"Saori-san…" Nana wept as she held her little sister dear. "… I'm so sorry, I didn't want too… I honestly didn't want to have to hurt you… I'm so sorry... Saori-san… my dear little sister… I didn't… want too… I had never… wanted too…" she kept on weeping as the guilt of what she had done overcame her, she had hurt somebody that both she and Saeko considered more like a little sister. Those tears that ran down her cheeks dripped down on Saori's face, Nana felt terrible, loathing herself for having done this.

There hadn't been much of a choice for her but that didn't make it feel any easier for her, already she was starting to hate herself for what she had done.

Already she was dreading what the rest of the family was going to say when they would find out what had happened, sure enough, there was going to be understanding but also plenty of resentment and most of it would be coming from Saeko as Saori meant so much to her.

Nana knew that Saeko would yell and hold her responsible if anything bad were to happen to Saori, if she were to get really sick in the coming days the blame would be placed on her.

"It's not fair, I do my best to be a good girl so that papa would remain proud of me. Why is it that even when I do my best I still have to proof myself, I just want to live in peace with this family, my family."

She craned her neck up to gaze at the sky, outside it seemed so tranquil, a far cry from how it had been earlier when she had to use force against this little sister of her. "Mariko-chan would be sad as well if she were to see what I've done to one of her kind. Mariko-chan, I so want to be a good big sister to you, I really want to."

The warm rays of the sun caressed her face, making her almost forget about her sorrows for a brief moment. "Some days I just wish that I could have died as well on that day, that I could have been together with you and papa. We could have been a family of our own."

She wondered about it, would that have been a better choice for her, had she made the wrong decision when she had made up her mind and continued to live on? But wasn't that exactly what he had told her? That she needed to live on and have a happy life? It made her feel uncertain about herself.

"It is what papa wanted for me, did I do the right thing? Papa didn't deserve to die, papa should be here with me, helping me as I don't know what to do. I don't want to continue on living like this," she sighed in desperation, having meant every word of what she had just said. Right now she could really do with him being here to help her, to let her know what she needed to do to set things right, that it was all going to work out fine for her.

Caressing the younger girl's face she wondered if Saori was going to hate her even more from now on, if she were to revert back would she remember what had happened today? Nana shivered at the thought of that, she didn't want for their little sister to hate her for the rest of her life.

"I don't want that, I want us to be a family together. So few of us are left, all we have is each other. I don't want any of my sisters to hate me, I don't want that, anything but that," she sobbed as that would be a terrible fate for her. "Saori-san, I'm so terribly sorry. I-I'll make this up to you, I-I promise you so please get well. P-Please, come back to us. P-Please… "

Still cradling the unconscious Saori in her arms Nana was going to keep watch over her until the others would come back, for now, she refused to abandon her little sister, she couldn't care anymore about what went on in the rest of the house. All that mattered to her right now was to take care of Saori. "D- Don't worry... S-Saori-san... I won't let... anybody else... harm you... I-I'll protect... you…" she wept as the tears began to run down her cheeks once more.


Saying their goodbyes at the crossing Saeko and Hinami parted ways with Yuzuka and Azusa, from here on it was just going to be the two of them but for now, they would keep each other company and enjoy the opportunity to get to know each other a little better.

"H-Hinami-chan, thank you for having introduced us to your senpai, she's a really nice person isn't she?" Saeko mentioned though she averted her eyes from the girl, being aware of a somewhat embarrassed feeling about having wanted to wear the outfit when she wasn't supposed to, looking back in hindsight she kept asking herself why she had said such a stupid thing.

"Don't mention it, and besides I had a lot of fun myself and senpai also really likes you. She did ask me to let you know that if you want to wear such outfits that you could always come and model for her," Hinami remarked as she explained to her as well what it meant to model for the senpai, it wasn't much but it did offer Saeko a chance to get to wear some of those outfits. It was worth giving it a thought.

"I will, I promise that I'll think about it," Saeko mentioned though it caused Hinami to laugh out loud all of a sudden, her hands reaching for her sides as she stopped.

"Oh Isuzu, you're just a treat are you not. I don't remember when I had this much fun with a friend, honestly, I'm really glad that you asked me when you did. I'm so looking forward to getting to spend even more time with you and the others but you know what, we should definitely go out on a group date soon."

Saeko had no idea what that meant, did Hinami mean like going shopping together or was it something else that the dark haired girl had meant when she used the word date? For that matter what was a date actually? Likely it had to be something fun, otherwise Hinami wouldn't have suggested it but it still left her thinking what it could possibly be, of course, she had the option to just ask her friend but then she rather didn't want to. No, she would rather not be laughed at again because she asked a stupid question, even if Hinami was a friend of her that didn't make it any less unpleasant.

"So Isuzu, what do you think about a karaoke bar or perhaps we should go see a movie? Oh, maybe it would be better to ask the others tomorrow and see what they like?" Hinami mentioned as she kept on coming up with new suggestions to what they could do together.

Saeko was somewhat surprised, some of the things that Hinami mentioned were matters that she herself likely would not have been able to come up with. She was truly impressed by how much Hinami knew with regards to having fun together.

"Or maybe we can do something really simple like enjoying the park or perhaps the beach though I think that right now it's going to be rather dirty. Oh, perhaps a trip to Enoshima, I haven't had a chance to go to the lighthouse ever since it was rebuild, yeah I so want to go there. What do you say Isuzu, lighthouse okay with you?"

Caught by surprise Saeko didn't have an answer for her, honestly, the lighthouse was one of those places that she had a bad memory about, it was the place where her sister Nyu had died. One that she would rather not go visit as she knew that she wasn't going to be able to hold back her tears if she were to set foot there.

"Hinami-chan," Saeko replied with a lump stuck at the back of her throat, "I can understand you wanting to go but I'd prefer not to, I have my reasons for it, I'm really sorry but if you want to go that's fine with me but I won't go upstairs…" She didn't feel like explaining any further, for her it was already too painful to even think about it and she really did miss her big sister.

Hinami nodded her head. "I understand, I guess you likely lost somebody really precious that day as well didn't you. Guess we have that in common with each other," she said in return as she craned her neck up to look towards the sky. "... You know… I lost my father that day as well, we were planning to visit the lighthouse... but that day... well… everything changed for us. Terrible… what happened then isn't it…?"

As Hinami fell silent Saeko began to feel really bad about herself. Without even being aware of it, she moved closer to her friend before wrapping her arms around Hinami and began to comfort the crying girl. Standing there with her friend Saeko couldn't hold back her own tears and began to weep as well, not caring if anybody could see them like this.


"Oh, my god?! What happened here?! Nana-chan?! Saori-chan?!" Yuka cried out as she stepped inside the house and saw the mess that the hallway was in, the bag that she had been carrying simply fell from her hand, its content spilling across the floor. How could this have happened, had people come and broken into their house?

"Nana-chan?! Saori-chan?! Where are you?! Are you alright?! Oh please God don't let them be harmed!" she shouted, hoping to hear an answer to her cries, already given the ruined state that she had found the kitchen in she began fearing for the worst, a terrifying sense of dread coming over her as she had a second look at the carnage in the hallway. "Nana-chan?! Saori-chan?! Please answer me?! Where are you?! Please, talk to me?!"

They weren't in the kitchen nor the main living room or the hallway. Could they be upstairs or perhaps be in the bathroom? She kept looking left and right, doing her best to find the two of them as she went through the house in order to find the two missing girls. Her fears only growing as the minutes went by and she couldn't find them, there was no trace of either of them in the house, the splatters of blood she found on the floor and walls didn't do much to her other than feed her growing concern.

"Nana-chan?! Saori-chan?! Please answer me?! Where are you?!" Something had happened that was for certain but she couldn't figure out what, her biggest fear off course remaining the idea that the government or somebody else had found them but she reasoned that if that was the case then surely she would be surrounded by troops as well.

'Just where are you, girls? If people stormed the house I'd expect that there would be more damage to the house, I doubt that Nana-chan would allow herself to be taken without a fight like that,' she thought, trying to find out, trying to come up with an explanation for why neither of the girls was answering her. She needed to calm herself down as well as a panic wasn't going to help her find them.

'Maybe they fled the house. Perhaps something scared Saori-chan and caused her to run. Nana-chan would then follow her but I don't think that it would take her long to catch up.'

She could rule that one out as well, no what she needed to do first was to keep searching the house and then the garden, they just had to be somewhere. Likely she would learn the reason as well when she would find them. She just had to keep searching.

After a couple of harrowing minutes Yuka had finally finished her search of the upper floors but there was still no trace of either Nana or Saori, she would try the basement next and after that, she would go outside and search the surrounding area.

'I wonder what happened in the kitchen? Something must have happened as Nana-chan wouldn't cause such a mess without a good reason. Maybe a burglar managed to get inside and Nana-chan caught him?' She hoped rather not, if that burglar were to get away and contact the wrong people then again there would be the fear of people coming to take away the girls. Maybe it would be better if she were to call Kouta and let him know.


Anna couldn't help but smile as she heard his answer. "That is very smart of you, my good sir. I am pleased to hear that you will choose what is good for those girls but I think we have talked enough about today. I will let you know when I will be back, please take good care of your family, sir." Just as she finished her sentence and said her farewells a large limousine pulled over next to her, as several men got out Kouta, for a brief moment, experienced doubt but it seemed they were not interested in him.

"Milady, where would you like to go to next?" one of them asked Anna who politely informed the man that she wanted to go home. "Dear sir, until next time. I am already looking forward to our next encounter. Also, please don't hesitate to call me should you want to know anything. Goodbye, sir." As she got in the door was closed for her and the men got back into the car.

With the car driving off Kouta was left there on his own, kind of wondering what he had just seen. Anna was still a fairly young girl but it seemed that she already commanded considerable respect from people, he would rather not risk making her into an enemy but for now, he also wasn't sure if she could be considered an ally.

"I'm sorry Anna-san but I need to talk about this with the others, I can't just let you come into contact with the girls, not before I can be certain that you haven't got anything planned for them. You may not be like your father but don't think that I'll trust you yet."

They all had to be cautious from now on until they could be certain on where exactly the loyalty of Anna Kakuzawa lied or what exactly her motives were. Friend or foe, she was simply far too dangerous to just ignore.

That said she could offer them a wealth of support and perhaps it would be possible with her aid that the girls might yet have a chance to step into the world and not have to fear of being hunted down, if what she had said were true then she would certainly be a powerful ally to have on their side.

Reaching out into his pocket he pulled out the note containing the number and kept staring at it, a part of him wondered if it was really her number or if perhaps it belonged to somebody else. Who was going to say for sure, there were plenty of risks attached to it but then he knew the dangers of being involved with the Diclonius. Likely he was going to find out a lot more when they would meet again, he shuddered at the prospect of it and yet he also knew that it couldn't be avoided anymore.

"I should be going now, they're likely waiting for me. Oh damn it's that late already," he let out a little curse as he glanced at his watch, it had taken him far longer than he had thought. Well so much for getting home early, he did have one good excuse for it, though.

"They might not even believe me when I tell them that I met with the daughter of that man, I still find it rather hard to believe myself. I pray that you were right Anna-san, I really do," he sighed before turning around and started to head in the direction of the inn, he was going to have a long walk ahead of him.

A long walk was also going to give him ample of time to think about what had happened and how he was going to bring the news to the others, he couldn't keep it to himself, no that was not only selfish but also reckless and the first thing he would need to do right now was to get his phone and give Dai a call about the matter. He definitely needed to be informed of this.


As Yuka came outside she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Nana sitting there in the corner next to the pond with Saori lying next to her, a wave of relief washing over her as she slowly began to calm down again knowing that both of them were here.

"Oh thank goodness, Nana-chan what happened?" she asked as she made her way towards them but as she got closer to the two girls she could clearly see the traces of dried blood both on Nana and Saori. It confirmed some of her fears, there had definitely been a fight or a struggle of some sort, the tattered clothing of the two girls, the bruises they had on her faces and the cuts that were on both her and Saori spoke volumes. Something had happened to them.

"Nana-chan, what happened in the house? Were the two of you attacked by people? Did somebody hurt you? Nana-chan, please tell me what has happened. No, wait for me while I'll go and grab the first aid kit. You two need it." Barely has she hunkered down or she was already back up on her feet and left them to go back inside, their wounds needed to be treated.

Nana simply nodded her head although she remained awfully quiet, somehow she did not seem like her cheerful self. She just kept to herself, no doubt a result of what had happened.

Still cradling Saori by the time Yuka came back it seemed that nothing had changed. "Come on dear, let me have a look at your face," Yuka mentioned as she pulled out some disinfectant from the box, "This might sting a little so hold still, dear."

Gently dipping some cotton against the wounds she began cleaning them, luckily there were only a few shallow cuts which meant that Nana would be fine soon. "Now, would you care to tell me what happened, Nana-chan? The kitchen is a mess."

Nana didn't say a word at first, just giving the young woman the odd glance before averting her eyes. It was clear that what had happened must weigh a lot on the young Diclonius.

Yuka sighed, "Nana-chan, did something bad happened between you and Saori-chan? It's alright, you can tell me. Nana-chan, I want to help you but you need to tell me."

Finally after much more asking of her Nana finally gave in and told Yuka. "... I-I'm sorry Yuka-san, I'm really so terribly sorry... I-I didn't mean to but she left me no choice. I-I... didn't want to hurt her, I-I... really... didn't... want... to…" And then she began to cry again, tears running down her cheeks. She then told Yuka the rest of what had happened.

Then it began to dawn on Yuka what had gone on and how hard it must have been for Nana herself, it was rather fortunate that nobody else had been in the house but now they were left with a number of problems, she would need to discuss them with Kouta and see what they could do about it.

"It's alright dear, I know that you didn't mean your little sister any harm. Come here," Yuka said as her hand gently rested on Nana's shoulder in order to comfort the younger girl, to let Nana know that she wasn't angry but rather happy that neither of them had been hurt too badly in the ensuing fight. Pulling her closer Yuka wrapped her put arms around her like a mother would do with her daughter.

"I can imagine you must have been pretty scared as well in having to fight against your little sister. It's not your fault dear, it's because those people did terrible things to her, I'm sure she feels the same about it." It didn't mean all that much and even Yuka wondered if that was true but for now, it was all that she could come up with in order to help Nana deal with her sadness and guilt, she hated those people for still causing her family so much pain. What she hated, even more, was that so many of those people had gotten away from having to take responsibility for their past actions.

"So what exactly was it that you did to her, was it just a numbing? If so is it safe for me to treat her injuries? We also need to help her get back inside, you think you're able to help me with that?" Yuka asked her, she needed to know if it would be safe for them to handle Saori and to get her inside. Well, as long as she remained unconscious they should manage.

"Well, let me finish treating your wounds first," she remarked as she pulled out several band-aids and started to apply them to the cuts. After a few moments, she was satisfied and said, "Now let's have a look at your little sister."

Having a closer look she could tell that Saori certainly wasn't in a better shape, her skin seemed to have ruptured in certain places, she was definitely going to need Mako to come over today because she couldn't say for sure if what she saw were the only injuries.

"We should get her inside, I think it would be better to let Mako-san come and have a look at her. This is a bit too much for me to take care off. Nana-chan, are you able to help me?"

Although appearing a little hesitant to move Saori, Nana nodded as she understood that it was for the best when Mako would come in order to have Saori's wounds treated. Gently lifting her up they carefully moved her back inside the house and with the aid of Nana's vectors they were able to lift her up the stairs towards her room. With that, Yuka disinfected the wounds and applied a quick bandage to prevent them from getting infected.

Once finishing and coming down the stairs she told Nana on what they were going to say. "I'll tell Saeko-chan what has happened when she comes home, you leave that to me. Nana-chan, why don't you go and take a bath? I think you definitely need one right now, you can also get some fresh clothes for yourself."

To Yuka, it was for the best if Nana were to have a moment by herself so that she could get herself cleaned up and refreshed. No doubt the young Diclonius could also use some time for herself in order to reflect on what had happened and to be able to process this unfortunate event, hopefully, it would allow Nana to calm down and regain her composure.

Accepting her suggestion quietly Nana left, leaving Yuka there wondering how she was going to bring this to the others. It was going to be painful for certain, she was aware of that. Yuka prayed that Saeko would understand and not be angry at Nana, it was already hard enough for her as it was and the last thing that Nana would need right now was to have Saeko be angry with her as well. "I'll talk to her Nana-chan, but first you need to get yourself some much-earned rest…"


By the time Saeko had made it back to the inn she had already parted with Hinami, they had managed to talk about a lot of things after they had grieved together for the people lost. Now it seemed that they shared even more in common with each other than what Saeko had originally thought, it had also made her aware that her family wasn't the only ones who had suffered that day. How many people had lost their loved ones just like they did?

But they had also been able to talk about more pleasant subjects and they had laughed together, it certainly had been far more comfortable for either of them to have spent the remainder of their walk like that. They had discussed mostly on where they could go, there were just so many places for them to visit and that was just within Kamakura itself, outside the city, there were, even more, options.

One thing that they had talked about was a possible trip to Tokyo itself, given it was close by and only short journey for them by train they could easily go there on a weekend and do some shopping or perhaps even visit the Akihabara area. From what Saeko had been told there were a lot of maid cafés there.

She felt really excited at the prospect as she wanted to see for herself what being a maid really meant, also if she had heard it right then it seemed there were lots of different types of them. The young Diclonius began to wonder if it was going to be alright for her to go tomorrow or perhaps the day after would be better, yeah the Sunday was going to be a better choice as they could leave early in the morning though they would have to make sure to be back home in time.

"Hinami-chan, is so cheerful, even about the sad things that have happened in her life, I wish I could be more like her, master would surely have liked me a lot more if I had been like her,"

Saeko mumbled underneath her breath as she began to feel depressed about never getting to see him again, there was just so much she had wanted to tell him but that opportunity was forever lost to her. Such a shame, she had gotten so depressed at that time that she had even thought about ending her own life just to be with him. Would he have wanted that? She still wasn't sure but everybody else kept telling her that he would have wanted for her to live on regardless and to be happy. A part of her was still in doubt if that was true or not but at least she had managed to find reasons for herself to keep on living; she had her sisters to take care of, a family to look after and now friends to cherish.

"… Master would you be proud of me, am I doing enough to impress you?" she asked herself as she came to a halt, keeping her voice down enough so that nobody would hear her. These thoughts she rather kept to herself, well she needed to stop with it for now as she had come home.

Opening the main gate she stepped inside, her mood becoming better as she was now back with her family, she really wanted to tell them about what she had seen at school. She wondered how her sisters had been doing, most of all she was anxious to find out if the little fever that Saori suffered from for a few days had finally disappeared. "I wonder if she would like something to eat, maybe we can go and get some ice cream if possibly I could go to that store and buy some for her if it is alright with Kouta-san and Yuka-san."

She really liked the taste of the sweet potato ever since Yuzuka and Azusa had invited her to go with them, it was only normal to her that she would do her best to get her sisters to have a chance at trying it for themselves. "Maybe I should bring several small samples with me so they can all have a taste of it and see which ones they like the most?" There were, if she recalled correctly, quite a number of flavors, it was even possible that she could not bring one of each flavor back home with her.

Being immersed in her thoughts Saeko failed to notice Yuka standing there until she bumped into her, not paying attention she couldn't do anything to arrest her fall and Saeko landed hard on her butt, she cried a little as she felt a painful sting.

"Saeko-chan, are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?" Yuka was all too quick to lean over and help her get back on her feet. "You should be more careful dear. You could've hurt yourself, so next time, please pay some attention to where you're going, alright? Feeling any better?" she asked as she helped Saeko to wipe off some of the dirt, then the smile she had on her face began to fade as her tone changed. Taking a deep breath Yuka calmed herself.

"Saeko-chan, there's something I need to talk to you about, please go to the living room and wait for me there. I'll get us something to drink," she said, her hand resting on Saeko's shoulder as it became clear that it was a serious matter.

The younger girl felt rather uneasy about it, she did not like the tone or the look that she was getting from Yuka. A dread feeling was starting to come over her, she feared for one of her sisters, she couldn't explain why but that was the idea she got. Taking off her shoes quickly she just dropped her schoolbag there in the hallway and rushed towards the living room, she was scared.


Hearing his phone ring Dai looked at the number that was calling him, it took him a few moments before it actually dawned on him who the person was that was trying to reach him. "Hirano Dai, how may I help you," he answered almost by instinct. "Kouta-san? This is kind of a surprise, to be honest, I didn't really expect to get a call from you."

He looked up from his desk, making sure that the door to his office was either closed or that people had already left. "Yeah, it's safe for us to talk, so tell me what exactly has got you so spooked? You sound like you just ran into a ghost or something, what happened?"

He listened carefully as Kouta began to tell him about what had happened an hour or two ago, how he had met with a girl who called herself Anna Kakuzawa, claiming to be the daughter of the deceased chief of the DRI.

Dai let out a deep sigh at the mere mention of her name, informing Kouta that what Anna had told him was indeed correct. That was definitely a concern alright that she had made contact with one of the people they had wanted to avoid at all costs. Now it meant that they were going to need to work harder at erasing every little trace left that could tie any of the residents of the inn to the Diclonius.

"I think it's already too late for that, she knows. Anna-san told me that she knows that a handful of Diclonius are still alive." Kouta got awfully silent all of a sudden on the other side and Dai could feel the tension rising before Kouta spoke again. "Dai-san, she knows about the girls, she knows everything. She showed me pictures of Nana-chan, Kyou-chan and Ryou-chan going shopping and one as well of Saeko-chan at school. Dai-san, the girls have been exposed."

To Dai, it was the kind of news he had dreaded. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," he kept repeating the words, the severity of this sinking in with him, it meant that everything they had worked so hard for was gone. Now they really had a problem on their hands.

"How is this even possible, nothing remained of any data. Our old friend made sure of that. I just don't understand how she has managed to find the girls? Did we miss anything? Were we too lax with our precautions?"

Kouta couldn't give him an answer, neither could he himself. It could have easily been dumb luck for her to have stumbled on the girls. There was a knot stuck in his stomach as he contemplated on what to do next, all that mattered to him right now was the safety of the girls.

"Did she say anything? Anything that could let us know if she has already informed others of this. I hate to say this but I think that we might be running out of options here. I'm loathed to admit this but I think that Bando might have been right, we may have to resort to some drastic measures in order to silence her."

He could hear Kouta's breath run cold, it didn't surprise him in the least, he could fully understand the younger man's disgust with what he had just suggested. He was going to hate himself for it.

Finally, Kouta broke the silence. "Dai-san, I don't know if she meant it but she told me that I didn't need to worry, that she has no intent on harming any of the girls or exposing them for that matter. I don't know if we can believe her but that's what she told me."

"I don't believe that we can trust her, with everything that is at stake now we have to move swiftly. Do you have any means to contact her?" Dai asked if Kouta did have such a mean, then perhaps it would be possible to lure her into a setup. He couldn't confront her openly, not with the risk that it was going to bring any attention to them.

"I'm going to have to ask you Kouta-san to do something you're likely going to hate me for, I want you to call her immediately and arrange a meeting with her, the sooner the better. The fewer people she has contact with the less likely that she can pass on the information."

Kouta objected to it vehemently. "The girls' and my own family's safety means everything to me but I won't lower myself by resorting to that. I'm sorry Dai-san but I won't help you kill her, that isn't like me." He was not going to be responsible for more blood being shed.

Dai explained it to him. "Calm yourself, I don't want to kill her either. You know how I feel about taking another person's life. No, we just lure her in and should it be needed then we simply kidnap her, killing her will likely make the whole matter worse and it's possible that if she dies the information will get leaked." Dai stressed how important it was to let her live, at least until they could be certain that no information had been leaked. "If that happens we'll be the ones branded as villains, no, we talk to her and see what we can do."

That made Kouta feel more at ease, he wouldn't mind calling her provided that he could be certain that she would not be harmed. Agreeing with Dai that he was going to call her later tonight and arrange for a meeting tomorrow night at a nearby park he said his goodbyes and hung up. "Anna-san, I really pray to god that what you said was the truth, the last thing I want right now is to have your blood on my hands. Please don't make me do something that I'll regret for the rest of my life, I beg you, please don't endanger my family."

Offering a prayer to God he placed the phone back in his pocket and started to walk back towards the inn, the prospect of what he was going to be involved in weighing heavy on him.


Standing there naked before the mirror, her artificial limbs attached, her clothes gripped firmly in one of her hands Nana took a long and painful look at herself. Splashed with both dirt and dried blood, standing on plastic limbs and branded a monster by the rest of the world Nana could only see the ugliness that was staring back at her. Her lips curled as she tried to fight back the tears, something within her had snapped today.

"…W-Why… do I always… have to fight… those I don't want to fight… it's not fair… why can't I be happy… papa… why… j-just… w-why…?" she whispered to herself.

Having run out of tears a while ago all she could do was to merely examine herself in numb desolation. Somehow it seemed and felt that every physical feature of herself carried a glaring flaw, a mistake, an abomination that was just mocking her.

"…W-Why c-couldn't I… be like everybody else… a normal person… not a monster… a freak… an abomination… a horned girl… a D-Diclonius…?"

She could clearly see the difference in the skin tone where the flesh met fake, such a subtle difference that had become an eyesore to her. The pink hue of her eyes which had always seemed so lovely felt now more like they didn't belong to her.

But what stuck out the most and was the source of all her of her misery and suffering ever since she was born were the two horns, those hideous bony protrusion sticking out of her head. They were monstrous, a clear sign that she would never be viewed as a human by the rest of the world, she felt so disgusted with them so much right now that she just wanted to tear them off.

"… I can't touch anybody… I can't feel anything… not with these… a person's touch… I-I can never… feel a person's touch… ever again… holding hands… I want to… hold hands… n-no longer… possible for me… to feels another person's hands… not for me…"

The way her hands parted as they hung to her sides looked as fake as they were in reality; there was nothing relaxed or casual about them. Just some poor fake substitutes for what she had lost, grabbing one of her hands she yanked it hard and twisted it to the point of it almost giving out. Any other person would have cried out in pain and agony, their wrists broken, their bones crushed but not her, not with these false things she had been forced to live with.

"… I hate them… I hate these… these… these… things… this isn't me… none of this is… they're fake… I'm fake… its… its… its… not… me…"

She hated every facet of them, she needed them to lead a life but that didn't mean that not a day would be by without loathing the idea that she was bound to these things. How much she envied her other sisters and countless people who had their real arms and legs. How much she would give to just have them back even if it was for just one day.

"… So silly of me… to keep dreaming… that I could have… the same luck… as Saeko-san… to be made better… to have back… everything was taken from me… why her… and not me… am I not special enough… aren't I good girl… as well… not me… why… why…?"

It was a question that kept plaguing her, dropping her clothes on the floor and wrapping her arms around herself she was reminded again of what she hated the most.

"I can't even feel my own body… how miserable must I be… must I remain…?" Her knees gave way as she dropped to the floor, she didn't want to go through with this anymore. Not with this life as it was just so cruel to her. Lying there she closed her eyes.


Saeko was at a loss for words, after having heard from Yuka what had happened in the house between two of her sisters she didn't know if she wanted to be angry or really scared. Her little sister and Nana had gotten into a fight with each other, she just couldn't understand why.

"W-Were they hurt?! I-Is Saori-chan, alright?! D-Did Nana-chan got hurt?! I-I need to see them! I-I need to call my aunt! H-Have you called her already?! She was starting to panic, her mind no longer able to tell left from right. What was she going to do? What was she going to do? Jumping up from her seat she wanted to go upstairs and see Saori.

"Don't be alarmed, dear," Yuka said in order to comfort the younger girl in an effort to try and get her to calm down. It wasn't going to do either of them any good if Saeko were to panic as well, "They're both fine, I already treated their wounds to the best I could and I've already called you aunt, she's on her way to here."

That seemed to put Saeko more at ease, knowing that already her aunt was on her way and that both of her sisters had already received some care. Even so, the first thing she wanted to do was to go and see for herself how both of her sisters were doing.

"I know that you're worried about your sisters but you need to remain calm yourself, if you let yourself go into a panic then you won't be able to help them. Saeko-chan, you need to calm down so you can help your aunt when she arrives," Yuka said as she wrapped her arms around her and held Saeko in a tight embrace. "You don't need to hold back, it's alright if you want to cry, nobody is going to hold it against you," she whispered to the young Diclonius.

As if on cue Saeko let go of the tears she had been trying to hold back, letting them run down her cheeks as she cried, sinking to her knees she buried her head against Yuka's chest as she cried and wailed.

Yuka just sat there, holding her tight, letting her know that it was alright. Right now it would do her best to just let out all of the sadness she was feeling, Saeko was going to feel better afterward and then she could help her aunt but for now, Yuka was going to let her cry.

"Let it out dear, don't feel ashamed about it. It's fine if you want to cry." There wasn't much else that she could do at the moment, for now, it would be best to comfort Saeko as much as she could until Mako would arrive. She would be relieved when either Mayu or Kouta would be coming back as well.

"So dear, how was your day at school? Did you have any fun with your friends today?" Yuka asked her as she looked down on Saeko, perhaps if she asked her about school it might help the younger girl to forget about the less pleasant things for a moment.

Looking up towards her and letting go Saeko wiped away the tears from her face. "… I-It was nice, Hinami-chan, a friend who I met a few days ago took us to see her senpai…"

Yuka tilted her head and giggled, "Oh so you've made another friend already, that is just wonderful to hear. If I may ask how many do you have right now? Can I ask you about their names and where they live?" Keeping up a warm smile seemed to have the desired effect as Saeko slowly began to smile herself again, Yuka felt better now as she saw it. It always pained her to see any of the girls in tears even if it would be over something rather silly.

"… A-Actually… there's three of them now," Saeko answered the question and then began to tell all about her friends, the senpai they had met thanks to Hinami, their search for a club to join and last but certainly not least the love letter she had found in her locker this morning.

It went without saying that Yuka was rather surprised at hearing all this.


By the time Mako had finished tending to both Nana and Saori it was already getting pretty dark outside, the gathering clouds overhead also signaled that there was a good chance that they could expect a big storm coming over them.

"Thank you for having come over so fast Mako-san, we owe you," Kouta mentioned as he escorted her to the main gate. "I don't know what we would have done without you, I'm sorry for having Yuka calling you over in such a hurry."

The woman merely shook her head in return, "Don't worry about it, this was an emergency. She was right to have called me, well, for now, it's important for Saori-chan to have plenty of rest. There was a lot of strain placed on her body, her wounds have a good chance to heal provided she gets the needed rest but I have to stress that she need to stay in bed, no walking around or anything. Please, make sure of that."

Kouta nodded, making sure to keep note of what Mako was telling him as it was pretty important. "What else should I keep in mind? Any medication that we should get some extra of for tomorrow? What about Nana-chan, is she going to be alright?"

"She will be, her injuries are only minor, fortunately, there was no internal bleeding or broken bones. For the most part, she seems to be more in a state of shock, my advice for her is to make sure that she takes it easy as well in the coming days." Mako advised him that Nana having enough rest was also going to be important, furthermore, it would also not be a bad idea to make sure that in the coming days there would be somebody to keep her company.

That seemed like a job more fitting for Mayu as she was Nana's best friend, with it being the weekend that shouldn't be too much of an issue though it was going to be a little more difficult when the week began again. Well, they would think about that then, for now, they would make sure that Nana wasn't going to be alone.

About to turn around he was struck with an idea, somebody to keep Nana company, keep an eye on the situation at home and allow Mayu to go to school. "Mako-san, may I ask for a favor? I think I have a solution for our little problem."

Mako looked at him with curiosity, raising an eyebrow in the process. "What is it? Something that I can help you with?"

Now it was his turn to smile. "There is actually, if it's alright with you and Dai-san then I would like to ask if it were possible for the twins to spend not only the weekend but also the week with us."

Mako wasn't sure what to say to that, she could understand for the weekend but for the coming week as well, that was a bit too much in her mind. It did not feel right to her to let Kouta and Yuka bear the burden of having to take care of the girls for a full week.

"I really don't think that would be a wise decision, you're already pretty taxed from what I have seen. Besides, I would need to talk this over with Dai. Are you really sure about this?"

He told her that he was and explained his reason for asking for the twins to stay, they could keep Nana company as they didn't need to go to school, they could help in the household.

Furthermore, both of them could also help in keeping an eye on Saori and they both also knew how to numb her. Given that both Kyou and Ryou liked coming here and would likely be bored of being stuck in the house it seemed to him that a week here at the inn was going to be a welcome change of scenery for them as well.

"They would like it as well and it will allow you and Dai-san to have some rest in the house, the two of you could even go somewhere else to spend some time together. Sei-kun can be left in our care while you're gone. What do you say about it?"

It definitely gave her something to think about, sure it was going to be odd but then the twins had lived here before coming to her house, it wasn't like she was going to leave them with total strangers. It was also true what Kouta had said, both of the girls had mentioned often that they wanted to be able to spend more time outside. Didn't sound like a bad idea when she thought about it. "I'll need to discuss with Dai, I'll let you know tomorrow if that's alright with you? Have a goodnight yourself and take care of your family."

"You, too, Mako-san, be safe," Kouta mentioned in return as he closed the gate behind her and locked it. He wondered though if it was going to be safe, he had informed Mako of what had happened and no doubt Dai would want to talk about it with her as well before they would make up their mind. That was fine with him, if they were to decline then likely it was simply with the safety of their daughters in mind, he would expect nothing less from them.

He gazed up, looking at the sky. Sure enough, it was getting really dark now and the temperature was also starting to drop rather dramatically. "I guess the weather is taking a turn for the worse, it's better if we don't need to go outside for tonight." Luckily Mayu had already taken Wanta out for a walk a while ago and seeing the skies they would keep him inside as well. "Hopefully it'll be better tomorrow," he said as he went back inside and locked the door behind him as well. Just then the first drops began to fall.


As the car came slowly to a halt in the pouring rain Bando pulled his coat a little tighter, gazing upwards he could tell that this was one of those summer downpours that was going to last for hours. Well, it would do good to make sure that people would keep their heads down and hopefully offer the group he was with a good chance to get onto the ship unnoticed. Still, he wouldn't mind a good fight and he was aching to get to grips with anybody.

"You've picked a terrible night to bring us here Sakai, well at least it should help us get onto the damn boat without any of them fuckers noticing us. That is unless some of your goons tipped them off." Bando hinted at the other four men that had been brought along for this assignment. Having had a good look at them during the ride towards this harbor he didn't have much of an impression for these men. If anything he expected them to be the cause when things would go sour, perhaps it was going to better for them to leave them back here and watch the damn cars.

"Do not worry yourself about them, they're well trained and know their job. I don't bring amateurs when I expect trouble to hit the fan," Sakai mentioned in return, irritated by Bando's constant remarks and the questioning of his men, but that didn't make him forget that the man had made a point.

Cracking a smile Bando replied, "Glad to hear we are on the same page." He pulled out one of his pistols, slamming in a fresh magazine of more conventional rounds. If there was going to be trouble then it would be against mere humans, against those these would suffice. "Aye."

"Just remember that our main objective is to find out if the intel we got was accurate or not, until then you're forbidden from engaging any hostiles unless you have to. Avoid contact at all times if possible, if you have to take them out do it fast and without being spotted."

The men nodded, no words spoken as if they had done this before countless times.

"Bando, you're with me, the rest of you split into teams of two, maintain contact at all times," Sakai told the other men who quickly went their own separate ways. "This goes without saying but you had better not get us into any unnecessary trouble, I won't risk the lives of these men because you have an issue with restraining yourself. Let me be clear about that."

Bando scoffed at that remark as he felt that if anybody was going to put them at risk it was going to be these guys, not him. Letting it slide he just wiped his nose, no he wasn't going to dignify that remark with an answer at all.

'Let's get a move on, we're wasting our time here." Was all he said before set off into the distance, leaving Sakai standing there for a moment until it sank in with him. Giving out a short curse he set off in pursuit of Bando.

"Don't get smart with me, not during this mission as you're here at my request. When this over you can rot back in the gutter for all I care, you're here merely as an extra man that I know will get the job assigned to him done."

Well, that felt rather insulting to Bando, this guy was going to be so in need of a good lecture after this was over, a lecture that would consist of him given the man one hell of an ass whooping. But that would have to wait for now, they had a more pressing matter though so far Bando was less than impressed with it. With the weather also taking a turn for the worst he felt even more annoyed about having to move through these docks in the middle of the night. Then again he had at least one good point here, there was no Dai and his consistent complaining.

Gazing over towards Sakai he wondered if his current associate was an improvement at all, ah who was he kidding, he was already missing the bastard alright. At least he knew where Dai stood, he could rely on him to watch his back, unlike these goons he found himself working with.

"Tell me exactly where did the tip for this originate from, was it a reliable source?" Bando asked, his natural paranoia and gut instinct kicking in as he felt that something was off, an uneasy feeling kept nagging in the back of his mind.

"The source is reliable I can assure you, that is all you need to know. Now hurry over towards that point over there, those stacked crates should offer us some cover. We also need to find a way to get closer towards that ship but I think just walking over isn't going to be an option for us," Sakai mentioned as he hinted at a position that was just ahead of them, it was a small supply depot but one that would enable to mask their approach.

Gazing to where the man had been pointing Bando could tell the point was well chosen, that would offer some good cover for the moment. Sadly it would obscure also most of their view towards the ship. They would need to move in closer if they wanted a better look.

"You said that the source was reliable, just how reliable is that exactly? And for your information, I don't work on a need to know basis, that isn't my fucking style so you'd better start talking."

"We don't have time to argue over how reliable the source is. You have a job, I suggest you focus on that first, agent Bando," Sakai retorted as he peeked from behind the stacked crates.

Bando swallowed, dammit he wasn't going to find out what they were really after. He would need to remain cautious because he didn't trust the men he was with, he didn't trust the source and he sure as freaking hell didn't trust Sakai.

"Alright, get ready to move on my mark. Mark, go, go, go!"


Author's note: hey folks, here's the latest chapter for you to enjoy. Wow, to think that we're already in December already. Just a few more weeks and this year will be over, ah well that just means that plenty of us can already start with making plans for the next year, goals we want to achieve.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I'm already working on the next one as I do want to get a few more posted before the end of the year. Looking forward to your thoughts and opinions, enjoy your weekend and see you all soon. Take care.