A/N: Last night, I had the privilege of seeing Comet Neowise, a comet that won't come back in another 6,800 years. Although my poor near-sighted vision could just barely make it out through my binoculars, it gave me a warm feeling of both wonder and appreciation that I could witness such a rare event.

Chapter 17:

Kanami had a habit of waking exactly at sunrise. Even with the curtains of her hotel closed, Kanami awoke with tousled hair and tender eyes aching from lack of sleep. Suppressing a rumbling yawn, she crossed the room and opened the connecting door, separating her room from Hiyori's. The Mokusa Toji was still in a peaceful slumber, her ebony locks spread out across her pillow. However, even in sleep, Hiyori still had Kogarasumaru held tightly in her grasp, ready in case of an ambush.

With a pounding heart, Kanami crept up and delicately pulled back the covers a little to gaze at Hiyori's sleeping face. There was no trace of Hiyori's usual wrinkled brow nor her condescending frown. She looked simply like a normal fourteen-year-old girl, deep in her dreams. A blush crossed Kanami's face, unable to stop thinking about how beautiful Hiyori looked in sleep. She noted how the Mokusa Toji was wearing the silver necklace she gave her. Kanami couldn't help but smile at that.

However, her happiness was short-lived and brought to a devastating halt, when she heard her phone vibrating in her room. Quickly opening it up, Kanami's heart dropped at the big bold words on her screen.

I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE, ETOU KANAMI. I'M WATCHING YOU. I ALWAYS AM.

I HAD A NORO BOMB HIDDEN AT THE MASAMUNE HOTEL WHICH WILL DETONATE IN EXACTLY FOUR HOURS. I ADVISE YOU TO SET YOUR PRIORITIES. GOOD LUCK.

-ORIGAMI YUKARI-

With panic building in her churning stomach, Sayaka dutifully followed Yukina into the elevators and up to the suite that would serve as their meeting room. Inside a briefcase she brought were ampoules of noro worth millions of yen. Although her face was straight as always, beads of sweat were rolling down the Renpu Toji's back. Trying to keep her emotionless façade, Sayaka addressed her ministry's president with respect.

"I can call for room service to bring tea for the exchange meeting, President Takatsu."

"That won't be necess—"

But Sayaka was already talking into the suite's telephone, making an order.

"You're hiding something from me."

Kanami gave Hiyori a dry look, skillfully concealing her rising fear.

"No, I'm not," she answered, bluntly.

Her team leader rolled her eyes, unconvinced. "Kanami, you keep telling me you want me to trust you. How can I if you keep on being secretive and two-faced?"

Biting her lip, Kanami barely heard Hiyori's question. Her mind could only think about the message Yukari sent her. How did Yukari find her and most importantly—just how much did she know? Yukari's message only mentioned knowing about her whereabouts, but did the Origami leader know about the rest of her friends? Was she aware of the involvement of Hiyori and the rest of their team? Was she aware of their mission? And what about this noro bomb? If that part of Yukari's message was legit, Kanami couldn't imagine the number of fatalities that would occur if such a thing were to detonate.

"Kanami?"

The Minoseki Toji was brought back to Earth, looking into Hiyori's burgundy eyes. Hiyori was giving her the same stare she'd normally reserve for Kaoru. To tell or not to tell?

'I want Hiyori-chan to trust me, but...'

She was supposed to protect Hiyori; she couldn't...she can't! Still, an internal voice was whispering in Kanami's ear.

'You need to trust her too.'

Taking a deep breath, Kanami said, "I can't help with this mission."

Hiyori's face was unfazed. "Because why?"

"B-Because—"

"Kanami."

"H-Huh?"

"We're a team, remember? It's okay to trust me," Hiyori reasoned. "L-Look, I've been thinking about what you said last night...and I realized that I've been rather unfair to you. Just looking back and remembering your actions, you really have been nothing but loyal to me. And I'm thankful for that."

Although it was difficult for the Mokusa Toji to say such a speech, her words still were unexpected to Kanami.

Pressing her lips together, Hiyori paused before saying, "You've saved my life quite a few times, so let me protect you for once."

Kanami's eyes fell to the silver bird's wing adorning Hiyori's neck. It glimmered in the light, serving as a reminder to the Minoseki Toji. A reminder that she and Hiyori needed to support each other. Their connection was not one-sided; it had to work both ways.

Releasing a gulp in her throat, Kanami said with serious eyes, "Origami Yukari sent me a message. She knows where I am and she's planted a noro bomb somewhere in the hotel."

This was the stumbling block that Hiyori was afraid of. Everything had worked out too well; now, here was their first difficulty that lay ahead. Racking her brains, trying not to lose her cool, Hiyori paced up and down the room trying to think of possible solutions. Should she send Ellen and Kaoru to search for it? No, not enough time—the exchange was happening in only an hour. Mai could be a possibility, but she too had an important role to play—keeping an eye out for Yukina and the Elite Guards, when they arrived. There was only one solution left.

"I'll find and deactivate the bomb," Hiyori said.

"Hiyori-chan, no!"

"If you're being targeted, Yukari is literally asking for you to find the bomb!" Hiyori said. "You're in enough danger already. But, there's still a chance she doesn't know that the rest of us are here. Just stay here until Ellen comes with Tagitsuhime's okatanas and check out of the hotel as quickly as possible!"

"But—"

A ringtone in their earpieces alerted them that one of their teammates was trying to communicate. Switching them on, the two Tojis heard Mai's voice.

"Bad news, the Elite Guards have just arrived ahead of schedule."

Adjusting her black bow tie, Kaoru took a deep breath staring at the room number she was in front of. Room 32-135—this was it. Behind the door awaited danger, the presence of four notorious Elite Guards and a ruthless ministry president. She delicately arranged the items on top of her food trolley. A three-tiered serving stand complete with finger-sandwiches and sweets; teacups and a steaming pot of tea (which may have or may not have been drugged); and the two fake okatanas hidden on her trolley's bottom tier. Yes, everything was ready.

Readying herself, Kaoru waited for Ellen to give the signal in her earpiece, before boldly knocking. It was Maki that answered the door.

With a smile, Kaoru wheeled her load in. "Bonjour, Madame et Mademoiselles. Your tea, along with some savouries and sweets. Compliments of the hotel."

"Only the best for you, Madame," the Mokusa Toji addressed Yukina, who frowned in response.

'So far, so good, I think,' Kaoru thought. 'Hold on. Where are the other two Nazis?'

Only Maki and Suzuka were in the room; Yomi and Yume were nowhere in sight. Perhaps they didn't come to the hotel at all or...? Kaoru's wavering eyes flitted towards Sayaka, but only briefly as she proceeded to lay out the porcelain cups and saucers with shaking hands.

"Do you take milk and sugar, Madame?"

'Where would I hide a noro bomb if I was Origami Yukari?' Hiyori thought. 'Probably somewhere with lots of people. That bitch has no sympathy towards human life.'

Dressed in a green cocktail dress, she prowled through the busy casino, pretending to mind her own business. Some men wolf-whistled as she passed by, but Hiyori took no notice of them. Booming music, clinking metal, and clattering roulette balls filled the large room, amid the yells and chatter of the casino players. Heavy clouds of smoke also drifted about, making the Mokusa Toji wrinkle her nose.

Hiyori's eyes drifted to a large briefcase at a closed roulette table. Looking around warily to see if any eyes were on her, she unclasped it. Just she thought the insides were full of wires with a clear ticking time bomb.

'Bingo.'

With patience, Kaoru watched as Yukina's face turned green. The Elite Guards were also clearly starting to get bloated cheeks. With an expression as pinched as a nutcracker's, Yukina slapped a hand to her mouth and pointed to Sayaka.

"Keep an eye on the okatanas and noro," she gulped. "Don't let that waitress leave this room!"

She dashed to the bathroom with Maki and Suzuka hot on her heels. Within seconds, retching sounds could be heard, along with the splattering of bile.

'Game on!' Kaoru thought with glee.

Not wasting a second, she quickly took the fake okatanas from under the trolley's white cloth. Sayaka took out the real Onimaru and Oodenta, letting Kaoru replace them with the forged replicas. With phase one complete, the real okatanas were then dropped down the suite's laundry chute into Ellen's awaiting linen cart.

"Good work, you two," they heard Ellen say through their earpieces. "I'll take these to Kanamin's room when I redo the beds."

"Hurry now, Kaoru!" Sayaka urged, in a hushed voice.

With a nod of appreciation, the Mokusa Toji speedily exited the room, leaving Sayaka to crumple to the floor, seemingly knocked out.

In the casino bathroom, Hiyori stuck out her tongue, as she gently probed two wires apart. Well, she wasn't dead yet. So far, so good... That timer was going down too damn fast—she had to hurry!

'Slow and steady wins the race,' she reprimanded herself. 'Last thing I need to be blown sky-high from clumsiness. Just five more wires to cut.'

Bracing herself, she snapped the last one, flinching from fear. An exhale of relief left her mouth. At last, she—

'Wait, what's happening?'

Letters were starting to appear on the briefcase's inner screen. Letters that spelt: TRICKED YOU.

Her eyes bulging wide, Hiyori looked up into the mirror just in time to see Yomi, swooping down upon her. Sparks flew as her okatana clashed against the Elite Guard's.

"Don't forget about me, Karasu-onee-sama!" came a childish shriek.

Hiyori let out a gasp and bent back her head to avoid Yume's okatana, which narrowly missed her neck. Sidestepping out of the way, she clashed blades with Yomi, deflecting a hit. However, Yume took advantage of lunging at Hiyori, kicking her into one of the bathroom mirrors. The mirror shattered upon impact, raining shards of glass onto Hiyori's bruised body.

"Just give up, Hiyori," Yomi crooned.

"N-Never..."

"Just like the big sis I remember," Yume said. "So stubborn and unwilling to admit defeat. Booooring."

"Too bad for you that this ambush comes with a little twist," Yomi added. "We were already prepared for this. She was already prepared for this."

Hiyori waited with dread, wondering what the black and white-haired Elite guard was talking about. Then, her heart dropped when at the sound of the bathroom door being kicked open. Turning her head in terror, she was met with the sight of at least five black-suited soldiers from the Special Ritual Riot Squad.

"No—aaaauuuugh!"

Convulsing until she fell into a heap, Hiyori's blurred vision could just make out the two wires digging into her back from the taser gun one of the soldiers held. With a distressed moan, she spasmed one last time, desperately trying to reach for Kogarasumaru.

Then everything went black.

A/N: Having successfully stolen the real Onimaru and Oodenta, will Hiyori's team be able to defeat Origami Yukari? And how was the Toji dictator able to discover their plan? What could've possibly gone wrong? With Hiyori captured, will Kanami be able to save her?

Sorry if this chapter was a little boring. I had to make do with the little plot ideas I had.