The black cat looked over the Sakamoto residence with a keen eye, ever since Nea began her journey with Mao. He swore secrecy to Lavenza, and since the defeat of Jiyu's president, it seems the two would do alright for themselves, but he'd be lying if he wasn't still worried about them. The early morning sun peaked over the horizon as those worries proved themselves justified.
"Where the heck are they?!" he worried, pacing his paws back and forth over since last night. "I was able to cover for them for now, but what if they don't come back again! Urgh, back in our day, thievery never took this long…unless something happened to them." He felt to urge to share what's happening, but yesterday's bombing was a grave wake-up call to who this new threat is and what they can do to anyone in their way.
"Please just hurry back in one piece, you two…" he quietly hoped, keeping a lookout for any danger, human or otherwise.
Case File#2_2: Bound by Oath
He found himself lying in a strange structure, its floor black and white as the Zodiac sigil of Cancer glows above him. 'What…? Whatever, I don't got time for dreams, let me sleep,' he muttered to himself as the sigil suddenly bled a dark substance, slowly consuming the crumbling structure.
"Stand up Sh-…I know-can do it, Shou?"
A voice echoes in the misty darkness, though he only understood the words conveyed as the authentic voice was a blur, forever lost to him. Old memories float far above this void like a far-off time now unattainable. A gold butterfly flutters into the front of Shou's half-conscious mind, brightening the way towards the images. He felt his hand reach out towards them, flinching slighting suddenly till retracting and staying where he is nothingness. A cold breath hisses down his neck, a deathly hand on his shoulder as it tries to pull him deeper.
"Embrace nothingness…for your life is nothing."
Loud sirens and horns are heard from the street below; Shou opens his eyes, back to reality.
He laid sprawled over his bed, which was just a mattress and a few blankets on the floor. "A butterfly—again?" he muttered, feeling the morning grogginess set in as he felt his brow already sweaty. He threw the blankets off and turned on a fan as it felt like it was a hundred degrees in his one-room apartment, the fan providing any solace of cool air as he looked at the time. "Barely a few hours again…why do I do this to myself? Ah fuck," he groaned as he feels a full-on headache set in. He trudges to his small fridge and past his pile of various dust-covered books, from music and electronic books to medical and human anatomy books. With a drink in hand, he threw open his torn-up curtains, breathing in the morning smog.
He grabbed and tuned in on the right radio station as static buzzed, eventually finding the right one as he gazed out to the buzzing street.
"Good morning Tokyo, it's Vox Populi Radiooooo!" the announcer cheered. Shou looked below as vendors and stores are open, rows of hangers and products cluttering the street as kids play beside a fire hydrant spraying some water. "Phew, it's the 8th of May, and already it's a grueling ninety degrees over at the heart of Kyū-Tōkyō. What the hell happened to spring people? Oh right, climate change. Welp, gather whose ever-got A/C and share what water you got left around because it looks to be this hot for the rest of the week with the high today being ninety-six."
"Shit…" Shou sighed, putting on a shirt and head out since it wasn't getting any cooler.
He squeezes through his closet, finding one till noticing his shadow looming over him. He felt an odd presence looking at it; he shook it off with some quick shadow boxing to clear the mind and get his muscle moving again. Soon, he was stepped out to the street with a brown cap and workout tank top, already having his mechanic pants on and work shirt slung over his shoulder. He puts on headphones attached to an old phone when a shout comes from the door behind him. "Hey! Where is your rent, ya worthless bastard!" his landlord shouted, nearly chugging a beer bottle at him. Shou pulls out a stack of yen and tosses it at his sandals, his wrinkled fingers eagerly grabbing 100,000 yen for a decrepit room while giving a slimy grin that showed his gold tooth. Many onlookers were disgusted by landlords; Shou carried the same frown while covering his eyes with his cap and leaving.
He stops by a huddled store as kids play with water guns and hungry stray animals drink the cool water. Shou buys his medicine and a pack of jerky, only needing a few and giving the rest to the animals outside, smirking at a mother feeding her fragile pup. He crosses streets and turned corners till reaching a small bridge, the river below nearly dried up with trash debris everywhere. Crossing over his sense spike as he catches a water bottle thrown at him, a group around his age sitting beside an abandoned electronic shop turned hangout spot and stacks of electronic music devices.
"Drink up, Mr. Mechanic heard the sudden heat and humidity will last well into next week," their leader said with a wink, that script adorning their shirt.
"Oi, you're still carrying that phone. Let us hear some beats. We're currently looking for inspiration in these scorching times," the punk woman requested with a lax attitude. Shou tosses it over, after a while giving a look showing it lacks what they're seeking.
"Not my best work anyway," he said, scratching the hair on his chin, "bet that lady last night could do better."
"Who?" the leader asked, tossing it back.
"Nothing, thanks for the water," Shou said, tipping his cap and walking off.
He continued until entering one of Tachikawa's open plazas. One of the few places resembling NEO-Tokyo, mainly from what he heard, was due to Takeuchi's and Monad starting a 'collaborative revitalization effort.'
"Didn't this start last year or somethin'? Ah, who gives a shit," he groans, walking up the plaza stairs and past the tourists, each of whom averted their gaze at him as Shou simply walked to work. Coming to Sakura trees planted outside, he suddenly heard one of the trees snore. "Wait, what?" he asked, taking off his headphones to hear real grumbling and snoring on top of one of the Sakura trees. Tourists look on when a blonde girl pops out.
"WAAH!" she screams, grabbing onto a branch as if waking up, starling most onlookers. Shou saw as she rapidly looked around, confused and lost, even noticing her clothing not being common around these parts. Catching how she wore a yellow bracelet. "Mao?! Emi?! Where the heck am I? How'd I get here?!"
"She on drugs or somethin'?" Shou muttered as everyone else proceed to ignore her. This sort of stuff happens here often; he'd be lyin' if he didn't feel a bit of pity to them, though she stood out from others.
Nea quickly notices the public and blushes embarrassingly. "Hehehe, uhh, don't mind me, everybody. Crazy night with friends is all," she nervously smiled before getting to work on climbing down. "Now how do I…" she looked down, dangling her leg before slipping and gripping onto the branch for dear life. 'This is the worst place to end up in, the heck even happened!?'
"Uh, having trouble there?" Shou asked, too weirded out from the sight to move.
"N-nope! I-I got this, go about your day as normal," she said, but her fear clearly betrayed her words. 'C-come on legs, just reach the floor!'
Shou shook his head, walking under Nea and extending his arms out. Nea peeked below and notices. "Come on," he said.
"W-wait, you're helping me?"
"Just let go before you embarrass yourself even more," he groaned.
"G-good point," Nea considered. "O-okay, I trust that you'll catch me, got it?!"
"Yeah, yeah, you can trust me," he said, rolling his eyes as she fell a mere six feet into his arms. However, he didn't anticipate the smaller, thin girl to be surprisingly heavy, falling on his back as she sat on top of him with her eyes shut. 'The hell does she eat!?'
Nea opens her eyes to find she's still in one piece, standing up in great relief and helping Shou up, "Phew, my hero. You sure know how to get people's trust. Wait, does this happen enough that you catch people from trees regularly?"
He looks at her quizzically for such a question. "N-no, but thank god for that," he groaned, feeling as if he just got dumbbells lifted off him.
"Hehe, I just half-joking, but thanks for seriously helping me. Now, do you by any chance know where—" She stopped upon noticing Shou walking away. "H-hey, don't just leave those you've helped behind!" Nea gasped while catching up to him, much to his annoyance.
"I only said I catch you, not be your new best friend or somethin'."
"I-I wasn't thinking that," Nea mumbled, giving a half-smile while fiddling with her fingers.
"Tsk, you're horrible at lying, I'll say that much." He soon tried to outpace her, but she walked beside him as a lost puppy would.
"Guess you're not wrong there. But anyway, I just want safe directions back to Chuo City, and if you saw my friends, one has red eyes and another has blue with matching hair. See, we were in the anim—uhh I mean anime expo, yeah and we'd partied uber hard and—"
"There isn't even a convention center here, dumbass," Shou groaned, his annoyance turning to frustration.
"Hey, I am not a dumbass!" Nea protested, quickly recollecting herself and getting to the point. "Please, mister, I'm just… I'm lost and need to find my friends. We got something really important riding on this."
He scratches his head with an annoyed posture, "If I help, would you please leave me alone?"
Nea looked a bit hurt but nods, "y-yeah, promised, uhh Shou."
He flinches as his name dropped, "how'd you know that?"
"It's on your work shirt, obviously."
He flinches at the name tag, forgetting about it and moving on, "look, head back to the plaza. It has good reception where you can call your buddies."
"Oh duh, course I'll use my—" she said, stopping upon noticing her phone now in two in her pocket. Her face turning blue, and she resisted slapping her own forehead.
Shou knew he heard a crack, "All alright, lucky you then that plaza leads also to a metro line. It's relatively clean and should get you anywhere you want. If nothing else, there's an old ass payphone there for you to call someone, so long you got 100 yen on ya."
Nea quickly remembers her little money swipe and taps on her pocket, "oh, I got plenty to spare."
"Fan-freakin-tastic," Shou waved off before crossing the street and heading off to work, 'why am I not surprise a NEO-Tokyo-looking girl has tons of cash on her?' He turns the corner only to freeze at the sight of cop cars, the officers patrolling the street with batons in hand and guns in their holsters as a row of street residents are handcuffed. He quickly dashes behind the corner, hoping they didn't see him, 'shit, since when did pigs start patrolling on this side? Another drug raid?' He peeked over to find the cops holding prescription bottles and milligrams of weed as reasons for these arrests. He shook his head, remembering the old man's caution, but he never figured it is this soon. Now, he worries over how the mere sight of him by these cops will get him thrown behind bars.
"Gotta get around them somehow, so long as things don't get worse—" His thought till a yelp is heard from where he left Nea, turning to see a woman and two men corner her to a metal fence, eyeing her wallet. 'Motherfuckers! Don't they see the pigs are a block away from them?!'
Nea stood nervous as their leader pointed at her wallet, "L-listen, I kind of landed here suddenly in a tree, so I'm not exactly in the best spot to pay."
"Not with those clothes on you, now fork over the money!" one of them shouted.
"Okay, okay! Let's be calm and no shouting," Nea said calmly, pulling out the money she snatched and forked it over. "Here, suppose this is karma on my part for being greedy."
"…100 yen?" the leader said.
Nea looked to see that in this world, the ten gold coins reverted to 100 yen. "Oh, come on…wait, this means I still get a free phone call, nice!"
"Mikko, why'd you choose the shittest people to mug?" one of them asks before noticing Nea's bracelet. "Say that's a nice hunk of metal you got there."
Nea notices their gaze and tries covering it, "W-wait, I actually got a few more yen to spar-"
"Too late, hand it over!" one of them said, grabbing her wrist before being punched by Nea. She froze when the woman pulls out a switch knife, giving an intimidating glare that Nea trembled under.
"Now we got your attention?" the other guy taunts, reaching his hand over to the bracelet when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turns to Shou's fist flying towards his face, knocking him out in one punch. The woman draws her blade, but he disarms her with a crushing grip to her wrist, shoving her aside as the other man punches him in the jaw. Nea gasps as Shou barely flinched, giving a pissed-off glare before returning with a strong uppercut, blood splattering on his cheek. The three fumbled themselves away when the leader glares at him, "shit, dude, you nearly cracked my—crap, the mad dog!"
"Shut up," he growled, pointing to lights flashing across the block. Upon recognizing it's the cops, they run off. 'Phew, at least now nothing obvious will agitate them to arrest even more people.' Suddenly he felt someone hug him from behind.
"Thank you! You just keep getting cooler and cooler, and you're even stronger than you look!" Nea cheered, thankful.
"Yeah yeah, I got it. Mind letting go now?" Shou groaned as he almost had to pry her off. "Geez, is the phrase 'personal space' even in your vocabulary?"
"Hehehe, maybe," Nea chuckled. "But seriously, you were so cool just now. You were all like ka-pow! Wham-mo!" she exclaimed, throwing air punches where the muggers were as her eyes glowed. "You might even beat the strongest person I know, though I think she'll see how much of a nice guy you are first."
"Hardly, you heard what they said. I rough people up because I can…nothing more," he warns, giving a cold gaze as if to scare her off. "Besides, I only did it so I wouldn't be on the police's radar. When a NEO-Tokyo resident is being mugged, then anyone nearby, especially people like me, is thrown in jail without a second thought."
Nea twirled her finger around her hair locks, looking away as she said, "…you still helped someone, that's what matters. You're a good man for doing that."
His cold glare shifts at the comment, then he turns his back and begins to walk about. "Hmph, no wonder muggers spotted you; you're too naive and innocent," Shou smirked, waving his hand goodbye. "Best to get home before people start eyeing that bracelet again."
"O-okay…" she muttered. As she saw Shou walk away, her heart felt a sense of hollowness within him. She waves goodbye and shouts, "have a nice day! If we ever meet again, you gotta show me what tunes your playing!"
"Sure…whatever helps you sleep," he says, disappearing in the distance.
"So cool…" Nea awed before switching gears and tapping her bracelet. "Hey Safie, you working fine?"
[Y-yes, Sakamoto-san. Something must've gone wrong mid-jump, throwing the three of you across Tokyo.]
"What?!"
[Hold on. Incoming transmission]
"S-saka-to?" a voice asks through the static.
"Emi is that you?!" Nea exclaims with great relief. "Phew, am I glad to hear from you!"
"H—d on, I'm on -y wa-" she tried to say, through the static, Nea understood to stay put. For several minutes she stayed relatively close and avoided any more confrontations when Emi's car rolled up to her. "Get in," Emi ordered with urgency.
Nea jumped in the passenger side, but before she could say thanks, Emi sped off. Nea held on as she cut corners and eventually made an abrupt turn into an alley and turned off the car. "Emi, what's going on!?" she asked.
"Shhh!" Emi hushed, several seconds passed by when another car cruised by past them. Nea kept her head down upon hearing muttering outside. Emi peaked over to see several men with pins marking them as Yakuza. "Seems we're in Tachikawa, the heart of Kazato family territory," Emi whispered, "and just like their patriarch's cognition, they're patrolling his streets thoroughly."
Both stayed down and kept quiet till the car drove off, a stark reminder of the real-world dangers their enemies present. Nea slump backs now that any threat is gone with Emi turning on the car, "Safie woke me up. Finding myself in Yokohama at dawn break, I grabbed the car and scoured the streets for you two. But these thugs spotted me almost immediately and are out for any suspicious activity."
"Aren't their police for this sort of thing?" Nea asked.
"Even if they were doing the job they're supposed to, being spotted and questioned why we're here isn't something we need. More so for Mao, she's the last person we need in their grasps."
Her name makes Nea quickly check the backseats, findimh them empty, "Where's Mao?"
"Still missing," Emi says regrettably, "Bracelet's still functional, but tracking her would be hard, especially with Yakuza and cops seemingly everywhere."
"Is something big going on, or is it something that will happen?" Nea questioned.
"We'll figure it out after finding Mao," Emi whispered, glancing at Nea's bracelet and noticing a crack. "Here, let me see."
Nea lets her examine the device, both their bracelets beeping till Emi's begins repairing the crack. "Didn't know these were so fragile."
"They're not," Emi cleared up, "But given the force behind whatever fall you had, it was dangerously close to damaging something vital." Safie's repair process was finished as Nea's bracelet was back to normal. "There, but the damage seems to have come after the jump, so what caused us to separate?"
Nea thinks back to Mao and recalls a pulse wave striking them just as they jumped, "I think…it could've been that thing that freaked Mao out."
"But she destroyed its barrier, yes?" Emi asked, which was a unique position for Nea to be in.
"W-well, it's just a thought that probably pulling from too many stories I read, but what if it was…more aware than we thought," Nea guessed. "I've rarely seen something that freaks Mao out that much; maybe it's smart enough to do that and even fight back."
Emi pondered the idea, "that's…actually a reasonable hypothesis Nea," she said.
The compliment has Nea smile to herself for a moment, "Well, it's not really based on any evidence you would look for. It's mostly…ever since confronting the entity in Jiyu, Mao hasn't said a word about it since to either of us. Like she didn't want to think about it."
'Perhaps because she only shared it with the Velvet Room, but from an emotional analysis angle, it still makes sense given Mao's more reclusive side,' Emi thought. "If that's true, then I was foolish in assuming it'd be a sophisticated but single-minded defense system. Perhaps, it is something more, something capable of evolving quickly?" She grips the wheel of the car, a quiet frustration brewing in her chest, 'but regardless of how these entities work, it's because of my rash judgment that Mao's now lost with Kazato's thugs everywhere…damn it.' She punches the car out of the alley and begins roaming the streets, "Safie, any luck on Mao's A.T.D.?"
[Yes, but it seems to be damaged as well, and Mao's currently not responding. She is roughly in the border area of Tachikawa and Akishima cities]
"But that's at the other side of the city," Nea groans, "there has to be a faster way there."
"Till Mao wakes up, we'll have to take the safe route and go around the city. It'll take time, but so long as Mao's in a hidden spot, then she won't be in danger," Emi determines as she drives to safer streets. Her curiosity about this group growing as its power and influence is shown around them.
-(Noon)-
It was a short shift today for Shou, but a surprisingly busy one as a few cars rolled up to the shop, each one more busted than the last.
"Anyone care about their transmission anymore?" he mumbled, doing the best he can as Masumi methodically works on another car before finishing its last tune-up. Shou had to give the old man that his mechanical skills are the best he saw even at his old age.
"Not bad, that's faster than last time," Masumi said upon inspecting Shou's work. "I'll cover the rest; go take your break."
"Sure, boss man," Shou shrugged, rolling out from beneath the truck and wiping any oil in his face. He glances at Masumi to catch a hesitant look in his eye, reluctant to say something. "What?" Shou asked.
Masumi's old voice groans anxiously, "our 'friend' just updated me and said the scene of your last drive is under heavy police investigation."
"So? I just drive a car with legal material and a couple of guys, not like they'll find anything on me."
"She said it doesn't matter, the one behind this has made her more anxious about future delivery from us, and I couldn't agree more." Masumi see's Shou posture shift as he told him, "I've talked her into cutting this side business till further notice."
"What?" Shou stood up, barely hiding his surprise.
"I'm doing this for your own safety. What you saw on the way here is just a glimpse of the increased police presence in Old Tokyo. So, keep head low while you are at it," Masumi firmly states. "Besides, she said you've helped more than enough…she said you're a good man."
Shou lowers his head, turning his back as he threw his rag in frustration, "so it's back to fixing shitty cars and doing fuck nothing the rest of this hot as hell city?"
"It'll only be for a while…and last time I checked, you barely cared for the delivery job, but the moment it's gone, you decide that's the time to have an attitude?"
Shou shakes his head as he felt another rant coming. He turns around says, "You know what? You're right, boss…not like there's anything out there for me anyway. What's one less thing?" He walks past Masumi, flicking his nose with his thumb, "I'm going on break."
Outside to a small grassy yard, he sits back in a plastic chair, the only view of the smog sky provides in front of him as fences, and concrete buildings surround the patch of green. The cigarette providing a bit of a reliever as he tries to clear his head and look back at himself. '… he's right, the hell am I upset for? Like one job could bring joy to anyone's lives these days…let alone a real future.'
Shou reflects on what he felt, remembering a prang to the chest upon hearing Min's personal comment, a phase he never thought would pop up again.
"You still helped someone. That's what matters. You're a good man for doing that."
"Tsk, the hell is up with everybody; they turn blind or what?" Shou whispered as his smoke was now a stub. 'If that Nea girl knew, even someone like her would see me as utter scum…' he viewed, flashes of the gold butterfly coming back upon recalling the feeling behind such words. "Urgh! Why the hell am I even still thinking about it?! As if anyone from NEO-Tokyo or here could ever see someone who looks like me in that way…." This annoyance wasn't quelled as he noticed his smoke was finished, quickly replacing it before seeing that he ran out of match sticks.
"Damn…" he muttered when a clink was heard around the building corner.
"You know, lighters are surprisingly cheap these days," a familiar voice said as they approached him, "even someone like you could buy one." Standing before Shou was a twenty-five-year-old man around his size and build, wearing a clean white suit with a red buttoned shirt beneath. His black hair sleeked back, reaching down his neck where the kanji for red was tattooed to his light brown skin. He smiled cheekily as he cracked his knuckles, "so, how's life been treating you, Shou?"
Raizo Goda
Member of the Hiroki Family
Subsidiary of the Akai Alliance
Shou stood up, gazing at his oldest friend, "Raizo…" he uttered. Walking up to him, both clasps their hands together as if arm wrestling, "you utter bastard."
"Takes one to know one," Raizo smirked, struggling in their arm wrestle.
"Oh, what, don't tell you gone soft after two years," Shou teased as he inched closer to victory.
"I'm the one who's soft?" Raizo gawked, looking at Shou's attire to his. Still, the results showed themselves as his arm start to sting, and he gave up, "Haha, okay, okay, you got me there."
After a good laugh, Raizo laid back to the wall, staring up at the sky with Shou.
"So, how's the old Yakuza life been treating ya, Raizo?" Shou asked, laid back and relaxed. "Back to being THE Mr. Shakedown of West Tachikawa, or are you their special pencil pusher now?"
"Hmph," Raizo proudly fixed his coat, "neither, cause you're talking to a Captain now."
"Seriously?! No bullshit?" Shou asked, which Raizo nods. "Captain Goda, man…the Yakuza must be desperate for anyone now."
"Yeah, yeah, talk all you want, Shou, it won't change the reality that I'm a respected man now. Since then, I've had a say in business, and business been good," Raizo boasted. "Remember when the Hiroki was a laughingstock? Since I've joined, we've been ranking in yen by the millions. Now I'm the guy ordering shakedowns, organizing real estate schemes, and attending big events as a special guest."
"Yeah, as their servant boy, I bet," Shou scoffs, but it didn't wipe away Raizo's grin.
"Hey man, even servant boys are driving nice cars and getting bitches these days," he laughed.
Shou's smile waned as he turns away and smokes, "yeah, whatever, man."
Raizo's boisterous display fell upon seeing Shou's reaction. He bows slightly and rubs his neck embarrassingly, "Ah right, I forgot you don't care for that sort of attitude. Sorry, these guys have a way of changing you're vernacular," he chuckles. Shou eases back as Raizo continues. "But yeah, life been good…how about you?"
Shou thinks for a moment and shrugs, "I wake up, pay rent, fix cars, and train a bit before head straight to bed."
"And old man Masumi, is he his usual hardass self?" Raizo asks his demeanor now fully honest.
Shou scratches his stubby beard, "…in a way, yeah."
Raizo nods, "and you're okay with it staying like this?"
"You say that like I got a choice in the matter," Shou smirks.
"Well, you just might have," Raizo says, pulling out a bronze pin, its emblem engrain to Shou's memories. "It's your old badge, but you know how easy it is to change the symbol on these."
Shou's gaze switches between the pin and Raizo's welcoming smile, an old sense of security for Shou whenever things looked rough. However, those were memories now, and Shou turns away, "We aren't kids anymore, Raizo."
"Yeah, we're now adults with aspirations and dreams, Shou…and I like to have you by my side like it used to be," Raizo said softly. "I sure you've noticed, but lately, the Yakuza have been growing their operations, and it's all straight from the chairwoman herself."
Shou's eyes widen as he turns to Raizo, "Something big is gonna happen then, for real?"
"Without a doubt," Raizo nods with a serious look. "The last time it was like this was five years ago, when the chairwoman ushered a new generation with a united Yakuza, and now she's looking for more manpower to establish the next big phase of her plan. And I figured who better fit that description than the Mad Dog of Tachikawa himself?"
"Tsk, you're lucky you're allowed to say that, Raizo, cause I ain't about that life anymore."
"Oh, so fixing shitty cars is your new life?" Raizo rebukes. "Shou, we're both still young and have an opportunity for our struggles to mean something. This has been the only place we've found any value in ourselves when the rest of society left us in the trash just for how we look. Now I know you had a bad departure from your dad—"
His sentence stopped when Shou shoots a glare at him, flicking away his cigarette as he asked, "he's been growing too, yeah?"
"Faster than any other clan, yes."
"Be honest with me…did he send you so to reel me back into his dirty work?"
Raizo's eyes blink in surprise, but he quickly and earnestly answers, "No, no Shou, I came here by myself. I wouldn't do anything for that bastard, especially concerning you." Despite this, Shou was still ambivalent as Raizo continued, "come on, Shou, I can hand you the lieutenant position of my family on a silver platter! From there, becoming captain will be a cinch for ya."
Shou checked the time, seeing that his break would end soon as well as this opportunity, "what business are they trying to expand in any way?"
"Well, that's gonna be announced in a big meeting about a week from now. It'll be right here at the Tri-Towers, nearby where the Velodrome."
"Yeah, I remember, one of the few playgrounds for the rich across Old Tokyo."
"Yep, so until then, that's all-top secret. However, it doesn't take a genius to see it's part of driving out our rivals once and for all."
Shou crossed his arms, turning to Raizo, "Uh-huh…and what do they mean by 'driving out,' exactly Raizo? You gonna act just like the police and beat people who don't speak Japanese?" Shou knew he was picking at old wounds, but Raizo's insulted look and lack of an answer still told him all the info he needed. "Yeah, so the hierarchies rules still hasn't changed one bit, I see."
He turns to head back to work when Raizo stops him, "Shou, please…if we work together on this, perhaps both our ambitions could allow us to bring the change we both want."
Shou brushes his locks, giving an understanding look, "yeah, I get it, Raizo…but I gave up on dreams a long time ago, and your shit proposal hasn't changed that." He pats him on the shoulder and leaves, "Good luck, and don't get yourself killed out there."
Raizo stared at the door, knocking on his forehead as he left. 'Two years went, and that's all you got to say?' he asks himself. He looks back at the shop, a faint image of Shou past the open window. 'Even if you gave up, I didn't Shou…so please, let me help me find yours again,' he hoped as he returns to the only life he knows.
For Shou afterward, business died down, and he was left doing inventory as Masumi handled today's earnings in his office. He glances over to Shou's careful assessment, knowing it's a way to not talk to him. 'I don't blame him, but still, he's been more quiet than usual,' he thinks while finishing up. He hears something outside before finding it to be a few cop cars driving by the street for anything and anyone keen on making an arrest. He waits for them to be out of sight before saying, "Uh, Shou?"
"Yeah, boss?"
"You can head home early. It's gonna be a quiet end to the job again, and don't forget your paycheck," Masumi said. Shou found this strange but shrug and quickly packed his stuff; Masumi stops him, "Actually, take the back, the front doors a little jammed." Shou didn't mind as he headed out.
Taking the usual route back, his mind lingers on what Raizo proposed, or more specifically, why both of them are doing what they're doing now. 'A dream that I can call my own…coming from the guy I've clung onto as far as I can remember,' he thinks to himself. 'Perhaps, I owe it to him at least, cause without him I would've….'
His memory flashes to the days when both were still young, the liberty of a more carefree attitude to the world around them still possessed by them as they roam the back-alley streets. He could his young, puggy self staying behind Raizo during a brawl, and even with bruises all over them, they share ice cream with the few yen scrounged up and sit by the curbside corner.
Shou almost got lost in those times, he'd hardly ever does as it brings more pain than he needs, but a quick look at himself reminded him that he lost that side of him the last night of being a Yakuza. His mind remembers the cold night with a gun in his hand. He stops himself from further returning to that night. '…No…this isn't much and far from a dream, let alone a future. But it's something that's my own than off the back of others. They can call it pride or stubbornness, but screw them for thinking they know what's best for me in the first place.' He looks over the waste-filled bridge, the world he's always known, 'besides, in a concrete dump like this, how could I or anyone have a true dream? Even amongst a band of cut-throat opportunists, it's all impossible….'
The memory of the gold butterfly flutters in his mind, something he's quick to shake off as he returns to his dingy apartment. He was ready to sleep the day off when he spots his door slightly open. He clenches his fist and steps inside to find a man in a black suit wearing red shoes sitting in the middle of the room.
"Leaving the flock is never easy," he says, standing up, "but seeing this room with my own eyes, it's in a worst state than I thought. Makes ya wonder why kids leave at all." He grins to reveal a gold tooth, taking off his shades and opening his arms wide, "good to see you again…son."
Kotarō "Fūma" Kazato
Patriarch of the Kazato Family
Subsidiary of the Akai Alliance
Shou stared at the man, a chill running up his spine as he couldn't move a single bone in his body. "…D-dad, you—"
Kotaro shrugged, "I'm here, and you're surprisingly hard to find. Never figured you to be good at sneaking what with your strength, which I see hasn't changed much since." He wraps his arm around Shou's shoulder, giving an approving nod, "that's good, son, that's a sign of a real man."
Shou didn't look him in the eye, keeping his head down, as trembling feeling reached his guts, "W-what—"
"Am I doing here?" Kotaro interrupted, "what, can't a father visit his son? Especially after two years and finding you living like…this?"
Shou couldn't handle being close to this man, acting like nothing even happened, he wanted his voice to protest and his muscle to move. In the end, he could only continue stuttering out his words, "S-s-since…w-w-when—"
"Hey," his father stops him again, stepping back and grabbing his shoulder, getting him to look him in the eyes. "I already know what you're gonna say. I raised you after all," he chuckles, "in fact, I've come to say I'm sorry for what happened two years ago." Shou eyes blinked in confusion, or really at him ever saying those words. "I was stressed to high hell about the others around me out for my head," his father continued, "and your little mistake ticked me off at my weakest point and made me kick you out…it was an accident. But before I got a chance to cool my head, others were already out to kill ya if you enter our turf. Yakuza never let formers members go so easily."
'Dad's…no, he's lying,' Shou realized, learning plenty of times before when he is.
Kotaro pats him on the cheek, "But hey! I finally made it up for ya, cause now you're looking at the top boss in Old Tokyo, whose first decree was to have his son out of the Yakuza radar. Which means," he says, pulling out Shou's old pair of brass knuckles and putting them in his hand. "You can come back to the Yakuza and share in the wealth with no strings attached. What do ya say?"
'Damn it…damn it!' Shou yelled at himself, 'why…I was done with all this, with him! Now…what dirty trick does he got up his sleeve that he feels he could drag me back in now?!' Shou knew he could think of any way to get out of this, but his old fear keeps him from fighting back.
Kotaro's grin wanes upon Shou's silence. He gives an insulted look, "what? You really want to continue living like this?" Kotaro fists clench, "I've worked my ass off to give this opportunity, you gonna give me attitude now of all times…? Huh?!" He shouts, causing any sound Shou could muster to stop entirely. Kotaro pulls back, taking in a deep breath before forcing a smile, "I only ask for a tiny bit of help. It's the least you could do for the man who raised you. If I play my cards right Shou and rise up in the ranks just a little bit higher… you'll be the inheritor to the position of Patriarch." He extends his ear, grinning at Shou's inability to speak, "I do not hear a—"
"N-no…" Shou whispered.
Kotaro frowns angrily, "No?!"
"N-no!" Shou straightens up, looking him in the eyes with a defiant glare.
His father, fists on his hips giving the same glare, shakes his head at his son. "Do I need to remind you the last time you said no?" Shou's firm defiance wavered slightly at this, but he didn't let up, so Kotaro scoffs, "Hmph, you're choice then. You're a grown man now, so live how you like to." He begins to leave, much to Shou's relief, when he heard his father mutter to himself, "Seriously, what a bummer, shouldn't have made that bet then."
"W-what?" Shou asked, much to Kotaro's amusement.
"Welp, son," he sighed, putting up an act, "I was so enthusiastic about you coming back that I thought of signing you up for a big boxing match later today. I know you loved doing that way back when. It's what shaped you up. In fact, I was so confident that I bet a few yen on ya." He continues as Shou's teeth clench, "now I'm embarrassed cause five million yen just went down the drain…but more so disappointed at you."
He sees Shou's fear crawling back in, knowing what he's about to say. "What's with the scared look? You think I gonna put my own son in debt? Even a professional cut-throat like me wouldn't do something too cruel to their own flesh and blood. Naw, I'll find some worthless sap and pin the debt on them…perhaps Old Man Masumi would fit."
Shou's eyes were wide open at the name. 'Gotcha,' Kotaro thinks.
"Yeah, that old bastard always hated us, Yakuza. Perhaps it's time we teach him a lesson," he excitedly says and takes his leave. "Hahaha, I'll be generous to shave 100k if he buffs my car nicely, and who knows…perhaps we'll find something else there too. I always love finding secrets."
"I'll join!" Shou shouts, much to Kotaro's pleasure. "I'll fight and join you!"
He smiles while approaching his son, patting him on the back, and leads him to the door, "You're too good for this world sometimes, son."
Shou's eyes were shut, knowing nothing he'll say now will stop this bastard's ambitions. 'Why…why I'd say that?'
-(Afternoon)-
Mao opened her eyes to a dark sky, her tired mind registering the soft sand her body was lying on. 'The beach?' She asks herself, sitting up and feeling a sense of familiarity but mystery at the same time. 'No… it's the beach from before, where we made our pack together,' she realizes, looking down at the hand that began this vow. Her eyes widen upon seeing bits of flower stems, thorns, and dark petals have sprouted out of her right arm, feeling them grow out of her very bones.
Her heart freezes, close to hyperventilating. A cold chill ripples down the back of her neck, then something with red-eye opens its gaping maw behind her.
"GAHH!" she screams, waking up to find herself half-buried under trash bags in a dingy alley. She frantically gets out, running her hand along her arm with not even a scratch on it. Her panicked mind recalls the shadowy image of the red-eyed…thing, her hand grasping her left face while covering her eye, flashes of the looming monolith being the last thing she saw before jumping.
'It's…only a dream,' she tells herself. 'A nightmare to mess with me… it's all a façade….'
"Mao!" a voice rings. After a quick startle, Mao recognizes it.
"Emi?!"
[Thank goodness your finally awake, Niijima-san] Safie said, a light blinking of minor damage inflicted onto it.
"Safie? What the hell's going on? Where am I?" Mao asked, pacing back and forth in trying to get a read of the place.
"It seems our jump wasn't so clean as planned, perhaps having to do with that entity you faced before," Emi informed. "I…miscalculated, I shouldn't have pressured you without regard of the danger it could present to you."
Mao's head cleared a bit in hearing Emi's sincere words, refocusing to get back to both of them. "Don't blame yourself for it. I shouldn't have freaked over something I already killed. So tell me where the hell I am so I can apologize in person."
Emi hid a smirk as Nea took over, "Glad to hear that determined voice again, Mao! We've been driving and dodging Yakuza and cops for hours, but we've finally near where you are, in Mihoricho district."
"It's the border between Tachikawa and Akishima cities," Emi finished.
'I landed there of all places?' Mao asked, now seeing what they meant by dodging Yakuza. "Then where can I meet you guys? I should attract less attention if it's just me reaching you two."
"Hmm, Memorial Park only has homeless camped out in it, doubt Yakuza these days care to have eyes on them," Emi rationalized, "meet us there, and keep your head down."
"Got it, see you two soon," Mao nods, her eyes turning to the street where the commotion was heavy. She first takes a quick breather before going, which Safie was quick to notice.
[Is everything alright, Niijima-san? Your brain wave patterns have been very active the whole time. Signs of intense dreaming.]
"It was just a nightmare, that's all," Mao dismissed.
Walking to the street, she saw it was busy with crowds of people roaming about, the architecture far from the high gleaming towers she known her whole life. 'So, this is old Tokyo,' she thought and quickly notice her casual clothing still stood out to most. She looked across some stores and bought attire more common here, including some torn blue jeans, a plain red shirt, and a black jacket. Upon putting them on, she already caught sight of a group of men down the street, the group almost entirely of tall, strong men who fit the enforcer type her mother cautioned her about.
Mao, for a moment, recalled the times she grew up stories about these people, but unlike her previous encounter, she felt it in her gut that this was the real deal and would kill any with just a simple order. Mao spots and grab a pair of red sunglasses before blending in with the crowd, walking past the group of enforcers. Mao knew she couldn't let them see her eyes, the same eyes of the police commissioner. She didn't want to think about what they'll do to her.
She continues following Safie's guidance, down crowded paths bustling with activity as nighttime approached and into quiet alleys where small camps of people lie beside decrepit buildings. She only roamed for a short while, but the atmosphere was far different to her own life by a mile, 'so this is how life is around here…not once have I seen even a picture of places like these.' She finds herself closing in on the meet-up point when a suspicious car drives up as Mao hides behind the quiet street corner, 'They weren't wrong about these patrols, but why so alert?'
She turns around to make a detour when she sees another driving towards her, its passenger eyes scanning the street. 'Shit! I already look suspicious, avoiding one of their own cars. There has to be a spot to hide! She quickly looks for an exit and notices chanting from down a staircase into a building. She finds a kid picking up any recyclable off the street and asks him, "Kid, you live here?"
"Yeah?"
"What's down there?"
"Fighting ring, people like my dad bet there all the time."
She sees the car close in as the others behind her announce they heard someone. She pulls out money, asking, "is there a backdoor?" He nods, and she hands him the yen, "you didn't see me, got it?" She quickly heads for the door, closing it behind her as noise is heard outside. She waited till the car sped away and chatter stopped.
She walks further down the barely lit hallway, avoiding a passing security guard till reaching the main ring. The crowd roared with excitement as two boxers duked it out in a ring riddle with dried blood. Since there was no way across the stands, she heads down to the floor level, unaware of security noticing her sudden appearance and tailing her. Mao switched between finding an exit and the fight, as Shou blocked a solid offense from his opponent.
Shou felt his arms bruise, his left eye bulging with a bad cut before another hit struck him.
"Come on, boy! Right hook!" his father shouted from the other side of the ring, 'that's right, put up a nice show, kid. The bet will only go higher!'
Shou dodged and blocked the attacks, following the old routine, just like how it used to be. 'Even these punches feel like pain old wounds bring. When was even the last time I ever got in a true fight?'
Mao struggled to get through as the bet rose once again, "Just had to be crowded like hell!" Stuck from moving, she notices a bright security coat approach from amongst the crowd. 'Shit, where's that exit!'
Shou's father then see's his opportunity and gives the signal. Shou was backed up to the ropes as his opponent throws a strong left hook, but it stops on his cheek as Shou stands up. He deflects the next one and shows the crowd his fighting style, well known as Brawler Style. He was strong and kept a firm stance behind each body punch he struck before quickly knocking out his opponent in less than ten seconds. The entire room gawked upon seeing how the tables turned so quickly. Even Mao was stunned at this Shou's display.
He stands over his opponent, barely standing straight, as he finds his father nod in approval. He gazes away in disgust and locks eyes with Mao, as well as security closing in on her. Mao felt not only how exhausted he was, but almost as if he didn't want to be here, while Shou could spot how similarly estrange she was to Nea. It was to his surprise then that the woman wore a similar bracelet to Nea, "is she one of…?" he whispered.
"Please, mister, I'm just… I'm lost and need to find my friends ."
'The world sure is loving messing with my head today,' he sighed. He then eyes the exit, which Mao catches. Both share a nod as Mao escapes the building, and Shou is declared the winner.
However, his father noticed his son's behavior, and a person running to the exit, "see what that's about," he tells his bodyguards before following Shou to the locker room himself.
The moment she was outside, Mao didn't stop sprinting even as footsteps were heard from behind. She saw the street ahead as Emi's car appears and grinds to a half. Mao practically jumps as the car speeds away, away from any pursuers. Nea saw as Mao was left gasping for air in the back seat, "you good back their sis?"
"Yeah…now let me lay here for a few minutes," Mao gasped.
"Keep your heads down till we reach Chuo City," Emi orders, looking rearview mirror, "good to have you back, Mao. I see you've enjoyed this quick detour as much as we did."
"Glad…to be back," she huffed as a cramp began to set in. "How'd you two find each other?"
"We didn't, Safie guided me to her," Emi reveals. "I was passed out like the both of you, it was her waking me up that got here sooner than if I was alone."
"Whoa...thanks Safie," Mao whispered.
[It's my pleasure, Mao]
Mao looked out to the streets, 'all this…was a sliver of Kazato's turf,' she sighed. She looks at her arm, unsure if this feeling is real or not.
/-/
Shou sat alone in that cold locker room, pondering his thoughts as he stared at his phone.
Boss: "You forgot your paycheck. Slide it under your door since you weren't home. You good for tomorrow?"
Shou closed his eyes, "what do I even say?" Suddenly, the door opens to the sound of clapping.
"That's the Mad Dog of Tachikawa I know and love," he chuckled, pulling out a portion of his winnings. "You sure know how to make your old man proud Shou," he tosses the money over to Shou's feet. "Use that to buy yourself a fresh new suit, along with anything you desire. Tomorrow you're moving back to H.Q. and will be given your new assignment, so don't be late. Oh, and something tells me you'll like how I spruced up the place." He taps him on the shoulder and walks out with a pack of cigarettes in hand, saying with a vile grin, "welcome back to the family, son."
The door slammed shut, leaving Shou alone with money that meant nothing to him. He deletes his boss's number entirely, dropping his phone as his fingers couldn't stop shaking. He reaches for any smokes before realizing his father took them for himself. His nerves start to leak out, standing up with his head low and hands in his face. In this panic state, he nearly trips to a locker that stops any of his attempts at pushing back tears. Shou wept, a sense of utter powerlessness and self-hatred of his inability to speak up, a very facet of himself his father used again and again for his own advantage. Sobbing, his bloodied hand reaching over his shoulder and faintly touches the long red scar slashed across his back, around for as long as he could remember. He covered his eyes, muffling his loudest cry yet, his mind a flash flood of memories and pain every moment he's in the presence of that man. 'Why…why does he always have to….'
One ring after another comes from his phone. In fear that it's his father demanding a response, he wipes away any tears left before picking up. Much to his relief, it was Raizo.
Raizo: "Hey, I hear a lot of talk about you suddenly. What's going on?"
Shou couldn't smile, but he felt something of reassurance in Raizo still. He didn't know what his bastard of a father had in store for him, but there was still one person left in his life he could trust.
Shou : "Not now…tomorrow."
Raizo : "…yeah, okay. Watch your back out there."
Shou quickly then left, afraid of anyone seeing him like this.
-(Evening)-
On the other side of town, near the dead of night, a Yakuza group under the Kazato family drives up to a lot to the local Takeuchi Inc. factory. The bald leader fixed his suit while observing a group of union members talking amongst others about the severe lack of safety regulations and dangerous work conditions affecting even their own families. He merely scoffs at them, "Urgh, union guys, can't stand their high and mighty bullshit."
"So why the hell are we here again?" one of his underlings asks.
"We're here cause order from the top entrusted us. That's why," the leader clarifies. "I talked to them myself, saying this is the first time cops are coming to one of these factories, apparently for questioning."
"About what?"
"Cognitive technology," he answers, much to their confusion as to what that means. "What matters now are your orders, simply blend in and find who these punk cops are. Find out why they're asking. If it's too much, then we'll turn this to a kill order and be done with it." He snaps his fingers as they head in with disguises while he simply waits in the car with them on the radio. He lays back, the cop car insight, when he notices something move in the shadow. He slowly opens the glove department where a gun lay when the radio went off.
"Sir?"
"Argh! What the hell is it?" he shouted.
"How many are we supposed to scout for again?"
"Two, you idiots!"
"…then why is there only one?" The question confirmed his suspicions. He grabbed the gun and stepped out, firing at a shadowy figure behind a tall lamp post and bushes. After unloading, he goes to reload when he hears something slide under his car. An electrical charge goes off and disorientates him while disabling the vehicle from working.
"Shit!" he shouts, aiming to shot when he set's a man in a white coat grab his wrist, and break his arm.
He's pinned to the car, struggling to break free as Kato glares at him, "think you scum could outsmart us twice, after what you did!?"
"Piss off!" he shouts, able to activate his shoe knife and slash his pants, enough to get him off and make a run for it.
"I got the leader!" Kato shouted to his earpiece as Naya worked to arrest the others inside.
Crossing the lot, the leader went down an alley, slowed only by his arm as Kato kept a good pace behind him. Without light, it was difficult for the leader to make heads and tails to where he was going, something Kato had no issue in as he put on glasses designed with night vision, something from Saikawa's inventory. The memory pushes him to run faster as the assailant ran through and locks a barbed-wire fence. Kato spots a fire escape and jumps towards it, getting to the other side with it.
Soon, the trail of blood was back in his sight as he finds the assailant dashing towards a bustling neon-lit street. Lined with stands and groups of people, Kato ensured he didn't lose him as he shoved aside anyone in the way. The assailant knocked over stands and people to slow him down, but it wasn't anything a skilled jump and slide could get around with.
"Whoa, Sayako, look, that guy's running like crazy!" her coworker pointed out as Sayako gazes out, watching this odd white coat cop in a mad dash. "The hell's his deal?" she wondered.
Soon a traffic-heavy street is seen, blocking the man's path before spotting a tall building with a bridge connecting it to other rooftops. Kato saw him barge into the stores in the densely packed building, running past customers and then kitchen employees. In this rush, Kato barely misses a knife throw at him, dodging and in his brief stop see's a butcher's knife thrown. His training reflexes grab it in time, much to the assailant's dismay as they sprint away.
They bust through each subsequent floor before Kato reaches the rooftop, finding nothing before being decked in the face. The leader grabs his throat and pushes him towards the rail of this ten-story high building. "Gotcha now!" the leader gasped out in glee before he's kneed in the dick and punched away by Kato. "Fuuuaacck! Now you'll pay!" he roars, pulling out a pocketknife as Kato moved to a fighting stance. He throws wild, desperate swings that cut through Kato's clothes a bit, but such close calls were worth it as the side dodges a stab kicks his knee. Forced to kneel, his knife hand is gripped by Kato's arm as his other breaks his nose and blinds his left eye.
He swiftly disarms his knife and thrusts his knee to his face, sending him straight to the floor. Incapacitated, he is helpless as Kato handcuffs him and calls it quick back-up.
"H-how the hell did you find out?" the Yakuza asks.
"When you served under a commissioner who'd devoted her career stopping human trafficking criminals, you learn a thing or two on how they operate. Plus, following up on a lead and two can get you places," Kato answers, still gasping for air. He takes off his glasses and tightly grips the bald man's head, glaring at him with a subtly fury, "now, I'm gonna bring you in, and you're gonna tell us everything you know."
The leader merely spat at the ground, "…and if I don't?"
Kato's glare turns cold, "Then we'll ask the next person your boss will replace you with as you rot away in a cell. Fifteen years alone for the attempted murder of an officer." The leader gulps at this reality, both to his intimidation and this genuine threat. Kato leans closer, "will you cooperate now?"
The man shuts his eyes and nods.
-(Midnight)-
M.O.D. tinkered in his shop as a buzz alerts him of a customer. "Greetings Velvet, another sleepless shopping night?"
"Not exactly," she answers, handing over the document he requested to Mao. "Cait Sith serves her now, so the bounty is fulfilled as well."
"Hmm, this must've been an eventful night if it's only you," he says, handing over the reward which Velvet adds to the group's fund. "Now…something tells me you're not here for a simply bounty pay up."
She crosses her arms, analyzing those yellow eyes, "tell me what you know about Kazato's recent activities and why when I entered in the data we've gathered, it still isn't able to register him."
Velvet could hear M.O.D. tapping his fingers behind the steel wall, "you've entered in the requires?"
"Of course," she answers, "Tachikawa is no doubt one of them. He perceives himself as a Shogun and-"
"The name then, what you put down?"
"Kotaro Kazato, that's it, isn't it?"
M.O.D. shakes his head, "it's fake, made up as by the first decree the chairwoman came to power. Guessing you can't go in undetected without it. Not up yet facing a horde of shadows head-on?"
Velvet was taken aback at this happenstance, 'no, it can't be mere coincidence. Between the black ooze and the entity in the Citadel, this group's ties are interwoven with the Yakuza.' She thinks through this new development and asks, "do you happen to know his true name then?"
"Sorry," he shrugs.
"Now what?" Velvet whispers to herself, "a family member then? Or scour his personal records?"
"There might be a place you can find it," M.O.D. informs her, "as well as what their next move will be."
"You can't tell me the latter of the two now?"
"Hey, I'm just a gun seller, not the monarch of information," M.O.D. reminds her. "If you want to find out what's at stake here, find a way into the Tri-Towers this following Wednesday. There'll be an event where the very top of the food chain will be attending."
'Along with Confidential information, with Kazato's being one of them,' she puts together.
"I'll give ya a little rumor since you look so determined," M.O.D. eyes twitch with excitement as he whispered, "more innocents could die in ways you couldn't even imagine."
Velvet stood unfazed of this scare, doing a slight bow, "Thank you, M.O.D., I'm sure we'll be looking more into your bounties from now on."
"Pleasure doing business with ya," he waves as Emi leaves.
"Safie," Emi asks, "notify the others that we'll be switching to real-world operations. We got a heist to plan."
A/N: I think several difficulties were what prevented this shorter chapter from releasing sooner, mainly figuring out how to properly convey Shou as a character for longer stretches and my procrastination. Still, I think this serves as a quiet but important glance at what his daily life was like, and the world he lives in compared to our trio. Thier problem here is something I should've highlighted more last chapter but I'll work on fixing that soon. Still, it was fun having Shou and Nea interact, what with his stone-cold demeanor to her more energetic charisma. I like how it's her ability to connect with others that push Shou to help Mao, a micro-example of kindness bettering the world, as cheesy as that may sound. It's interesting pulling away from Mao a bit, I think it's healthy to do so that other characters could have room to breathe. Kato, I think deserves this action moment, though it does come from the piled-up emotions of seeing another close to him be severely hurt.
I'm very much excited for this real-world heist to discovering Kotaro's true name and what their plans are, blending real-world operations with those in the Animus is something I've been thinking of doing. Next chapter, we'll see more of Shou returning to the Yakuza life as Mao further connects with those around her in the week leading up to the heist, perhaps even getting some new Personas.