Chapter 21: What We Call A Trap-Fecta!
Another problem was finally checked off the list. With Zack's body completely his own, and the demon essence now ceasing to exist, he could finally rest a little bit easy. There was now nothing that could stop him from completing his mission, and it was all thanks to the multitude of people that had helped him get this far. Now all that was left was to find Kokichi and take him down, once and for all. As Zack and his companions sat in the lounge area, the investigator was tapping away at the newly acquired laptop, courtesy of the hotel's own Charlie Magne. She, of course, didn't mind lending them her equipment, but did make sure to remind them not to search up any porn. Perhaps Angel had pulled a prank on her at one point with the punchline being something along those lines. Of course, Zack didn't exactly have to worry about that, considering that he only had one thing on his mind; the USB stick. It was the one thing that would constantly gnaw at his mind, which he would try to ignore until he had the right clue. Now, however, he was well endowed with knowledge and info that he would have no problem cracking the password into pieces.
With a soft sigh and a stretch of his limbs, he slipped the USB stick into the port on the side of the PC and clicked on the icon. As expected, the password pop-up window appeared.
"So here we are again. Looks like we weren't lucky enough for the whole password shit to be a fluke, huh?" Loona mumbled, as she took a seat next to him. Zack chuckled, as he began to type into the text box.
"So it seems, but this time, we don't need luck."
As soon as he finished typing in the potential password, he clicked the enter button with confidence. The I.M.P. employees all held their breath in anticipation, each of them hoping that whatever he typed would allow them entry. A second passed, then another, before finally, the window closed, before being replaced with the file app. Zack smirked, while the others merely stared in awe.
"It worked! Finally, we're getting somewhere!" Blitzo cheered, as he threw his fist in the air with gusto.
With a raised eyebrow, Moxxie looked towards the computer screen in intrigue, "So, what was the password, anyway?"
"The one thing that yakuza also hold dear is their family. Thus, the best password he could possibly choose is the very family he was with at the beginning. That being, Tsumugi." Zack answered, as he began to look throughout the USB stick's internal files, his eyes glancing and reading each and every file name within seconds. Each one was interesting in their own right, though not what he was looking for. Most of them were merely more emails sent to specific people, most likely backers on his behalf. It wasn't until he got to the last file that his curiosity was piqued. It was a normal file link, one that had the name "Meeting Dates" on it.
"Hm? What do we have here? This could be useful." he mumbled, as he double-clicked on the link. In an instant, the internet browser app was engaged and opened the file for the group's viewing pleasure. It was organized rather well, making it easy to understand. In the file was a normal table, one with two columns, that stretched down a few pages. In the right column were dates and times, whilst the left column had names, each one different from the last. Seemed to be meeting times; go figure, for a file literally named "Meeting Dates". Zack rubbed his chin in thought. Why have all of your dates and times when you'll be out in the open laid out for anyone to catch a hold of? Not only that, but that raised another question. The man that was tortured had the very same USB stick they now possessed. With that in mind, why would he go to the trouble of hiding it in such a discreet way.? Was it really worth dying over, just to make money? It didn't make any sense, unless... Zack's eyes lit up, the realization hitting him like a ton of bricks. It was so simple, yet it made so much sense at the same time!
"That guy was working for someone else..." he mumbled, catching everyone off guard.
Octavia, reeling back from the confusion, was the first to press him for elaboration, "Um, I'm not following. Who was working for someone else?"
"The guy who was tortured! It makes sense! He was going to get the USB dongle to the one he was working for! Now who that person could be, I'm not sure yet. For now, one thing at a time, though. Let's see if we can get a good idea of when this Kokichi guy will be out in the streets again."
Zack's finger slowly dragged down the mousepad, allowing him to scroll down the multitude of pages. Soon, he would make it to the very end of the document, and to his surprise, it would show the one date he didn't expect to see.
"December 22nd, at 8:35 PM. Destination: The Pentagram, Cathedral of Satan..." Moxxie read aloud. As clear as day, that was what was written. That soon would shock everyone. Not only was that today, but they were also only 5 hours from the meeting time. If they were gonna catch him, this would be the chance to do it. With a cocky smirk, Blitzo sprung off of the couch and punched his fist with gusto. Just by looking at him, you could see just how pumped he was.
"Hell fuckin' yeah! Now we've actually got an idea of where he is and when we're gonna run into him! This should make this easy for us!"
Millie nodded her head, her hands clenched with excitement, "Finally this adventure will be over! It was fun, of course, but I think we've had enough events and such to fill up a whole season's worth of a show."
The group all nodded their heads in agreement. It had been a wild ride, one that had pushed their limits and their mental prowess, but soon, it would all be coming to an end. All that was needed was for Blitzo to finally put a bullet in the head of the head huncho that started this whole fiasco. Afterwords, it'd be back to taking clients and making cash. With a turn on his heel, he looked towards his employees, his face showing just how ecstatic he was about this.
"Alright everyone, let's get to work! First, we come up with a plan, and then we get shooting! First, I say we-"
"Hold on for a sec!" The demon's heads whipped to the human investigator, who had just looked away from the computer screen, a smile adorning his face. "Why don't we make a plan over at Imp City? I saw this cool cafe when Moxxie and I were heading to Loona's place. A change of scenery may do us some good."
Blitzo stared for a good moment, his mind processing and thinking about the idea. It seemed like an alright thing to do, plus, in a way, it would be a celebration of this entire song and dance being done and over with. With a grin and a shrug, he nodded his head and adjusted his coat.
"Yeah, why not? It seems like it'd be pretty fun. Come on guys, to the cafe!" and with that, the crew stood to their feet and headed off towards the door, each of them holding a relieved and gleeful expression. If no one knew better, they would just assume that today was an average day, one that would make anyone smile. Unfortunately, it wasn't. Things weren't all smiles and rainbows, at least not yet.
--
The loud sound of slurping could be heard, as Blitzo chugged down an iced coffee, whilst everyone slightly cringed from the obnoxious equivalent of nails to a chalkboard. Well, except for Stolas, who was daydreaming that something else was being slurped up. All of them were chatting and relaxing in their seats, even Octavia, who was a bit closed-off from people, was exchanging conversation topics and conversing with Loona, who was drinking her usual choice of cold Bubble Tea. Zack, on the other hand, was silent and in his thoughts. Something was off about the whole situation, something he knew for a fact.
"That document; something isn't right. Why was it created in the first place? Not only that, but the last date, being today, was so far apart from the rest. The other dates were all around 1 to 5 days apart from each other, but the one that's for today is a whole 2 weeks apart. And the fact that it was on a document-sharing site still bothers me. Usually, when someone is creating a document on something like that, it's to allow them to be able to access said document from any computer or device capable of connecting to the internet," he silent took a sip of his coffee, as he continued to think, "which only makes things weirder. Why put yourself in a position where you'll be hacked or found out so easily? It doesn't make a lick of sense. The only other reason I can think of him being this reckless is..."
Slowly, but surely, the pieces were all starting to fall into place. The man he was going after was clever, very clever, but the fact that he was underestimating him and his friends was just a mistake; one that would instantly bite him in the ass. Still, from the looks of it, no one else had noticed anything. They were still so drunk with relief and the thoughts of future success that they weren't even thinking about the possibility of this being a scam. Zack huffed softly. He really did care about them, but at times, they could be slightly clueless. Still, however, maybe this could be used to his advantage. He placed his coffee cup down on to the table, before clearing his throat, getting everyone's attention.
"Alright everyone, I think we should think about our plan of attack. Blitzo, Stolas, I'm sure you two are more versed in this line of work, so what's your take on this?"
Silence filled the table, before Stolas spoke, "Well, if I'm thing clearly, you said that the meeting place was at the Cathedral of Satan, right? If so, then we have a very easy spot for us to set up a trap," he would then pull out a sheet of paper and a pen, before drawing a simple image of the cathedral in question, along with a nearby building, "The cathedral is a fair distance away from an office building across the way. Perhaps one of you can watch over the area with a sniper rifle? That way, we can have a leg-up on their arrival."
Blitzo nodded his head in agreement, "Yeah, definitely! But we're gonna need someone on the inside to keep him talking. If we do that, we should be able to surround him before any shit hits the fan. I say we have Mox-"
"I'll do it." Zack interjected, causing everyone to look towards him once more, "And I want Loona there with me."
"Excuse me?" Loona sputtered, her face holding the same amount of shock as everyone else. He had to be joking. If what he was saying was true, then he'd be not only putting himself in danger, but Loona as well. Zack only stared at them, his hands clasped together and resting on the table.
"Think about it; Blitzo, Moxxie, and Millie are more well-versed in firearms than she and I. It'd make more sense for you guys to take them out, whilst we act as bait. If things get too dicey, we'll be able to handle our own for the amount of time it takes you guys to make your move."
The group could only listen in silence. They could tell he was serious about this just from the look in his eyes. They held a serious and determined undertone, one that almost commanded them to listen and obey. Moxxie, who was now reeling back from his awestricken stupor, silently pressed him on the matter.
"You sure that's a good idea? It'll just be you two against that guy."
Zack nodded, "I promise, everything will be okay. I've got her back, and she has mine. No harm will come to her."
No one knew what to say. Sure, it did make sense, but at the same time, it would be two slightly inexperienced people in what was literally a battlefield in progress. Could they really just let this happen, or would it be better to just try something else? No matter what, however, it all came down to the boss and his decision.
"Um, so Blitzo, what do you say about this?" Millie asked, her head tilted in curiosity. Blitzo remained silent for a bit, his head putting all of what was said to the test. He did once use Loona to bait a bunch of Spring Breakers to their death, but could that really compare to this?
With a silent sigh, he finally said, "Alright, sounds like a plan. Loonie, any objections?"
She shook her head, "None at all. I'm just ready for this bullshit to end, so I'll do anything."
As soon as she made that known, he clasped hands together and stood to his feet, his usual grin returning to his face. The plan was made and set in motion. Now all that was left was to get to work and set up before the given time.
"Alright then, everyone! Let's suit up and start making our biggest hit yet!"
With a hardy cheer, the demon gang all stood to their feet and began to head to the door, all but Zack and Loona, who were silently staring at each other. The moment that they left, leaving the two by themselves, they could feel the air around them grow tense. Before Loona could even speak, her phone began to vibrate, most likely due to her getting a message. She reached for her phone and stared at the screen. It was from Zack, the very man sitting across from her. With a raised brow, showing her suspicion, she read it silently in her head.
Zack: Don't speak out loud. There's a camera that's watching us from the table lamp beside us. Don't look at it and act natural.
Her eyes slightly widened. If what he was saying was true, then that would mean that their whole plan was heard by them! She silently cursed herself. She had a feeling come out in the open was a bad idea. She huffed and began to text him back.
Loona: Well that's just gr8! We gotta tell Blitz before sumthin bad happens!
Zack: No, that won't be necessary. This whole situation was a trap in the first place. I just wish I could have found that out sooner.
Loona: It's a trap? U sure that's the case?
Zack: Positive. This whole thing seemed shifty from the start.
Loona: So then wut do we do? We seriously gonna leave Blitz in the dark?
Zack: We have to, at least for now. I have a plan.
Loona: U have a plan? Well, spill it. Wut do u have n mind?
Zack: Alright, here's what we do...
--
The silence was deafening to the investigator and the alluring hellhound, as they sat on one of the many pews in the chapel. The very decore of it was almost like a satanist's favorite place to be, though it did make sense. It was called The Chapel Of Satan for a reason, not just because it sounded cool and edgy. Zack sighed softly, as he leaned back against the pew. Worry silently attacked his mind and nerves, as his eyes glanced at every doorway and entrance, ready for anyone who may enter or exit. Luckily, it was only the two that were present, but it was that very fact that made them both feel on edge.
"How are you holding up over there, Loona?" he asked, as he looked towards her. She slightly jumped, before smiling at him, her left eyebrow twitching slightly.
"Of course I am. This shit is so fuckin' easy I could do it in my sleep!"
Zack raised a knowing brow, as he continued to stare at her. That stare was the only thing that was needed for her to know that he knew she was saying nothing but bullshit. She sighed in defeat, her hand waving him off slightly.
"Okay, so maybe I'm a bit worried and shit. I just don't want you or anyone else getting hurt. This whole situation is just way bigger than anything else in that I've done, ya know?"
Zack nodded his head, a soft smile on his face. He understood why she was a bit worried; hell, he was just as worried as she was. One wrong step would be his undoing, along with his friends, and the realization of that was growing more and more apparent than it ever was. This would be their first encounter, and with that in mind, they had to be on guard. With a gentle hand, he placed it on her thigh, giving it a gentle, comforting squeeze.
"Hey, it's okay. Remember what you said before? I've got your back and you've got mine. No matter what happens, we'll all get outta this alive. I promise."
Her heart swooned. She never was one to show weakness nor fear around people, but here she was, confiding in a human. It was almost unheard of, impossible even, but she was happy she could partake in this feeling; to just trust someone and to just feel safe. Her hand rested on top of his, her fingers interlocking with his own.
"Thanks, Zack. We've got this, I know we do."
The two would soon sit and wait. Seconds became minutes and soon, minutes became hours. It was a bit worrisome. When was he going to show up? It was already past 8:40, 5 past 8:35. It wasn't exactly a good sign for a super evil crime lord to be late to his own meeting.
"It's past the meeting time. Something doesn't smell right. You feel it too, right?" Zack asked silently, to which she agreed.
"Thought that was obvious. We should stay on guard here..."
Suddenly, Zack's phone began to vibrate, startling the two. He quickly pulled it out and looked at the scene, his eyes viewing Blitzo's name. He answered it and place it to his ear.
"Hello, Blitzo? What's going-"
"Zack, we've got trouble!" Blitzo's voice echoed through the speaker, barely even audible compared to the deafening sound of gunfire. Zack and Loona both looked towards each other in shock, before he answered him.
"Is that gunfire?! What's going on?! Are you okay?!"
"We're fine, but there's a shit ton of armed assholes coming after us! You guys need to get outta there, now!"
"You got it! Me and Loona will be out as soon as-"
They froze, the sound of the gun loading filling the silent chapel. Zack slowly hung up and slipped his phone into his coat pocket, before the two held their hands up in defense.
"Well, well, well. It seems we finally meet, Mr. Investigator."
--
"Shit, this isn't good! Hey, where's Stolas?! He'd be able to deal with all of these guys now problem!" Moxxie shouted, as he quickly ducked behind a desk and fired a few shots at the doorway leading outside. Blitzo, who was keeping Octavia down and save, shot at the many intruders with his trusty pistol, before growling out his answer.
"He's up on the roof with your wife! Knowing them, he should be down soon!"
More and more men came flooding into the office building, only bringing more gunfire into the small room. Octavia, who was clutching and covering her ears, only watched silently in worry. If things got even the slightest bit worse, they wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.
"Can't you two deal with them quicker?! You're used to this, aren't you?!"
"It ain't that easy, princess, and it ain't any easier having to babysit beak-face's kid!"
Octavia gasped, her face holding an appalled look. There were in the middle of getting shocked at, and he had the audacity to make a quick jab at her?! How rude!
"Don't blame anything on me! Maybe if you gave me a gun, I could actually do something!"
Blitzo groaned, before tossing her a beretta, which she caught.
"Fine, then do something then! Just stay outta my way!"
She blinked in complete shock. Did she even know how to use that thing, now that she thought about it. She had never used a weapon before in her life, so for him to just throw a weapon at her and say have at it was a slight bit worrying. She peeked from behind the couch she was hiding behind with Blitzo, before aiming at an unsuspecting enemy. She took a deep breath and steadied herself, before pulling the trigger. The sheer force of the kickback made her jolt backward, as the bullet whizzed to its target. The bullet, however, would not only pierce the demon's chest but also hit a grenade that was strapped to his vest. On contact, the explosive would go off, blowing up a good chunk of the intruders and flinging them back onto the ground. Blitzo stared in shock, before he looked towards Octavia with a smirk.
"Did you actually aim for that?"
"You know, actually I did!" she exclaimed, her eyes holding wonder and amazement at her achievement. That proud moment would be short-lived, as the sound of guns grew louder, bullets whizzing left and right, piercing everything in their wake. They were pinned, with no way to counterattack. Blitzo quickly pulled Octavia closer and used his body as extra protection for her, just in case a stray bullet hit her. It seemed useless, the enemies were all growing closer, as they continued their non-stop bullet spray towards the three. Closer and closer they got, the smell of gunpowder growing stronger with each step. It was over, there was nothing to do! Octavia gripped onto Blitzo, her face buried in his chest. Any moment now...
"Honestly, what did they think they could do?"
In an instant, the gunfire ceased, the only thing that filled their ears being the ringing from the constant explosions. They looked out to the battlefield. They once firing and shouting enemies were now nothing but stone statues, each of them housing a look of shock and fear. There was only one person who could do that and to so many of them. The three looked back towards the stairs, catching the sight of their own, resident owl prince.
"Took you long enough! We almost got killed, you know!" Blitzo shouted, though he still had a smirk on his face. Stolas grinned, giving them a single finger gun, his other hand resting on his hip. Octavia only scoffed, finding her father's antics to be so childish, yet she liked that about him. Besides, he did come in to help out when it mattered, like he always did.
"W-Wait, hold on! I'm h-here!" Millie gasped, as she soon made it down the stairs. It was a rather tall building and the elevators just had to be out of order, so running all the way down would be tiresome.
Moxxie quickly got to his feet and dusted himself off, "Come on, we gotta get to Zack and Loona! Those two could be in trouble!"
--
"So the head honcho shows his face; Kokichi Nagasaki." Zack said, as he and Loona slowly turned to face their opponent. From looking at him, you could definitely tell that he was someone who could rise to the top of his field. He was big and bulky, with dark tan skin and short, wild jet black hair, his height having to be around 7 and a half feet. His body was toned and chiseled, adorned in an expensive-looking suit and a silver tie. A gold watch wrapped around his wrist, and his left hip was strapped with a holster. His eyes were sharp, the right one being a dark brown, while the left eye being a pitch black with the only color being the glowing red pupil in the middle of it. He smirked, his very aura imbueing a dominant and powerful atmosphere. Just by looking at him, you could tell he was dangerous.
"So, you know my name. Impressive, not many have been able to find all of that out." he said, his voice rumbling deep within his throat. Zack glared at him. He had that same overly confident attitude that he hated so much. The kind that makes you think you're above everyone and everything.
"That's not all that I know about you." he took a deep breath, "Kokichi Nagasaki, age 36, male. In the living world, you were the leader of a yakuza family known as the Tsumugi Family. You were known for many underhanded dealings, ranging from extortion to even murder. It was no surprise that you'd be one of the richest crime bosses to date in the Japanese region. However, disaster would strike when you found a little way to gain more power. By some means, you obtained the Blood Ritual book, and in doing so, you gained demon blood and injected it into your body. The moment that you had to defeat your demon essence, your body and went out of control and, in turn, you destroyed your own family, killing every single person that was a part of it. As if things couldn't get any worse, you were dragged into hell, due to your soul being branded as a demon. Thus started your life here, where you worked from the ground up to rebuild your empire, bringing us to where we are today. Now, the reason why you're after the book. The one reason that I can think of is greed. You always seem to be wanting more and more cash, and you're taking it by any means necessary. My guess is that you want that book in order to go back to the living world, so you can rebuild the Tsumugi family there. Perhaps even have demons pay to leave hell and live in the human world to cause havoc. Anything for money, that's your game."
Silence filled the space around them, their eyes staring at each other in a menacing, almost challenging way. After what felt like minutes, a grin started to grow on Kokichi's face, before he started to chuckle.
"Amazing, absolutely amazing. You actually found out about my past. Not only that, but you easily were able to see just what kinda guy I am. I'm quite astonished. I knew you were going to push my limits, make me go far beyond what I've ever done before." he stepped closer, his grin growing more menacing, "I've never had to deal with a problem directly, ya know? My boys were always able to handle any situation, but not you. When I saw you survived and that the bitch over there slipped her blood into your body, I just had to see if you could get to me. Of course, I had to give a few roadblocks to make things more interesting to watch, but the more I saw you get closer and closer to me, I felt such a rush. Never in my life have I found such an intellectual, such as yourself. I must congratulate you, Zack Trevle."
Loona growled, her fangs barring at the asshole that just not only patronized Zack, but insulted her. If she wasn't held at gunpoint right now, she would instantly shred into his body and tear him apart. Zack, noticing her anger, quickly glanced at her.
"Down girl, easy."
Kokichi's eyes slowly raked over her body, his tongue licking at his lips in a slow, sensual manner, "My my, I must say, your bitch here is definitely a looker. I have a good slew of women, but her? Hmhm, I love a woman with fire. Makes it more fun to break her."
"Fuck off, dipshit, or else I'll break you." she seethed, her claws slowly extending. Kokichi merely whistled in a catcalling manner. He slowly cocked the gun and pointed it at Zack's head.
"Now then, back to business. Where's the book?"
"Dunno. I've never even seen it."
Kokichi growled, his smirk growing larger, "Come on now, it's not a good idea to lie to me right now. Tell me where the book is."
"Believe me or don't, but I've never seen it. I mean, why would I need to see it if it doesn't concern me?"
The suited man only stared at him in complete silence, before shrugging his shoulder, "Fair enough. You may not have seen it," suddenly, he moved his aim to Loona's forehead, "But I know you, I.M.P.'s secretary, has seen it. So then, you tell me, where is the book?"
Loona glared daggers at him, "I don't mess with that shit, so I don't know. Even if I did, I wouldn't tell a limp-dick motherfucker like you."
"Oh my, please be rude to me more. It really turns me on~"
Loona grimaced, while Zack rolled his eyes. He saw lots of guys like this in New York, but this was just bullshit. If his ass attempts at being sexual and alluring didn't kill him, then his stupid-looking smirk would. Kokichi would soon step back slightly, before pointing his gun back at his head.
"Well, if that's the case, then there isn't really any point to you living, now is there? Sorry to cut your adventure short, buuuuut-"
"Wait, stop!" Loona shouted, before he could pull the trigger, "Why don't you just take me as a hostage?"
Zack's eyes widened, as he looked towards Loona in worry, "Loona, what are you doing?"
"Just listen. You can take me as a hostage, then have Zack be the messenger. He can tell them that they need to exchange me for the book and that you'll give them a time and a place. It's a win-win."
Kokichi stared, his hand brushing his chin in thought. Perhaps she had something there; plus, he could have a little bit of fun with her while they're getting their shit together. With an evil grin, he slowly waved her over.
"That's not a bad idea. You're quite a smart little lady, aren't you? Well then, come here. Oh, and no funny business, or I will drop you."
Loona nodded her head, before glancing over at Zack. His eyes held a deep worry for her, worried that she would end up getting hurt, or worse. She smiled in assurance to him, before slowly stepping towards the armed man. Her footsteps rung through the chapel, before she stopped in front of him. He gripped at her tail tightly, keeping his aim trained on the human investigator.
"Perfect, what an amazing idea. I'm glad you gave it to me, my dear," he slowly looked towards Zack, his smiling dropping, "Unfortunately, not all of it was perfect. You're too much of a liability, so this game is over."
Before Zack could move, Kokichi's finger quickly pulled the trigger. The bullet instantly cut through the air, and with mighty force, hit him square in the chest. His face twisted into a look of shock and pain, as his body pushed back and fell to the ground with a loud thud. His eyes were closed and his body was limp, not a sign of life anywhere.
"Zack! Oh shit, Zack!" she lunged towards him, but Kokichi wrapped his thick arm around her upper body, keeping her arms pinned down, "Let go of me you little shit! I'm gonna rip your dick off and make you eat it, cock sucker!"
"Oh, calm down. You have no reason to worry about him anymore. You have me, and I'll be sure to give you everything you deserve~"
With one final glance toward the downed investigator, he began to laugh loudly, before practically dragging her out of the back of the chapel. She kicked and growled out, trying her best to get free and to get to him. It was all for naught, however. He was too strong, too resilient to overpower. Now, she was being taken, and Zack was shot, left to die.
--
"Guys, quick! I think the gunshot was in here!" Blitzo shouted, as he kicked open the doors to the chapel. He, along with the others, instantly bolted into the dreary establishment, a weapon of some sort in their hands. There was no one there, to their surprise. No one, but the body of the investigator they had come to respect and bond with. Octavia gasped in worry, as she sprinted towards him and crouched at his side, her hands gently shaking his person.
"Big bro! Big bro, are you okay?! Zack!"
The demon group all gathered around his person, as they all loved for any sign of life. Each of them all felt the sting of worry and lost, as they stared at the human's body.
"Is he really...?" Millie asked, unable to finish her sentence. That's when it happened. As soon as she went to touch him, he began to stir! With haste, the demon gang quickly backed up slightly from the investigator, as he sat up on the ground, panting slightly. Blitzo's eyes widened in disbelief, his voice echoing throughout the chapel.
"Kid, you're alright! But, how...?"
Instead of answering, Zack slowly unbuttoned his coat and undershirt. To their surprise, underneath it all, was a bulletproof vest! He gripped at it and tore it off his person, exposing his toned, protected chest.
"Bulletproof Vest. I thought I may need it, just in case."
Blitzo and the others all sighed in relief, seeing that he was alright and living. They had other problems though. Loona was nowhere to be seen!
"Zack, where's Loonie?! Where did she go?!" Blitzo bellowed, as Zack stood to his feet. He brushed his pants legs, as he took a deep breath and stretched his limbs. He huffed. He knew that this wouldn't be easy for him to hear, but lying about it wasn't gonna work nor was it right.
"Kokichi took her. Said he would give you a destination and a time, and then you and him would trade-off. My guess is that he may not even honor that agreement."
Blitzo's breathing grew deeper and labored, as he angrily kicked at the nearby pew, making everyone jump in place. He was livid, seeing nothing but pure blood-red.
"Fucking shit! This stupid plan was a trap all along! They knew about our trap and sprung their own trap on us! What the fucking shit! No we've got no choice but to-"
"I don't think you need to worry," the group of demons all looked towards the investigator, as he fished into his pocket, "Asshole let himself get too cocky. Thus, we did a little something I like to call, a Trap-fecta."
He pulled out his phone and held it up for them to see. On it was a map, with a little moving blip on it. It was moving fast, and it was heading to Imp City. Their eyes widened in shock, as they stared at Zack, then at the phone, then at Zack again. This was their plan all along!
"You planned this?! How did you know it was a trap?!" Millie asked, her southern accent more apparent than ever before. Zack grinned, as he slipped his hands into his pockets.
"That document was made in a web app that allows people to edit files from any device that can connect to the internet, thanks to it being saved on to the cloud. Not only that, but I noticed that it was edited the same time we were reading it. They kept themselves hidden, but the logs proved to be otherwise fatal to them. With that knowledge, I had us all go to the cafe to discuss our plan; a cafe that I knew had a camera in it. Lastly, Loona and I made a plan to take him by surprise and to find his base of operation. Thus, we linked our phones so that we could find each other's locations. Check and mate."
They all looked in awe, completely taken aback by his craftiness and cunning. Not many would have caught that, especially when it came to such small details. Blitzo, however, was still not too happy about this. After all, his daughter just got taken by a psychopath, how could he be happy about this?
"Yeah, well, Loonie is still in that dick's hands. What exactly are we gonna do about that?"
Zack slipped his phone back into his pocket and started towards the chapel door, his face morphing into a determined glare, "We follow them, and scope out the scene. Afterwards, we forge a plan, and then, we kill Kokichi Nagasaki."
--
It didn't take long for them to follow the trail left by Loona's signal, since they were able to drive in an unmarked vehicle. It was the best course of action, due to the possibility of them being watched by someone. As they drove down the road, they all could feel the anxiety eating away their minds. Wherever they were going was definitely going to be a place that could very much be filled to the brim with guards, a little issue that may cause them more problems than anything. Still, they had to keep trucking for Loona's sake and safety. After a few minutes of driving, they would stop at their destination. It was a gaudy-looking building, one that was stabbing high into the sky. Neon lights flashed and blinked, whilst multiple demons of all shapes and sizes congregated around the front of it.
"What is this place?" Octavia asked while looking out of the window.
"Seems to me that it's a casino. Fitting, for someone who apparently loves money so much." Stolas answered, as he raised an eyebrow. Zack merely stared. It was rather clever hiding in plain sight like this. No one would think anything different to search in one of the many casinos in hell. His eyes quickly scanned the surrounding, his mind taking mental notes on what the best course of actions were. If they were gonna stop this guy, they had to draw his attention elsewhere. Maybe with some sort of distraction, one that's possibly explosive. Zack smirked devilishly, his mind developing a diabolic plan.
"Guys, I have a plan."
--
Hours had passed; hours of planning, work, and a whole lot of work, but now was the time to strike. Adorned with a trench coat, sunglasses, and a hat, Blitzo slowly walked into the casino, his hands slipped into his pockets. His eyes looked back and forth, surveying the area quietly and smartly. The entire area was bustling with demons, each one sitting at either the blackjack table or the many slot machines. It was absolutely perfect for their plan. He pulled out his phone and punched in a number.
"Hey, it's me. It's perfect; go for it, Mox."
--
"Yes sir, we're on the move," Moxxie said, as he hung up and slipped his phone into his pocket. He looked towards Millie, who was busy cutting the throat of a poor, unsuspecting guard. She smirked, as she kicked him down to the ground and pulled out a long string of explosives. The imp couple quickly ran into the computer room and strapped the explosives to the desk, as well as a few of the monitors. With a pair of devilish smirks, they pulled out a remote detonator and ran back out of the computer room, heading straight for the exit.
"This is gonna be explosive! Are you ready?" Moxxie asked, as he held the detonator in his hand. Millie slowly licked her lips, before pecking his own in a hungry kiss.
"Blow that load, Moxxie~"
--
"Hmhm, I see. So, we've earned 150% more profit in the last hour. Not bad at all, if I do say so myself." Kokichi muttered, as he took a sip from his cup of warm tea. Things were just coming up Nagasaki for him. There were only good things happening. Zack was dead, he'd have the book in a matter of hours, and he had just obtained a fun little addition to his assortment of sluts. He felt like he was on top of the world; as if nothing could stop him. His mind began to replay the events of today. Just how easy it was to end that investigator's life, how easy it was to take his prized woman. Now, he would take his friends' only way to make money. It was nothing personal though, it was just business. Still, there was something bothering him. For some reason, Zack wasn't scared. He was determined and courageous all the way through. Not only that, but he was so similar to him. Not just because he had the same power as them, but because he reminded him of himself when he had his family. He did whatever it took to protect his family, even the most dastardly of things. Even his desire for power was all for his family. At least, he wanted to believe that. At this point, he didn't even know.
With a sigh, he stood to his feet and walked towards the small shrine to the back of the room. It consisted of a small picture frame with the symbol of his family, along with a few bowls of fruits and foods, all of them fresh. A few vases with fresh flowers stood on the small table, ones that he watered and changed each and every time. He closed his eyes and pressed his hands together, before getting to his knees on a small pillow. He stayed silent for a second, until he finally spoke.
"Forgive me, my men. Forgive my stupidity and my foolishness. I have trained and thought long and hard about my path, and now, I'll be able to make this right. I will take everything that we lost from my transgressions, and rebuild our clan. It will all be done in due time, I promise."
He stayed silent for a while longer, giving his fallen comrades his respect. He hated how he took the lives of his family, the very people that made the Tsumugi family so strong. Now, he had no family, all because of his stupidity. The only thing he had now was his money. Sure, he had women, lackeys, and the like, but that was all he had. He didn't consider any of it his family, just something for him to play around with for a while. Until he made it to the human world, he was going to keep going, to keep taking what he wanted, all for the sake of honoring his fallen family.
Before he could even get up, the doors would suddenly open, two suited guards, one with a face mask and sunglasses and one in only sunglasses, barged in quickly.
"Sir, there's trouble at the control plaza!" shouted the sunglasses sporting guard.
Kokichi didn't even look up. You could feel the anger and annoyance oozing from his very person, his voice rumbling with a deep, menacing undertone.
"I have said time and time again not to disrupt me at this time. This better be good."
"Sorry, sir, but we've just got word that something caused an explosion in the computer room! All the cameras have gone offline!"
That instantly made him jump to his feet. His eyes widened in shock, as he glared daggers at the two, "What?! How the hell is that possible!?" before the guard could explain, he held up his hand to stop them, "You know what, I don't care! Just get down there and figure out what the fuck is going on!"
With a nod of their heads, they bolted out of the room, closing the door behind them. Kokichi growled, his hand scratching the back of his head in irritation.
"Damn them. Was this their doing? Well, fine, then I won't be held responsible for what happens next."
--
As the two guards walked down the hall, they silently mumbled to each other, their nervousness skyrocketing to the roof.
"Can't believe this is happening. I mean, I never knew that anyone could actually destroy the computer room!" exclaimed the sunglasses-wearing guard.
Facemask nodded his head, "Yeah, I agree. It's a mystery how anyone could do that. Not only that, but did you see how the boss looked? He was about ready to kill us."
"Yeah, I just hope that hellhound chick is able to do something about that." sunglasses said, which made facemask raise an eyebrow.
"What? Is he some new mistress?"
"You didn't hear? Boss took that I.M.P. guy's daughter. Bitch is held up down the hall in room 509. I was tasked with making sure she didn't fuck with anything. Pretty sure the ol' boss is gonna relieve some stress with her, if you know what I mean."
"...Oh? That's good to know," with a swift kick to the back of the knee, sunglasses fell on to his knees, giving facemask a quick and easy opportunity to slam his dagger into his throat, killing him silently. He slowly pulled off his facemask and the sunglass, exposing the mastermind of this plan, "Thanks for the information. By the way, don't ever call her bitch, Mr. Carcass."
He quickly began to sprint towards the direction of room 509, where Loona was being withheld. Things were doing well for him and the others, and not only that, Stolas and Octavia were keeping the main entrance guarded, while Blitzo was dealing with any guards that were trying to get upstairs. It seemed foolproof, but he knew it wouldn't last long. He had to get to Loona, and fast. He slipped past guards, dodged the sight of the cameras, and navigated the maze-like halls, before he finally made it to his desired room. He smiled happily panting softly, before heading towards the door and knocking on it. Before he could even say anything, Loona's voice shot from inside the room.
"Fuck off already!! I said I'm not fucking you!"
ZAck blinked, before smirking playfully, "Well, that's odd, coming from someone who's asked for my big meaty sausage."
"Z-Zack, is that you?! Oh shit, I'm glad you're okay. I was worried the bullet didn't hit the vest." she said in relief, as she placed her hand on the door. Zack did the same.
"Don't worry, it all went off without a hitch. Blitzo, Octavia, and Stolas are downstairs and Moxxie and Millie are on the way here. I'm gonna get you outta here, and then we're gonna take that dick down."
Loona huffed, "That's great and all, but the door is locked. You're gonna need to get the key from Kokichi!"
Zack, who had an annoyed look on his face, shook his head. This wasn't some RPG, it was a real heist! They had to get out fast, and if breaking down a door was what he had to do, then that's what he was going to do.
"We don't have time for that! Back up from the door, I'm coming in!"
"W-Wait, hold on, you don't wanna-!"
Ignoring her advice, Zack raised his foot and kicked the door down, making sure to mimic Blitzo's usual technique. The door flew open without a hitch, allowing Zack to lunge into the room.
"Come on Loona, let's get-"
Zack froze in place, as he stared at Loona in awe. She wasn't hurt, nor bound in any way. Instead, she was standing in the middle of the room, wearing a very short and revealing, black long-sleeved kimono. It had a very intricate design, with lotus flowers and dragons, the sides of it having high slits, exposing the string of her red thong. Her hair was tied in a bun, held up with expensive-looking chopsticks. She merely stood in embarrassment, as her cheeks turned a deep shade of pink. Zack's face, however, would turn a complete red.
"...Holy fuck, thank you Japan..." Zack mumbled. His pants seemed to grow tighter the more he stared. The reason for that was very apparent, especially to Loona. She huffed, as she crossed her arms and looked away, her ears pressing against her head.
"D-Don't get used to this! That stupid bitch made me wear this. Said, he wanted me to look good for when he fucked me sideways. Luckily, you came before he had the time to."
Zack sighed in relief, "That's good. Ahem, now come on, we gotta get outta here. Um, and, can we keep the outfit?"
"Huh? Why? Are kimonos your thing?" she asked, her head tilted and her eyebrow raised. Zack smiled awkwardly, his heart pounding against his chest.
"W-Well, I mean, it's always been a fantasy of mine to, um, tear off a woman's kimono while...h-having sex..."
Lonna silently blinked, a bit taken aback by his confession. She had no idea that he had kinks or even things that he wanted to do. In a way, it made her feel, really hot. She smirked, as she stepped closer to him and took his hand, helping him out of the room and into the hallway.
"Aww, how cute. You get us outta here and I'll do more than that." she said with a snarky smirk and a wink. Zack blushed a deeper shade of pink, before quickly saluting to her.
"Y-Yes ma'am! Come on, we've gotta get to the roof! That's where our means of getting away is!"
With a nod of her head, the two began to sprint down the hall and to the stairs, as Zack pulled his phone out and called Stolas, "Stolas, the human has received the hellhound! Let her rip whenever you're ready!"
--
"Ten-four Zack! Stay clear of the first and 5th floor." Stolas said, as he and Octavia waited for Blitzo to leave the building. In a matter of seconds, Blitzo was seen sprinting out of the casino, giving them a thumbs up. Stolas smirked, as he handed the detonator to Octavia, who had a shocked look on his face.
"Would you like to do the honors, Via?"
They shared a look for a second, before Octavia gave him a confident grin, "I'd love to."
They both shared a giggle, before her thumb slammed against the button, setting off all of the explosives.
--
The building shook and the fire alarm sounded, as the human and hellhound sprinted up the stairs. Things were going well, if not perfectly. Now all they needed was to get out of that building. Even with their speedy movements and fast pace, they didn't let go of each other's hands. They never wanted to let go, not after that scary event. Not only that, but this was making him feel like he was a complete mastermind, like the leader of a heist gang that was trying to steal a diamond or rescue a friend. It was such a rush, such a fantastic moment that, in a way, was making him feel even more courageous, and it was all because of her. He had to make sure to thank her properly in any way she wanted.
Within seconds, they finally made it to the roof and barged through the metal door. As they did, their ears were graced by the sound of the whirling blades of a helicopter, shocking the two in place. Loona looked towards him, an eyebrow raised in confusion.
"Is that our escape?!" she shouted, hoping her voice got through the deafening sound of the helicopter. Zack shook his head, as he looked up towards the Helipad. He glared and huffed in annoyance, before looking back at her.
"Get to the side of the building! There's a zipline that'll take you to the building across from here! Octavia and Stolas are waiting for you there on the roof!"
"And what about you?!"
Zack smirked, as he pointed up to the helipad, "I'm going after our friend up there!"
Before he could even run after him, Loona gripped on to his hand, stopping him. He looked back towards her in curiosity, his eyes staring into her own.
"Just be careful, okay?"
"Oh Loona, aren't I always?"
And with that, he pecked her lips lovingly and began to sprint up the stairs to the helipad. His eyes held a malicious look, his only mission being to stop Kokichi before he got away. If he did, it'd be hell trying to search for him again. He wasn't having that; he was gonna stop and end this here and now! With his dagger clutched in his hand, he made his way to the top of the helipad, just in time to see his target step into his getaway plane. He looked back towards the investigator, a smirk growing on his face.
"You did well, kid! Who knew you'd be this smart? Unfortunately, I'll have to bid you adieu!"
The helicopter soon began to rise off the ground, ready to take off to wherever their destination was. This wasn't good! If he was able to get away, there'd be no telling what damage he could do! It was time to make some risky plays! With little hesitation, Zack lunged towards the plane and sprinted as fast as he could, before, with all of his power, he jumped up towards the helicopter, his hands reaching out to grab anything that he could. He could feel the ground below him disappear, as he launched towards the moving aircraft. With luck, he gripped onto the landing gear, his arms holding tightly to it, as he clenched his teeth.
"Ngh, fucking shit, oh damn it!" he gritted out, as he felt the air whizzed through his hair. Things were getting intense! If he let go, the only thing that would happen to him is the quick and agonizing pain of a harsh drop and slam against the ground. Kokichi looked from out of the plane, sneering evilly at the sight of him. He looked towards the pilot and screamed at him, his anger boiling over.
"Shake that pissant off the plane, now! I don't want him alive the next time I see him!"
"Y-Yes sir!" the pilot answered loudly, as he turned the wheel every which way. The helicopter began to turn and weave through the air, causing Zack's body to shake about like a ragdoll. Every second, it proved more and more difficult to keep himself steady, his grip slowly losing. If he didn't do something, It'd only prove to be frugal and deadly. He took a deep breath. There had to be something that he could do about that pilot. He slowly pulled out a throwing knife and looked towards it. He still had his power, right? Could make the shot?
"Come on demon side of me, don't fucking fail me now!"
With all his power and might, he threw the knife up and forward towards the spinning blades. As if like magic, the tip of the blade hit it dead-center and, with the added speed and velocity of the bankshot, it pierced the windshield of the helicopter, hitting the pilot square in his neck and hitting his Adams apple! The moment it made contact, the helicopter soon began to lose control and began to dive downwards at breakneck speeds.
"Oh fuck, maybe that was a bad plan!" Zack screamed, as he tightened his hold on the landing gear. Faster and faster, further and further it got to the ground, with the only thing standing in the way of the helicopter and the cold hard ground, being an abandoned fucking building! Zack's eyes widened, before he groaned loudly in irritation.
"Son of a bit-!"
The helicopter, with an earth-shattering crash, slammed against the side of the building, leaving a large stack of smoke, before it let out a large, glowing explosion, a sea of flames coating the destroyed metal and the building's side.
--
Loona's eyes stared in worry and disbelief, as she witnessed the plane slam and crash against the abandoned building not too far from her, as she rode down the zipline onto the roof across from the casino. She couldn't believe it. Was Zack on the helicopter when it crashed?! If he was, did he make it out alive?! Was he hurt in any way?! She had to figure it out, she had to!
"No...No...NO!!"
As soon as her feet hit the roof's surface, she removed the harness to the zipline and threw it off, passing by Octavia and Stolas. They followed close behind her, knowing exactly what was going on. They were both just as worried as Loona, and right now, they needed to get to that crash site, and fast! Zack's life could be on the line!
--
Zack's ears filled with ringing, as he pulled himself off of the ground and pushed the rubble off of his body. To his surprise, he wasn't dead nor terribly hurt. He groaned loudly, as he went to stand up but was stopped by a searing pain in his left side. He looked down and was completely off guard by the sight before him. Lodged in his left side was a rebar rod, one that pierced him deeply. He could almost feel the foreign object exiting out of his back, though it didn't feel like it hit any vital organs.
"Nngh, damn it, not exactly into having rods in my body." Zack grunted, as he gripped the end of the metal bar. He took a deep breath; he had to remove it, or else it could get in the way, or get deeper into him. He inhaled sharply, before pulling it out with a quick and swift motion. He screamed out loudly, as he keeled over in pure agony, his hand dropping the bar to the ground. Blood leaked from his open wound, a sign that he was indeed injured a significant amount. With any luck, however, he could get down the already burning building and get some first aid. He panted heavily, as he forced himself to his feet, his eyes glancing over at the crash. There the helicopter lay, coated in the flames the explosion started. He sighed softly; there was no way that guy could be alive after that.
"And thus, the case comes to a close. Now, I just gotta get moving before-"
Suddenly, a loud bang could be heard, coming from the burning hovercraft. Zack's eyes slowly grew wide, as he caught the glimpse of a moving object within the metal prison. There couldn't be, there was just no way! Was he actually...?!
"You've got to be shitting me..."
The door flung open and a body tumbled out of it. Of course, it just had to be fucking Kokichi Nagasaki! His body was battered, his suit was torn, and blood was coating his upper torso and eye. He must have had an injury there. He panted heavily and stood to his feet, his evil smirk still present, even with the situation before them seemingly being grimmer than anything they had ever witnessed before! This guy; he was a monster, or rather, a demon!
"Where do you think you're going, investigator? This battle has only begun!"
To Be Continued...