Kiba, a light gray furred wolf, pulls the slide of his pistol back to chamber a round; Isamu a black wolf, mimics the action before exiting their vehicle alongside Domoto, a border collie. They have parked behind the café to catch the last fleeing Inarigumi when she exits. Domoto draws at his cigarette as the firing of pistols firing starts to die down.
Four vixens rush out of the back door, smoke coming with them from the flames biting at the red silk kimonos now spotted in black burns. The first to exit tosses her burning hat aside. The second Inarigumi fires a compact pistol into the building, covering the final two to exit. The third, the tallest of the four, limps away, the scent of blood in the air. The fourth, the smallest of the vixens, holds the limping one up in support. The second fox that exited drops to concrete with three gunshots resounding from the inside the burning building. A Dokugumi throw a glass bottle with a flaming cloth through the open door, it shatters upon the concrete near the surviving trio. The alcohol within catches flame as it rains towards them, causing them to scatter.
The small vixen stumbled towards the three armed wolves, coughing and rubbing her eyes, the other two flee into the alley. Stomping his cigarette out, Domoto extends his arm out, capturing the disoriented vixen in his elbow. She struggles as her smaller body is pressed against his larger frame. Wordlessly, Kiba opens the car door allowing Domoto to pull the small fox into the back seat in a headlock. The wolves enter the vehicle and pull away from the scene before either the Inarigumi or the Dokugumi realize they were there.
Silently, the fox gazes out the window to the blue cloudless sky, afraid to die for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Her heart beats faster as the dog's grip on her neck tightens, cutting her air supply. She refuses to choke, she won't give the gangsters the pleasure of knowing they have power over her. She keeps fighting the urge to draw a shattered breath, but she is forced to attempt to draw one. Her body shakes as she tries pull his arm away from her throat.
"D, ease up on her." The black wolf says in a low growl, "Jiro will deal with her."
The collie relaxes his grip, allowing her to breath again. Domoto notices something off about this assassin, she's wearing a Cherryton school dress brown and black from the inferno. Slashes across the fabric in threes in seemingly random places. She wants to stay silent, but her fear drives her to inquire.
"What's he going to do with me?" her voice is shaky as she looks towards the black wolf as best she can, "Please, let me go, I'm just a student."
Isamu turns around with a growl, "Listen, girly, I don't give a fuck who you are! You were there with the Inarigumi! Shut the fuck up and I won't break your nose!"
She shrinks in the chokehold of the collie as the loud growl stings. She was telling the truth. She is a high school student, her mother picked her up from school for a doctor's appointment. She is a bystander caught up in a vicious gang war. Akiro, the fox, panics as the car pulls to a stop in front of an apartment complex, the canines drag her out of the vehicle to stand before their boss still in a headlock. A male wolf with light brown fur walks down the concrete steps to congratulate the trio, his face turns sour as the small vixen tries backing away with her head still locked in the collies arms.
"Please! Don't hurt me!" She whimpers curling her tail around her leg.
"That is entirely up to you." He lowers himself to eye level with a smile, "What's your name?"
"A-Akiro." She stammers looking into his eyes, they're the same as Juno's, "Please… I'm still in high school."
"Akira. Pretty name for a killer. Tell you what." Jiro says motioning for Domoto to release her, "You be a good girl and you'll get out of this unscathed.
She nods with a shaken breath. He pats her head, telling her to follow him. She does told, holding herself as she enters the building. Just this morning she made plans to meet Juno on the roof to read her the poem she wrote for her at lunch; now she's being targeted by a street gang.
"How old are you, Akira?" Jiro asks leading her up the steps.
"Eighteen; it's Akiro, Sir." She answers before muttering under her breath, "I want to tell her how I feel."
"Drop that 'Sir' garbage." He replies leading her through an apartment door, "Don't worry, you'll have a story to tell your girl after we we're done. Take a seat by the table."
Akiro walks over on weak legs, the apartment smells of alcohol, tobacco smoke, and a faint scent of honey. A gun on the table where the gang leader stands. Whining, she slowly makes her way closer, he's being patient with her. He gives a small smile as she trembles across the city map.
"Tell me what buildings are fronts for the Inarigumi or the other mobs; then I'll let you go." He pulls the gun away from her sight, scaring her even more.
"Don't shoot me! Please!" She yells closing her eyes, turning her head to the right, waiting for the bullet to come.
He apologizes and slowly gets closer to her. He puts a gentle hand on her right cheek to pull her back to face him.
"Hey. Look at me. I'm not going to hurt you, Akiro." He softly speaks, "I don't want to hurt you. The quicker you help me; the quicker you get to leave. I promise."
She responds in a breaking voice, "I'm not in the Inarigumi, I'm in the science club at Cherryton. My mom took me to a doctor's appointment. I wanted a green tea at the café."
The wolf is starting to lose patience as she shakes in front of him.
"I swear, I'm not in the gang." She bends forward slightly arms crossed over her stomach, "Please. I'm scared. I didn't see her come out."
"Tenko!" Jiro yells out, making the fox jump.
A heavy thumping approaches from the hallway, revealing a female polar bear. She bends forward to avoid hitting her head on the ceiling, her body is hugged by the tight fitting black dress, showing her curvaceous form. She smiles before she kisses the wolf.
"Can you head to the café by Cherryton? Take Kiba and his crew with you. I need you to find a vixen." He lovingly coos up at her, "Our friend is worried about her mom. Dokugumi attacked."
The polar bear gets on her knees, just slightly above the fox's head, "What's her name?"
"Kagachi." The girl sniffles, "Please, find my mom."
The polar bear nods with a generous smile, "Of course. I'll return with her."
Jiro sighs as the ursidae leaves, "She will find your mom. I promise."
He sits at the table once more, looking up at the frightened girl, "You're not in the Inarigumi then."
She nods slowly, watching him reach into a kitchen drawer. He pulls out a large stack of yen, one hundred thousand yen placed in front of her. She looks at the money, worried that he might hurt her for touching it.
"Take it. As an apology for the rough treatment my boys put you through, and a new uniform. Gets expensive quick, believe me." He motions towards the stack, "Canine to canine, you're safe if you stroll through our turf."
She still doesn't reach for the money as he looks down to the floor. She hesitantly extends a hand and slowly pulls the yen towards her.
"Your sister, does she go to Cherryton?" She asks cautiously causing his ears to perk.
"Yes, she'll be the first to graduate in our family." He proudly speaks looking at her, "She's a third year this year."
The vixen hopes the answer to this question isn't a yes, "Is her name Juno?"
The male wolf looks at her with a blank; tired face, studying her expression. His answer is blunt with a twitching ear.