Hewwo! :3 Me is Monty, and it be a pleasure to meet your acquaintance! Form is up on my profile, but here's the good stuff that'll help you get started down below!

Chapter 0 - The Dogs Among Us

"Excuse me, sir, if I may, what exactly do you plan to do about all of this?"

The wondrous view of Osaka, Japan could be seen through a pair of placid, steel-colored eyes, which peered from a large office window displaying the bustling and modernized streets below. The citizens appeared small and insignificant, almost as if they were a horde of ants while they went about their everyday lives. It amazed him, honestly. Knowing that they could simply pretend that everything was okay, even when it seemed like danger was imminently waiting with every passing second. It was truly a testament to how utterly… desensitized they seemed to be with everything that's happened over the past few years.

"Sir? Excuse me, sir? Could I get your attention please, sir? This is a very urgent matter that I believe we need to discuss!" Repeatedly, a feminine voice echoed within the office space, alerting the man from his slight daydream before he casted a cold eye to who was responsible.

The woman in question, a blonde lady that looked to be somewhere within her mid-twenties, stood in place and shivered nervously as she avoided eye contact with the domineering male. "I—I apologize, I didn't mean to speak so loudly! If you're busy now, I'm sure it can wait, I wouldn't want to disturb you. Th-Then if you'll excuse me—"

Hearing the questionings of his secretary quickly morph into an almost insufferable train of mumbles and apologies caused the man to suppress an exasperated sigh before walking backwards and lowering himself into an office chair. Softly pushing strands of his dark-grey hair away from his vision, the man silently observed the woman with a look of indifference and tranquility, quietly waiting for the woman to eventually run out of steam… which normally wasn't very often, but he was nothing if not patient.

"I'm sure you have a lot of things you have to do too, this entire office has been in a frenzy all day. I know I've been receiving complaint calls for weeks about all of the things that need to be fixed—I've only had this job for seven or eight months, you know? I honestly don't even know what I'm doing anymore, other than being stressed, I'm losing sleep, and—oh God, was my daughter's piano recital scheduled for today? Wait, that's not what I was saying! I just meant, after everything that happened in Kanazawa, everything has been so hectic, and I don't even know what we're going to do about all of this, and I was hoping that we would be able to discuss that today for the public's peace of mind—"

Okay, so maybe today would be the one day where he'd have to actually intervene, the man thought.

"I mean, if we're looking at the casualty count alone, the public is already threatening to riot or stage a large-scaled protest if we don't get something done soon, and—"

"Tsuji," Finally, the man raised his right hand suddenly whilst massaging the temples of his cranium with his left hand, signaling for the perturbed woman to cease her excessive rambling. His voice was firm yet gentle, powerful but laced with concern and understanding. All of the words that planned to spill from the secretary's mouth were caught within her throat, as her bright amber eyes widened in surprise and slight embarrassment. "Please… take a deep breath and relax. I understand that you are stressed, and this has reminded me to give you a vacation as soon as possible… but things are okay now. I am handling the situation as fast as I can."

Tsuji merely stared at her employer with an expression of worry and confusion for a brief second, still riddled with anxiety and fear as she nervously scratched her blonde bun. "I… I know, I have faith in you, sir, but I'm just… I don't know, I've been hearing this for a couple of weeks now, and you never really elaborate on what you mean, so I'm stuck in this constant state of wondering and—"

Realizing that she was on the verge of another rambling session, Tsuji sighed before lowering her head as if shameful of her actions. "I don't want to question you, sir, but… I'm just… I'm your secretary, isn't it my job to know what you're planning so that I may assist you in anyway I can? What's with all of the secrecy, sir…?"

The man listened to the blonde woman attentively, keeping eye contact to ensure her that he was completely focused and percipient (though the tiniest smirk could be seen on his face when he noticed the red hue on the woman's cheeks and how she subtly averted her gaze shyly). Nodding to himself, the man reached his right and left arm outwards and rolled both sleeves of his white-collared shirt before grasping his coffee cup and standing up once again. This time, he motioned for Tsuji to stand next to him, to which the skittish blonde quickly complied as the two of them admired the view of the city together.

"Now… Tsuji, I completely understand your concerns and honestly, I apologize for how… evasive I've been in regards to what I've been preparing with the rest of my cabinet," The man paused briefly to taste the distinct bitterness of his caffeinated beverage, observing the ripples within the darkened beverage before looking towards his secretary once more. "But… It's for a good cause, I promise. I didn't want anyone outside of my inner circle to know about this since this could end up being disastrous if word gets out to the public and was relayed to the sources of our problems."

Tsuji eyed the mountainous man several times before staring downwards and fiddling with her well-manicured fingers, twisting her lips in bewilderment from the man's words. "Well… I suppose that I understand the necessity to withhold confidential information from the general masses, but what exactly are we covering for, sir? That's where most of my... disconcertion lies…"

Finishing his coffee, the man placed his ceramic mug upon his desk. He sucked his teeth softly afterwards. "Let me ask you a question, Tsuji… What are some of the worst criminal organizations that we have on file at this moment?"

"Ehh?" The blonde blinked rapidly for several seconds before finally regaining her composure and stuttering out a response. "Well, s-sir, I'm afraid that we'd be here all day if I tried to list all of them… I mean, I could if that's what you want, but I'll have to have someone take over at the desk for me. Otherwise, I think I'm going to come back to a ton of angry voicemails—"

"Heh, please Tsuji, not all of them." The man humorously reassured, chuckling at his secretary's antics. "The ones that actually matter, please? The biggest threats to our cause and what we hope to achieve. Who are the ones that come to your mind?"

"Oh!" Tsuji couldn't help but cover her face once she realized what he meant. God, how was she so good at making a fool of herself in front of him, she wondered? "Well… if we're going by numbers and power, I'd say… The Ayashiki Empire… Hai-Hai Syndicate…. That… overly religious cult, The Kichijōten…. Let me see, what else is there…? Oh! And the Black Cats! I think? I got them all right, didn't I? Those were the biggest threats, last time I checked—"

"You're right on the money, don't even worry about it, Tsuji." A tantalizing shiver was sent down the spine of the blonde woman when she felt her superior's calloused hands unlocking her bun and letting her long, golden-colored hair flow freely, completely turning her fair skin red as a result. "Now… What if I told you that I have succeeded in finding a solution to all of those little pests and problems? A full-proof way for us to turn the country of Japan around and restore peace to our society once more?"

Tsuji found herself recovering from her sheepish state and looking up to the male with widened eyes. Did she hear him correctly? A solution? Did he mean a temporary counteragent to the increasing influence of the criminal organizations? Or did he really mean an actually permanent solution?

Leaning more into his tender and soft touch, Tsuji carefully questioned the man once more. "Wait… so… sir, are you saying that you've found a way to… officially disband all of the gangs for good?" She tilted her head towards the male in question, her amber eyes somehow sparkling at the realization of what the man had meant. "But… how? We've had several meetings with them all, and we've even made lucrative offers to the leaders themselves, but nothing seems to have worked… not to mention the fact that they shamelessly disregard all of the newer laws we've established..."

However, all the man did in return was offer a confident smile and remove his hand from the woman's luscious locks, causing her to subtly pout for a split-second. "Do you remember the White Knight project from several years back? The one that existed underneath the rule of the last prime minister?"

Tsuji stood quietly in thought for a few seconds, pondering on the familiarity of the name. "Yes… I do, sir. However, I was also informed that the project was scrapped rather early on due to a lack of cooperation from the gangs and because of a lack of public support. Due to its utter failure and being outnumbered by the rest of the criminal groups, the resistance mainly disbanded… but from my understanding, there are a few remaining members attempting to fruitlessly rebuild their efforts…" Tsuji paused for a brief second to gaze into the steel-colored eyes of her superior. "Why do you ask, sir?"

'Adorable…' the man thought to himself as he stared into his secretary's eyes, taking note of the fact that they almost rivaled the radiance of the sun. He then turned away from her to admire the view of the city once more. "I need you to find and reopen those files for me is all. We're giving the project another shot."

'What…?!' The blonde-haired woman appeared skeptical at first, twisting her lips before offering a response. "Are you… sure that this is a good idea, sir? It wasn't much of a success last time, and in my humble opinion, I can't see why… it would be beneficial for us to pursue these plans for a second time… Plus, wouldn't funding be an issue as well—!?"

"It'll work." The sudden finality and utter power within the man's voice silenced Tsuji immediately, as she stood frozen in place. She could feel the tension within the room tightening the air around her, while a powerful and imposing atmosphere emanated from the Prime Minister. She couldn't help but swallow loudly, quivering because of the fact that she could practically feel how strong of a person he truly was. "We've made several important changes to the imminent project… ones that will ensure its success. We've also enlisted someone as an overseer for the project, and they'll set things in the right direction, without a shadow of a doubt."

'He's so… serious….' If one were to look closely enough, they would have faintly seen a dribble of saliva cascading from the blonde's mouth as she stared in awe and amazement. Tsuji found herself completely enticed by the staggering conviction within the words of the Prime Minister, but she finally came to her senses and realized that she'd been staring for too long. Hastily, she wiped her lips quickly and shook her head to clear the far-from-pure thoughts within her consciousness. 'Wait, what am I doing?! Not here, Tsuji and not now, we're here on business! Business!'

"I see, sir!" Tsuji fanned herself before responding. She could feel every inch of her body heating up gradually and did as much as she could to not call attention to it. "Um, if I could, may I ask who you've chosen as an overseer? The last one was far too inexperienced and rather naive from what I've heard, so… I'm curious about the newest candidate!"

The resplendent aura radiating from the tall, imposing male evaporated smoothly before he dug into his pockets for his cellular device. For a few moments,Tsuji hesitantly observed the man as he scrolled through various images until he settled on a final picture. Taking several seconds to gaze upon it, the man presented the device to Tsuji, who nervously grasped the phone lightly with her nimble fingers. Her blonde eyes then locked onto the photo and a loud gasp escaped past her lips. "Sir… it's… is that—?"

"It's exactly who you think it is, Tsuji." Tsuji looked up to see the man neatly adjusting his tie with one hand while quietly looking upon the riveting cityscape. The sun was beginning it's descent along the outskirts, signalling that the day was slowly reaching its end. Sure enough, the streets of Osaka were gradually becoming more vivacious and thronging, as dazzling neon lights illuminated in almost every sector of the city cramped with towering buildings.

It was at this time of the day that trouble slowly crept from the shadows of every streetway and corner, ready to wreak havoc and pray upon the weak and defenseless. "I'll need you to schedule a meeting for this upcoming week. We've got a lot of matters to discuss, and the overseer in question will be a special guest."

Tsuji vigorously nodded her head, "Right, sir! I'll get to it as soon as possible! Right now, in fact!" And with that, the blonde bowed respectfully before turning on her heels and making a beeline for the exit.

"Actually, Tsuji?"

The blonde paused immediately, slowly turning her head to look at the backside of the man with an inkling of worry upon her face. "Y-Yes sir?"

"You should… probably take a rest for the day. You seem exhausted. Also, yes, I do believe that young Chie's piano lessons are today. Tell her I said hello, by the way, okay?"

The man flashed Tsuji a warm, charismatic smile, which almost made Tsuji melt in one instant before she fanned her face with her hands and nodded shyly. "R-Right! Thank you for the reminder, sir!" and with that, she briskly closed the door behind herself, leaving the Prime Minister all to himself.

"She really is adorable…" The man smirked to himself, shaking his head as he heard the sounds of her bumbling about outside of his door. Things were much … livelier while she was around. She hadn't been at the building for even a full year yet, and she was already the best secretary he'd had so far. Tsuji was the epitome of a hard worker. Plus, she was cute, which was an added bonus.

He sighed to himself, preparing for a long night of paperwork. He had to make sure that everything was in order before things were officially greenlit. However, unbeknownst to him, a shadow was present within the corners, shifting sneakingly in place before it creeped into the darkest crevices of the room and disappeared without a trace.

"So… you're telling me that the government is planning an inevitable crackdown that'll supposedly dismantle all of us?"

The large room was almost completely devoid of light, only being illuminated by the small screen of a laptop placed in front of a young, well-dressed girl with midnight-colored hair that flowed past her shoulders. Her honey-colored eyes gazed questioningly at a male within the room, who lazily leaned against a large shelf behind her while examining his fingernails causally.

"Yup! At least that's pretty much the gist of everything I've heard from them, but I could be wrong though… I think I might've had a random nap in the corner for a bit, it got kinda boring just watching the guy act all grand and important in his office by himself, blergh..." His hands slinked within the pockets of his leather jacket and pulled out a piece of gum, unraveling the wrapping and tossing it within his mouth before chewing happily, delighted with the delectable mix of fruity flavors. "Oh, hell, this is pretty damn good, want some, Kunni?"

Kunniya merely looked at the boy for a few moments, holding a deadpan expression as he held a piece of confection in front of her. "No. No, I'm not really in the mood for candy right now, Kurotsuki. I'm too busy trying to digest the fact that you're acting like this isn't a big deal."

"Myeh," The man merely shrugged his shoulders as he loudly chewed on the candy before responding. "It's fine, we'll handle it as we go along, kaay~? I'll take care of it, eventually—"

"No!" Abruptly, she stood upwards slamming her fist unto the desk, causing Kurotsuki to immediately swallow his gum and stare at her in bewilderment. "No, you aren't! Then again, why would you?! You're hardly ever here, and I'm always the one that has to handle all of the busy stuff, aren't I?! We're possibly on our way to being purged, and you're acting as if this is going to be little more than a minor inconvenience!" Kunniya then frowned deeply, a tinge of sadness visible within her eyes. "Like honestly, Kuro, do you even care about Black Cat and what it represents?! What we built together!? We're supposed to be a team here, you know…?"

Though slightly startled, Kurotsuki recovered swiftly before reaching over and poking Kunniya's nose softly, quickly moving it away before she could swat it. "Of course I do, Kunni, who do you think I am?" moving from his spot behind Kunnya, he casually sat atop of her desk, making sure to carefully remove her paperwork and set it to the side. "Slow and steady always wins the race, that's what they say, right? Plus, sure, I'm gone a lot, but I also come back with some pretty good information, do I noooot~?"

Kunniya frowned in exasperation at Kurotsuki, not even making an attempt to hide her annoyance. The fact that he was basically right didn't sit well with her at all. And that smile… that smug and conceited smile that he always had on his face. It always made her want to strangle him.

Still… she couldn't help but love it, even if it was just a bit. She'd never tell him that to his face though.

"Hmph. I suppose you're right…" Kunniya huffed, eliciting a snicker from Kurotsuki. He could never get enough of that tsundere-esque attitude of hers. "Sooooo… when do you plan on telling the others?"

Kurotsuki blinked, "Eh? I have to tell them?"

In the next moment, the man swiftly morphed into a shadow and sailed along the floors to avoid a stapler blitzing through the air at a dangerous speed before impacting the walls. He gulped as he saw the damage; the collision was destructive enough to leave a fractured crater within the wall. Had she always had that good of a throwing arm, he wondered?

"Of course you have to tell them, you baka!" Kunniya stood once again, harshly gripping the hardest thing she could find at a short moment's notice and readying for another throw. "I don't know about you, but I'm not too keen on having these maniacs throw another tantrum like last time because you wanted to withhold information! Of course you have to tell them!"

Kurotsuki's head peeked outwards from the shadows briefly, angering the girl even more with his classic Cheshire cat-like smirk. "Ehhhh, but last time was a lot of fun though, right?"

Once again, his head traversed into the darkness, this time evading a full-blown cinder block that clashed against the shelves.

Where did she find it? He'd never know, but he was just glad that he hadn't felt it.

Kunniya fumed angrily, "Shut the hell up, they fucking destroyed Kanagawa, you dolt!"

"Okay, so what part of that isn't fun, exactly? I'm confused~?" Deciding that it would be for the best if he didn't show his face, Kurotsuki, in his shadowed form strutted around the room in an animated fashion, playfully finger-gunning towards Kunniya while doing so. "Jeez, what's the big idea, Kunni?! Are you getting soft on meeee~?"

"I think a better question would be if you have any sort of empathy or remorse inside of that body of yours…" Kunniya winced once she realized the damage she had done to her office space. This had been the fifth week in a row that she'd lost her temper, and she silently scolded herself before bringing her attention back to Kurotsuki.

"Pfft, of course not, in case you haven't noticed, I'm a gang leader?" Seeing that his friend had lost most of her steam, the male was tangible once more, whistling at the decimated shelf behind the girl. "I mean, seriously. What else did you expect?"

"No," Kunniya sighed heavily, running her hands against her face and pulling downwards, lightly stretching her facial skin as a result. "You're just an asshole… a total asshole."

"That's fair!" Kurotsuki beamed, "But… do you… mind getting that meet-up—"

"No."

"But—"

"No. I'm too busy with all of the other shit that I have to do, if I have to get on the phone with any of them, my skeleton will rip through my fucking skin. No, this is something that you will have to do this time. Have some damn responsibility for once."

Kurotsuki pouted, "Well… I'm still the leader, you know! Insubordination against a higher-ranking member leads to expulsion from the organization or death!"

Kunniya rolled her eyes before turning towards her laptop without a care in the world. "You didn't even write those rules, nor did you create any of them. I did. Plus, I figured that me constantly trying to bludgeon you to death would give you a preeeetty good idea that I could give two shits about that rule or any of the others. They don't apply to me."

Playfully, Kurotsuki placed his hands on either side of his slender waist. "Oh really~? And just who decided that?"

"I decided it, baka, because I don't know if you noticed, but I'm practically the damn leader, for fuck sakes." Her slender fingers loudly typed at an expeditious pace. A habit that Kurotsuki had noticed for Kunnya whenever she was irritated.

"Aw good, then if you're the leader, I guess I'll be making my way out, and you'll get right on to calling up the guys, cool?" Kunniya's eyes widened in a cartoonish fashion, but before she could respond, Kurotsuki shifted into the corners of the unilluminated room and slid underneath the crack of the door leading into the room, vanishing without a trace. "Cool!" his calm, equanimous voice could be heard from the other side of the threshold before his footsteps followed. "Oh, and Micchi's hungry, so you should find him when you get the chance and have some lunch with the little guy!"

For the first time since Kurotsuki entered the room, the enclosed space was abnormally quiet.

Kunniya was officially alone as she stared at the door for a few seconds, her eyes twitching rapidly as she held an almost crazed smile upon her face. The girl then giggled softly, lifting her cellphone and practically punching in numbers before pressing it against her ear.

'Ahhhh, if the government or any of these lunatics don't kill you first, Kuro-kun… I will. As always, I am left to do everything myself! Great!'

"Demi-kuuuun! oh where, oh where has my little Iron Man gone!?"

The hallways of the estate were ostentatious and garish, enclosed with large walls painted in a bright pink color. Several rows of chandeliers alighted the spacious foyer, as light footsteps echoed throughout the interior, growing in volume with every passing minute.

Artwork adorned the high walls of the mansion, portraying various images that added to the colorful nature of the manor, which she could never help but admire whenever she walked through the home. She couldn't take all of the credit for such a wondrous paradise, however.

'All of this… every single bit of this is thanks to my wonderful babies!~' A pair of magenta-colored eyes shone brightly with traces of adoration and excitement while gazing across the enclosure. Two twintails matched their color as they swayed freely along with a feminine figure's movements.

These twintails belonged to a rather small and dainty-looking young woman with an incredibly youthful appearance. She looked to be no older than at least fifteen-years old as she snaked a single digit into one of her twintails and twisted lightly.

'Mooooou, Demi-kun, where are yoooou, this is like, the gazillionth time that I've lost you! And I know every inch of this place, so you'd better not be hiding from me!' She had continuously asked many of the inhabitants/members within the mansion for the whereabouts of one of her most crucial lieutenants, yet came up short with every answer. Her lips pouted in minor sadness and annoyance at the disappearance of her precious right-hand.

And exactly as the girl was about to give up, the room shook violently, causing her to cease her trekking as the rooftop of the mansion caved in explosively, exposing the moonlight from the outside. Detritus fell from the roof and descended upon the marble flooring between the girl's feet, who had no issues dodging the debris.

Sounds reminiscent of a jet filled her ears, and her eyes widened and nearly sparkled as a result. She couldn't hold back the affectionate coo that erupted from her throat as a azure-blue, metallic figure lowered themselves upon the floors of the mansion, leaving scorch marks during their descent towards the ground from the blazing fires beneath their feet. 'There he is! Oh, just wait until he gets that silly little helmet off of him!"

"Tsubara-senpai, I am soooo sorry, please forgive me for all of this damage! I-I was trying to have a safer landing outside of the manor, but I think that there was an EMP disturbance from somewhere else, and it affected the trajectory of my landing—"

Tsubara had officially tuned everything that the boy had been saying out and moved to tackle him at the very moment that he took his helmet off. "Demi-kuuuun! Oh, where were you?!" Tsubara stared directly into the large, sky-blue eyes of a younger boy with unruly ultramarine hair before affectionately rubbing her plush cheeks against his, provoking him to squirm embarrassingly in the girl's tight embrace. "I was worried sick, you stupid boy! Don't even worry about the ceiling, I'll just use my Quirk to fix it!"

Demiji could practically feel the warmth emitting from his porcelain skin once he heard sounds of laughter and giggling surrounding him. From the corners of his vision, the boy could see several other members of the gang admiring the sight of their leader doting on him like she did with so many of the rest of them. "Uh, senpai, everyone is looking…!"

"Hm?!" Tsubara stopped suddenly, tilting her head at the young teen before looking around and noticing the crowd around them. "Ah, do you guys want a group hug tooooo?! C'mon and dogpile me and Demi-kun, guys!"

Demiji gulped heavily, "Wait, please, let me reactivate my suit—!"

"Nope!" Tsubara shouted, "Give us the old Hai-Hai spirit!"

"Hai-Hai!" the group said in union before all of them charged forward, flopping downwards on both Tsubara and Demiji and burying them in an endless sea of exotic hair colors. Demiji let out an admittedly girlish scream, feeling the weight of the team slowly press against his body and squeeze the life out of him. It didn't help that Tsubara was still latched to him as tightly as a koala and laughed cheerfully while feeling the members fight for a chance to push through to hug her. "Ahhhhhh! I love you guys sooo much!"

"TSUBARA-SENPAI, THERE IS A CALLER ON THE LINE FOR YOU!"

Without warning, a thunderous vibration burst through the vicinity as a powerful shockwave brutally knocked nearly every member away with ease. Most members slammed against several parts of the walls, which surprisingly withstood the powerful blowback.

In the midst of the chaos, Demiji grasped Tsubara and secured his leader before shifting into his armor once more and standing upwards as best as he could. Though his body was sent backwards, skidding across the marble floors of the estate, he made sure that Tsubara was well-protected from the blast by carefully shielding her away from the impact.

Suddenly, as quickly as the disturbance came, it ended just as fast. Demiji was luckily unscathed and so was his leader, but a loud ringing was present within both of their ears. The noise created a feverish headache that ravaged their heads before it eased away and allowed them peace and quiet. After a few moments, Tsubara found herself ready to speak as she was still being carried by Demiji in a bridal-style fashion.

"Yes, Junko-chan~? Is something the matter?" Demiji sweatdropped at the fact that Tsubara still sounded so calm and cheerful… as if any of this was normal.

"I-I-I'm sorry," the once powerful and almost otherworldly voice from before was now a mere memory as a tiny girl with short, red hair could be seen at the ends of the now slightly dilapidated hallways. She was dressed in a red-skinned, dragon-styled bodysuit while twisting in place with a device strapped around her throat that held an attachment that was reminiscent of a megaphone.

It honestly amazed Tsubara that such a dainty girl could go from sounding meek and soft to the exact opposite in an instant. But that's why she's such an important member after all.

"Uh… I didn't mean to use my Quirk, but you guys couldn't hear me. I-I'll clean this mess up—"

"No, no, don't you worry about a thing, Junko-chan!" Demiji felt Tsubara effortlessly slither out of his grip before making a swift dash towards Junko, evading plies of offscourings and debris while doing so.

Once she reached Junko, Tsubara rapidly gifted her with kisses across both sides of her cheeks, immediately turning the girl into a nervous wreck. "Now, come on! Who's this person that's on the phone for meeee~? Are they the people that are still on my case for Kanazawa?! Let me see the phone so I can politely tell them to kiss my—"

"Nonono, senpai, it's the leader of the Black Cats, she wants to speak to you about something very urgent!" Junko squealed softly, covering her face with her small hands in an attempt to hide her blushed state. "At least, it kind of sounds like… like it's pretty urgent."

"Oh?" Tsubara squinted her eyes, visibly wary. The last time they called her for something, she ended up having to play as the peacekeeper between two other leaders. On that same day, Kanagawa was dismantled, and she went from being the voice of reason to a huge reason for the chaos. It wasn't her fault, she figured. They should've made an effort to not drag her precious members into the crossfire. "What could Kunniya want this time? I know it's not Kurotsuki, that… weenie doesn't actually lead or run anything."

Junko then uncovered her face and sheepishly passed the cellphone to Tsubara before making her way out of the room and disappearing into the spacious home. Tsubara felt minor annoyance bubbling within her body as she stared impassively at the device. Finally, she blew a raspberry before placing the phone beside her ear. "Hai-Haaaaai, this is Nishimoto Tsubara speaking, how may I help ya~!?"

"Nishimoto, it's me, we need to arrange another meeting."

Tsubara could feel a vein within her head comically twitch. One sentence in, and she was already contemplating the idea of hanging up on the girl. "Why, hello Kunni-chan, it's nice to hear from you too!"

She heard a sigh on the other end as Demiji came into her view, arching his eyebrows in curiosity. Covering the mic of the phone, Tsubara whispered to him that it was the Black Cats and before she could even finish her confirmation properly, Demiji exaggeratedly rolled his eyes, inciting a small giggle from the Hai-Hai leader.

"Look, I know that… the last meeting wasn't exactly productive, but you'll want to be here this time. I promise." Though doubtful, the level of sincerity and slight fear within Kunniya's voice wasn't lost on Tsubara. "Look, I can't talk about it over the phone, but please, I need you to be there with the rest of the guys in our usual spot."

Tsubara giggled sarcastically, "Correct me if I'm wrong on this, but the usual spot was destroyed, was it not~?"

There was a small pause on the other end of the phone before Kunniya spoke once more, "R-Right… I'll see to it that we have a new spot soon, but once I have it, be there, Nishimoto… please."

Tsubara pouted. She couldn't figure out what was so important that she had to take time away from her members in exchange for the presence of three of the most irritating people she'd ever met in her life. Regardless, she knew that if Kunniya was the one to call, it was at least a bit worrying, if only a little.

Heroes, perhaps? Then again, they were a thing of the past, so Tsubara didn't even want to entertain such a thought. A new street gang? That certainly wasn't an issue, especially considering the fact that nobody was dumb enough to try and take them on.

So what was it, exactly?

She saw no other alternative. Tsubara blew a raspberry once again before finally voicing her decision to the girl on the other end of the line. "Sure thing, Kunni-chan. I'll say right here and right now though, If you're expecting me to play as the peacekeeper like last time, there will be none of that, okay?"

A darkened shadow was then casted over her face, and the sudden aura surrounding the once bright and smiling girl was egregious and borderline satanic as she spoke low and darkly.

"And if another one of my members are hurt in the crossfire of another tantrum again? I will spare nobody, is that understood?"

"...Heh…" Kunniya lightly chuckled, though Tsubara could tell that it was more of a forced chuckle as opposed to actual amusement. "That's… that's completely fair, Nishimoto. I'll text you the new location in a bit."

Just as quickly as the aura engulfing the leader came, it dissipated. Tsubara hummed in agreement before hanging up the call and releasing a loud groan of annoyance. She then tuned and draped herself over Demiji in a sudden hug, prompting the boy to falter in his stance and stumble lightly.

Before long, other members made their way towards the two of them. Most of them were both disoriented and disheveled as a result of the previous carnage. "Demiji, my little Iron Man, I need you to get Kiki and some of the others to come with me. We have another meeting to attend with our oh-so-annoying friends from the other side."

Demiji and the others then frowned before yelling in unison. "Again!?"

Tsubara only pouted, snuggling into the scruff of Demiji's neck and taking in his light blueberry scent.

"Again…"

How unbelievably bothersome.

She softly ran her gracile hands through her amaranthine-colored hair, looking distastefully at the scroll within her hand. She was irritated, both by the interruption of her skin treatment session because of one of her subordinates and also by the name attached to the message sent to her. What right did they have to try and convince her to set foot within the same room as those non-believers? More specifically, why did he have to be there?

She tightened the ropes surrounding her rose-colored kimono, wanting to make sure that she was decent enough before stepping out of her sauna. The house inhabiting the room was very much traditional in Japanese culture. The tatami mat flooring of the home was pleasant to her bare feet as the woman briefly admired the religious statues decorating the halls.

There were two guards on either side of her, one of which she entrusted with her life if the time depended on it. Her posture was graceful, and she held a beauty that rivaled that of an angel. She was fully aware of it, of course, and the reassurance that she got from her subordinates only served to remind her of the fact.

All of what she had, everything given to her. It was thanks to her lord and savior, to whom she was incredibly grateful for choosing her to be the holy messenger.

She breathed inwardly, embracing the natural aroma of the house which filled her nostrils with such a gratifying scent that it was much too enriching to ignore. The air was always so pure and free. It never reeked of sin and unholiness, much like the streets of the more populated areas in the urban areas. It was a shame that she had to leave, really. Especially since a certain someone's stench would completely kill her mood in the very minute she'd set foot in whatever pitiful, germ-infested building was chosen for this next convocation.

As she made her way down the hallways, she found herself to be charmed by the actions of her fellow disciples, offering small headpats as a reward to those that bowed as she walked past them.

Before long, one of her bodyguards opened a sliding door leading to the outdoors, and she found herself bathing in the coolness of the outside air, as the sun washed over her and made her vibrant, fair skin shine softly. Light pink petals from the cherry blossom trees surrounding her sanctum blew within the winter breeze, almost as if they were performing a dance. Forest and greenery was all that occupied her space, which was exactly how she preferred it.

She slipped her feet into two pairs of sandals and enjoyed the calming silence of her abode. Her messengers presented themselves, bowing on their knees and faithfully waited for her to express any sort of command.

"Watashi-kun," her voice was light and airy, sounding serene and gentle much like the winds blowing through her long, wavy hair. Her eyesight was keen enough to see goosebumps cover the skin of her followers' body, showing that they were listening to her closely. "I would like to request that you accompany me to a gathering and act as my guardian in case of a potential ambush. As for the rest of you, I would like for you to stand alert and watch out for any unsavory souls, am I clear?"

A man clad in shining, golden-plated armor with yellowish hair bowed lower and nodded in confirmation. "Yes, Kichijōten-sama. It would be my honor… I would follow you until the very ends of the earth if it's Kami-sama's wishes."

Kichijōten rewarded her subordinate with a small smile, satisfied with his response. "Very well… then I'd love your company. The… Empire's rat of a leader will be there, and I fear that this might possibly end in violence once more, so I'd appreciate it if you kept me from lowering myself to such a fool once more."

"Yes, Kichijōten-sama, of course." He replied, attentively.

"Bless you, Watashi-kun." Truly, she admired the loyalty of the messengers, alongside their undying devotion. "We'll move now, there's no sense in wasting time."

And with that, Kichijōten walked forward, passing her kneeling messengers as a flood of them followed closely behind her, allowing the crowd to gradually grow in numbers while humming in unison. Dozens upon dozens more joined in the gathering, as Kichijōten gracefully allowed them to see her off. Before long, the entirety of the area was swarming with her disciples, stretching far within the land of her estate.

"Ouch!"

"Majiro, what did I tell you about going too far off into this area, I told you, it's not safe!"

'What is this…?'

Kichijōten sneered. She could've swore that the locals were informed of the fact that these grounds were forbidden for outsiders. Her gaze happened upon a young child on the ground crying with a badly scraped knee and a woman who, if she had to make a guess, was his mother.

"Now, please, come on and let's go home, we aren't wanted around here-"

"And just what exactly is going on?"

A cold shiver surged through the body of the young boy's mother. The lump within her throat was almost too much for her to swallow, as she turned towards the source of the voice and froze instantaneously. The familiar look of irritation on the face of the woman towering over her and the child caused her to tremble in utter terror. Was this the day she'd died? Was this… cult so cruel as to kill a woman and her baby boy?

The woman walked forward, her frown only deepening while doing so. The mother instinctively clutched Majiro to her bosom in a desperate attempt to defend him if she needed to. However, she wasn't foolish. After seeing the destruction caused by this very same woman years ago, she figured that it was in her best interest to run as fast as she could, with Majiro in tow.

So why couldn't she move?

The leader crouched downwards towards the two of them, which was an action that elicited a feared gasp from both of the intruders. Kichijōten looked towards the boy first, only giving the woman a harsh glare before calmly smiling towards the child. He returned her gaze, but there was something about his woman that made his skin tingle with anxiety as he tightened his grip on his mother.

"Young child," Finally, she spoke, though the tone of her melodious voice put him slightly at ease for some bizarre reason. He made sure that his mother had a close eye to the woman and the crowd of strange individuals behind her. "Surely, your mother has told you that this is private property, correct?" However, the cadence of her voice then shifted darkly, bringing goosebumps to both the child and parent. "Only messengers of the holy spirit shall set foot upon this land, and If memory serves me right, you have yet to be cleansed."

There were no other words, no exchanges, or anything of the sort. As soon as she finished her words and they sensed the brevity and dourness within her words, the mother quickly scooped her child upwards and bowed fearfully before cowering off into the woodlands. Kichijōten sighed loudly as she watched the duo leave. She didn't dislike the locals, per se. Lord knows that they were preferable to the trash present within the city. However, it almost seemed as if they were testing her patience on purpose.

She didn't fret over it for much longer though. She had places to be, and the sooner she got this over with, the better.

And if that mongrel was there, then she was fully prepared to put him in his place if he acted out of line. Permanently, if the time called for it.

Cold, Decrepit, and a stench so rancid and malodorous that it would bring anyone who hasn't grown accustomed to it upon their knees in a single breath. The odor filled every orifice of the building, which had alabaster walls that were covered in amateurish graffiti throughout the enclosure. Echoes of cruel laughter and painful screams could be heard through the ears of a shivering man. A man who failed to conquer the fear overtaking his body as he was dragged across the harsh, vinyl flooring beneath him.

He was silent. Despite the immense feeling of dread overwhelming him, he was silent. Not because he wanted to be, but because he could practically feel a piece of his hyoid bone protruding against his neck, threatening to burst through at a moment's notice. His windpipe was crushed, rendering him unable to speak or scream out in pain, no matter how much he wanted to. Instead, he could only watch as a trail was made of the blood that cascaded from his mouth and spilled onto the flooring.

He looked to see the nonchalant expression of his attacker. A girl with a high ponytail and pink hair smiled at him wickedly before mocking him by releasing a whispery tune. Despite the flimsiness of her limbs, her grip was tight. Borderline inescapable. She seemed so easy at first. With her stature, she looked as if she wouldn't have been strong enough to hurt a fly.

That thought went completely out of the window when he witnessed her dance around his bullets, however. Her movements, her mannerisms, her antics… it was almost as if she was a living, breathing cartoon character.

The main difference was that there was nothing remotely funny about this girl whatsoever.

"Oi, don't you die on me just yet, loser!" He winced as the piercingly, shrill voice of his kidnapper loudly penetrated his eardrums. The girl only seemed to be amused by his attempt to groan, which only came out in a strained whimper. "Kai-sama wants to have some fun with you personally, and I refuse to let him down because you're too much of a wimp to handle a fucked neck!"

For added measure, the girl delivered a harsh kick to his shattered rib-cage, causing his eyes to buck largely in response. He wanted to cry, he wanted to scream out in agony with a passion.

But unless he wanted to risk being in even more pain and lose what little bit of blood he did have, being quiet was his best (and only) option.

The smell was awful, and it only got worse during their journey within the building. The walls were damped and colored with a dark-crimson substance. Blood, no doubt. A hint of decaying flesh hit his nostrils as well. Were there actual bodies within this building? Or was it something… else.

He heard the girl that dragged him breathe in the air around them, almost as if she reveled in the smell. He couldn't hide his look of disgust while looking towards her, but she merely arched her eyebrows at him for a response and snickered evilly.

"What, you don't know the smell of greatness when it hits your nose or something?" She giggled loudly. Whether it was from his expression or her own insanity, he'd never know. "Sadly for you, that means that we're getting closer to our super cool and badass leader!" Her grin then dropped in a millisecond, prompting him to shake even more as she stared at him with unimaginable disgust. "Trash like you isn't worthy of being eviscerated by our master… if it were up to me, I would've killed you in the streets like a sick dog."

The man flinched, both from the level of venom and conviction within her voice and from feeling the middle of his neck bumping against the flooring. A flood of blood poured from his mouth as a result, and he could feel his stomach churning in response to the horrid, coppery taste of his own bodily essence. Seeing this, he heard the girl laughed out loud before playfully hushing herself in mock embarrassment.

"Whoopsieee~! Did I do thaaat~?" He felt the slightest twinge of anger when he heard the sing-songy delivery of her question. For as powerful as this girl seemed to be, she was equally annoying, but he was smart enough to not express it openly. "Ah, but you know what? I'm not too bothered by the fact that I had to bring you alive! I'm sure that Kai-sama will put on a show for me and… the other one once he gets his hands on you!"

He closed his eyes in response as tears welled within them, clouding his vision. He was truly convinced that this would be the very place that he'd perish. It was fitting, of course. Considering the life he'd lived until this point, he couldn't say that this wasn't expected nor undeserved.

After all, he shot too high for the stars. Nobody could hide from the Ayashiki Empire. His first and fatal mistake was thinking that he'd be any different.

"Oi, shitbag! Can you still smell it~?!" The girl held her grip upon his ankles even tighter, threatening to snap both of them like a twig if she applied any more pressure. His senses were almost non-existent at this point, and he could still pick up the scent coming from the rotting doors before the two of them. "I think we're heeeere~! And it seems like our wonderful Kai-sama is already aware of your arrival!" Her purple-colored eyes glared towards him cruelly, taking satisfaction in how defeated he looked by her words.

She didn't waste a single second. The girl wildly stretched her arms outwards, almost knocking the door off its hinges before walking in, dragging the man along with her afterwards. All the man could see at this point was the ceiling as his body was slammed to the ground. The girl was no longer in his field of vision, and he was honestly grateful of the fact. However, that gratitude came to an end once he heard deep footsteps across the floor.

"Must you be so extra while opening a door? You can be really annoying sometimes, pink duckling." That voice. That voice. One that he could never forget, no matter how much he wanted to. The level of authority present within his tone, their apathetic cadence… everything about it brought every hair upon his body to stand. "But anyways, good work, I guess."

It was when the footsteps ended directly beside his ears that the smell from before was at an all-time high, and he could no longer hold back from releasing biles mixed with blood from his throat, choking him in the process. He tried to look upwards and finally, he came face-to-face with his worst nightmare. The dictator-style outfit with blends of dark black, blue and white, the various badges decorating their chest, and the tattered, black cape floating behind him.

But what frightened him the most about the figure was their dark-blueish eyes above all else. Never in his life had he seen a gaze that was so unforgiving… so malignant…. It was stare that screamed "I am superior to you in every way", and he was no fool. He was well-aware of the fact that this man held his fate comfortably within the palms of his hands.

"You know, that look in your eyes…? You're already aware of what's about to happen here, aren't you?" The moment that the dictator's cold yet casual tone was directed at him, the man trembled, both from the feeling of his body weakening and from utter terror. "It takes a special kind of dumbass to mosey into my kingdom and think they can get one over on me, even when I've made examples out of so many others…."

Without warning, the man standing above him held his hand outwards, and sudden wisps of black smoke drifted ominously from his body. The aroma of death and rotten eggs was even more prevalent within the enclosed space, flowing towards every nook and cranny in the room. The man on the ground watched in horror as he suddenly felt an indescribable amount of pain searing through every part of his body. It forced him to open his mouth in a pitiful attempt to scream, but he simply couldn't. All that could be heard was a series of wheezes and grunts as one of the black wisps entered through his nostrils.

"Honestly, I'm not sure what's stopping me from outright murdering you right now…" the dictator kept an almost bored and inexpressive gaze as he watched the man's blood overflow from his mouth and oozed towards his nose, choking him in the process. "Maybe I just like seeing idiots like you squirm… or maybe I wanna be as late as possible to piss off that bitchy cult leader." He then shrugged uncaringly, letting a small smirk casually grace his features. "Or maybe I'm just bored…. It's probably the latter, honestly. Either way, you're fucked, though you probably knew that already."

The man on the floor gagged as a sudden geyser of blood exploded from his mouth, spilling directly into his eyes and nasal cavity. His eyes began to roll towards the back of his head until his pupils were no longer visible. The bone within his neck could be seen poking through his skin, looking as if it would break through at any second.

"Eh, seriously? Already? How boring," The dictator rolled his eyes, sighing before jadedly staring down at the bloodied mess of a man before continuing. "All right, fine, one question for you and then you can go~ How healthy are you?"

If it weren't for the fact that he was quite literally on the verge of death, the man would've rolled his eyes. How was he supposed to answer that question in his current state, exactly? To the man's part amusement, part disbelief, the dictator looked even more annoyed if that was even possible. He barely heard the muttered "Useless, the whole lot of you" before another figure in the back that he hadn't seen until now spoke up quietly, "Kai-sama, his bones seem healthy if nothing else."

For a few moments, the dictator seemed as if he was contemplating his options before shrugging nonchalantly. "Eh, well, good enough." He then gave one final smirk towards the man on the ground. "Then that's that, thanks for visiting…. Too bad you weren't strong enough."

It was at this moment that the small wisps of dark essence suddenly expanded, emanating from the opened palm of the imposing male and shrouding his victim within seconds. The whispery sounds of the man struggling for survival were silenced as a cloud of eternal darkness engulfed him, slowly draining his body gradually… until he was little more than an empty husk of weakened flesh. Bit by bit, his body was then broken down into dust and became one with the black mist surrounding the Empire's leader.

Kai breathed inwardly, subtly enjoying the invigorating feeling of power surging through his veins as the black fog surrounding him evaporated. He then released a sigh before turning towards the figure that was previously in the background. "So… how long has it been?"

Said figure pulled their hood over their head a little more before responding. "It's been exactly twenty one minutes since we've gotten the phone call from Kunniya-san—"

"I guess that's enough time," Kai interrupted. He casually stepped within the pool of blood covering the ground before making his way through the doors and down the halls. From the corner of his eye, he could see two of his subordinates following behind closely. "Now, let's go! Also, how upset do you think the princess is gonna be~?"

The girl from earlier giggled, making sure to do so right within the ear of the hooded figure, earning her a dark glare in response. "Well, on a scale of switching tea brands to ripping a hole in Kanagawa…? Maybe somewhere around messing up her oh-so-perfect hair and face?"

Kai grunted, "Hm, good enough, I guess." He then flashed the girl an unamused expression. "And for the record, the one who ripped a hole in Kanagawa was me. Keep your mouth shut if you don't know what you're talking about."

The girl sweatdropped, sporting a nervous grin while the hooded male figure on the side of her snickered softly. "Sorry, sorryyyy, Kai-sama~!"

Kai hummed lightly before focusing his gaze forward, keeping his eyes locked on the elevator as they entered the paternoster.

'You'd better be.'

Everything was as it should've been… everything. For years, he'd been honing his craft, pushing his body to its absolute limits for this very moment. Justice… a concept that had been lost for such a long time. Generations have passed, and the necessary changes had never been taken. Such complacency had never sat right with him.

However, he was merely a child when everything was taken from him…. What could he have possibly done at the moment?

The chilly winds nipped at the scruff of his neck as his snow-colored hair flew within the wind. His tall stature was poised on the end of a skyscraper overlooking the city of Tokyo. A city once belonging to that of the common folk…. A welcoming city where tourists from all over the world beckoned it's call in a desperate attempt to take advantage of the bustling city and all that it had to offer.

Now…? The city was polluted with scum, all of which spreaded throughout the urban areas and clouded it with gunpowder and smoke from a multitude of fulminations.

He hated it.

He DETESTED it.

The wretched stench was overbearing to his nostrils, forcing him to turn his nose up from the horrid aroma. Savages laid waste to countless monuments that could never have hoped to be restored. Local shopping malls were contaminated with unsavory individuals that contributed to the rise of blood painting the streets red. The city never shined in all of its glory like it once did.

The Hai-Hai Syndicate…

Black Cats…

The Messengers…

And last and definitely least in his book, the Ayashiki Empire… the cause for the death of Japan's most pivotal city.

The downfall of society.

All of them.

If it were up to him, he would waste no time. There wouldn't be any protocols, operations, meetings, or anything of the sort. All of that was just a huge waste of time and resources.

If it were up to him, he'd drag each and every leader away from their assembly of deprived and petulant criminals and slaughter them like pigs in the streets, all for the sake of savoring their expressions in their final… as the citizens cheer in honoration of what could be the greatest public execution since the olden days.

However, it was not up to him, unfortunately. He had orders, and he had to respect them. Besides, he couldn't complain. With the extra support from the government of Japan, he'd be seeing all of them dead soon enough. He just had to be patient, that's all.

He would give them a warning first. He was nothing if not a gentleman, and he was no coward either, so he'd personally see to it that all of them understood that if they didn't stand down, their fate would be nothing less than pitiful after he was finished with them.

He was no fool though, not like the last imbecile that looked over his team in the past. He knew all of them like the back of his hand, even when they'd never seen him a day in their lives. They would never stand down, for they were much too prideful… arrogant, conceited. All of their egos were large enough to rival a planet.

That wasn't a problem though.

If anything, that excited him.

More than anything else, he wanted to be the one to butcher all of them… just like they'd done to so many innocents in the past.

And with the power that was bestowed upon him and after years of mastering every aspect of it, he finally felt ready…. The time was drawing closer and closer.

It was all a matter of patience.

"The White Knight initiative… scheduled to take full effect the next 30 days."

Only a single month left… and the purging could commence.

And there is the prologue! A fucking 10,000+ word prologue! Obviously, it would seem that I am long-winded! Anyways, this is the official start of the story, humanoids! Special thanks goes to Butterfly Chikage AKA the greatest friend that a guy could have for helping me to bring this story to life! Shout-outs also go to heartattak, Zero-tan, Nerfherder-han, Insanity's Jewel, HotPinkMonster, ExusiaiApplePie, ekoshio and more for sharing their support and inspiring me as well, this story would not be happening without you all believing in ya boi! For introductions, my name is Monty and up until now, I've simply been an avid creator on this site. Therefore, this is my first official story! I'm nervous as hell, but my excitement overwhelms my anxiety! I hope that we all get along well, and I hope that you'll all express interest in this humble little story of mine!

So! With that out of the way, once again, the form is within my profile! Happy creating, everyone, I can't wait to see what you all send!

Ganbare! :3