The sky blue car hums peacefully on the empty freeway as dawn breaks with the a massive cluster of skyscrapers in the distance. Together as a powerful pair of negotiators, Sky and Violet are beginning their recruitment today at New Kedaga, a popular city on the rise in Inkopolis known for their popular fashion district with one of Toni Kensa's headquarters located at the heart of the urban jungle. The city also serves as a hub for upcoming photographers that use street photography to make their start. The duo are in search of the Yoshikara Yakuza, one of the strongest factions in the underworld rivaling the Sororia mafia. Violet came along after Sky's request and explanation that it was related for a mission.
"Honestly...can't I catch a break?" Violet sighed in reference to the hectic campaign of the Rank Wars and the looming Spring event. Even though she could handle pressure like this, to go from the stressful complications of the Ixia scare and the Rank wars to now participate in finding a yakuza boss and then prepare for the spring invitationals, it was clear that she'd at least like some more personal time. Nonetheless she tagged along because of her immeasurable respect for Sky, never wanting to let her down.
Sky gives a hearty smile with a bubbly laugh, "Sorry! I know you're very busy but I really need you for this one. Thanks again for coming along."
"It's fine. When I heard you were looking for Yoshikara I was a little concerned with your safety since this is the yakuza we're talking about."
"I feel reassured to have you on my side though." Sky winked, thankful to have the don daughter on her side. Whether Violet was aware or not, her presence would have major influence. A few minutes later they arrive in New Kedaga and begin their search by car, driving around and making minimal stops to search for any landmarks. Prior to the trip, Agent 8 left Sky with some tips to track her down as well as contacts who might have information.
The city center was welcoming as they donned spring colors and gear that allowed them to feel refreshed in the shade. After finding the last piece of valuable information from a broker in Sky's contact list, she decided the best thing to do would be to get some lunch and review their information there, choosing a local restaurant that wouldn't be too packed at noon. Sitting together with their smoothies, Sky reviews everything with Violet while Violet confirms anything that might still be murky. Noticing a horde of men in black satin zip up jackets walk in, Sky identifies the men from the kanji on their jackets along with the logo and motions to Sky to look over and observe them; the men were all joking with each other but then spot the pair of girls and start laughing to one another making their way over.
"These bums are probably going to bother us so we'll see if they can lead us to Yoshikara…" Sky winked with a mischievous smirk.
"A bit risky, don't you think?"
"Don't worry, I got this!"
Sky nods her head and leads the way. The objective for them was to get to Boss Yoshikara and here they were lucky enough to run into some men from the group. Sky's intention would be to catch their attention especially since she knew how these type of men operated. She calls out to them blatantly by their Yakuza name, to which the leader of the pack-a middle aged man with a scarred face that took his left eye-limped over on a cane; everyone in the establishment trembled with fear for Sky as she greeted the scary men. A stare-off between Sky and the old man, he asked her a couple of questions to which Sky responded with provocation in her tone, daring them to make the first act of aggression. But the old man kept composure to the dismay of his younger pack of wolves who wanted a bite at Sky.
"What's wrong, gramps? Don't you yakuza got pride in your name and look to rough up anyone who crosses you?"
"Watch ya damn mouth brat!" one member yelled.
The old man smirked, "You've got some nerve for a girl surrounded by dangerous men."
The glint in Sky's eyes sharpened as she narrows her eyes and leans on the table slowly tilting her head, "The only danger I see is you falling down from me knocking that stick out your grasp. I hope you have life insurance."
One of the members was about to approach the girls with violence when Violet readied her pistol ready to blast one of their heads off only to be stopped by the old man who ordered the young man to control himself. He sensed the auras of the two girls and recognized that they weren't two ordinary high school girls: one wrong move and one of his men would've been killed mercilessly by the silent purple inkling, and the overwhelming pressure from the sky blue one made his shiver with chills from what she was capable of. "Alright. I can tell you must have a reason for trying to provoke me so I'll ask what it is you seek from bothering me."
"Your boss. I want to see them." Sky said with a straight face; aside from the old man, everyone laughs, adding unease to the tension in the room where no one in the establishment dared to move.
"Boss is busy. She doesn't work with kids." one guy commented.
"Ya got nerve but Boss would have ya on yer knees!"
"Ha ha I want ya on yer knees too!"
"Shut yer damn mouths!" the old man yelled with irritation for his juniors; "Why do you seek an audience with Boss. If your answer is reasonable, I'll allow it." he expressed, acknowledging that the duo were worthy of meeting Boss Yoshikara.
Sky slams her hand on the table and raises her chin, "It's about the fate of the people! Believe me when I say that I wouldn't come here and ask help from people like yourselves unless I had no choice."
"Fate of the people…?"
"It's dire, but I can't explain any further in a place like this nor to you people. I must see them in person."
After giving it a few minutes while keeping his stare on her, the old man folded and accepted their request much to the frustration of the younger members who complained that their leader had gotten soft only to be disciplined immediately for their comments. They leave the establishment together and follow the old man with the rest of the pack behind them. An uncomfortable feeling for Sky and Violet as they feel the lecherous ogling by the yakuza sizing them from behind, they decide to focus on communicating with the only respectable individual there in the leader of the pack as they venture through some back alleys.
"Boss is different from the other yakuza bosses. She doesn't operate like the fools you might know or imagine. She's classy. Her name represents her roots, and her ideals are ours. Everything she does is for the greater good of the people."
"Ah, so that's why you accepted us. Because we mentioned the people." Violet commented plainly.
"Wait, she? Boss Yoshikara is a woman!?" Sky marveled.
The old man grinned, "Why so surprised? Is the purple one not one with the blood of the e mafia?"
Both of the girls had shocked expressions at how perceptive he was, "How do you know that?" they asked simultaneously right after looking at each other.
"Come on. That murderous aura with the dead eyes of a true marksman. Purple hair and a light complexion, only a Sororia would have that."
"That doesn't explain how you recognized her that quickly! That guess is way to specific and out there to just be thought of!"
"I guess you could say I have some experience with the Sororia family. However, that is not important."
As they continued their walk, the pack following them felt riled up after hearing that Violet was a Sororia and came to the conclusion that she must be the daughter to the don, one of the most powerful men in the underworld. Hungry to get the bite on one of the underworld's biggest royalties, they couldn't help but find appeal in those lifeless eyes of her and the figure hidden behind her outfit, dismissing the immorality of her still being in high school. With knowledge that it'd be wrong to go against their leader, their excuse became that if they should go against their leader, it'd be for a chance to taste one of the most legendary names in the underworld and share among each other like a new toy-even make their own name an intimidate the big wigs by claiming to have her in their possession. Their fantasies growing wilder by the second as they watch her walk alongside another attractive female who had a menacing glare that pierced their hearts, the first one jumped the gun and attacked.
A big mistake.
Sky swiftly intercepts the man aiming to strike Violet from behind and throws him against the wall while Violet quickly pulls out the pistol and shoots and the ground where the beginning of the pack's feet were and warned them that the next strike wouldn't miss; the old man with the scar laughed as he wanted his youngsters get schooled by two high school girls. "Looks like I didn't even need to lift a finger there!"
"We can handle ourselves." Violet answered straightly with a death stare channeling the same energy as Sky as she instilled fear into the group.
Sky tightens her grip on the attacker and slams his face against the wall, "If there's one thing I detest more than anything, it's a predator. A fiend creature that preys on the weak is one that deserves the most severe of consequences." She looks over to the rest of them and asks if they want to try the same futile action as him, to which all of them conceded defeat.
A few moments later with no more communication between the old man and the two girls, they arrive at a huge building that looked like a warehouse on the outside. Wedged in the heart of several buildings, this was the Yoshikara domain. Greeted by four guards who questioned the old man for bringing two little girls there, he explained that they requested an audience with the boss and he accepted their request. Hesitant at first, they expressed that because it was him, they'd allow their entrance. Going down some hallways with most of the pack gone and only the attacker remaining with them since he was actually the second in command to the old man's group, they arrive at a massive warehouse where the boss is. A couple steps separate them from the main floor and as they go down them, they can hear a woman's voice in the distance having a conversation
She stops talking to one of her men as she spots them out the corner of her eye and appears confused at first,"Who're the brats?" the boss barked, bringing her left leg over the right while leaning back in her couch. She's dressed in black while coat slinging a red coat with white fur with an appearance similar to royalty. Her teal eyes looked sharp and mean and her purple hair look long a luscious even though she had them tied in a back. Though her tone had dominance that expanded throughout the room, it was her intimidating appearance that awed the girls as her beautiful face giving them a cold scowl made their hearts flutter a bit.
"Boss, I brought them here because they requested your audience. They seek your assistance with something regarding the fate of the people."
Boss Yoshikara gives him a tired look, "Uncle Harley, I know you mean well but you can't just go around bringing anyone here." she sighed with her fist holding up her head as though she was a mother looking out for a kindhearted son who seemed to have good intentions but always messed up. "Well, on with it!" she added hastily in an impatient tone.
Sky came forward with all seriousness, "My name is Agent 5 of the Squidbeak Splatoon and-"
"Squidbeak Splatoon? Talkin bout that ex-merc group that works for the government? Hell ya bring them here for!?" Boss Yoshikara frowned looking over at her uncle, then making a sour expression once she confirmed that indeed Sky resembled what she heard about the infamous Agent 5. She slams her fist on the sofa, "Why!?"
Harley kept his composure as he bowed his head, "I didn't sense any true hostility from them. I believe they are trustworthy, boss. Not ot mention, if she is working with the government, why would she come out here into such risky territory just to speak with you? There are bigger concerns going on in the nation right now than to try and smoke us out."
"Watch your tongue with young master." one of the men standing guard for Boss Yoshikara spoke aloud, finding fault with Harley's comment.
The other guy guarding her shared the same thoughts as his comrade, "You might be the young master's uncle, but that gives you no right to speak to her like that."
"At ease Yuuya, Takui. I'm just a little on-edge is all. Uncle Harley, sorry for my rude tone."
Harley shakes his head, "There is no need for you to apologize, boss. I understand." he bowed.
Boss Yoshikara smiles at him, only to lose that smile once she shifts her gaze to Sky, "Trustworthy, huh...?" she looks a little beyond the two girls and notices one of her men seemed to be hiding his face for some reason; "Oi Zuma, why ya hidin ya face?"
Sky smirks looking over at the man who tried to attack Violet earlier, realizing this was a good chance to make him pay for his animalistic behavior; "Actually, if I may explain. Zuma over here tried to attack my friend earlier on the way here. Seems like he can't control himself in the presence of high school girls it seems. The filthy creep he is." Sky sells hearing the weak shushes from him signify that he was in deep water; Boss Yoshikara's face wrinkles in disgust as her eyebrows raise as well as her chin. "There's more, but I think you can handle that."
"Ohhhh?" Boss Yoshikara's eyes turned deadly; "Uncle Harley, is this true?"
Uncle Harley shows no remorse, "Yes. Zuma and several others had malicious intentions, but he is the only one who acted out of line."
The boss glares at Zuma, "Goin round and botherin girls, eh? Got nerves doin that when your boss is a woman, eh!?"
"S-sorry! My boys and I were caught up in the moment and thought it'd be okay-"
"Messin with kids ain't it dumbass! The hell is wrong with you!? Have no clue about our heritage, do ya?"
Zuma trembles with buckling knees as he can feel despair settling in, "I-I'm aware, boss!"
"The Yoshikara clan protects all of the people. Our first responsibility is to bludgeon anyone who dares harm the innocent. Once you're part of my family, prepare to cast aside all of your desires and follow the ideals established. My views come first, and that includes the safety of the people. To go around and attempt harm on a girl is as low as it gets. You should be tortured to the point of having no manhood!" her rage present in her tone, her face was red with fury as she sat forward; "Takui and Yuuya, take Zuma to the red room and prepare punishment for him. I'll find the rest of these bastards later and deal with them personally!"
As such, the two men dressed in nice suits slightly unbuttoned came forward and knocked out Zuma swiftly as if nothing happened with Takui taking the unconscious man on his shoulders. Where Zuma is heading won't be a desirable destination, that much could be told form how hard he sobbed as the two men slowly approached him prior to knocking him out.
Boss returns her glare to the girls, "My apologies for my subordinate's behavior. We don't do things like that. Sexual assault...meaningless murder...selling drugs to kids...those methods don't fly over here in my clan. We only do what is necessary and never harm the innocent. Anyone who dares commits such inhumane actions must prepare for the consequences that come with it. I judge all in this domain."
"Quite the upgrade, what happened to your accent? This one suits you nicely." Sky asked, shrugging off Yoshikara's intimidation. She didn't care how big and bad Boss Yoshikara seemed, what mattered was her willingness to work with them to which it seemed she might be cooperative. So what shame was there in getting comfortable?
"Pops always told me to address important guests with our best appearance. Based on what you're asking of me, and the disgusting actions of my subordinate, I believe it only necessary that I show some respect to you. So, what can I do for you since you came all this way to speak to me, Agent 5...or would you prefer Midnight Sky?"
"I'm here to make an alliance."
"An alliance...with government affiliates? Yanking on my leg, are you?"
Sky shakes her head, "No, we aren't. Listen, I heard that the Yoshikara were one of the biggest yakuza in the country and I'm in the need for some help on a large scale. Get where I'm coming from, Boss?"
"Just call me Akane, only my own can call me boss, got it?"
'Eh-er right. Anyways, we're in need of a strong ally and I believe you're the one for the job."
"What job?"
"A major event is about to occur soon that could put the nation in grave danger. If you agree to work with us, we can share the confidential information and strategize a defensive plan. We can't rely on government help if that's the next thing you're going to ask to try and reject our offer. We need you."
"Haha! I like you. Right off the bat and making sure I can't get a word in. So there's some dangerous event approaching the nation, and you want my help. You can't turn to the government for some reason...this seems odd of a request but since you seem to have your heart in the right place. How grave are we talking, by the way?"
"This country could be brought down in a day if no defensive preparations are taken."
"A DAY!" Akane shouts in surprise to which Sky nods reluctantly; "Alright. I believe you." Akane answered sincerely, closing her eyes for a moment formulating on what to say next and averting the pleased reactions of Sky and Violet who thought this was the definitive answer they seek; "But before I can agree to this plan, I'll need proof of your loyalty."
"Like hurting ourselves for the sake of the family?" Violet asked.
"Or drinking a cup of some sort of alcoholic beverage?" Sky added with of them basing their answers off of old movies they watched that involved the yakuza.
"What? No. I'm talking about something you can do for me. But first, I need to know a few things."
"Like what?" Sky asked openly prepared for the heavy question.
Akane sits forward with a serious gaze like a wise dragon-captivating Sky and Violet, "This threat to the people. Are they by any chance linked to the Rogue?"
"Rogue?"
"Answer my question first. Didn't you learn it's rude to answer a question with a question?"
Sky apologized immediately, finding it strange that she felt such intimidation even though she feared no living being. "If I may, what is this person you mentioned? Why that name?"
Akane sighed with irritation for Sky shrugging off her questions with multiple questions but found no harm in answering them, "It's just the nickname I've given him as he seems to have gone rogue and abandoned his own mortality. His true name is Slasher and he has been terrorizing this region for quite the number of months, but last week he crossed the line when he slaughtered a dozen of my men. His true appearance is unknown since he behaves like a coward and hides behind a high tech mask wearing some faded dark suit and a worn out trench coat. His weapon is a blade that bends like a snake or a whip if you'd like to imagine it that way. Either way, he's a troublesome one."
"I'm not sure if they're connected, but I wouldn't be surprised if Ixia has-"
"Ixia?" Akane gawked, reading the expressions of the girls and resting her head on her fist giving a groan, "That the dumb cyber group, isn't it? I keep hearing about them all over the place!" she said as thought they were a nuisance; "Such a pain! Lately they've been disrupting business in the area and causing unrest among the people with their agenda. Because of their involvement, people are fearing the yakuza more than ever due to some rumor that they got control over most of the underworld, but I tell ya thatsa damn lie!"
"I think your real accent is leaking…"
According to Akane, trouble had been brewing recently in New Kedaga ever since Ixia showed up. Higher crime occurrences and social disturbances grew by the day as whispers of their presence infiltrated the peaceful town that seemingly seemed like a place run by the yakuza yet amicable in such a way that no one seemed to fear them and instead treated them as extended family; whether it was out of fear or respect was up to them. The nightlife in New Kedaga wasn't the same ever since a serial murderer dubbed Slasher, known for leaving his victims with gaping wounds so deep and wide that there was no saving them. In the midst of the chaos with Slasher, rumors began circulating that Ixia were the cause of this and quickly claimed that Slasher was one of theirs to spread fear inducing rhetoric in their propaganda.
"We took down one of their leaders but by no means did we deal a serious blow to them." Sky turns to Violet; "Just enough to stop them from harassing you guys and the Rank Wars. But if what Akane says is true, that means they've shifted their intentions from terrorizing the younger demographic focused on sports, fashion, and entertainment, and instead are targeting Corporate Inkopolis and the politics. They've run deep instead on trying to alter the core of this nation's identity."
"Believe me, I'm no angel. But the talk they've been spreading is vexing. At first I thought they were some foolish brats trying to act tough. I was wrong-as much as I hate to admit. They managed to turn our own people against us and are quickly spreading negativity at an alarming rate. I don't agree with most of the policies of our government right now, but what Ixia are asking for is just wrong on all accounts. To destroy turf wars? Picking a fight with the world? It's crazy!"
Sky felt this to be the right moment to share what she knew about Ixia and what they might be planning, mentioning the hacking events and the growing rates of crime. A great opportunity to shed some light on the truth of Ixia and just how dangerous they could be, she knew that if she could leak a slither of information, Akane would join their cause. She might be a yakuza leader-a young one at that, but by no means was she one stuck in the old ways of operation and in a way, had her own ideals she wanted to protect. Ideals that groups like Ixia wanted to destroy. Though Ixia spun a cause about equality, their true intentions hid behind that mask based on the way they wanted to go about business.
"Alright. So they're in alliance with some other clans and organizations including the octoling monarchy and are planning war?"
"Yes. They preach about harmonic relations on the basis of sacrificing our ideals, but their actions in the dark speak louder. They're planning to destroy this country and probably turn on the octarians while they're at it. Think about it. They'll know everything about the octarians. Their strengths. Weaknesses. All of their secrets will be made accessible to them. This is more than just about defending a nation from war…"
Akane's face darkens, "I understand. Even so, I'm not too thrilled about throwing my brothers into this without complete knowledge."
"I get what you mean, but this is the only hand I can play at all. We came to you this way because we knew if there was anyone willing to give a hand and protect the people-not jus tours- it'd be you. A queen of the yakuza world."
"Man, kids nowadays…" she chuckles with a huge grin in response to Sky's words, finding her compliment very satisfying; "I'll work with ya. Take care of that Slasher for me and we'll discuss this in greater detail. If it's manageable, I'll contact my allies so we can stand a greater chance."
"Thanks! I'll make sure Cap'n gets in contact-"
"With that said something bugs me."
"Eh? What?"
Though she was pleased to see these girls inquire assistance from her, proud that her notable reputation as a powerful swordsman and marksman lived up to such a name that government affiliates wanted her, she found further interest in someone who had yet to make a presence before her. Silence that serves as a weapon as she shifts her gaze from the experienced Sky and to the rookie Violet. "Hey Purple! I don't think I ever got your name either?"
Violet looks over to Sky to know if it was fine to reveal her name to Akane, to which Sky gave permission since Akane seemed to be on their side. "Violet Sororia…"
Akane's eyes narrow for a second as she replays that name in her head, then widening once she identifies Violet and makes a huge outburst in surprise-spooking the girls and even her uncle. "Violet! I can't believe it's actually you in the flesh! Do you remember me?"
Violet's at peak confusion, "N-no I don't, sorry."
"Awww man! I used to visit your dad on business trips with my old pops. You were still in your mother's belly at the time hahaha! To think you'd grow up like this...say, you ever killed a man before?" she asked with an enthusiastic but scary smile.
Violet nods, "Don't let my face fool you, I won't hesitate to pull a trigger."
Akane starts laughing, "No need to remind me. Your cold eyes tell it all. You're a monster who knows how to keep them self in check. I like that. If only you weren't the daughter of that old Sororia, I coulda recruited you once I learned you were old enough. Your family is insanely powerful!"
"Sincerest apologies, but I don't enjoy doing this."
"Wow, now that I know who you are I can't help but wish you were my immediate family…"
"C-come again?"
"I don't have any siblings, so this is what I must do: Take over my family's clan." her eyes soften as she meets the dead stare of Violet; "Is it refreshing to find someone just like me. A girl with no siblings who will eventually take over her family's business. Hm...anyways, how about we start of with something small like uh-think of me as your big sister from now on, okay?" she snaps her finger with a wink.
"Uh…"
"I don't mean to interrupt, but what about the deal?"
"Dead or Alive?" Violet added.
"I'd prefer him alive so I can make him feel the same pain he delivered to my brothers and the many innocent people who pleaded for their lives. But...if he dies, he dies." she concludes, her gaze shifting to Yuuya and Takui who returned from Zuma's placement in the red room. "Oh, Yuuya and Takui, I want you to accompany these girls. They've agreed to find Slasher. Make sure you protect them with your lives!" she said with a shaking fist, taking a great liking to Sky and Violet, especially after learning Violet's identity.
Both the scary men responded promptly with the utmost respect and awaited further orders from Akane. At first, Sky is against bringing more people along since it might hinder their progress to move in a crowd, but after Akane's insistence that the two of them are way stronger than what the girls could imagine, they felt it necessary to accept her offer and take them along especially since they were doing this for her sake and to earn her complete trust. Since they had to move at night when the Slasher was known to roam around freely, the girls spent the day getting acquainted with the yakuza and learning all sorts of history from Harley, then picking out weapons with Takui and Yuuya. Later that evening, they set off in a fancy car with Yuuya as the driver and with Akane meeting them one last time to express her thanks for their assistance, promising to play a pivotal role if they can take care of anything for her.
"We might be yakuza, but we're proud of this country and there's no way I'm letting some cyber punks hurt my nation. As for the people of Octaria, I got some reservations about helping them all but I know there are as many good people there as there are bad people on our end, so I'll go for it. If we can prevent a tragedy form occurring, I'm in!" She's just about to leave when she reaches in and grabs Violet's face with a beaming smiling and light in her eyes; "I'm really happy to see you again. This time, come back and visit me, okay? We daughters of the dons have to stick together right?"
It was the first time anyone outside of her friends or family treated her such familiarity about her lineage. And although she didn't know Akane all to well, something about her made it seem right that she should embrace her history and spend as much time around around good people like Akane as much as she can to learn if the values they followed aligned with what she wanted to do. "R-right…" she answers sheepishly, blushing at the sight of Akane holding her hands.
"I like her, she's cool." Sky praises casually; "I didn't know she was your big sister Violet hehe I feel like my position's being threatened!"
Violet blushes underneath her stern gaze, "She's not my big sister!"
"Sincerest apologies for the Young Boss' behavior. Please understand that she has been through an ordeal recently and simply expressed happiness in meeting a fellow person in similar shoes to her own." Yuuya said as they stop at a light; "She's an admirable leader."
Sky and Violet expressed that it wasn't a big deal to see the yakuza boss show such a childish side, and instead found interest in learning more about her-especially Violet-who found that after their encounter, she couldn't help but get to know more about her. Takui recognized that the girl's interest in their boss wasn't just simple curiosity once they inquired about her personal life, to which Takui explained that the familiarity Akane showed towards Violet was because of Violet's current position as the next don of the Sororia mafia, especially as a girl and only child. A connection further enhanced by the fact that the Sororia and Yoshikara family were allies. However, before he could go any further, Yuuya interjected and advised that any further questions they had should be reserved for their boss since she's the best person to talk to and that it wasn't in their place. Sky and Violet understood and found it all the more reason to forge an alliance and get to know Akane better.
"For scary looking yakuza men, you're pretty cool dudes yourselves!"
Takui laughs jokingly, "We look that scary?"
"If I was a little brat I'd run away screaming looking at your faces!"
"Hey you all see that?" Violet pointed, spotting a black silhouette a little beyond the intersection.
Yuuya slows down to let the others match the appearance of the suspicious figure and confirm it. Everything seemed to fit in place with the prerequisites: It was late in the evening, a secluded area where only someone looking for trouble would show up, and this figure was dressed in all dark clothing. However, from this distance it couldn't be known if this person was wearing a high tech mask or trench coat like Akane said, but that's where the pursuit would become important. Sky asks Takui to unlock the door and slowly she exits the car with Violet following right behind her. They approach the dark figure. The mysterious figure gets alerted just from seeing the beams of the car light, taking to the rooftop with ninja-like reflexes. Sky doesn't hesitate in going Midnight, using her upgrade to climb the wall and head to the rooftop, barking orders to Violet to get back in the car and follow from there.
The runner is fast, but Sky is faster. She inches closer with each step as her glowing sky blue hair and eyes shine like a will o wisp in the dark atop the rooftops. With each hop the figure makes with a heavy grunt having to jump from roof to roof sliding under obstacles and hopping from small wall to wall, Sky followed suit at a flawless rate. Down below Yuuya ignored all traffic lights and had Takui and Violet keep watch of Sky's glowing light as a reference point of where to follow while Sky keeps on her target with vengeance in her eyes as she notices that the figure of this person doesn't match what Akane described, but she could sense a strange connection to this person for some reason. Without warning the pursuit turns into a confrontation as the figure turns around and does a corkscrew spin unsheathing a sword from thin air and projecting an attack; luckily in her midnight mode she's able to dodge it by the strand of her hair, but by no means would she stand down now that a battle ensues.
"Battle!" Sky shouts loudly, backing up by amplifying her fiery glow in her hair to let the others know that the pursuit ended with the figure stopping before a huge drop now that he'd run out of rooftops to escape; he planned to fight Sky and find a way to buy himself time.
The figure's blade glows red as their mask hides their face from the piercing light of their deadly aura; Sky's blue hair burns brightly like flames as she gets into a battle stance. "I've been itching to kick some ass all day!" she shouted, unafraid to enter combat without a weapon against a sword user.
The swordsman brandished their blade taunting Sky, to which she went at him straightforward-or so they thought. Using her speed to her advantage, she creates an afterimage and strikes from his left, then from behind, and finally frontal. Consecutive body blows slow down the sword user as they try to defend the meaty shots from the experienced agent, who prioritized preservation of the body rather than an outright kill. A swift bout that ends with Sky incapacitating the sword user with a strong kick of the blade out their hands followed by a super kick to the chin to render them unconscious, Sky brings him down to a nearby alley where she awaits the others. She waits for them to arrive where they decide to wait until this person wakes up to begin interrogation after confirming that this person doesn't match the description given for the Slasher. A few minutes pass by with the swordsman unconscious, but as he awakens to being surrounded by four powerful enemies he flinches only to find he's been handcuffed with his swords in their possession and all their faces darkened.
Sky rips his mask off without warning or a word once she catches his body give a jolt of movement. As she caught an immediate glimpse of his face, she wanted to kick his teeth in knowing that it all made sense that it'd be him of all people. The man gives a stupid grin and Sky takes his sword and holds it up to his throat with ravenous eyes, "If it wasn't for the fact that we need questions answered, I'd slaughter you like the miserable sea slug you are!"
His stupid grin widens, "Seeing your face is a pain too, Sky."
"Cameron…!" Violet shouts; "Why are you here? Are you Slasher?"
"Dunno, think I'd answer you?" he responds with a nasty attitude, spitting on the floor before her afterwards.
A gun clicks. "For your sake I hope you do…" Yuuya answered taking aim, growing a fondness for Violet who reminded him a lot of his daughter based on their interactions throughout the day.
Cameron gives an irritated sigh as he looks around analyzed the unfavorable situation, "My mission here was to find this Slasher…"
"How do we know your mission isn't just to retrieve them? You surely didn't fight at full strength up on the rooftop. That tells me that you're on an urgent call to collect the Slasher return to what hole you came crawling from."
Cam becomes infuriated from her deduction, "You're too sharp for your own good, Royale. It's better if you keep that mouth shut."
"Believe me, I'd love to do nothing better than put a towel over your face and pour-"
"Sky!" Violet shouted, uncomfortable with seeing such a dark side to a close friend that she looked up to; Sky stops, catching on that she might be going overboard.
"Where is Slasher?" Takui asked.
"Gone. I was just about to head out."
"Gone?"
"I was searching for him up until I got notified that he wasn't here any longer. So I was looking to make my departure when your sorry ass showed up!" he shouted towards Sky, who quickly returned to Midnight mode.
A buzzing sound echoes between them suddenly and quickly Cameron shuts his mouth with a smirk. The four are confused by his antics but before they can blink, a smokescreen blinds them. Before they knew it, a log appears in the place where Cameron was. The others didn't realize it immediately but Sky already knew that only one ninja would pull off a trick like that to rescue scum like Cameron. "Han!" she yells, trying to locate him but to no avail.
An escape made in the nick of time, Han came to the rescue to one of his allies with information that the Slasher had already been recovered earlier by him and they were returning to their base to await further instructions on the plan for Ravia. Much like the Squidbeak Splatoon were making preparations, so were their enemies. An awkward ride back to Akane's hideout with no interaction between anyone in the car thanks to the shame of letting Cameron escape before all their questions could be answered. Takui and Yuuya felt irritated that they were too slow to pull the trigger, and of all things they allowed him to escape-an appearance to their boss would be unfavorable. For Sky and Violet, it felt like they missed a great opportunity to seal the deal and form an alliance with Akane through merit. Now it'd be difficult to face her as well. Uncertainty clouds the future for those in the car as they make the drive back to the Yoshikara hideout.
