Soldier's Forge Chapter 2, a sakura wars fanfic

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Soldier's Forge, Chapter 2:

The serene atmosphere of the day was indicative of the spring days common during this season. The amalgamation of the sunny skies, pleasant gusts of wind, and the low hum of the city streets below him gave Oogami a brief respite and provided him a place to contemplate the new task presented before him. The Hanagumi did not know that his preferred place of relaxation was the roof of the theater; discovering this sanctuary was a result of helping Kanna with patching the roof.

And so on this mid-afternoon, Oogami lay prone on the roof. He regularly did this when he needed time away from the others, or to give thought to problems he had no immediate answers for. It was for the latter that he was on this roof today, staring at the soft clouds making its way overhead.

While Oogami's thoughts were on the problem posed by his commanders, he felt that he was making no significant progress in determining the best course of action to fulfill his objectives. As a tactician, his thinking patterns involved reducing a problem to manageable quantities and attacking them separately, all while constantly monitoring the progress of the overall goal. Oogami was not the commander of the Hanagumi simply because of luck. He had remarkable talents of being able to see patterns others did not see; he was able to spontaneously implement plans that at the time seemed to have no relative significance, only to see the payoff much later. He could quantify all manner of threats, targets, and objectives while constantly adapting to new changes in the battlefield. He manipulated the dynamics of battle like a musical instrument, playing the circumstances to his favor. The former commander of the Hanagumi, Maria Tachibana, recognized this after the first several battles with Oogami. In short, he was recognized as a prodigy of military tactics.

In spite of all his knowledge, experience, and intuition, Oogami lay on the roof helplessly floundering with his problem. For him, human beings were not rational, quantifiable objects. He did not have the information he needed to make the same judgments he did on the battlefield—he could not see the intricate web of relationships connecting all of them. Oogami's interaction with the Hanagumi was mostly instinctual. He could pick up on their feelings and needs, and he could usually respond to each of them appropriately, but beyond that he was at a loss.

For a brief moment, the clouds obscured the sun, and the roof darkened slightly. Oogami continued to stare at the sky when he suddenly noticed that the roof remained dark even as the clouds finished traversing the path of the light.

"Yo, Oogami!" drawled a man in a white suit standing over him.

"K-Kayama?" Oogami replied in surprise.

"Long time no see, how are you doing?" asked Kayama. Kayama was the head of the Tsuki-gumi, the section related to covert operations and intelligence. Oogami's long time colleague had worked with him near the end of his previous campaign and proved to be a reliable, if not eccentric partner.

"What are you doing up here?" asked Oogami.

"Ahh, just enjoying the clouds, the beautiful sun, and the cool breeze." With that, he pulled out his guitar seemingly out of nowhere and strummed a chord. "I could ask you the same thing, right?"

"Just thinking, I suppose."

Kayama sat down next to Oogami. "Thinking is good, for when you think about yourself, your place in the universe, and the people around you, you find your identity. I think, therefore I live."

"Isn't that I think, therefore I am?" corrected Oogami.

"Well, that doesn't really matter, does it?" Kayama smiled. "So, what's on your mind?"

Oogami hesitated for a second, wondering whether telling Kayama would make things worse. He decided that it would not do too much damage, and besides, he had not made any progress on his conundrum anyways.

Oogami explained the basic gist of his problem while Kayama listened attentively, periodically strumming his guitar.

"Hmm…sounds interesting," concluded Kayama. "Tell me, Oogami, what's my business? What do I do?"

"You are the leader of the Tsuki-gumi, and an aberrant person with a penchant for odd music. You seem to show up in the oddest places at the oddest times, and usually have some odd phrase for everything. You—"

"Alright, alright, I got it. But, Oogami, you forget that I am in the business of information. You of all people know how important that is. And at the start of all problems, you need information."

Oogami thought about this briefly, and then asked, "Okay. How do I go about getting this information then?"

Kayama glanced at his watch. "Hey, how would you like to come have a drink with me. We haven't done that since our Navy days, right?"

"Hmm, okay. I'm not doing much anyways," answered Oogami.

"Great, meet you down in the lobby." With that, Kayama hopped off the roof.

"W-wait, Kayama!" Oogami peered over the edge, but could not find any evidence of Kayama. Sighing, he made his way off the roof and through the attic.

* * *

"Kayama, what are we doing here?" asked Oogami. The pair had gone to a park near the seaside and was sitting on a bench.

"Ahh, don't you like the ocean? It's where we belong, because we're men of the sea, right?" replied Kayama.

"Kayama, I thought we were going to get drinks."

"Patience is a virtue. Besides, taking time out to survey the scenery is good for you."

Oogami sighed and looked uninterestingly ahead of him. Ahead were the many piers, wharfs, and docks that made up the seaside commercial district. Remembering the past when he used to be stationed on a ship, Oogami was no stranger to sea life. He looked on dispassionately at the familiar sight of the fishing ships, markets, and cargo docks.

Kayama suddenly looked up and stood.

"Ok, let's go now."

Oogami followed suit. They made their way through the crowd at a leisurely pace, with Kayama stopping every so often to either examine the goods lined up at the side of the street or to stare at the beach. After several repetitions, Oogami started to get annoyed.

"Kayama, are we going to get there today?" queried Oogami as he turned to confront him.

"Don't worry Oogami, we're getting there," replied Kayama. At that moment Oogami noticed that Kayama was staring over his shoulder. Picking up on the signal, Oogami turned and saw a ruffled dockhand walking through the crowd towards the bar.

"Kayama, what's going on?" asked Oogami in a subdued voice.

"Oogami, we're going to have drinks, and I have an acquaintance of mine I'd like to meet. I'd like you to come along, but let me do the talking, ok?"

Oogami nodded, puzzled at what Kayama was up to; he trusted that Kayama would explain it later.

Entering the tavern, Oogami was immediately greeted with familiar sounds and smells. Dockhands and sailors were in various states of stupor, and the noise was a mix of conversation and laughter, oftentimes loud and raucous. Kayama led the way to a table near the back where the gruff dockhand had taken a seat.

"How are you doing, friend?" greeted Kayama.

"Whatd'ya want?" retorted the laborer.

"Just fine too, mind if we join you?" Before he could answer, Kayama sat down and gestured to Oogami to do the same. Oogami hesitantly sat down.

"Hey, I didn't ask for no company, so you'd better get—"

"Now that's no way to greet people. We have some things to talk about, right?" interrupted Kayama. "Like cargo?"

"I don't know anything about cargo except I move it. Now beat it." The dockhand glared at Kayama menacingly. Kayama returned the stare with his usual smug grin.

"Hiro Takegawa. Age twenty-four. Started working at the docks when he was seventeen, after fleeing from a neighboring village. Wanted for theft, assault of civilians, and dealing in illegal goods. Need I say more?"

"Ya got the wrong person, and I've had it. Leave me alone." The seedy dockhand rose to his feet.

"We've still got to talk about what you've been doing lately, friend," said Kayama. "Besides, I don't think it's polite to leave while entertaining a guest."

By now, the dockhand realized that there were four other workers in non-descript clothing glaring at him menacingly—it was the first time Oogami realized it too. The laborer sat back down.

"See, I heard that things were being slipped under the noses of customs, and you had a hand in doing it. Care to let me know about it?" asked Kayama.

"What? Who are you? What do you want from me?" replied the dockhand.

"That's not important, but I'm sure your employers would like to know that we're pretty chummy, right? I mean, maybe they're here watching us having a pleasant conversation—how about that?"

The dockhand scanned around nervously, and started drumming his fingers. "I know nothing—they just pay me. I only slip things to other warehouses, other trucks, things like that. I don't ask questions, they don't bother me."

"I'm aware of that; don't bother me with things I don't know. Let me guess—weapons. Maybe firearms?" probed Kayama. The dockhand grimaced nervously. "See, I figured it wouldn't be anything else really, because it seems you're moving large quantities into non-descript warehouses. You know, you have some interesting habits last time I saw you. You tend to dally at certain places daily, and leave straight to this tavern afterwards. You drink here for a while, then leave and head off to wherever you can crash. Same drink every time too. Here, take this." Kayama pulled out a small handgun, and then placed it on the table.

"I found this somewhere where I think someone wants it, and they're not going to be too happy to find out this and a whole shipment is missing. What do you think?"

The dockhand was sweating profusely.

"Okay, okay. I never see them, but they pay me for small things—shipping manifests, cargo lists, things like that. Is that all?"

"Well, almost. Whatever it is you've been carrying for a while, you can give it to me now and tell me where to put it," answered Kayama. Looking apoplectic, the dockhand hesitated for a second, then suddenly took the gun from the table and aimed at Kayama. Upon pulling the trigger, he was rewarded with an empty click.

"Hmm? What's this?" Kayama did not even flinch throughout the incident, while Oogami had been taken off guard and was now on his feet, his sidearm drawn. Kayama had reacted the moment the fool made his move, and now held his wrist in a vise-like grip. He smoothly disarmed the assailant in one fluid motion and pinned him onto to the table. Searching through his attacker's pockets, Kayama found an envelope.

"Thank you for your time." Kayama gestured, and several of his inconspicuous backups sauntered over to the table. He leaned over to one of them.

"Take care of him. I'll be heading off now," he ordered. The backup gave an affirmative nod.

"Let's go Oogami," told Kayama.

Exiting the establishment, the pair began their trek back towards the theatre. Oogami turned to his partner.

"Kayama, why were we there today? What happened? What's all this about?" asked Oogami.

"The Tsuki-gumi has been relegated to tasks such as this after the passing of the Kouma threat. It's more or less what I do nowadays."

"Did I really have to come along?"

"Oogami, I asked you to come because I wanted to give you an opportunity to see what I do. You were an honorary member of the Tsuki-gumi today." Kayama laughed in the same odd manner all his laughs had, and then continued. "Tell me, what do you remember about that person?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary really. He seemed pretty normal."

"Right. That's what you see. I, however, have to see that he is a criminal. He is a victim of his own desires for money, and will obtain it any ways necessary. He is not a very happy person. I saw that he was a person losing control because of the way he moved himself. I could see on his face the anger he had for others, and I could feel the fear in his face of his employers. I saw the way he sat, moving constantly, always as if he had somewhere else to go, or that his time was running short. And I knew when he made his decision to attack me, the exact moment that he had nowhere to go and nothing to lose. All this he tells me not in words, Oogami, but in his very being."

Oogami retrospectively pondered his friend's words, and concluded that there was truth to his statements. Oogami never realized it until now, but it always seemed as if Kayama knew exactly what was going through Oogami's mind, and could always say what needed to be said. This was the part of Kayama that he used when he was working, the part that Oogami had only glimpses of in the form of small proverbs or phrases.

"Kayama, that's amazing," complimented Oogami.

"Well, anybody can do that really. You have to learn how to look at things rather than see them, and you have to listen rather than hear. Anyways, we're back." The pair stopped in front of the theatre.

"It was fun today, we should do this more often," said Kayama. "I've got business, so I'll catch you later. Adios, amigos." Kayama headed off around the corner.

"Ok. See you later." Oogami turned and headed into the theatre, pondering over the words of his colleague.

* * *

Kaede was strolling through the courtyard. It was well into the evening hours, and the sky was awash with the warm, reddish colors of a sunset. She sat on a marble bench, admiring the beauty.

"So, how did things go today?" she asked. From behind her, obscured by a tree, was a shadow.

"They went well. We have the information to keep moving forwards," replied Kayama from the cover of darkness. "In addition, I think he picked up a thing or two. He's bright, but you know that."

"Yes. Carry on your work, and report to me when you have significant progress," ordered Kaede. Kayama began to vanish.

"And please, be careful," Kaede added softly.

* * *

Nighttime passed uneventfully in the Imperial Theater. Next morning, Oogami picked up a breakfast of bagels and coffee, courtesy of Maria, and made his way to the basement. A short time after, the Hanagumi began arriving for their normal practice simulations.

"Good morning everyone. I hope you all had a relaxing weekend," greeted Oogami. A concerted moan was their reply.

"Today's practice exercises are going to be a little different from the normal routine," announced Oogami. Maria, standing next to Oogami, looked at him in surprise.

"You didn't mention this to me during our planning session," whispered Maria.

"I wanted it to be a surprise to you as well," Oogami whispered back. "Of course, we've done the standard routines of simulated combat against the opponents we have data for," continued Oogami. "The only thing is, we've extrapolated as much data as we can from their combat patterns, and even with the scenarios Maria and I come up with you handle them effortlessly. This time, I will not be in the simulation with you."

Looks of interest, puzzlement, and attention were directed at Oogami.

"What'd you have in mind, squad leader?" asked Kanna.

"Maria will lead the team today. I will be in control of your opponents for these exercises from now on." Maria nodded with assent; she was familiar with the reins of command.

Oogami brought up the tactical display.

"Today we'll be doing Urban Scenario 12, close quarters combat at downtown Teito, commercial district. Enemy armor units will be attacking various targets, but their primary target will be the Hanagumi. Their strength will be unknown, but I will guarantee that it will be a fairly light task force consisting of no more than forty enemy troops, and that they will be class A light-type armor."

"Class A? Ohhohoho…" chuckled Sumire. "This won't be a challenge at all! How will I be able to show everyone my refined battle skill?" For once, Kanna agreed with Sumire.

"That's right, squad leader. We'll have them beat in no time!" acquiesced Kanna.

"Don't forget, we have to work together as a team. I'm sure you all remember that," interrupted Maria. "But really, squad leader, it doesn't seem like it'll be any worse than our other simulations. Are you sure about this?"

"Don't worry about me, Maria. Now, your objectives will be to neutralize all threats in the vicinity. Simulation will end if one member is unable to continue combat. Your insertion point will be here…" Oogami pointed to a blinking indicator on the display, "and the area of engagement will be here. It's a simple clean up assault mission you've all done before. If there are no questions…" Oogami paused. "Maria, prepare the team for simulation," ordered Oogami.

"Yes sir. Imperial Assault Group, prepare for combat!" announced Maria.

"Yes sir!" the other members replied.

"Get ready to eat it, squad leader! I won't go easy on you!" jibed Kanna as she filed out into the simulation chamber with the others.

As soon as they left the command center, Oogami headed for the control room. Already present were the three "Daughters of the Imperial Theater", Yuri Sakakibara, Tsubaki Takamura, and Kasumi Fujii. Off duty, they managed the day-to-day affairs of the Imperial Theater, but when they were in combat they formed the 'Kaze-gumi', the division responsible for the transportation and logistics of the Imperial Assault Group.

"Kasumi, have you loaded the new control interface and scenarios?" asked Oogami.

"As you've requested, the new data has been incorporated into the simulation exercise programs," replied Kasumi. "Status report, everyone."

"All systems are nominal, ready to proceed," answered Tsubaki.

"All Hanagumi members are accounted for and show normal readouts. Ready to proceed," reported Yuri.

"Excellent," replied Oogami. He walked towards a control terminal, sat down, and logged in. "Transfer the new control scheme over to my console now."

"Yes sir," said Tsubaki.

Oogami flipped on communications.

"Alright everyone. Simulation will begin in ten seconds. Good luck." Oogami gestured to Tsubaki.

"Simulation commencing. 10…9…8…7…"

"Hope this will be fun!" exclaimed Orihime.

"6…5…4…3…2…1…simulation engaged!" finished Tsubaki.

Maria glanced at her readouts, and then looked up at the familiar locale of downtown Teito. No indication of the enemy was found.

"Imperial Assault Group, let's get going. Proceed to waypoint one, delta formation," ordered Maria.

"Yes sir," announced the Hanagumi. The Koubu began marching down the street with Sakura, Sumire, and Kanna forming the vanguard. Reni, Orihime, and Maria followed, and taking up the rear was Iris and Kohran.

"This is really odd for Oogami, don't you think?" Koran said over communications.

"Well, we could use a change of pace. The practice sessions were getting boring anyways," replied Kanna. "Doesn't mean that we won't win though; it'll be a piece of cake as usual."

"Just like you to comment on food, Kanna," retorted Sumire.

"Do not underestimate the squad leader," stated Reni dispassionately.

"I agree, keep sharp everyone, and focus on the mission," said Maria.

"I wonder what Oogami is up to," Sakura pondered silently.

The simulated Koubu continued marching through the street in formation.

"Nearing waypoint one," declared Maria as they were nearing a large intersection.

"Iris saw something!" shouted Iris.

"Confirmed, targets sighted ahead," agreed Reni. Several enemy armors were waiting ahead, prepared for combat.

"Sumire, Kanna, Sakura, move out ahead to engage. Orihime, Kohran, follow behind and begin long-range attacks. Reni, Iris, and I will follow behind and watch the rear. Go!" ordered Maria.

The Koubu formation took off at a brisk run at the enemy, eager for battle.

Oogami's terminal indicated that the team had been spotted. Glancing at several monitors around him, he began inputting commands into the computer.

Orihime and Kohran started the attack first, sending violet energy beams and a barrage of missiles at the enemy from long range while the close range team charged forwards. Explosions around them indicated that the enemy had begun attacking as well. Maria joined the attack and began firing her guns relentlessly, while Sakura and Sumire simultaneously engaged their steam jets and moved to engage the wall of enemy troops.

Oogami smiled briefly as the display indicated that the enemy has been engaged. He knew that the armor he was working with would not last long in a fight against the Koubu, but he also knew the battle wasn't all about strength.

Maria was suddenly jostled against the walls of her Koubu. Surprised, she looked up at her indicator. A second group of troops were moving down the second street, firing from long range at Kohran, Iris, and Maria. Explosions on the ground and impacting missiles bounced the three around.

"Kohran, Reni, Orihime, neutralize that group!" shouted Maria. The three reoriented towards the new troops and started moving towards them. Maria began firing at the second wave of armors, taking down several through her exceptional marksmanship. Orihime was picking off multiple targets, and Kohran's missile offense did heavy damage, splitting the attacking group in several directions just as Reni moved into range to use her lance.

On the other side Sakura, Sumire, and Kanna started clearing the wall of troops when suddenly explosions were set off around them.

"Yeeeah!" screamed Sumire as she was momentarily disoriented from the movement. "What?"

"Above!" announced Kanna. Enemy troops previously undetected were on the roof of the buildings, firing down on them.

Sakura grimaced at the explosions bearing down upon them, and suddenly parried an attack made from an attack in front of her. Acting swiftly, she brought her sword in a slashing counter that cut her assailant in two.

Kanna quickly looked for a building that she could maneuver her Koubu up to. Finding one, she engaged her steam jets when suddenly she was hit from the side. Quickly smashing her Koubu's red fist into the face her attacker, she continued her upward advance until she hit the roof. Sprinting towards one of the attackers, she grappled it and slammed it at the ground. Peering at the other rooftops, she quickly assessed the situation.

"I can't get to all of them fast enough—you guys have to clear those troops quickly!" screamed Kanna.

"Forget this!" exclaimed Sumire while under barrage from above. She concentrated, and flames began appearing on her staff. "Kanzaki Fuujin-ryuu…"

Sakura turned suddenly and let out a gasp.

"Sakura, back off now!" screamed Kanna.

"Renjaku…no Mai!" she finished as she planted her staff into the ground. Flames ripped from her staff, vaporizing five enemy suits with her. The buildings in the vicinity started to burn and several collapsed.

Sakura had luckily backed out of the range of damage, and was suddenly hit again from above. "Eyaaah!" she screeched.

Sumire meanwhile surveyed her handiwork. It appeared that she had decimated most of the remaining ground forces, but several attackers were still on the roof pounding down on them. "Kanna!" she yelled.

"Maria, we're getting hit from above, we need help now!" radioed Kanna.

Maria's group was thinning the enemy ranks from long range, searching for targets of opportunity when she received Kanna's transmission. Feeling the impact of another hit, she quickly toggled her communications link.

"Iris, repair their armor until we finish here!" ordered Maria.

"Ok! Iris will go!" Iris began searching for teleport locations when she noticed that both of the groups had moved farther out that she realized. Gearing up for movement, she was ready to go when suddenly the wall besides her erupted. Her concentration was thrown off when a small group smashed through the building to her side and began to attack her.

Oogami surveyed his readouts. Most of his main forces were decimated, although a few surviving stragglers on the rooftops were still alive. Oogami did not expect them to win, however. He had his troops retreating slowly during the course of the battle to bait the Hanagumi to move farther down into the street. The arrival of the second force was to split the group. Oogami simply employed the tactic he usually used against the enemy: divide and conquer. He exploited weaknesses that presented themselves, and Oogami was now looking at the flashing indicator labeled "Iris."

"Yaaaaa!" screamed Iris. The Hanagumi looked up from their positions when they heard Iris' screech. Maria instantly had a sinking feeling when she realized what Oogami had been doing all along. "No…everyone, move to help Iris!" she ordered fervently when her sensors picked up a force moving in from the side to block the intersection. The enemy troops had effectively cut Iris off from the rest of the team.

Oogami's reserve troops were moving into position. Glancing at his readouts, Oogami silently reminded himself of one of several philosophies he always adhered to: Never underestimate the force of the enemy.

Iris was desperately trying to teleport out of range, but everywhere she looked was in the attacking range of the enemy. She was completely surrounded, and it was apparent that they had anticipated all her movement options. As her Koubu continued taking a pounding, Iris's screams became more desperate; she began randomly hitting buttons and knobs. The vise around her continued to close as the rest of the Hanagumi fought the light blockade stopping them from helping her. Sakura began concentrating her energy to cut through the blockade while Maria and Orihime began energizing their Koubu; it was true that the blockade was a weak force, but there were more than enough targets to hold them off for a small amount of time—small enough for Oogami to do his job. Iris started to wail as systems began to shut down and her Koubu was knocked off her feet. It was only a matter of time…

And suddenly the simulation ended. The world faded away to be replaced by the practice chamber. Iris continued to wail for several seconds before she realized it had ended, and then looked around dejectedly.

"Simulation has ended. All systems nominal," announced Tsubaki on the intercom. Oogami was walking down the steps into the chamber as the rest of the team was removing themselves from their practice gear.

"Oogami! What is the meaning of this!" exclaimed Sakura. Orihime stomped over to him and leaned over menacingly.

"Ensign! Do you get some sort of sick pleasure from doing this to us? Hmph!" she shouted at him.

"And what about Iris, squad leader? I want an explanation," added Kanna. They all began protesting at the same time with the exception of Reni when Oogami cut them off.

"Now I know this was new to all of you—" started Oogami. Glancing around at the team, he saw angry faces and frustration. "—and I know what I did might seem cruel, but I want to assure all of you that I am doing this for the good of the team."

Looking around at the softened faces, Oogami continued. "I take no pleasure in this, but I do think this exercise will improve everyone over the next few weeks. I do not want to hear any more about this from any of you. Please report to the command center in five minutes for debriefing. Dismissed."

The Hanagumi filed out somberly while Maria moved to converse with Oogami.

"Squad leader, I apologize about what I said. Actually, now that I think about it, I do agree that this is good for the team. I see the wisdom in that. It's just…" trailed Maria.

"Yes, Maria?" queried Oogami.

"It's just that I don't feel like I'm a very good leader. I can't…I can't seem to do what you do, and they don't have confidence in me," finished Maria.

"Maria, I have no doubts in your abilities. You're a very capable leader, and I'm sure everyone looks up to you because of it," complimented Oogami.

"Those are kind words, squad leader, but really…" she said softly.

"Maria, I would not have spoken them if I did not believe them. And remember, I am always glad to help."

"Thank…thank you, squad leader." Maria gazed at Oogami for a second, then looked towards the exit. "We should be going."

"Right," replied Oogami.

"We got killed," pouted Sakura to no one in particular. The other team members were either seated at the table and staring at nothing, or were just filing in. After a minute, Oogami entered the room. Sensing the low spirits as he headed towards the head of the table, he made a note of it to himself.

"That wasn't fair at all, squad leader. You had all our data the whole time—" began Kanna.

"Actually, the only information I get is what I can see with my troops. I had it programmed that way, and Tsubaki can confirm that," replied Oogami. "Anyways, let's get on with this."

Oogami proceeded to debrief them, highlighting the situation and the decisions that they made. After he was finished, and after it was evident that no one really wanted to continue, he removed the display.

"One final note. I will be writing individual debriefing reports from now on, and the practice schedule will change. From now on, we will continue this exercise in addition to individual practice. For that I will work with each of you one on one, and hopefully that will bring some results as well as liven things up."

The other members' spirits noticeably jumped at the thought of spending more time with Oogami. He looked at their faces and was warmed by their happiness. Smiling, he gave the order to dismiss.

* * *

The light on the dark, drab wall flickered as the flame danced on the candle. Kayama sat pondering over several papers in a non-descript apartment. Nighttime was the domain of the shadow, the time when he worked. He currently had his division deployed in infiltration and covert operations, and right now the only thing he could do was wait. Pouring over his information, he tried to make sense of the signals and clues he had collected over the past weeks. Like Oogami, he possessed a keen instinct for tactics, but his battlefield was much different. Instead of divisions and platoons, he saw the relationships between groups, people, and cartels; instead of the formations and movements Oogami saw, he saw the webs of deceit and the ambitions of men.

What he now saw disturbed him. Time was always against him, but he knew patience would bring about the turn he needed. Leaning back on his chair, he gazed out the window into the dark, starry sky. Soon closing his eyes, he relaxed, delegating the difficult problems to his subconscious. He lay prone until his intuition picked up on a disturbance. Glancing out the window, he quickly spotted a metallic reflection off the moonlight. Kayama reacted immediately, throwing himself out of the chair. A split second later, a bullet shattered the glass and embedded itself where he would have been.

With his back to the wall, Kayama made his way out the door and into the hallway. Wary of danger, he sprinted down the stairs and left the back door carefully. There he met two of his agents that reported that the attacker was now being tracked. Nodding in approval, he fled into the cover of the night.