Chapter 5 - First Snow in Autumn III
It was a bright Saturday morning.
The birds were singing. The squirrels were scampering about, and the stray cats were stalking both.
In one of the numerous parks of the modern metropolis known as Nagazora, Adam rested his back against the trunk of a tree, the delicate leaves above provided shade from the early sun.
Adam, dressed casually in a dark hoodie and track pants, was scrolling through his phone. The sound of families, friends, and groups of strangers coming together rang across the lush green area as they went about their weekend lives.
The black-haired teen yawned and rubbed the specks of tears from his golden eyes. Those same eyes swept over the entire park as if they were trying to locate something or, more accurately, someone.
He thought back to the agreement they made a few days back about when and where to meet.
…
"...So…," Adam began awkwardly.
"...So…," Miyuki replied with the same awkwardness.
The two of them were currently walking through the school's front courtyard together. Though neither of them was ecstatic about their partner, with one not wanting one at all, they knew it was inevitable, . Had they resisted, their classmates would've forced them anyway.
Both of them knew they would need to communicate at some point. Otherwise, their task would never get done. However, neither was willing to initiate the conversation which led to the thick block of silence that encased the unlikely duo.
It was better and less draining, both physically and mentally, to swallow the bitter pill of maturity and get the job done together quickly.
When he couldn't take the silence anymore, Adam gritted his teeth and left the classroom first. But unknown to him, Miyuki had the same idea and was just a second late.
This led to their current state, walking across the campus with only one word uttered.
And the gates were quite literally another ten steps away.
"Are we going to go now?" asked Adam, "The faster we get it done—"
"Can't, sorry," Miyuki interrupted.
Adam shrugged, "Okay, I'm not in a rush. You decided when,"
"Sunday then," the dark-pink-haired girl simply replied.
"Aren't the stores less crowded on weekdays though?"
"I have to pick up Sora from preschool on weekdays," answered Miyuki as the duo passed through the Chiba Academy gates, "And prepare dinner, do the housework, complete the homework, and extra studying before I sleep,"
"Fair enough," replied Adam, "...Why Sunday and not Saturday?"
He had half expected her to roll her eyes and snap at him for asking too many questions. However, Miyuki continued without so much of a twitch in facial expression.
"Sora's preschool has organized a field trip for them on that day. I won't need to worry about looking after her for several hours, so I can use that time to complete this material shopping task,"
"Got it,"
Soon they arrived at an intersection, and Miyuki veered off in the direction of her house without so much of a whisper of goodbye.
Adam didn't mind much, but he remembered something fairly important.
"Hey, Asakura!" he called out, "Where are we meeting?"
Without looking back, Miyuki replied with an added wave of her hand, "The park near my place at nine. You probably already know where it is,"
Adam nodded out of instinct, knowing full well that she couldn't see his response. His gaze lingered on her for a while, just in the most minor yet still possible case, the delinquents from the other day come back for revenge. Only when her silhouette shrunk to that of a paperclip, did Adam move on, walking in the opposite direction toward his apartment.
…
'Where is she?' he wondered.
Looking down at his phone, it had already been fifteen minutes past their arranged meeting time.
He pushed off the tree and began to stretch his stiffening limbs. At the same time, Miyuki finally came into view, emerging from behind a corner. She spotted Adam almost immediately and paced towards him. She was wearing a light-blue coat over a white, long-sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans. The bandage that once stuck to her cheek was now gone, with the wound closing up over the school week.
"Good morning, Adam-san," she greeted calmly.
"You're late, but good morning to you too," Adam responded nonchalantly.
"I got caught up discussing something with one of Sora's teachers," explained Miyuki simply before she continued walking along the path, "Come on, we're behind schedule, aren't we?"
Adam nodded and wordlessly trailed closely behind her as they walked toward the bus stop.
The process of transforming the classroom into a cafe would take more than one attempt and cost many materials. Each group was told to buy three times the amount they needed. They were only one of the five teams tasked with acquiring art materials. The materials that Adam and Miyuki had been assigned to get were mostly paint, paint brushes, and the like. Luckily, Chiba Academy provided each club and class with equal funding to help them kick-start their projects. Usually, it would be enough to cover the costs; however, if they needed more, it would have to come from their own pockets.
The black-haired teen silently thanked the school faculty for this system. He had only just received his first paycheck from Raiden Ryoma the night before, and there was no way he was going to use it to build a temporary classroom cafe with a two-day lifespan.
'My money is reserved for important things only,' he reminded himself.
Soon enough, the bus hissed and screeched as it came to a halt. The duo got on to find it surprisingly vacant. An elder couple was sitting here, a mother and child further back, and several people by themselves dotted around the seats. It was unlike a regular Sunday morning, all manners of public transport would be packed full of people, all going out to relax and have fun with their friends and family.
Perhaps, it was just this bus, or maybe they were just past rush hour.
Nevertheless, finding seats was easy.
Adam and Miyuki sat close to each other with a single empty seat between them. Both teenagers did not attempt to converse as the bus continued on its usual route, with their heads buried in their phones. Adam returned to his daily routine of checking M.E Corporation news updates, and Miyuki pulled out earphones to block out the noise.
Twenty minutes passed in a decent silence, with only the ambient sounds of the bustling morning traffic in the background.
Finally, the bus arrived at their stop, and the student duo hopped off. A short walk later and they arrived at their destination.
The Arts District, one of Nagazora's many Market Districts.
It just so happened that this one was known for being a hotspot for up-and-coming artists and art students for its affordable and decent-quality supplies. It was the perfect place for Adam and Miyuki to get enough of whatever their class needed without spending too much…even if they were using the school's funds.
"So what should we get first?" asked Adam as the duo walked through the district's busy streets.
"Paint," Miyuki simply answered, scrolling through the list on her phone.
Adam rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I know that, but did they specify what brand or type they prefer?"
The pink-haired girl shook her head, "No, they just wanted gallons of white, silver, gold, and black,"
"No specific bucket amount? We don't have many artists in our class, do we?" the black-haired boy deadpanned.
"Don't ask me. It's not like I know," replied Miyuki before suggesting something else.
"Hey, we should split up,"
"Here? Now?"
The girl nodded, "We'll cover more ground and get things done faster that way,"
Adam shrugged and folded his arms out of habit, "I'm not against it,"
"Good, I'll go and get the brushes—," started Miyuki.
"—And I'll find the twelve buckets of paint," finished Adam.
For just a split second, the black-haired teen swore he saw the faintest of smiles twitch on Miyuki's lips before she returned to her stone-faced expression.
"We'll meet at the north entrance of the street in an hour and a half?" proposed Miyuki.
"Sounds like a plan," Adam responded ever so calmly.
"See you then," bidding her farewell, Miyuki paced away and disappeared into the crowd.
If it weren't for her noticeable dark pink hair sticking out from the brown, blonde, and black sea, Adam would've completely lost sight of her. After a minute more of dawdling around, and when Miyuki had seemingly vanished into a store, the teen turned and headed in another direction.
For the next hour, Adam entered and exited different shops, looking for the cheapest paint that was also of high quality. It felt as if he had visited every store in the entire district before finally locating one that suited his requirements. Even then, he had to utilize a little bit of bargaining speech, taught to him by Hua, to lower the price even more.
Although, the next bit of dilemma came. As physically strong as he was, being a trained Schicksal Knight with a Natural Stigma and all. There was no way he could, nor did he want to, carry twelve large tubs of paint in both hands back to their classroom on the third floor of Chiba Academy.
"Do you guys do delivery?" Adam asked the store owner.
"We sure do," the owner replied with a wide grin.
"Oh, that's great, then ca—"
"For an extra 2,500 yen," the ower's toothy grin grew gleefully large, and a golden tooth shone in the corner of his mouth.
Adam froze and immediately narrowed his eyes at the store owner, recognizing the scam immediately.
The idea of running across town with six buckets of paint in each hand was starting to look much more doable now and a very viable option. Thankfully, he quickly reminded himself that he was using the school's money which made the final decision easier. The black-haired boy warily accepted the owner's offer and handed over the payment. Watching the scam go down in front of his eyes as the burly store owner opened the cash register hurt. However, it did help when he repeatedly repeated the phrase, 'It's the school's money, it's the school's money,' in his mind.
When a receipt was in his hand, Adam exited that shop in a flash without looking back.
He decided that very second. He was never going to enter that place again. They didn't even have discounts, and as dark as the thought was, he wouldn't be sorry to see it blow up during the Third Eruption in several months.
With the paint ordered, and nothing else to do but wait for Miyuki to finish up on her end, Adam decided to stroll back to the rendezvous point.
He leaned against a street light amongst the usual busy weekend crowd. While looking through his phone, he occasionally glanced up to see if his dark-pink-haired classmate was making her way back, but there was no sign of her. He wasn't expecting her to complete her task at the same time as him, so he shrugged and gazed back down at the digital manga he was reading.
However, time ticked by, and Adam noticed the shadows on the ground had slightly shifted from when he first got to the designated meet-up area. Furrowing his brows, he checked the time.
'We were supposed to meet back here half an hour ago… Where is she?'
He opened his messages, and upon doing so, he remembered that he had never added Miyuki to his contacts despite being assigned to work together earlier that week. Now he couldn't ask her where she was. With pursed lips, he slipped his phone into his pocket.
'I might be somewhat new to this city, but surely it can't be that hard getting a bunch of paintbrushes here, right?'
Scratching the back of his head, Adam couldn't help but feel like something was off. This was the Artsy Ward of the entire city, and equipment like paintbrushes was more common than the planted trees. Even from his spot by the street light, Adam could spot three stalls selling the item. The black-haired teen started compiling a list of reasons: Was she still negotiating prices? Did she get lost? Does she secretly have a decision-making disorder?
"...In trouble?" Adam quietly considered.
It wasn't impossible.
The first time he met Miyuki, she was assaulted by a gang of delinquents from a public school across the city. From what he had overheard that day, it seemed that it wasn't the first time that had happened and was a regular occurrence. She was alone that day too, so perhaps that gang would only strike whenever she was alone.
'Like right now,'
Adam stepped away from the street light.
He had to admit that idea was a bit of a stretch, and she could honestly be running late. However, while the chance was low, it was never zero. It wouldn't hurt to check either…just in case.
With a new goal set in mind, Adam entered the crowd, trying to recall which route he had seen Miyuki take before following that route to the best of his memory.
Unfortunately, the entire market district looked identical. From the position of the trees and streetlamps to the design of the stores and buildings, even some store owners wore the same clothing.
Although not as populated as Arc City, Nagazora was a respectfully dense itself. This, mixed with the sea of people, didn't help with navigation either. Right now, Adam felt as if the entire populous was gathered around him.
'Why are there so many people here? Is there an event today? Or is this normal for this district?' he wondered as he attempted to politely push through the barricade of bodies.
However, no matter how hard he tried to get through, he was dragged away by the crowd like a fallen leaf hopelessly floating down a river.
'This…this is going to be more annoying than I thought,' he inwardly groaned.
On the opposite side of the district, where it was less hectic, Miyuki strolled through the streets with a bag in hand, which contained numerous brushes, pens, and other materials needed by the class. She had checked the time before leaving out of the store and was currently heading back to the agreed rendezvous point.
As she trekked through the art district, the dark-pink-haired teen occasionally cast her gaze behind and around her as if looking for something or someone.
Suddenly a chime from her phone took her out of her vigilant state.
At first, she frowned, expecting it to be a text from Adam telling her to "Hurry up" or asking her, "Are you done yet?". But then she remembered that neither of them had ever exchanged contacts. That idea had never even been brought up. Quenching the possibility of the black-haired boy somehow messaging her even further, was when she saw the sender's identity. Her frown curved into a smile when she saw her little sister's name on the screen with a small heart beside it.
She opened her messages and was instantly flooded with photos.
It was like a photo album without a solid concept, and each picture was randomized,
There was a photo of a ladybug here and a photo of a flowerbed there. Accompanied by funny-looking clouds, a squirrel perched on a tree branch while carrying an acorn, and a barrage of wacky selfies taken by the child herself.
Miyuki giggled when she saw the goofy expressions on her innocent sister's face.
The very person she has been trying desperately to protect from the cruelty of the world for years now.
The pure smile that she would gladly give up everything for.
Miyuki replied with an applauding Homu emoji. Not even ten seconds later, Sora responded with an emoji of a Homu proudly puffing out its chest. The older sister sent another, which incited the younger sister to do the same. An intense emoji battle between the siblings was immediately initiated, both doing their absolute best to out-spam the other.
"Ah!" Miyuki suddenly yelped as she felt herself suddenly run into someone.
Miyuki tore her eyes away from her phone and profusely bowed her apologies, "I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going,"
"Asakura Miyuki?"
The girl in question looked up upon hearing a gruff voice saying her name. Standing in front of her were three prominent, stone-faced, suit-wearing men. The one in the middle had his dusty-yellow hair slicked back and a scar across his nose, while the two by his sides had sunglasses and shaved heads.
Before she could respond, the yellow-haired man reached into his breast pocket and retrieved a professionally-designed business card. On it was the image of a strange, purple, flying creature with sharp wings and a teardrop of lightning as a head, slightly resembling an owl if one looked at it long enough.
"My name is Kawanami Kenta. I work for the Seirai Group," he told her, extending out the card for her to take, "We would like to discuss a few matters with you,"
Miyuki stared at the three of them suspiciously. The name of that company sounded hauntingly familiar. Still, she made a quick decision and instead ducked her head as she tried to slip away.
"I'm sorry, you got the wrong person," she uttered as she walked past them.
"It's regarding your father…."
Miyuki gasped a little, freezing in place.
"...Asakura Takeshi,"
The girl trembled as memories of the man she had once called 'dad ' came flooding back to the forefront of her mind. Takeshi was someone she had always loved and looked up to. Up until the day he disappeared. One night they were eating dinner as a family of four, laughing and chatting happily as they had always done. But the following day, he was simply gone. The family searched everywhere but couldn't find a single thing. Any evidence of his existence was gone from security cam footage, online accounts, and even government files. It was as if he had been erased from history and only lived on in the memories of his wife and children. The police couldn't open an investigation case and only brushed it off as a man abandoning his family in silence.
Almost a year had passed since that day. She wanted to know where he had gone.
No, She needed to know where he had gone.
And these men from this...Seirai Group knew something no one else did.
Miyuki spun on her heels to face them. A look of frightened determination and a tint of melancholy was painted across her features.
Kenta took this as a sign that she had agreed to talk with them and beckoned her to follow with a tilt of his head.
The four walked down the busy Art District streets, with Kenta leading the pack, Miyuki in the center, and the two bodyguards bringing up the rear.
Fifteen minutes later, they entered a modern building designed in a hyper-modern fashion. Even in her precarious situation, Miyuki couldn't help but be in awe of the luxurious interior that looked as if it was taken from fifty years in the future.
"Do you have a booking, sir?" A waitress asked as they walked up to a set of tinted glass doors.
Kenta nodded, "Seirai. Corporate meeting,"
"Understood, right this way please,"
They were led through the high-class restaurant. The other customers were dressed formally and silently chatting while consuming their meals. Miyuki curiously looked around. She had only seen this type of scene in movies.
The waitress didn't take long to lead them to their destination. She pushed open the door to reveal a private dining room that could fit at least ten people. A splash of blue hung on the wall in the form of a long classical painting of the seaside. The typical hues were designed simplistically: black, gray, and white.
"Sit anywhere you like," Kenta offered to the pink-haired girl.
Miyuki shuffled over to the closest seat. She watched as the members of the Seirai Group made their way to the opposite end of the table to take their seats. The waitress glided over to place menus before them gently.
"Please take your time while deciding your order," she said calmly, "Once you are ready, please press the button on the corner of the table,"
The yellow-haired man thanked her, and the waitress politely bowed before exiting the room, leaving it in silence.
Miyuki looked around uncomfortably. Here she was, in what was most likely a private restaurant, in a soundproof room, with three imposing strangers that had information on her missing father. Said strangers looked over the menu as if they had forgotten entirely about her.
"Have you had lunch yet?" Kenta suddenly asked without taking his eyes off the laminated pamphlet.
"N-No…sir," the girl timidly replied, averting her eyes. The three of them were intimidating standing in the middle of the street, but now in a confined space, they were even more so.
"You should eat something," he said, flipping the pamphlet, "My old co-worker would be upset if I didn't treat his daughter well,"
Miyuki jolted from her seat, "You know my—!?"
Kenta shot her a piercing look, "Sit down, girl. We can discuss everything about Takeshi after we eat,"
The teen bit her lip and slowly lowered herself back down. She hesitantly looked over the menu, and her jaw parted at the price of each item.
"Feel free to order anything. The company will cover all costs," Kenta told her without taking his eyes off his menu.
"Y-Yes, sir," Miyuki murmured.
Several minutes later, plates of exquisitely-designed meals were spread evenly across the table, each looking more intricate and expensive than the last. The clinking of forks and knives against plates gently echoed through the room. Though she was still nervous sitting at the table with a group of strangers, her stomach went against her mind as it growled in anticipation. Red dusted her cheeks, and Miyuki quickly wrapped her arms around her belly. Her eyes flicked around to check if anyone had heard her. To her relief, none of them did, or perhaps more realistically, none of them cared and had already begun to eat.
Miyuki stared at the luxurious piece of tender duck drizzled with a glistening golden sauce. Seeing no other way out of the situation, she quietly ate on her side of the table.
A moment later, the businessmen of the Seirai Group had finished their lunch, dabbing napkins at the corners of their mouths. Kenta looked up and noticed Miyuki patiently waiting for them with a half-eaten plate.
"Is the taste not your liking, daughter of Takeshi?" he asked.
"N-No! It's not that," Miyuki timidly responded, fiddling her fingers under the table, "It's just… my family has never gone to establishments like this…s-so I wanted to save some for my little sister to try,"
"I see,"
The yellow-haired businessman pressed the button at the corner of the table, and a waitress quickly entered.
"Can you pack the young lady's leftovers, please? And hand them to her when she leaves?"
The waitress bowed, "Certainly, sir,"
Miyuki leaned back to allow the older woman to take the plate away. As she left the room, several younger workers entered and cleaned the table with quick efficiency. The private dining room looked the same as when they first entered in a few minutes.
"Now," Kenta snapped his fingers twice, "We can talk,"
Eerily synchronized, the two bodyguards sitting by his side immediately stood up and reached into their suits. Both pulled out a thick file protected by a solid, dark case and produced two distinct thuds when dropped on the table.
Kenta waved his hand, dismissing the security duo, who respectfully dipped their heads before exiting the room.
"Asakura Miyuki," the girl slightly jumped at her name suddenly being called.
"Y-Yes?" her voice was but a whisper.
"Seventeen-year-old firstborn daughter of Asakura Takeshi and Aya, and older sister of Asakura Sora by nine years. Originally from Osaka but moved to Nagazora ten years ago for your father's work. Previously attended Tsurumi High School and transferred to Chiba Academy mid-February this year. Did I get anything wrong?"
Miyuki's eyes widened as she listened to the businessman recite her personal information. She gripped the ends of her chair tightly as she remained on edge, "...N-No, sir,"
"Good, now that I've further confirmed your identity, I'll get straight to the point," Kenta continued, leaning back into his seat, "Tell me, do you know what sort of work your father was engaged in?".
"He was a scientist, a researcher…and he worked for Massive Electric, not…not whatever your company is called," she replied with a tinge of defiance.
"You're not wrong, but you're also not correct," Kenta slid one of the files across the table, coming to a stop in front of Miyuki, "Take a look at this,"
Miyuki carefully opened the file, taking note of the crimson [ CONFIDENTIAL ] stamped at the top of the cover.
She sipped in her breath at the first page. There was nothing but a straight-faced photo of her father, taken in the same manner as a passport photo. Miyuki traced her fingers over the picture. While she saw his face every day at home from the portraits hanging on the walls, on top shelves, or in her phone, something about the photo on the file's first page felt…different. As if the Takeshi inside that specific photo was whispering caution into her mind, warning her not to turn the page, to quietly close the folder and go home. Similar to the warning sign posted before a dark cave filled with unimaginable dangers. Whatever it contained, it would change her perspective of her dear father forever.
The temptation was pulling her apart. On one side, Miyuki wanted to slam the cover shut and throw the folder back at Kenta to keep her precious memories of her father untainted and alive, even if that meant never seeing him again.
But on the other, she desired to know the truth that was held in her hands. She needed to know the reason why he disappeared that day, and where he went, and where he'll go, and who he was…everything about him that she never knew. Every secret that the man withheld behind his persona as a caring husband and father. It was but a page away.
Then, new questions she had never previously considered forced themselves into her head.
'Am I ready to know? Is this the right thing to do? No! I have to know. He's been gone too long! Even if I don't want to, at the very least, Sora should know…when she's mature enough…So I should… I should…'
A loud slap sounded through the room.
Kenta looked up to see Miyuki tightly pressing her hands against the covers of the folder before tossing it back onto the table.
"...No," she muttered with shaking breaths.
"Hm?"
The pink-haired teen looked up at the businessman defiantly, "I…I won't allow some weird company that appeared out of nowhere to harm the impression I have of a good man and infect all the precious memories I've made with him. Dad must've done something wrong in your eyes, and that's why you're after him, right? That's why he left us all of a sudden back then, isn't it? I've always had a hunch that it had something to do with work and—"
It took a raised hand from Kenta for Miyuki to stop in her tracks.
"So you are saying," the businessman's voice was a low growl as his eyes sharpened darkly, "He hasn't contacted your family since then?"
"No, but now…but now I'm sure he has his reasons,"
'I knew it was a stretch that he would return to his family but still… Damn it!' Kenta cursed mentally as he sighed through his nose
"So what I've gathered is that you don't know the truth,"
"The truth?" echoed Miyuki.
"Yes, girlie. The truth behind your father, and if you don't want to read. Then perhaps I'll have to inform you verbally,"
Miyuki locked eyes with the yellow-haired man a moment longer before she stood from her seat, "I have to go pick up my sister,"
"Does the date February 16th ring any bells?"
The teen went still.
"The day your father 'supposedly' disappeared," Kenta knew that this time, he had her full attention,
"Supposedly?" Miyuki repeated, slowly turning around only to see the man gesturing to the chair opposite him.
He waited for the girl to be seated before he began to clarify.
"Regarding what you said earlier about Takeshi working for Massive Electric, the Seirai Group is a branch organization of the main M.E Corp, and Takeshi worked for both. It was last year when he was transferred over to us. However, on earlier this year on February 16th, he was selected to participate in a classified project. To work on it, one must sign a contract stating that anyone working on the project must break off all contact from family until it is complete, for them and their family's safety," explained Kenta.
"And please, before you say anything, no one forced him. He signed that contract on his own accord, and we even have video proof if that will help calm your suspicion,"
Miyuki was staring at the wooden surface in front of her. Her dark-pink hair hung over her eyes.
"Please, just get to the point," she said, looking up at the man with a look full of venom.
Unfortunately for her, Kenta didn't seem to notice. It was like a rabbit attempting to stare down a wolf, and the wolf obliged her request.
"A week ago, Takeshi stole data files from our system that are extremely vital for that project and ran off," revealed the businessman.
"What?" Miyuki gasped, her eyes widening in surprise as she retorted, "Dad…stole…? No! He's not that type of person!"
"Family, pride and profit can infect any person, girlie. Especially someone like your father,"
"What are you talking about!?" a sudden spike of courage surged through her as the only thought running through her head was to defend her father, "You know nothing of my father!"
"Your family has always had some sort of financial trouble, no? A large debt of some sort. We suspect that Takeshi stole those files to sell to a high-paying bidder so he could rid his family of such trivial matters,"
"You don't have any evidence of that!"
Not wanting to continue this discussion any further, Kenta shook his head before leaving his seat and calmly retrieving the folders across the table.
"Whether you believe what I've told you or not isn't my problem. I have already gained the answer to my question today. It's up to you to find the answers to yours on your own," he told her, clasping the folders under his arm.
"Have a good evening, girlie," were his last words to her before disappearing behind the door.
Miyuki glared at the door, drilling holes through it with her eyes before wordlessly slamming her hand onto the table. A decision she regretted a second later when her wrist began to throb.
Not wanting to be in this establishment any further, she quickly made her way out. When the waitress holding a plastic bag approached her, she snatched it from her grasp and stormed away.
As much as she wanted to forget what had happened within the last hour, Kenta's words bore a mark in her mind. From the bomb dropped on her regarding her missing father, who wasn't missing at all, to the last statement he gave her.
All she knew was that the situation regarding her father had just gotten more complicated than she could previously fathom. And with complication comes danger. Danger to her and Sora. With her father gone and her mother overseas, it was now up to her to protect her precious, innocent, little sister, no matter the cost.
[ "It's up to you to find the answers to yours on your own," ]
Those words constantly repeated in her mind, a rarely determined gleam in her eyes.
'I'll find out the truth. I'll find out everything. For dad, for mom, and especially for you, Sora. Even if it's the last thing I do,'
Unbeknownst to her at the time, inside the bag of leftovers, hidden underneath it all at the very bottom, was a card. The business card that was emblazoned with the stormy hues of the Thunderbird.
…
…
…
"Where the hell am I?"
Having been trained as a combat operative since his younger years, Adam was more than adept at finding his way around unfamiliar locations and was not one to get lost easily. As far as he was concerned, that was Carole's schtick.
However, the universe wasn't on his side that day, and for a moment, his brain's navigation systems dropped to critical levels. That, mixed with the suffocating weekend crowd and the similarly designed buildings on the side, was the final straw and caused that part of his mind to shut off completely.
Or, to simply put it, Adam had a brain fart.
Needless to say, even he was surprised. The last time that had happened was back when he still attended the Prep Academy, during that one school trip when he and Lyle snuck out to look around Arc City's black market, the very trip both of them swore to never bring up again.
He was currently standing beside a street lamp, watching the nonstop flow of people bustling about. He had first set out to search for his classmate and assigned partner, Miyuki, as she was running a bit late to their agreed meet-up point. The more he thought about it, the worse that idea got.
Why would a Nagazora native be lost in their own city? And why did he think he could find her so quickly?
This wasn't a search and rescue or an intel extraction mission. He could've just waited patiently, but…
'Nooooo, I just had to get off my ass, didn't I?' groaned Adam internally, 'And now I'm the one that's lost, and Asakura is probably scratching her head waiting for me,'
His golden eyes swept over the sea of people.
'Can't exactly retrace my steps. It's not like this crowd will let me. I'll get swept away again by this impenetrable flow. Isn't this the fourth or fifth most populated city in East Asia? They couldn't just construct wider streets like they do in Arc City?'
Adam looked to his left and right. Both ways, the crowd seemed to stretch all the way to the horizon, not that he could see it as it was blocked by an insurmountable amount of different people, young to old, natives and tourists.
'No, seriously, was this place always this trendy? Is there a concert here or something, or like a massive sale going on?'' he asked no one in particular. When suddenly, a light bulb went off above his head.
'Oh, that's right, I could just call Asakura and tell her to go ahead first, right?' the black-haired teen scrolled through his contacts. Very quickly, a blank expression appeared on his face, and he pocketed his phone, '...Ah…that's right…I never added her,'
Adam released a pent-up sigh and leaned against the streetlamp, crossing his arms.
'You know what, I'm just gonna stay here until the crowd thins a bit. It's nice and safe here… Kinda reminds me of that movie with the singing lions? The part where the cub gets stuck and the father dies trying to save him. What was that movie called?... The Lion something… The Lion Homu… The Lion-hato… Lion… The Lion—,'
"Adam-san?"
'The Lion Adam-san!… Huh, that doesn't sound right… Wait, what?'
The black-haired teen spun around to see a hooded girl wearing sunglasses and a mask, covered up by long-sleeved clothes, and dressed as if she was about to rob a bank.
"...Um, sorry, who?"
"Oh! Right, sorry, I forgot I'm still wearing these," the girl removed her shades and pulled down her mask.
Adam's eyes instantly lit up in recognition.
"Raiden-san?"
"Yep, it's me," Mei grinned.
"Mei-sama, please don't go wandering off on your own like that," A smartly-dressed, older brunette in her late twenties seeped out of the crowd and approached the duo, "You know it isn't safe,"
"Sorry about that, Chisato-san," Mei apologized, scratching her cheek bashfully.
'She looks familiar…where…?' Adam wondered while watching the brunette chastise the heiress for her actions. The black-haired teen lightly smacked the back of his fist into an open palm when the realization came to him.
'Oh, that's right, I think I've seen her around the Raiden Estate. I didn't recognize her since she wasn't wearing a uniform, and because it was probably just a passing glance so didn't really remember her face,'
"And, who is this?" Adam blinked out of his thoughts as Chisato turned to face him with a hand on her hip.
She raised an eyebrow and her gaze flicked between the two teens. Both youngsters seemed to miss a strange glint in her eye.
"Heh, now I understand. So, this is the reason you suddenly changed course while we were heading back to the car, to meet up with a boy," Chisato's lips curved into a mischievous grin, "Though if memory serves me correct, didn't you promise your father not to pursue a relationship until you graduate?"
Mei's cheeks instantly turned pink, and at the same time, Adam recoiled a bit, slightly raising his arm in an instinctual defensive stance. His ears also flushed, although it went unnoticed by all three of them.
"I-I-It's not like that!" the purple-haired girl replied in a panic.
"Y-Yeah, we're just classmates!" the black-haired teen added.
Chisato narrowed her eyes at the two, causing both to flinch. Then, the older woman broke her facade and entered a fit of laughter.
"Relax you two, I was just messing with you," she told them, wiping away the tears from her laugh.
"H-Huh?"
"S-Seriously?"
"I know who you are, Adam-san," said Chisato, "You're the newest hire for the Raiden Household, aren't you? I heard from the old butler that you're the new bodyguard for our young mistress,"
"Yes, I am," Adame replied. Now recovered from his recent flustered state, although little did he know, the tips of his ears were still tinted red.
"Well then, let me introduce myself," the brunette woman bowed, "I am Hiiragi Chisato. I've been the Raiden Household's head maid for four years now,"
"Although I must say, you've only known each other for around a week, so I'm quite surprised that you're already this close to Mei-sama for her to dash away to greet an acquaintance," a rogueish smile returned to the head maid's lips, "It's the first time I've seen it,"
The pink that dusted her cheeks were about to vanish until they suddenly flared up again as Mei retorted, "Chisato-san! I told you, we're just friends!"
"Okay, okay, I was just teasing," Chisato giggled with a hand over her mouth, "You're so cute when you're flustered. Mei-sama,"
"T-That's…!" Without another word, the heiress pulled up her mask and averted her gaze.
Meanwhile, one word was floating around in Adam's head.
'Friend. Friend. Squad Leader...I mean…Mei…considers me her friend? Wait! Isn't this going too fast? We've only known each other for a week. I mean, well technically, I've known her for around two years, but…Squad Leader Raiden and Raiden Mei are basically two different people, right? And this Mei has only…Oh no, I haven't messed up the timeline already, have I?"
The black-haired teen's eyes widened when he realized he was just about to overthink everything again, a bad habit of his.
To get his mind off it, he cleared his throat and decided to change the subject.
"So, what are you guys doing here?" he asked.
Sensing the changing flow in their conversation, Mei sighed a quick sigh of relief before responding, "We were out purchasing painting supplies. Many of my family's employees like to paint in the garden during their time off,"
"I see,"
"Still," Mei looked around at the nonstop bustle, "This place isn't usually this busy,"
"Yeah, I wonder if there's an event or sale or something,"
"Probably both," Chisato added, then looked over at Adam, "Now, your turn. Why are you here, Bodyguard-san? You know, accompanying the young mistress to these types of locations is technically your job. Wanna sub in for me?"
'What? Bodyguard-san?'
"But I won't be paid for today," said Adam casually.
"But Mei-sama's safety is priceless, no?"
"Please don't misunderstand him, Chisato-san," said Mei, getting in between the two of them, "Father has already approved of his break today, the school festival is next weekend, and he understands that the class has to prepare for it,"
The brunette held her serious gaze for a moment longer before laughing again, "I know, I know. I'm sorry, it's just fun to mess with you two,"
'This woman is a different type of dangerous,' Adam thought.
"You're partnered up with Asakura-san for the supply run, right?" asked Mei.
Adam nodded in confirmation, "Yeah, speaking of which, have you two seen her? We were supposed to meet by the northern entrance of the street,"
Mei simply shook her head, "Sorry, I haven't,"
"Hmm. Maybe. What does she look like?" asked Chisato.
"She's around this tall," Adam began to describe Miyuki's features to the head maid, waving his hand around Mei's shoulders to indicate her height, "Has dark pink, almost maroon colored hair, fair skin, and she was wearing blue and white if I remember correctly,"
Chisato closed her eyes in thought as she tried to recall if she had seen the girl. After a few seconds, her eyes shot open, and she snapped her fingers.
"Now that I think about it, I did see someone matching that description by the bus stop a little while back," revealed the brunette, "Some time before we ran into you,"
"By the bus stop… Then she must've gone to go pick up her sister.," Adam released a sigh, although, even he wasn't clear if it was out of relief or annoyance, "She should've just told me that was her plan before going off on her own earlier, that would've made the last hour of my life much easier,"
"So, does that mean you haven't finished your task?" Mei asked.
"No, I wrapped up a while ago, but Asakura was late to the meeting point, so I went looking for her," explained the black-haired teen, "But then I got lost before being found by you… Well, on the bright side, seeing as she's already left, I guess that means I'm free for the rest of the weekend,"
"Is that so," mused the heiress, "Then would you like to come over tonight?"
…
…
…
"Eh?" the black-haired teen's ears turned red for the second time that afternoon.
"You could've worded that better, Mei-sama," Chisato chipped in with another amused expression.
"What do you…? Ah!" Mei's face burned up when she realized the double meaning behind her words.
"No, no, that's not what I meant!" She waved her hands frantically and glanced between Chisato and Adam to clear up the misunderstanding.
"N-No, it's my fault. I overreacted. It caught me off guard," admitted Adam.
Mei shook her head, "No, Chisato-san is right, I-I should've spoken more clearly,"
The amused grin on the head maid's face didn't dissipate as she watched the duo quietly from the side. Instead, it only grew wider.
"What I meant is," Mei softly cleared her throat before clarifying, "Since our class is doing a Maid and Butler Cafe, to save the funding for other areas, I offered to donate some of the uniforms from my household to the class,"
"But aren't you participating in the Kendo club's event?"
"Yes, but since I'm part of the class, I'm still allowed to make some contributions. I'm just not allowed to participate in the event itself during the festival,"
"That makes sense," nodded Adam, his ears returning to their natural color, "So what did you need me for?"
"Well, I was wondering if you'd be willing to try the outfits on first," said Mei, her cheeks also returning to their original fairness, "I'll be giving the uniforms to our classmates who have a maid and butler role tomorrow, so they can see if it fits them or not. If it doesn't, then as long as they get them back to me before the festival, we can adjust them to fit properly,"
"Oh, I get it, since I'm already here…."
"That's right, we can get your fitting over and done with, so you don't need to worry about it for the rest of the week," The heiress placed her hands behind her back and slightly tilted to the side, "What do you think?"
Adam scratched his cheek, pondering on the offer for a moment before answering the purple-haired teen, "I did say that I'm free for the rest of the day sooo, let's do it,"
"Splendid," Mei beamed and spun around, "Let's go then, to the car,"
Chisato trailed closely after her, "Mei-sama, please be careful not to trip, the crowd has thinned slightly, but there's still a lot of people and potenital parparazzi," the brunette cast a glance over the shoulder, "And Bodyguard-san, keep up please, we wouldn't want you getting lost again,"
"Got it,"
The vivid purple lilies on the sides of the private road passed by as a pristine vehicle made its way through the Raiden Estate.
Adam gazed out the window. The sun's golden light slowly turned red with each inch it sunk behind the skyline. It was only four in the afternoon, but an early sunset was the norm during the colder seasons.
In the corner of his eyes, he could see Mei quietly looking through the latest trends on her phone. A soft tune from the radio filled the car's quiet interior.
Before long, they pulled into the driveway in front of the central estate's large doors.
"Mei-sama,"
The heiress perked up at the mention of her name.
"Why don't you take Bodyguard-san inside first? I'll pack up the goods why bought today and meet you in the tailoring room," suggested Chisato.
"Sure," chirped Mei.
After the two teens exited, they watched as the head maid drove away and out of sight behind the estate.
"Shall we?" Mei looked over to her classmate standing next to her.
Hiding a playful smirk, Adam bowed low with a hand over his chest and raised his arm towards the door, "After you, young mistress,"
"D-Don't say things like that," Mei rebuked, her face heating from embarrassment, "It feels weird coming from you,"
However, Adam would not let up so quickly. He was glad he had dipped his head enough to hide his face; otherwise, Mei might have seen him clenching his jaw to hold back his laughter.
"Please, I insist. I am but a humble servant to the illustrious Raiden Household. To walk in front of the young mistress would be a dire offense to the—"
Suddenly, he felt a pair of hands on his back pushing him up the stairs.
"Adam-san!" Mei yelped as she forcefully guided the black-haired teen to the door, who allowed her to without much resistance.
"What? I was just practicing my role for next week," Adam chuckled and glanced over his shoulder, "It's pretty good, right?"
"It's embarrassing," pouted Mei.
"Okay, okay,"
Unfortunately for the purple-haired girl, Adam wasn't finished just yet.
"Hey I know," he started, his devilish grin growing, "If I do a good job at the cafe, why don't I convince your dad to make me your personal butler as well? Wouldn't that be fun?"
Mei huffed and looked away, "If that happens, I'll just make you crawl everywhere,"
"Huh?" Adam abruptly stopped halfway up the stairs, and as a result, so did Mei.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"I didn't know you were into that kind of stuff, Mei-sama,"
The heiress's face could only light up in response as she let out a high-pitched squeal to block out the black-haired teen's words, though she couldn't deny her growing smile. At the same time, Mei started to push Adam up the stairs once again, although now it was at a much faster pace than before.
Surprisingly, it was Mei who broke out into laughter first, followed by Adam.
Under the fleeting warmth of Nagazora's sunset, their joyous cries echoed through the front of the estate.
At that moment, they were not the future Herrscher of Thunder or the Young Warrior Lost in Time. They were just two regular high school students going about their simple lives as if the lingering danger hidden in the shadows of their world never existed.
By the time they reached the top of the steps, they had relatively calmed down. Just when Mei reached out to open the door, it suddenly swung open, revealing the familiar face of her father dressed in his signature purple suit. Behind him stood the head butler, who immediately scowled when he spotted Adam.
'Guess he still hasn't forgiven me for the 'car' incident,'
Ryoma quickly reached forward and gripped his daughter's shoulders to stop her from stumbling over in shock.
"Woah. Sorry, Mei. I didn't see you there," he said as he helped her regain her balance.
"No," Mei shook her head, "I should've been more aware of my surroundings,"
"Well, as long as you're not hurt, that's all that matters," Ryoma smiled gently.
The older Raiden only then noticed his daughter's bodyguard standing close by, watching the scene with a neutral look.
Ryoma raised a brow, "Adam-kun? What are you doing here? Didn't I permit your day off today?"
"Yes sir, but Mei-san invited me over to sort out some things for the festival," answered Adam.
"I see," Ryoma mused.
He rubbed his chin while gently patting his daughter's head before he slipped away, "Well, I have an important dinner to attend, so I'll leave you two to it. Come, Takayuki,"
"As you command, Raiden-sama," the butler dipped his head.
Adam and Mei briefly watched as Ryoma's personal luxury car drove out of the estate's gates. The two exchanged glances and shrugged; without another word, they entered the mansion.
The black-haired teen followed Mei closely through the winding hallways of her family's home, making small talk about school, the festival, and other things.
"So now that the club trial period has officially ended, have you decided which one you're going to join?" asked Mei.
Adam rested his hands behind his head, "I don't know. I only trialed the kendo club, so I didn't get to see any of the others,"
"Oh no, I hope I didn't pressure you into—" Mei gasped with a slender hand over her mouth.
But her classmate simply waved his hand and reassured her, "Nah, it's fine. I wasn't really planning on joining any clubs in the first place. Aside from maybe the 'Go Home' Club,"
Mei tilted her head quizzically, "But that doesn't exist,"
"Exactly, I thought I'd be busy watching over you, but I guess not," admitted Adam, glancing towards the heiress.
"I must say, you're a lot more disciplined than I thought. Going to and from school daily without complaints or detours to the latest trendy cafes and whatnot. Completely unlike the other rich kids at the academy,"
Mei giggled sheepishly, averting her gaze, "Well…I guess you can say I was groomed to be like this since I was young. Whether I like it or not, no one can deny that my father holds arguably the highest position of power in the entirety of Nagazora, which comes with its responsibilities for the entire family. You know, rules and regulations, and personal security and all that,"
"I'm guessing you get a lot of paparazzi too, seeing as you are next in line for the 'throne'"
"Don't remind me," Mei softly groaned.
'That rough, huh? No wonder Squad Leader Raiden never bothered to revive M.E and continued her life as a Valkyrie… Honestly, with all everything that goes on in the upper-class, it makes me relieved that I'm just a commoner,'
"So, what's the Kendo Club doing for the festival?" Adam asked, changing the subject, "I noticed the mountain of boxes in the back the last time I was in the gym,"
Hesitance washed over Mei, her shoulders visibly twitched, and her steps halted for a split second.
"It…It's a secret. Sachi ordered everyone to keep it a secret until we reveal it in the coming week," she replied.
"It's that big of a deal?"
"I mean, it's the first time we're organizing something like this,"
"Don't all clubs have to announce their events tomorrow anyway?" asked the black-haired teen, "You, your dad, my old delivery job's boss, and my unit's landlady are the only people I know in this city. So it's not like I have anyone to tell,"
"Well…," Mei pondered before relenting with a sigh, "Hah~ fine, it wouldn't hurt to tell you now,"
A bead of sweat rolled down Adam's forehead, "Wait, you don't actually have to. I was just—"
"It's fine, don't worry about it. Like you said, the club is going to be announcing it tomorrow anyway," Mei reassured him as they approached a specific door.
The heiress reached out and pushed it open, revealing Chisato standing in front of a clothed mannequin, ironing out the creases of a butler uniform.
"A tournament," said Mei, stepping into the room with her hands intertwined elegantly behind her back, "And that's as much as I'm going to say. As for the details, you're just going to have to wait until tomorrow like everyone else,"
Adam shrugged with a light chuckle, "Fair enough,"
The purple-haired girl looked back and flashed another one of her signature smiles, "Now come on, Chisato-san has been patiently waiting for us, so let's get this started,"
Hours passed.
The black clouds blended into the darkened night sky, covering the luminous curve of the waning moon.
In most, if not all, environments, this was the time when creatures of all shapes and sizes would retire to the safety of their dens or perhaps awaken for their nocturnal prowl.
This dense and expansive jungle, made of metal, concrete, and electricity, known as Nagazora, wasn't any different.
Even before the sun had fully set below the horizon, the buds of nightlife had begun to grow, and the moment the clock hit six, it was in full bloom.
Being the home of Massive Electric Corporation, the world's biggest and best tech manufacturing company, Nagazora City had a reputation to live up to, and it did, in fact, surpass expectations. Many tourists and natives would agree that the city at night was definitely comparable to their much larger and arguably more advanced sister city in Shenzhou, Arc City.
Bright lights, both colorful neon and white, danced through the night. Illuminating every corner of every street and rendering the star glow purposeless.
Civilians walked around, living their lives, dressed in warm clothing due to the temperature drop. Each one of them the protagonist of their own story. A story that would only fall upon the ears of a selected few. Like a drop of paint into a coursing river, those stories would dissipate into the eternal flow of time.
Kawanami Kenta, a man with a high-ranking position in the Seirai Group, quietly watched the people of Nagazora bustling about below as he ascended up a glass elevator. The whole day was spent on the ground, trying to track down a rogue employee by the name of Asakura Takeshi. From questioning his family and friends to brutally interrogating street thugs caught in the same security footage as him. He and his crew did it all. Unfortunately, it was as if the man had ceased to exist… Or had external backing to help him disappear. For all he knew, Takeshi could already be out of the county with the stolen, confidential information in his grasp.
If he was being honest, Kenta couldn't care less about Takeshi or his mutiny. He would let the scientist frolic amongst the other lower-class citizens if he had his way. The information he stole was several weeks old already and would continuously be updated then stored in a more secure facility.
But he had no choice, for in the eyes of the higher-ups, Kenta himself was counted among the lower class.
And the reaction of said higher-ups was what worried him the most, and it was the drive that kept him going on this particular job. If he wanted to keep his position in the company and his very life, he had no choice but to track down and retrieve Asakura Takeshi as fast as possible before any of them noticed.
However, the superiors Kenta feared were not the ones in Massive Electric or Seirai Group. No, they were just a group of feeble old men whose only power source was their money and status.
It was a mysterious third party, which the chairman of Seirai dubbed the "Benefactors."
He had only seen them on one occasion, or more accurately, seen what they could do. The haunting impression they left formed a type of terror he had never known before, one that clenched his spine with its icy grip every time his mind drifted back to that night.
Like ghosts, they were invisible, yet their presence was heavier than gravity, and colder than the deep Siberian winter.
Like monsters, they left behind a trail of carnage in their wake. Never before had he seen so much blood concentrated in a single area or how high blood could splatter.
Never before had he seen a hundred different ways a man could die, all contained to that one room. At that time, Kenta knew that they did this purposely to send a message, and if they wanted to clean up after themselves, they would've, and it would've been all too easy. He didn't know why he thought that way, brushing it off as the fight or flight instinct acting up and warping his mind. Perhaps it was the stress, or maybe it was that spectral aura they emitted.
Kenta shook off his thoughts and checked his watch. Right on cue, the elevator's chime signified his arrival to the top floor of the company building.
Much like the other branch companies of M.E Corporation, the Seirai Group had its own building. However, unlike those other companies who used expensive studios or warehouses, theirs was a modern skyscraper much like the M.E tower, albeit a bit shorter.
The floor was dim, and the only light making its way through the windows belonged to the city below.
Kenta stepped into the office of the chairman. It was spacious, sleek, and modern. Potted ferns in every corner, wall-high, tinted glass windows, and a large, curved, cluttered desk at the very back of the room.
Only, it was empty.
The yellow-haired man was just about to call out when suddenly, he heard an audible moan coming from another room connected to the office.
"Of course," he said under his breath.
He walked up to the door, knocking on it loudly to declare his arrival, "Oi, Ryuuji! It's me, Kenta,"
The noises on the other side ceased momentarily until a voice called out.
"Yo! Kenta, my man, it's unlocked. Come on in!"
The businessman glared at the chairman with furrowed brows as he closed the door behind him.
There was a large circular bed in the center of the room. Sat at its edge was a young man with disheveled crimson hair, green eyes, and a devious smirk.
Amakumo Ryuuji, the current chairman of the Seirai Group, after an 'unfortunate' accident, befell his father.
By his side laid two women covering themselves with the quilt. Kenta recognized them as the famous models his boss regularly invited over for "business proposals."
His gaze flicked back to Ryuuji, "Shall we talk outside?"
"Give me a few more minutes, man. I'm in the middle of something," cackled Ryuuji, relaxing his posture and motioning to the two on each side of him.
"It's regarding the Asakura case,"
"Agh, fuck…fine!" The redhead snorted with his face distorting into one of irritation and gave Kenta a dismissive wave, "At least let me finish. I'm stressed out today, man,"
Kenta's disapproving gaze lingered on the chairman for a second longer before turning around to leave, "Very well,"
When he returned to the main office, the muffled sounds of pleasure restarted. Kenta rolled his eyes as he strolled over to sit on the couch. Fishing out a pack of cigarettes from his suit's inner pockets, he lit one up as he waited. The warm cinders flickered in the cooling darkness of the empty space.
As a stream of smoke seeped from his mouth, the normally quiet, automated hum of the sliding door reverberated through the room. Kenta looked up to see the redhead chairman walking out wearing nothing but boxers.
Wordlessly, Kenta raised the pack of cigarettes toward him and flicked one out. Ryuuji plucked it out and quietly lit the end as he plopped onto the seat opposite him, one leg crossed over the other. The two of them smoked in silence before the businessman decided to break the ice.
"Eight,"
"Hm?" Ryuuji raised an eyebrow as he released a trail of smoke through his nose.
"That's the eighth time you've had those models over this week," commented Kenta, "I understand that your position is a stressful one, especially now that you've taken over your father's place,"
Ryuuji scoffed at the mention of his father and fiddled with the cigarette between his teeth.
"But you must remember that you are the head of the company now, and if you don't start taking your position seriously, Seirai will crumble," the yellow-haired man continued, "You wouldn't want that, would you?"
"That's why I hired you, didn't I? To be me the chairman's, aide, and help me in alleviating the chances of that happening,"
"Really?" Kenta replied with a hint of sarcasm. He leaned back in his seat and folded his arms, "You might as well hire me to be the substitute chairman, because lately it seems like I'm doing all of the work that you should be responsible for,"
"Hehe," snickered Ryuuji as he took another puff, "That's a nice idea. I might consider it,"
Kenta's eyes narrowed.
"I'm being serious here, Ryu. If the subordinates or the big guys over at the main branch catch on—"
A sudden loud bang echoed through the office. Ryuuji slammed his hand down on the coffee table between them. The cigarette he had been using crooked and crumbled between his fingers as its last flames died out.
"For fuck's sake!" he growled before shifting his expression into one of annoyance and rage as he sprung onto his feet, "Don't you go mentioning those bastards at M.E to me now! I'd fucking cut their shit-filled throats out of each one of them and grind their corpses into mince before feeding it to the dogs if I could!"
His reaction made Kenta raise his brow. He knew that Ryuuji had always disliked Massive Electric, loathed even. But the mention of the name had never riled the redhead up to this extent,
"Something happen at the company dinner?"
Ryuuji inhaled deeply and rubbed his face, attempting to calm himself before responding, "That fucker Raiden declared his plans of fully absorbing Seirai Group and only the Seirai Group into the main M.E company, and the other fucking branch chairmen were all fucking for it,"
The redhead punched the back of the couch, his anger building up again, "Fuck! Did they really think I couldn't see their shit-eating grins directed at me?! They just want me out of the game,"
Unfazed by his outburst but surprised by the news, Kenta leaned forward, "Seeing as we're already a branch of M.E, absorbing us would mean…."
"...The end of Seirai," Ryuuji finished, turning around to face his friend, "For real this time,"
Kenta stood up, "So, what do you want to do? Shall we continue our hunt for Asakura Takeshi or focus on finding a way to make ourselves independent,"
Silence quickly filled the room as Ryuuji thought about the options. He strolled towards the window, looking down at the nocturnal city. After a short while, he spoke.
"Both... We'll do both," the red-haired man clenched his fists until blood creeped out of his palms, "No way am I bending the knee to Raiden like my useless father… The Seirai were here first, damn it. For centuries we ruled Nagazora, and then suddenly, those purple-haired fucks came out of nowhere to snatch away our thunder. That won't happen again as long as I'm the head. I'll make my ancestors proud and kick 'em back down to the gutters where they belong,"
Kenta walked up next to him, sharing the view of the city and a certain massive skyscraper in the middle of the city with neon purple lights illuminating its edges.
"I'm all for it," the businessman told him, "But we need a plan, one that isn't led by your emotions,"
"I'll contact our 'Benefactors' again," stated Ryuuji, "But for now, I need you, old friend, to continue tracking down Asakura. Speaking of which, do you have any updates on that?"
"Yes, that's the whole reason why I came to see you today,"
Ryuuji chuckled in response, "Let's hear it then,"
"As I suspected, Asakura didn't return to his family. If you ask me, he must've found some backers beforehand to assist him in cutting all ties and disappearing from society. Worst case scenario, he's already left the country," Kenta told him, "But it does surprise me he didn't take his family with him,"
Ryuuji nodded in agreement, "The man never shuts up about his wife and daughters. You would think he would disappear with them. But again, it does make sense to say nothing and do nothing with them. The less they know, the safer they are… But let's say he's still in Japan for now. What's your next move?"
"Depends if I have permission to use lethal methods,"
"Do it. While I still have power, the Seirai will be able to cover it up,"
"Then we use his family to lure him out," revealed the yellow-haired businessman, "If they are so important to him, he'll be keeping tabs on them regularly from afar. If something major happens, he'll slink out from his hiding place,"
"Are you considering…?"
"Perhaps, if it comes down to that," confirmed Kenta, "For now, I would like to contact the loan sharks the Asakura family recently borrowed from. Find a way to increase their debt until it's downright suffocating, and if that doesn't attract his attention, then we'll proceed with eliminations,"
"Haha," cackled Ryuuji, grasping the shoulder of the man next to him and giving it a friendly squeeze, "I can always count on you, can't I, old friend,"
Kenta shrugged, casting his gaze back to the city, "I'm just simply trying to live, Ryu. This world saps the sanity out of even the best of us. I want to settle down before it catches up to me,"
"Well then, when the Seirai Group reaches the top and when the Raiden Family are nothing but smudges in the dirt. I'll award you with enough to live out the rest of your days," the redhead laughed with a large toothy grin, "This I promise you,"
A small smirk appeared on Kenta's face, "Looking forward to it,"
…
…
…
Arc City.
The epitome of human technology and the very definition of cyberpunk.
Gleaming, sleek towers taller than any other on Earth.
Enough neon lights to outlast every nightclub in existence.
A compact cluster of futuristic buildings of Eastern and Western design for both business and residential reasons alike.
Almost every key location being connected by a system of monorails elevated high above the ground.
To say it was famous was an understatement.
To count the number of other cities inspired by its design and progress, one would need to summon an entire crowd.
Under the starlit sky and high above the night bustle of the city, a young male in his late teens rested on top of a tower, watching the holographic goldfish swimming through the rainbow glow of artificial lights.
Donning a simple gray, long-sleeved shirt and dark jeans, with a white cap resting atop a head of messy black hair.
His feet dangled freely over the edge of the forty-five-story high-rise. His body swayed to the music playing through his earphones, embracing and humming every beat, note, and tune of the songs with his eyes closed.
It was the only way for him to feel relaxed. A distraction from all the chaos, if only for a short while. Music brought a bit of life into this venomous, bloodthirsty, and unfair world.
Until a cold-blooded, synthetic voice cut through the melodies.
"Enjoying your vacation?"
The teen opened his golden eyes that seemingly glowed in the night.
His iridescent irises briefly flicked to the corner of his eyes, acknowledging the newcomer before flicking back down toward the cyber city.
Without bothering to turn down his music, he answered the question with his own, "Got a new job for me?"
A chilling snicker answered, "Aren't you the perceiving one?"
"Like I have a choice," the teen replied calmly.
For a minute, there was silence. Only the sounds of the city could be heard but were soon joined by muffled steps. A folder held by a black-gloved hand came into view. Without a word, the young man took it. He began to flip through it, mentally recording every piece of information before handing it back.
"When do I leave?"
"Immediately. You will receive further instructions upon arriving in Nagazora,"
"Understood," he simply replied, standing up to brush off his pants and pocket his earphones.
"One last thing," Behind the sharp gray mask, the single cybernetic red eye gleamed eerily, "If anything goes awry, I'll be deploying [ Raven ] to assist,"
Without looking back, the gray-clad teen stretched his arms and legs, rolling his neck, and loosening his joints after remaining seated for the entire night.
"There's no need for Natasha. It's a simple mission,"
"Well then, I look forward to the results," the masked man turned and began to stroll away before coming to a momentary stop, "Good luck… [ Macaque ],"
There was no response.
The black-haired teen leaped off the building, spreading his arms like a bird unfurling its wings.
The air rushed noisily past his ears as he dove head-first towards the lively nighttime city, disappearing through a giant, blue, holographic koi fish.
Chapter 5 - First Snow in Autumn III
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Hiii~ Did you miss me?
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Admit it, a lot of you read that in Elysia's voice didn't you?
But YES! I'm back!
It took way longer than I thought but I'm here now. Let's just summarize the delay to irl stuff taking over for a while, distracted by the GI Sumeru updates, grinding through the main story to catch up to Elysium Everlasting, getting depression from Elysium Everlasting, then just when I thought I recovered I decided to jump on the Edgerunners hype train and got thoroughly beat up by more depression… So yeah. I still haven't recovered from Edgerunners… Buuut I'm back now and that's what's important!
But even though I was taking a break (kinda), I was still planning things for the future of STARCHASER and I have A LOT planned. Heck, I had to go back and rewrite portions of this chapter just so they can fit into the narrative. The best example is [ Seirai Group ]. In the original chapter that was meant to be uploaded two months ago, they were just a group of gangsters with a pending name, and now they're a whole branch company of M.E.
Which brings me to — What is the Seirai Group? …Well if the name sounds familiar, it's because it was based on Seirai Island from Genshin. But that's all I'll say for now.
Something else I'm pretty sure all of you noticed is that the name Mizuki has been changed to Miyuki. That's actually an error on my part, following some deeper research, I found out that her name was always Miyuki but I was a bit lazy before and just pulled the name [ Mizuki ] from the wiki. So I went back and changed it. Sorry, my fault lol.
Another thing you readers might've noticed is that this arc finally has a proper name. It's no longer called the [ Asakura ] arc, but the [ First Snow in Autumn ]. Dissect the meaning behind the new title if you want, but don't spoil it in the reviews for the other readers, and if you think you got it just PM me your theories because honestly…the secret in the new arc title is actually a little spoilery.
We got a little bit of bonding between Adam and Mei in the middle too, which was pretty fun to write. On the other hand despite being the focus of this arc, there's not so much bonding between Adam and Miyuki yet, they're still strangers to each other at this point, but it's only just begun so we'll get there soon.
We're also introduced to a new set of characters was also introduced in this chapter: Asakura Takeshi - Miyuki and Sora's father. Kawanami Kenta and Amakumo Ryuuji, chairman's aide and the chairman of the Seirai Group. And last but not least, someone codenamed [ Macaque ]. All of them have their roles to play in this arc so please look forward to that.
This is probably my longest A/N yet so I'll end it here.
That's all for Chapter 5. If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a review/follow/favorite. All are greatly appreciated and motivates me to continue writing Starchaser.
Until we meet again!