Chapter 05: Teammate.

Ichiyo was lost and so desperate that she ended up hiding in the ladies room, sitting on the toilet in a tiny cubicle, just wanting to escape reality a bit and stop thinking about the difficult mission she had agreed to do, which was impossible because her mind kept replaying the scene she had just experienced a few minutes before, it was like a dream or rather a nightmare because it was terrifying, she had met the godfather of Port Mafia in person and the man in question gave her her first assignment which was an exam to become a member of the organization .

The idea of integrating The Port Mafia had never been in her plans and she had no desire to do so, but now it was an obligation for her and she had to not only kill the mayor of Yokohama but also do so within the next seven days using just a dagger as a weapon, thanks to Akutagawa, the impossible mission has become extra impossible. Ichiyo couldn't see the man's attentions to her or understand why he made it harder for her, it was like if he wanted to see her dead quickly or test her to see if she gave up.

Her life was getting worse and worse, she had entered pandemonium the day she set foot in Yokohama and now she had no escape, she had to adapt and become a demon to be able to survive and protect her little sister, in return, her soul was slowly being consumed by the eternal flames of the hell in which she was living.

The blonde knew she had no time to waste on those thoughts, especially when the time for her mission was running out and a certain Akutagawa was still waiting for her at the door of the women's washroom. However, during this brief break, she had managed to digest her new situation a bit and come to terms with joining the Mafia, even though she was against the idea with all her heart. She didn't really have a choice anyway so there was no point in refusing.

After a few more minutes of wailing, Ichiyo decided to come out of her hiding place because she was afraid of annoying Akutagawa, the man who was apparently determined to make her life miserable, if she puts him in a bad mood he may make the mission even more difficult for her, maybe he'll decrease the length from a week to a day or ask her to kill the mayor with one punch, who knows what he's going to do.

The searing look he gave her as she left the ladies room showed his displeasure with the wait, but no doubt, he refrained from saying anything to her because he muttered something incomprehensible under his breath before starting to walk. She followed him automatically as she wondered where is he going to take her now? Since they left the godfather's office, he hadn't brought up the subject of Ichiyo's future mission which was a reprieve for her because she knew that when it happened, everything is going to get worse for her and she's going to have to find a way to kill the mayor to complete the mission.

"Wait here." Akutagawa broke the silence as he stopped, opening a small door that looked like a closet before entering.

She did as he had asked her without questioning too much, anyway the wait was short because the man wasted no time coming out except now he had something in his hands. Ichiyo's curiosity was piqued and she wondered what was in the file Akutagawa was holding. When they entered the elevator, the blonde almost jumped when he handed her the file, as if he had known what she was thinking.

"Here you will find all the information you will need about the target." He explained as soon as the door closed.

She hadn't responded because she opened the file and started leafing through it, there were several photos of the mayor in several different places and a long report with everything written about him.

"I'll take you to the person you're going to team up with." He added, there was a hint of displeasure in his voice.

Ichiyo returned her attention to him, feeling relieved to hear that she was about to have backup.

"I thought I had to accomplish the mission on my own?" She couldn't help but ask him what went through her mind.

"You will never be able to get close to the mayor without help, the man takes his safety very seriously," He gave her a contemptuous look. "A novice like you will be killed quickly by his men."

"I remind you that it was you who complicated things for me," She retorted, couldn't help but empty her heart, she wasn't just talking about this mission, she was talking about everything. "So if I die, it'll be your fault."

"And I remind you that I saved your miserable life and that ..."

He was interrupted by the opening of the elevator door.

"Let's go." He said after growling a curse.

Ichiyo stopped speaking and returned her attention to the file, but when they got into the car, she couldn't stand the silence anymore, plus she had a lot of questions to ask.

"What should I do now?" She asked quietly, turning to the man who was driving and who apparently had ignored her question. "Do you really think I'm gonna be able to kill a man like him?" She insisted.

"No." He growled in response, breaking the woman's confidence even more.

"So why do I have to do it?" She cried hysterically, losing her temper.

"Because it's interesting." Again, he spoke with his icy voice.

"How is it interesting?"

"To see you exceed your limits."

Ichiyo didn't have the patience to decode Akutagawa's cryptic words, she was mentally tired and he only made her more miserable.

"You have to be willing to take risks to be able to exceed your limits." He said, giving her a quick glance.

"I don't see the point of risking my life to kill the mayor of this town." She was thinking aloud.

"It is by risking your life that you discover its value."

Ichiyo didn't expect an answer, especially from a tough man to talk to like Akutagawa, but after hearing him say his last words, she realized that he might not be speaking to her, this is what he wanted to prove to himself, this man surely considered his life to be worthless, which is why he was playing with death just to understand the value of his life.

It was the first time she could discern a trait of Akutagawa's personality, he was a man who liked to play with fire just to burn himself because the pain made him feel like he was alive, but how did his problem with life relate to her? Why did she have to play his unhealthy game?

She decided not to try to understand Akutagawa anymore and to focus entirely on reading the file she had in her hands. According to the report, the new mayor of Yokohama city was a rotten man who was steeped in almost everything that was illegal, he got to his current post with the help of The Port Mafia, but apparently he was sneaking up his own organization, taking over the city bit by bit.

Killing a rotten man like the new mayor was good for society, except Ichiyo wasn't going to do it for such a noble cause, it was her entrance exam to The Port Mafia, an organization that does worse things than the mayor, she was even one of the many victims of the Mafia, she was kidnapped and now she was forced to work for her kidnappers because she was theirs.

When the car stopped, Ichiyo looked up from the file and was surprised to discover the place she was in, she didn't believe it was reality because it looked more like a nightmare to her, she was looking at the building she was imprisoned in after being kidnapped six months ago.

"What are we doing here?" She turned quickly to Akutagawa, since it was he who had taken her to this evil place.

"This is where your teammate is." He answered before getting out of the car.

She followed him after a while because she froze after hearing what he said.

"Who am I going to team up with?" She asked as she ran to catch up with him.

"With Koyo, the woman who kidnapped you." The man said calmly, like if he was talking about the weather not a big deal.

"What are you saying, you're not ...?" Ichiyo didn't have time to finish her question because the red haired woman was standing outside the entrance to the building, apparently waiting for them.

Anger overwhelmed the blonde.

"I don't want to work with her." Ichiyo growled, stopping next to Akutagawa, in front of the woman.

"Don't make a scene here, follow me inside." Koyo declared with her soft voice full of hypocrisy.

Ichiyo wanted to refuse but she fell silent when she saw Akutagawa enter the building.

They were taken to one of the apartments on the first floor which was a large office, Koyo sat on one of the armchairs on the living room side, Ichiyo preferred to stand like Akutagawa because not only was she uncomfortable, she also preferred to stay close to the man.

"The godfather has already informed me," Koyo began the discussion after a moment of silence, looking at Ichiyo with her eye. "I admit it's a tough mission for someone like her, but I would make it successful."

"Why do I have to work with her?" The blonde turned to Akutagawa, unable to keep her cool any longer.

"Because she is the only one who can get you close to the mayor without him suspecting you." He replied in an exasperating tone, apparently he was starting to tire of her.

"Haven't you broken her yet?" Koyo asked the man with a sneer.

"What?!" Ichiyo was confused at what the woman had just said.

"Stop wasting time," Akutagawa spat in a threatening tone. "Focus on the mission."

"Okay," The redhead smirked amusedly, she didn't look like she was intimidated by the man. "Next Saturday our dear mayor is going to have one of his parties, I will give him our lovely heart here as a gift for his new position, so that she will be close enough to do the job."

"But he is under constant surveillance." Akutagawa precised firmly.

"Except in the nightroom, I don't think he's going to keep his bodyguards with him when he fucks." Koyo pointed out before stifling the laughter with her hand.

"You want me to fuck with the mayor." Ichiyo shook in shock and disgust, she even used the F word without realizing it.

"I want you to make him believe that, this is a ruse to assassinate him in private," The redhead explained. "It brings back memories."

"You have to train her before you send her." Akutagawa turned his back, apparently preparing to leave.

"Where are you going?" Ichiyo asked, suddenly feeling panicked that he would leave her alone with the mad woman. "Won't you stay with me?"

"You're gonna team up with her not with me." He pointed out, frowning more deeply.

"But, but you're not gonna leave me all alone with her?" She stammered, not accepting the idea of doing her mission without Akutagawa.

"Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on you," He reassured her with a scary expression that wasn't very reassuring. "Don't forget that I want to see you push your limits."

"You're both cute," Koyo chuckled, breaking the mood somehow. "I see you get along with your new puppet."

After giving the redhead a searing look, Akutagawa started to walk away, leaving Ichiyo in the mad woman's hands.

Ichiyo didn't have the courage to move, she kept her eyes on Akutagawa's back, until he disappeared from sight.

"Let's get started." She heard Koyo say behind her back.