War Arc:
Chapter 54: Beloved Son (Part 1)
Cloudy - Morning - 29/11/2012(Thursday) - Revelation's Headquarter
(1 day until War's arrival)
The theater day had arrived, where the play will commence near a small building not far from the main building around 10:00 in the morning. The play was estimated to last around an hour and a half, which the school will immediately allow pupils to return home earlier than scheduled.
Originally, there were three stories being presented for the day: Wizard of Oz, Tale of Urashima Taro, and finally Sleeping Beauty, in their respective order. The flyers were separated so that the parents will know which show their children will be acting. Matsuya Suou only took one of them.
For the Sleeping Beauty story, the character Aurora, the princess, will be played by the school idol, while the prince will be played by the top delinquent in school, which was no other than Takashi Kido. The evil fairy will be played by Mia Kaneda, along with three other small fairies, one of them being Matsuya Suou.
It was also promised that Friday will be declared a holiday by the school, which the headmistress indeed confirmed it. The pupils were all excited to spend more time with their families.
Unfortunately, it will never end happily.
"Cheh, who's calling at this hour?"
Tatsuya Sudou, sitting in his dark room and drinking wine, checked his phone to see the name on it, which he sneered in disgust. It was a message from Babylon.
"You better keep your promise that you'll only do it tomorrow. Or I'll come after you."
-Babylon
"Our promise? Hahahaha!" Sudou laughed before his tone turned to fierce, "Too bad. You need to make your choice now, girl; Either that guy you love so much or that boy."
Sudou turned off the phone and rested back on his chair before calling out his servant.
"Guard!" He screamed. One man with a mask instantly came to him.
"Send words! We're gonna f*cking take over Koukai Ward today!"
Maya Amano
Cloudy - Morning - 29/11/2012(Thursday) - Suou Residence, Sumaru City
(1 day until War's arrival)
Maya noticed that her son was awfully excited today, but tried his best to hide it from her as he exited the house. She was planning on taking Matsuya to school today, after being absent for so long from his life, but she chose not to mention anything that happened yesterday.
"That's a big bag you have," Maya said when she saw Matsuya holding two bags out of the door, which he insisted to carry by himself.
"There's a lot of homework today, so I'm bringing extra shirt- I-I mean extra book," Matsuya said. But before he continued, the sound of a car at the front gate stopped him, where Maya saw someone familiar.
"Aunt Lisa!" Matsuya shouted when he saw her. Lisa approached the gate, where Maya saw some baggage with her at her backseat.
"Lisa, why are you here?" Maya asked with curiosity.
"Oh, you know... I had a business in Koukai, so I'm thinking, why not I just send Matsuya to school today? I mean, your car is still being repaired..."
"A-And you're sick," Matsuya said, "You need a lot of rest, so Aunt Lisa can help us."
"I-Is that so?" Maya responded. Her son was too quick to accept the situation.
"A-Ah, I need to get to school early today! There's a meeting!" Matsuya checked at his watch, "Mommy, I need to go now."
"...Okay, dear," Maya refused to argue any further with her son. She crouched down and patted his head, "Be sure to get home early okay. I'm sure your dad will be here by the time you return home."
"Oh..." Matsuya's face turned pale as he looked downward. There was a pause that made her curious, but Matsuya immediately faced her.
"Mommy."
Matsuya suddenly hugged her. His eyes when he stretched his hand were slightly hollow.
"I love you. Goodbye."
Matsuya released his hand and waved her goodbye before he dashed away to Lisa's car. Lisa faced her and bowed with a smile. They left for the car, where Maya immediately dropped to her knee.
She felt something terrible will happen to her son. Her heartbeat wouldn't stop beating. The look on Matsuya's face was extremely unsettling. A child his age should never be able to do so. The cause of that expression...
"I have a bad feeling about this..." Maya mused as she entered the house, sank herself on a chair next to the table and sighed.
Eventually, she caught sight of the paper she didn't manage to read yesterday. She pushed aside other letters and examined the school event invitation paper. To her surprise, it was from Koukai Ward.
"Sleeping Beauty... theater? From Koukai School?"
Maya remembered the scissors that Matsuya held yesterday. Added with the large bag he brought with him, her suspicion increased tenfold.
"Don't tell me..."
She immediately decided to dial one of the rumormongers, Tamaki Satomi. But she canceled the call when she remembered someone more knowledgeable regarding the matter.
"Pick up, Anna. Pick up..."
During the wait, she entered Matsuya's room, searching for anything unusual about Matsuya's action. Everything was the same and cleaned until she noticed something that horrified her.
Mr. Bunbun, Matsuya's doll, was not on the small bed. Matsuya never took it to school.
Tatsuya Suou
Cloudy - Morning - 29/11/2012(Thursday) - Forest near Mount Mifune, Sumaru City
(1 day until War's arrival)
When he opened his eyes, he realized that he was in the same forest where Babylon's base was. He was lying on a pile of leaves, completely oblivious of the amount of time he was unconscious. But it was morning; hopefully, only a day had passed. The first thing was to confirm that he was indeed in his world. The second would be reaching for his phone.
"Batteries down..." Tatsuya said, walking towards the crime scene, where the police tapes were wired all over the trees. Luckily for him, there was a search party, probably looking for him, still lingering near the crime scene. They immediately noticed him, where they rushed to him with haste.
"Vice-chief Suou!" One of the men said, "Where have you been?! We've looked everywhere for you!"
"Sorry about that," Tatsuya shoved it aside like nothing happened, "Are you the search party for me?"
"Yes, we have been searching for you for a whole night!"
"Damn it... What time is it?"
"Around 9 in the morning."
What day is it today?"
"Thursday, sir."
"Only a day has passed... Please, can someone lent me a phone?"
Using one of the phones from the men, he called the one person who would worry sick about him.
"Hello?"
"Maya, it's me. It's... I don't know how to explain, but I'm here."
"Tatsuya? Oh dear... Tatsuya?! Is that really you?! *sob* Tatsuya, where were you?! Everyone was looking for you!"
"I know, I know. I'm sorry. It's just..." Tatsuya waited for his wife to cry for a while. She was crying a lot these past few days. After his wife had calmed down, he continued, "There's a lot happening right now. I don't know where to start. What happened when I was gone?"
"Tatsuya, it's... our son... He's..."
Did something happen to Matsuya?
"What happened? Maya, tell me."
"He had a theater. Our son is going for a theater today..."
"Huh? Maya, I don't understand."
"Matsuya is participating at his school theater today. He was practicing for weeks! And we knew nothing of it. He didn't say anything to us."
"Our son? But, he's a shy kid. He would never..."
Suddenly, he remembered Eikichi mentioned something about theater to Mia. Could it be that even Eikichi knew of the theater?
"So that's why he was so secretive..." Tatsuya said, "He doesn't want us to know. But why?"
"Is it my fault, Tatsuya?" Maya asked over the phone, "He probably wanted us to come, but we were so preoccupied with the prophecy, and I didn't spend much time with him that he doesn't want to burden us. Last night, he doesn't want my help over anything at all."
"Mia knew, Eikichi knew. They just don't know that we're unaware of it. When is the theater?"
"Today, dear. It's today at 10! Matsuya went to school early today. Lisa fetched him from home."
"Lisa?" Tatsuya widened his eyes, "Lisa's there? Maya, I told you not to let her take him- Ah, no, forget it. Maya, where are you right now?"
"I'm at the bus station. I'm heading to Matsuya's school right now!"
"Okay. Look, I... I might be late to school. Tell Matsuya that I'm sorry, but I have many things I want to discuss with my brother."
"Okay, I understand. We... we're terrible parents, aren't we?"
"I can't disagree, dear."
Tatsuya hung up the phone, trying to pick who else to call. At the same time, he wondered about Matsuya's activities at school.
"Perhaps Lisa knew..." Tatsuya walked to the crime scene for a while, losing in his thoughts, "She knew well of what happened, and yet..."
He tried to compare Lisa of his world and the one from the 'other side' and knew well that Lisa of his world was intending something with Matsuya. He should have kept Matsuya on closer watch, but his wife was right.
"Mei Ni, Mei Ming," He remembered Lisa's word, "Without a certain someone, your life is meaningless..."
...Hmmm?
What is this feeling of Deja vu?
"Wait a minute... Where have I heard that before?" Tatsuya brainstormed and entered his deduction mode as he turned to the crime scene, "Someone said that, but I was too busy worried about..."
"Do you believe that some people only live for someone else, and without them, you're just as good as lifeless?"
"...Babylon?"
He remembered those words from Babylon yesterday.
"No life without you..." Tatsuya repeated the quote, "Hold it... That doesn't make any sense. Lisa said the same thing..."
He remembered Lisa's attitude, then he pieced together all clues regarding Babylon. As his friend, Lisa ought to know about his schedule along with his brother more than anyone else. Babylon spared his life out of all people, and Lisa attempted to kiss him. Lisa was a former singer, and the verse to call Babylon was almost like a song. Lisa was truthfully smart, but he wondered if she was able to hack and video jamming on an incredible level. There were a few loose ends, but all clue linked to Lisa...
"Babylon is...?"
The first thing that came to his mind was his son, Matsuya.
"No way... If Lisa is with Revelation, then... Was she trying to take Matsuya?"
He immediately called for his brother. But hesitation began to dwell inside him when he remembered the Lisa from the 'other side'. Lisa was his friend, surely she deserved a little more trust?
He called his brother but decided to spare out the information about Babylon.
And it was then he noticed, after days of a cloudy sky, it was finally raining.
Rainy - Morning - Kirishima's residence
She didn't realize how long she's been asleep after a terrible hangover last night. He barely remembered Baofu taking her home, but had to leave for something urgent. Afterward, she was unconscious until she was awakened by the sound of rain outside.
Urgh..." Eriko woke up and checked the clock next to her bed and saw that it was closed to 10 in the morning. She might have drunk too much last night, in order to forget about the incident with Naoya. She raised from the bed and approached the hall, only to come across the letter on the small table.
"Naoya..." Eriko mused, remembering the pain from yesterday as she examined the letter. She held it tight as she approached the rubbish bin not far from where she stood. Easily, she threw the letter away.
"No need to keep this letter anymore..." Eriko walked away from the rubbish bin, "He's not Naoya anymore, there's no point feeling anything towards him. I might need to talk with Katsuya about what Naoya said about us..."
She paused her steps and turned back towards the rubbish bin. She hurriedly reached for the letter, slightly regretted throwing it so soon.
"What am I doing..."
As she held the letter hard, she heard her phone rang out. It was an unknown number.
"Hello?"
"Eriko Kirishima, listen close," It was a man's voice, a voice she never heard of before, "I want you to rethink about your relationship with the man you love. Do you still love Naoya Toudou?"
"H-Hey! Who is this?" Eriko asked. Who was this man?
"Give me a moment... Now, where's my hat... I said, just answer the question! Do you still love him?!"
His voice suddenly turned aggressive in a split second. What a peculiar man, Eriko thought. But, if she were to be asked about her current relationship, the best way to describe it was it was impossible to be friends with him again. A stranger might be for the best, still...
"I don't know, and why should I tell you? If you're not going to tell me who you are, I'm afraid I will have to call a cop on you."
"..."
There was a long pause.
"Hello? Are you still listening?"
"...I think I heard enough. Please re-think and meet him again."
The man suddenly hung up the phone, leaving Eriko in bafflement.
Police Department, Konan
"Katsuya!"
Katsuya Suou, glued to his office since morning turned to Shiori who was at the front door, who was carrying a briefcase, "We interrogated the attackers from last night. They said Revelation might be planning something today."
"Good. For now, check around the city for any other suspicious activities. He might be watching us."
"Is there any news from the higher up?"
Yes, apparently, they want Naoya Toudou to be kept in their custody," Katsuya said, "We still determined where he will be held, but that should be it. I'm more worried about Babylon and her whereabouts. And it's only one day left..."
All of a sudden, they felt a small earthquake rumbling in the distance. It was momentarily, but it could be felt all over Sumaru city. Shiori focused her eyes on Katsuya in confusion.
"I felt that last night too."
"Could this be related to that one particular rumor about 'monster under the city'?" Katsuya said, "By the way, Shiori, you were attacked last night, didn't you?"
"Yeah," Shiori lend him the briefcase, "I believed that they wanted this book that you wanted me to protect. And you're not going to believe this, but Kazuma Kaneda appeared before us, saving us from the attackers."
"Kazuma Kaneda..." Katsuya lost himself in deep thoughts before turning to Shiori, "Shiori, you do keep your promise that you told no one about the book?"
"I told my unit that it's a evidence, but I told no one that it is Kandori's diary. I know what you're thinking. 'How did they know'?"
"And you sure you never use any communication device to mention anything about the diary?"
"I keep my words."
"I see..." Katsuya said, "I think I see the pattern here. Now hand me the briefcase."
Shiori placed it on top of his table, which Katsuya put on the combination and opened it. He chuckled, which made Shiori tried to peek slightly into the interior.
"Caught you, bastard," Katsuya mused.
"Sir!"
One of the officers entered the room in a panic and faced both Katsuya and Shiori, "We just got reports of a sighting! A lot of armed men has been loitering around Koukai Ward!"
"What?" Katsuya closed the briefcase, "How many?"
"Too many," The officers replied, "They haven't opened fire, but it seems that they're trying to round up something."
"...Are they trying to take the whole ward?" Katsuya said, "Oh, no... Matsuya is there..."
He took a quick note and wrote something hurriedly on it before handed it to Shiori, "Shiori, give this to Kirishima. Tell her to wait for my order. Round up the team, I'm going to Koukai."
"Katsuya, what about me?"
"Not this time. This is big," He held the note in Shiori's hand, "You know you have a better objective than this."
Katsuya left the office, leaving Shiori and the briefcase carelessly. Curious, she peeked inside and widened her eyes in shock.
The briefcase was empty.
Rainy - Morning - Koukai School, Koukai Ward
(5 minutes before the theater began)
Matsuya wasn't sure what mood he supposed to express currently in the dressing room. His red gown was swaying neatly in front of the mirror, his partly long hair was tied into a bun, and his face was pasted with thick make-up. No stranger would be able to discern his gender, no matter how many times they examined.
For once, he was glad that his parents didn't come to his theater. There's no way the son of a renown and manly police officer had a son that dressed as a girl. At the very least, aunt Lisa was supportive of his dress up. He stared at the mirror again, turning his head side to side with an impressed expression.
"Here you are, girly boy."
Matsuya turned to the voice at the door and saw none other than the 'hero' himself, Takashi Kido. He was dressed in a dress befitting of a prince, although the dress itself was made of paper and cardboard. His dark hair and fierce look made him appeared like a villain, though. But Matsuya kept that thought a secret.
"Look at that. The son of 'Suou Devil' is here dressing up in barbie's dress. I bet your mom tied your ribbon for you too," Takashi said, "Cheh. I don't understand, Matsuya-kun, why are you take that role? If I'm the prince, then you should at least get a more... noticeable character. But no."
"I thought you want to be prince charming?" Matsuya asked. Takashi glared at him in return.
"If you weren't such a crybaby and face me like a man, maybe you earn it. But we both know you nothing but a burden to those around you."
Matsuya clenched his fist upon those words, but Takashi wasn't done.
"I can't believe you actually went along with that character. What's your dad going to say if he sees his kid dancing on the stage like an idiot? The son of 'Suou Devil' playing dress up like this? You just ended up embarrassing him. Hah, what a waste."
Matsuya couldn't believe what he just heard. He always knew he couldn't be his father. He knew he was a disappointment to his father. But to hear it from the other's mouth was too much for him to endure.
He saw Takashi turned to the door to leave, but he wasn't done either.
"Take that back."
"Huh?" Takashi turned to him. Matsuya was fisting his palms and glared at Takashi.
"You take that back, you idiot!"
"What did you say?!" Takashi's face turned red. He dashed towards Matsuya and grabbed his ribbon, "You got something to say to me?!"
"Yes," Matsuya was afraid of him, but his anger overcome his fear, "You are an idiot who wants other people to follow you when all you got is fist!"
"You...!" Takashi lifted his fist but paused. Why he chose to stop was unclear to him, but his anger was slowly dispersing.
"What are you guys doing?" A girl's voice called out to them. Takashi let go of Matsuya as they both faced the girl.
It was Mia.
"Matsu-kun, how do I look? Is it nice? Eikichi-san don the makeup for me," Mia asked, but Matsuya was too speechless to see her current state.
Mia was wearing a black robe, neatly done makeup like Eikichi had, a small stick that acted as a wand, a dark pair of shoes, a glass button that locked the black robe together, covering the green dress beneath it, and her hair was straightened smoothly. But what surprised him the most was her expression.
Mia Kaneda, the 'ghost girl' that brought gloominess wherever she went, was like a completely different girl altogether. She was smiling brightly, eyes sparkling with excitement, and the way she spun around to expose her dress made it clear that she was extremely looking forward to the theater. Perhaps her gloominess downgraded her brilliance before, but she was beautiful as of today.
"Wow..." He heard Takashi spoke, "Who are you? Where's the old Mia-chan?"
"What do you mean? I'm always myself," Mia spun around again, "Matsu-kun, how's my dress?"
"Y-Yeah, you look incredible," Matsuya answered, "You look really excited for the theater."
"Aren't you excited too?" Mia approached him and saw his ribbon unkept, probably being messed by Takashi earlier, "What's this? This is not good. You need to properly wear it like this."
"M-Mia-chan, cut it out," Matsuya looked at the serious Takashi as Mia adjusted his ribbon, "You're not my mommy!"
"Hehe," Mia laughed, it was a really innocent and sweet laugh, "If your mommy isn't here, then I'll be your mommy for the day."
"Mia-chan!" Matsuya could feel his face reddened. The way she acted most certainly reminded him of his mother. He wanted to run away after this, so this reminder didn't help him.
"Wait, your mom is not coming?" Takashi raised his eyebrows, "What about your dad?"
Only a few knew that his father was missing. Matsuya shook his head. Takashi seemed disappointed for some reason. During this time, the door to the dressing room was opened. It was his coach teacher Anna, searching for someone until her eyes locked on Matsuya.
"Matsuya-kun, come with me for a while," Teacher Anna said in a strong and fierce tone. She seemed partly mad, making Matsuya hesitated for a bit to left the room with her. But Mia, who watched the scene unfolded, tapped his shoulder.
"Let's think positive! There's no way it can be that bad!" Mia smiled. Her words reminded him of his mother, which somehow gave a strong courage to him to follow his teacher. Takashi and Mia were seen talking about the theater as he walked away, plus a few other actors were excitedly walking around. But when he made a turn at the lone corner, the atmosphere turned heavy, especially with teacher Anna looking at him with a serious expression.
"Matsuya-kun," Teacher Anna began, "Your mother called me earlier. Did you tell your parents at all about the theater today?"
That question and that look on her face could only mean one thing.
The time had come. His parent finally found out. It was too late.
"Matsuya-kun, why?" She asked again, seeing as Matsuya didn't answer her. But the best Matsuya could do was remain silent.
Tatsuya Suou
Rainy - Konan
Drenching in cold rain, Tatsuya reached a telephone booth and began dialing on the number. He had informed his brother beforehand to sent someone here, but it will take a while. He took this opportunity to call someone he really didn't expect himself to do it.
He was preparing for an interrogation, but to do it to his friend, under this circumstance, was a first. He stood waiting for the other side to pick up her phone, at the same time watching the passengers outside walking through the rain. He hadn't taken a bath for a whole day. His smell must be indescribable.
And then, the call connected. Lisa's voice rang out.
"Hello? Who is this?"
He found himself unable to speak, but eventually, he began.
"Lisa... It's me..."
There's no voice on the other side at first except for the sound of a few strangers. A few seconds later, it seemed Lisa had moved to a more secluded area.
"Tatsuya? Where were you? They said you went missing."
"Sorry about that. I just had to call."
"...Did Maya know?"
"I informed her first, and..."
He removed the handset from his side and breath in hard. He couldn't believe himself saying this to his friend, but his son was equally important. He saw small icy smoke emerged out of his mouth, signing the coldness of the outside. He returned to the caller with a heavy, breaking voice.
"Lisa, I won't waste your time anymore. Why? Why didn't you tell me... about Matsuya's theater?"
There was a long pause from her side, but Tatsuya wasted no time to continue.
"You knew about it for a while, didn't you? The prophecy kept me busy, but I know I should have been more concern about his activities. I won't make excuse. But why Matsuya? He was taking his clothes with him. I know too well..."
He heard Lisa's strong breath through the phone. Tatsuya gritted his teeth in frustration as he, again, continued.
"Lisa, you're there, aren't you? At Matsuya's school? Where are you planning to take away my son?"
However, Lisa remained silent. Tatsuya slammed his hand on the booth's window.
"Lisa! Don't just... Don't just stay quiet... Whatever we had when we were young, just forget it already... Matsuya had nothing to do with this. Maya had nothing to do with this..."
"Had nothing to do with this?"
Finally, when Maya's name was mention, Lisa spoke up, with a voice ready to burst into rage.
"She had everything to do with this, Tatsuya!"
Lisa screamed on the phone.
"She had a perfect life, had a perfect job, everything! She doesn't need you to keep on living! I'm the one who needs you! I'm the one you need to look upon! But no! She had to ruin everything!"
"You're wrong! I was the one who approached Maya! If you want to blame someone, blame me!"
"No, it is her fault! Don't think I didn't know what happened that day!"
Sunny - Morning - ?/3/2001 - Seven Sister High, Rengedai
(11 years ago)
Lisa couldn't believe her eyes. She was a momentarily late, but it's clear that a familiar woman was watching the graduation ceremony from the back door. Lisa had to go to the outside and greeted her father at the gate before rushing towards the hall, wanting to see Tatsuya. She didn't expect to see that woman by the hallway, the woman who saved her and her friends from mysterious entity months ago.
In truth, she had vague memories of what happened to her. But Maya Amano was at the center of it all. But afterward, there was no contact from her at all. So why was she here of all place?
Maya Amano turned around, which quickly forced her to hide at the corner, where the woman walked away and disappeared from sight. Lisa rushed to the graduation hall and saw that the ceremony still continued, with Tatsuya waiting for his turn.
"That day, I saw Maya went to our school. I thought it was nothing at first, but then I realized she was watching you."
An hour later, as Lisa walked through the hallway, greeting students junior and senior, she saw someone familiar near the stairs. It was Jun Kashihara's father, displaying a few unfinished painting and a complete one. While some of them were excellent, most of them were childish and messy. Yet Mr. Kashihara displayed them proudly.
However, not all were positive in that area. Although Mr. Kashihara tried to calm the situation, he displayed concern at the scene in front of his display corner. A group of students was gathering around someone, who seemed to have fallen unconscious on the ground. To her surprise, it was Tatsuya.
She rushed to him and crouched down, trying to check his pulse. According to Mr. Kashihara, Tatsuya collapsed immediately after painting the second half of the drawing on display. It was a painting of two figures, tied by a red string, a kind to red string of fate. It was a simple painting, yet she couldn't guess the reason for Tatsuya to faint by it.
"You met her first, didn't you? If only you didn't meet her, then we... I heard you talk..."
Lisa, with a help of several students, carried him to the infirmary. She sat by Tatsuya's side, waiting for him to wake up. It was then, in his sleep, Tatsuya muttered something.
"Maya... Maya? I can save Maya? ...Don't go... No..."
Tatsuya Suou
Rainy - Konan
"You... you saw Maya?"
Tatsuya widened his eyes in shock. He never realized that Lisa knew all along that Maya was there. He only knew about it recently, but Lisa had known it for years?
"But Lisa, I didn't meet her that day. I swear! I don't remember much, but I know that has nothing to do with me being with Maya!"
"Say what you want, Tatsuya. If I can't have you, then I can at least take 'part' of you. You can have Maya, I'll take good care of Matsuya. I won't leave him behind like you and she did to him."
"Is that why you became Babylon?! Because of-"
The connection was lost. Tatsuya punched the telephone booth in frustration, ignoring the pain on his fist. He never realized that that graduation day was so important to everyone around him. There's nothing more to say other than Lisa's losing her sanity. She was a world apart from Lisa at the 'other side'. Almost as if she was possessed.
Was she Babylon? He dared not to make a judgment. But one thing he knew for certain, Matsuya's in danger.
He looked outside and saw that an officer was waiting for him in a car. His brother must be wanting to meet him urgently. Hopefully, he could reach Matsuya in time.
Morning - Backstage, Koukai School
The time had come.
He glanced at the crowd again from behind the curtain and saw Lisa among the parents at the backmost seat. He backed away and realized that his legs were shaking. But when he observed the people around him, he saw that he wasn't the only one who's panicked, which calmed him a little.
Takashi was over the moon excited, while Mia Kaneda was presenting her own charm, which made the boys, who used to bully her, shyly approached her with words of praise. Matsuya, finding comfort in her new presence, decided to approach her as well.
"Mia-chan, you look happy."
"Of course!" Mia smiled, "I am really happy today too. Eikichi-san must be watching right now! And you know what's the best part is?"
Mia leaned close and whispered to his ear.
"I didn't 'disappear' anymore. It's been days since I last had that experience."
"Really?" Matsuya responded in surprise. Mia truly appeared like a different person from days ago. While his daily life was about to end when he will run away with Lisa soon, Mia seemed to refresh her life anew. She expressed nothing but positivity in his eyes.
It was a fragment of his mother's old personality. Again and again, she reminded him of his mother. Perhaps he was secretly homesick, but he refused to abandon his goal.
"And now, we present to you from class A, 'Sleeping Beauty!'"
The announcer spoke through the microphone. Everyone returned to their position and prepared for the theater.
Restroom, Koukai Ward
Eikichi carefully removed his makeup, trying to make sure that his presence at school didn't scare off the kids. It was the first time he entered this school, which somehow made him felt out of place. But he steeled his heart and examined himself one last time in the mirror. Mia will act on stage today, so he must mannered his attitude as well.
From the corner of his eyes, a familiar man entered the restroom, and they both gasped in surprise.
"Reiji-san?"
"Mishina?"
It was Reiji Kido at the door, dressed in an appropriate outfit that certainly far from his raging personality as a persona user. Eikichi finally remembered that Reiji had a son studying here.
"Give me a second," Reiji rushed into one of the stalls, where Eikichi waited a few minutes for him to leave, enduring the terrible smell.
"What did you eat?" Eikichi asked the moment Reiji opened the stall door and tightened his belt.
"I don't know. Fishes tasted weird last night. The sea must be polluted," Reiji answered before changing the topic, "You got kids here?"
"Uh, no. Actually, the girl I've been taking care of will be playing on a show today. So..."
"Same with me," Reiji laughed, "He's playing as Sleeping Beauty's prince."
"Damn! Mia is playing in that too!" Eikichi responded, "Come on, let's go to the hall."
The place was crowded with parents, despite it being the size of a basketball field. There's only three exits, the two doors behind them, and a backdoor behind the stage. Eikichi managed to land himself on the second front row with Reiji, but the path to their seat was difficult. The teacher had already starting to announce the play with Sleeping Beauty story. But Eikichi paused before he could reach his seat because he saw a familiar face among the parents. It was Lisa, who rushed into the hall from the exit.
"Lisa, you're here!" Eikichi called out to her after parted ways with Reiji. Lisa seemed startled by his calling that she almost scolded him.
"Eikichi, don't surprise me like that!" Lisa said.
"Woah, chill! Didn't think you'll be here. Why are you in a rush? Come close. Who are you coming for?"
"O-Oh, I was just... watching Matsuya on stage."
"Matsuya was acting too?" Eikichi gasped, "Damn, I had no idea! So he's the guy Mia was talking about. The 'son of a brave hero'. Of course, it was Tatsuya's kid! But Maya and Tatsuya said nothing though..."
"I guess they won't be coming..." Lisa replied, "I mean, they were pretty busy... Tatsuya has been missing, anyway..."
"But are they the kind that abandoned their kids like that? I don't think so though..." Eikichi tilted his head in deep thought, "Oh, I know. How about I give Maya a call-"
"Wait!" Lisa stopped him from reaching for his phone, "Maybe we shouldn't disturb Maya. She's depressed, so it's best to avoid giving her trouble. I'm here for him, so that should be alright."
"So she told you to come in her stead?" Eikichi scratched his head before nodding, "I guess Maya is in a deep depression... Oh, check it out! The theater's starting! I'm going to my seat. See you, Lisa."
They both waved each other goodbye as Eikichi returned to his seat.
It was 11 in the morning. At long last, the theater for Sleeping Beauty began.
Koukai Ward
At the center of the street, a few black vans and trucks parked around the road, blocking the street. Tatsuya Sudou jumped from one of the trucks, armed with firearm along with a few other men with guns. Don with his Arcana mask, Sudou surveyed the streets and area, before his attention focused on a certain building in a distance. It was a school.
"Take everyone hostage," Sudou commanded, "If they refuse or struggle, just kill them. We need a few useful hostages, that's all. I don't care about the rest. Put the bomb in the at the specific location."
"Sir," One of the men approached him, "What should we do about Babylon, sir? What if she's at the school?"
"What the f*ck do you think?" Sudou reload his gun, "If we saw her, we kill her, end of discussion. But don't touch Tatsuya's kid. He's mine."
Koukai School
"Aurora is the most beautiful princess ever in the kingdom."
The narrator, a young small girl, began her narration on stage. The light was dimmed, with spotlight focusing on the narrator. Soon, the light slowly brightened around the stage, revealing a few casts who joined the stage. There were king, queen, a few kids as an audience in the throne room, and a baby doll as Aurora in the crib near the queen.
"When she was born, the king invited the citizen from all over the kingdom to visit his child. He also invited his three fairies to his throne."
"I order my fairies to step forward for this wonderful day," The boy in king's suit, wearing a fake beard and wig, said, "Come forth my fairies!"
From the right curtain, three figures dressed in thick make-up entered the stage.
"These three fairies are the blue fairy, the green fairy, and the red fairy."
Although he didn't say it out loud, Eikichi who sat at the front seat tried to suppress his laugh when he saw the red fairy. He knew Matsuya too well to not recognize him. The king spoke.
"As my fairies, do you have anything as a gift to our beloved princess?"
The blue fairy stepped forward.
"I, the blue fairy, shall gift this child the blessing of beauty and bravery. May she captures the heart of all who gaze upon her."
The green fairy stepped forward and gave a slight bow.
"I, the green fairy, shall gift this child the blessing of voice and fortune. May she prospers in life."
Finally, Matsuya Suou, the red fairy, confidently stepped forward in a girly manner. He bowed and slightly altered his voice to sound more ladylike.
"I, the red fairy, shall gift this child the blessing of kindness and-"
The narrator, in a harrowing voice, intercepted Matsuya's dialog.
"But at that moment, one fairy entered the room."
"Muahahaha!"
From the left curtain, Mia Kaneda, dressed in a witch-like dress, entered the stage with the spotlight focused on her. At this moment, Eikichi clapped loudly in excitement, attracting the parents around him before he stopped in embarrassment. Mia Kaneda, although she was nervous, kept her heels straight and said her line.
"I am the evil fairy! How dare of you to not invited me to this beautiful ceremony!" Mia grabbed the stick in her right hand tightly, "Because of your foolish decision, I will curse this girl so that when she pricks her finger with a needle, she will die!"
"No!" The king begged, "Please, spare my daughter!"
"No one can save the princess from the curse. But the red fairy attempt to dispell the curse with the last gift."
"Do not fear. I, the red fairy, shall gift the princess..."
...
Matsuya suddenly paused. The look of shock and confusion on every actor's face indicated that this was not scripted. Even the parents stared in confusion.
Behind the stage, Takashi clenched his head in frustration.
"What the hell is he doing?! Urgh!" Takashi cursed, "That idiot! Where is he looking at?!"
Matsuya was looking at somewhere at the crowd with a complex expression. Mia, curious, followed his trail of eyes.
Eikichi, Lisa, Reiji, and even teacher Anna, who stood not far from the stage, turned to where he looked.
While some of them tried to understand the situation, Mia and Lisa were the only ones who truly understood why that one particular person caught Matsuya's attention so much that he paused his dialog. It was a woman drenched in cold rain, locking eye contact with him.
In Matsuya's mind, there are only two people in his world.
Him and his mother.
Maya Amano
Koukai School, Koukai
After rushing towards the school like mad, despite the traffic jam and lack of transport, Maya reached the school. She asked the guard on duty about the location of the hall, where she again allowed herself to drench in the cold rain without care. After entering the front door, she finally heard the voice of the narrator telling stories. She didn't care if anybody asked for her condition. She entered still into the hall and wrestled her way through the crowds to see the stage. Luckily, parents avoid her wetted dress.
The moment she examined the stage, it felt as though thousands of things were leaving her body. She saw her son, dressed in a cute red fairy dress, was on stage. She knew her tears were flowing, but she cared little for it and smiled. If she missed the theater entirely, she wouldn't know how to face Matsuya again.
At that instant, Matsuya's eyes and her's were locked in eye contact. The joyful expression on him was replaced with shock, followed by a stutter and paleness of his face. She promised herself that she would never scold Matsuya, as it was entirely her fault. But she never knew what's on his mind. A very complex young boy, just as his father was when he was young. But at the very least, she wanted to believe that deep inside, Matsuya was relieved to see her. She wanted to call out, but she wasn't sure what should she say at all. A support, an apology, or a silence?
That long frozen moment, in truth last only for a few seconds, where the evil fairy immediately spoke out loud to cover the mistake. It was then that Maya realized that it was Mia Kaneda that played as the evil fairy.
"M-Muahahaha! I see that even you froze in shock to see my curse! I will make sure that you cannot reverse my spell!"
Everyone's attention returned towards the stage. Matsuya, after finally snapped out of his delusion, finished his dialog and spontaneously added his line.
"N-No! I will not let you stop me! For my final gift, I will bless her with... uh... protection! She will instead sleep for a hundred years, awaiting the kiss of a prince!"
"And so!" The narrator tried to save the moment with a louder voice, "With both spells chanted on the princess, the evil fairy left the castle, waiting for the day when the princess will fall to her spell."
A girl ran across the stage while holding a sign that written 'End of Part 1'. The parents gave a thunderous clap as the curtain fall. Maya stood there, trying to find a way to reach her son. With the short break, her friend Anna came straight for her with a worried expression.
"Maya-san, I was hoping that you'll come. But what happened to you? Did you run through the rain without an umbrella?" Anna said after observing her, "We'll be continuing shortly. Matsuya should have a break at the backstage right now."
"Oh, thank you so much, Anna," Maya bowed, "Forgive me for my ignorance."
"Forget it, it's no big deal to me," Anna responded, "But I am curious. How is it that Lisa knew, but you don't? Don't tell me Matsuya choose to hide it from you, yet he told Lisa? What's going on here?"
"I'm not so sure myself," Maya looked around, "Is Lisa here?"
"Wait, I think she should be over there... Hmmm?" Anna searched the hall, "That's odd. Where is she?"
Instead of her, it was another friend who came to her, Eikichi.
"Maya~! I thought you're at home!" Eikichi greeted her, "Your son is incredible, but I guess he must be so happy to see your surprise entrance that he stopped moving on stage!"
"Please forgive him," Maya smiled slightly before she turned serious, "Do you see Lisa?"
"She was here a while ago, but I don't see her now," Eikichi shrugged, "She is a bit strange today. I wondered why...?"
"Can you find Lisa for me, Eikichi?"
"I'll try. Hmmm?" Eikichi turned to the door, "What's that banging sound outside?"
Maya turned to the exit door to see that a few men, equipped in thick suits and masked, entered the hall by kicking the door down. When she saw the machine gun they had, Maya knew today will go horribly beyond words.
"Everybody down or we will shoot!"
Tatsuya Suou
Rainy - Koukai Ward's border
When he arrived in the van, Tatsuya saw his brother by the crossroad with a few police cars blocking the street to the ward. Katsuya was talking to someone with extreme seriousness, but the moment he saw Tatsuya, he quickly hung up the phone and approached him.
"Katsuya, what's going on?" Tatsuya asked.
"I don't know where to start," Katsuya said as he examined him, "You looked like a mess. Where the hell did you go?"
"Urgh. That's the third- No, fourth times I've been asked that today. It's a long story, but I think you need to talk first."
"I know..." Katsuya responded. He seemed hesitated to look at him, but wasted no time for mood and answered him.
"Sudou was spotted in Koukai."
"Is that so, that's good..."
"That's not all. He's taking over Koukai School, including Matsuya as his hostage."
"What?!"
Katsuya stared at him, signing that he was not joking.
"No... Not now, damn it!" Tatsuya shouted, "Maya, where is she?! Don't tell me she's inside?"
Katsuya stared at him in bafflement, "Why would she be there? It's class session."
"The theater, Katsuya!"
Tatsuya explained the situation briefly to Katsuya. It was the worst possible time for Sudou to begin his activities. He knew that one day, his son will be targeted by Sudou. He just never expected himself to disappear and allow Sudou to do what he wanted. Worse, Maya might be inside with Matsuya.
"Could he possibly know about the theater?" Katsuya wondered but quickly shook his head, "No, that's not right. I thought theater is usually commenced on Saturday or Friday, but today is an odd day."
"Who cares about that?!" Tatsuya nearly lost his temper, "My son is in danger!"
Maya Amano
Koukai School
"Maya, good to see you!"
Tatsuya Sudou smirked menacingly at her after her hands were bound with rope and grouped with the rest of the hostage. Sudou, with a fleet of his men, stormed into the hall and took everyone hostage. All gates were sealed and guarded, preventing anyone from escaping. A few police cars were watching outside, but none dared to provoke him.
"You will never stop messing with others, don't you?" Maya gave a cold gaze in return as she replied. It didn't faze him. Instead, it made him laugh in mockery. By this time, Sudou clenched his swollen left jaw in pain after the laugh.
Sudou turned to two men not far from him who were also bound with ropes. It was Reiji and Eikichi, who were among the first to attack. Reiji managed to land a strong punch on Sudou but had to stop due to a hostage situation, which he suffered through a heavy beatdown afterward. Maya saw that Eikichi wasn't injured much, but Reiji was stubbornly keeping himself awake with all the bruise they gave him.
"You really hit hard," Sudou commented as he approached the kneeling Reiji. The rest of the hostages merely looked away in terror, not lending a single help. But Reiji smiled in satisfaction from humiliating him even a little.
"The big boss sure talk big," Reiji said, "Can't beat Tatsuya, so he chases after the small fish instead."
"Reiji-san! Don't taunt him anymore!" Eikichi, who was kneeling next to him, said, "There are kids here! Think about it!"
Eikichi received a boot to the face.
"I didn't ask you, dumb*ss," Sudou scolded, before he checked his watch, "Forget it, there's something I need to do."
One of his men approached him with a phone. Even though he still kept his mask on, anyone could tell he was smiling. He snatched the phone and left the hall.
Tatsuya Suou
Koukai Ward's Border
"Sudou," Katsuya, standing at the crossroad with a few officers with umbrellas in hand, answered the phone from the stranger which turned out to be the mad terrorist himself. Tatsuya remained silent and listened to his conversation nearby.
"Katsuya Suou. Miss me?" The voice laughed.
"Annoyed, actually," Katsuya replied, "Why are you taking the school?"
"I heard your nephew study here. So I thought I'll pay him a visit. Respectful, am I?"
"So you do want him..." Katsuya hissed under his breath, "What's your demand?"
"All of Koukai Ward," Sudou said in brief, "All police must leave the ward without leaving a single patrol behind. Then, I want you to personally call Takaya on TV, 'begging' him to save these hostages. Simple, no?"
"You're trying to make him a hero again," Katsuya gritted his teeth, "What of my nephew?"
"That depends. 10 minutes, and I want your face on the screen."
Before Sudou could hang up the phone, Tatsuya snatched the phone from his brother and threatened.
"Sudou. You listen to me well. You lay a single finger on my son, and I swear I will send you to hell."
"Tatsuya! My man! Hahaha! So you were alive! I thought you went missing because you scared of me-"
Tatsuya turned off the phone instantly and cut off his words. Katsuya slammed his fist on the wall near him and cursed.
"Sh*t!" Katsuya screamed but immediately recomposed himself and turned to his men, "Tell all men to fall back! Now!"
"Katsuya, I need to go in," Tatsuya pleaded, but his brother shook his head.
"Soon, brother, soon..." Katsuya patted his shoulder, "Get some rest in the van. I'll call you when we're done."
Koukai School
"That was your husband, just now," Sudou turned to Maya as he returned the hall, "I hope he knew that you're here because that would be interesting."
"I know. He will come to save me," Maya answered.
"That's reassuring. Now, for the main course..." Sudou grinned, "Where's your sweet little boy?"
"No, not my son!" Maya screamed and stood up, but a few men quickly pushed her down, forcing her to collapse and stumbled on the ground.
All of this was eavesdropped by Matsuya and Mia from the distance as they were hiding in the closet at the backstage. In truth, some of the kids at the back were able to run and hide, but most of them were caught. Teacher Anna was captured in trying to lure them away from Matsuya and Mia when they almost caught them. It's been more than half an hour since the mysterious people entered the hall.
"H-He was talking to my mom," Matsuya whispered to Mia, "What's going on? Who are they?"
"I think he's the terrorist the news talked about," Mia said with a calm tone, which surprised him to see her so brave. She turned to Matsuya with a serious tone, "Peek outside. I think I see Takashi."
Matsuya peeked through the gaps and saw Takashi was cautiously hiding under the table, suppressing himself from crying. Matsuya almost wanted to laugh to see a big bully like him trembled in fear.
"Psss... Hey, Takashi..." Mia called out. Takashi peeked and noticed. He checked around the room and saw the closet where they were hiding.
"Matsuya, Mia? Is that you?" Takashi whispered.
"Come in..." Matsuya said, but Takashi shooked his head.
"N-No, I'm fine here," Takashi said stubbornly, "You're the one who should come here."
They quickly quiet down when they heard someone outside. They were having some conversation.
"We can't find that kid."
"Guess we're going to force him out ourselves. Boss suggested so."
"Bombing the classes? Man, our boss sure loves bomb."
"Who cares? They're going to destroy this ward anyway."
"Destroy this ward?" Matsuya whispered, "Everyone's going to die. No, no..."
"Shhhh..." Mia silenced him and listened eavesdropped again.
"Shut it, that kid must be in his classroom. The headmistress claimed that he is in block A. Someone go get the grenades outside."
"Roger."
When their voices grew dimmed, Takashi spoke from under the table.
"Holy crap, they're going to bomb our classes," Takashi said, "And I was keeping my video games inside my bags too!"
At that moment, Matsuya let out a small scream. He remembered that he had brought something precious to the school, seeing that Lisa promised to take him away from this city once the theater was over. He regretted bringing that doll to the school today of all day.
"Mr. Bunbun!" Matsuya said.
"Hey, shut up! Who in the world is Mr. Bunbun?" Takashi scolded.
"M-My doll! It belonged to my mommy!" Matsuya said, almost breaking into tears, "If they bomb our class, then the doll..."
"You stupid kid!" Takashi scolded, "Grow up! You're seven, not a baby 'girl' that need your mom's doll! You're a man! Start acting like it!"
"Enough! You're being too loud," Mia whispered, "At least he had someone who loves him. That thing must be extremely important."
"B-But, they're going to..."
"Matsu-kun," Mia comforted him as she wiped his tears. She gave a hopeful smile, a smile that reminded him so greatly of his mother that he always knew.
"I have an idea. How about I go get it?"
"EH?" Matsuya's eyes widened when he heard Mia's statement. Takashi, too, was shocked to hear it. Mia said it so casually, despite knowing that she might die outside of this room.
"No, you can't do that! It is my doll! I-I'll go-"
"No, you can't. They're looking for you, not me. Don't worry, I'm a ghost girl. They won't see me."
"But you said you no longer disappear! Mia-chan!"
Mia exited the closet slowly, where even Takashi started to panic.
"Don't act so smart! You can't go there for that idiot!" Takashi ran out of his hiding place and stopped her. It was then that Matsuya noticed that there was a huge swollen mark on his right foot. Takashi must have tripped and injured his ankle during the run. Mia noticed this too and shook her head.
"Takashi-kun, please watch over Matsu-kun for me," Mia tapped Takashi's shoulder. She, in a flash, ran straight for the door before Takashi could catch up to her.
"Wait, wait! Argh! My leg!" Takashi stumbled on the ground and hurriedly ran back to his hiding spot. Matsuya too closed back the closet door.
"Mia-chan..." Matsuya called out, but she already disappeared behind the door. Guilt began to overcome him. If Mia didn't survive, her image will haunt him for life. There's still time to catch her, but he didn't. He was afraid, despite wanting Mr. Bunbun closed to him. He didn't have the courage like his father.
"She called me 'kun'... Who did she think she is? My mom?" He heard Takashi's word, "And you, Matsuya. Why didn't you say anything to stop her? She's outside because of you."
"I-I know, but-"
"But what? Coward," Takashi scolded, "I can't believe you're the son of Suou Devils."
For a moment, he didn't understand Takashi's word, but Takashi wasn't done.
"My dad is a salesman," Takashi spoke as if he was beginning to narrate a story, "It's not that he's bad at his job, but he's just a salesman in the end. He goes the work every day, goes home to eat, and sleep as long as I can remember. When I asked my mom why he remained so, she said my dad is 'happy' to have this life. He doesn't need a raise or promotion. He just needs enough for me and my mom.
"And I hate that. He could've been better, but he just stuck in his suit repeating the same thing over and over again. That's why I want to be a hero, better man that my dad ever will be. But no matter how much I want to be great, there are only two men that I admire and I know I will never surpass. That is the Suou Devils."
"My dad and my uncle?" Matsuya responded.
"Yeah. The two greatest detectives in the city. Feels like they came from a detective novel. I want to see what makes them so great. So when I heard that one of them had a kid, I kinda want to see this son of a legend. But to my disappointment, it had to be you."
His heart stung when he heard it.
"I saw a weak boy, not smart, not strong, bearing the name 'Suou' as his family. When I saw you, I was like: "This little boy is the son of Suou Devil?" I don't want to admit it. If I can be better than my dad, then you could too. But no, you're not even a half of the greatness of Suou Devils. That... that pissed me off."
To hear his confession surprised Matsuya greatly. Takashi was never opened about anything he did, especially to someone he disliked. Perhaps he assumed that he won't live for another day and decided to confess anything.
"Sorry..." Matsuya muttered.
"For what?"
"For not being my dad..." Matsuya buried his face into his arms, "If only I wasn't my dad's kid too. I wondered if that will make him happier?"
It was they heard another voice.
"Here's the grenade! Prepare a few guys to block A immediately!"
They were minutes away from bombing the classes.
Aigis
Rainy - Morning - 29/11/2012(Thursday) - Mitsuru's temporary base
(1 day until War's arrival)
Aigis was carefully scouting the outdoor from her room when she noticed Mitsuru called her from the door. She seemed worried, which made Aigis anxious to know the current problem. The days were quiet, too quiet, yet she knew something sinister was approaching.
"Aigis, come over here. You need to see this news," Mitsuru called out to her. She followed her to another room, where a TV was on, and a familiar figure was talking on the screen facing a crowd of people. It was Katsuya Suou.
"With a heavy heart, I must announce that around 50 people are taken hostage by a group of terrorist in Koukai Ward," Katsuya said, "We are at our wit's end, and we would like the assistance of the Messiah himself to save the innocent victims."
"A hostages situation?" Aigis gasped, "Why is he asking the help from Takaya? Is he not our enemy?"
"If you ask me, I think they must be desperate," Mitsuru answered, "This must be an inside job under the pretense that Takaya will be the savior. The reality is the terrorist themselves are Takaya's men."
"What should we do?"
"We are not authorized to do anything," Mitsuru landed on her chair, "Don't worry, I've sent my man. If worst comes to worst, we will step in."
Aigis smiled, "I am glad to hear that. Oh? Mitsuru-san, I detect someone at the door."
"I'll go get it," Mitsuru said. She reached the door and opened it. It was one of her guards.
"A woman wishes to see you, ma'am."
"Who is it?"
"A woman who called herself Belladonna."
Mitsuru and Aigis both turned to each other in surprise.
"That name is familiar," Aigis said.
Tatsuya Suou
Heavy Rainy - Afternoon - Near Koukai Ward
The rain was getting heavier as the day gone by. Due to constant activities surrounding the city for these few days, Tatsuya was exhausted beyond word. However, knowing that his wife and son were still captured in Sudou's hand had really forcing him to stay awake. Besides, a constant pain coursed through his body in exchange of silence in his head. There's no voice of Azathoth, but chills and fear enveloped him more than ever. He lifted his head from the van's seat and peeked outside to see his brother managing the team. He was wide awake now. Best to greet him while he can.
"Ah, you're awake," Katsuya said when he saw him leaving the van where he slept, "I already move out all the men from the ward. We also managed to escort some people out of the ward."
"Any news from Sudou?" Tatsuya asked.
"We received a report that Sudou is bombing the school."
"That mad bastard..." Tatsuya clenched his head, which immediately gained his brother's attention.
"Those marks... It's back," Katsuya said, pointing to his hand.
"Just leave it. What about Takaya?"
"Any seconds now, he will broadcast himself on the radio. Wait, I think that's him."
Katsuya turned to the radio behind him and increased the volume. True to his words, it was Takaya's voice.
"Greetings, everyone. I am Takaya Sasaki, your messiah. I have heard the pleading of the Suou Devils and are extremely saddened by it..."
Katsuya spat his saliva on the ground in disgust over the lies.
"In regards to the event, I have sent my trusted followers to rescue the people. We will follow through the Red Harbor and gathered there. Bless thy soul..."
"The Red Harbor..." Tatsuya mused.
The Red Harbor is the big harbor stationed near the border of Koukai Ward and Narumi Ward, and the second biggest harbor established 3 years ago. Massive ships swamped there for shipments and transport, but the border from each ward proved too narrow for multiple ships to sail there at once. It was a minute walk away from the Koukai Aquarium center, and two hours walk from Koukai School.
"You heard the bastard," Katsuya turned to the officers around them, "Go to the Red Harbor now and scouted for Takaya's men. They're probably faking a gunfight to gain followers. What are you waiting for? Go!"
Everyone immediately dispersed, leaving the brothers alone for a while before one of the officers approached them.
"Chief, we have some intel," The young officer said, " An unidentified small ship, enough to carry 20 people, was spotted sailing towards the Red Harbor."
"That's Sudou's ship..." Tatsuya deduced, "He's trying to run away there. That's where the battle will commence."
"And that's where we'll find Sudou," Katsuya agreed, "Ready to move, brother?"
"Let's go. Hmmm? Give me a second."
Katsuya's phone was ringing.
"Kirijo? I'm busy right now. Call me back when... I'm sorry, what?"
He locked eyes with Tatsuya with a confused expression.
"You said you have a plan to beat Sudou?"
A/N: And that's the end of it. Hopefully, I will finish another chapter by the end of this year. I think I'm getting used to writing longer chapter now, which is why my update can be really slow and unpredictable. Overall, I had fun writing this chapter.
Matsuya's parents finally found out about the theater, and Lisa instantly disappeared when things went rough. Is she Babylon? If so, why did she betray her friends? What is going on in the city? Will Matsuya leave the city with Lisa, or will he return to his parents? Why did Belladonna come to Kirijo? What is the plan? All will be answered at the Red Harbor next chapter.
Please wait for the slow update.