Walking past the two guards outside the downtown Tokyo office building, Kanako looked around the atrium, taking in the dozens of professionals also walking around, a couple of smaller groups collected together off to the sides. One of them, a younger man in a loose-fitting business suit, studied Kanako's face carefully as she entered, his mouth set in a thin line. He frowned, his eyes lingering on her waist for a moment before he nodded. Finally, he looked away from her, focusing his attention back on the front door and the trio of youngish women who had followed Kanako inside. Letting out a breath, Kanako continued across the atrium, past a number of men with briefcases and toward the long bank of elevators where at least a dozen people were waiting. Standing off to the side, Kanako focused her attention on the patterned floor while waiting in the queue.
"Have you heard anything about the rebuilding process in Joetsu?" a man's voice asked in front of Kanako.
"It seems to be progressing as expected," his friend responded. "Fortunately, most of the damage was only from water. A couple of the buildings along the waterfront needed to have their lowest levels gutted and replaced."
"It could have been so much worse," the first man commented.
Kanako set her shoulders firmly, allowing her back to straighten the slightest bit while still studying the floor in front of her. A third voice chimed in, and Kanako immediately tensed on recognizing it. It had been years ago – in some ways it felt like a lifetime – when she had been among the newest girls at the brothel and the men who dropped her off had laughed and ogled, boasting of how they would "break her in."
In a way, that waiting had been worse than the act itself, once she had realized there was no fighting it, no resisting him.
Kanako had thought that those emotions, that shame and violation, was behind her. No longer was she at the brothel – she should have been free of it. But still that pall hung over her. Perhaps it would always hang over her. They had taken so much from her; how could she get any of it back?
"I heard the damage was far worse than it should have been because Kamihenyo started showing her powers around," the third man told the others. "If it hadn't been for her transmuting objects left and right, they would not have needed to tear down one of the resort hotels."
The first voice hummed. "I suppose that would explain some of the unusual artifacts that I noticed while observing the workers," he mused. "They were, in fact, trying to remove a sedan that appeared to be made entirely of rubber."
The third voice scoffed. "Leave it to a woman to immediately think of rubber!"
Kanako clenched her teeth, her eyes drifting up from the tiled floor to glare at the man in front of her. His hair slicked back, his suit slightly creased, he could have been almost any businessman at first glance. But sneering face, the poorly-tailored suit, the voice… Did he not realize that she and Reni had helped to save Joetsu? If Reni hadn't turned that car to rubber, it would have smashed into the resort and brought it down on all their heads! And if she hadn't blocked the water, the city could have been flooded far worse than it had been. The man raised a plastic water bottle to his mouth. She squeezed her fist tightly. The water spurted out all over his face, and he jumped, sputtering indignantly. Wiping his face, he shook his head, spraying water over his two companions, just as the elevator doors opened in front of them.
His friend laughed. "What good does the water do over you, Jin?"
Standing at the front of the line, Kanako looked straight ahead at the elevator doors, willing one of them to open. She had always hated having to come here – one of the few benefits of her position was that she was rarely called upon to meet with the oyabun. Instead, she normally reported to Komatsu-san.
Not that that was any better…
The elevator beeped, and five people exited. Kanako hardly paid them any attention, all her focus on the empty elevator. She was about to step on with the four people behind her when–
"Yumikawa?"
Kanako froze, staring at the slightly-built woman in front of her in the conservative skirt and suit jacket. The woman raised an eyebrow at her. Forcing herself to smile, Kanako nodded in greeting. "Hellow, Furuhata-san. What brings you here?"
Riyo shrugged. "I assume the same as you: a meeting up…" She gestured toward the ceiling. "We just finished our meeting. He seemed to be in a bit of a… foul mood."
Kanako swallowed nervously. "So why did he call you in?"
Riyo smirked. "Someone needed to come in and fix your mess…" she answered enigmatically.
Following the others onto the elevator, Kanako turned to watch Riyo and her team walk away, Riyo's back the last thing she saw before the doors closed. Was that why she had been summoned today? The message had been terse and devoid of detail, simply commanding her to attend. The oyabun's messages were rarely detailed… but that left nothing for her to do but speculate on what the message could mean. As the other four people on the elevator conversed among themselves, Kanako tuned them out and retreated inside her own mind. Was Ishii-san planning to punish her? Would he require her to cut off her finger? Was he going to kill her? But – what would happen to Ayaka if he did that? Would he – her breathing hitched. Would he kill Ayaka? Her breathing came shallower, her head starting to swim. She barely noticed as the elevator doors opened on the eleventh floor and the other four exited., leaving her alone with her thoughts. She could leave… but then what? She was bound to them. Any transgression would be punished severely. And so many people had watched her arrive. She swallowed. The only way she could go was forward.
The elevator opened with a ding, and Kanako stepped out onto the executive level, where a pair of men sat in the waiting area, newspapers open in front of them. A young girl, hardly out of university, sat behind the reception desk. On seeing Kanako, she simply bowed and gestured toward the hallway that led to Ishii-san's office. Steeling herself, Kanako strode down the hallway and into the office, schooling her features and trying not to betray her fear and trepidation on being in this office once more. She had only ever been to this office on three previous occasions.
And none of those meetings had turned out well.
Three men flanked Ishii-san's chair, standing at attention behind the oyabun. Komatsu-san, Kamisenshi, met her gaze predatorily, an undecipherable look on his face, his hand not far from the handle of his katana. His lower lip curled on seeing her discomfort. Chiba-san, the manager of Ishii-san's brothels, eyed Kanako up and down, his eyes stopping below her face for a long moment before returning. His eyes flashed lustfully. Setting her mouth in a thin line, Kanako forced herself not to react, to keep her breathing slow and steady. She was the one with Chikara powers, not him. Standing at Ishii-san's right shoulder, his right-hand man Kawase-san folded his arms, staring at Kanako with a frustrated expression.
Ishii-san himself wore an impassive look. "Kamimizu," he greeted her. She bowed her head low, hardly daring to breathe, staring intently at the metal desk. "You were absent for quite some time."
"I apologize for my absence, oyabun," Kanako responded in a monotone. "I was–"
"I am fully aware of where you were," Ishii-san interrupted her. She flinched. "Your presence – along with the others of the Odoshi-gumi, at Joetsu was acceptable. In fact, your intervention against the Turtle provided a significant boost in our reputation both there and here in Tokyo. It is far too long since our Kami-gumi have been seen in a positive light by the community," he added, giving Komatsu-san a hard look. "For that reason, as well as the positive recognition you brought to our organization by your involvement both in Paris and in Tarascon, I have been willing to… forgive your extended absence."
Kanako schooled her features, trying not to let her relief show. "And Ayaka?"
"She remains in good health," Chiba-san informed her, his mouth turning up into a sneer.
Ishii-san's voice dropped to little more than a whisper. "Remember this: your sister will remain in good health only so long as you continue to provide loyal service."
"Of–of course, oyabun. I–I have not forgotten." She swallowed anxiously, her head still bowed, and squeezed her eyes shut. "What loyal service may I provide?"
"These so-called 'Nihon Hiro Chimu'," Kawase-san began. "You fought alongside them against the Tarasque, did you not?"
Kanako nodded. "I did," she confirmed, raising her eyes and looking at Ishii-san rather than Kawase-san.
Komatsu-san scoffed. "A reckless and foolhardy decision by three Odoshi-gumi who should have known better."
"And we have benefited from their recklessness," Kawase-san pointed out sharply. He leaned forward and placed his hands on the desk in front of him, examining Kanako eagerly. "Do they… trust you? Nihon Hiro Chimu."
She shrugged. "I do not know that I can say they trust me," she admitted. "They know that I am yours."
"And do not forget that," Chiba-san interjected with a sneer. "No matter what else you may do, you are ours – you and your sister."
Kanako's back straightened. "Yes – of course."
"Never mind that." Kawase-san waved a hand dismissively. "Nihon Hiro Chimu may not trust you, but…" he prompted, giving her an expectant look.
She sighed. "We did at least part on good terms. Why? What do you wish for me to do?"
Kawase-san pursed his lips, eyeing her carefully. "Is that a connection you could use to get close to Nihon Hiro Chimu?"
"What do you mean?" Kanako cocked her head to one side in confusion. "You wish me to infiltrate their group?" she asked, furrowing her brows. "Is that wise?"
"No, it absolutely is not," Chiba-san interjected, giving Kawase-san a look. "I do not trust her that far."
Kanako's nostrils flared, and she clenched her fists at her sides.
Komatsu-san frowned. "Kamimizu may have run off to Paris with Nihon Hiro Chimu, but she did return," he argued. "I believe that shows that her loyalty is in the right place."
"And I believe that she will do anything for her sister," Chiba-san agreed. "But there must be a limit on what we allow."
"I am not–" Kanako protested, before Kawase-san interrupted.
"Remember that your sister's life hangs in the balance," he warned her, his mouth set in a deep frown.
"Enough." Ishii-san held up one hand, and the other three fell silent instantly. He fixed his gaze on Kanako. "You will use your knowledge of Nihon Hiro Chimu to stop them. I do not care how you accomplish this task, only that it is completed. For six weeks while they were absent, my business flourished; I wish to return to that state of affairs. But that is only possible with Nihon Hiro Chimu out of the picture."
Kanako frowned. "I saw Kamihikari and Tsuyoi-gumi as I arrived," she began. "Have they been given the same task?"
Kawase-san smiled thinly. "They will take a more… direct approach."
Ishii-san steepled his fingers on the table. "If you are able to achieve this," he told Kanako, "I will consider 50% of your sister's debt to be paid off."
Kanako's throat began to close. "You would free her?"
"If you were successful, I would grant her greater freedom," Chiba-san allowed. "The level of freedom would depend on you. And," he added quickly, nodding to Ishii-san, "on the oyabun, of course."
"But if you should take on this task and fail to complete it," Ishii-san continued softly, an ominous tone entering his voice, "your sister will know such pain and agony that she will beg for the release of death."
Kanako's breathing hitched. "I–I want to see her," she begged. "Please – before I do this, I want to see Ayaka."
Ishii-san smiled thinly. "I will consider your request."
