To Lyger 0: Pretty much! Their abilities are something of a mix between the Dark Acolytes and the sorcerers.

To Butterfly: That is a very Kagami thing to say, isn't it?

Ryoku looked up from her teacup on hearing her aunt sigh heavily. They had finished breakfast close to thirty minutes ago, but no one had really wanted to leave the table. Viperion had collected the dishes and started washing them by hand, the running water and clink of plates the only sounds to be heard in the silence of the apartment.

"There is just so much to do…" Obasan whispered finally, sniffling. "I–I need to call Tomoe… She needs to know…"

"It's pretty late there, isn't it?" asked Kimiko, frowning. "Shouldn't we–" She gasped, her eyes bugging out, staring at Obasan in alarm. "Kagami!"

Obasan started and looked around the room. "They–But–You didn't rescue them, also?" she asked, turning toward Viperion in the kitchen.

Ryoku schooled her features and shared a look with Viperion. She should have thought about this before she agreed to go along with his decision to keep their identities a secret. How could they keep Obasan and Kimiko safe and reassure them?

"They weren't at the house last night," Shiro interjected unexpectedly, raising an eyebrow at Viperion. "That's what you said, right?"

Viperion nodded; Ryoku to see the relief in his eyes. "That is correct," he confirmed. "They went into the city."

"But we should call them and warn them, shouldn't we?" Kimiko demanded, rummaging around for her phone. She looked up in surprise. "My phone–it's back in my apartment."

"That's where it needs to stay," Ryoku told her. "At least for now. They might be able to track it. And that goes for your cousin, too. If you call her, that could let them find you."

"But I still need to call Tomoe," Obasan objected. "She needs to know – she will want to come for the–for the–" Kimiko put a hand on her shoulder as Obasan's voice trailed off.

Ryoku raised an eyebrow at Viperion: she had a good point, and from his expression he knew it, too. His mouth turned down into a frown, and her eyes narrowed. Finally Viperion sighed. "It won't be safe to contact anyone – or to plan a funeral, for that matter, until after the Yakuza are no longer such a threat…"

"… which is why we are going to take care of them today, right?" supplied Ryoku, giving Viperion a pointed look. He blinked. "That way they can make their calls and make all the arrangements this afternoon and evening?" she pressed.

"I mean, if we're ready…"

Ryoku turned to Shiro and raised an eyebrow. "You know where to find your kumichou, right?"

Shiro nodded firmly. "I know where to find him," he confirmed. "I'm going to come with you to settle this thing."

"You're still injured," objected Viperion.

Shiro rolled his shoulders, his face set in a scowl. "I've fought injured before. I'm coming with you. It's my family that's in danger."

Obasan's eyes widened and she stared at Shiro. "What? N–no! I just lost your father – I can't lose you now, too!"

Shiro pursed his lips, trying to find words. "I'm sorry, mother," he finally told her, his eyes taking on a serious glint. "But it's my fault that you are in danger. I have to do this."

"Just… be careful."

Ryoku let out a breath, her eyes darting between Viperion and Shiro, and stood up. "The sooner we go, the better the chance that we can catch him by surprise." Viperion nodded in resignation and flicked the display on his lyre, glancing up at the camera in front of the window, and Ryoku fixed Obasan with a serious look. "While we're gone, you need to stay here, Ob–Okusama," she corrected herself. "Keep the lights off and the door shut, and don't contact anyone. We will let you know when it is safe."

When Obasan nodded, her brows furrowed in confusion, Ryoku, Viperion, and Shiro slipped out of the apartment and climbed up to the roof. Ryoku steeled herself against the frigid air, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand. She couldn't allow herself to be distracted or show weakness. They hadn't seen any trace of the Yakuza all day. But if she was going to keep her family safe, she would have to be strong. She felt a hand on her shoulder and glanced up at Viperion, who was watching her with a worried expression on his face. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he nodded slowly, letting out a measured breath.

"Where are we going?" asked Shiro, blowing into his hands before resting his hand on the hilt of his katana.

"I suppose that's up to you," Ryoku replied, arching an eyebrow. "Where will we find Okamura-san at this time of day?"

"He operates out of the backroom of a tea shop in Meguro City," Shiro told them. "Most days that's where he will be." He furrowed his brow. "Then what's the plan?"

Ryoku scoffed. "How much of a plan do we need? We find him, we kick his ass, he leaves you alone."

"Should we at least scout first?" Viperion asked her pointedly.

Ryoku set her mouth in a thin line. "At the moment, I don't really care about scouting or any of that crap. As long as we know he's there, we need to get him. The longer we wait, the more danger we're all in."

Viperion squeezed her shoulder gently, pulling her away from Shiro. She glared at him, and he whispered. "Are you in the right frame of mind for this?"

"I'll do what needs to be done," she retorted shortly, jerking away from him.

He released her shoulder and raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, but if we're going to do this, we have to be on the same page."

Ryoku stared at him through narrowed eyes. Every fiber of her being just wanted to smack him. But seeing the unveiled concern in his eyes gave her pause. This was Luka, whom she trusted above anyone else. Luka, who knew her better than anyone else – including herself, most of the time. Luka, whom she would follow to the ends of the earth. Slowly she clenched her eyes shut and forced herself to take slow breaths. The knot in her stomach began to untangle, and she nodded curtly. "We are," she told him. She sighed. "We are. I just–I need to do this." Viperion frowned, but Ryoku turned away from him and grabbed Shiro by the arm, throwing him over her shoulder. "Now, where are we going exactly?"

Fifteen minutes later, the three of them landed on the roof of a department store across from the Chaba Café, crouching low to avoid being seen. Midday traffic drove past at a steady clip, supplemented by a steady stream of pedestrians walking up and down the sidewalk. A small number of cars lined the street in front of the café. Ryoku's eyes narrowed, examining the faces of those in front of the shop: how many of them were innocent bystanders? How many were actually there to protect Okamura?

Shiro tensed, his breath catching in his throat. "Do you see that car down there?" he whispered, pointing at the one directly in front of the door. "That's Okamura-san's car. He's got to be here."

"What's the best way in?" Viperion asked, examining the front of the café carefully.

"Back entrance – Okamura-san is normally in the back room when he's carrying out business."

Ryoku led the way from rooftop to rooftop, jumped across the street, and moved around the building to the back entrance, careful to avoid being spotted from the sidewalk. The people milling around on the street continued about their business, never once looking up. Finally they looked down into a deserted alleyway at the tea shop's delivery door. Ryoku dropped to the ground in the alleyway and pressed herself against the wall, her miraculous-enhanced senses heightened by adrenaline. Viperion landed silently next to her and gave her a reassuring nod.

"Should I start it now?" he asked softly.

Carefully, Ryoku peeked around the corner into the tea shop's back entrance. Okamura was nowhere to be seen, nor were the Kami-gumi. "Not yet," she decided. "He's not back here, so save it."

He nodded firmly. "In that case, ladies first!"

Ryoku burst through the tea shop's delivery entrance, Shiro by her side and Viperion right behind them. Her sword sang as it left her sheath, and she dropped into a low stance, holding her sword with both hands, a posture which Shiro copied next to her. Seven men sat around card tables inside but sprang to their feet in the face of their sudden appearance, spinning around to confront the three intruders. Tables turned up, scattering cards in all directions.

"Where is your kumichou?" Ryoku demanded, her eyes flashing.

One of the men laughed and stepped forward, his hand resting casually on the handle of a katana. "The oyabun is not here," he informed. "But you and the traitor will look him in the eye… when I remove your heads from your bodies!" With that the man drew his katana, lunging forward in the same motion.

Ryoku stepped casually around the strike and grabbed the man's wrist, forcing it back until he dropped the katana, yelping in pain. Pushing him to the side, she caught the katana on her toe and flipped it into the air before kicking it across the room where it embedded almost a meter into the wall next to another man's head, quivering.

As if that was a signal, all of the Yakuza attacked at once.

Ryoku spun to avoid the first man's wild punch, kneed him in the side, and knocked him to the ground, tripping up the man behind him. Wind whistling by her ear was all the warning she received that another one was behind her, his sword slashing at her neck. She ducked, narrowly evading the attack, and threw her elbow back into his gut. The man grunted in pain but stayed on his feet. Ryoku parried his next strike with her sword, pressed his sword down into the ground, and kicked him across the room to crash into a table.

On the other side of the room, two of the Yakuza had backed Shiro into a corner. Shiro stood motionless, his sword held in both hands in front of his torso, eyes darting between the two opponents as he waited for them to move. The man to his left feinted an attack as the one to his right jumped, bringing his sword down in a two-handed slash. Shiro raised his own katana, caught the slash, and pushed the sword's tip into the other man's path, forcing him to pull up short. As the closer of his two opponents tried to disengage, Shiro slashed, slicing through his shirt sleeve and biting into his arm, drawing blood. The man backed away, right into Viperion's fist. Shiro tripped the other man to the ground, pointing his katana's tip at the man's throat. The man stared up at him wide-eyed.

"Tell Okamura-san that after last night, I'm coming for him!" Shiro growled as the man scrambled backward in the direction of the door.

Movement on the far side of the room drew Ryoku's attention away from the thug who had just moved to confront her. Two of the Yakuza had dropped their swords and drawn pistols. Rather than aiming at her, however, they pointed straight at Shiro, whose back was turned to the danger. Ryoku grabbed her opponent's sword in midair, snapped the end off, and threw him across the room, pinning him to the wall with the broken-off sword tip, before she dove to interpose herself between the gunmen and her cousin, spinning her sword in front of herself. She landed the moment before the men opened fire, the gunshots deafening in the small space. Two more of the down Yakuza started to stir. Behind her, Shiro flinched, covering one ear with his free hand as Ryoku continued to block the barrage of gunfire. "Viperion!?" she called, not taking her eyes off of the growing number of enemies firing at them.

"I've got you." From behind her, Viperion flicked his lyre at an angle, cutting around Ryoku and arcing toward the gunmen. The lyre struck the shooter on the far right, knocking his gun aside, before hitting the next one.

As the fire petered out, Ryoku lunged forward with a yell, sword raised. She slapped the one man still standing with the flat of her blade, but something struck her chest and she gasped. Another sweeping slash connected with two of the remaining Yakuza. A head rose up from the ground, and she kicked the man in the face – he didn't stir again. Ryoku stopped, panting, her sword held in a death grip at a low ready position. None of the Yakuza moved. "Let's go!" she called, rolling her shoulders. A sharp pain shot through her ribcage, and she winced.

Viperion was at her side in a moment, his hand on her side. Examining her critically, his eyes widened slightly on looking down at her chest. Following his gaze, Ryoku found a grey smudge over her heart. She rubbed the spot, but hissed in pain. Viperion pressed one finger to the spot gently, watching her eyes. "I think you cracked a rib," he warned her anxiously. "Are we still going to do this?"

Ryoku nodded firmly. "We can't turn back now," she insisted, her mouth set in a thin line. "We already started; now he knows we're coming. We have to see this through now, or we could lose our chance."

Viperion squeezed her shoulder and nodded. "Ok."

Shiro stood at the door into the café's main room, peering through the small window. "The café is mostly deserted, but Okamura-san is still in there!" he called. "And so is–shit." He glanced away from the window, eyes narrowed. "They're all here."

Ryoku brushed past Viperion, her gaze hardening. "We'd better not keep them waiting." She nodded to Viperion.

He sighed. "Second Chance!"