Mikoto Minagi lay in the school yard, basking in the afternoon sun. Several cats were curled up around her. As usual, Mikoto's teacher was saying things she didn't understand, so she opted to skip out of class. All she could do was just laze around until school was over. Then she'd head back to the dorms to eagerly wait for Mai to prepare dinner.
Such was the life of a stray cat.
As she was wondering what would be on that night's menu, her feline friends bolted up to their feet. Their fur stood on end as they hissed.
"What's wrong?" Mikoto asked. She followed their eyes and saw him. He stood there at the edge of the forest. Mikoto's animal instincts told her all she needed to know.
That man was an enemy.
The wind carried the scent of his musky cologne to Mikoto's nose as she reached for Miroku. She took it from its bag and the man slipped into the forest. Mikoto bounded into the trees after him. She knew she had to eliminate him before he killed her.
The man moved deftly through the greenery, but Mikoto's fine tuned nose still had his scent.
It was easy to follow him.
Since Mikoto was more agile than he was, she quickly covered the distance. When she was in range, she swung Miroku back and prepared to strike. However, Miroku ended up embedded into a tree.
She didn't have enough room to swing properly.
Mikoto had to stop and free her sword. It took her a few moments, but she finally pulled it out. By then she had lost sight of the man.
But she could still smell him.
She followed her nose and went deeper into the woods. She found the source of the smell. She could see the man's shoulder sticking out from behind some trees. The suit's navy blue colour clearly stood out from the vibrant greens.
Mikoto charged, Miroku pointed straight forward. She impaled the tree and the man behind it.
Or so she thought. All that was on the end of her sword was a jacket that reeked of cologne.
Off to the side, covered in dirt and grass, lay Golgo 13. He lined up his shot, let out a breath and pulled the trigger.
And then there were three.