"Tadaima," Kagura mumbles.
As expected, no response follows.
Returning to an empty house is not a rare phenomenon for the redhead. Although she still lives with her father and older brother, they have always gone about their own business, leaving her to seek solace in solitude.
Umibouzo's hobby of travelling around the world has made him a stranger to his own home. His stays with them are few and far between, almost as though he feels more comfortable anywhere but at the one place his family resides. On the other hand while Kamui still lives with her, days often pass without a glimpse of braided pink hair around the house. He leaves hours before the sun rises and returns late into the night; the only telling signs of his presence are the washed dishes by the sink and the empty fridge.
The distance between them has grown so far that they have become three individual persons living under the same roof, rather than a family.
Family.
The word leaves a bitter taste in her mouth.
In spite of her estranged relationships, Kagura finds herself undeterred from her personal mission. The Yato gang has always been strong, not simply because of their connections and natural physical enhancements, but because everyone in the gang is related. Nothing unifies a group like a blood bond. They were just a group once, just an extended family.
When did things start to go wrong?
If anything she wants to save them - the public and her clansmen - even more now than before, bring things back to the way they used to be. Consumed by their insatiable greed and thirst for power her clansmen have transformed into cold-hearted criminals, brother and father included.
She switches on the lights to reveal a lifeless living room, thinking to herself that once upon a time things were different. Once upon a time her baka-nii wasn't obsessed with gaining strength and didn't find enjoyment in criminal activities poorly disguised as "clansmen traditions".
However that was all once upon a time.
Deep down she knows life doesn't have a reset button but if she won't try to save them, who will?Perhaps if the policemen can stop them from falling even deeper into their moral recession they might see the light once again. Maybe then the three of them can pick up the broken pieces and try to make things work again.
Ruffling her canine companion's mane she leaves Sadaharu to head for the bathroom, singing Otsuu-chan's newest chart-topper under her breath as she saunters down the hallway.
"Omae soredemo ningen ka!"
Stripping down the redhead discards her dirty clothes on the marble floor and places her revolver on the sink. She inspects her naked form in the mirror as she attempts to dance.
"Omae no kaachan XX shita!"
Stepping into the shower, Kagura groans at the soothing sensation of hot water on her skin. There's nothing like a good shower to follow an exhausting day spent with less than average-brained policemen. Those uniformed idiots are filth personified and after prolonged contact with them her body is in dire need of cleansing.
Especially that sadist cop.
Never has she seen a police officer behave so recklessly; his actions towards her were a clear abuse of authority, bordering on sexual harassment. Kagura recalls the warm tingling of the flaxen-haired man's breath dancing along her skin, the pressure of his thumbs on her shoulders, his body intimately pressed against hers as he handcuffs—
She promptly increases the water temperature, hoping the scalding water will purge her mind of these dirty thoughts.
Like any other night Yoshiwarais bustling with life. The streets are littered with bars, brothels, cabarets, adult shops and anything that encourages debauchery. Customers and prostitutes alike flood the district, unbothered by the noise and unconcerned by the law. The Yato gang have always held influence over the Japanese government, be it due to their connections with neighbouring cities and China, or the threat their well-known physical power poses to Tokyo should they decide to act against the city.
It required little persuasion on the King of the Night's part to get the previous Shogun to allow the district's activities and while Yoshiwara's frequenters may not necessarily agree with its ruler's methods, they aren't complaining about its results.
As a mass of people drunkenly stumble from pub to pub two men sit in the corner of a dimly-lit, uncrowded bar.
"It appears your sister has gotten herself in trouble with the law."
"Does that surprise you?" If possible, the grin on the younger man's face widens. "It runs in the family, it's bound to happen sometime."
When he doesn't comment further Abuto sighs, reminding himself that the lad before him doesn't value familial bonds the way he does. Given his superior's lack of interest in the topic, continuing the conversation down this path wouldn't prove fruitful but he has always had a soft spot for the girl — likely because she bears an uncanny resemblance to her brother — and he never feels right when forced to turn a blind eye to the struggles of his fellow clansmen.
"Oi oi big brother shouldn't you at least pretend to be concerned?" Sipping his sake he continues, "Little Kagura could get hurt."
Kamui's eyes remain shut. "I don't have time for weaklings, you know that. Besides," Eyelids open ever-so-slightly, revealing a hint of blue. "If the crybaby dies that's one less disgrace to take care of."
A resigned sigh leaves Abuto's lips again. "You know, even criminals have soft spots for their family."
Kamui gives a nonchalant shrug.
"Ne Hijikata-san," Sougo addresses the man beside him, "stop slacking around and get to work."
"I'm not the one sleeping on the job." Hijikata retorts, laying his head back against the bench. "It's not my fault people haven't been committing any crimes lately."
"You're wrong."
He turns to face his subordinate, surprised by the sudden change in the man's tone. Sougo's sombre demeanour brews uncertainty in him: his comrade doesn't take many things seriously, but when he does Hijikata knows shit is about to go down.
Taking off his eye-mask, a grim look mars his comrade's features. Racking his brain for any potential threats to the city he might have ignored, Hijikata kicks himself when he remembers the Yato girl from three weeks ago and the bleak future foreshadowed by her words.
How could he forget her warning?
'Oh yeah…Tomoe-chan was on television…'
"Yeah…" Sougo's voice breaks his trail of thought, "there's one crime that I haven't tended to lately…"
Red meets blue in an unwavering stare.
Hijikata holds his breath, anticipating the worst.
"And that's you, Hijikata-san."
"NANI?!" is all he manages to say before instinctually ducking, narrowly avoiding being blown to smithereens by Sougo's bazooka. The canon sails over his head and through the ground floor of a convenience store.
"Tsk. See what you did Hijikata-san?"
"You're the only criminal around here!"
After their pointless argument the officers settle down on the bench once more, blatantly ignoring the raging shopkeeper fifty metres to their right. Watching the civilians at leisure Hijikata cannot hide his smirk of content; a cop knows he's doing a good job when citizens can walk around town without a fear in the world.
He may be the vice-commander in title, but he's a policeman at heart.
Protecting the people is his duty and — based on the lack of criminal activity in the last month — the smoker knows his efforts are finally going somewhere. Yet as he observes adults and teenagers frolicking about, he cannot help but think that the streets of Tokyo are too quiet.
"Sougo, when was the last time a Yato clansmen committed a crime?"
"Two days ago."
"What was it?"
"He shoplifted from a department store. Why?"
Ignoring the question Hijikata presses on. "What about the one before that?"
"That was almost a week ago, the guy was a purse-snatcher." Sougo watches him closely from the corner of his eye. "Why?"
"When was the last time the Yato gang did something big? Like a murder or a bank robbery."
"I don't know…around a month ago?" The younger man sits up, turning to fully face his superior. "You gonna tell me what this is about or do I have to beat it out of you?"
Hijikata stares off into the distance, dark blue eyes unfocused.
The bigger crimes were always committed by the more powerful members of the Yato gang, not because they were more capable of carrying out those activities but because they could handle more of the police force than their subordinates. The last time they heard from the bigger fish was roughly a month ago. Are they laying low? Or are they preparing for something bigger?
'Don't you find it strange that the daughter of the most powerful fighter in Tokyo was captured so easily?'
As he surveys the vicinity, the lack of activity on the streets grows increasingly eerie with every passing minute. Yet the passers-by remain blissfully ignorant, lulled into the false sense of security the dropping crime rate brings.
This quietude isn't one of peace.
No.
It is the calm before the storm.
Sorry for the boring chapter. Hopefully the next ones will be longer and more eventful.
Have a great week everyone and thanks for reviewing.