Chapter 3

'If you came to check up on Neko, you just missed her,' she heard as soon as she opened the door to a certain, stylish bar. The words were spoken dismissively and Seri Awashima paused briefly. With a huff, she stepped in, closing the door behind her, looking around briefly. Except for the barman behind the bar and the Red King, sitting at one of the tables, drawing something and kicking her short legs in the air, there was nobody. It was the best set-up, she thought, not in the mood to answer to any stupid questions from other HOMRA members.

'How rude,' she said, coming up to the bar and sitting on one of the red chairs. The dashingly handsome barman smiled at her and she was unable to not smile back. 'Can I have a drink or should I leave, since the Strain is not here?' she asked, pretending to be insulted.

'Can I make it without the red bean paste?' the barman asked back with his most charming smile. Seri didn't even bother to reply and he sighed heavily, expression changing into resigned disappointment. Seriously, one could thing she was asking him to commit an atrocious crime!

'Neko is very worried about Kuroh Yatogami,' Anna Kushina, the Red King spoke out of the blue, disturbing the familiar, comfortable silence. 'She will not stop going out to try and find him, as well as Shiro. She will not stop crying in the evenings, when she comes back alone.'

'It's not like there is anything I can do about it,' Seri replied stiffly. She didn't want to be unkind, but she didn't appreciate at all the faint reproach she thought she could hear in the kid's tone. That was why she added: 'She could have tried to intervene in the fight, rather than screaming for the king who has abandoned them.'

'Now, now, mademoiselle,' the barman said soothingly. 'Don't be so harsh on the Silver King. I'm sure he has his reasons,' he added. Neither his words nor his tone were fooling Seri thought. She knew Izumo Kusanagi far too well for that.

'You think he's dead,' she stated.

'I think he acted like he cared for them the way Munakata cares for you, or the way Anna and Mikoto before her care for all HOMRA members,' he corrected without denying her statement. Seri pursed her lips.

'Shiro is not dead,' Anna whispered firmly. Neither of them answered her.

Izumo placed a glass in front of Seri and, while she dissolved the red bean paste, prepared himself a gin tonic. Wordlessly they clicked the glasses together and took a sip. Seri was sure that Izumo thought along the same lines as her: if Shiro was alive then why hasn't he shown up yet? What would it take to force him to make a move?

'Is it still acceptable for the Strain to remain with you?' Seri asked instead. She asked every time she came visiting, which was much more often these days than usually. Every time the answer was the same: "yes, Neko can stay with us". Anna has apparently grown very fond of the cat woman.

'Now that she's alone, Neko doesn't want to go back to the school anymore,' the little King added this time.

'That's not so surprising,' Seri allowed. She could understand how a home without the family wasn't the same. Harsh as it was, it was better for Sceptre 4. It was one thing less to worry about, even if the Jungle players have obviously let up on harassing the Strain after kidnapping Yatogami didn't produce the desired results. Well, that was the theory Sceptre 4 was working under, or rather not working since there was nothing much to do anymore.

'No news on the Gold King?' Izumo asked after a long moment of silence made it obvious the topic of the Strain wasn't going to be continued. Seri shook her head slightly.

'The captain found some information in the library of the Mihashira Tower. It seems that the Gold and Silver Kings have been long-time friends,' she said. The Red clan deserved to know about it. 'We're now assuming that they have left together, for whatever reason. The other option would be that the Gold King is mourning the loss of his friend in solitude. The Gold clan has been most unhelpful in anything that goes beyond maintaining the Tower and all the national agencies. We are not sure why, but Fushimi thinks they simply know nothing.'

'Always the pessimist, that guy,' Izumo muttered with a smile entirely too fond for somebody who has been betrayed by the topic of the conversation.

'Well, it's this or they're knowingly hindering our progress,' she sighed. 'I think I prefer his pessimism this once.'

'Putting it like that, you certainly do have a point,' Izumo laughed lightly. 'How's the captain doing?' he asked after a moment, keeping his tone nonchalant. He wasn't fooling her this time either. He could have just as well asked the real question: is Reisi Munakata holding on? Is he stable?

If it was anybody else, especially anybody else from the Red clan, she would have glared at them until they combusted under the heat of her anger. But it was Izumo, so Seri only sighed tiredly, unwilling to discuss her king in front of the Red King. Not even if the Red King has agreed to form a tentative sort of alliance with the Blue King and, ultimately, had the right to know how his ally was faring.

'I suppose your last question is about the Green clan,' she said instead, knowing that this topic change will appease the Red King and her first-in-command. 'We're no further along in that case than we were three days ago, when I came here. Fushimi is slacking, under the excuse of escorting that student to the Mihashira Tower- Well, he is absent most of the days recently, but he does have computers there. He could be doing his work almost normally.'

When there was no immediate reply to her complaining, Seri looked at Izumo to find him looking at her with a puzzled expression. Quickly, she replayed the few, last sentences she has said in her head and realized her mistake: the Red clan didn't know about Mai Ueno studying the Dresden Slate. As she failed to fully restrain herself from wincing, she saw Izumo smile slowly.

'Saruhiko is stuck with babysitting duty?' he asked, leaning closer to her, against the bar. Seri looked away. 'Do tell me, it sounds fun,' he purred. Seri closed her eyes.

She had to say something. And soon. Was it ok to let the Red Clan know about studying the scripture on the Slate? The Captain hasn't said anything about it. Which meant also that he hasn't forbidden the topic, so it was her call, wasn't it?

A beep of incoming message saved her. Izumo pulled back and, from under the bar, took out a PDA. Seri frowned slightly at the device: wasn't his PDA black? She was about to ask, but the words died on her lips when Izumo cursed. Badly.

'What happened, Izumo?' Anna asked, coming up to the bar. Izumo ignored her. He whipped out his PDA and started typing furiously. The other, grey one beeped again, just as he has pressed "send". He glanced at it and typed something else. Only afterwards did he look up, still ignoring his King.

'Seri, you need to contact Munakata,' he said in a rush. Seri straightened at the worry clearly audible in his voice. 'The Green clansmen are on the move to the docks, where somebody has spotted Neko,' he explained and Seri didn't hesitate to grab her phone and communicate the information to her superior. Izumo's grey PDA beeped for the third time about the same time as she finished speaking.

'So far it's only low-rank members keeping an eye on her,' Izumo said and Seri echoed the words, talking over Munakata thanking her for her help. 'There seems to be a 5 point per photo award in the game, so chance is Neko won't manage to disappear before the big players show up.'

'I'll see you later,' Seri said once she hung up. 'Please tell me and the captain if the Strain changes location drastically. We're sending in the teams, but it will take time to reach her,' she explained, glad for the open collaboration between the clans.

She didn't wait for his reply, running out of the bar. With perfect timing, Tatsuya Enomoto pulled up with a car and she jumped inside, yelling at him to go before she even closed the door properly. In the car's radio, she heard the captain ordering Fushimi to standby with all the possible cameras, to try and trace the arrival, and maybe the departure, of Jungle's key players. The third-in-command replied in a bored tone, taking his time to complain about the small screen he only had at his disposal in the Mihashira Tower.

A thought crossed her mind: what if this is a ruse so that the Green clan can make their move elsewhere? She was about to tell Enomoto to turn around and go to the Mihashira Tower, when Fushimi calmly informed them, through the radio, that Jungle's Yukari Mishakuji and Sukuna Gojo have been spotted on the cameras, in the vicinity of the docks.

'We're never gonna make it on time,' Enomoto muttered. 'How did they get there so fast, damn it?'

'Just drive,' Seri replied, although she agreed with her colleague. 'The Strain can hold her ground for a while. We've seen her in action, when she gets serious,' she added, not really believing her own words. Or rather, she was convinced that the Strain stood no chance against those particular, two Green clansmen.

'Hidaka reporting,' came through the radio with heavy disturbances. 'We've been stopped by some Green clansmen. Backup requested at the location,' he said. The location blinked blue on the screen: right next to them.

Seri cursed.

'Go there, we cannot leave our men without help,' she commanded. Enomoto looked like he was about to protest, but the words that left his mouth were a report, over the radio, of changing course to help Akira Hidaka out. Afterwards, he turned the car into the next perpendicular street, stepping on the gas.

It didn't take them long to arrive and while alone Goto and Hidaka would have been completely overwhelmed due to the sheer number of enemies, the four of them have somehow managed to dispatch of all the masked Jungle players. Seri was about to order them to continue towards the docks, despite all the time they have lost, when a flash of white light grabbed their attention.

'It's coming from the direction of the docks,' Goto pointed out. 'What the hell was that?'

In a flash of premonition, Seri knew the answer even before a giant sword materialised high above the city buildings. Still, she held her breath, taking in the details and comparing with what she knew, coming to the conclusion that it was exactly as expected: the Silver King has descended on Earth again.

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As usual, the cavern was quiet when Yukari and Sukuna were gone, however, it was anything but peaceful this time. They didn't hide what their mission was: to capture Neko. They even showed Kuroh the pictures of the lost Strain, alone in the docks. How stupid was that girl? Going alone somewhere with no people!

Not that it mattered if she was against both Yukari and Sukuna.

Ever since they left, laughing about their mission and trading comments about how they could subdue Neko, Kuroh was pacing back and forth. Scenarios, going from bad to worse to even worse, played in his head and not once he glanced at Kotowari, resting on a stand, at the very edge of the "room". Unprotected. Unattainable. He hated how they mocked him by displaying it freely. He hated how he knew exactly where to stop and turn around to not trigger the contraption around his neck, even if there were no markings on the floor. Like a trained animal that didn't even need a cage to stay put.

'How amusing,' Nagare Hisui spoke up at some point. Kuroh really wanted to ignore him, but he stopped and looked at the Green King anyway. He recoiled when he saw the man looking straight at him, smiling mockingly. 'It seems that the Red and Blue clans have somehow heard of our mission,' the Green King informed him.

Kuroh looked away with an angry huff and resumed his pacing. In his head, he tried to invent scenarios when somebody, anybody comes to save Neko on time.

'You think that Fushimi tipped them off?' the priest asked in between sips of beer. Was that man really a priest? Kuroh couldn't help but wonder. He had a feeling he should know that man's face and he was sure he has never met any priests. It was most unsettling.

He glanced at the recorder, lying on the "room's" floor near Kotowari. He longed to have it almost as much as the katana, to hear something that would help him figure out what to do in this helpless situation or even understand why he felt so unpleasantly worried when he looked at the kind priest. There must have been something, he was just not smart enough to see it on his own. Surely, his master would have known.

Nagare Hisui laughed.

'If Fushimi has tipped off the Blue and Red clans about this mission then he is seriously playing for both camps,' he announced. Kuroh gritted his teeth, both wishing that he didn't have to listen about the betrayal and knowing he needed to know as much as possible for when he got out.

If he got out.

'Do share,' the priest prompted when the Green King simply kept laughing quietly.

'He has just told some people which roads the police cars were passing through. Our faithful clansmen have managed to stop them all before they reached the docks,' Nagare Hisui announced with amusement.

The priest laughed out as well.

Kuroh was gritting his teeth so hard it was a wonder they didn't shatter. He fisted his hands, breathing slowly in and out, deliberately, to remain some semblance of calm. That shameless, immoral traitor! He knew the consequences of stopping Sceptre 4! If Kuroh ever met Fushimi, in the cavern or anywhere else, there would be hell to pay.

Yes, that was it, he thought. If Fushimi ever made it to J-level or if Kuroh managed to get out, the traitor would regret. More importantly: what would now happen to Neko? Would the Red clan, at least, make it on time to help her?

Idly, Kuroh registered the priest and Nagare Hisui discussing the fate of Green clansmen who would inevitably get caught and arrested. There was not a shred of remorse in their voices, or on their faces when Kuroh glanced their way before resuming his pacing. All the time, he waited for the Green King to inform him about how the Red clan was thwarted. The longer this announcement didn't come, the more his imagination provided of scenarios, where Yukari and Sukuna burned.

Could Izumo Kusanagi stand his ground against the two Green clansmen? Probably not, but the Red clan acted as a team. If they charged in together and that annoying skateboarder-

Kuroh paused, both his pacing and thoughts, as a sort of tingling shiver ran down his spine. Immediately after, he could feel the gaze of the Green King burning into him. Uncertainly, he turned his head to look at the wheelchair-bound man and shivered again when he saw the ominous smirk on Nagare Hisui's face.

Moments later, Yukari and Sukuna arrived, looking safe and sound but not carrying an unconscious, or struggling and screaming, cat woman. Kuroh sagged in relief. The Red clan has made it on time. Or Neko has managed to escape. Or-

Why the hell was the Green King still smiling like that? Why wasn't he angry that the mission failed? Why were Yukari and Sukuna in such good moods? What was Kuroh missing, again?

'I suppose you already know the good news,' Yukari stated as he stepped into the "room". Why did he glance Kuroh's way so eagerly? Or was his gaze eager? Sukuna ran into the "room", hands spread to the sides, shouting about how it was amazing and how the mission worked this time.

But-

'What are you on about?' the priest asked with irritation, although the moment he spoke his question his expression cleared and his eyes widened in surprise. 'Don't tell me-'

'Yes!' Sukuna exclaimed and did a small dance.

'The Silver King has appeared,' Nagare Hisui said calmly, his eyes still not leaving Kuroh.

The Silver King has appeared. For a moment, Kuroh forgot to breathe. Shiro has come back, Shiro was alright, Shiro- The thoughts turned in his head in circles, so loud he almost didn't hear Yukari's description of the ambush. The story of how Neko tried to get away and how they cornered her, of how, in the last moment, just as Yukari was about to deliver the blow that would render her unconscious and transportable, a bright light blinded them all. Cheerfully, Yukari described how he was thrown back, Sukuna adding his five cents about how he flew into the wall from the sheer force with which Yashiro Isana pushed them away.

Frozen in shock, but happy, oh so happy that Shiro was alright after all, that their hopes have not been in vain, Kuroh watched the others. He couldn't understand why they were so happy to have another enemy, but for the moment it didn't matter, because Shiro was back and so Kuroh should now pull himself together and return to his King's side, to his precious friend.

Yukari turned to look at him and Kuroh found his gaze immediately shifting to look straight into his senior student's brown eyes. He couldn't understand the emotions in them, something lurking beyond the joy, softening Yukari's usually sharp gaze.

'It seems, my cute, little Kuroh, that you were simply not important enough to Yashiro Isana for him to show up and save you,' Yukari said softly. Kuroh blinked, for a moment not understanding the meaning of the words spoken to him. He was not-

Oh.

Shiro hasn't come to help Kuroh, to spare him the kidnapping and the humiliation of the restraining collar and being Yukari's plaything. Shiro hasn't come even though, according to the priest, Yukari hasn't been all that far from killing Kuroh that day on the bridge. Shiro hasn't come when Kuroh was screaming his lungs out, clawing at the collar as the incredible pain cursed through his whole body, all but paralysing him.

Shiro has come to save Neko, but not Kuroh.

Memories from the times he spent with Neko and Shiro flashed in front of his eyes. Memories of his stubborn attempts at killing Shiro and the warmth in Shiro's amber eyes that slowly melted the ice around his heart and soul. Memories of Neko's stupidity and of laughter it provoked half the times. Memories of Kuroh's pledge to Shiro and Shiro's promise to come back.

A promise that apparently meant nothing.

He wasn't even aware that his legs buckled under him until his knees collided with the floor. The shock of it snapped him out of his stupor and he found himself breathing heavily, almost convulsively, hand fisted on his shirt, over his heart that was hurting as though a knife has been thrust into it. He squeezed his eyes shut and pushed his other hand against his mouth, desperate to not make a sound, to not let the burning tears in his eyes spill over. Slowly, he bowed his back, forehead almost touching the floor.