Chapter 7

She was in Animate much earlier than after two hours, but that was all part of the plan. The last thing she wanted was for the Blue King to suspect she was starting to gather "clansmen" before she even had the time to explain the situation to her friends and she fully expected that the police officers wouldn't drive away immediately, curious. Plus, that gave her time to go and buy the manga she really did want to buy. In fact, it gave her too much time and she found herself browsing through the merchandise section only to find a notebook with a pretty logo and blue stripes and a super cute phone charm, in the shape of Sebastian Michaelis. Then, just before she could turn around and pay for her meagre coronation gifts, her eyes caught a nicely made pentagram-pact-with-the-devil phone charm. And right after: a chibi Sebastian.

Gods, she was too old for that, wasn't she? Then again, she was also probably too old for the full-door-size limited edition poster of Sebastian Michaelis and she had one in her cosy studio. Surely she could offer herself a small coronation gift. The question was which one, because she shouldn't get two phone charms, should she? Not the same day, that is. Thus, Mai Ueno remained there for a long while, weighing pros and cons of both. A cute, chibi Sebastian versus the pentagram with beautiful inscriptions - who would be able to decide easily?

In the end that was where her friend, Erika Karisawa, found her and immediately made the decision easier by claiming the chibi Sebastian, the last one nonetheless, for herself, along with five other charms with chibi manga characters. Mai complained for the sake of complaining, defended herself for wearing a yellow scarf, again, and followed her friend to pay for the shopping.

Chatting idly, they went out where the three guys were waiting. After exchanging greetings they made their way to the Minami Park, passing by a Seven-11 to pick up some drinks. Mai didn't start the conversation immediately and neither did they, waiting for her cue. In the end, they finished each a can of chuhai. As Kadota opened himself a second one, Mai thought it was maybe time to start talking.

She cleared her throat and all four faces turned towards her. She took a deep breath.

'It will be difficult to believe, I guess,' she started and hesitated, remembering the headless biker speeding down Ikebukuro streets. Maybe superpowers weren't so weird. 'And before I start I need you to remember one thing: I swore to myself, on all that is sacred, that I will not use my abilities on my friends.'

Even without seeing the bursts of bewilderment blooming through the pleased haze of spending time with friends, she could easily read the feeling on their faces. Kadota looked like he was going to ask something right about the moment when worry darkened his feelings, but he stopped himself, obviously deciding to listen for a moment longer. Mai took a large sip of her second drink, put the can away and moved to stand in front of them.

Right, she thought, I have no idea how to call up my "aura". Then again, ever since she woke up, earlier that day, she felt it inside, swirling and spreading and wanting to get out. So she just closed her eyes and willed it out a little bit.

It felt as though she released a gust of wind in all directions. It sounded a bit like it as well or perhaps like a distant waterfall. Slowly a weight settled on her shoulders and, as she heard gasps, she looked up to see a huge sword hanging over her head, far above, its ages slightly hazy wherever the swirling greyish black, translucent smoke overlapped with it.

So that was the Sword of Damocles, she thought. It looked far more impressive than on the images she has seen in Munakata's files. Probably it was one of those things you had to "see with your own eyes" and maybe even feel on your own shoulders. Since the weight appeared when the sword has, she assumed they were connected, but was it normal? She could worry about it later. She would hopefully read about it later, when she returned to Sceptre 4. In the meantime, she looked at her friends, more less at the same moment as they looked away from the sword and down at her again.

Now. How do I call that thing back?

Not later than Mai thought her question, there was a pop of implosion and the weight and the swirly, unnatural smoke disappeared. Her shoulders sagged a bit and she went back to her place, feeling the gazes burning into her. Only after she sat down and took a sip of the drink did she look back at her friends, the smile she tried to call up dying on her lips.

'Yesterday, something happened and I became a "Colourless King", or so I've been told when I regained consciousness today in the morning,' she said quietly and took another sip from the can. Nobody spoke, so she continued what little speech she has prepared. 'There are seven Kings, some sort of super-humans who can give powers to people who will follow them. Amongst them, the Colourless King is a sort of wild card. I would have laughed them in their faces, but ever since I woke up I see people's emotions as clear as I see you guys now. And I know that I could convince just about anybody to do anything I want them to, regardless of what they want, wish or believe. It seems to be my "ability" as the Colourless King.'

She paused with a sigh.

'You mean you could convince Walker and Saburo to kiss?' Erika asked, sounding completely serious. Mai blinked. She hasn't thought about this kind of use for her ability.

'What the hell?' the two concerned men exclaimed in outrage. Erika laughed out and Mai couldn't help giggling as well even as she considered Erika's question.

'I could probably even convince them they actually want to do this,' she admitted. The truth was that she had no idea what the limits of her ability were. 'Although not right now, maybe, since they would know what I'm trying to do. I think the target has to be unaware,' she added to calm the spiking worry she felt from the two men.

'That was why you started with that bizarre statement?' Kadota asked. Mai nodded. She knew that they could still doubt her or doubt their own decisions and thoughts from now on. However, she was sure that saying first she could convince everybody to do whatever she wanted and only later reassure people she wouldn't use her ability on them was worse. 'So what do you need from us?'

'Protection,' she replied without hesitation. Then, slightly less certain: 'Well, I'm not sure how much I really need it and how much you guys can stand up to some enhanced super-humans, but I would be happier if I knew that I have a place where I can run away to. In case something happens.'

'What could happen?' Walker asked, sounding and feeling glad, probably because the topic has changed. Mai shrugged and looked down at the can opening and her fingers fiddling with it.

'Right now there is a Green King who wants to steal the thing that gives people superpowers, while the others want to stop him. If he thinks I'm part of the plan, he could try to eliminate me, knowing that I'm the weakest player,' she muttered, although she had a feeling the Green King would avoid her. She sighed and continued louder, but still not looking up. 'I think they are right in wanting to stop the Green King, because of all that cliché "with great power comes great responsibility". I have so far told them I can't help, but even without it I think I should find some clansmen. Until then, however-'

'Can't I become your clansman?' Erika interrupted her. Mai blinked at her in surprise.

'It's permanent, I think,' she cautioned, but Erika clearly wasn't listening.

'Well, a clanswoman in any case. Do you think I would have the power to convince boys to kiss each other?' she asked. Walker, who was sitting next to her, edged away slightly, making the other two guys snicker. Mai stifled a smile as much as the outward reaction as Walker's emotional make-up. The poor guy really was helplessly in love with the crazy yaoi fangirl.

'What kind of superpowers are we talking about?' Togusa asked. 'If it's something like X-ray vision I'm in. Or no, wait, what is it that lets you see under people's clothes?'

'Saburo,' Erika exclaimed, outraged. Togusa tried to defend himself that if she was going to live out her dirty fantasies then so could he. And Mai had to stifle her laughter, because somebody needed to remain serious in that serious situation.

'I don't know actually,' Mai replied to his first question, cutting the argument short and getting everybody's attention again. 'It appears that the Colourless King gives different abilities to their clansmen, or at least there is a choice of two abilities.'

Quickly, she described what she has managed to read about Kuroh Yatogami and Yukari Mishakuji, explaining also why she couldn't count on them as her protection. Of course, Erika seemed disappointed by the description, and so was Togusa, but she could see clear interest on Kadota's and Walker's faces. She rushed to say that the skills appeared to still depend on the person and there were stronger and weaker individuals.

'I have nothing to confirm it, but somehow I feel that I could hope to forge new abilities for my clansmen as well,' she finished, deciding to not add that it would have been easier to be a Blue or Red King and only have one ability to share.

'Try me, try me,' Erika demanded immediately. 'I want to be able to make guys kiss!'

'How is that an offensive or even defensive ability?' Walker protested. His outrage entwined closely with jealousy, wrapping around him like a prickly braid.

'They cannot fight if they're snogging, now, can they?' Erika pointed out immediately. She did have a point, Mai thought. Plus, if men thought that standing up to Erika would leave them kissing other men then maybe they would think twice.

'That distant hand is much more useful. Imagine: you could throw Molotov cocktails much further away, or even torch buildings from a safe distance,' Walker countered stubbornly. Mai looked from Erika to him and then to the other two, who were nodding, as though Walker was saying something reasonable.

'I'm wondering if that other thing couldn't be used to make get the van to go faster, or maybe even jump over obstacles,' Togusa piped in, obviously having made peace with the idea that he wouldn't see through girls' clothes any time soon.

'Yeah, I can't decide which one is better,' Kadota muttered, nodding his head some more. It was frightening that the most reasonable of the four sounded like he was honestly considering diving head first into the world none of them really knew anything about.

'You guys,' Mai started and trailed off, when they turned to look at her. The four smiles on their faces were almost scary, but there was no hesitation in them, not even a hint of worry that things might turn sour.

'Count us in, Nerdy,' Kadota said.

'It sounds like fun,' Erika added. It didn't, but Mai wasn't strong enough to turn down help she has probably, subconsciously counted for.

})i({

If there was one thing good about the appearance of the Colourless King, Saruhiko Fushimi thought, it was certainly that he didn't have to play a babysitter anymore. After all, it would be hilarious if one of the Kings had restricted access to the Slate or even required constant surveillance while reading up on the Gold King's documents. That meant he could to back to the home base, back to the centre of action. Or so he has thought.

Munakata was quick to put him right.

'What do you mean you want me to pick her up tomorrow morning?' he asked incredulously.

They have just come back from the "coffee table alliance" meeting and he has gone to his usual place, leaving Munakata and Awashima to discuss something they needed to talk about but wouldn't with him present. It has taken them surprisingly little time and they were now in the main room, Awashima looking away guiltily when he glanced her direction to figure out if it was a joke.

'Didn't we say today that we need to find the location of the enemy base if we are to hope for any chance in fighting them?' he reminded them when no immediate answer was given to his first question. 'I didn't join Sceptre 4 to be a babysitter when I can do something useful.'

'Protecting our allies is just as useful as attacking the enemy,' Munakata pointed out, sounding so unconvinced that Fushimi had no idea whom he was telling this to. 'Mai Ueno has no clansmen and, as far as we can see from her CV and the information we got on her, barely any self-defence skills. Even once she figures out what her ability is chances are it will not be something she can fight with. She is a perfect prey for the Green King.'

'Then assign somebody else to guard her,' Fushimi hissed. 'I don't know why it was me from the beginning, but I've certainly had enough. We all know that, between all of the clansmen in our, Red and Silver clans, I am the one with biggest chances of tracking down any digital trace of the Green clan that could lead us to their hideout. Assigning me on protection duty for the new King, who by the way, hasn't even agreed to join our alliance, is a waste of resources.'

He paused as a thought occurred to him, unpleasant and worrying.

'Or are you purposefully dismissing me from the real action?' he asked, tone quiet in contrast to his near shouting from moments earlier. With the corner of his eye he saw Awashima twitch at the words while Munakata winced. It was as good as an answer and Fushimi recoiled. Somebody has found out he was playing Jungle, he thought. And Awashima thought he was going to betray them.

'I am not,' Munakata protested, but it was very obviously a lie. It wasn't even a good one. 'For one, I want you to not only protect the Colourless King, but also keep an eye on her. It is exactly because she refused to help us that we need to make sure she truly refused because she has no means to fight and not because she hopes to join the Green King. Preventing that, considering that we don't know what her ability is, is as important as locating the Green King.'

It was a fair point, although haven't they agreed that finding the location of Jungle's base was the most important? Munakata has said so during that stupid meeting in the high school dorm room. Why was he changing his mind now? Besides, there were people in the unit better prepared to tail a woman.

'Send Awashima,' Fushimi countered without hesitation. 'She's even stronger than me and the Colourless King wouldn't be able to pull any "I need to go to the toilet" kind of clichéd escapes with her.'

Munakata hesitated. His eyes never left Fushimi, but he seemed at loss of what to say. To Fushimi it was clear that the protection duty he has suddenly been assigned was just a way to pull him away from researching the Green clan, away from a position in which he could intercept any important information and mislead the Blue clan.

'Actually you know what? I don't care anymore,' he proclaimed, feeling his irritation climb higher than ever since he has quit HOMRA. Perhaps that was a sign after all.

With jerky movements, he undid the loop that held the sword at his side and threw the weapon on the floor, between him and Munakata. Only then did Awashima look at him, horrified by his actions and a part of Fushimi wanted to know what role exactly she played in Munakata's sudden change of heart. A part didn't care anymore. He was done with the inefficient police. He could see already how they would lose to the Green clan and he was not a person to stay on the sinking ship. Everybody knew that.

He all but ripped his uniform jacket off his shoulders and threw it, with far more force than necessary, onto the ground.

'I'm done,' he hissed through gritted teeth. Munakata clenched his fists, but said nothing, the damned coward. Too bad. It would have been far more satisfying to punch him in the face as he was leaving, but he would have to be satisfied with a verbal attack. 'If you want to waste your time on suspecting the wrong people then feel free and go to hell,' he spat.

'Fushimi,' Awashima protested, but he didn't even spare her a glance before he turned around and stomped out of the command room.

'No, lieutenant, let him go,' he heard Munakata say and wanted to laugh bitterly at the situation. 'If he feels like this we cannot force him to stay.'

'But captain,' Awashima protested. 'What if he-'

Fushimi didn't hear what she was afraid he would do: he has slammed the door behind him and continued down the corridor without pausing. In reality he has been prepared for such a situation for a while now, so he knew exactly what he needed to do. And he needed to do it fast, before anybody realized. They would surely try to stop him then, but if he managed to get the Green ninja out then she in turn could get them out of Sceptre 4's headquarters.

Truly, the police these days was a joke.