An hour later, Tsubaki, Kaede, Maria, and Danny emerge from another service tunnel manhole, a mile from the dojo. Luckily for all, there are no snipers covering it. In fact, the area of the city they emerge in is so quiet, it feels like they're the only four inhabitants.

"This is creepy," Kaede comments once everyone's safely on the surface. "It's like the city has died."

"In a few days, the city will die," Tsubaki predicts. "And I plan to make both the bat and the otter watch its death throes."

"Real ray of sunshine, you are," Kaede snarks.

The fire sword is laid across Kaede's neck before the pika even notices Tsubaki moving.

"Another idle threat," Kaede continues, unfazed. "You do realise all this theatre is why you lost Chika in Mizutani?"

"Order your slaves to begin their mission," Tsubaki demands.

"They already have," Kaede informs.

Tsubaki looks around to see Maria and Danny have vanished. "You willingly leave yourself defenceless around me?"

"Yep."

Tsubaki hesitates, then lowers her sword.

Thank the spirit of the kitsune! "Why did you lead Chika up to the top of the observation tower, by the way?" Kaede continues. "You had her in her sanctum, ripe for the kill. And you could have taken out her boyfriend and that infernal vixen. Yet you hogtied Hanna and Xander, forgetting they both have claws with which they quickly freed themselves, then you marched Chika to the top of the tower to gloat in false victory. It's almost like you wanted to fail."

"I won't make that mistake again," Tsubaki vows, sheathing her sword.

"Good to hear," Kaede smiles. "Now, let's get moving," she decides, setting off towards the dojo.

Tsubaki follows a second later. She's getting too confident for my liking…

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the service tunnel where Tsubaki was sniped, Hanna springs out into the lava diversion tunnel, nunchaku whirling. Looking around, she sees no‑one there. With a muted curse, she holsters her nunchaku.

"It took an hour to get here," Rob reminds, joining his wife in the diversion tunnel. "It's no surprise they're not here."

Hanna doesn't respond, dropping to all‑fours to try and pick up a scent trail. However, she's having some trouble picking up a scent. "Stand downwind."

"But there's no wind down here," Rob informs.

"Then move away."

Rob backs away twenty feet, and waits patiently. Hanna continues to sniff the ground for a couple more minutes, then suddenly darts up the tunnel towards the city boundary. Rob follows as quick as he can, but Hanna soon outpaces him despite running on all‑fours. By the time Rob arrives at the next service tunnel half a mile later, Hanna is already halfway through it.

Eventually, Rob catches up with Hanna at the surface, where the vixen is once again searching for scent trails.

"I know you want to find them, but at least let me keep up!" Rob snaps as he drops the manhole cover noisily in place.

Hanna stands and strides right up to Rob. "My best friend is out there working for the enemy against her will. I will do anything to save her."

"I know," Rob assures. "I want to save my best friend too. But we're only going to do that if we work together."

"The trail splits here," Hanna informs. "Our friends headed west towards the front, the sadistic bitches north‑west towards the dojo."

"Shit. That can only mean one thing."

"Our friends are hunting us."

"And they're going the wrong way."

"Decision."

Rob thinks a moment. "This'll sound crazy, but hear me out. We go after Tsubaki and Kaede, but we let our position leak to Maria and Danny. They'll then turn from the front and come after us."

"You're right: that sounds crazy," Hanna agrees. "But I can't think of a better idea. Let's go with it."

Rob unclips a handheld two‑way radio from his belt. "Skarlett to Takenaka, come in Yoshi."

"Go ahead Rob," Hideyoshi replies, his voice distorted by the small speaker.

"Can you make sure that if anyone sees Maria and Danny, they leak our position to them?" Rob asks.

"Will do," Hideyoshi agrees. "I assume this is part of a plan?"

"Correct."

"Then the best of luck to you both." Hideyoshi ends the communication.

"Honey, lead the way," Rob instructs.

With a feral grin, Hanna relocates the scent trail belonging to Tsubaki and Kaede, and follows it north‑west with Rob following close behind.

Half an hour later, Tsubaki and Kaede are once again just half a mile from the dojo. However, after their previous attempt, they're being a lot more cautious about getting any closer. Hiding behind a low wall at the edge of a perfectly straight street that leads right up to the dojo, Tsubaki lashes Kaede's pocket mirror to the end of the fire sword, and gingerly holds it out into the street, angled to view the dojo without catching the sun.

"This isn't working," Tsubaki growls in frustration after a couple of minutes. "Damn thing's too small."

"Well, it's all I've got," Kaede replies tersely.

"You have eyes," Tsubaki counters.

"I'm a pika, not a canary in a cage," Kaede retorts.

"I've been shot already. It's your turn."

Kaede sighs in resignation. "Fine, I'll look."

After switching places, Kaede slowly peeks around the edge of the wall, her ears folded as flat as she can fold them to minimise the chances of being hit. "I don't see‑"

Something hits the ground a few feet from Kaede's face, throwing grit into her eyes, forcing her to duck back behind the wall, momentarily blinded. "There's a sniper alright," she informs, blinking furiously to wash the grit from her eyes.

"Then our search for a weakness continues," Tsubaki decides, retreating from the wall, Kaede doing her best to follow behind.

A few hundred feet later, Tsubaki stops suddenly, her remaining good ear twitching.

"What now?" Kaede asks, her vision now fully recovered.

"Shut up," Tsubaki commands, listening intently.

The two remain silent for a full minute.

"OK, let's continue," Tsubaki decides.

"What did you hear?" Kaede asks.

"I thought I heard footsteps," Tsubaki explains, "but they must have been yours."

"You're the one wearing heels," Kaede reminds.

"And I know exactly what they sound like," Tsubaki counters.

The two sensei resume walking, but after just a hundred feet, Tsubaki freezes again, her ear twitching wildly.

"I heard it too," Kaede whispers.

Slowly, Tsubaki draws both katana, and Kaede unhooks her tekko‑kagi. Holding their weapons at the ready, they split up and creep silently to the sides of the narrow street.

The sound of a bottle skittering down an alley rings down the otherwise silent street.

"I know you're there!" Tsubaki challenges loudly. "Show yourself!"

Silence.

"I've got a bad‑" Kaede starts.

"Zip it!" Tsubaki commands.

A sound causes both tanuki and pika to spin around on instinct, weapons raised.

"Only cowards remain hidden!" Tsubaki barks.

"I'm no coward," a voice growls malevolently.

Tsubaki and Kaede spin once again to find an incandescent vixen standing in the middle of the street, nunchaku twirling.

"You again," Tsubaki growls.

"You threatened and enslaved my friends, and you cost me my tail," Hanna growls back. "And now I take your lives as payment."