Captain Hanbu of Shun City Police, your superior, is a portly man. Yet, he carries the signs of a man who has seen his fair share of combat. He has this air of authority about him unlike most of the other officers who get their ranks with bribes or through nepotism.
It is why you have come to him with the results of your investigation.
"This is indeed concerning evidence," he admits, lifting his head from the notebook you presented him with a grave expression on his face. "How long have you been working on this?"
"Three weeks,"
"Did you tell anybody else?"
"No."
"Is this all of it?"
"Yes, but if need be there are also witnesses I can call on."
"That won't be necessary," Captain Hanbu informs you, closing the notebook and placing it on his table. "I will deal with this personally but I need you to keep silent. Some of those men have friends in high places and I don't want them escaping justice. Understand?"
"Understood," you respond.
Your superior nods. "You have done the right thing, coming to me with this, samurai," he tells you and you can't help but feel proud at the praise behind those words.
"Dismissed."
You salute and march out of Captain Hanbu's office, feeling victorious and vindicated.
"I hate food cubes."
You raise your eyes from the plate in front of you and look at Jin who is idly poking a broken food cube with his fork. Your friend has taken a seat from across you at the wooden table two of you are currently occupying along with a few other fellow samurai.
"It's at least nutritious," you offer before taking a bite out of your own cube.
"It tastes like cardboard!" Jin responds, frustration seeping into his voice. "We are samurai, Wolf! Samurai! We should be eating better than this!"
You shrug and take another bite. While it is true that Food Cubes have a really bland taste, it still beats the rations you received as a conscript and definitely better than starving.
That doesn't mean you don't understand Jin's desire for something better.
"Well then, you rookies should try eating outside," the samurai sitting next to Jin, a dark-skinned greenlander, says.
Jin sighs. "Our pay is low as it is. Don't really have a budget for food."
"Oh man, no one told you two?"
You turn your attention to the samurai. "Told us what?"
"Well, most of the street stands and small-time places have 'discounts' for us samurai. We barely pay a thing!" the man jovially informs you. Yet, the way he emphasizes 'discount' makes you suspicious.
Jin, on the other hand, receives the news much more enthusiastically. "Really?"
"Yeah," the samurai replies before taking a bite out of his food cube and chewing. "I know a couple of good spots where you can get some meat wraps!" he adds after swallowing the food in his mouth.
You can't help but get suspicious, perhaps your previous interactions with your corrupt seniors coloring your view.
"Why are you eating in the cafeteria then?" you ask.
"It is a bit embarrassing but I lost this month's pay in a card game," he admits.
"Say no more!" Jin tells him. "Just shows us where to get some real food and we will treat you if it is indeed as cheap as you say."
"Well, then you guys just made yourselves a new friend," the samurai informs the two of you with a smile before pointing at himself. "Name is Yasuke."
"I am Jin," your friend introduces himself before pointing at you, "and the serious type sitting over there is Wolf. We are kind of a dynamic duo."
You simply roll your eyes before turning back to your own food.
You finish the last part of your meat wrap before crumpling the greasy package paper and tossing it in a nearby bin.
"Man, we owe Yasuke for showing us this place," Jin says.
It has been a couple of days since Yasuke, true to his word, showed you and Jin the popular food stands on the regular patrol routes and ever since then your friend has been frequenting them during lunchtimes instead of the district cafeteria.
"So, you up for a bar visit after duty?" your friend asks you after finishing his own meat wrap. "It has been a while since we last drank together."
It was the night after you two graduated from the boot camp and were promoted to samurai. You and Jin had stolen the sergeant's sake and drunk it together in celebration.
"Sure, I am in," you reply. While you are not a regular drinker, you enjoy alcohol from time to time and Jin is good company. "But I have an extra shift today."
"When does it end?" Jin asks.
"Around two hours," you answer, noting the sun's slow descent towards the horizon. "I will join you at the bar after I am done."
"Alright, I will hold us a table," Jin responds.
You close the door of your locker, your samurai armor stored inside. Instead of your uniform, you are currently dressed in your casual clothes which include a pair of leather pants, a green shirt, and a leather jacket which you bought with your first month's pay.
It is only when you turn around the corner of a row of lockers that you notice that the precinct locker room has become suspiciously empty. A few minutes ago there were several other fellow samurai using the room but now, you find yourself alone.
No, not alone, you realize as two samurai, a hive and a shek step out from another row, clad in full armor. They come to a stop between you and the exit, both of them facing you. You are about to question them when a noise from behind you alerts you to the presence of two more samurai at the end of the corridor you just came out of, once again both in full gear.
'Ambush' your instinct screams at you and your hand goes immediately to the hilt of your sword which rests inside the sheath affixed to your belt.
You swiftly back away towards the other end of the room, your eyes on the threats before you. If you can put your back against the wall and force your ambushers to come at you from a corridor, you can nullify their numbers advantage.
Your planning is interrupted as something hard collides with the back of your head and you find yourself on the floor.
You grit your teeth and try to lift yourself up but find it difficult to keep your balance. Your body feels sluggish, unresponsive and there are black spots dancing across your eyes.
Through your blurry vision, you see your fallen sword laying on the floor just out of your reach and a pair of boot-clad feet further away, stepping towards you.
Immediately you scramble towards your sword, forcing yourself to power through nausea your sudden motion brings.
Just before you can reach it, two strong hands grab you by your jacket and hold you down. You try to kick back at your assailant but with your balance lost, you find yourself unable to retaliate effectively.
Then, your arms are restrained, as more hands grab you before you are finally pulled onto your knees.
It takes a minute for your vision to clear and when it does, you find yourself staring at the smiling face of Kole, the corrupt senior you clashed with on your first day.
Whom you also have been investigating for three weeks along with others.
"Hello, Wolf. I believe it is time that we had a little chat."
From the number of hands restraining you, you figure there are at least five people currently busy holding you down. In your current position, you don't have any freedom of movement and you aren't strong enough to break out from your captors' hold.
"You see, Wolf. I heard a certain rumor."
Basically, there is nothing you can do but simply sit still and watch as Kole talks.
"A certain nasty rumor about you telling The Captain about some of our less legal duties."
Well, that is fine with you. Every moment Kole wastes talking means another moment for Jin or Captain Hanbu to realize what is going on and come to your rescue.
"Now, I was shocked when I heard that. After all, I know that we have our differences but we are all samurai here. That makes us comrades in arms, blood brothers even. So, I was prrretty reluctant to believe such a rumor."
Now that was a good joke. Kole is nothing but a thug wearing the armor of a samurai. He is just a criminal abusing the law for his own means and you would never consider a scum like him your brother.
"Then I saw this."
Kole pulls out a very familiar notebook from his satchel. You feel your eyes widen in response to the shock you feel as you watch the slimy bastard wave around the notebook you delivered to Captain Hanbu.
"Recognize it?"
You remain silent.
How could he have gotten it? Did he steal it? But how did he learn of its existence? You never told anyone, not even Jin though in his case it wasn't because you didn't trust him. Rather you didn't want to bother him but still, no one but you and the Captain knew about the notebook.
"I must admit, you sure do know your numbers, Wolf."
Kole opens the notebook, skimming through a couple of its pages before whistling in appreciation.
"This is some impressive math in here. I mean, most of the others can barely even write, looking at you Lu," you hear a deep grunt come from behind you in response to that, "and here you are, juggling multiple digits."
You barely listen to Kole talking, having grown sick of his voice oozing with fake friendliness.
"Some excellent investigation skills too. It is one thing to track down how much 'tax' me and the boys 'collected' from the citizens of the eastern district but also tracking our debts and big expenditures then cross-referencing them?"
Most of your focus is instead on trying to figure out a certain question.
"You really are one hell of an overachiever rookie."
How come this bastard has your notebook?
You are torn out of your thoughts when Kole suddenly slaps you with the back of his gauntlet clad hand. Steel impacts your cheek with enough force to turn your head aside before Lu jerks your head back into position, forcing you to face Kole.
"Focus, Wolf! We are in the middle of a very important job here."
The metallic taste of blood fills your mouth.
"See, I found a bit of discrepancy here. Perhaps you can help me figure it out."
You consider spitting at him but decide against it.
"There is this certain amount of money unaccounted for. Now, now, before you say anything, I know that it's impossible for you to track down every single expenditure we make, I understand that. But the thing is, the amount of money unaccounted for in here is roughly the same percentage of 'tax' collected from citizens by every one of us which you gotta admit, looks kinda suspicious don't you think?"
He is... right. But why bring it up? What is this son of a bitch getting at here?
"Now, I want you to use your smart brain of yours and think. Where do you think that money might have gone?"
Then suddenly, it all clicks.
Why Kole has your notebook or why no one has come to your rescue yet.
And why no one will be coming.
"Captain Hanbu," you mutter.
The bastard smiles from ear to ear in response to your answer. "Someone give this puppy a treat because he is correct!"
You feel angry. Angry at Hanbu for deceiving you. Angry at yourself for trusting him. Angry at Kole for being a fucking asshole.
"You see Wolf. In this precinct, Captain's word is the law," Kole continues talking, heedless of the anger boiling under your skin. "And despite what you may think, we aren't breaking the law. We are serving the law."
You don't know which one does it. The condescending way he talks to you or the smug expression on his face or the fucking fact that he can get away with all this but you are no longer able to keep yourself silent.
"You steal money from citizens! You destroy their shops and property! You are nothing but scu-"
Kole's fist crashes into your stomach, driving the air from your lungs and interrupting your furious rant.
"No need for name-calling, Wolf," he says to you as you cough and wheeze. "We are all comrades here remember?"
You are to busy trying to breathe to give him an answer, not that the bastard expects one as he keeps on talking, his voice gaining volume.
"In this precinct, we have a rule. A rule that is sacred. A rule that everyone from the lowly grunts to Captain himself follows."
His eyes take in everyone currently in the room before returning to you, his smug expression replaced by utmost seriousness.
"We. Don't. Snitch. On. Each. Other."
He emphasizes each word. Then, his expression softens once again and his voice returns to its previous volume.
"Now, I understand you are a rookie, so it is understandable that you may not know of this rule."
You keep silent, trying to think of a way to escape your current situation.
"As your wise senpai, it falls to me to educate you, my adorable kohai."
The condescension in Kole's tone reignites your anger, and you try to break free of the people holding you down with no success. Ignoring your struggles, the continues.
"And I have found that pain is the best teacher. So consider this your lesson."
You snarl in defiance.
"Perhaps in your next life, you will do better."
Kole snaps his fingers and you are thrown on your back against the floor by the cowards holding you down. Then, you find yourself under assault from all sides by your ambushers.
Someone stomps on your left hand, breaking fingers.
A kick crashes into your side and your ribs flare up in pain.
A metal bar impacts your shin.
You are unable to retaliate, taking blow after blow. Instead, you curl into a ball to protect your head and present the least number of vulnerable spots to your assailants.
Bones break and flesh is crushed under the merciless assault.
And then, the pain finally overwhelms you and you lose consciousness.