"Hey! I just got here," Tomi said from where he stood in front of the minivan. Two other vans were there from the Geomijul to show who was taking them all back. Then Tomi saw Ugajin. "Ah…wow…you're tall…and a giant…"
"Yeah. I get that a lot," Ugajin snorted.
"He's Saiki's brother," Kiryu grinned lightly.
"What?!" Tomi gaped.
"A cousin, actually, but my family was going to adopt her when we found out what happened. It's…a bit of story," Ugajin sighed. "So, I call her my baby sister. And I'll happily punch out anyone that insults her."
"I need to show him…the music box…and the audio tape…" Saiki whispered to her husband in her musical tone. Kiryu found himself nodding.
"Tomi, I want to show him where Saiki was kept all this time. His family was searching for her for years. He needs to know. So you can take us there. Not sure about the others, though."
"I'll head back to the Geomijul headquarters with the others that want to go. We need to set up a room for Ugajin. Maybe…Survive Bar in two hours?" Seonhee suggested. That was agreed to.
"Can I go with you?" Kasuga asked.
"Not this time. We have some personal details we need to go over," Kiryu said lightly. "I hope you have enough space in those vans."
"We have plenty," Joongi chuckled. "We'll meet up with you in two hours."
"Good," Saiki nodded. She was taken to Tomi's minivan with Kiryu and Ugajin. The others were able to load up in the other two vans.
"I'll head back to my base and start sending over information," Akame said and quickly moved off.
"So…I guess I missed a lot…?" Tomi asked as he started the minivan up.
"You did. I'll fill you in," Kiryu nodded. "Ugajin, this is Tomi. He's a very good friend of ours and may be joining us in Hawaii."
"Yep! I lived there, so I know all the good spots," Tomi chuckled.
"Nice," Ugajin chuckled. The drive back started, and Kiryu filled in Tomi on what was missed. Saiki was mildly sleeping against her husband, and he kept his arms around her to comfort her.
"The Daidoji attacked you? On their own decision? That's…pretty dumb," Tomi grimaced. "I thought they would have learned after the first time."
"You can't fix stupid," Ugajin snorted. Saiki found herself laughing at that.
"Sometimes only the hard way allows another to learn. At least one of those men chose to not join the attack. I bet he was stationed as a lookout," Kiryu muttered. "He works for us now. He's at The Castle and watching over Shishido. For now, that's his job."
"Okay. I can get that. Ten minutes out now! I'll probably hit up the Survive Bar when I drop you all off. I'm sure that bartender needs a bit of help with those monks. Gelek was asking for ya quite a bit. I'll give him some intel to keep him off your backs," Tomi said. "If you want that?
"Gelek is fine. It's Rabten we don't trust," Kiryu said with a nod.
"Got it," Tomi nodded. "I may also see if Chi-chan and Sa-chan need to get picked up. I'm taking tomorrow off in case you need anything. I worked some extra hours today, so I'm good for it."
"Glad to hear it," Kiryu chuckled lightly. Then he found himself grinning when Saiki took out the magnum she held onto.
"Where did you get that?!" Tomi gaped.
"Focus on driving," Saiki said and ensured the safety was on. "I got it from The Castle when it was on a weapon table. I really like the craftsmanship."
"Looks like gold embellishments! I have to wonder how they got their hands on this," Kiryu mused on studying it.
"I won't use it, though. Maybe on occasion to fire it and keep it going. But as a main weapon? Not needed," she smiled. Kiryu took it from her to set in an inner coat pocket for now. He was impressed that he actually had an inside pocket to store it. That was when she said, "I purposely gave your jacket pockets like that for weapons. So you can even store the glasses and the gloves just fine in one."
"Now you tell me?" Kiryu asked to get her laughing hysterically. "I'd much rather have a case for the glasses."
"I can give you one," she smiled and let him kiss her passionately.
"What's the plan when we get to your place?" Ugajin asked.
"A couple videos you need to see and a song to hear. After that, we'll see what else needs to be done," Kiryu said mildly. The large man nodded and adjusted the pale yellow shirt he wore. Saiki mused that he was wearing blue jeans and white sneakers to complete the outfit. She did note that the clothes looked a bit tight on him.
"Ugajin, I can make you a decent set of clothes. I just need the fabric and your measurements. I make all my own clothes, and I made Kazuma's suit, too," Saiki offered.
"You made his clothes?! Yes! I can never get clothing that actually fits right. I'll definitely accept that," Ugajin said without any form of hesitation.
"It's the best thing I've worn yet," Kiryu chuckled. "Although, some clothing she makes…I find questionable. Certain ones should get locked up and stored away forever..."
"I thought you liked my 'red suit of death' as you called it," Saiki grinned.
"Never bring that thing up in present company of any kind ever again," her husband growled in warning. "I told you before. That thing is my personal hell."
"Do I dare ask?" Tomi grinned lightly.
"It's just a bikini…" she shrugged.
"That thing is NOT a bikini!" he grounded out with a hissing sigh. "What you do with nothing but red strings…yeah. That thing…damn it…"
"I shouldn't have asked," Tomi grimaced.
"I don't want to see it," Ugajin said with a small chuckle.
"No. You don't," Kiryu muttered.
"Maybe I should wear it and coat myself with honey…" she mused.
"Saiki. Shut up," Kiryu managed to barely grunt out to get the three of them dying with laughter.
"Honey is supposed to be very good for your skin," she started to continue. She squeaked when he pulled her close to plant a long, lusty kiss on her mouth to quiet her. After it broke, he placed a finger on her lips with a small smile. She sighed and relented with a snuggle into his neck. Tomi was soon pulling up to the park to let them out, and he waved at them after dropping them off.
"I'll catch you kids later!" Tomi grinned and drove off to the Survive Bar.
"So…where's your place?" Ugajin frowned. Then he blinked at the elevator hidden in the tree. "Are you serious?!"
"Yeah. Come on," Kiryu said. He was very wary to ensure no one was around too close to see them, and the entrance was sealed away as quickly as it was revealed. Ugajin could only stare in shock at the underground base he walked into.
"You were hidden underground…all this time…" he whispered. "This explains why no one could find you…"
"I know. And it was the Yakuza Organization that took me away to ensure I couldn't be found," Saiki frowned. "It's best for you to watch a couple videos first. Then I need you to listen to something after."
"Okay," Ugajin swallowed and was shown a seat.
"I can't watch the first video. It's…too painful. The other I can watch. I can even hear the song and audio tape. But not the first," she said. She gave him the remote and brought up the video clip of her captor with his friend. Kiryu led her out of the karaoke chamber to let Ugajin watch the clip. While he did this, she went into her security room to start getting the scene of her fighting at The Castle ready to watch. Kiryu was right there with her to watch how she did everything.
"So, you click there…then download there…" he muttered.
"Yes. And then I click these programs in this order here…" she said on showing him. "It's good for you to know this if something happens."
"I know. I should probably try doing this myself."
"I have an idea. I can video one of your trainings and have you do this to view it. Sound good?" she smiled.
"I like that," he chuckled and kissed her.
"Where are you both?" Ugajin asked on looking for them after the clip was done. "I finished that…bullshit clip."
"We are in her security room," Kiryu said and got up to bring him over. Ugajin paused again in shock at the room he stood in now.
"Hey. I was getting the footage from The Castle to watch after the next clip you need to see. That will be my meeting with Kazuma fifteen years ago. And was that first clip…educational? Nasty? Tell me your thoughts?" she asked while finishing up the download.
"He murdered my aunt and uncle. Then he kidnapped you. He kept you as his little pet?! I don't think I've ever felt so…outraged! I think that clip needs to be shared with the rest of the family. After they meet you. That needs to be done," Ugajin said with a hard frown on his face. "There was always speculation on how they died. That clip proves they were both murdered and will shut up the ones that thought it was something else."
"If they say something to me…hmm. I will warn them once to shut up and leave before I forget they are supposed to be family," Saiki mumbled out. Then she looked at her husband and said, "I'll need the music box and the tape player."
"Right," Kiryu nodded and moved to help set them up on the karaoke stage. Ugajin sat back down in a chair, and Kiryu sat down with his wife in his lap. Now Ugajin watched the clip of the ten minute meeting long ago. When it finished, he found himself laughing softly.
"You know…I'm glad that she's your wife. You're likely the only one I'd allow to even get close to her. Not only because you kicked my ass fairly, but because of how you are with her. You truly do love her. And respect her," he said lightly. "Hell…I may have even introduced you to her…"
"You think so?" Kiryu grinned lightly.
"That would have been funny," Saiki chuckled and blushed softly at the kiss to her cheek. "Okay. The music box. Do you recognize it?"
"Honestly, no. It may have been purchased later on after you were born," Ugajin admitted. "I mean, you were horribly spoiled the moment you were born! Gifts were given constantly to you almost every month."
"That's…nice to know…" Saiki said softly. Her husband tilted her face to his to press a kiss to her mouth.
"It's okay," Kiryu muttered while running a hand over her cheek. "It's painful. I know. We need to know this. Let's let him hear the tape first. Then the song. After that, we'll watch how you move in the thick of a fight."
"Okay…" she nodded. He let her leave his lap to handle the old cassette tape. Ugajin's jaw dropped on hearing his aunt and uncle again after all these years. He actually found himself starting to break down into tears of nostalgia. When the song played, he gasped and blinked at it before even more tears fell. He held up his hand to have them wait for the music box to play.
"I need to slap a few people when I see them…!" Ugajin said after recovering himself. "There were rumors going around that Uncle Hori did something. That he killed Aunt Kai. Sent you away. This tape…that audio clip…proves them all wrong. I knew he'd never do that! And if anyone goes up to you to suggest it…I honestly wouldn't care if you gutted them open."
"Don't go anywhere alone. Unless I am with you," Kiryu muttered out.
"I won't need them pointed out, then. They can come to me if they really want to know. Because I saw the murder of my parents happen in their bed. I saw Dog Catcher's face grinning as he slit open their throats. I touched their cold hands…trying to wake them up after he left. If anyone suggests that my father instigated it…yeah. Hold me back…" she said with a low growl.
"Ugajin will screen them first. He will know which ones should talk to you," Kiryu said. Ugajin nodded at that and gestured to the music box. Now he heard it and sighed hard with a form of mental pain that Saiki knew all too well.
"Okay. I need five minutes to regain myself," the large man said. He took out his phone and grimaced at a text message. "And I'm not answering that."
"You got a text message? I have a cell signal block active unless it's my phone or Kazuma's phone," Saiki frowned.
"It was before we came in. I just checked my phone. If I can't answer it here, well, all the better. It's a family member that has been wanting to see me again. And she creeps me out completely," he said with annoyance. "She's another cousin. And she always tries to track me down when she thinks she can."
"Interesting. I'd introduce you to Sa-chan, but Kasuga has his eyes on her. And she does like him back…but I do wonder how far he'd go to prove himself to her…" Saiki mused aloud. Now Kiryu found himself shaking his head.
"Don't do it…" he said.
"She doesn't have to. I can introduce myself to her," Ugajin grinned.
"Or…maybe Chi-chan would be the safer bet. But it doesn't hurt to show interest in them both. Just for kicks," she grinned widely.
"Chi-chan is the current president for a mass shipping company. We'll be meeting her later," Kiryu nodded.
"Now that is interesting…" Ugajin grinned a bit more. "I can pretend to not know that bit of information until she chooses to give it."
"Tomi has mixed vibes about her, but they also had a rocky introduction. If you ever heard of the Tatara Channel, she was the creator. And it was forced on her to do false news and instigations," Kiryu sighed.
"How much time do we have?" Ugajin asked.
"Let's watch the new video I have. Then we'll give you some in-depth information," Saiki suggested. It was agreed to, and now the footage from The Castle came up on the screens. She studied her own movements now. She watched how she effortlessly moved and slaughtered every single man. "I have no recollection of this. None. At all."
"This is how we saw you move," Kiryu said and held her in his lap.
"I shouldn't be doing this…" she swallowed and started to shiver.
"Aika…" Kiryu whispered.
"They trained me…how to be a monster…!" she cringed. Ugajin could only watch her and reflect his own form of pain at this.
"And you can control this part of you," Kiryu said while squeezing her to him. "I know you can!"
"But…how…?" she fretted.
"With me," he muttered and kissed her hard. "You already know not to attack me in this mood that takes you over. You stop yourself to protect me. To listen to me. That…right there…is proof that you know me. That you love me as much as I love you. I know you trust me as I trust you."
"It really is like a dance of death. Like the geisha on my back…" she whispered. "I honestly have no recollection. I was completely blacked out."
"As you told me. But now you see what you do. And look! The camera even caught when you came back up to me! You see how you looked at me with such attention? How I freed you from it despite the headache?" he smiled and let snuggle into him. "I know you can control this side of yourself. We just have to keep trying. It's our only way."
"Maybe you can order her to remember?" Ugajin asked with curiosity in his tone. That had Kiryu think about it. Saiki seemed to shrug at the suggestion.
"If it happens again. I'll do that," Kiryu nodded. "Okay. Anyways, we got all of this out of the way. Next order of action. Who in the family do we need to beware of? Anyone on the top of your head right now?"
"Everyone right now. No one knows that she lives. Until I can figure out who really doesn't care, I really don't want her to meet with anyone. Not even my parents. They are also skeptical," Ugajin snorted.
"Maybe it's best for me to not meet any of them," Saiki sighed and shook her head. "I don't want to get dragged into unimportant family matters."
"I think that's actually best," Ugajin found himself in full agreement. "And I'm not letting them know that I'm back in the mainland."
"Hmm…" Kiryu frowned. "Well, we still have over an hour before we need to leave. Did you have any other questions?"
"I do need to check on my scythe," Saiki smiled and rose up.
"Okay. This I need to see," Ugajin chuckled. She led them both into her workshop and pulled out a massive holding crane. She let the scythe come out, and she set it carefully in the vice to keep it steady. She was checking for any damage along the inner curve of the scythe before going into a wall safe. Opening it up with a finger print and eye scan, she pulled out a small bag of minuscule diamond flecks. Setting a small pile of them in a clear petri dish, she set it aside and grabbed a cable to hook up into the whip handle section of the pole.
"What are you doing?" Kiryu mused.
"Checking to see if I can add diamond crystals to the blade edge. To make it sharper and less likely to fail if I need to slice through more locks," she grinned and ran a program. "Hmm. I'll need to make it so I can retract them like the claws so they don't slice through something I need. Like my training room. And I need to make that new training room, too!"
"One thing a time," her husband chuckled.
"You have a nice free weight setup!" Ugajin grinned on examining what was left out from before.
"Yeah, she's been wanting to train me up. My side still stings, but not like it was a couple days ago. I could try to train a bit…" Kiryu mused.
"No. One more day. It's the same with my back," Saiki said bluntly while working on her scythe.
"Right. Let me check your back real quick," Kiryu said with concern in his tone now. He looked over the stitches, and she pointed out an ointment for him to apply over the wound. A small bandage was located next to help protect it further. "Okay. How much longer on your weapon?"
"I just need ten more minutes here. I may even be able to create a dazzling effect now. That would be neat! Yeah…gonna try that…" she grinned.
"I really like your security setup, too. Huh? Who's that?" Ugajin asked and pointed at an odd man in a brown trench coat walking around aimlessly. Black sunglasses hid his face and slicked back black hair finished his getup.
"We did install a camera that zooms in recently. Let me see…" Kiryu frowned and pushed in a monitor button. "Shit…"
"Hmm?" Saiki glanced over at him. "When you swear…it's not good…"
"It's an old…friend," Kiryu growled.
"Ah. I can kill him?" she grinned.
"If he messes with me. Old grudge. And how the hell did he appear here? Then again, he does have some men with him. They likely spotted us coming back with Tomi. Damn it…" her husband grimaced. Saiki was at his side to look at the man and she clucked her tongue.
"What's the grudge about?" Ugajin asked.
"I beat up his dad when their Clan was getting out of control. Another one of those. He says I even killed the old man. I don't know what to say. Only that he's been doing things to test me and challenge me ever since," Kiryu sighed.
"Well, I can get in his way now," Ugajin grinned.
"No. He's my toy to play with," Saiki grinned. "If he fucks with my husband, I fuck with him back."
"We'll see if it gets that far. I may be able to convince him to challenge me around the six month mark of that treatment. I should be nearly back up to my full potential by then," Kiryu muttered. Saiki growled out and went straight back to her scythe to finish upgrading it. He looked over his shoulder at her and paused at how ultra-tiny mechanical arms now reached out to delicately collect a tiny diamond. He was now moving to over to her to get a closer look with disbelief. She even picked up the petri dish to ensure each small 'arm' was able to grab one to hold onto. "What…the hell…?!"
"Microtechnology, dear. I told you I studied it thoroughly," Saiki smirked and sent in a few more command codes. Ugajin could only stare with complete fascination at how the scythe seemed to shimmer like a polished gem from the reflective stones set in. With a final command set in place, Saiki pressed a hidden button to activate and deactivate the diamond coating. "Good. Now I'm ready."
"You…made that yourself…" Ugajin could only blink with fascination.
"Yes. I did. Are you saying you need something from me?" she grinned. "I'm sure I can outfit my big brother with something. Give me a bit to think about what you could use, eh?"
"JUSTICE1975 would be so pissed and jealous if you did make something for me," Ugajin snickered lightly.
"I'm surprised he had something that can read thoughts," she frowned.
"It's not really reading them. It's more like…he can project his own thoughts to help coordinate others to fight around him and analyze the ones attacking him. How he could read your thoughts is just…it's baffling! Unless your genius is just so high that it affected his suit differently. I'll have to think about that one," Ugajin admitted. "I'm sure even he didn't know and likely played it off that he always could."
"Interesting to know," she muttered and disconnected her weapon from the main computer. She tested the buttons again to ensure it was flawless and walked into her training room. Kiryu was about to follow her, but she held up her hand to stop him. "Stay there. You'll see why in a moment."
"Ah. Very well," he nodded. Ugajin smiled lightly on watching her. Then his smile faded away for his jaw to drop at how the scythe now seemed to double in size. Kiryu was in speechless amazement once again at how the scythe swung outwards and split into several blades around her. Then it flashed out the diamond brilliance for a slight, blinding effect before reverting to normal.
"Good. I like it. Now…to test it…" she grinned wickedly.
"Only if called for," Kiryu said and let her jump onto him after putting her weapon away. "Hmm. We should take a shower…"
"That we could," she chuckled.
"I never understood why you gave The Castle back to us. The Kings, that is," Ugajin mused. "You won the seat fair and square."
"Wait. You owned it before?!" Saiki asked and got a grin from her husband.
"I did. And I didn't want the responsibility. But, we do have it back now. Don't we? And it's yours now. I'm along for the ride this time," he chuckled.
"I would have given it back to you," Ugajin grinned.
"Really?" Kiryu asked.
"Of course. You beat me before. I knew you'd do it again. But with what she can do…yeah. I doubt she would have let me live if I fought against her. But…I'm glad I found out she's my little sister. I'm extremely happy that I'm working for her, too. Because you know I won't let anything get close to her. I mean, I know it would be the same for her in my defense, too, so…" Ugajin said quickly on seeing her amused smile.
"I have to wonder how Mizorogi-san is doing," Kiryu said. "I'm sure he's made quite a few new gadgets! Did he make a new shop? I didn't see him at Akame's place when we went there."
"He actually did! We could have him set up a shop in The Castle now, come to think of it," Ugajin mused.
"A fellow engineer?" Saiki asked.
"In a sense. I'll tell you about him on our way to the Survive Bar," Kiryu nodded. "Hmm. I should change my clothes…but I love this suit…"
"You think I only made you one suit?" she grinned wickedly. Now he looked at her with complete amusement. "And I have a steam clean system. Get in a new set of briefs, and I'll wear something else, too. I want to keep wearing this outfit. The steaming will just take ten minutes. It's like dry cleaning."
"Interesting! Okay. Ugajin, you can watch a program in the meantime. Or look around. She has a massive library! You could get lost in it!" Kiryu chuckled. Ugajin found himself going into the library. While he now immersed himself in it, Kiryu was quick to help put away the music box and the cassette player while Saiki set up the steam cleaner. It was in a small room next to the workshop, and he donned a white robe with her to wait for the clothes. He did pull out anything in the pockets to set aside, and she set the glasses in a protective case for him.
"Should we take a shower?" she asked. He pulled her into his lap in their security room after settling on her plush workshop chair.
"If we do, we won't leave. I think we'll be fine for now," he said and let her snuggle into him. At how she pet the robe over his chest, he asked, "What are you doing now? It's just a robe, you know."
"But it makes you feel so soft and fluffy!" she grinned. Now he looked at her with confusion when she giggled at it.
"I'm not supposed to be soft and fluffy…" he grunted.
"But I'm soft…and can get sticky with honey…?" she grinned.
"Shut up," he warned. She gave him a beaming grin and laughed at the small, tickling side pokes he gave her.
"Should we…relax for a bit…while the clothes get cleaned?" she asked and lightly tickled up his chest now. He gave a small growl and kissed her with a form of need. "I can…close the security room door…with remote…"
"Do it…" he mumbled and kissed her again. She gestured to be taken over to the security room control panel. He was pleased that he could roll the chair around that they were on, and he maneuvered it over after unlocking the rolling wheels. She leaned over to press a button and automatically shut the door to lock it. Now he locked the chair back into place and let his mouth move over her at his complete leisure. At her sharp moan, he asked, "This room is soundproof…?"
"Yes…!" she gasped out. He gave an approving sound and got her shouting at what he did to her next. It was fifteen minutes later that he had her pulled against him on the chair. He was cradling her close and relishing in her warmth.
"Definitely…need a day or two alone…" he muttered and had his eyes closed with complete contentment. At a knock on the security room door, Saiki gestured to a speaker button. He pressed it and said, "She and I decided to, ah…pass the time waiting for the clothes. Another ten minutes, please."
"He can't respond, but I'm sure he understands," she chuckled and tensed at his hands moving over her.
"I will never get enough of this…" he chuckled and let her press into him. A loving kiss was shared between them before they could separate. He watched her firm, slender form move off, and he lost all train of thought when she bent over to pick up the robes from the ground.
"What?" she asked on standing up tall again.
"Did I mention that you have the most perfect body for your stature?" he asked when he was able to find his voice again.
"A few times. Why?" she asked with a small smile.
"It's hard to describe when you do certain things. I'll just leave it at that," he grunted and got handed his cleaned clothes. He sat back down after dressing to check over his shoes on putting them back on. When he saw his phone buzzing, he sighed and answered it. "Hello?"
"We're all at the Survive Bar now! Just letting ya know!" Kasuga said.
"Good. We'll be there soon, too. Also…I have an unknown visitor outside loitering around. And it looks like someone that's holding a grudge. So…we might be late. Don't worry about coming by. We can handle it. It's just a head's up," Kiryu said and disconnected the call.
"So…do I get to play?" his wife asked and moved to press her slightly exposed chest against his back. He sighed and reclined back into her lightly. Her deep red cardigan was covering her form again, and he closed his eyes on feeling her arms circle around his neck. She pressed a kiss to his forehead to hear him chuckle softly.
"I don't think it will come to that. But let me handle it," he said.
"How's your side? Your jaw is finally starting to lighten up, but some yellowing is still apparent," she frowned. "Did you need some of the herbal crap?"
"Hmm…yeah. Give me a good swallow of that," he agreed. "And give some to Ugajin, too."
"Oh, he'll love that!" she snickered and accepted a kiss from him. He chuckled and watched her move off to start preparing another batch of the herbal brew. She refilled her flask for emergency needs and prepared three mugs. He got up to help take it out to the kitchen, and the security door unlocked at her button press. Ugajin waved at them from where he sat in the main lounge area and got up to greet them again.
"What's this? Ah…oh. It's this shit…" he grimaced.
"Drink it," she ordered and gave him a mug. "We both are, too, so misery loves company. And you know this shit works!"
"All too well," he sighed and chugged it down. He almost gagged on it before focusing on the mint and honey flavors. "We need more mint flavor…"
"I can agree," Kiryu said after enduring his drink.
"I can see that. I'll note that down for the next batch," she nodded and set down her empty mug. "Are we ready to go outside?"
"Yeah," Kiryu nodded and helped wash out the mugs. He then scooped up his wife to carry her out to the elevator with Ugajin in tow.
"So…how long have the two of you been married?" he had to ask.
"Roughly…four days. And always with constant interruptions," Kiryu sighed. "So, in Hawaii next week…"
"Just give me your phones," Ugajin offered.
"Huh. That can work. Or we just turn them off. Or airplane mode them…" Saiki mused aloud. "Either way, we'll figure it out when we get to that point."
"Yeah," her husband nodded and kissed her forehead. They managed to get out of the elevator and secure it before walking off.
"I think I'm going to have a sensor at the elevator doors. So if there's too many around us, it will flash to show waiting to let us out. That means we'll really need to get another way out safely if it's crowded. Not that I wouldn't mind being locked away with my husband, but…it can get tedious if it's constant. The front way in is for secure measures only. But this hidden back way? We need to make sure it's not discovered anymore," Saiki frowned in thought. "We need an alternate way to move around. I don't think I can purchase the park with it being public land for the city."
"Front way in?" Ugajin asked.
"A maze of hallways filled with death traps if not run through a specific way," Kiryu said. "She left with me first when we got there. Only she could escort one other through it safely before the traps activated. Our other friends had to go through the hard way. It's not easy."
"Purposely done that way, too," Saiki chuckled.
"Hey!" a deep man's voice said behind them.
"And there's the grudge…" Kiryu growled.
"Sorry. We don't want anything you have to sell. Have a nice day!" Saiki rang out. Kiryu cracked a grin and shook his head at that. Even Ugajin pursed his lips with amusement at the comment.
"Turn the fuck around and face me!" the voice commanded.
"You're not paying us anything. You are now set to ignore," she beamed. At the sound of him running at them, Kiryu turned swiftly to let Saiki kick out with her bladed shoes. That got the man to skid to a halt and just barely keep the nasty blades from slicing him open.
"What the…?!" he gaped.
"Hello, Amon. This is my wife. She hates you. If you approach me again, she'll likely find you and kill you. Be glad I'm holding her," Kiryu said on gazing at him with a cool stare.
"And I'm her older brother. I already don't like you," Ugajin smirked.
"I will get my revenge on you!" the man growled.
"Why?" Saiki asked. Then she looked at her husband. "You never told me how many old friends you have."
"Some old friends don't need to be remembered," he said on glancing at her.
"Ah. So…some old friends can be killed?" she grinned.
"If such old friends keep coming around with this attitude…and not near our home grounds…I don't see why not…" he mused.
"Stop ignoring me!" the man scowled.
"Darling, let's just keep walking. Before I change my mind," she said and yawned with boredom. Her necklaces seemed to glitter in the sun as he turned her away with him, and Ugajin slammed the man down when he lunged at them again.
"I am a reigning champion of underworld fighting. And I'm not leaving my little sister's side for a quite a while. Be glad I smacked you instead of her gutting you open. I've seen her fight," Ugajin said with pity for the man. It was when ten men showed up to surround them that Kiryu set down his wife.
"Do I play…?" she asked in a soft tone.
"If they close in. May have no choice. See if you can scare them off. I'd rather not kill anyone if we can avoid it," Kiryu growled and put on his gloves. Ugajin crouched down to show he was ready, too. None of them had a chance to do anything when Saiki let out her haunting song. Amon could only stare with shock at how all of the men around them fled in terror.
"Aww…my toys ran away…" she frowned. Then she locked her deep blue eyes on Amon to let her eerie song filter into his mind.
"Ah!" he gaped.
"Don't…touch…my husband…or…you will die…!" she sang out with complete warning. Kiryu watched the man fall to his knees and hold his head in his hands to try and block out the singing. Of course, it failed.
"Who…are you…?!" Amon spat out.
"If you recall a Clan that was murdered and severed to pieces in under ten minutes, well…you're looking at who did it," Kiryu said and gestured to his wife.
"What…?!" Amon gaped with disbelief. "I was told it was some…headhunter that did it?"
"Yeah. Me," Saiki grinned widely. "Wanna test why I got called that?"
"Eh…" Amon grimaced now. The singing now faded from his mind, and he stood up completely shaken. Kiryu plucked up his wife and kissed her cheek. Then he regarded Amon again.
"Live out the rest of your life. And stay the hell out of mine," Kiryu grunted out with a narrowed glare before turning and walking away. Ugajin rose a brow and now followed them easily.
"I should have gutted him open…" Saiki frowned.
"No need," her husband said lightly.
"If he comes after us, you know I'm gonna do it."
"I am well aware."
"Why did you let him live?"
"Because, sometimes, all you have to do is prove that there's no need to do anything further. You proved your point. It's done. There's no need to go further than that. Okay?" he said and kissed her forehead.
"I'm still setting up a sensor for the elevator doors," she sighed.
"Do what you must," he agreed.
"You both are hysterical," Ugajin grinned.
"Wait!" Amon finally said when he got his nerves back.
"For what?" Ugajin asked him over his shoulder.
"There is no way that the Tojo Clan's weapon is her!" Amon said defiantly.
"Just show off the scythe. Don't use it," Kiryu ordered his wife lightly.
"More fun when used. But I get it," she smiled.
"I don't want you to black out. I want you to stay focused and remember what's happening. Okay? Please do this?" he urged gently.
"I see now. Okay," she smiled. He kissed her passionately and turned to face Amon again. He set her down to let her stand tall. And he watched all of the color drain from the man's face at the sight of her massive scythe coming into view. She grinned wickedly and lifted it up as though ready to show how it worked. Just as she felt ready to rush at him, she remembered herself. Her husband saw the small struggle, and he bent down slightly to help her.
"That's it…" Kiryu nodded and gently touched her shoulder. "Recall yourself. You can do this."
"Difficult…but…yeah. This needs to be my new training…" she winced. She stood up tall for her short figure and let the scythe get put away. "My husband just spared your life. If he wasn't here, well…you'd be pieced back together like a puzzle. Now. Get the fuck out of here before I black out and forget you need to live! Last warning!"
"Might want to listen to her," Ugajin nodded. Amon needed no further convincing. Kiryu knew he'd be back around, but he scooped up his wife to kiss her and show her how proud he was of her. When they got there, everyone waved and Kiryu set Saiki on her feet.
"How goes it?" Tomi grinned. "We're still waiting for Sa-chan, Chi-chan and the three guys from the old yakuza. Eh…Kiryu-san? Everything okay?"
"I hate grudges," Kiryu muttered and sat down. Then he found himself relaxing at the neck rub his wife began to give him when she moved to stand behind him. "Yeah…I need this…"
"I can tell!" she muttered and ran her hands up and down his neck muscles. He winced at a sore spot she found and started to work on it. "Relax more for me."
"Mmm…" Kiryu managed to voice out to agree.
"So, Kiryu-san," Kasuga started.
"Hmm?" he mumbled out with his eyes closed. He was thoroughly enjoying the massage and showing it.
"What's the plan?" Kasuga asked.
"Don't know. I was hoping for nothing," Kiryu admitted. He let out a deep sigh of contentment and opened an eye when Saiki stopped the massage. "More?"
"Really?" she laughed softly, kissed him gently and resumed the neck rub. "I should invest in a massaging lounge chair. That's one thing I don't have…"
"Get one," Kiryu said with a form of adamant order. That got her laughing and agreeing. "We can put it in the game room."
"We could, huh?" she mused. "Help me shop for one?"
"After this…" he mumbled and closed his eyes again.
"At least his bruise is healing up," Nanba chuckled from where he sat.
"I'll order a round of drinks for those that want them," Adachi said and nodded to the bartender.
"Hey! I'm here!" Sa-chan said on walking in. "There was quite the crowd earlier today! Business went very well."
"Hey!" Kasuga waved at her. She gave a small smile and a nod to him before moving to sit down. Then she blinked at Ugajin glancing over at her.
"And…who might you be…?" Ugajin asked with a small grin.
"Oh. Um…I'm Saeko…" she said with a small blush. "They call me Sa-chan as a nickname. And you?"
"I'm Saiki's older brother. Actually her cousin, but if my family found her, we would have adopted her. So, I see her as my baby sister. I'm also a champion in the underground world of fighting," he chuckled softly. "Nice to meet you."
"That is so cool!" she gasped. Kasuga's jaw dropped at this.
"He's not all that!" Kasuga suddenly said in a jealous outburst. "Kiryu-san still kicked his ass! Kiryu-san's stronger than him!"
"To a point," Ugajin nodded. Sa-chan blinked at Kasuga and caught Ugajin's small wink. Saiki whispered out her singing tone into Sa-chan's ears to get the girl turning and hiding her laugh. Then she coughed a bit to regain herself.
"Well, it's very nice to meet you," Sa-chan nodded.
"I'm rather new in town. Did you want to…show me around…?" Ugajin asked with a small shrug. Zhao looked over with Joongi to clear their throats loudly. Seonhee was trying not to cackle with intense laughter.
"Ugh! I hate meetings," Chi-chan sighed when she walked in. Then she paused at the sight of Ugajin. "Well…who are you…?"
"The name is Ugajin. I am Saiki's older brother. As I said a bit before, I'm actually her cousin. But, if my family did find her, she would have become my adopted baby sister. So I see her as my baby sister," Ugajin smiled and nodded.
"Do you live in the gym? I just have to ask," Chi-chan asked.
"In a sense. I'm a champion fighter in the underworld, as they say. Only Kiryu-san has beaten me. No others have," Ugajin chuckled.
"True…" Kiryu muttered and kept enjoying his neck rub. When the door to the Survive Bar suddenly burst open, Saiki let out an acupuncture needle without even glancing over to see who it was. Ugajin watched with disbelief that she had pin-point accuracy with only using her senses.
"You did that perfectly. Without even glancing up," Ugajin said.
"Yeah. I did. Took me a year of intense practice. It paid off," Saiki chuckled and continued to massage her husband's neck.
"Ah…I told him not to do that…" Taiga grimaced at Goro's form falling down in a dead sleep.
"Oh. It was asshole? Huh. Now I don't feel bad at all," Saiki grinned wickedly. "At least he's just sleeping."
"I'll never get over how you do that," Daigo shook his head and removed the needle from his friend's forehead. Taiga was dying with laughter at Saiki's comment. He'd never get enough of that!
"The fuck?!" Goro gaped and winced at the mild headache.
"You barged in. She put you down with a needle. Huh. Should I rename you…Brody…?" Ugajin mused. Saiki broke down into intense laughter, and Kiryu finally had to force himself to move and hug her close. He settled her right in his lap and let her snuggle into him.
"Fuck. You. That's not funny!" Goro snorted at him and stood up.
"She's laughing," Ugajin shrugged. Seonhee was doing all she could to keep from laughing outright with the others.
"Okay. What did we miss?" Sa-chan asked and finally sat down. She saw the two monks come down the stairs to settle with them, and Ugajin was introduced to them. He nodded and started to fill them in on what was missed from The Castle. After it was done a good twenty minutes later, he felt his phone buzz from the silent ringtone.
"One moment…" Ugajin sighed at who it was. "Hello. Yes, I finally answered. Look, I'm not going to meet with you. You weird me out, that's why. Besides, I'm extremely busy. I'm visiting other family. Because it's not the usual family that you know of. Okay? Just leave it at that."
"Too much information," Kiryu said. Saiki started to tense up and got whispered to in order stay calm.
"I need to go. I can't say anything right now. It's a very delicate situation. Okay? No, don't go telling everyone else what I'm doing. It's not needed and not their business. Maybe later. Not right now. I'm with others. And this is a private matter. I have to go," Ugajin said and hung up the phone. When it rang again, he scowled on answering it. "Stop it! I can't do this. I'm turning off my phone."
"Who are you seeing?!" the female voice screeched out with jealousy.
"Goodbye," he said and hung up. Then he blocked the number. "I'll unblock her later, but this is just…no. I don't need that right now."
"Ex-girlfriend?" Chi-chan asked.
"A cousin infatuated with me," he cringed.
"Oh. Yuck! I'm sorry you have to deal with that," Chi-chan sympathized.
"Thanks," he chuckled. Then his phone rang to show another family member was calling him. "Great…"
"Turn off your phone," Saiki said. Ugajin nodded and did just that. "I want to screen your voicemails if any are left to judge who said what."
"You know that first impression is everything to her. If any of them say something rude to you, I would say that counts as first impression," Kiryu muttered. "Even to me as her protective husband."
"That it would," Saiki smiled and pressed her face into his neck. He placed a hand over her belly and closed his eyes with a form of rare contentment in the public eye. He did open one eye mildly to watch Chi-chan strike up a conversation with Ugajin. Sa-chan even found herself wanting to learn more about the large man in their midst.
"Why are you so…interested in him?" Kasuga finally asked her.
"He appears to have had an interesting life. And I want to get to know him better on a friend level. What's the point of hanging around others if you don't know them?" Sa-chan smiled. "Besides, I'm too busy with work these days."
"Oh…" Kasuga blinked at that logic.
"Ugajin…" Saiki said in a soft tone. Now Kiryu looked at her with a frown.
"Yes?" the large man regarded her.
"Have you…ever been to the graves of my parents…?" she asked.
"Ah…" he paused and lowered his eyes. "No…"
"Did you want to go now?" she asked.
"With all of them?" Kiryu asked.
"I think it's safe enough. Because if other family is around…and learning he is on land…I don't know if anyone would be waiting there…" she said with a small swallow. "We should be there first. I know. Others will learn the names of my parents. As long as my real name is somewhat hidden…I mean…"
"Do you trust us?" Adachi asked carefully.
"Granted, I'm an asshole. But I don't snitch," Goro said seriously.
"Fine. This is an act of solid and complete trust. But…" Saiki frowned. She didn't even look up at Rabten when she flung a needle at him to put him to sleep. "He stays out of this. He will stay asleep until we all return."
"Agreed," Gelek nodded.
"I do not need him meddling in my personal affairs," she growled.
"I'll watch over him," Osamu agreed.
"Very well. My true name…is Aika…" she said softly. A soft gasp went through them all. "I only want Kazuma to call me that, though. Maybe Ugajin, depending on the need. No others."
"No need to, Sai-chan," Kasuga agreed.
"It's a very pretty name," Chi-chan smiled.
"Thank you," Saiki smiled with a nod. "I don't know how I was given this current name, but I decided to just keep using it. There's no need to change it around anymore. Much like how Kazuma has false names, I'll still use 'Saiki' as my name in the public eye. Close friends and family will know the truth to speak of it in privacy. The others will know the false for safety."
"Right," Kiryu nodded and kissed her forehead.
"We can pick up some flowers for your parents," Nanba suggested.
"I'd like that," she agreed.
"Incense, too," Kiryu said. "Okay. Let's go. We know where it is. Joongi, follow Tomi?"
"I can," Joongi agreed and started to walk out with the others. "I brought a van to add for space. I didn't think my car would do the trick."
"Good idea!" Tomi nodded.
"Don't worry about Ebina and Tsuruno. They are at the Geomijul headquarters. They offered to help out with strengthening the watch. For now, I accepted. They are always under surveillance," Seonhee said.
"Good to know," Kiryu nodded to her.
"They agreed to work for me. If they fuck up, you let me know," Saiki muttered out. Seonhee agreed to that.
"Where are we going?" Gelek asked.
"A graveyard to pay respects," Zhao told him.
"I just texted you the directions," Kiryu said to Tomi.
"Good. I'll upload them to the GPS system in my van," Tomi nodded.
"I will admit something, though," Saiki chuckled.
"And that is?" her husband asked after getting in the minivan with her. He had her settle in his lap and he looked at her to talk.
"I always wanted to play an instrument. All of them. But I want to master the violin first," she smiled. Now Kiryu looked at her with pleasant surprise.
"Go for it!" Kasuga grinned from the front seat.
"I'll need to make a music room. That requires more excavation," she sighed. "Maybe…after the three month mark for Kazuma..."
"Just have the karaoke chamber store things for now. It's a bit of a music room, in a way," Kiryu chuckled and kissed her softly. "I would be delighted to see if you could play something."
"I did learn how to read music," she winked.
"A book, right?" Chi-chan asked.
"Exactly," Saiki nodded at her.
"You should play a harp, too!" Sa-chan grinned.
"I can see you doing that and dressing up in an elegant costume," Ugajin chuckled. Kiryu now looked at his wife with complete amusement.
"That's a possibility…" Saiki mused.
"So, Ugajin," Chi-chan said on looking at him. Zhao was reclining and keeping watch outside the windows. Adachi and Nanba had gone with Joongi, Seonhee, Goro, Daigo, Taiga and Gelek.
"Yes?" the large man asked.
"Are you single?" she asked him with a small grin.
"Currently? Yes," he nodded. "Why?"
"Just curious," she said with a soft giggle.
"Ah. Well, I would say to continue to be curious," he smiled.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked. Saiki and Kiryu looked at each other and remained quiet.
"I prefer to know someone first before gaining an interest. Just a common courtesy. It's for the best, anyways. Most of the time, I'm just a passing fancy. A notch on some pretty girl's belt with bragging that she slept with me. I'm done with the one night flings. I'm at a point in my life that I want something real. If I want to get into a relationship now, I need it to be something real," he explained. "Not something based on looks or feelings."
"I see. That's actually what I'm looking for, too. I know I could have anyone, but…sometimes it's nice to just…know someone for they are," she agreed. "Someone that can cope with me and work with me as a partner."
"I'm glad that we have a mutual understanding," Ugajin chuckled softly.
"How long do you expect to know someone before taking that next step?" Sa-chan asked. Kasuga cleared his throat and forced himself to look out the windows. Zhao was actually curious on this and continued to listen in. Tomi was following the directions on his GPS to pay attention to driving, but he was also mildly listening in.
"About three months. Maybe four. It depends on if there's a feeling there. A spark, you know? Just a feeling that…you know," Ugajin tried to explain.
"It's how I felt with Aika…" Kiryu said. "I only met her for ten minutes fifteen years ago. But…I felt this…intense sensation that I couldn't explain. That I had to find her again! To see her again. I'm glad that she's my wife now."
"As if I ever expected the famous Dragon of Dojima to be with me," Saiki chuckled. "I wanted to see him again, too. But Dog Catcher always got in the way after that. Hmm. Oh! Kazuma! I actually did try to send you a note!"
"What?! When was this?" he asked.
"It was a year later. I managed to sneak out, but you were gone. I left it on your desk. Did you ever see it?" she asked. "I had placed it by your table lamp in such a way that it could only be seen from where you sat at the desk."
"Hmm…" he thought hard. "I think…I did find a piece of folded paper! It was legible just enough, but I couldn't make out the writing in full…"
"Ugh. I was afraid of that," she frowned. "I was trying so hard to perfect myself. That was one of the few attempts I did to try writing out what I wanted to say. I was trying to tell you that I missed the ten minutes we spent together. And that I was sorry that I ran off like that."
"I think…yes…" he said aloud in thought. "I do remember that! I actually felt my heart leap into my throat when I read it, too. I knew it came from you. I had this intense longing to see you and talk to you again. If you wrote out about the camera, I wonder if I could have left a note for you to see from it to try and find it. Either way…I know this now. I definitely was in love. Because it started a whole mess of me trying to find you again. But the note…it was confiscated. And you know by who."
"Glad we killed him," Kasuga muttered.
"How did he take it?" Saiki frowned.
"I was out. I had it in my desk drawer for safety. I can't recall how many times I took it out to read it. I always felt a longing to find you from that small note. I'm sure someone heard about it. Somehow. And the news spread about me reading a note left on my desk by someone unknown. I'm sure he figured out who it was. I had ordered for no one to be let into my office while I was away.
"But…someone did let him into my office thinking he had to leave an order for me. It was actually to ransack my desk to find your note on his own mission to get it out of my possession. When I came back to find it gone, I learned who was let into my room. And he was nowhere to be found when I went on a manhunt for him until told to back off," Kiryu growled. "I really wanted to smear his face all over the walls and floor…"
"That was the time Dog Catcher left me abandoned for a month to prove a point," she said softly. He hissed and hugged her tight to his chest. He shook his head and forced himself to calm down. A heavy sigh left him while they comforted each other.
"We're together now," he finally muttered and stroked a lock of her hair. "That's all that matters. He's dead. He lost. No one else will ever keep you from me again."
"As if anyone could try," she muttered and let him kiss her hard. After it broke, he let her press into him with complete comfort. All he could do was run a hand through a lock of her hair to keep her calm.
"Aika, I did want to ask you something," Ugajin said.
"What's that?" she asked.
"It was said that jewelry from your parents was missing. Their wedding rings, more specifically," Ugajin said. Now he leaned forward when Kiryu and Saiki showed them off.
"Dog Catcher looted them. He even gave her mother's ring to his girlfriend! Including the necklace and earrings that Aika's wearing now! If it wasn't for an old photo found by the bed that revealed the rings and jewelry, we'd likely have lost that ring for good. We got all of it back when we found her in his prior place of residence. Aika threatened her life if the stolen property wasn't returned," Kiryu explained. "And the rings do have inscriptions on them."
"Oh! That's a relief! My family was worried that everything was lost. Those rings were passed down for a few generations, actually. It was Uncle Hori's idea to get the rings engraved. As much as the family frowned on it, he argued that they would be further identified if stolen. That had him win that battle," Ugajin said. "What do the rings say, though? He never told us what was put on them."
The rings were removed for him to read the delicate lettering. He shook his head and gave the rings back over. He blinked away a couple tears and shivered. Kiryu nodded with understanding and said, "It affected her, too, when she learned of the engravings. We had the rings cleaned for free for stopping a robbery in a jewelry store. And it was on the day of our marriage, too."
"I wonder if I can request something in the afterlife as a form of heaven to rip that man limb from limb every day to give him a form of eternal hell…" Ugajin mused aloud. Sa-chan and Chi-chan started to snicker with laughter at it all. "I guess all I can do is wait and see."
"You said my father was studying to be a scientist?" Saiki asked.
"He was. He was so intelligent! Even Aunt Kai was, too. And to know that you likely got all of it! The family even spread the rumor that Uncle Hori was genetically altering you in the womb. Such a bunch of lying spectators they are!" Ugajin snorted his disgust. "All of them are just overly jealous."
"Interesting bit of information," she mused.
"We're here," Tomi said and found a place to park. Joongi pulled up a car away from him, and they all met up on the sidewalk.
"This way," Saiki nodded.
"There's a small grocery store right before the entrance to the cemetery. Let's see what they have?" Adachi asked. This was agreed to, and they walked in to select a bouquet of flowers. Incense was found next, and Kiryu was sure the little shop made most of its profit from that alone. Once the purchases were done, they moved into the cemetery. Saiki led the way with Kiryu to where a set of graves were standing side by side. Overgrowth was around them now, but the plaques were cleaned up from when they were visited a month before.
"The plot's a bit dirty," Sa-chan frowned and moved to help clean up the growth around them. The others were quick to help, and Saiki studied the tall, grey marble graves with black plaques engraved with gold lettering. Incense was lit in the small dish of sand between them, and flowers were now set at the foot of them. There was a small bit of silent respect now, and Kiryu held his wife close.
"I'd never thought I'd be standing here in front of them," Ugajin muttered. "What happened to them…was so unfair…"
"If only I wasn't outside that day," Saiki swallowed. "At least they can see that I'm safe now. Hopefully."
"I'm sure they do," Kiryu said and fully lifted her into his arms to carry her close. He knew she was emotional, and he was always proving that he was right there to help her through it.
"I'm so glad…I recovered the stolen items…and found that cassette tape…" she whispered in his ear. He nodded slowly and sighed. The first time they came to the graves she had broken down in tears. All he did was cradle her close to show he was there.
"Ugajin?! Is that you?!" a woman's voice said in the distance.
"Shit…" Ugajin growled.
"Family?" Chi-chan asked.
"The one from the phone call. I bet someone tipped her off that I may have come here to visit 'other family'," he growled.
"Can you follow my lead for a moment?" she asked with a grin. When she offered her arm, he cracked a grin and looped his arm around hers. "Just be my eye candy for a little while."
"I can do that," he chuckled.
"I did the same thing with her in Hawaii at a casino. It was only to get close to the boss there, though. Nothing further," Kiryu chuckled. He turned away in full with Saiki securely nestled in his arms. "Just stay quiet."
"If she says something nasty…" she warned.
"I know," he agreed.
"Who is she?" the tall, well-proportioned woman with black hair and deep brown eyes asked. She was wearing a set of brown leather pants and a jacket over an off-white shirt with stylish boots.
"An acquaintance. We are getting to know each other as friends. She agreed to come with me here with other friends of hers. I'm guessing you decided to see if I came to visit this form of family, right?" Ugajin asked coolly.
"There has to be another reason why you're here! And why are there so many people here?! Are they attempting to desecrate graves?!" the woman said with a form of disgust.
"Shut up, Okino," Ugajin finally growled. "They're friends of mine, too, and show due respect. Where you don't. Hell, this is probably your first time showing up here. Isn't it?"
"Well…" she started and cringed at the glare the others gave her. "If only Uncle Hori didn't kill himself and Aunt Kai that night-!"
"How fucking dare you!" Saiki finally snapped. "I saw their deaths! I witnessed it! They were fucking murdered! Their bedroom is still a murder scene! I was fucking kidnapped from an orphanage that was planned by their murderer! I was stolen away by that same murderer to be hidden away from everyone! We killed that murderer just a month ago to avenge them and me! You don't know shit! Get the fuck away from my parent's graves!"
"You're…little Aika…?!" she gasped.
"Don't you dare call me that name. You are not worthy of it," Saiki growled dangerously. "Only true family calls me that. You are nothing but a lying bitch of a whore!"
"Saiki," Kiryu said to calm her down. Then he turned to face the offending woman. She actually took a step back from the scalding glare Saiki gave her. "I am her husband. I saw everything. And I know everything. If I was able to help her back then, I definitely would have. But I was thwarted all the way. As of now, you have just thoroughly pissed us off. You are living off of lies and deceit. I would highly suggest that you leave right now. And if anyone else comes after us to see her…I'll hope she doesn't kill anyone off out of spite."
"I…those eyes…Aunt Kai's eyes…" Okino could only whisper.
"She's not leaving…" Saiki growled and tensed. Kiryu knew exactly what was about to happen next, and he squeezed his wife close to his chest while turning back around to shield her.
"Get her out of here. Now," Kiryu ordered. Seonhee, Joongi and Zhao were quick to help escort the woman away.
"And now the fun starts," Ugajin muttered. "We'll get no peace until my baby sister comes forth to talk at a family gathering."
"They are not my family…" Saiki trembled and pressed into Kiryu's neck to hide her tears. "They…will never…be my family…!"
"And they don't have to be," Kiryu soothed and kissed her forehead.
"Ugajin…is okay. But those others?!" she seethed.
"Easy…" Kiryu soothed again to keep her calm. "Just focus on me now."
"Trying…" she whispered. "Just knowing…that they got…the fucking gall…to say my father…killed my mother…!"
"Ugajin did mention they were talking about it. Now we know it's something still being thrown around. It's a lie. We know it. Just calm yourself," he whispered. She started to cry, and he rocked her. No one dared to come close in case she snapped. "That's it. Let it out…"
In the distance, Okino was beside herself with shock at what was just discovered. Her throat even tightened when she heard Saiki crying. She could scarcely believe that her long-lost cousin had witnessed the murder that happened that night. She went to pull out her phone, but her hands were shaking to a point that she had to set it back down. The anger and rage she gave me! And it was justified with what I said so blatantly. I don't know how I can apologize to her now. And if the rest of the family wants to see her and says this to her…why do I get the feeling that she was ready to kill me?! Like she's done it before?! What happened to her…?
"You really need to get going," Joongi said while blocking the way to the graves. "Saiki will snap and get it in her head to kill you."
"How?" Okino asked.
"It was how she was trained," Seonhee said. "We all witnessed what she can do. We are saving your life."
"I really need to know what happened to her," Okino said. "I honestly had no idea of what happened that night. No one did. It's true that we lived off of speculations. There was so much false information filtered! We need to know the truth. Please."
"That's for her to decide," Zhao said. "And Kiryu-san's her main rock of sanity. If it wasn't for him, she'd still be hidden. You have to convince him rather than her. And you already pissed her off to a point that he wants nothing to do with you. You'll have to do a pretty big peace offering to get back into her good graces to even let him have a second thought with you."
"She is all about first impressions. You fucked up yours," Seonhee said with her arms crossed over her chest.
"You want to start getting on her good side? You should leave," Kasuga said bluntly. "And yes. She remembered that night quite clearly. She was three years old when it happened, but she remembered everything. I think she said she even tried to wake them up after they were killed. She's lived with that for the rest of her life to now."
"I…" Okino's eyes went wide. "We wanted to see what happened. We were warned away from that house by law enforcement. None of us could enter it. Of course, we had to identify the bodies. I mean…if the crime scene is still there…that's just…"
"It was from what she saw," Seonhee nodded. "Even Kiryu-san witnessed it. It was reported the house was ransacked. There is a possibility that the house will be repurchased and redone to give to her future children."
"Oh. I don't know who has that house now. I could ask…?" Okino asked with a form of hopefulness.
"That would give you a bit of respite with us. In fact, I'll help you out. Here's my number. You find out about the house. Contact me with the information. Saiki's emotional stress is through the roof right now. Filter information through me. And I work with the Geomijul. Seonhee, here, is our main boss. Don't screw this up," Joongi warned and wrote out his number on a small notepad he carried. Okino was shocked at who she was talking to, but took the number.
"That man said he was her husband?" Okino asked.
"Yes. He's more commonly known as the Dragon of Dojima. From the Yakuza Empire. Formerly, that is," Zhao nodded.
"She's married to him?!" Okino gaped with shock.
"She is. She was put in with the Tojo Clan against her will. And hidden from everyone including him. You want to know what all she can do? Here's the main bottom line. She was trained how to kill. And that was it," Kasuga frowned. "Like a common animal. And that was from the fucker that stole her away and murdered her family."
"She was able to find Kiryu-san and talk to him for ten minutes. That was fifteen years ago. He became her hidden focus to survive off of. He saved her life without even knowing it. He tried to find her after that, but her captor hid her away again. He had intense connections from this. She was considered their 'secret weapon'. And her mentality is a bit split from this now.
"So, take this warning to any others you talk to about her. If she gets pissed, she just kills the problem. She doesn't talk it out. She doesn't barter. She just kills it. And it's exactly as you think it is. She doesn't even think about doing it. She just does it," Seonhee said seriously. "Only her husband anchors her to reality. We've all witnessed this."
"Ah…!" Okino cringed at this.
"It may be best to forget that you ever saw her," Ugajin said behind the others. "I saw her attack. I saw her slaughter a group of men that tried to harm us. And it was second nature to her with how effortlessly she did it. I honestly think that no one should know about her at all. I found out about her before I realized who she was. She accepted me because I showed her intense respect. And I'll never let her get ripped from my life again."
"The family has to know about her!" Okino argued.
"For what purpose?!" he countered. "To ridicule her? Humiliate her?! Act just as you did and say things completely out of context? She will snap and slaughter anyone before her. And I know this because I saw her do it. I can't stress this enough to you!"
"I'm sorry. It's just so hard to believe, and…" Okino trailed off on seeing Kiryu rushing out of the cemetery with Saiki in his arms. He was ignoring everyone around him and moving with Tomi to get into the minivan.
"Home. Now," Kiryu muttered.
"Right," Tomi agreed.
"Wait!" Okino pleaded and heard Kiryu shout with warning. Saiki had leapt out of his arms and let her scythe come out. Now it was aimed right at Okino to show there was no more playing around.
"Why?" Saiki growled out. "Why the fuck should I listen?"
"Ah…I…I wanted to…to apologize!" Okino started to panic.
"You don't get it. You'll never get it. No one ever will. Only Kazuma knows me so well. The others can only go by his actions around me. He knows me inside and out. And you? You only just saw me again. You expect me to be a meek little bitch and continue to hear you screech out in vain?! Get a fucking life and stay the fuck out of my life!" Saiki snarled out.
"Saiki…" Kiryu muttered and bent down to gently pull her into his chest. He knelt down on a bended knee to let her sit on him to calm her further. "I know. Control this side of yourself. She wanted to apologize. She didn't know you were there. True, what she said was disgusting and spiteful. But she also didn't know what happened. Please put away your weapon?"
"Why?" she frowned at him. He lifted up his hand to gently caress her cheek and pull her face into his neck. He ran his fingers through a long lock of her hair and closed his eyes to help soothe her back down.
"That's it. Control it. Push it down. Everything will be fine," he said and kissed her forehead. He rose up his other hand to keep others back for now, and he made sure she was able to put away her scythe. "See? You got this."
"I hope so…" she whispered and let him kiss her softly.
"We have much to do today. We have older children to adopt tomorrow, so we'll need to get some paperwork ready. Ugajin will keep the peace. He's been doing all he can. Hasn't he?" he chuckled warmly. Saiki nodded and got kissed again in a gentle way. Now he turned his attention to the woman in their presence. "Be very glad I kept her from ripping you to pieces."
"I can't believe this…" Okino swallowed.
"You really want to know what happened that night over thirty years ago?" Saiki asked her directly now. "Go into that house. Go into that master bedroom. The front door was already busted in, but I dare you to look at the bed. I dare you to say that my father murdered my mother. Anyone that doubts…just look at that fucking bed and say it again!"
"I'll take her there," Ugajin said. "Chi-chan, can you come with me?"
"Of course," Chi-chan nodded with a small frown.
"I can drive you," Joongi said.
"We'll go with," Daigo said and nudged Taiga and Goro to follow him.
"I should go, too," Kasuga nodded. "Sa-chan?"
"I'll head to the Survive Bar. I don't think I'm ready to see a murder scene," Sa-chan admitted. He nodded at her.
"Kasuga, her name is on the wall in the baby room. Take it down for safety, please," Kiryu said and rose up with his wife in his arms. Now that they were heading home, the other group was led by Ugajin to the old house long ago. The old gate was fully shoved open now, and the tall man led them into the house. He paused at the smell of death and dust that was in the air. When they got to the master bedroom, he turned away and forced himself to calm down.
"They…no one told us…any of this…!" Okino gasped at the sight of the old bed. "No one touched this room!"
"This is…we need to destroy all of this…!" Taiga hissed at the sight.
"Tell me when," Goro muttered out.
"Dog Catcher did this. He slit their throats open! Look at all the blood!" Kasuga grimaced. Then he stared at the trembling woman. "And no one even bothered to sneak in to see this for themselves?!"
"We were warned!" she said and burst into tears.
"By who?" Seonhee asked carefully. Chi-chan was taking pictures of everything, but Kasuga was quick to head into the baby room to take down the old name on the wall.
"We just got a call saying it was a police officer. That the house was condemned and couldn't be entered. When we asked about it with local police, they weren't sure who called. But they said it was best to listen to what was said," Okino said and shivered hard.
"I took some pictures," Chi-chan said. "If anyone wants them, I can send them out. I'll hold them for now."
"Yeah," Ugajin managed to breathe deeply before finding himself moving outside. He saw the toy blocks on the ground and picked them up. "She always played with these blocks."
"That guy said she was seen playing with them outside that day," Kasuga said. "If you saw the video of the confession."
"I did. She always changed them up. And not in the same pattern. We all knew she was so smart! And to know that this…fucker! That she was chosen just by that?!" Ugajin ran a hand over his face. "It was said that they were looking for someone with intense intellect. I couldn't believe what I watched. That it was admitted on how she was found. And now I have to wonder if whoever called my family…if it was either him or another of his organization…"
"That would make the most sense," Seonhee said on joining them outside. "Would anyone have a recording?"
"I don't think so," Ugajin frowned. "It was so long ago."
"What's the plan now?" Kasuga asked.
"I want to renovate this house. That means we need to find out who owns it. My sister should have this house back as the rightful heir. We have some work to do," he smiled lightly. "Who's up for the challenge?"
"Count me in!" Kasuga nodded.
"I know some of the men would gladly help out," Seonhee smiled.
"I need to find out who started up the story of the murders," Okino said when she finally walked out. "I plan to get on that. I should get some photos…"
"I took some. I can send them to you," Chi-chan said.
"Here's my email," Okino said and gave it over.
"You'll get them the moment I sit down," Chi-chan promised. "But I do have a big question for you."
"What's that?" the woman asked.
"Do you really have the hots for your cousin?" she asked in a point-blank way. Now Okino's jaw dropped with shock. "You know that's just disgusting."
"And don't lie about it," Ugajin muttered.
"I know! I mean…I shouldn't. And there are plenty of times that I tell myself that I shouldn't. But…well…look at him!" Okino finally said. Ugajin groaned with disgust, and blinked when Chi-chan put her arm around his.
"Well, you can stop fantasizing about him. That's my job now," Chi-chan smiled. "It's time you saw him as family."
"And who are you exactly?" Okino frowned.
"I am Chitose Fujinomiya. You might have heard of my family. They do all the main shipping all over the world, and I'm the new president of the board on being the eldest daughter," she grinned. Now Ugajin looked at her with surprise. I was told about this. I didn't expect her to say it like that! "So, Ugajin, how would you feel about dinner? And I'd be treating it as a business expense due to property management. As in this house here. Because we have some intense discussion to do regarding renovation. I'm sure you'll need my company for shipping needs."
"I…think I can agree to that…" he found himself nodding.
"Good. Let's go back to the Survive Bar. And, ah, Okino, let me know when you get those photographs. I'll send them the moment I can," Chi-chan smiled. "Are we ready to go?"
"Kiryu-san and Saiki got back home. The others are now at the Survive Bar to discuss next steps," Kasuga said from Tomi's text.
"Then let's go!" Seonhee nodded. Daigo and Taiga were planning to stay behind to start on the cleanup. Goro was calling in a trash collector to remove the horrific mattress and anything else that needed to get tossed out. A cleaning crew was going to be contacted next to arrange an appointment to deep clean the house and repurpose anything that could be salvaged.
"The family wants answers. They're gonna get all of them…" Ugajin muttered and blinked when Chi-chan leaned into him slightly. He started to find it odd that he didn't mind it in the least. Maybe this one…might be the one? Heh. I'll have to wait and see.