The Hashimotos. One of the most dangerous criminal gangs, at least in Kanezaka. If they wanted something, they got it, if you saw something that was none of your business, they would personally see to it that you left or shut up forever. The people of Kanezaka were aware of this, but there was nothing they could do about it.
Food, water, electricity, internet. If people wanted to live a peaceful life and pretend that nothing was happening, they had to pay double in order to have a more comfortable and peaceful life, but unfortunately, not everyone is so lucky. The Hashimotos were not people of patience, and they did not fear the consequences of their actions.
A criminal gang that rises up over an entire city, believing themselves to be deities. But who would have imagined what would happen tonight?
In the same place where Hanzo and Genji had their fight, a meeting was taking place, all the members of the Hashimoto clan, both men and omnics were present, but there were also the men that Kiriko and I had previously attacked.
When the doors opened everyone stood stiffly silent as a person accompanied by bodyguards and geishas began to walk through the room until they reached the front of everyone. The man was dressed in formal clothes, with black hair and amber eyes, his expression clearly showing that he was not in the mood.
"Tonight is not a good night for us. And I'm not very happy about that." The man's voice was deep and serious, making many Hashimotos gulp at the seriousness of the matter.
"I heard we have two problems. One, a brat that a group of 7 couldn't do anything to, and a bitch who defeated the group I specifically sent to collect a debt. I want an explanation right now." The pressure was mounting as everyone now seemed tenser.
"So?. Talk!"
"Sir, we are sorry!" The first to speak was the man who had his hair split in two due to the axe attack.
"It's not our fault. It was the daughter of the Kamori family! She interfered in our mission, and attacked us when we wanted to collect the debt from Mr. Yoshida, we had no choice but to flee when things got worse!"
"We are sorry too, sir. What happened was that we came across a boy who had very high quality weapons! A rifle, a sawed-off shotgun and a revolver. We tried to take the weapons away from him but it was useless. He was a demon. Bullets did nothing to him. He would transform and disappear into the shadows!"
The loud noise of the cane of the one who seemed to be the leader made everyone stay silent and rigid as if right now their heads were on guillotines ready to finish them off.
"You. Right here, right now." The man who previously faced me stood up and walked over to where the leader was and got on his knees.
The man looked at one of the geishas and the woman nodded before handing a hand-held katana to the leader, the man looked at the sword and handed it to the man in front of him while another Hashimoto had his hands shaking.
Slowly the man gripped the katana tighter with both hands even though fear and dread were overwhelming him, but he managed to squeeze the hilt tightly.
"Hashimoto teikokubanzai!."
Some looked away, others lowered their heads as they watched their companion stab his own stomach with the katana, performing harakiri. The man's body fell to the ground in deep agony, the leader of the Hashimotos looked at his bodyguards and they lifted the body before carrying it away.
"Let this be a lesson to all of you. I'll believe what the Kamori family's daughter says, but I won't allow nonsense like hearing that a demon is here! We are the Hashimotos, no one can take us down, no one can stop us, no one can stand in our way!"
"The Hashimotos. We are eternal!" The man shouted, looking at all his men.
"Long live the Hashimotos!" All the clan members shouted at once as they bowed to their leader.
The sound of the fox clock on the wall was loud and constant. After ten minutes, the effects of my spell had worn off and Kiriko's mother had now woken up. The girl and I had to intervene when her mother tried to attack me again, now Kiriko and I were facing each other face to face while her mother was preparing tea.
"Umm, nice trench coat." the girl said trying to break the awkward silence in the room.
"Thanks. It was a gift from my girlfriend." I said with a shy smile looking at the trench coat Parasoul gave me for my birthday. I looked at Kiriko while trying not to show any of my monster parts.
"You have a nice apartment, it is. Quite spacious."
"Thank you. I worked hard for it." The girl said as we watched her mother bring out a traditional Japanese tea set.
"I don't think you've introduced yourself. Who are you, may I ask?" Kiriko's mother asked as the woman prepared the tea.
"My name is Benja." I said nervously but the woman still looked serious.
"Benja is your only name? Why don't you say your full name?" The mother asked seriously, which made me even more nervous.
"Well." My mind became a hurricane of nerves due to the environment making me think quickly.
"And by the way, I don't think you mentioned where you came from. You're clearly not from around here." Kiriko's mother looked at me sternly which caused my heart to race in terror.
"Friedrich!" Kiriko and her mother stared at me when I shouted Christiane's last name.
"Sorry. Umm, my name is Benjamin Friedrich. I'm from Germany." I said with a shy smile as Kiriko's mother looked at me before going back to making the tea.
"My name is Asa Yamagami. This is my daughter, Kiriko." Was all the woman said as she continued to prepare the tea. This caused awkwardness and uneasiness between the girl and I.
"Umm, my mom is like this all the time, she doesn't like foreigners. Why exactly did you come here?" The girl asked with a nervous smile making me laugh awkwardly.
"You know who the person was who gave you this address. But now I ask you, what do you have to tell me about this?" Kiriko asked with a little more seriousness in her voice.
"It's about Overwatch."
At the mention of Overwatch, Kiriko and I heard something break and turned to see Asa standing up.
"I'm sorry. I'll go get another cup," the woman said before leaving Kiriko and me at the table. We could hear a certain coldness in her voice.
"So, Overwatch, huh? I haven't heard from them in a while, quite a while I can say. What's up with them?" Kiriko asked, staring at me.
"I came to find Genji Shimada." What I said startled Kiriko and caused her to jump to her feet, dropping the chair behind her.
"He's here!?" The girl heard her mother cough causing her to slowly sit back down and adopt a more relaxed and calm posture.
"Excuse me. Umm, can you tell me about how you met him?" Kiriko asked, staring at me.
"My main mission was to search for Genji. As I walked through the streets I forgot to hide my weapons, so those men you fought against ambush me to take my weapons away, but they failed."
"You mean the Hashimotos? Well, the way you stood up for me and my mother, I wouldn't be surprised if you kicked their asses. What else can you say?" Kiriko asked as her mother returned with another cup.
"After the fight, I saw something moving on the rooftops, at first I didn't know who it was, that person took me to a monastery where there were more Hashimotos, but that man easily took down those guys with a bow and arrows, I followed him thinking it was Genji, but it turned out to be his brother, Hanzo."
Kiriko and I were startled when the girl's mother suddenly started coughing because she had choked on tea.
"I'm so sorry. But, it's been a long time since I thought Hanzo would be back here. What happened next?" Asa asked curiously as he looked at me.
"Hanzo seemed to be making offerings to Genji at the shrine, but then he appeared and they started fighting. They seemed to be very evenly matched against each other, but suddenly at one point Hanzo summoned two dragons that attacked Genji, but when his brother unsheathed his sword he did something similar and returned the attack."
"Only a Shimada can summon dragons." Kiriko said in amazement looking at me as I nodded.
"After that fight, Genji wanted to give the finishing blow but that was not his goal. They started talking but when Genji was about to leave, Hanzo seemed very angry with him shouting that he was a fool. I wonder what happened for them to hate each other so much. But also, I would like to know what happened between them. How did Genji end up like this?"
"Those are questions you'll have to answer on your own," Asa said before handing me a cup of tea.
"And what happened next? How did you find out where I live?" Kiriko asked curiously, watching as her mother also gave her a cup.
"I found Genji in front of a tombstone outside the city. I tried to talk to him about Overwatch needing him, but he told me he wasn't ready yet, that something in his past prevented him from returning. But until that day came, he gave me this address where I met you." I said, staring at the girl.
"I see. So, Genji sent you here with me, but he didn't tell you why?" The girl asked curiously, looking at me.
"No but. If I have to think about how you fought me and how you defended yourself, I'm theorizing that Genji sent me here, so that you could join us." Suddenly we were both struck dumb as Asa slammed the table hard using his cup to get our attention.
"Kiriko, go to the room, we need to talk." The woman stood up and without giving Kiriko a chance to speak, Asa grabbed the teenage girl's arm before leaving the room leaving me alone. I looked at my cup for a moment before taking a sip.
"Sleeping pills. I'm not surprised." I said boredly before continuing to drink. Sleeping pills had no effect on me not only because I was a vampire Kitsune, but also thanks to my ivy magic.
When Asa and Kiriko arrived at the room, the woman locked the door and began to walk around the room full of worry and fear.
"This must be a mistake, there's no way this is real..."
"Mom..."
"Genji is not alive, Hanzo is not here, all of this is not real..."
"Mom..."
"This is not real!."
"Mom!" Kiriko couldn't bear it and grabbed her mother's shoulders tightly.
"Relax, everything's okay." The girl slowly helped her mother sit up on the bed while Asa didn't seem to be in a good moment.
"Kiriko, none of this is right. It's unbelievable that after all these years, they're still here, even Genji. But what shocks me the most is that that boy came for you, it can't be true." The woman said while massaging her forehead.
"Mom, this may be the moment I've been waiting for for years. If Genji sent Benja for me, it's because he might think I'm ready." Kiriko said with a smile but the woman shook her head seriously.
"Ready for what? To disappear into an illegal secret organization? Kiriko, you know what everyone thinks about Overwatch, I know we've all been through horrible situations, but you have to understand that I can't allow you to go with them. Genji was there, and look what he became, I don't want the same thing to happen to you." Asa said with concern and seriousness in his eyes looking at the girl.
"Mom, you have to believe in me. Please, at least think about it, he thinks I'm ready. I won't follow the path he took, I'll be better, that's what Grandma and Dad would want from me. Make the world a better place, and with the Kitsune on my side, I'll be safe." The girl said with a smile while the woman lowered her head in concern.
"I'll think about it. But I can't guarantee that you'll go, you still have to go to school and I have to think about whether you're really ready and will take the necessary measures." Asa said seriously as she stood up.
"That's a small victory for me," Kiriko said before walking out of the room with her mother to see me still sitting at the table. The woman looked surprised but tried to hide it by coughing into her hand.
"Umm, we were talking about it, and. I'll think about what you've told us, but I can't guarantee that Kiriko will go with you. You can use the couch if you want, it's very late now." Asa said, staring at me.
"Thanks. But someone else is waiting for me, if Kiriko can go with me then we'll be waiting for her at this address tomorrow at eight." I said before giving the girl the address of the hotel where Ashe, Bob and I are staying.
"Okay, I'll see you there." Kiriko said with a smile as I bowed before leaving the apartment.
As I left my icoffin started ringing and when I looked I could see that it was a call from Ashe before answering.
"Ashe, here I am." I said as I started walking to the elevator.
"Damn, Benja. I almost sent Bob to find you, have you had any luck with that Genji guy?" Ashe asked from the other side with some seriousness.
"He won't be coming, but it seems we'll have another ally in our hands, but I don't know that yet. I have a lot to tell you, I'll explain everything when I get to the hotel, I'm leaving for there."
Kiriko was washing the cups after I left. Asa had gone to the guest room to rest due to exhaustion and a side effect of my magic which was increased sleep.
The girl looked at her mother sleeping in bed before receiving a text. When she checked her phone, a smile appeared on her face before she went to her room. Once she entered, she grabbed a set of kunai, the hat that Mr. Yoshida's granddaughter had given her, some stamps, and a large bell that fit in Kiriko's entire hand.
"This evening is only getting more interesting." The girl opened the window and took one last look at the guest room where her mother was before jumping out and leaving quickly.
"So Genji won't be coming, huh?" Ashe asked as the woman grabbed a towel.
"No. But I think he wants Kiriko to take his place, I wonder what happened in Overwatch for him to refuse to return." I said looking at the window while the woman rolled her eyes.
"Anyway. Don't worry, there will be more agents you'll find. I'm going to take a bubble bath, do you want to come?" Ashe asked with a flirtatious smile which made me blush with embarrassment. That made the woman laugh.
"You're a sweet little thing." Ashe petted my head before heading off to the bathroom, leaving me alone with Bob.
"Is she like this all the time?" I looked at the robot butler for a moment but received no response, which made me uncomfortable.
"I'll be back soon," I said before standing up and quickly leaving the room, embarrassed.
As I left the hotel I started flying up to the top of the roof so I could make the call. Once I got to the top I looked around before sitting on the edge and making the call.
"Benja? Glad to see you calling." Winston said with a smile on the other end as the gorilla watched the computer.
"Hi Winston, how are things in Gibraltar?"
"Mei, Torbjörn and Tracer are fine, the capital Sojourn arrived safely. Umm, where are you right now?" The gorilla scientist asked curiously while opening a banana.
"I'm in Hanamura, looking for Genji." When I said the agent's name, Winston stopped just as he was about to take his first bite.
"Genji..." The gorilla was silent for a few seconds before speaking again.
"Did you and Cassidy manage to find him?"
"Cassidy and I are now parting ways. He's with Ana Amari's daughter and a new recruit, a combat medic, ex-Talon agent named Baptiste." I said while Winston listened to everything from the other side.
"And is he trustworthy?" The gorilla asked with seriousness in his voice and clear distrust.
"We can trust him, Winston. I could see his intentions, he doesn't seem to want to betray us, he speaks the truth." I could hear a sigh of relief from Winston on the other end.
"Okay. Back to the topic, are you in Japan alone?" the gorilla asked before taking a bite of his banana.
"No. I'm here with an ex-friend of Cassidy's, her name is Ashe, she has a butler named Bob. She says she'll be with me to find the rest of the agents, and she even gave me some guns. I'll send you a picture." I said before lowering my guns to the ground, taking a picture, and sending them to Winston.
The gorilla noticed that images had arrived on his computer and when he saw them it seemed like something serious.
"Give me a second, Benja." Winston pressed the microphone button and then looked more closely at the weapons.
"Athena. Analyze Benja's weapons, and their origin of manufacture. I've seen these weapons before." After that, Winston walked over and pressed the microphone button again.
"They're very striking weapons Benja, take good care of them. Umm, what will your next destination be?" Winston asked curiously, trying to change the subject.
"I don't know exactly yet. My next destination might be Korea or Germany," I said before activating my holographic map.
"It's okay. Just be careful, if you need help you know you can call me." Winston said with a smile making me smile.
"Thanks a lot Winston. I better go talk to Ashe about this, I'll see you soon. If anything happens in Gibraltar don't hesitate to call me." With that said I ended the call but when I was about to return to the room I saw a shadow move in the distance.
"Hashimoto." I whispered angrily. I looked around before briefly glancing at the entrance to the hotel.
"I should call Bob and Ashe, but I'll lose the trail. I have to hurry," I said seriously before putting my weapons away. I quickly started running until my feet touched the edge, I made a big jump and at that moment a magenta cloud covered me before disappearing, now transformed into a bat I began to follow the shadow closely.
Whoever it was, the person moved at high speed and in a coordinated manner, almost doing parkour on the roofs. My eyes were fixed trying to follow the person and perhaps reach him, but it was very difficult, which made it difficult for me to see the person's face. At the moment I was about to attack, I saw that the subject let himself fall and I quickly followed him to a dark alley where I quickly regained my normal form.
"Where is it?" I looked down the alley before exiting, arriving at a small neighborhood. The place looked like the New Salem pier, the place was lit by traditional lanterns, the stalls in the place ranged from food to second-hand clothing stores.
"Hey handsome, looking for some company?" I turned around to see a group of geishas using fans to hide their smiles. I felt a chill of nervousness and fear, internally I felt grateful that Carol, Junko or Painwheel weren't here, otherwise there would be a massacre.
"No, thank you." Was all I said before picking up the pace to get away from those women. I continued to look around until in the distance I could see some people wearing masks talking to each other before leaving.
"Those masks don't look like the Hashimotos. But I can't let them go." When I saw the boys leave down an alley, I immediately followed closely behind them, being careful not to attract their attention.
"How many fireworks do we have?" asked a young man wearing a turtle mask.
"Enough to blow everything to pieces," replied another young man, this time a girl with a swan mask.
"I want to see the faces of those sons of bitches when everything falls to pieces in front of their noses," said a burly boy as he and his friends entered an old, abandoned-looking warehouse.
"This whole breaking into abandoned warehouses thing is getting into the habit of now, Alice would laugh if she heard that." I said with a bit of nostalgia before approaching, just as the door was about to close, I immediately blocked the door with my foot before entering.
The interior was dark, but in the center was a table with empty, dirty food bowls and blueprints on it. I slowly approached before kneeling down and looking at the blueprints. The blueprints themselves were ordinary, but what stood out was the simple fact that they had places marked with red "X's."
"What is this?" I whispered before feeling something from behind, I immediately turned just to intercept a blow from the mallet, without giving time to respond, I grabbed the weapon and along with the attacker I would throw his body to the other side of the room.
"You're much more attentive than I expected," the burly boy said as he stood up with some difficulty.
"But let's see how you defend yourself from this!" Suddenly the masked girl jumped on her partner's shoulder before opening two fans, with a quick blow she unleashed a strong flurry of needles.
I immediately stomped hard on the table to use it as a shield, managing to block the needles. Before the other boys could react, I attacked using the same table, using a strong kick to throw the furniture at them, managing to knock them down.
"Shit. Nobuto, do something!" Before I could realize it, I was surprised by a hug on the back leaving me motionless.
"You're very strong, any last words?" The girl asked as she and the other boy approached me.
"Yes. I hope you like the opera." Everyone was confused but what came next was not what they expected.
I headbutted the boy behind me hard before taking a large leap to get behind them. The teens looked at me as I took a deep breath, before anyone could move I began to let out a loud sonic scream causing the three teens to begin to be carried away by the strong sound waves as they struggled to not only stay standing but also to cover their ears.
With one last shout I threw all the attackers into the shadows where I could hear sounds of metallic noises.
"Get out of there with your hands up and don't try anything else." I said seriously but then my senses warned me of something and I quickly took out my knife to deflect a kunai that was going for my head.
"If you mess with a Kitsune's friends, be prepared to see their fangs." I turned around when I recognized the voice and could see Kiriko in a skylight before she came down and landed in front of me.
"Kiriko?" I asked in surprise, that puzzled the girl a lot before she blinked multiple times and looked at me.
"Wait, Benja?" Suddenly a bright light blinded us momentarily and then I could see my surroundings better.
The place looked almost similar to the base my team and I have in Metropolis. There were couches, a TV, small rooms, dolls, dumbbells, bowls of instant ramen along with empty pizza boxes. I heard groans of pain and as I looked in the direction, I saw that the three guys who attacked me were on the ground and behind them were broken arcade machines.
"Benja?" My attention returned to where Kiriko was, the girl was clearly confused like me.
"How did you get here? What's more, what are you doing here exactly?" The girl asked, staring at me.
"Kiriko, do you know this guy?" I turned around and got a better look at the other teenagers and their masks. The girl had an Amabie mask, the burly boy had a tanuki mask and the last one who wasn't a teenager was an omnic, he wore a kappa mask.
"Yes, he's a friend. Oh shit, how did all this happen?" Kiriko asked, already confused, not knowing what to think about the situation that was now being created.
"Well. What happens is that I was making a call and when I was going to return I saw a shadow in the distance, I followed it and it brought me here, then I saw the three of them talking about destroying something and I thought they were part of the Hashimotos." I said looking at Kiriko but the other people were clearly confused as well as offended.
"Wait a minute, freak. We're not part of those bastards, and how come we don't know you're part of them!?" The boy with the tanuki mask shouted but then Kiriko got in between them.
"Alright, alright, stop. That's enough, I'll fix this, Ryota." Kiriko said before looking at me.
"Benja. These are Ryota, Nobuta and Sakura, they are my friends." The girl said before turning around again, this time to look at the others.
"Guys. This is Benja, he's a friend I just met, you can all calm down, he's not part of the Hashimotos, in fact he beat them up. And that's all, my mom and I didn't manage to get a single scratch on him." I could tell from their body movements that Kiriko's friends seemed terrified by the last statement.
"Kiriko, do you have any idea what that means? If you couldn't do anything to him, how can you trust him?" Ryota asked with fear clear in his voice.
"It's a long story, everyone calm down. Everything will be explained in time, now we have more important things to do." Kiriko said before looking at Sakura.
"Sakura, did you get the information and the plans?" The girl asked curiously, causing her friend to nod.
"Yes, and no. The information was easy to obtain, the plans too, but I think they won't be useful anymore." Sakura raised a hand and when we all turned around we saw that the plans were on the ground, broken because of the fight.
"Wait. Why did you want the plans? What's all this?" I asked in confusion. I didn't know what was going on anymore at this point, Kiriko looked at her friends and then back at me.
"Alright Benja. I think it's useless to hide this now." The girl sighed before walking forward. Suddenly her eyes sparkled, which shocked me not because of the brightness, but because of something else. Suddenly some pillars appeared, lighting up the place with a fierce turquoise flash.
"We are the defenders of Kanezaka, the voice of truth and justice, the shinobi of peace, we carry honor in our blood and we do not back down in the face of any danger. We are the Youkai, the warriors of this city." As Kiriko introduced herself, the light and wind grew stronger while I felt a connection I never thought would happen.
It was strange, it was like a mutual connection between us, my Kitsune side was the one who felt it and much more, internally I had to make a great effort to keep my monster parts hidden to prevent Kiriko and her friends from seeing them.
"So, you are heroes." I said looking at the group, that made Ryota laugh.
"You understand quickly, my friend. But, not completely." The boy said, looking at Kiriko.
"Even though we help our city, being heroes isn't exactly what we are." The girl walked to a part of the room before turning on a light. In front of me, there was a whiteboard with pictures, newspapers, and other information about the Hashimoto.
"Our goal is to destroy the Hashimoto empire so that this city can return to the peace that was once taken away. For months we have tried to strike a blow against the boss, but we have never succeeded. It is said that tonight a meeting will be held at the ancient Shimada temple." The girl grabbed a letter before handing it to me. The envelope was black with gold and blood red details with a tiger seal.
"And what's the plan?" I asked curiously but before Kiriko could speak, Nobuta intervened.
"Not so fast buddy, first you come here, destroy everything, we reveal our secret to you and now you want to know our plan? Don't think that just because you're Kiriko's friend we openly trust you." The boy said seriously behind his mask. I felt bad, unknowingly, I destroyed their strategy and many of the plans they needed.
"I can help. I know a lot about plans and strategies, maybe I can help you, what are you looking for from the meeting?" I asked curiously, looking at everyone.
"We understand that the Hashimotos are looking for a new partner, as far as we know, all the old contacts they've had we've taken care of making them go away. But according to the informants we have, the main leader managed to contact a big shot." Sakura said as she approached us.
"Who is it?" I couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
"We don't know yet. But it must be very important, when we were coming here, they increased the security at the temple." Ryota said seriously.
"So what's the goal?" I asked curiously, looking at the board.
"Sabotage the meeting. We were planning on using fireworks to disrupt the meeting, though, that could also lead to damage to the temple." Nobuta said but the other members of the Youkai sighed.
"Are you still going with that plan? It's dangerous and very risky." Sakura said with some annoyance.
"At least I had a plan ready and didn't wait until the last minute!"
Kiriko didn't participate in the discussion, the girl was looking at the plans until her cell phone received a message. When she opened it her heart stopped and her eyes widened. "I'm waiting."
"Hey guys." Everyone stopped arguing and we turned to see Kiriko.
"I'll be back soon, I need to find out something, it'll be quick, I won't be long!" And before we could say anything, Kiriko disappeared in a turquoise flash leaving me surprised while the other boys didn't seem impressed.
"Kiriko's been really tense all week. What's going on?" Ryota asked in confusion as he looked at his friends, which caught my attention. I turned around for a moment to see the exact spot where Kiriko disappeared, wondering where she went.
Kiriko was very nervous, she was running across the rooftops until she reached an old street. The place looked calm and serene, the girl landed in an alley before looking at her clothes for wrinkles or stains, when everything was in order she was able to sigh in relief before slowly leaving and then approaching a ramen stand.
"Welcome, please take a seat," said an omnic in charge of the small ramen stand. Kiriko nodded before sitting next to a hooded person.
"You're late, Kiriko." The person said as the man held a small wooden cup of tea in his hands.
"I'm glad to see you again too, Hanzo." The girl said with a smile. The man remained silent before removing his hood, revealing his face and his true identity. Hanzo Shimada.
A silence fell over the girl, making her uncomfortable. While the omnic worked and the aroma of ramen filled the place, Kiriko was playing with her chopsticks before taking a deep breath to speak.
"How is your mother?" Kiriko's words were silenced by Hanzo's sudden question that she hadn't expected.
"She's fine. She still says I need more training." Kiriko said with a smile while Hanzo just grunted in agreement.
"Umm, you received my messages, right?" The girl asked in an attempt to break the tense atmosphere.
"Yes." Was all Hanzo replied before taking a sip of his tea.
"So, what do you think?"
"It's irresponsible of you to butt into things like this." Those words were bricks for Kiriko but the girl fought to keep her cool.
"I know. But, us."
"You're putting your friends' lives at risk by involving them in things like this, as if they were children's games." Hanzo interrupted sternly again. This further annoyed the girl who was now having a hard time keeping calm.
"Still, we've been fighting."
"Fighting for a cause that is not yours, nor should it be yours."
A silence fell over the small table. If it weren't for the clatter of utensils and omnics cooking, the silence would be such that a needle could easily be heard.
"I read every single one of your messages. Bad jokes, pranks, look what you've turned it into now, you put your hands in a fire that you can't control, you think it's under control but that fire will end up consuming everything around you. What we did as children was due to our recklessness, this is completely different, and you don't understand the consequences of these acts."
"Genji wouldn't think the same." Kiriko bit her tongue as she spoke. She didn't even think about it, she let herself be carried away by anger and irritation for Hanzo. Her words made the man turn to look at the girl, those eyes were like the gaze of a huge dragon to a small fox.
"Genji has never been a sensible and responsible person, his recklessness and immaturity unbalanced his path, that led him down the path he chose." Hanzo said before standing up.
"And who are you to say that?" The man stopped dead at Kiriko's statement while the girl stood up and decisively faced Hanzo.
"You disappeared for years without any explanation, you abandoned us, now you come here and tell me that what I'm doing is not right? Who are you to tell me that if you didn't even bother to help us when the Hashimotos took control of our city?. You left us." Kiriko said seriously while Hanzo turned to look coldly at the girl.
"Watch your tone, Kiriko." The man spoke sternly but that didn't intimidate Kiriko.
"I'm not a child anymore. While you were gone, I had to take the reins, I took care of this city, my friends gave their blood for Hanamura, you left us, you made the decision, it's your fault that Genji is no longer here!"
Kiriko's words had gone too far, that thought came to her mind when suddenly Hanzo took out his bow and arrows aiming directly at the girl's head. But she didn't move, in fact, her eyes were facing Hanzo's, as if telling him to dare to shoot that arrow.
"You don't know what happened that night, you have no right to say her name." Hanzo said venomously, looking coldly into the girl's eyes.
"And you have no right to tell me what to do. I'm not a little girl anymore, and just so you know, at least I didn't abandon my town and turn my back on my family." Kiriko said as she returned the cold stare while her eyes shone in a turquoise hue.
The atmosphere threatened to unleash a war at any moment. The two did not take their eyes off each other, the feeling of anger and resentment was growing in the other's gaze, as if in an attempt to intimidate. The silence became eternal until Hanzo made a "Tch" sound, before lowering his bow and arrow.
"You'll never understand the past, Kiriko." Hanzo said seriously before putting away his weapon.
"A past that you refuse to accept and confess." Kiriko said with the same seriousness before sighing.
"We really miss you, Hanzo. We need you. Kanezaka is not the same without you. The Hashimotos already control almost everything. At this rate, we will end up isolated from the world and living off crumbs. How come you don't care about us? Why do you have to be so selfish and let us suffer?" Kiriko asked a little calmer, but her voice was clear with sadness.
"I won't be a puppet, ever again. I abandoned my father's legacy, and it was for a reason. I'm sorry." Was all Hanzo said before leaving the ramen stand. Kiriko followed him, but when she left, the man was nowhere to be seen.
"I'm sorry. For thinking you would have changed." Kiriko directed the words at nothingness itself before starting to walk down her own path. Not noticing Hanzo staring at the girl before he took off on his own path between the rooftops.
How much time had passed? How did things end up this way? Kiriko asked herself that question every day, every week, every month, and every year. Even though those memories were old, it felt like all those beautiful moments of laughter and happiness had been lived in a single day.
The times when Kiriko and Genji would sneak out to steal from the kitchen, when both children would bother Hanzo so he would come out to play, the training sessions where Genji was scolded by the girl's mother for doing the wrong posture, the mushroom-shaped haircut! Kiriko's steps passed when the girl noticed a landscape where Kanezaka was shown in all its splendor.
Memories came to life. Kiriko could see her little self and other children having fun. Running, screaming with happiness, laughing, within seconds, the memories faded and the girl could see the horrible reality.
Many of those homes had been abandoned, food stalls had been sealed off with the Hashimoto seal, and where there had once been playgrounds and slides, there were now only parking lots. This city was no longer what it once was, its freedom had been taken away and its colors had been snatched away.
Kiriko continued walking to the warehouse where her base was. One last look at the streets made the girl clench her fists tightly and decisively.
"We'll make it." And with that promise, the girl entered the base just to see what I was talking about with her friends. Sakura and I talked while Ryota and Nobuta took apart the fireworks.
"Kiriko, where did you go?" I asked curiously when I noticed that the girl had returned.
"I went for a walk. What's going on here?" The girl asked curiously looking around.
"Your friend gave us an idea on how to ruin the meeting." Kiriko's attention focused on Sakura as she and I held up the whiteboard.
"The plan is to ruin the meeting, but we can't risk the temple being damaged. So I thought, why not scare them instead?" I asked with a smile, drawing Kiriko's attention.
"Scare them? We're talking about the Hashimotos, I managed to scare them easily after the fight, but scare them unexpectedly? How will we achieve that?" Kiriko asked curiously making me smile.
"Everything will work out if we work as a team." As I spoke, Nobuta and Ryoko approached me.
"We've already taken down the fireworks. Now what?" Nobuta asked curiously. A small smile escaped my lips, a typical Junko smile.
"I know more than one way to make someone run away terrified, I learned this from great friends of mine and people very special to me. Listen carefully, I even think we will need help not only from Youkai, but also from the supernatural." All of Kiriko's friends looked at me as I went on to explain the plan.
All the Hashimotos were at the entrance to the temple with their leader, the men and omnics looked like statues standing in place while a vehicle arrived at the place. With some nervousness, the leader of the Hashimotos opened the door letting a man out of the vehicle.
He was a dark-skinned, corpulent, and oversized man, the formal gala suit had been tailored for the man. A white jacket and a black shirt underneath, a small red flower on the side along with matching black pants and shoes. His presence alone was imposing, when all the Hashimotos bowed they couldn't help but feel fear, the leader seemed calmer, or so he tried to pretend.
"Mr. Akande, I am honored that you have decided to grace us with your presence." The leader of the criminal gang said with a small smile before shaking hands with the man.
"I hope I didn't come at a bad time," Akande said calmly, making the leader Hashimoto laugh.
"No, not at all sir. Please, it's this way." As the two adults began to walk, all the Hashimotos without exception bowed to Akande as the two adults entered the temple.
While all the Hashimotos went to their corresponding posts, Kiriko and the rest of the team observed the entrance to the temple.
"Alright, now remember." I stopped talking the moment I turned around noticing that Kiriko was gone.
"Kiriko said she was going to cover the rear and then meet up at the point," Ryota said with some seriousness but that worried me.
"Hey, don't worry, she knows what she's doing, trust her." Sakura spoke to me quickly when she noticed my concern, making me sigh.
"Okay. Everyone to your posts, don't forget, like we practiced." They all nodded before quickly leaving me alone. At that moment I remembered what happened minutes before the mission.
Flashback.
"Now remember. You have to stick to your parts, everyone has to fulfill their role. No overacting, that's the first warning someone notices, you have to be as convincing as possible." I said while everyone had papers in their hands, each one looking at the notes with great attention.
"Any questions?" I looked at everyone and no one seemed to have any doubts, but then I noticed Kiriko. The girl had glassy eyes looking emotionlessly at the sheet of paper I gave her.
"Kiriko, is everything okay?" The girl came out of her trance and noticed that I was looking at her just like everyone else.
"Yeah, umm. Okay, I'll go get some air, let me know if you're ready." Before anyone could speak, Kiriko left the room leaving us alone. That worried me a lot.
End Of Flashback.
"I hope she's okay," I said before closing my eyes and letting out a slow sigh.
"Let wonders come to light." I looked down and noticed that in my hands was a bloody knife that I recognized.
"Thanks Cheshire." I smiled before grabbing the knife. I then put on a mask and disappeared into the shadows beginning the mission.
The Hashimoto guards who were guarding the entrance were holding submachine guns. While one was the man who was hit by Kiriko's kunai earlier, the other was the same guy whose hair was sliced off by the axe in that same encounter.
"Do you want to leave your fucking hair for a second?" The man asked, annoyed when he saw that his friend's priority was more his hair than protecting the entrance.
"Shut up, you have no idea what you're talking about. When we get back to that apartment complex, that fucking brat and that old man are going to pay for this." The tension was broken when the two men heard the clicking of heeled footsteps.
"Excuse me, gentlemen." The two guards turned to see a lady.
The woman had a comfortable set of clothes which was a brown trench coat, her long hair was silky and shiny, her legs were exposed while black heels showed the delicacy and elegance of her feet. Her face showed two beautiful eyes while the other half of her face was covered by a mask.
"Yes, umm. Ahem, what can we do for you miss?" One of the Hashimotos asked in an attempt to appear flirtatious while his companion struggled to arrange his hair for the young lady. This made the girl laugh delicately.
"Forgive me for being so bold, but I wanted to ask if you think I'm beautiful?" The girl asked in an angelic and innocent tone, making the two Hashimotos seem more focused on the girl than on their main mission.
"Of course I do, Miss / Holy crap, yes." Was the response of the two Hashimotos at the same time that made the lady laugh.
"Oh really?" The girl asked pretending to be shy, causing the two Hashimotos to approach the woman.
"Of course you do, and you know something? I bet you're more beautiful without that mask on." The hair-cut Hashimoto said, causing the woman to laugh. But there was something about that laugh that made both men stop dead in their tracks.
"Really?" The woman slowly removed the mask from her face before raising her head and horror was unleashed.
The face of the woman who looked angelic was completely different now, her mouth was cut from ear to ear, her once beautiful eyes were now more like those of a devil himself. The woman smiled in an attempt to appear innocent and adorable but the cut on her mouth didn't help and only made everything worse.
"Now I look beautiful!?" The woman screamed in a hoarse and angry tone that caused the two Hashimotos to scream and fall to the ground in terror.
"Please, I'm still pretty!" The woman opened her mouth in a morbid and horrible way causing the Hashimotos to run away in terror but before they got far they were knocked out by a blow from Ryota and Nobuta who were hiding behind some cars.
"Good job Sakura." Ryota said with a smile but then he screamed when the girl pulled out a bloody pair of scissors.
"Enough Sakura! Oh my God, you're going to give us a heart attack." Nobuta said while the two boys watched the girl remove the hyper-realistic makeup from her face while crying from laughter.
"I'm sorry, but you must have seen your faces, it was funny. Oh god, Benja I love you." Sakura laughed until she felt a shiver run down her spine that left her speechless.
"I felt. I felt like someone wanted to kill me, ahem. Come on, we have to continue." Sakura said in an attempt to hide her fear. The boys looked at this in confusion before continuing while she looked around before following her friends closely.
"Nobuta, do you think you can open the door?" Ryota asked curiously, looking at his friend.
"I'll try. Tell Benja we're ready here." Ryota nodded before turning on the communicator.
I was in the back looking around. Kiriko was supposed to help me but not seeing her made me more worried than before but then the communicator started ringing.
"Benja, we're all ready. We'll be waiting for your signal." Ryota said through the communicator making me nod.
"Understood. Do you know anything about Kiriko? She's not here with me." I said worriedly looking at the back of the temple where there were other guards.
"No. But relax Benja, remember what Sakura told you, Kiriko knows what she's doing." I sighed a little disappointed before nodding.
"Okay. See you later." Once the feed was cut, I put on my mask before sneaking up behind a car.
"Hey, do you have any idea who the guy the boss called is?" Asked an omnic in the Hashimoto uniform.
"No idea. But the boss said he's a very serious person who doesn't tolerate jokes and wasting time, all I know is that the boss has been planning this meeting for months. He says the fate of the Hashimotos is at stake in this meeting." Suddenly both omnics noticed something tangled around their legs and before they could react they were dragged into a dark alley.
"I'm sorry, it's not personal." The omnics saw two blood red eyes before being knocked out.
With the guards knocked out, I took their ID cards before walking to the back door which had an electronic lock. Once the door was opened I heard heeled footsteps and turned to see Sakura.
"Sakura? I thought you were with Nobuta and Ryota." I said surprised but I noticed that the girl smiled at me despite the mask.
"I guess they had another fight and decided to go their separate ways. Okay, let's walk, but let's not get separated." With that said, the two of us sneaked inside before closing the door.
"You seem to be doing a good job in this city alongside your followers." Akande said as he and the Hashimoto leader walked through the halls of the monastery.
"Thank you, Mr. Akande. Everything was much easier without those useless Shimada family members. Controlling all of Kanezaka was a piece of cake." The leader of the Hashimoto family said with clear pride, but then he turned to see his guest contemplating an old Shimada clan loom.
"It was an easy victory though. I would have liked to witness the battle you two had against the Shimada brothers, it couldn't have been easy, right?" Akande took off his sunglasses to look at the leader of the criminal clan who smiled to hide his discomfort.
"We, we found a way to get rid of those two nuisances." All the leader of the Hashimoto received was a "hum" from Akande.
"Destroying two mountains is no easy task. Even more so if those mountains have beasts guarding their territories." Akande said as he watched two dragons on the loom, making the leader of the Hashimoto laugh a little more nervously.
"If you'll excuse me, Mr. Akande. My chefs should have dinner ready by now, please be so kind as to follow me again." Akande merely nodded before following the leader, who secretly sighed in relief before following the guest.
Nobuta and Ryota walked slowly through the main garden to avoid the guards. At one point they saw the target which was the room where the electrical panel was.
"We're close to the target." Ryota said as he looked at the guards.
"Perfect. Remember, once the power is gone you need to get out as quickly as possible, I'll take care of the rest. Kiriko, what's your situation?" I asked as I was walking through a warehouse followed by Sakura. But I was worried that I wasn't getting an answer, and I wasn't the only one.
"Kiriko, can you hear us?"
Kiriko was aware that what she was about to do was not the right thing to do, this action would put the mission at risk and to make matters worse, the lives of her friends as well as her own. Behind Kiriko were some guards who were knocked out on the ground, the girl grabbed an access card before seeing a dizzy guard on the ground.
"Where are they?" The girl asked coldly, looking at the man on the ground.
"Who?" The man was speechless the moment Kiriko put a kunai to the guard's throat.
"Downstairs. They're all downstairs." Receiving the answer she wanted, Kiriko knocked the man out on the spot although she was also confused.
"Downstairs?" Kiriko started walking through the hallways looking around until she came to an elevator. The girl seemed extremely surprised as she had never seen anything like it.
With hesitation, Kiriko entered the elevator and noticed that there were only two buttons. One that went up and one that went down. The moment the girl pressed the button, the elevator began to go down without realizing that there was a camera behind her.
Sakura and I were walking through the warehouse until we managed to enter the temple.
"Alright Sakura, now while Ryota and Nobuta turn off the lights, we'll take care of ruining the food. I've got fake eyes and a couple of rubber spiders, all you'll have to do is go inside and start sabotaging." Sakura nodded with a small giggle before following me.
As we entered the kitchen we saw that all the chefs seemed to be tense as there was a geisha watching the food like a court.
"Good. Bring the break to the table, everyone can rest," the woman said seriously, looking at the chefs.
"Can we get something to eat?" a tired, skin-deep man asked, but the woman shook her head.
"At the last dinner, you dared to spoil the soup. Feel lucky that you won't be returning to your cells for now. If I see one of you try to steal food, you will be executed in front of everyone." After that threat, the geisha left with other chefs who weakly carried the dishes to the table.
"We better hurry up. We don't know when they'll be back." I said quietly. Sakura and I began to walk slowly until we were behind the chefs.
"Ryota, Nobuta. We're already in position, are you ready?" I asked curiously. On the other side, both boys had knocked out the guards before entering the room.
"Ready here. I remind you guys, this isn't the first time we've had a blackout at the temple, the Hashimotos set up an emergency generator, you only have twenty seconds to put up the spiders and eyes. Still nothing from Kiriko?" Ryota asked curiously.
"Nothing. I just hope she's okay." I said worriedly.
While we were all busy, Kiriko was standing in the elevator wondering what the Hashimotos had put here. When the doors opened she could see everything in horror.
She had expected a drug factory, a weapons factory, but what was in front of her was much worse. People of all ages, working hard and without any rest, their clothes torn, worn, stained with old blood and looking bony, almost skeletal. Kiriko quickly recognized some of them, but there were not only adults, but also young people, children and the elderly.
What were they doing? Money. While the adults took care of the paper, the children watched to see that the papers were correct and the old men with their bony hands had to take care of the details before they were cut. Kiriko was seething with anger, frustration and sadness, these were people she knew and even some who tried to rise up against the Hashimotos.
The girl's steps fell into a dull silence thanks to the noise of the machines. Her eyes were fixed on a person, someone she herself believed she had lost, someone who had been murdered.
An elderly looking man. He had long hair and beard, the man's gaze was lost while his weak arms held the lever that would transport the paper. The man did not notice Kiriko's steps until...
"Dad?" The man stopped dead in his tracks causing everyone to stop. Silence filled the room as the man slowly turned around only to see Kiriko.
"Kiriko?" The man was quickly caught in a tight hug from the girl, Kiriko didn't hold back her feelings and let the tears fall onto her father's beard as the man slowly accepted his daughter's embrace.
"But I don't understand. I thought you were dead. Mom told me you died!" The girl screamed, a mix of anger and sadness. That alarmed everyone.
"Kiriko, please don't scream," the man pleaded in an attempt to calm his daughter, but it was in vain.
"No! I want an explanation, what the hell is all this!? Why did you leave us!?" Before Kiriko could continue, the man pushed the girl into a cart full of counterfeit bills. When she was about to go out to confront her father, she heard the door open.
Heeled footsteps filled the room and slowly a geisha made her presence known. The lady took firm, fear-inducing steps until she reached where Kiriko's father was.
"You stopped the machine." The woman spoke sternly while the man was very tense.
"Well, me." Suddenly the man fell to the ground dead in his tracks as he was struck in the stomach by the geisha's hand wielding a katana. A katana that Kiriko recognized.
"I didn't give you permission to answer! You're a foolish and reckless pig, it's not the first time you've stopped the machine on a whim of yours." The woman said angrily and coldly, looking at the man on the ground who could barely breathe.
"That. I must correct it now." The geisha slowly unsheathed her katana and raised it into the air. Kiriko was about to protect her father until the geisha's hands were stopped by the leader of the Hashimoto family.
"That won't be necessary." Despite Kiriko's relief, it didn't take away the anger and seriousness of the matter.
"Master. This pig is responsible for a large percentage of our money going to shit." The woman said angrily, clenching the hilt of her katana.
"Killing him is a waste of time. He serves us better alive than dead, remember, he still has a contract with us." At her leader's words, the geisha grabbed Kiriko's father by the arm and roughly lifted him up.
"Feel lucky today, but next time, you or your wife will pay." At that cold warning, the woman roughly pushed the poor man against the machine. And as if it were a punishment, the man fell against the hot machine making him scream in pain before falling to the ground holding a horrible burn on his arm.
"Since we have a special guest today, everyone can rest. Be good." The leader said before leaving the room with the geisha. Kiriko took advantage and came out of her hiding place to help her father.
"Dad, let's get out of here, my friends and I will get you out of here." Kiriko said seriously but when she tried to move forward with her father, he stopped her.
"No Kiriko. I can't, no one can." The man said with resignation, fear and sadness in his voice, something that Kiriko didn't like.
"What are you talking about!? Look at us, we can all get out if we work as a team!"
"We'll all die if we do this!" The sudden scream from Kiriko's weak father made his daughter stay silent in place.
"We tried it before." The man lifted his beard and Kiriko could see something that made her horrified. Her father had some kind of necklace, and in it there were four vials connected to the necklace.
"How did it all happen?" Kiriko asked with a lump in her throat looking at her father with tears.
"It happened a long time ago. After Genji's death and Hanzo's disappearance, the Hashimotos attacked the Shimada Shrine. We all fought to protect our city, but we failed. Without the Shimada brothers' help, the shrine fell into ruin. I thought we were going to be executed, but they had something planned for us."
"They ordered us to leave our homes and go work with them, saying that if we worked as they told us, our families would never be attacked. Obviously, many tried to resist and even tried to escape, but no matter how far we ran, they would always find you and use you as an example for your attempted betrayal."
"One night they put these collars on us. They were clear in what they told us, if we tried to run away or do anything that would make them angry, they would inject us with a lethal dose of a poison they call 'Kiss of the Dead.'" Kiriko looked at the vials and then at her father in fear.
"We tried everything. But these collars have sensors connected to the doors and all the exits, no one can leave the temple without dying in the attempt." Kiriko's father lowered his head sadly while the girl was stunned upon hearing everything.
Kiriko was frozen. Her veins were burning with incandescent rage, the Hashimotos had now crossed a line that she would never forgive, not only her father, but all the good people she had known in her childhood, were now working in disastrous conditions. No water, no food, no rest, this had gone too far.
"Who has the key?" Kiriko asked coldly, looking at her father.
"Answer!" The girl ordered with anger in her voice causing her father to lower his head.
"One of the geishas has the key. We don't know who, they all wear the same clothes without any changes." Kiriko's father said weakly.
"That's enough for me." With that said Kiriko ran out of the place leaving her father behind.
"Kiriko. Can you hear us? Please respond." Kiriko heard my voice on the communicator and quickly responded.
"I'm here." The girl said before activating the elevator.
"Kiriko, where the hell have you been!? I thought you were in danger!" Ryota shouted angrily.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. But now I have something very important to do, we're going to meet outside the temple, we have to make another plan." When the elevator doors opened the girl was stunned to see a geisha in front of her.
"Did you get lost, darling?" Just as Kiriko was about to pull out a kunai, she felt something on her arm and when she looked she could see that it was a dart. Kiriko's vision began to blur and she fell to the ground unconscious.
"Lift her up. The boss will want to see her." The last thing Kiriko saw was a pair of black shoes approaching her as the girl slowly lost consciousness.
Even though I tried to focus on the mission, I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable around Sakura. Not only was she very quiet, she was also very close to me, I felt uncomfortable and internally thanked that Kokoro or Momoyo weren't here.
"Sakura, we need to stay focused on the mission. What's going on?" I asked, my patience already exhausted, looking at the girl.
"Do you think I look pretty?" A drop of anime-style sweat fell on the back of my neck at that question.
"Sakura." I was going to continue but I heard footsteps, I quickly grabbed the girl's hand and we hid behind a table while some geishas took away some plates of food.
"Damn. Guys, we'll have to act now, there's no other option, then we'll go get Kiriko. He led me to the main room. Wait." I said seriously before starting to move with Sakura behind me.
"Shit, what the hell is wrong with everyone!? Did you forget the plan or what?" Nobuta asked angrily as he opened the electricity panel.
"Kiriko and Sakura, where could they have gone?" Ryota asked angrily, but then tensed up when he heard his watch start ringing.
"Damn, it's our turn for the rotation, we have to get out of here before." Before Ryota could speak, the door was opened and the two teenagers saw not only the Hashimoto guards but also a geisha in the place.
"It seems we have more guests. Please come with us peacefully." The woman said but then she raised her hand to intercept a blow from Ryota, something that left the boy frozen because he had not expected such a reaction from the woman.
"Then it will be by force." In an inhuman act, the woman lifted Kiriko's friend before throwing him at Nobuta, leaving both unconscious.
Two waiters were walking down the hall, but then a door was opened and the men were forced in. After a few moments, Sakura and I came out with the waiters' clothes before locking them in.
"We'd better act normally. We'll give the signal to Nobuta and Ryota later." I said seriously as the two of us continued walking to a door where two omnicians were waiting for us.
The doors opened revealing a huge dining room with dragon and tiger decorations, in the center was a table where Akande and the leader of the Hashimoto were waiting.
"And that's how we managed to control the schools in this city, it wasn't a difficult job to bribe the teachers." The leader said as Sakura and I served the food, on the other hand the man next to the guest seemed to be drinking sake.
"Interesting. I guess all these jobs required huge sums of money," said the dark-skinned man making the leader of the criminal gang laugh.
"Oh, yes. But we weren't that stupid, in fact, we have everything so under control, that I can say that money is a thing of the past." I prepared to perform any spell but then we heard someone come in and we saw a geisha.
"Sir, you have to see this." What I saw terrified me. Kiriko, Ryota and Nobuta were being pushed into the room, despite their attempts to avoid entering, it was impossible because the guards were pushing them roughly and even pointing their guns at them.
"Well, well." The leader of the Hashimoto stood up and walked over to where Kiriko was before grabbing her and lifting her up by holding her chin.
"You must be the Shimada brothers' old friend, huh? Asa Yamagami's daughter, right?" The only response he got from the girl was for her to spit in his face, but then Kiriko was hit by the geisha standing behind her.
"You will pay for your insolence!" The woman was about to attack Kiriko but then we all saw Akande stand up and walk to where Kiriko is.
"I've heard of Asa Yamagami, she herself was responsible for the training at the Shimada Shrine. They say that her sword skills are unmatched, and that in fact she was known to be the most versatile and skilled swordswoman in her youth." Akande knelt down until she was level with Kiriko and looking into her eyes.
"You have the same look as her." Kiriko's eyes glittered in an attempt to intimidate Akande, something that clearly didn't scare the man.
"Mr. Akande. If you allow me." The leader of the Hashimoto spoke up and approached where the man was.
"If you allow me. If you are wishing to see Miss Yamagami, I could find her for you, after all, we have more than one method to obtain any information." The man said with a smile causing Akande to raise an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Not only her, we also have her father with us, he was very kind and noble to us from the beginning."
"Liar shit-eater!" Kiriko stood up firmly and angrily looking at the leader with disgust.
"You're holding people prisoner for your filthy money, you're trash!" Despite Kiriko's outburst of anger, she was silenced when the geisha punched her in the stomach forcing the teenager to kneel in pain.
"Please master, allow me to deal with her personally. I assure you that we will gain more than just the information." The woman stroked Kiriko's hair while I clenched my fists angrily.
"No." Everyone turned to look at me as I tried to remain calm but my vampire fangs were sticking out as the cloaking spell was broken.
"I won't allow it!" My tails and ears came out shocking everyone. But before anyone could speak I launched a strong blast of water knocking down the guards along with the geisha.
"Kiriko, Ryota, Nobuta, let's go!" I shouted before launching a fireball destroying one of the doors. Despite the shock and impact my friends understood and quickly started running with me and Sakura.
"Don't let them escape!" The leader of the Hashimotos recovered before hitting a button on his table causing red lights to bathe the entire place.
Kiriko was visibly shocked seeing my Kitsune tails and ears. Years of her life speaking and seeing only spectral forms and now in front of her was one in the flesh.
"We have to find a way out. Everyone follow me!" The girl snapped out of her trance and the sound of the alarm rang in her head again.
"Over there!" We all saw a group of guards in the elevator but Ryota was quick to react and threw a kunai at the elevator button causing it to close.
"This way, hurry!" I shouted as we took a detour and ran down a hallway but then stopped when we saw two geishas in the same outfit and some guards waiting for us.
"You're not going anywhere, brats." One of the women spoke before unsheathing her katana as the guards surrounded us.
"Damn, this is bad." Nobuta said as he held his staff tightly while Ryota grabbed his small blades, Kiriko a kunai and Sakura a pair of scissors.
"Fight together or die alone. No matter the outcome, we all have to fight no matter what." I said seriously as I adopted Tsubame's combat stance while brass and copper gauntlets appeared on my arms.
"How touching. And I don't know what you are exactly, abomination. But you won't get out of this alive." One of the geishas said but then they heard me chuckle which confused everyone.
"I'm not an abomination. I'm a Kitsune!" I shouted before raising both my arms in the air.
"Earth Element: Tectonic Strike!" I swung my arms down hard and the moment I hit the ground the entire place immediately began to shake violently causing many to fall to the ground.
"Everyone now!" Kiriko and her friends snapped out of their trance and stood on guard.
"Yōkai, unite!" After Kiriko's battle cry, we all rushed into battle.
Four guards were about to shoot but were quickly knocked down by Nobuta, the boy tightly gripped his staff before launching a forceful blow that knocked down the small platoon with great ease.
Two guards were about to shoot Nobuta but their weapons were destroyed by Ryota's knives, the young man took the opportunity and gave a powerful kick that knocked out one of the guards instantly. The remaining guard took out a knife and tried to stab Ryota, but he was faster, holding the guard's arm, the boy made a wrestling hold and applying force he would manage to dislocate his arm before knocking out the man.
Kiriko was having an even battle with one of the geishas. Neither of them gave in while the girl didn't notice the second geisha approaching with her katana, before the Kitsune's instincts alerted Kiriko, the second geisha was intercepted by Sakura's scissors.
"Well done, Sakura!" Kiriko shouted before kicking her opponent and resuming the fight.
Kiriko's friend watched the second lady as some guards approached with katanas, something that greatly displeased Sakura.
"Samurai, they disgust me." The guards were terrified by the girl's cold words but immediately rushed into battle.
Despite her attempts, Sakura's movements seemed as fluid as water, using her scissors, the girl did not hesitate to slit the throats of her opponents with brutality. With no more guards, the geisha tried to flee but a knife stopped her dead.
"Don't you know it's very rude to leave in the middle of a tea party?" The woman turned around to see me holding a giant teapot. Before she could speak, the teapot shot out a drop of hot tea, creating a loud explosion.
"Benja, behind you!" Hearing Ryota's scream I immediately turned around to see a guard raising his gun, I immediately pulled out Cassidy's revolver and shot his hand to make him drop the gun.
"I hate those who attack from behind!" I shouted before throwing an injection, the object would be stuck in the criminal's arm before falling to the ground unconscious.
Kiriko continued to fight the geisha at an even pace, but in a moment of carelessness the lady would fall to the ground due to one of the guards' bodies. Before the woman could recover, Kiriko put her kunai to the woman's neck.
"It's over. Give up." Kiriko said seriously but that seriousness disappeared when she saw the woman laughing in a dark and maniacal way.
"Hashimoto teikokubanzai!"
Before Kiriko could react, the woman stabbed herself with her own sword before falling to the ground in her own pool of blood. We all came closer and watched the scene in horror.
"She preferred to die than to surrender." Kiriko said in a daze but then we heard hurried footsteps approaching.
"We have to get out of here now." I said before starting to run with the team.
We didn't stop running, using the roofs we escaped the place just in time. We were glad we didn't use the streets because we saw many Hashimoto's get into cars before they started driving frantically through the streets.
"They'll be searching everywhere," Nobuta said as we all watched the cars move at high speed.
"This plan was a disaster," Ryota added with disappointment looking at the severity of the problem.
Kiriko didn't dare to speak. She had made a grave, no, a fatal mistake. She had broken one of the main rules of every Shinobi, a ninja must never be seen, not even by his own shadow. Instead, the girl chose to go on her own, thus harming the mission. Now the Hashimotos were going to roam all the streets, and even start breaking into other people's houses in search of answers. All of that was a gigantic burden on her shoulders that added to the guilt.
"Benja how did you do all that?" Kiriko snapped out of her trance at Ryota's question before turning around to see me standing there staring blankly into space.
"That's right. You made the ground shake, you threw water, and no matter how many Hashimotos were launched at you, none of them managed to touch you." Nobuta added but then everyone saw Kiriko approaching me.
"You don't have to say it if you don't want to." Kiriko quickly cut off my words before I could even speak.
"I didn't think things would go this far." I said regretfully. I broke Cassidy's rules and let my feelings get the better of me. If Magrit were here, she wouldn't hesitate to give me a stern reprimand for letting my emotions get the better of me.
"It's my fault too." We all looked at Kiriko and were shocked to see that the girl was shedding tears, tears that seemed to have no beginning and no end.
"They have my father. They have all the people I grew up with when I was little, they have them imprisoned and forced to make counterfeit bills." The girl said with obvious venom and resentment in her voice.
"And what are we waiting for!? Benja could take on the Hashimotos alone, it would give us free rein!" Ryota shouted, surprised by the new information but was even more surprised when Kiriko shook her head.
"We can't. They all have a collar with doses of poison, if we try anything they won't hesitate to kill everyone before we even get anyone out of there. Hanzo was right, these aren't child's games, it's not like stealing candy anymore, we're talking about life and death." Kiriko said before sitting with her head down on the edge of the roof.
"What we did tonight. It was the most irresponsible and stupid thing we've ever done, now because of us the Hashimotos will be searching every house relentlessly until they find us. They won't hesitate to use force if necessary. We should never have done this." The girl took off the fox ears that Mr. Yoshida's granddaughter had before looking at her with sadness and disappointment.
"You're wrong." Everyone turned to look at me as I sat down next to Kiriko.
"I may not understand the rules of this world, but where I come from. We heroes make mistakes too, and we learn from them, because we know that there are people who have faith and trust in us. We are heroes, but we are also like any other civilian." I look at Kiriko and put a hand on her shoulder, getting her attention.
"Not all battles are easily won, but they're not impossible either. What happened tonight may not have gone as planned, but you managed to get some key information out of the Hashimotos, and even though it didn't go as planned, we managed to ruin the meeting. This could be considered a partial victory, but it's nothing to be sad about." I grabbed Kiriko's Kitsune ears before putting them back on the girl.
"You fight hard to defend your city, and that is noble and honorable. No one can judge that, that you put your blood and sweat to achieve your goal. As my older sister always says, nothing is impossible, only challenging." I could see Kiriko smile a little before looking at me and patting my shoulder in a friendly manner.
"If you keep saying cheesy things you'll make me cry." We all laughed as we sat back and watched the scenery.
"Today was a difficult night. The Hashimotos won't stop until they find us." Ryota said seriously, his eyes fixed on the new dawn.
"The war continues. But that doesn't mean we'll give up and surrender, we have to be better." Kiriko said with determination before looking at me.
"About the Overwatch offer." I stared at the girl waiting for her answer.
"If Genji thinks I'm ready. Then, I'm ready to fight by your side." The girl said with a smile looking at me with determination making me smile.
"Thank you Kiriko. I promise that Overwatch will take care of repaying this debt to you, we will not hesitate to fight by your side." I said smiling while Ryota and Nobuta applauded.
"Our Kitsune is going to Overwatch!" Ryota shouted to the applause of the other boy making Kiriko laugh.
"Grow up guys. But are you sure you can handle this?" Kiriko asked, looking at her friends with concern.
"Don't worry Kiriko, Kanezaka will be safe with us. Right Sakura?" Nobuta asked but we only saw that the girl had her gaze fixed on the sunrise.
"Sakura?" Suddenly Kiriko's cell phone rang and the girl answered.
"Kiriko, where the hell are you!?" We all froze when we heard Sakura's voice. The girl was not happy at all.
"What are you talking about?" Kiriko asked fearfully, we all heard a snort from the other end.
"What the fuck am I talking about!? I'm going to wash my hair because the fucking hyper-realistic makeup has stuck to my hair and I discover that they're gone and everything is a fucking mess! Where the fuck did they go!?" We all froze when we heard that and started to tremble as we felt a chill.
"But, you're there." When we all turned to where "Sakura" was. The woman turned around before taking off her face mask, we were all shocked to see that the woman had her mouth cut from ear to ear.
"I had a great time last night. Thanks kids, bye fox." The woman blew me a kiss before she dropped down. We all ran to the edge and felt a chill as she disappeared.
"Hello? Answer me, I know you're still there, what the hell are you playing!? Hello? Kiriko, can you hear me? Hello..?"
The leader of the Hashimotos was currently outside the temple with the rest of the few guards that remained. The man was accompanying Akande to the car he had arrived in.
"My sincere apologies, Mr. Akande. I didn't expect these insolent children to cause such a stir at our meeting, I hope you'll forgive me." The leader of the criminal gang said before kneeling down while Akande entered the car in the passenger seat.
"There is nothing to forgive. But, perhaps you can do something." The leader of the Hashimotos looked up at his guest.
"The young men who attacked. I want them alive, I would like a friendly chat with them. Understood?" Akande asked as the man lowered his glasses showing a serious look that made the leader of the criminal gang nod.
"Yes, sir." With that said, the vehicle began to move forward, leaving the temple behind.
Akande sat in deep thought before looking up to see the mirror blocking the view between the passenger and pilot.
"Do you have what I asked for, Sombra.?" The window opened revealing the hacker girl as the driver.
"Every video. Moira will go crazy when she sees our Kitsune again, don't you think?" The girl asked with a smile while Akande simply nodded.
"That boy, he shows a ferocity that I have never known, but something tells me that is not all his power." The man said thoughtfully with his arms crossed.
"Do you have any idea what we're going to do, boss?" Sombra asked as the girl continued driving.
"You know who to call." Suddenly the girl stopped dead and looked at Akande with surprise, horror and anger all at the same time.
"You can't be serious! Mauga is the clear definition of a loose cannon, a destructive madman and a brainless brute!" The girl screamed in shock but Akande seemed to remain steadfast.
"Mauga will be a lost and neglected case. But his effectiveness in missions is undeniable, we need him. Call him." The hacker girl sighed annoyed before lowering her head.
On a beautiful beach where the sea and the sun were radiant, the melody of a ukulele resonated in the wonderful place, but the melody was interrupted when a ringtone was present. The instrument was left on a small table and then a huge hand grabbed the cell phone on the table to answer it.
"Hello?" An imposing voice asked from the room calmly.
"Mauga, it's me, Sombra." The girl's voice was heard clearly from the other side.
"Excuse me, but who are you?" Mauga asked in a mocking tone, which irritated the girl.
"You know perfectly well who I am, you useless ram-head." The man's laughter filled the entire room as he plopped down into a small beach chair.
"You're always so rude and sour with me. When will you take my jokes with humor?" Mauga asked before grabbing a drink and starting to enjoy it.
"I'm not in the mood for games, mauga. He's the boss." At the mention of Akande, the man set his drink aside before settling back into his chair.
"Well, now you have my full attention. What's wrong?" The man asked, still keeping his cheerful, carefree tone.
"We have a mission for you. We'll explain everything in detail later, we need you to come back." Sombra's words made Mauga let out a fake snort of pity.
"Now? I was just enjoying my vacation." The man said with a chuckle making the hacker girl even angrier.
"Get your ass over here right now!" With those words, the hacker girl cut the call making Mauga laugh.
"Well, it was fun while it lasted." The man stood up before grabbing his ukulele. Mauga walked over to a dock where there was a boat and two huge, gigantic-sized machine guns.
"But it's time to get back to work." With that said, Mauga started driving while behind him was a gruesome scene where corpses wielding weapons were on the ground and the entire place had fallen into utter misery.
That's it for today's chapter, dear readers, Overwatch has come back to life!.
Sorry for the huge delay, but I had a writer's block and didn't know how to continue the chapter, but I finally managed to do it. The next chapter will be for Total Drama Island and then Danganronpa.
I hope you all have a nice day, afternoon or evening. See you later, bye dettebayo.