3rd Winter Moon, 908 – Osorekaku-machi, Great Gate Empire

"[Halt! In the name of Osorekaku!]"

The Hisuian Sneasel recoiled as the patrolling, autumn-colored Leafeon suddenly bolted up to his face in overly decorative armor worn only by the most prestigious samurai of the empire. Although, to call the Leafeon anything other than prestigious would be disingenuous. Describing him instead as ridiculous would be a much more accurate term.

With the Three Great Flames taking over Kiho and their older siblings as Osorekaku's main officers, they were tasked with keeping the peace during the day while the elite guard handled the investigation on their mysterious assassin. Hayato took the morning shift, Daimu would join sometime in the afternoon, and Natsumi would finish off in the evening.

However, seeing as he would rather be doing anything else, Hayato decided to have some fun with his new, temporary authority that would undoubtably make Gaku regret ever giving them this job.

The purple Sneasel gulped. "[Big Brother Hayato, sir?]"

Hayato eyed his younger half-sibling, a heat burning in his iris. "[Thought you could pull a fast one over me, eh?]"

"[I'm…sorry?]"

Hayato pointed to the discarded wrapped the Sneasel had, just moments ago, carelessly thrown over his shoulder. "[Are you trying to make a mockery of our clan? Does our status mean nothing to you? Is this the pride of the Takigawa?]"

"[Uh…]"

"[A steamed dumpling, fresh off the rack. I can tell.]" Hayato patted his half-sibling roughly on the head. "[Oh, what would Father think to see our clan becoming some undisciplined? To see such unbelievable acts of carelessness? This is the pride of our clan? Disgraceful!]"

"…" His half-sibling glared. "[This is coming from the laziest Takigawa in the clan.]"

Hayato pulled out a leaflet, a brush, and an inkwell. With fanciful flashes of the brush, he marked the paper and slapped it onto the Sneasel's face. "[Let this be a lesson of your indignity.]"

The Sneasel removed the paper and read it. His eyes nearly exploded out of his face. "[You're charging me a thousand gul?! For throwing paper on the ground?!]"

Hayato looked away, illustrious tears flowing down his cheeks. "[I am ashamed of myself, Brother, but I must do what is right for the good of the family.]"

"[You're even more corrupt than Kiho!]" The Sneasel balled up the paper and threw it to the ground.

Hayato' eyes suddenly sparkled with mischief. "[Ooh, a second act of littering.]"

The Sneasel's face paled in horror. "[Oh no…]"

"[You know what that means~!]" Hayato whipped out the shackles. "[Time for the jailhouse!]"

"[You're mad!]" The Sneasel darted down the street, screaming for his life with Hayato in hot pursuit, laughing like a madman.

Not too far away, Daimu (who was just starting his shift) and Natsumi watched their brother chase the panicked Sneasel until they vanished around the corner. Natsumi calmly sipped her tea before bringing her hands together in prayer. "[May this littering sinner find redemption at the hands of Ho-Oh's sun-filled son.]"

Daimu grimaced. "[That idiot didn't even read the handbook Gaku gave us.]"

"[I would say yes.]"

"[Great. He's gone mad with power. Honestly, happened sooner than I expected.]"

Natsumi giggled. "[I'd say there's some benefit to his shenanigans.]"

"[In what way?]"

"[The others of our clan haven't taken the threats of this assassin too seriously due to our pride, so they're not keeping on their guard like they should. But with Hayato causing a ruckus, they'll be looking over their shoulders until he ends his shift. So, in a way, he's doing a fine job of keeping everyone from getting too lax.]"

"…" Daimu facepalmed. "[That idiot always finds an angle to work with.]"

"[He's unquestioningly brilliant in his own bizarre way.]"

"[Tch. I still think he should take things seriously if Gaku is forcing us to do this crap.]"

"[We are getting free food for three weeks for doing this.]"

"[True…]" Daimu leaned back and yawned, rubbing the crud out his eyes.

Natsumi, about to sip her tea, glanced at her brother. "[Did you sleep well?]"

"[Rough night.]"

"[Another one of your restless bouts? Did you take your medicine?]"

He rolled his eyes. "[Yeah, yeah, I'm still taking it. I'm awake enough to do my job.]"

Natsumi suddenly grabbed the Flareon and pulled him into a hug. "[May Ho-Oh guide you onto another successful patrol.]"

"[G-Get off! I don't need you coddling me!]" Seeing as the Simipour would let up, Daimu ultimately relented to the hug, looking away with a stubborn pout.

He cursed himself for his wagging tail.

The Three Great Flames may look like a dysfunctional trio among the countless Takigawa, but the love they had for each other was nothing short of unbreakable.

A seventh body was found today.

This time, with the elite guard now on the investigation, they quickly had the street blocked off as they conducted their examination. They were efficient, with Yukimura (Cryogonal) creating perimeters of ice in a flash to restrict the Takigawa and the servants working within town to come closer.

Furukawa (Shiftry) and Raijou (Slaking) took statements from those present the night before. Sakamoto (Zoroark) and Hanzo, meanwhile, examined the body of the deceased Takigawa.

The only one not working was Shizuka, who stood by awkwardly while trying to keep up an appearance of professionalism. She hadn't been an elite guard for long, and it felt strange to be conducting an official investigation with them, especially in her hometown. She barely had time to blink when the seventh body was discovered, and the others already had a handle on protocol.

It seemed strange that the elite guard would conduct investigative work reserved for officers, but it turned out this was one of the few protocols they followed through if the target in question was a high-profile case. And with the request coming from Great Gate's most notorious clan, it made sense for Emperor Amano to lend them aid. In exchange for their help, Lord Takigawa sent some of his strongest soldiers in place of the elite guard to carry out their duties in their absence.

"[Takigawa Mikuri was last seen between two and two-thirty in the morning, correct?]"

Shizuka snapped out of her daze and glanced at her seniors, Furukawa and Raijou, as they questioned a pink Tatsugiri who sat on a pillow being carried by a Sylveon servant. He was the one who ran one of the town's hot springs, which was currently closed due to investigations.

The owner bowed his head. "[Correct. Ms. Takigawa regularly visits my hot spring for a midnight soak. I naturally cannot refuse her request. She has been doing this for about three years now, and we've never had any problem with our regular routine.]"

Raijou, who was taking notes, asked, "[So, this was a fairly standard evening despite the recent murders?]"

The Tatsugiri eyed Shizuka warily, knowing a wrong word against the clan would land him in serious trouble. He gulped and said, "[Well, Ms. Takigawa is an incredibly proud soldier, so she thought her life wouldn't be in any danger. Still, she wasn't unprepared. She brought a sword and a handgun with her.]"

Furukawa glanced at the building. "[Someone reported three gunshots coming from inside the hot spring. Can you confirm this?]"

"[I can. Three shots exactly.]"

Raijou scratched his cheek with the end of his brush. "[Himura confirmed she used a handgun that can hold up to four bullets in the cylinder. So, this confrontation happened in the hot spring? How did she end up outside?]"

"[More importantly, when we inspected the interior, we found the bullets, but not bullet holes on the walls]" Furukawa added.

The owner sighed. "[I'm afraid that's the extent of my knowledge. After all, I wasn't in the hot spring with her. Unbecoming to peek on a lady in a state of undress, especially one that could kill me before I had time to plead mercy. I did enter the hot spring after everything went quiet, and that's when I discovered Ms. Takigawa was relocated outside.]"

Furukawa scratched his chin. "[Then that adds to our current theory.]"

"[Hmm?]"

"[It's possible whoever ambushed Takigawa was able to strike the bullets upon their firing. We found signs of damage on the bullets from a blade.]"

"[Cutting a bullet out of the air? Is that even possible?]"

"[For someone to kill seven Takigawa in a short span of time, I'd say so.]"

Raijou glared. "[And no blood was found in the water or on the floor. Whoever did this was fast. Regardless if she was killed during or after the fight, the assassin did it fast enough not to leave a visible trace of their presence. That's exceedingly difficult during a fight.]"

Shizuka glared in amazement that the two men were able to cobble together a potential blueprint of the fight last night just from some vague details. There wasn't any evidence of the killer's identity yet, but their skill was without question.

Speaking of, she turned her attention to the body of her deceased half-sister. Though shrouded under a tarp and partially obscured by Sakamoto and Hanzo's hovering, the tail sticking from under indicated a once living Monferno with tangled fur, likely from soaking in the water for a couple hours.

Sakamoto held up a paper talisman over the body as energy flowed across the front. She glared. "[Signs of psionic residue on the body. Laced with the blades used against her. She put up a fight. The target saw they needed to use more direct force.]"

"[Meaning Mikuri put up a fight. Explains why her sword was destroyed. Anything else?]"

"[Some inherent darkness coupled with baseline energy. Dark and Normal, to be precise.]" The talisman burned up in her hand. "[That's all the residual energy I could detect.]"

"[Based on the slash wounds, our target used twin blades, likely concealed based on the width of the marks. The marks on her torso don't match with her neck wound. A dagger was used. Since they were fighting, the slashing attacks came from directly in front of her rather than from a slight elevation. It's possible they were roughly Mikuri's height.]"

"[They were efficient, too. They fired a powerful attack at Mikuri to stagger her against the wall, then cut her throat open while she was dazed.]" She glanced at the shattered sword nearby, noting a bloodstain on one of the fragments. "[But not dazed enough.]"

Hanzo stood up. "[Yukimura.]"

The Cryogonal floated down to the Simisear. "[Captain?]"

"[You and Furukara, perform a sweep of the town from above. Our target may have been wounded. Investigate and question anyone who may have seen someone suspicious roaming the streets.]"

"[By your command, Captain.]" Yukimura flew over to Furukawa, relayed the assignment to him, and took off with the Shiftry close behind.

Shizuka glared. "[You all work fast.]"

Hanzo placed a hand on one of his swords and laughed. "[Our job is to keep everyone safe, right? This is standard procedure for us. You'll get used to it.]"

"…" Shizuka crossed her arms and huffed. "[Naturally.]"

Kumonohana-to, Great Gate Empire

"[I never expected to see you wandering these parts again, Kamiya.]"

Katsu followed a Barbaracle down an alley through the capital, leading him into a secret passage hidden with a crevice. A blast of cold air hit his face as he entered through the imposing doors, following the barnacle golem into a secret archive unknown to even the emperor himself.

"[It has been a while, hasn't it? Eh, Gunji?]"

The Barbaracle chuckled. "[Aren't you still in trouble with the Takigawa? Haven't seen you since you cheated your way out of that duel.]"

"[I still consider it a tactical measure.]"

"[Indeed. So, where have you been all this time?]"

"[Working in the west. I found myself in the care of a noble house protecting one of their daughters. Though, our current standings have led us to mercenary work.]"

Gunji snickered. "[You mean something happened that forced you both to flee to the streets?]"

"[My lady isn't quite known for her tact when it comes to…acquiring wealth.]"

"[And you still act as her bodyguard? Seems like dangerous work, if you ask me.]"

Katsu looked aside. "[It's…a sort of promise I made to her father. It's a long story.]"

"[Hmm. Well, I won't pry.]" The barnacle golem took a seat behind his desk. "[I doubt you came all this way just to pay an old friend a visit. So, what business we doing today? Need some information?]"

"[I hope it isn't too much of a burden]" Katsu admitted.

"[How so?]"

"[I need information on a secret meeting between Emperor Amano and the Sakamoto Clan.]"

"…" Gunji glared. "[Kamiya, what kind of work are you up to exactly?]"

"[Gunji, you're one of the best informants on the street. If there's anyone I can trust who has that information, it's you.]"

Gunji leaned back in his chair, scratching his face irritably. "[You weren't kidding about this being a burden. Good grief. What exactly are you up to? Because if you get in trouble and this leads back to me—]"

"[I'm not here to assassinate anyone. I just want information on Emperor Amano and Sakamoto. That's it.]"

"[But why?]"

"[Call it a favor to an acquaintance. Without getting into much detail on how I acquired this information, I believe Sakamoto was hired by Emperor Amano to assassinate a member of the Penworth family.]"

Gunji scratched his chin. "[I remember hearing about that. That was over twenty years ago. That was Sakamoto?]"

"[The description I got on the assassin matches with her. I'm certain.]"

"[Why would Emperor Amano hire her to assassinate a prince, though?]"

"[I'm not sure, but he would be the only one in the empire to pull a stunt like that. Question is why exactly he targeted the prince.]"

"…" Gunji stood up and walked over to a wall of scrolls, tracing a claw along them. "[You're playing a dangerous game, Kamiya, I'm just saying. You're not the only one who has been seeking information.]"

"[How so?]"

"[You didn't hear it from me, but the Mochizuki Clan is staging an attack on Lady Amano's ascension ceremony this month. They're gathering clans for a small army. A lot of people aren't happy with the way Emperor Amano's running the empire, especially with the Takigawa in a stronger position of power.]"

Katsu scoffed. "[I remember when the Takigawa were still a relatively minor clan until Amano took over. Probably why I was so brazen against them.]"

"[Getting involved like this is dangerous. I do my part just to keep the people informed and prepared, but what you're playing at leads to war. Why do you care if some prince was killed by one of ours?]"

"[There's more going on than even you can imagine, Gunji. Secrets you haven't found yet.]"

Gunji laughed bitterly. "[Is that all? That's not worrying at all.]" He plucked a scroll off the wall and tossed it to the Accelgor. "[I'll take your word for it, but keep me out of it. I've got grandkids, you know. It'd be a shame if I was killed and separated from them.]"

"[This is all I need, thank you.]" Katsu inspected the scroll, then glared. "[Though, what exactly is this?]"

"[Sad as it is, I don't have access to every secret in the empire. That, however, will at least get you closer to the palace.]"

Katsu opened the scroll and inspected it. "[A list of names and addresses?]"

"[Specifically, a list of contacts for retired palace guards who might help you sneak into the palace. Emperor Amano would have to have secret documents related to the incident if he truly sent Sakamoto to assassinate someone. Just a matter of getting into the archives.]"

Katsu rolled up the scroll and stashed it away. "[Better than nothing. Thank you, Gunji.]"

"[You were always good to me, Kamiya. It's the least I can do.]" He glared. "[But seriously, stay away from here when the ascension ceremony arrives. The Mochizuki and Takigawa gave it out for each other. It'll be a bloodbath.]"

"[I can't guarantee that, my friend.]" Katsu pulled up his hood and exited the underground archive.

Gunji fell back into his chair and sighed. "[I figured as much, yeah.]"

"Oh-hohohohohoho!"

If there was one thing Regina excelled at, it was charisma. After stealing the identity of Ms. Ikeda, who thankfully forgot about her arranged meeting with the Sakamoto Clan, the Zangoose was able to seamlessly insert herself into the social graces of the Great Gate's elite.

It was a difficult few days, especially working off a journal with limited words and phrases, but Regina knew how to fake exceptional talent. Understanding social cues, playing off vague words she understood, and bolstering confidence landed her as an honored guest of the Sakamoto Clan.

The Zoroark across from her laughed. "[Oh dear, Ikeda! Not so loud. The children are still lurking outside. They aren't old enough to hear such saucy drama.]"

"[Celebration!]" Regina exclaimed, barely catching on to the young adult Sakamoto's warning. She believed her name was Rimi. Hard to say. All their names sounded similar after hearing so many.

"[Oh yes, I suppose we shouldn't put a damper on the fun.]" Rimi reached over and poured Regina another glass of sake. "[I must say, you're much livelier than I've heard. My friends described you as uptight and professional. Or is it perhaps you've had too much to drink?]"

Regina was good at reading gestures and tones. Based on Rimi's tone of voice coupled with the pointing of her cup, she guessed it was a question about her drinking habits. She snuck a glance at her journal, which was barely hidden under her kimono. With a quick, subtle flicker of the pages, she grinned.

"[Who can say no to a lovely assortment of drinks? Celebration!]" After a while, she got the hang of structing sentences together and remembering keywords. It helped that no one seemed bothered by her tendency to repeat herself.

The older Luxray, who she believed was the head of the family and Sakamoto's husband, laughed with a deep, gravelly voice. "[I remember being that young. I used to down entire barrels of the city's finest wines. No one could outpace me in a drinking competition.]"

Rimi pouted. "[You shouldn't be drinking right now, Father.]" She snatched his cup away from him.

He whined. "[Rimi, precious! The doctor said I could have some.]"

"[Don't pull that trick! I talked to him myself, and he said you've been skipping out on your medication!]"

"[You wound me, precious! That medicine tastes of sadness!]"

"[Mother has told me of your bar hopping back in the day! You used to sneak off to the neighboring towns and drown yourself in whatever cheap ale you could find. That's the taste of sadness.]"

Regina leaned back on her hands, studying their conversation closely. She, once again, picked up on a few words she recognized and looked to her journal for a question to prod them with. She smirked before clearing her throat.

"[Excuse me, Sakamoto]" Regina started.

Rimi ceased scolding her father and smiled. "[Oh, no need for formality. Rimi is just fine.]"

Regina grinned. "[Rimi. I wanted to know more about the Sakamoto Clan. We are to be…allies, yes?]"

Rimi picked up her cup and sighed. "[Not much to tell, really. Well, that's a lie, but my mother's the one you'd get more out of.]"

Regina gestured her to continue as she readied a blank page to hopefully document a list of clues.

Rimi swished her drink around before continuing, "[Actually, Mother got into business with Emperor Amano some time ago. The Sakamoto Clan used to be home of the most talented calligraphers back in her grandmother's day. It didn't give us much prominence, but the trade was respected.]"

The elder Sakamoto nodded and continued, "[My dear Kanae is a talented calligrapher, though is also an innovator. Turned her craft into a different kind of art that earned her favor with Emperor Amano some time after he took power. Not a lot of people know this, but her mother was an assassin, and she was trained to kill at a young age. Business was respected, but didn't often pay the bills.]"

Regina glared. I heard assassin in there. So, it's not some secret that Sakamoto is an assassin. Then again, kind of hard to hide the fact she works for the elite guard.

Rimi waved her hand and groaned. "[It's not the most glamorous reputation, especially with the way lower class look at us, but being a member of the elite guard gives us some benefits. It's a good life, I say.]"

Regina drummed her claws against the floor. Sakamoto did business with Emperor Amano. Alright, that much Katsu and I worked out. However, they mentioned something about calligraphy. That…doesn't seem like a profession of a powerful clan like this. So, Sakamoto made some kind of deal with Amano to gain power. Probably to do with that mission he sent her on.

"[What…did your mother do when helping Emperor Amano?]" Regina worded carefully.

Rimi shrugged. "[I don't know. She never mentioned that part.]" She grinned. "[Still, I'm proud to call her my mother. Not just anyone can call themselves an elite guard. That takes real talent, and my mother is nothing short of talented.]"

Elder Sakamoto laughed. "[Here, here!]"

Regina crossed her arms. Not much I can infer through conversation alone. I may need to go deeper with my investigation. Hmm, though I've only known them for a few days. Snooping around the house would lead to some trouble if the staff happen to snitch on me. I'll have to bide my time to earn their trust. Come to think of it, the old knight mentioned something about her being trained by Spring-Loaded Harriet. I wonder if that's something I can work with. Bah, but would that be something these two know about? Plus, I don't know if that's a known secret or not, and knowing can land me in trouble. Time for a classic distraction.

Regina lifted her cup to take a sip, but accidentally spilled it over her kimono. She lurched back in shock. "[Oh dear! I have spilled tea on me!]"

Rimi gasped and shuffled over. "[Oh, good heavens! It didn't burn you, right?]"

Regina grinned assuredly. "[May I use your washroom?]"

"[Oh, of course.]" She grabbed Regina's arm and lifted her up. "[I'll show you the way.]"

Regina resisted the urge to grin like a maniacal lunatic. I am so brilliant.

"[Take as long as you need, Ikeda!]"

Regina waited a minute for Rimi to leave, using the time to drip a potion over her kimono to remove the stain in a matter of seconds. Some would ask why the Zangoose hadn't taken up a life of alchemy, one of the few trades she regularly practiced to get by.

Her answer? Didn't really suit her noble façade.

Regardless, with a moment's peace, she stuck her head out of the washroom, checking that she was indeed alone. She slid the door shut, quiet as a Hoppip coasting on the wind, and shuffled through the home. When Rimi brought her to the washroom, she took note of where the villa's staff were occupied. The few days she had visited gave her a rough estimate of their individual schedules. On top of that, the younger children were preoccupied in the backyard.

If her hunch was right, she had roughly fifteen minutes to explore without notice.

Katsu was kind enough to do some recon work himself before he went about his mission. He provided her a diagram of the Sakamoto Clan's villa, giving her an exact location for the master bedroom.

She slid the door open and found her way into the room. Two separate beds, some paintings decorating the wall, unlit lanterns, and house plants by the beds. A desk sat in the corner with stacks of papers on top and on the floor. A dried brush sat perfectly in front of the inkwell.

Regina closed the door and approached the writing desk, noting the origami birds and flowers also taking up space. She picked one up, examining the artistry.

"Well, someone still seems to be practicing her craft. Wonder how useful origami is for the elite guard." She set the origami flower down and pulled out one of the drawers, carefully tracing her claw through the tools inside.

Once she found nothing, she moved on to pressing the walls for a secret compartment or button. According to Katsu, the noble clans often had secret compartments to keep weapons and important documents hidden away. It was one of the necessary trades to protect secrets. The problem was actually finding them, and richer clans often employed talented architects to design complex mechanisms.

With a limited time, Regina made haste in her search, but found nothing indicating a secret or false wall. She attempted checking under the floor, but couldn't find much of anything there, either.

Regina glared. Come on, there's got to be something I can use here. She glanced at the writing desk again. This is her workspace, right? Ugh, but there's nothing but paper. She paused, scratching her chin thoughtfully. Then again…

She went to examine the desk again, this time kneeling down and feeling around the legs and bottom. She dragged her claw down the left leg, stopping as she scraped against a cut. She looked closer, realizing it wasn't a cut in the wood, but a concealed dial. She adjusted herself under the desk, pressing her ear to the desk's bottom, and played with the dial.

CLICK!

Regina grinned, but her attempts to get the bottom open weren't so fortunate. Something did happen, but it didn't open a secret compartment. Checking the other legs, she found a different set of dials concealed in hard to spot places. One leg possessed two, then another with three, and the final with four. A ten-dial locking mechanism.

She tried messing with the leg with two dials, but didn't hear any clicks no matter how many times she inputted a combination.

The leg with the one dial is to throw people off and make them think the combination has to be done in sequential order. Ugh, of course.

Even if it was a simple matter of messing with the dials until she heard the right order, it could also be a fifty-digit combination that required certain dials to be turned a certain number of times or ways. Smashing the desk open would be easier, but there might've been a failsafe for that, too. She was dealing with an elite guard. On top of that, any attempt of vandalism would land her in trouble.

Regina pulled herself out from the desk and produced her notebook. She didn't have the luxury to sit around and break the combination. Fortunately, she had her methods to get around such an obstacle.

I doubt they have the combination sitting out in the open. If I can't break the lock, maybe one of Katsu's connections can get me someone who can.

With a plan in mind, she pocketed her notebook and quietly removed herself from the master bedroom. An afternoon of dining and scheming awaited her.

"[Father, this is highly irregular. You shouldn't be wandering the streets at this time.]"

Hidekage paid no mind to Takato's warning as they, accompanied by a couple of Gogoat servants, traversed the town on a shopping trip. Though highly unbecoming of the head of the Takigawa Clan to perform his own shopping duties, he preferred getting a lay of the town under his control. He chuckled to himself whenever the people under his care and control put aside their work to bow to him. Whether it was out of respect or fear, he reveled in the praise.

Hidekage glanced at his son and said, "[You're not normally one to worry yourself, Takato. Don't tell me this assassin has riled you up as well?]"

Takato glared. "[Father, these killings are targeted at us. Mikuri was killed last night.]"

"[And it's her fault that she let herself be caught off guard, as were the rest of them for falling so easily.]"

Takato nodded. "[I agree she was foolish, but Mikuri wasn't weak. Her skill with a firearm is superb. All I am saying is that our assassin knows how to hunt us.]"

Hidekage stopped in front of a vendor's stall. Before words could be exchanged, the vendor already produced a readymade basket of preserved meats, attaching them to one of the Gogoat. Money didn't need to be exchanged. The vendor merely bowed and quietly retreated back behind their stall before Hidekage moved on.

"[My, my, what a particular predator we have, then]" Hidekage commented. He scratched his chin and smirked. "[Perhaps I should join in the hunt.]"

Takato glared. "[Father, I do not doubt your skill, but you are not infallible, lest you'd like another reminder of your last mission.]"

Hidekage grazed the patch covering his eye and laughed. "[And what a fine woman she was to push me to the brink of death. Oh, if only we could've danced a moment longer.]" He smirked. "[Are you expressing fear at death, Takato? Have you forgotten the family motto?]"

"[Failure to survive is death, sir!]"

"[Are you a failure, Takato?]"

"[I wouldn't dream of bearing such a dishonorable title, sir!]"

Hidekage laughed. "[Then this assassin isn't your concern. If anything, they're trimming the flaws of our clan. If they know how to hunt us, that's more incentive for my children to get stronger. The luxury they've submitted themselves to weighs down their training like iron weights. If they want to keep the best of both worlds, they'll need to learn to carry that weight.]"

"…" Takato bowed. "[Of course, Father.]"

"[Now then, speaking of Mikuri, how is the elite guard's investigation coming along?]"

"[I just got word from Gaku before we left. From their recent briefing, they've already made a profile of our target.]"

"[They've gotten more done in the morning they got here than when these killings first started. As expected. At this rate, they'll have our little assassin caught by the end of the week. Maybe less. Shizuka has a lot to live up to following Makiko's infamy.]"

Takato crossed his arms and scowled. "[Still hard to believe she's finally emerged from hiding. Where do you suppose she wound up after she offed New Chariot's emperor?]"

Hidekage's grin curled. "[Who knows? Makiko has always been a free spirit. I gave her too many freedoms, I suppose. She was an exceptional talent. Her mother's bloodline was exactly what I needed to increase my influence.]"

Takato raised his brow. "[You sought out one of those…bloodlines from the old time, right?]"

"[An Inherited Will, they call it. Took a while to find a suitable candidate, but I'd say we chose wisely. A daughter of Porter fits in nicely with the Takigawa Clan.]"

"[I've always wondered. Makiko and Shizuka were hatched from the same egg, right?]"

"[A rare, but not completely foreseen phenomenon, yes.]"

"[And yet Shizuka has shown no signs of also inheriting that power?]"

"[There's still much we don't know about these bloodlines. As far as we know, she doesn't possess the power, but that's why I made sure those two stuck close in their training. They were a deadly pair. They shared a strong bond. That's why I pushed Shizuka to surpass Makiko after her betrayal. She wants to surpass that power, and a Takigawa surpassing their limits is the ideal Takigawa.]"

Takato grinned. "[Even as we get older, you don't stop experimenting on us.]"

"[That's why I feel nothing for my children who were killed, Takato. In this world, death is the ultimate failure, a fate we all share.]" He snickered through his dark grin. "[Meaning, if you want to lessen that inevitable failure, we Takigawa will leave a scar upon this world so that we are remembered as fear itself. If we become fear, then our name will never truly die. Is there any better legacy to leave behind? In this world where survival determines if you have the right to live?]"

Investigations continued to expand beyond the latest murder site, with Furukawa and Yukimura searching through possible escape routes made by the assassin. With the knowledge they were likely injured from their recent killing, witnesses were sought to help identify any suspicious characters of late.

After a couple hours of investigating, a lead came up.

A Vespiquen vendor, smoking on a pipe, stated, "[I was getting a head start restocking my stand in the early hours. When I was delivering my goods, I happened to see someone breaking into a nearby shop that sold fabrics. Seems they tore up the place. Thought it was some drunken fool coming back from a late party.]"

Furukawa and Yukimura went to investigate the fabric shop and spoke with the owner, who was frazzled by the destruction left behind. More importantly, when examining some of the fabric, they found a roll that had a large strip sheared off. In addition, there was blood on the floor.

The elite guard reconvened near the center of town to discuss their findings.

Hanzo took their notes and began recounting the series of events. "[Takigawa Mikuri went to the hot spring at around midnight and stayed there up until she was ambushed between two and two-thirty in the morning. The fight lasted only a few minutes, with her struggling to fend off her attacker. She eventually got hold of her gun where three shots were fired. Each of these shots were cut down, and the assassin managed to restrain Mikuri before dragging her out onto the street to avoid being seen by the hot spring owner. She was disarmed of her gun before being cut down with an enhanced move. Right before her throat was slit, she managed to draw her sword and cut the assassin, forcing them to flee the scene in a panic.]"

Sakamoto crossed her arms. "[The target didn't seem to struggle with their other victims. Something must've went wrong.]"

Hanzo glared. "[I did some more digging through the hot spring and managed to find something we overlooked. The owner remembered hearing a lot of splashing and thrashing from a different room. He was too scared to get any closer, obviously. It was faint, but the target likely stepped on a shallow puddle without realizing and alerted Mikuri of their presence.]"

"[An unexpected misstep]" Furukawa commented. "[So, Mikuri heard them and dragged them into the water with her. Of course, with her being a Monferno, she would've been severely weakened by the water.]"

"[This is a regular activity for Mikuri, so she might've adapted to the water. Still, the hot spring would've made it difficult to fight.]" Hanzo checked through the other reports. "[All the other killings happened out at night. Though, there isn't an immediate pattern to the victims. Why go after these seven specifically?]"

Raijou glanced at Shizuka, who had remained fairly quiet during the investigation. "[You're the Takigawa. What's your take on this?]"

"…" She scoffed. "[That they were fools who let their guards down too easily. I'm not surprised they died so easily. Undisciplined bloodlust and high regards for themselves. I wouldn't have been surprised if they had grand designs to overthrow Father.]"

Hanzo scratched his chin. "[Peculiar.]" He rolled the reports up and slotted them into a carrier tube. "[Well, we now know the assassin is injured. We'll start on the north end of town and gradually work our way to the south, leaving no room for escape.]"

Sakamoto pulled out a handful of leaflets from her satchel. "[Already ahead of you. I'll start marking chokepoints.]" She leapt high into the air, disappearing onto the rooftops.

Shizuka glared. "[Hmmm…]"

Hanzo glanced at her. "[Something on your mind?]"

"[…Something about the way Mikuri died. And the others. I just have this…familiar feeling.]"

Meanwhile…

In the short time she returned to her old home, the Mawile felt an uncomfortable sense of nostalgia being referred to by her old name. That nostalgia, laced with a venom that tainted the memories of a hardened killer, made her job all the easier. Abandoning the name she adopted to preserve its memory, taking on the name she forsakes to slaughter her kin as emotionlessly as possible.

Makiko slouched against a wall deep within the town, finally granting herself a moment to rest. She clutched at her left arm, feeling the sting of Mikuri's blade still haunting her senses. She glared through the slits in her straw helm, peeking up every so often to the street just outside of cover where the servants and residents of Osorekaku went about their day, oblivious to the hunter lurking beneath their noses.

She cursed herself for last night's assassination. Each of the Takigawa she targeted were carefully decided between her and Basil. She lost count of the sleepless nights spent revising their strategy. Each one was chosen precisely due to being a hinderance in Basil's grand plan. The less of the problematic Takigawa they had, the greater their chances of the plan succeeding.

Mikuri was among those chosen Takigawa, though Makiko underestimated her half-sister's awareness. Falsely assuming the Monferno would've been distracted by her midnight soak, her bum leg gave away her location at the worst time, putting down too much weight on an inconvenient puddle and creating just enough noise to alert the fire monkey.

She had to wrestle Mikuri in the water, having escaped drowning two or three times before kicking the monkey onto solid ground. After evading gunfire and taking the fight into the street, Makiko quickly took out her sister before going for the kill. Mikuri, not one to go down without a fight, got one last shot in with a draw of her sword.

The rest of Makiko's night was spent staggering through the street until she found a fabric shop to patch her wound. It wasn't the most elegant fix, but it did the job. However, after that, she kept darting around town as soon as the elite guard caught wind of her recent attack.

The elite guard.

It brought back memories. Good memories, unpleasant memories. The usual. She felt a bit of pride seeing Shizuka among them, though that pride fizzled knowing full well the Hisuian Sneasel's bitter contempt for her.

Seeing Hanzo again was…equally painful.

Makiko rested her head against the wall and sighed. Basil's going to arrive any day now, and I'm going to fall behind schedule. This insane plan of his, I swear. If I wasn't aware of his capabilities, I wouldn't believe for a second it would work. Still, if this works out the way he hopes, it'll change everything. But how will Melissa feel when this is over?

Her thoughts drifted back to the loveable bunny. Memories of her smile, her laugh, her kindness…

Makiko shook her head. Marie's dead. There's nothing left of her that Melissa wants to associate with. Just forget about her. She sighed and started to stand. I should get moving again before Furukawa or someone else passes by—

BA-BUM!

Makiko froze, feeling the air grow heavy around her. Like a waterfall of rainwater striking down from the sky, an immense pressure slammed upon her shoulders, drowning her in a feeling she seldom felt in her life. This feeling, it colored the air in a sickening miasma of black, drowning out the light in an impenetrable fog that tainted every corner of her vision. It wrapped around her heart like gangly claws creaking and curling just enough to be felt with every heartbeat.

This was a feeling snuffed out from all Takigawa since birth. A feeling synonymous with weakness. With imperfection.

Fear.

W-What…What is…?

Makiko could barely form her thoughts as her eyes drifted to the street, and she instantly understood why these tremors suddenly seized her conscious mind.

Despite having that fear stamped out of them, there was one force in the world that drew out that suppressed fear from every Takigawa.

The progenitor of the clan himself.

Lord Takigawa Hidekage.

There he stood, wandering the streets of Osorekaku in attendance with Takato and two Gogoat servants. The elderly Sneasler who showed no sign of slowing down in his advanced age was the pinnacle of terror in the center of their clan's history. Every Takigawa was taught to respect his authority without question. No matter how hardened or emotionless his children became, that latent fear was driven out only by a single glance from this man.

Makiko witnessed in her early years the authority this man held over his children. The rebellious of the Takigawa, as few as they were, had grand designs to overthrow their father in the past. And yet, not a single one could match this man. All it took was for an unwavering glance from the head of the clan, and that rebellious nature was quelled.

That feeling of being crushed by an unimaginable weight with no escape. A feeling like hundreds of swords ripping through your flesh in the time it took to draw a breath. It was an inescapable, suffocating feeling.

And his eye was staring directly in her direction.

Makiko held her breath, unable to move as she prayed the darkness around her concealed her enough, yet her heart pounded like mad. Was this just an incidental glance in her direction? Because it felt like he was drilling a hole through her soul. He can see her, can't he? Was this really happening? Was she already dead?

"…"

Makiko restrained herself from gnashing her teeth, fearing the sound would give her away even more.

"…" Hidekage closed his eye and turned away with a chuckle.

The tension released in her shoulders, but Makiko didn't relax yet. W-What?

"[Did you say something, Father?]" Takato asked.

"[Oh. It's nothing. Shall we keep going?]"

Makiko held her breath for several more seconds until the duo were out of sight. She fell back against the wall, gasping as if taking her first breath in over a thousand years. She rested a hand over her racing heart, fearing it would stop from the stress.

Her mind raced with terrible thoughts. Did he actually see her? If so, why was she still alive? Or did she get off lucky? Was it possible her father was losing his touch after so many years?

No. No, that's not right. That fear she felt was unnatural. That couldn't have come from someone who has grown soft with age. That was the stare of a man who made the shadows quiver for the light. A stare that made demons drown themselves in sacred waters for a painless death.

A simple, inconsequential look that felt like a leash tightening around her neck, squeezing the life and soul from her body.

The plan was to kill Hidekage last. It was a demanding task, but one Makiko trained for ever since she joined the Foresters. It's why she took a special interest in Jason. He was one of the few people who had the skills she needed to learn to counter. Still, even with that knowledge, Jason wasn't the second most dangerous creature in Virdis for nothing. She never felt fear around him, but it was rare to meet someone morally opposed to killing to exude an aura of bloodlust like his.

But now, in that moment sensing her father's aura…

I've got to kill him. Now. Before it's too late.