Fatalize

[Kazuya Hikari]

Rifling through the files, it appeared Ayumu knew a lot. He had details from every high school Kazuya had transferred to right down to the number and location of scars Kazuya had acquired. The files on The Flame Battalion and the Hikari-gumi yielded the same results, including the amount of territory Kane was in control of. Which was pretty much the entirety of Japan.

As the files and papers burned, Chihiro would hear the faintest sounds of footsteps coming towards her, as well as voices speaking lowly, including a name spoken that was of the utmost interest to her as the shadows of two people passed by the bottom of the closed door.

Hayate-sama.

One of the two had been her next target, the second lieutenant assistant, Hayate Otsuka. She'd then hear a door shut quietly not too far from her current location, followed by silence.

[Daruma Doll~]

Chihiro hid by the door, listening intently. Of course the second lieutenant's assistant would be nearby! And he had just saved her the trouble of tracking him down. Satisfied with their auditory location as the door closed, Chihiro skipped back over to the air vent and climbed up inside. She silently crawled in the general direction of the closed door, peeking down every air vent cover as she passed.

She stops, finding the room the men disappeared into. What does she see?

[Kazuya Hikari]

Chihiro sees Hayate checking over a bunch of papers, looking what appears to be schedules, list of supplies needed for the next supply run, as well as a new location and details of a water source found.

The other man bowing to Hayate once he had finished looking the papers over and was satisfied, he would take his leave, leaving Hayate alone. He would then move over to his closet, opening it up, and would undress, leaving him in just his boxers and a white t-shirt, and would head to bed.

The light clicking off, leaving the room dark and silent, the layout of his room was exactly the same as the others.

[Daruma Doll~]

Now, she simply had to be patient. If the second man didn't leave, she would have to kill him as well. Luckily for him, he took his leave, leaving Hayate alone to his own devices. The man looked at his papers, took off his clothes and went to bed, falling into dreamland with no idea that an assassin lay in wait, watching him.

She counted off thirty minutes, enough time for him to fall asleep and begin a REM cycle. In that time she unscrewed the airvent cover, setting the screws aside in the air vent to prevent noise.

Once she was satisfied that he was asleep, she dropped down into his room in a cat-like fashion, making almost no sound. She stepped silently up to his bed, grabbed his pillow and in a swift movement, climbed on top of him, pinning his arms down with her knees and putting the pillow over his face, leaning her full weight on it.

[Kazuya Hikari]

Hayate's chest rising and lowering with each breath he took, fast asleep, it was not until his pillow was yanked out from under his head that he would jolt awake from his deep sleep. He would try to sit up only to find himself slammed back down onto his back, his arms pinned and a pillow shoved in his face.

His arms unable to move, he would be yelling and screaming just barely audibly in the pillow, his lower body and legs thrashing violently about with as much effort as he could muster. As minutes passed by though, his thrashing would become less violent before eventually moving only slightly... then he'd go limp, his body slumping beneath Chihiro's. She would hear neither feel any breathing or movement from Hayate's lifeless body.

Second Lieutenant Assistant Hayate Otsuka - Dead

0 to go

[Daruma Doll~]

That was it then, the last piece. Chihiro almost wished she could watch the anarchy unfold. However, it was probably safer for her to get out of here before the two bodies were discovered. After determining that the assistant was dead, she climbed off the bed, dusting herself off from the little scuffle. She went back the way she came, through the air vent and into the circulation system.

her first stop was back in Ayumu's office where the fire was dancing merrily in the fireplace. The flames were low but lively in the grate, enough for Chihiro to use for what she needed. She took some papers from the dead man's desk, catching them alight and dropping them on the carpet. The flames licked the floor, spreading rapidly.

Now, she needed to escape the building. Back into the air duct, she took them as far as she could toward the entrance to the city hall. Almost everyone would be asleep by this point, so running into anyone of any amount of threat was low. She slipped out of the air duct and into the main hallway, heading for the door.

She could smell the smoke coming down the hallway, a nice neat distraction as she made her escape.

[Kazuya Hikari]

And burn the place would. At first Chihiro wouldn't hear anything, but a few minutes later, she would just barely hear the sounds of screaming and yelling. She would manage to reach the first floor undeterred, aside from those running past her and up the stairs to investigate the source of the smoke, too focused to take notice of her, as those that were up at this time of night had been sitting in the cafeteria or were in the underground tunnels patrolling the perimeter.

As she walked out of the city hall entrance, a blast would explode from the back of the building, where the armory and kitchen had been located, on the third and first floor respectively. The entire building going up in flames, if she looked back, she could almost swear Taiki Hara could be seen standing at the front window of the third floor, looking down at her, a sad expression on his face, before his face would disappear in a wave of flames. The yells and roars of agony would trail after her as she walked away.

The Koyama-kai - Eliminated

0 to go

[Daruma Doll~]

As she walked out the door, the blast propelled her forward and she tumble-rolled down the stairs, alighting at the bottom effortlessly and rolling back to her feet. She walked away, turning back as she reached a safe distance.

A face in the third story window caught her attention, Taiki. She would have felt bad had he not been the reason of his gang's demise. He was weak, easily seduced and coerced into letting the seemingly innocent 'Sakura' into the inner folds of the organization. He had even led her to their leader! Had he been a member of her gang, he would have been executed or committed seppuku for such a dishonor and security breach.

Satisfied with her mission, Chihiro turned and left the compound in the same direction she came in. There were a few lingering patrolmen, but they were all distracted by the blaze behind her. She hopped the fence, and disappeared into the night.

Dawn broke, and Chihiro pulled her bike into the garage at Kazuya's estate. She hadn't slept, she normally didn't sleep on missions unless absolutely necessary. Why pause and sleep on the cold hard ground at her hide out when she could have a nice warm bed in a few hours? She couldn't return to her alias' house, it was compromised if any of the gang members survived and put two-and-two together. They probably wouldn't, the only people who'd known about her were the boys from the bar and Ayumu himself, all of whom were most likely dead.

She would be waiting for Kazuya in the dining room, a warm breakfast in front of her provided by the cook. She ate calmly, as if she'd been out the the store instead of infiltrating a rival gang.

[Kazuya Hikari]

The sound of quiet footsteps coming up from behind Chihiro, if she looked up, she would see Kazuya standing behind her, having completed his early morning training and had just finished his shower. He was clad in just a pair of long track shorts and a towel hanging around his shoulders.

"Did you have a good time?"

He didn't need to ask if she had completed her mission, the fact she had come back to him like always, meant she did.

[Daruma Doll~]

Chihiro had a policy not to return until the job was done. Sometimes she would be gone a month or two at a time before showing back up, mission completed. It had been beaten into herin the Shadow Knights. She had returned unsuccessful only once, and Valekin had beaten her within an inch of her life. That was where the faint scar down the side of her face had come from. He told her to return successful or not return at all, because if she did, he would kill her himself.

Granted, Kane's gang wasn't nearly as authoritarian, but it was a policy she held even to this day. It had gotten her as far as it had, and continued to prove her a worthy assasin for such ethic. Her presence in Kazuya's home meant nothing short of great success.

"It was a piece of cake. I was in and out in less than 24 hours."

She scoffed, bringing a forkful of eggs to her mouth. Once she'd chewed and swallowed, she shook her head. She had yet to look at Kazuya behind her, her vision focused on her meal (she didn't generally eat much on missions either). He would be able to smell the faint dirt, blood, and ash clinging to her clothing mingling with the smells of breakfast.

"Hard to believe they were even a threat. I destroyed their intel too. That had quite a bit on us. You."

[Kazuya Hikari]

["They were sloppy. Too much of the good life here. Alcohol, girls, what more could they ask for."]

Kazuya scoffed, though he wasn't surprised they had intel on him and his gang. The faint smell of dirt, blood, and ash reaching his nose, mingled with the smell of her breakfast, he would step right up to her and crouch down beside her, his face near her shoulder, his breath light on her skin.

["Another job well done. There's a clean towel on your bed."]

[Daruma Doll~]

She finished the plate of food, pushing it back on the table. The staff would step in and take it away. Even in the post-apocalyptic world, the fine life was possible. The staff were treated well and often rookie members of the gang. Respect for your seniors, indeed.

At his words, Chihiro stood up, turning and placing her hand lightly on his shoulder.

"先生、ありがとうございました。"

'Thank you, Kazuya-sensei.' She said softly, her hand trailing across his shoulders as she walked past him, her heels making sharp clicks on the wooden floor. He understood her post-mission regimine quite well. Medical attention if necessary, eat, long hot bath, and sleep. She would probably sleep the entire day, as missions were relatively taxing. She left the dining room straight for her room where the towel was waiting just as he had said. She smirked slightly when she laid eyes on it...the pattern across the bottom was of sakura flowers.

[Kazuya Hikari]

Straightening up as Chihiro stood up, he would smile slightly and softly at her, bowing his head slightly to her and would watch her head back to her room. As the members of The Flame Battalion resided in the underground base beneath the Dragon Fang, very rarely did Kazuya have any staff in his house, as they knew he preferred his privacy. Today however, was one of those rare days, as Kazuya was out when Chihiro had returned, and so he could not cook breakfast for her.

As Yumiko came to take the plate away, Kazuya would hold his hand up, indicating he would do the cleaning up instead, Yumiko bowing her head respectively to him and heading out and back to the Dragon Fang. After washing, drying, and placing the dishes away, Kazuya would quietly head back to his room, careful to not disturb Chihiro as he passed by her room, and would head into his own room, quietly shutting his door behind him.

(End)