“So this is the place then, huh?” Kenji asked, looking at Kanashi who shrugged. They stood before an old dilapidated subway station, one which was long since abandoned, maybe even as long as decades ago. Cob webs hung from the entrance way like curtains of silk, the smell of sour stagnant water wafting to their noses even though they stood over ten meters away.
“This is where Akatora said it was.” Kanashi said with a half nod, he fingered the crimson red ring around his middle finger as if it itched. The slight indentation of ancient unknown runes felt by his flesh. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had the chance to unsheath Itachi, at least a few days he imagined; it was strange how time seemed to blur together here. The past week felt more like months rather than days. So much had happened he’d not even had a moment's rest between each scheme and mission. But he couldn’t complain, even if he didn’t want to admit it he was having fun, it was hard work and often thankless but looking back he could feel pride swell in his chest over how far he’d come in that single week.
[Itachi] on the other hand; the cursed katana in its ring form which sat around his right ring finger throbbed with hunger. Hunger for flesh and blood, carnage and war. The sensation had been getting stronger too, before it was more like a tickle in his mind at odd times, something he didn’t recognize until looking back with hindsight. But here at this moment the ring was screaming in his head, its voice shrill as a death whistle.
[KILL, BUTCHER, BLOOD, FLESH, DRINK]
Fear tinged his heart and he shook his head trying to clear those thoughts away, the katana yearned to rip flesh and drink blood. It was growing impatient, its appetite needed to be satiated, if a cursed blade's means were not met it would turn on its master. Kanashi heard that in a book once, where he wasn’t sure, but he hoped it wasn’t true.
“Well what are we waiting here for then?” Kenji laughed, lunging forwards he cleared the distance in but two leaps and flew down the station's staircase which descended into pure darkness.
“Wait, Kenji!” Kanashi called out after the man. He’d only known him for four days, putting that into perspective made his head spin and stomach cramp. But they together had both experienced death, saved one another and Kanashi even saw the man naked- not with his consent mind you the samurai seemed to have no sense of shame in that regard.
Leaping down the staircase the darkness consumed Kanashi and he felt the cold stagnant air sting his nostrils, his flesh rising to goosebumps. It wasn't long before he splashed down into freezing cold and putrid smelling murky water. Up to his ankles at that.
“I’m gonna catch a disease here!” He complained. That was something his mother had told him, being a botanist she knew her fair share about molds and the like. “Never go near stagnant water!” She’d said. Sorry mom… Kanashi frowned as he began to shift through the water. “Kenji?” He called out. “Kenji, where are you, come one man!” The darkness gave no answer, only silence other than the splashing of the water he kicked about. Should I create a torch with [fire]? No, there’s a chance there might be some kinda gas leak down here and I end up blowing the black to hell, or there might just not be enough oxygen in the first place… we don’t know how deep we have to go either.
Frowning he pressed forwards, in truth he was afraid of using [Observation]. If ghosts, poltergeists or wraiths were to gather anywhere in the world his RPG knowledge told him it would be here. But putting that fear away he activated it, his every sense becoming as sharp as obsidian he could see- nothing still blackness, maybe the faintest outline of shapes around him. If you held up your hand and asked him to count the fingers he’d be at a loss. But he could hear something a bit further down, the splashing of water.
“Kenji come on god damnit!” Kanashi growled, moving towards the sound. He hoped it was Kenji at least, lest it be a- Alligator someone flushed down the damn toilet.
“Why’re you wandering around like that!?” Kenji asked with a yell that echoed behind Kanashi.
“Because I can’t see shit!” Kanashi yelled back, spinning around in the water which now soaked his pants to his knees from the splashing. However then it hit him, the sense of dread over the fact he’d been following a noise that wasn’t Kenji. Spinning around he looked at the darkness and swallowed hard. Was someone already there waiting for them, a guard of some sort? If this truly was an important place to the Toumeikan that would make sense but it was so far removed from normal living that it would seem pointless to have someone guard this place constantly. “Kenji?” Kanashi yelled without turning around, keeping his eyes on the darkness where that splashing had come from before.
“What?” Kenji yelled back, his tone annoyed.
Kanashi swallowed hard once more, his mouth too dry to make it easy, he was almost tempted to drink the water which wrinkled his feet. Putting his hand before him he focused intently on the sense of burning, the sense of heat and light. Normally this would take only a second to accomplish for him, it was muscle memory to conjure [Fire] now but he needed this fire to be as bright but thin as possible. To make sure nothing went boom when he cast it. After a few seconds of focusing and imaging exactly that, he forced the mana into his hand, the sensation like dipping your hand into warm water and cast forth a small ball of flame. No bigger than a golf ball in size it shone brightly and lit up the darkness better than a flashlight ever could. And at the subways end in the darkness where he heard the noise he saw nothing.
Probably just a rat or something… He thought, though he wasn’t sure if that made him more or less nervous. Turning around he began to walk towards where Kenji's voice had come from. “[Light Lamp] Is what I’ll call it…” He muttered with a proud nod as he stared at the ball of fire. “Kenji, don’t go anywhere I’ll be right there!”
“Can you not see in here?” Kenji asked, his voice now loud rather than a yell as Kanashi came up upon him. “I can see just fine…” He muttered, squinting his sharp eyes [Light Lamp] lit up his face.
“Well now we can both see.” Kanashi said with a grin. Though that quickly became a frown when he saw that Kenji was dripping with water, how exactly he didn’t even want to ask so he chose to ignore it. “Find anything?”
“Yeah, right here.” Kenji nodded as he turned and pointed to a small yellow tinted plastic sign which stuck out of the wall about another dozen meters down the path.
“Janitor…” Kanashi read aloud, it said so in Shinkai not Edogo which made him tilt his head to the side. “Why is it in Shinkai and not Edogo?” He asked.
“Because it sounds cool I guess.” Kenji shrugged, starting to walk towards the sigh, splashing water as he walked.
Kanashi followed close behind with [Light Lamp] and flicked his head around in search of any beast or monster down there. While he liked Crocodilians and snakes, the idea of being wrapped up by a forty foot serpent in stinking sewers didn’t quite excite him like finding a garter snake in the grass did. But he couldn’t complain; he asked for the mission after all. But I thought this would be a thrilling last mission, not ankle deep in water with God knows what in it. He frowned.
As they approached the sign they saw that it had been built just above a door, one so covered in dust, dirt and grime it was almost an exact copy of the concrete walls which surrounded it. The words [R84F] carved into the metal were so worn it almost looked like more dirt.
“So this is the place then huh.” Kanashi said, putting both hands to his waist and letting [Lamp Light] float before him mid air.
Kenji looked at Kanashi with his trademark ear to ear grin, one so wide you’d think his cheeks would rip open and he reached for the door handle, getting ready to rip it open.
“Wait no Kenji! There could be a trap-”
“It’s locked.” Kenji frowned, cutting Kanashi off as he shook the handle violently, the thing as still as a mountain.
Kanashi sighed in relief at an explosion not going off or a bunch of monsters suddenly rising up from the water around them, if Kenji's attempt at breaking in didn’t set off a trap he doubted opening it would either. “So we gotta break in then huh…” He hummed, rubbing his chin. It must have a keyhole if it’s locked- wouldn’t make sense to lock it from the inside so the question is how do we pick the lock? I can use elemental magic to create a key- but I don’t know if that would work… He thought with a sigh, tilting his head to the side. If I use ice to mold the key shape it might just outright break inside of it and then we’re stuck with a chunk of ice inside the key hole. I could try to melt it then but I might just end up melting the lock and then we’re shit out of luck, unless we just let it melt naturally. Titling his head to the other side, Kanashi frowned deeply. I could use [Earth] but that might just get stuck in there as well, maybe even do more damage outright. That just leaves [Mud] the thing I’m most confident in using at least to make the shape itself but I know for a fact that's not sturdy enough either- in fact it might be just as bad as ice when it comes to melting so that’s a no go either. I guess that only leaves-
BOOM!
Kanashi nearly leapt out of his skin at the sudden bang of the door being caved in by a casual kick from Kenji. Bending like cheap tissue paper it flew into the room with another deafening sound; shaking the whole subway station, dust falling down from the roof above like snow.
“Or you could just do that I guess…” Kenji muttered, his face tinting red, why hadn’t he considered that? He was too worked up- that’s why, it must be why.
Decasting [Lamp Light] Kanashi followed Kenji into the room and felt around the wall until he found the light switch and clicked it on. With the sound of a snap and crackle and a few moments of old wires getting warmed up the lights in the janitor's closet came to life. The humming sound they made and the dull yellow light they gave up nauseating. Looking around Kanashi saw signs of a rat’s nest atop the many lockers and file cabinets which covered 2 of the rooms walls, a large red headed centipede the length of Kanashis forearm crawled across the table pressed up against the wall to his left which he shuddered at. He liked Centipedes, spiders and scorpions but only from a distance. If one crawled up onto him he might have died from just fright alone.
“Its a whole party in here.” Kenji grinned as he saw the centipede and rat nests. “Now what?” He asked, turning to Kanashi and waiving the cobwebs which hung down to his height out of his hair. The Cobwebs; as thick as shoelaces with dust and grime, might have been older than Kanashi.
“There’s supposed to be a map in here somewhere, so I guess we have to look through these cabinets?” Kanashi answered with a shrug. If I was to put my secret files anywhere this wouldn’t be the place but I guess that’s just me… The logic of the Touemeikan was not something he was not confident in being able to question, they profited off of others suffering, people who do that can’t possibly be logical can they?” The thought made him shutter. “Vesh Ton Vori.” He muttered, an old prayer line he knew, he’d not been to church often since he was very small but he still held onto his faith. My God keep him safe here, from rats, ghouls in the water or Toumeikan. Which ever came first.
Kenji frowned but nodded his head and walked over to one of the cabinets, Kanashi diong the same and trying to pry them open. Though the old metal hinges and railing was so rusted he imagined the thing might fall on him before he managed to open it. Finally with a snap it swung open and as he peeked inside of it what jumped out at him was a rat the size of his own head.
“GYAAAAH!” Kanashi yelped, nearly falling onto his back as he stumbled backwards, the thing had yellow incisors as long as his own finger and one eye missing with a deep scar across its face. Hissing like a rattle snake's tail, it lunged at Kanashi who spun on his heel out of the way. The rat fell to the ground with an audible thump and ran out of the closet. The sound of it paddling through the murky water outside was quite loud.
“You good?” Kenji asked as Kanashi gasped for air.
“Y-yeah just surprised is all.” Kanashi nodded with a strained smile. “I hope we don’t have to deal with one of those again.” He shuddered. Rats were the one animal he truly was scared of.
# # #
“Ya find anything yet?” Kanashi asked as he pulled his head out of the drawer he’d just been looking in. His face was covered in dirt, dust and grime as were his clothes. A slight trickle of blood drizzled down his hand from a small Katakuri Rat Snake. Though said snake was now sitting on the small wooden table where the centipede had been- a centipede that was nowhere to be seen. “Euuugh.” Kanashi shuddered, he wasn’t sure where the Centipede could have gone, it either scuttled out into the water outside and now there was a centipede to worry about being bitten by in the water or it was climbing up his leg at that moment. Both thoughts made his skin crawl. I like Centipedes, Centipedes are cool. He told himself. Looking to the snake once more he saw it coiled up on the table, table wagging in agitation and eyes watchful on his every action. “I’ll take you up to the main street, don't worry.” He said with a weak smile, though he wasn’t sure if he should leave it down here instead. It was no doubt fat from eating however many rats and mice it could want. Evident by the amount of droppings Kenji dusted off his red kimonos sleeve.
“No, just more old newspapers and other junk.” Kenji growled, ripping a pile of papers as twice thick as phone book in half without issue.,
“Well it shouldn’t be much longer, we’ve turned this damn place upside.” Kanashi sighed; his back ached from bending over and so did his knees from kneeling on the concrete floor. looking to his side of the room he saw maybe 10% of the drawers left unchecked, those being the ones with large rusted padlocks around the handle. He’d avoided them in hope of not dealing with a tetanus shot- he’d heard those were painful and he didn’t feel like finding out. Not to mention that when Kenji had pried one open on his side of the room it was empty- excep tfor a mother rat and her hopper pups leapt out and into the water outside. “Water Rats…” He Sighed, “First Centipedes, now rats. There might really be an alligator at this point.” He joked to Kenji who tilted his head to the side in confusion. “It’s an old urban legend…” He muttered, turning back to the wall of drawers. “Guess I gotta do it now though…” He grumbled, reaching to the doors handel
Turning to the drawer, he used his shirt end, pulled to and put around his hand as a crude makeshift glove and pulled on the handle hard enough that the lock simply shattered. I didn’t even have to use enhancement. His natural strength was enough from how bad it had rusted. Looking inside the drawer he was greeted with a stack of old tickets, unclipped and ready for use on whatever train had once run through this place. Moving those to the side with a grimace- in case of another ‘friend’ he next found a set of old black and white pictures from what must have been the tunnel's construction. “Cool.” He grinned, flipping the top picture over and seeing it had been dated over 100 years prior, wiping the dust from the front he could make out the station- void of life except for a man standing in front it dressed in a top hat fedora and Kimono, eyes sharp and face somewhat shriveled looking. [湯馬駅: Yuma Station] written on a sign in the background. “This must have been the station's name then?” It was a pretty lame name but so were most things he’d found out. Putting the picture back into the drawer he shut it with a puff of dust and moved to the next. Slightly harder to open he managed to snap the lock with a slight strain, upon which the lock crumbled to near dust from how old it was.
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“Come on baby.” He hummed, peering into the drawer. “Oh?” Inside he saw a manila folder, one which looked rather fresh compared to old it should have been; other things in the drawers previously considered. “Kenji!” Kanashi laughed aloud, “I think I finally found the little bastard!”
“Really?” Kenji asked excitedly, coming up behind Kanashi and looking down his shoulder at the folder which Kanashi pulled out quickly.
Feeling the waxy texture of the folders outside he peeled the metal binding off and opened it quickly. Falling out from the inside of it being a series of maps, all in amazing condition.
“Is that it?” Kenji asked with a frown.
“They have to be, I mean I think so right? What else would they be doing here?” He said with a nod. Reaching down he picked up the maps which had fallen to the floor and opened them wide. Around two foot by two fit in size the first map he opened showed the entity of Tousen, it was dated some fifteen years prior and showed hundreds of little lines making a maze as they snaked deep under the ground. “Yeah, these are them!” He laughed. “Come on, let's get outta here now, I can’t wait to breathe real air in.” Tucking the maps into the folder and snuggling it under his arm he hesitantly plucked the rat snake from the table which coiled itself around his arm; tongue flicking through the air.
Having forgotten the water outside however he leapt right out of the water with a grin and slammed straight into the knee deep liquid which slapshed up around him, drenching him in that horrid stagnant and foul smelling musk, making him cry out in anger. “Damnit I forget about the mother fu-”
Right as the water fell down from being splashed; Kanashi saw it, cutting him off as his tongue went dry. Shapes, shapes of various sizes, form and composition which had not been there before. Question his eyes for a moment as if they were a tick of the light he was proven wrong when they began to move. Undulating like a swarm of ants.
His hand trembling around the snake, Kanashi hesitated for just a moment, and that’s all it took for the shapes to be upon him, not just one but dozens of them leaping forward.
[羅生門: Rashomon!]
Appearing from above with a circular slash which devastated the shapes was Kenji. Falling to the water floor with such grace you’d think he had wings he looked at Kanashi with a wide grin. “Looks like there' s some action out here then huh?” He asked, flicking the strange blackish ooze which the shapes had exploded into off his blade.
“Golems…” Kanashi answered, casting [Lamp Light]. Now seeing the shapes in clear detail they were crudely formed from some kind of onyx black slime they moved around in a single enormous shape. A few splitting off like flesh being ripped with tendon snapping and charged Kenji who quickly countered with [亥の切: Inogiri]. The shapes slain in a clean arch and exploding into more slim that fell to the water, skimming the surface like oil.
However that seemed to be nothing to the total number of them, they might have been endless. From end to end of the water they existed, piling atop one another they way they moved and shifted from side to side with a wiggle was mesmerizing.
“Kenji, don’t wear yourself out.” Kanashi breathed, “There’s no caster here to beat that would make them despair, it’s a [Spawner] that’s making them.”
Though Kanashi didn’t know that for a fact his sneaking suspicion told him it was the cause. Julius had told of something similar during their mission in Albur, and the tunnels which the Cult of Quek had made under the city. However those Golems were spawned by a series of constructed [Spawners]; feeding off the town's inhabitants as fuel. If that’s the case here then we might be screwed, Albur had maybe 5,000 just this city block might have triple that! Kanashi thought.
“We can’t just let them outnumber us! If we don’t trim them down we’re gonna get swallowed!” Kenji argued back as he danced through the air, the golems nothing to his swordsmanship they were all turned into that same black ooze which began to fill the water.
“!”
Seeing the slime begin to clump together Kanashi jumped up, casting [Sonic Boom] to help him leap high above the water he quickly conjured [ice] which turned the water below into a smooth blue glaze. His stomach flipped inside itself as he saw the black slime, like scum or oil on the surface of water had begun to rise out of the water into a single large golem.
“Stop cutting them down”! He barked at Kenji. “They’re just regenerating!” Though when he looked he saw that Kneji was no longer by him, only that black mass of shapes writhing around breaking itself free from the ice was. And it had grown as well, the sound they made- a wet sloshing was like a thousand undecipherable whispers right in Kanshi's ear.
“Shit.” He groaned as he came back town to the ground, his feet landing with a thud on the ice sheet. The Rat snake which had been wrapped around his hand tried to break free from his grip and he let it do so, it would scurry off and hide, he could find it later quickly, the current issue was that he couldn’t use [Lamp Light] and fight at the same time, the spell needing a constant feed of mana. He wasn’t skilled enough to use two spells at the same time, that was like trying to draw two different shapes with your hand at the same time.
Taking a deep breath he let his body relax, muscles and joints loosening he decast [Lamp Light] darkness immediately consuming him, the shapes no more than a vague blur to his [Observation]. Completely alone now he could feel Itachi- burning hot and throbbing on his finger as clear as his own heart beat, pumping blood lust straight into his soul. “Guess I gotta cut through you to find Kenji then huh?” He asked, letting a nervous smile loose, glaring at the golems as he gave a scoff.
“!”
In a blur Kanashi plunged himself into the mass of black shapes, [Itachi] conjured and it’s black blade writhing with light orange aura Kanashi began his massacre, the whispers they made by thrashing on the waters surface turning into silent screams of terror.
[Kyoyu Style: Zangeki]
[Kyoyu Style: Yuuka]
[Kyoyu Style: Sengiri No Shi ]
[Crescent Moon Style: Total Reverse Severance]
[Crescent Moon Style: Lunar Cascade]
[Crescent Moon Style: Wolf Moon]
[Wolf Fang Style: Lupus]
[Wolf Fang Style: Aeureus]
[Wolf Fang Style: Latrans]
Kanashi's lost count of how many forms he used or how many times he’d used each of them. He simply reacted off instinct, using [Observation] as his guide he hacked and slashed, eyes blurred from the black formless void which had grown around him. He cut, sliced, stabbed and severed, there was no goal, no end in sight, just carnage.
RIP AND TEAR!
Itachi screamed in his mind so loud he thought his skull might split. He would indulge the blade, let it have what it wanted to bad, he simply fell into mindless carnage, destroying all within his range.
His swordsman ship wasn’t great, it was at most passable, he could even manage to briefly clash with those many times his superior like Kenji when they’d first clashed but that could only give him a minute or two- maybe even just seconds at times of survival before he tired out or used all of his tricks. But here- to these golems he was their bane, their doom. He was weak, always the weakest in the room, as a kid on the playground, as a teenager in middle and high school, and that was still the same now. He’d never changed, he was still the same old Kanashi. But now he was powerful, he was death itself, he could make people fear him, respect him. These golems would fear his very form, and he savored that feeling with glee. Was that him thinking? Were those his thoughts or was it Itachi? Was the blade only going to get worse? Would it eventually consume him whole? He didn’t know, and at this moment he didn’t care.
Time blurred, it might have been minutes or half an hour since the carnage began. But the Golems showed no signs of stopping, at least that was until he was suddenly based in a blinking light and fell down into the murky stagnant water below. Coughing and panting, his throat coated with syrup thick phlegm. The void which had just surrounded him vanished, the golems gone- dead? Only pillars and plateaus of ice as well as deep gashes in the concrete he’d carved with the emissions of mana from Itachi.
“Yo, I think I broke the thingy.” Kenji said, appearing behind Kanashi who whipped around in confusion. In Kenji's hand he held a small wooden talisman covered in runes which was snapped clean in half. “Once I broke it they stopped spawning.” He explained.
“Oh, awesome.” Kenji smiled wryly as he stood up. His joints ached and his head throbbed with pain- the worst migraine he could think of having. Out of breath still he realized how hard he’d pushed himself there. How he’d gotten last in that carnage and how Itachi had over taken him. That had never happened before, he shuttered in thought of what he’d become there. If this had been humans- No, shaking his head he cleared those thoughts away, there was no reason to be worried he lied.
“Hey!” What the hell are you kids doing down here?”
The shout echoed through the abandoned train station, bouncing off each column and wall, the water's surface itself rippling. Whipping around Kanashi felt his throat go dry as he saw the aftermath of their battle- or rather his. Shit shit shit, not good, I can’t let him think this is magical, how can I explain this!? He wondered biting his lip. The clumps of ice were only beginning to degenerate back into Mana which would then become Kami. However the deep gashes in the wall from not only his and his must have been Kenji's blade as well told a whole story. A story which made no sense which lacked common sense.
The man who asked the question appeared before them, flashlight in hand. He looked like some kind of police officer in tone, stature and dress. His face deeply wrinkled with sunken in hooded eyes and a crooked flat nose, his lips drawn thin. With his free hand on his hip he looked at Kanashi and Kenji from the top of the stair case which was the entrance and exit of the station. He looked at them like one would a child caught stealing candy from the pantry.
“S-sorry sir we we’re just-”
The manila folder slipped out from Kanashis grasp and he lifted his head up- he didn’t realize it but at some point he’d tucked it under his chin and kept in place by pressing his chin to his collar. The folder fell into the water with a light splash and the man upon seeing it opened his eyes wide.
Within a flash and without a hint of hesitation he had his pistol drawn, cord which held it to his holster stretched tight he aimed at Kanashi, finger already pulling the trigger three shots flew out with a bang.
In a blur the bullets were sliced apart and Kenji appeared before the officer, or at least the man who looked like an officer. With a single strike he cut the man into three separated pieces and a spray of blood which fell down into the water below, tinting its brown color slightly maroon.
“...”
The sound of Gunfire had made Kanashis ear ring and the panic; his eyes blur. It took Kenji to yell his name for the 4th time to catch his attention fully.
“Y-yeah?” He asked looking up to the swordsman.
“Let’s get outta here, we got what we needed and don’t want back up coming.” Though that ‘we’ was slightly strained as if to imply it was only Kanashi who wanted no such thing.
Nodding his head Kanashi charged up the stairs, noticing the Rat Snake curled up under a slab of molded noose papers and already with a rat in mouth.
He shuddered.
# # #
“They’re wet.” Akatora grumbled with a deep frown as he grabbed the folder from Kanashi, His sharp eyes and face carved from stone in mix with his clear annoyance made Kanashi shudder.
“Be happy you got them at all.” Kenji argued back, arms crossed with a snort.
“You’re right- well done.” Akatora sighed with a half hearted nod. He turned to Kanashi who sat one seat over in the car with Kenji in the front passenger seat.
“It was actually pretty easy, until the golems that is.” Kanashi smiled weakly.
“Was it all you thought it would be?”
“...” “Yes and no, I’m… happy to have done something but… my part is done.” He muttered, clenching hands slowly and opening them back up in repeated motions.
“It’s not yet.” Akatora corrected firmly. “But you’re right that your part is. But enjoy it, you never know when that might end, when you're thrust back into the front lines again- it’s always harder to go back to work after vacation.”
Kanashi nodded, though he’d never had a proper job- he’d done a few chores and errands for people; walking dogs and such but nothing to relate to what Akatora said, but the same must have carried over to school then right? He understood that feeling, when summer break ended and you had to go back. He wondered if he would get that feeling, when- if he was ever back in the action. “Yeah I supposed so.” Kanashi muttered with down titled eyes, staring at his scared hands which still opened and closed, even subconsciously.
The car pulled into the underground parking lot of the Karatino Casino with a bump and Kanashi could see Jin standing in the distance, hands in pocket as he reclined in the air as in if an invisible couch.
“What a show off.” Akatora growled. “Stop the car here and go park elsewhere.” He ordered the driver, one Kuruman as he’d introduced himself. Kuruman nodded and stopped the car, the first to jump out being Kenji, followed by Akatora and finally Kanashi.
“You guys go on some fun adventure without me?” Jin asked with a raised bow behind his sunglasses as he fell graceful to the ground, shoes clacking.
“Yeah, something like that.” Kanashi smiled, cheeks tinted a slight pink. “But how did it go with you? Kenji told me you finished with him and said you needed to talk with someone?”
“Oh it went well, I met with the Hojo and took Asara and forged a blood pact with him, the Soutou and Sosaki.
“You did!?” Akatora asked with a grunt, eyes wide.
“Of course I did! When I say I’ll do something, I do it.” Jin frowned, looking at Akatora.
Akatora scratched the nape of his wide neck, fingering a vein which bulged on its side, “I expected it to be more difficult. The Hojo are conniving but weak to pressure. But the Soutou, they’d die before admitting defeat- and the Sosaki are just as stubborn only in another way.”
“They do now do they?” Kenji asked with a smirk and raised brow. “You should have seen the way they were on their knees begging before me and Kanashi.” He laughed loudly, too loud.
Kanashi cringed at the memory, he’d been the one to tell Kenji to use Mikami; granddaughter of Soutou Raizen, as a hostage, to threaten to drop her out a window by “accident” if he didn’t comply. Maybe he already began to change, and maybe Itachi already was influencing him. Shaking his head at Kenji he tried to signal it wasn’t time to argue.
“What, no they did. Don’t you remember?” Kenji said with a frown, not understanding the head shake was a sign to stop, not that Kanashi had forgotten the event, even if wished he could.
“Enough you two, don’t brag about disobeying me in front of me.” Akatora growled, shooting the two a glare. One which made Kanashi hunch down but Kenji only puffed up his chest and put his hands on his hips. Opening his mouth to argue, he was cut off by a light punch in the arm by Kanashi.
“Not now.” Kanashi muttered. “But yeah Jin, we did our part and it’s all ready.”
“And what was that?” Jin asked, tingling his head and pulling his sun glasses down as he looked at the manilla folder in Akatoras hand. “Maps of underground tunnels in Tousen?” He asked aloud.
“Your eyes really can see everything, can't they?” Kanashi chuckled softly.
“Except how to read a room.” Akatora mumbled. “They’re the underground tunnels which run through Tousen, they’re used by the Toumeikan to avoid detection. Knowing you though you probably at least sensed them at some point but they’re covered in millions of runs from top to bottom over centuries of use.
Jin didn’t answer, he only nodded his hand while rubbing his chin for a moment. “Are they able to bypass barriers?” He asked.
“I don’t know enough about them to answer that, but I imagine not.”
“Well, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem now that I know if at least.” Jin shrugged with a sigh. “If worse comes to worse I can collapse myself.” Looking at Kanashi he raised a brow. “I’m assuming you and Kenji here stole them? How long until they know about it, Akatora?”
“A day at the earliest. These two idiots killed the guy who was in charge of protecting the maps.”
“He shot at us so I killed him, what was I supposed to do?” Kenji growled.
“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Jin waved. “All we need is one day anyways. The liberation is tomorrow right?” He asked rhetorically. To which everyone nodded. “So then we can move onto the next phase.
“And what’s that?” Kanashi asked with a jump.
“Making you a model and me kicking Kenji’s as before the sun sets.”
