Chereads / Moonlight Mile / Chapter 23 - Chapter XX: Operation Wildfire pt. 2 (2/2)

Chapter 23 - Chapter XX: Operation Wildfire pt. 2 (2/2)

On the bustling streets of Shinjuku, a city ward in Tokyo, people, and monsters alike spent the day shopping, eating at restaurants and cafés, and generally having a nice time. Two second-year high schoolers went shopping together on a Wednesday afternoon, just after school when one of them promised the other that they would go. The scene has patches of puddles to indicate that rain appeared prior to their arrival.

"Yue-chin! Yue-chin! Look! Look! There's a 20% Off Sale on one of those stores! C'mon hurry up, let's check it out!" and a voice called out in response amidst the busy street, "Akari-chin, w-wait up!"

Takahashi Yue the (illegitimate) daughter of the 4th richest man in the world wore her school uniform and the necklace Siegfried gave her last night. Along with her for the ride is Akari Takeda her longtime and best friend, she too wore her uniform with a cream-colored cardigan over it. There they were going to a clothing store popular amongst high-schoolers, and amidst the bustling sidewalks and streets of Shinjuku Akari had a satisfied sigh, "Oh man, oh man, it's been a while since we did any shopping together huh, Yue-chin?" Yue shrugs and had an unsure look as they were walking together, "Dude, we literally just went shopping the other day..." and Akari scoffed, "Yeah, so? This is like totes a rare opportunity! You and I shopping on a weekday? Usually, you'd always have some bullshit-ass excuse to workout, you Fitness Freak."

And Yue froze at the last thing Akari and muttered, "F-Fitness Freak...?" "Yeah! You heard me right, "fitness freak". I'm like totes glad you care about your health and physical fitness Yue-chin as that hella toned stomach of yours is a testament to that but girl, ya need to have some R&R every now and then." and Yue sighed, "Yeah... You're right, it's just that there are too many things going on at the same time."

And Akari nodded understandingly, "Exactly! Take a breather from what's happening around you and your daily routines. Take a break from working out – even for a single day – let your muscles and mind relax. A change of pace and to your surroundings can do wonders to the mind and body, y'know?" "E-Even as exams are fast approaching... But I still stand by what I said!"

Then they went inside a clothing store that is quite popular with the teenage demographic due to its trendy clothes and accessories, and as they were choosing Yue hesitantly asked Akari a question, "H-Hey, Akari-chin?" and without batting an eye, she replied, "Yep?" and she asked, "Do you... Do you think boys like girls with this kind of body?" and Akari was NOT prepared for that kind of question and widened her eyes in utter surprise, "W-What." Then transformed into an expression full of questions, "H-Hold on Yue-chin, I'm gonna be honest I was NOT prepared to be asked that question out of the blue like that." after composing herself Akari went close to Yue's face as she was holding a shirt giddily and teasingly asked, "OMG Yue-chin! Are you eyeing someone!?" and Yue placed her index on her lips to indicate silence, "Shhh! Keep it down!"

But Akari wasn't listening and teased, "Ooh... As someone who hardly – if not never asks how she looks towards guys begs the question: Is there a guy you like Yue-chin? If so, then who? Who? WHO!? Go on, you can tell me!" as a gleam of giddy excitement shone through the eyes of Yue's best friend and pressed her hard for an answer, "W-Wha!? N-No, I don't! Although not right now... And what I meant earlier is that do guys like my body? I mean it's so toned and muscled, and I thought..." and Akari repeated what she said, "You thought what?"

"I thought guys are grossed out by toned girls like me." And a look of realization dawned on Akari's face, "Ohh! Ya should've said so! Yue-chin, some guys dislike and aren't into your body type and some guys are really, really turned on by fit and athletic girls such as yourselves and so much so that they wanna lick your toned abs." and with that sudden thought, Yue covered her ears in disgust, "Eww! They wanna lick my abs?" and Akari grinned smugly, "Heh, Yue-chin them wanting to lick your abs is the least of it." She came closer and whispered in her ear, and her reaction was her face turning red, "That's so weird...!" Akari placed her hand on Yue's left shoulder, "Oh my sweet and innocent Yue, once again: that's the just least of it."

After window-shopping in the clothes store, they decided to head to a popular café to eat some snacks, outside of the store on another nearby café a man wearing a black cap, sunglasses, and casual clothing is sitting at a nearby café with their outdoor seats blending in with the others in the bustling street in Shinjuku.

"Wildfire within my visual. I repeat Wildfire within my visual. Continuing surveillance, over." A voice radioed through their on-ear communicator and a voice responded, "Roger that, Krueger, relaying the message to the rest of our group." As one of the members of her father's company was keeping watch over Yue secretly. "All units be advised: Wildfire is in a café facing in front of Krueger. I repeat: Wildfire is in a café facing in front of Krueger." "Command, this is Krueger, going in for a closer look." "Copy that, Krueger. Relaying information to the others now."

Inside the duo's chosen establishment, it was packed with people and non-humans from all walks of life and species, and the interior design was a mix of stylish and adorable designs, motifs, décor, and colors, making it quite popular with young girls. As expected of a typical café in Japan.

They sat by the window and Yue and Akari were sipping their drinks, Akari with a smug expression leaned her body towards the dining table and just couldn't help but ask Yue, "Sooooo!" "Why the sudden interest in dating? Or in this case, boys?" Yue had a look of actual ignorance and asked, "Interest in dating? There you go spouting bullshit again." And Akari had an impatient yet teasing look on her, "Oh? Me? Spouting bullshit? Not every time, Yue-chin. It's just..." She gathered her thoughts together before continuing, "What you said earlier was so out-of-character of you to say that." again Yue had a look of absolute confusion, "Eh...? Out-of-character? What the hell are you talking about?" and Akari made a weird gesture at Yue, "I mean, really? Boys? You're practically the last person who would've asked me that question. So, it totally like ya know, caught me off guard."

There she mimicked Yue's mannerisms in a joking and light-hearted way, "Usually you're all: 'Oh yeah fitness! Oh man, I love exercising! I love to practice my martial arts!' 'Oh, sorry, guys I can't go I'm busy at home working out.' 'Whoops, look at the time I gotta take my morning jog!' 'Oh, look at me, I'm Yue and all the boys looooove me!' Like that."

Yue had a dumbfounded look at her friend's nonsense, "That... That doesn't even sound like me!" and Akari reiterated what she said earlier, "Heard the pattern yet? If not here's a hint: Fitness Freak! All you care about is exercising and doing physical exercise and sometimes going shopping with me. Which I appreciate. But you mentioning boys? Geez... Sounds like the world's ending." And she added, "Besides, you've never even had a boyfriend before, huh?" and she shook her head weakly, "N-No... Never." And Akari assured, "Hehe, don't worry Yue-chin, I said this before, and I'll say it again: I'll totes help you out to snag the man of your dreams."

There Akari realized, "*Gasp* Could it be you're crushing on your tutor?" and Yue reacted violently to her best friend's guess, "W-What!? N-No! Y-You got it all wrong!" But she's not listening. "OMG, Yue-chin, like OMG! Like, I can't! I literally can't right now!" But Yue was losing her patience as she banged the table in anger, "Listen to me dammit! I don't have a crush on him!" Upon the impact, she attracted the attention of fellow cafegoers as Yue looked in their direction before slowly sliding back to her chair now embarrassed at what she did, "S-Sorry..." and quietly apologized for her behavior but Akari just smiled widely in a playful manner.

And Ruby one of the agents closest to her covered her mouth in pleasant surprise, (Oh my... It seems the mistress has a crush on someone! How adorable! I never expected that from her behavior, well, she is a girl after all.)

However, the subject of their conversation is unable to hear for he's too far away, (She banged the table in anger. Did her friend tease her too much? I can barely hear them due to the background noise.) Then Akari asked. "Do you have a picture of him?" "A picture? Y-Yeah, I do actually. Mom gave me his resume. Here." And slid the paper to Akari's side, "Ooh, let's see, let's see here..."

She nodded as she read the first information of his falsified profile, "Mm-hmm, Siegfried Silverstein so that's his name? 18 years old, country of origin: Germany, great teaching record... oh-ho? He lives nearby?" when she stumbled upon his profile picture it was but a gray silhouette of a male. "There's no picture." "No, he doesn't for some weird reason of his. But it doesn't really bother me." And Akari replied, "Cuz, ya met him before, huh?" she shrugged.

Soon their food arrived, and as they were eating, Akari with her lychee-flavored juice drink saw Yue who was eating her food with relish, "Hmm... So good...!" Akari upon seeing Yue's joyful expression stifled a warm smile of gladness, "Hehe! Glad to see you're in a good mood, Yue-chin." And she paused momentarily, "Why wouldn't I be? A piece of good news finally came after nonstop bad ones." And Akari titled her head in wonder, "Oh did something happened?" Yue placed down her utensil and leaned closer to Akari as she swallowed her food, "Oh, that's right, I haven't told you yet, did I?" and she gave her an excited and cheerful grin, "I forgot to tell you this earlier from lunchtime, but we're adopting a cat!" Akari gasped as her eyes lit up in surprise, "OMG, like really?! When and where'd you found him?" "Yesterday on my way home when we parted ways. He's so adorable...!" Yue squealed in delight, "And I picked him up earlier this morning and brought him home from my morning jog!" And Akari wondered, "Ya got a name for him?" as she was, she placed her finger on her chin and thought long and hard, "Hmm... a name, huh?" "A name... A name..." then placed both her hands at the back of her head, then an idea popped into her head, "Actually, we did!" "His name is..." She did a drumroll gesture and with the widest grin, she said, "Ta-da! General Bombardier! Bomba-chan in short."

And Akari had a "really" look towards Yue, and shrugged, "Yep, that really sounds like what typical Yue would name something. But why Bomba-chan?" And retorted, "Cuz, Bomba-chan looks like a bomb. You know those black round bombs in cartoons when we were kids right?" And Akari replied, "Bomba-chan, eh? Yeah, like ok that does sound adorable. Show pics plz."

Yue pulled out her phone and showed a pic of Bomba-chan to Akari, "Ta-da! He's so cute, isn't he?" then the moment Yue showed Akari the picture of Bomba-chan, for a moment she froze, (Oh crap...) then she lit up like a firework as she shrieked in absolute delight, "Kyaaaa!!! OMG, HE'S SO CUTE!" "Oh shit, oh fuck he really does look like a bomb. Like a little adorable bomb. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. H-He's a kitten! You bastard, you didn't tell he's a kitten!?"

And Yue scratched the back of her head, "Hehe, yeah, I kinda forgot to tell you about that." and continued, "Right now, Bomba-chan's diet consists of milk. Right now, he can't eat solid food yet cuz he's two weeks old according to Mom." She scoffed, "Yeah, like, no shit Sherlock. He's still a kitten!"

Then as the two were chatting, two suspicious figures entered the café. Kruger without batting an eye notice this and notifies the others, "Lionel, come in, Krueger speaking. I've spotted two male individuals entering the café where Wildfire is." A static occurred then a voice replied, "Copy that, Kruger. Their descriptions?" "A Japanese man in his late 20s or early 30s wearing a black jacket and casual clothing, his accomplice is a Werebeast of the native Tanuki species, also wearing casual clothing."

"Roger that, Krueger. I'll relay the info to the others." (Now, a wait-and-see approach is in order. Soon, I'll take action and respond accordingly...)

"Oh, and Yue-chin?" "Hm?" "Sorry, but I literally can't." she raised her eyebrow in question and asked, "Can't about what?" and Akari sighed in exasperation, "Couldn't help it. I know we should be like relaxing and all and shouldn't stick my nose where it doesn't belong but like the curiosity's been eating at me." And added, "It's about your deadbeat old man. I know, I know I shouldn't bring this up but—" and Yue held up her hand and stopped her for a moment, "It's... cool, Akari-chin don't worry about it. I'm glad you brought this up so we can discuss it together. You and me."

Akari then cleared her throat and presented her with the info, "So, I took the liberty of researching about your old man who bought milk and never came back." And Yue had a pained look on her face, "R-Really? Damn, I never even bothered to do that. And our exams are coming up and you'd rather study about my deadbeat old man than our subjects?" she shrugged, "Hey, you don't get to say that, and at least it's interesting. It's not every day that your best friend's dad is actually the FOURTH RICHEST MAN IN THE WORLD...!"

As she aggressively whispered those last few words before covering her mouth. And that's when she realized, "H-Hey, uh, are you sure we're not being monitored right now? Like I literally wouldn't be surprised if one of your dad's men is secretly spying on us. Like one of those animes I've recently watched." then Krueger the member in the nearest proximity of Yue stayed calm and blended with the others as he's monitoring the two of them in secret, (Takeda Akari, was it? The girl is sharper than I thought... I may need to take her a bit seriously.) "A-Anyway, as you might know, he owns Shiroyama Industries, a massive business conglomerate his old man started. In other words, your gramps became a very rich man, and he took it to the next level."

"To his past activities, he seems very active in supporting the Knights of Night's Far-Eastern Branch." And Yue sipped her drink and remarked, "The Knights? You mean those guys that act as the second police for both humans and non-humans?" she nodded, "Yep, they're the ones. So, like, about his behavior and other crap with the Knights kinda bothered me so I went to their public website and archives and, lo and behold: He used to be a captain of a Knight's Division."

"Wait, what?" (Crap, I totally lost her there, and didn't understand a single thing she said!) But Akari was on a roll and didn't bother to slow down, "By the way?" "Eh? W-What?"

Akari asked, "Have you seen his picture yet? It's practically floating on the Internet!" Yue paused as sweat begin to form on her forehead and furrowed her eyebrow at the increasingly confusing and convoluted information, "Uh... Um... Err..." "N-No?" and Akari tilted her head in bepuzzlement, "No? Like, no-no? Or no, I didn't bother to look his face up?" and Yue chose the latter, "Yeah, I kinda don't want to see his face even if he is a public figure. I'm not mentally prepared to see what even he looks like." And Akari had a realized look at Yue's idea, "Ah, so, like, you don't wanna spoil the surprise? Or you just don't like the bastard?" "Both." "I see. Understandable." And the two had a brief moment of awkward silence before breaking into laughter, "HAHAHA! Oh man, you should've seen how you talked Akari-chin, it's been a while since I last saw you like that." "OMG, like really? Damn, that's embarrassing as hell...!" "All right, I kinda wanted to show you his picture but guess I'll keep it away from you for now."

Then time passed as Yue and Akari finished eating their snacks they headed out of the café. Prompting Krueger in the café to rely on outside eyes. A female agent radioed in, "This is Ruby 3, where is the Mistress headed to?" and a fellow agent responded, "This is Birdwatcher 1, the Mistress and her friend are currently continuing their shopping." And Ruby responded, "We read you Birdwatcher 1, this is Ruby 3 we'll change our positions soon. So, keep your eyes open." And Birdwatcher 1 replied, "Copy that Ruby 3, over and out."

Above the buildings, Siegfried, or rather Krueger has a bird's eye view of his surroundings and has his eye on the two figures that entered the café earlier, (They're still following them... They couldn't make it more obvious, huh? However, I've already notified the others of those figures following Wildfire or the Mistress.) "Command, Krueger has confirmed two suspicious male figures following Wildfire. One is a human and the other is a Werebeast that resembles Tanukis. Keep an eye out."

"This is Krueger, I'm taking action now."

And back to Yue and Akari as they were just finished shopping for their new clothes that piqued both of their attention and onto their next stop, "I still think this is a bad idea, Akari-chin..." Then as they were walking, they arrived at Akari's favorite salon parlor. Then they stood at the entrance, "Ta-da! This is where I usually go when I need to fix my hair or nails!" and Yue had an uncomfortable expression, "Yeah... no, I don't feel like I belong here." And Akari went to Yue's back and with a happy expression pushed her inside, "Nonsense! Everyone needs a touch-up every once in a while!" (A salon? Very well.) And after a short delay, after the duo went in, Krueger went in as well.

There at the reception, a female receptionist somewhere in her mid-to-late 20s greeted the duo, "Ah! Welcome! Welcome! Oh my! Well, if it isn't Akari-chan! Here for your usual?" she shook her head, "Nah, no thanks my hair's still fine. Today's not for me but for her." And gestured to Yue, "Ta-da! Today, I brought my best friend here for a light touch-up!" The receptionist stood up from her desk and introduced herself, "Hello, I'm Tsubaki Saito, the owner, and manager of this establishment." And Yue bowed respectfully, "Um, h-hello. It's a pleasure to meet you Saito-san, I'm Takahashi Yue, a second year in high school." And she chuckled, "Now, now, don't get all formal."

Akari then brought Yue closer to Hana and she scanned her from top to bottom. "Hmm... Ok... Ok... My... I see... Mm-hmm... You're the type of girl who – well, not really dislikes – but does not prefer feminine aspects and ideas or clothing and much prefers what the boys like."

And Yue's eyes lit up, (Wha—!? How'd she...?) and the receptionist chuckled at Yue's reaction, "Don't be surprised, Takahashi-san. I can tell what type of woman you are from a glance." And thought, (And she... she has this confident, aggressive, and competitive aura that oozes out. Truly, it's quite rare to see a girl such as herself here.)

She clapped her hands and two salon workers presented, "Please guide her to the styling chair." And one of the salon workers beckoned to Yue's attention, "Right this way, ma'am."

There Yue sat at one of the styling chairs, and Yue had an uncertain look, "Uh, um... Excuse me...!?" And Saito-san will be taking care of her, "Now, now. Don't be nervous. Now, what do you feel like having?" And Yue was so nervous and taken aback that she couldn't say anything, and had an adorable yet awkward reaction "Uh, um, ah... Er, eh, em..."

Saito-san chuckled at Yue's reaction, (My, she has an adorable reaction.) And Saito-san had gotten a closer look at Yue, "Oh wow! Your skin is surprisingly clear, with no pimples or acne whatsoever! And looks quite smooth as well. I am impressed. As for your hair... May I?" "G-Go ahead." There she began touching the ends of her hair and finger-combed, Saito-san had an impressed look, "Quite smooth as well! My, my, for once I don't know what to do. Usually, I recommend to my customers a service that addresses their problems be it skin or hair. There are no visible flaws that I can fix." And Akari came over to check things up before them, "So, how're things going along?"

And Saito-san replied, "Just getting things started, Akari-chan." "Like OMG, Yue-chin, for crying out loud, relax will ya? For now, let's forget 'bout your deadbeat old man, we came here for a good time, and a good time we'll experience, yeah?"

And that calmed down Yue a little bit, "Hoo... Y-Yeah, you're right, Akari-chin. Sorry." now Yue had an idea of what service she wants, "H-How about that?" and she pointed to a service, "A deep facial cleansing? Very well. Oh, we do have a promo that each facial cleansing will have a free manicure during the procedure. Will that be all right?" she nodded, "Y-Yeah, that'll be all right."

And soon they began, time passed, and it was time for Yue's manicure and the servicer asked what color her nail polish is, "Color, ma'am?" said the male servicer, but despite his voice being completely different, somehow this servicer has an odd bit of familiarity to him, (Protection of Wildfire by any means necessary. I had to incapacitate a worker and borrowed his face to infiltrate here...) "Color? Nah, I'm good. I actually don't want color on my nails, colorless will do fine." And she nodded, "Understood." (Thank you, girls...) and thought of Lily, Ivanna and Mina, as Siegfried or in this case; Krueger is doing Yue's manicure, and some time has passed and the process is finished, the owner of the salon was impressed as to how effective the cleansing was on Yue's skin, "Well! How about that, your skin is practically glowing now!" and she turned the salon chair and showed Yue her extra-smooth glistening skin, "The cleansing removed any excess and deep-seated dirt beneath your skin, and my, my, what a difference!" and Yue looked at her freshly cleaned face with pleasant surprise, "Woah... My skin looks extra clean now..." and when she caresses her face it glides across akin to sliding to a piece of silk fabric, "Damn, it's so smooth! A-And clean!" and she looked manicured fingernails and her eyes lit up in satisfaction, "Oh wow, look at that my nails are all pretty now!" and faced the owner of the Salon, "Thank you, Saito-san!" and she smiled warmly at her customer and chuckled in gladness, "Anytime, and glad to be of service."

Then they exited the Salon as Yue had a refreshed and reinvigorated look, "Dang... Your skin is practically glowing now... How does it feel?" and Yue had a reserved yet embarrassed look, "It feels great! The salon lady didn't bother to touch my hair and said it looked perfectly fine and smooth already..." Akari lightly caressed Yue's hair, "Oh shit, yeah, you're right. Well, there's one place that I wanna go next, Yue-chin!" Yue tilted her head, "Oh? Where to?" and Krueger slipped away from the salon without anyone noticing.

After silently tailing them for a bit, Krueger notified Lionel, "Command... Lionel, a situation has arisen. I can no longer keep a safe distance from the Mistress." And on the intercom, Lionel's voice came through asking, "Hm? Please clarify, Krueger." Krueger pursed his lip in frustration, "It's..."

The scene shifted to them to a women's clothing store but not just any clothing store, but it was a store that exclusively sells... "U-Underwear?!" exclaimed Yue. And Akari had a nonchalant look, "Hm? Yeah. What about it? Mama needs a new pair of undies to charm a man. You should get a new pair as well considering how fucking huge your boobs are." "Let's get you a new pair as well, Yue-chin!" And dragged Yue inside the store, and inside it was chock-full of different types of women's unmentionables, from cute designs in varying sizes, patterns, and colors to very mature and erotic designs that offer little to no coverage such as lingerie, thongs, and G-strings; in short, it has everything that a woman from all backgrounds can find. "Wha..." and the female store clerk welcomed them, "Welcome, valued customers, if you have any questions regarding our selection, please do not hesitate to ask."

And went in, "You look surprised Yue-chin, don't tell me you've never gone in here before?" she shook her head, "N-No, that's not it. I'm surprised at all these types of underwear." And she randomly got one off of the shelf, "I mean, look at this! This thing barely covers my butt at all!"

And Akari had a teasing look, "Hehe, that's like the whole point! If you want a man, then you gotta upgrade to turn him on. Cuz men dig this type of underwear." And Yue looked at her with a mixed look of confusion and concern, "Where'd you get this info from?" and she replied, "The internet, duh! Well, more specifically a survey on the internet." And Yue examined the thong and bra lingerie that she held, "This looks so... lewd!" She shrugged, "Maybe. But ultimately, it's up to you if you wanna upgrade or not." "But me...? Ho-ho-ho! I already got one!" and showed Yue her chosen lingerie, "Ta-da!" It was a black lacy lingerie that had some respectable coverage on the behind, it had transparent parts on some parts of it, but it doesn't show all the way through. "Damn..." that was all that Yue could say about her best friend's choice, "Cute, right?" Said Akari with a confident smile and a wink, and Yue just shook her head in exasperation. "Yue-chin, what's wrong? Usually, you're all hella pumped when it comes to stuff like this." And Yue just sighed in surrender and apologized, "I'm sorry, Akari-chin. I can't get all excited and carefree like before. There're too many things that are happening on my mind." And Akari grabbed hold of Yue's cheeks and squished them, "Hey, I said this before I'll say it again and again as much as I need until the day's over: We came here to relax and have fun. So, for now, let's forget about that problem and let your future-self handle that. M'kay?"

"M'kay..." and let go, then Yue slapped both of her cheeks and pumped herself up, "All right, let's do this! I'll pick something that might look good on me." And Akari had a confident and reassuring smile, "Haha! Now that's the Yue, I know! Come on, I'll help you find the underwear that'll make all the boys bleed their noses out!"

Meanwhile... at the same time when the two went inside the lingerie shop, Krueger waited patiently for the duo to come out and finish their shopping, (Taking a reactionary approach... Is truly not my preference.) he thought to himself as he has a bird's eye view of his surroundings as he rests up above to one of the buildings then a golden opportunity arose to reduce the number of headaches in his mission; he spotted the same individuals that are tailing the duo since the Café. "Hmm... Let's get to work." and pulled his mask up and descended. Fortunately, for Krueger, one of them split away so as not to draw attention to themselves, but they both continued their tailing of Yue and Akari and waited for the two to come outside. And Krueger made his choice. As the suspicious individuals blended seamlessly with the general public but they couldn't fool the eyes of Krueger, (I.D Matched. Kurosawa Sho, and the Werebeast Tanuki, Haruto. Both are affiliated with the same group that I took out not too long ago. I can safely assume they're out to kidnap Takahashi-san.) As one of them stopped and stood next to a bench near the proximity of the lingerie shop, then he made his move.

In a blink of an eye, the two finally came out of the building.

Back on the girls' perspective one of the males hollered for their attention, "Hey there, missies. Y'all free?" and the Tanuki Werebeast added, "Yeah, yeah, come on! Come with us, let's have a good time!" and the eyed Yue, cautiously Akari backed up to where Yue is and politely declined, "O-Oh no, um, we're like totally stoked by your offer. But we'll take a hard pass, sorry!"

But they wouldn't let them go that easily, despite their seemingly friendly and carefree manner, it hid a sinister and malicious undertone that Akari detected, she smiled warmly and politely while underneath it is a false smile hoping to deter these two peacefully, (Shit... Not these bozos.) Thought of Akari with full of spite and disgust, "Oh man, these girls are looking hella cute, eh?" another voice called out from the back and the two felt an arm wrapping on their shoulder as a sleazy-looking man in his early to mid-'20s came up to the two.

The two held back their disgust with a smile on their face, and Yue glanced at Akari with a focused flame of wrath within her eyes, ready to break these guys bones at any moment, from a mere glance she understood her desire, but subtlety shook her head and mouthed the words: (No.)

And Yue with burning hate masked in a polite smile held back her anger, "Come on, we ain't gon' bite. Fact is, you's girls gonna have the time of your lives." Said one of the newly-arrives to the scene.

"S-Sir Lionel, this is Ruby 3. The mistress and her friend have been cornered by a group of suspicious individuals. One of them was from the café earlier. S-She needs help!" Lionel winced in distress, "Somehow you have to drive them away without blowing your cover. Now, one of you, go!"

And Krueger who is the nearest one decided to act, "This is Krueger, the situation has changed. I will be entering the fray. The others stand back and await further instruction." Now suddenly from 2 became 5 as the girls became surrounded by this group of sleazy individuals.

Then a familiar woman's voice called out to them, "Is that...? Ah! There you girls are! Yue! Akari-chan! Man, what a coincidence, are you girls out shopping?" the two heard the voice but to Yue, it sounded so much like, (M-Mom!?) she turned and saw an unmistakable image of her mother is calling out to them, "Wait, Lionel, something unexpected has arrived." notified by Krueger. "It's... her own mother. Takahashi Himari" Himari looked like she recently got off from work, she wore her sports bra, yoga pants, and grey jacket covering her top.

There Akari seized the opportunity to slip away along with Yue, "Ah, she's us. Now if you'll excuse us..." and shoved the arm away from their shoulders, and the moment Yue and Akari turned to face Himari, Himari saw they're helpless and teary-eyed expressions begging for help, there she immediately understood what is happening, "M-Mom!" "Yue's Mom!" the two then headed toward Himari and went to her back for protection, "Are they bothering you, dear?" And Yue and Akari both nodded their heads, and one of them angrily said, "Huh?" "The hell're you s'posed to be?" Himari simply smiled and waved her hand, "Oh, me? Who I am doesn't matter, you bottom-scraping lot were harassing my girls, weren't ya?" "H-Harassing? Ya got it all wrong, ya hag. We were just invitin' 'em out for a good time, what's wrong with that!?" and Akari snapped, "You and your friends don't know when to quit, do you!? Do you even understand how uncomfortable we were talking to you losers!? I'm tired of playing nice, you guys like totally suck!"

"The fuck you say you little bitch!?" As one of them approached the trio as he loaded his fist and walked up to Akari, but was promptly halted by Himari, "Hold it. Now listen. I'll give you guys a chance to back off and walk away scot-free. If not, then you and I both know what'll happen next when you tried to harass my Yue."

Try as he might, he just can't seem to let his hand loose from her grip, "Let my hand go, you old-ass hag!" "You asked for it." She pulled his arm in and kneed him in his stomach causing him to reel downwards, "Gah!" and she followed it up by performing a round-house kick as the back of her heel kicked his cheek causing him to be launched sideward to the pavement knocking him out and maybe knocking a tooth or two, then seeing as one of their own were knocked down like a ragdoll, they charged at Himari. "Why you!"

"Yue." "Y-Yeah, Mom?" she glanced at the two and flashed them a confident grin, "You two stay put. Give mommy five minutes, m'kay?"

She charged back and went to town with them. Soon one by one did they fall, she parried their weak strikes and struck back at them as she aimed at their vitals for maximum damage, "Holy shit..." awestruck by Akari, and after a brutal beatdown all the boys that bothered the two are now sleeping on the concrete pavement peacefully, "Hoo... That's that." and when she looked back the two their faces are of complete awestruck, "That... That was so cool, Takahashi-san!" as the two came up and fawned over her, as Yue embraced her mom tightly, "Mom, that was so cool!" and Akari nodded excitedly in agreement, "Yeah, yeah! You were all, bam! And whoosh and pow! And, and they were like, ack! Ow! And before I knew it, they were all sleeping on the ground! It was so cool!" giddily said by Akari, and Himari laughed triumphantly, "HAHAHA! They were nothing but total pushovers!"

And Yue buried her face in her mother's bosom, and with a confident grin she rubbed her daughter's head to comfort her, "Mom, thanks for saving us..." "Well, you girls heading home?" Akari nodded in reply, "Now? Yeah. Actually, Yue and I wanted to do something else, but those cocksuckers totally killed our mood so, yeah." And Himari laughed, "Ha! Well, that's unfortunate. Then do you two wanna go home?"

Yue nodded, "Yeah, home sounds great right about now." And Akari nodded in agreement, "Yeah, no kidding." And Himari gave a reassuring grin, "Alright, come on you two, let's go home."

"Krueger, status report. How is the mistress? Did you intervene?" And he answered, "Negative, Lionel. Crisis averted, Wildfire – the Mistress and her friend is saved by her own mother." (Hmph, I suppose there was no need for me to intervene. How fortunate. Very, very fortunate that her mother came in to save the two of them. But at the same time... what was she doing in Shinjuku? I thought the gym she worked at was at Nakano?)

Evening on that same day when the hunt for Kujo is complete...

"So... He's dead?" a voice said through the cellphone, and on the other side another one grunted in a confirming tone beside him, "The deed is done. This mission of mine has provided invaluable information, Shiroyama-san." Then Shiroyama-san examined something that was sent to him via his men, "My men gave this to me earlier. They said it came from you, Krueger."

And hovered it above face-level, "A 24-carat gold ring?" and upon closer inspection, he noticed the emblem of the Dojima-Kai, "Ahh, a Shateigashira..." he muttered as he fisted the ring in his hand, "A job well done, Reaper-san. I expect no less from the Knights Org's Ace of Aces. That's one less headache to worry about." He said in fluent English with a hint of his native accent, and the figure grunted in affirming tone.

Then a television inside of the office of Shiroyama-san was tuned to the local news, "A roadside accident near the highway bound to Shibuya happened earlier this afternoon, involving four passengers. None of the passengers survived." And continued, "As authorities are continuing to investigate, it is said that due to the extensive damage of the vehicle, they ruled out a fire has spread within the vehicle and burnt the interior to a crisp. Tragically, the passengers as well, rendering unable to I.D them. The investigation is still going on."

Shiroyama-san grunted in disappointment, "Still, if you ask me whom I think that I suspect of getting my daughter out of the way..." "...I have zero. There's not a single person within my circle that comes to mind, Reaper-san. Forgive me." "But, make no mistake, I still intend on enacting your plan. I will let you know if I find something."

The Reaper nodded, "Understood..." and Shiroyama-san also added, "Ah, I nearly forgot, have you been informed yet?" The Reaper shook his head, "I'm afraid not, Shiroyama-san."

"Then..." Shiroyama-san filled him in on what's happening between him and his daughter, "I'm sure you're aware of it and Lionel gave you a head's up while you were playing tutor but we've decided on a date which we will finally meet." And the Reaper nodded, "I see... I'm assuming you have me do something?" And Shiroyama-san chuckled at his response, "Yes, yes I do. In short, I want you to bring my daughter to me at a designated location that will be provided to you by Lionel, this Friday, can I count on you?"

The Reaper nodded, "Understood... sir."

Then the trio who just returned from Shinjuku was walking together in their neighborhood beneath a starless sky, as dark grey clouds hovered above the sky, and the vigilant but shy Moon used them as cover to mask her beauty and majesty.

As the trio were inching closer to their homes they stopped at a crossroads. Akari parted ways with the two, waving them goodbye, "Well, my house is this way. Again, thanks for saving us Takahashi-san." She bowed solemnly, and Himari did a no-problem-gesture, "Careful on your way home, Akari-chin." Said Yue, to which the young Gyaru nodded, "Yeah, I will." "I'll see you tomorrow, Akari-chin!" And went off, now as she was walking home alone, a large figure shadowed over her and covered her mouth, and head, "Mmrph!" "Shhh..."

Current information bestowed for the public, provided by the Knights of Nights.

Subject: Reproduction of Non-Humans and Hybrids. (2/3)

"With those questions out of the way, the answer is not whether or not Humans can reproduce with other species but rather the conflicting interests and implications both societal and religious in the outside world. Racial and speciesism have caused interspecies couples often be cast out of society in the days of yore due to taboo and become the target of disdain, our worst fears have come true with their reintroduction and mounting tensions have never been higher. Some religious groups, Christians, or more specifically, conservative Protestants have been publicly opposed to interspecies marriage and reproduction with the quote, "Unholy abominations to God's holy earth and sinned to animals and deserve to burn in hell." A televangelist said on live television. It is our duty as the Knights to mediate and calm the rising tensions between Man and Monster to ensure peace and harmony between all species and act as a safe haven for those who found love with other species."