" A Ramen Restaurant! Your secret passage is located in a Ramen Restaurant!" Kath exclaimed.
" It's not me who decides," Akutagawa stated plainly as he kicked the door open. " Plus, your reaction proves it's quite the perfect place. Unexpected, as it should be."
He ran in, went behind the bar, and grabbed a knife in his wake before rearing it, almost cutting Atsushi's throat, then jabbing it inside a slit on some metal door frame. The double door pulled open.
" You did that on purpose." A snort was the only answer she got.
A clutter sounded behind them. Kyouka jumped over the bar, knocking utensils and plates in her wake before joining them in the small cubicle. The doors slammed closed before Demon Snow could reach them.
✦ -─────────- ✦
It was utterly dark before a faint whirring could be heard, and then the light came to life as though breathing out, casting a yellow tint on all of them. Metallic claws clasped together, fastening the door in place before the small cubicle jerked downward. Kath took in the elevator. " Um, Ryuu, where does this thing go?"
" All the way down," Akutagawa answered, not bothering to even meet her eyes. " This emergency passage was made in case of a gifted attack. The fog won't reach us here. Same applies for rogue abilities."
" What's that fog?" Atsushi asked for all of them.
" It's the dragon breath."
" Dragon?" Both Kath and Atsushi questioned, but no answer came, for Akutagawa shifted his attention to Kyouka who made a point of not looking in his direction, as if ignoring his existence.
" Kyouka, with neither of us having our abilities, you could kill me with your assassin skills." Kath thought it was the first time that Akutagawa was ever ignored that way. " What's wrong? Didn't you have a score to settle with me?"
Now that you mention it... Kath's eyes trailed over to Kyouka, whose demeanor was unfazed. If she ever bore any grudge or hostility, the girl hid it well.
Kath looked around again in time to find Akutagawa and Atsushi at each other's throats. " Want to end this while we don't have our abilities?" That rang a bell.
" You know how to get our abilities back?"
" I know of a way."
" What?!"
" Spill it out Ryuu!"
" Defeat the ability, and it'll return to its owner. Are you that uninformed?" He mocked.
Kath placed a hand on her chin, flipping the pages of the report given to her earlier that day. Nothing about a way of retrieving one's ability was ever mentioned. " Ryuu, where did you get that information from?"
Akutagawa looked back at her. " Our request came from the Special Operation Division, and I find it hard that they forgot to include that part, which means..."
" Those fools would not know," Akutagawa gave a snort. " No one but those who came close to the fog and survived would know of that fact."
" True. Those people would never dream of setting foot in it." Kath agreed.
" What's your plan?" By the look of it, Atsushi could never bring himself to trust in the other man. Well, considering their agenda, it was understandable.
The answer was simple, not even Kath needed to hear it. Shibusawa Tatsuhiko was the target here. Both for them and Akutagawa. After all, the Port Mafia wouldn't have let him walk around freely.
As an argument broke out between the two men again about whether to kill Shibusawa or not, Kath stepped in to stop them from strangling each other, though she had to admit Atsushi's thinking was naive. Some things ought to be done.
" If it had happened before Dazai-san joined the enemy, we may have stopped the fog before we had to kill."
Kath looked back at the older man. Joined?
" Dazai-san joined the enemy?" As expected, Atsushi would never believe that.
He has so much faith in the said man. But a memory suddenly flashed before her own eyes.
" I still care about this town as much as any of you does."
Kath frowned as the words of the man replayed. That was perhaps the first time she ever felt he was being sincere.
Atsushi held his gun to Akutagawa's head when he said he was going to kill Dazai. Akutagawa's eyes flared with a cold rage at that reaction. Kath quickly stepped between them.
" Hold up, Atsuhsi-kun. Listen, Ryuu, how do you know that? From what I know, Dazai is rather... eccentric. Why are you sure he sided with the enemy?"
" Because he ambushed me just as I was about to take Shibusawa's head." Akutagawa remained calm as he spoke. " Struck me from behind and knocked me out. And when I came to, it was already too late. Shibusawa was gone and the city was bathed in the fog."
Well, that's a point to consider.
The elevator halted, the claws unclipped and the door opened to a large tunnel, damp and dark with only a few lamps hanging off the wall at even paces. Akutagawa didn't dawdle, he stepped off, his footsteps echoing in the dark path. He seemed like some black phantom gliding through the underground.
Kath considered him for a moment before going after him. If anyone had any chance of reaching their target in that fog, it was him. As the doors of the elevator behind them closer, Kath looked over her shoulder only to find Atsushi, who a moment ago was so set on not coming along, and Kyouka walking behind them.
✦ -─────────- ✦
The path was a rather complicated one. There were gates to get through with some secret code combination, trap doors, flights of stairs, and narrow overpasses. For the most time, they walked in silence, following Akutagawa.
"... Why are you following him?"
" He has information. We can use the Mafia's secret passage. More than anything, if he takes his ability back, he would be a powerful asset. Our goal of eliminating Shibusawa is the same."
" But..."
Kath looked back at them with a sweat drop. " You guys know he can hear you?" She jabbed a finger towards Akutagawa who didn't even bother sparing them a glance.
" We're not exactly trying to keep quiet here," Kyouka stated coldly.
" Geesh, she is something. I've always wondered, is this your influence? Or was she like that from the very start, Ryuu?"
" She is certainly a tad more talkative than I remember." His gaze swiveled to her. " Kyouka, I see you kept your mother's phone."
The girl kept her calm face on, ignoring him. " Her mother...?" Atsushi asked while Kath eyed her carefully. She knew that phone meant a great deal to Kyouka. And now, its value was made clear. It was a memento.
" You haven't even been told about that?" The other man seemed in a trance.
" And you were?" Kath questioned back.
" I was her superior."
" Yeah, a superior who almost blew her to pieces." Atsushi regained his composure.
" Why should you be the one angry about that, Jinko?" Akutagawa's tone was that of irritation.
" You... you don't even feel the slightest remorse about what you've done!"
" Kyouka would have cut my throat by now if it bothered her that much, am I wrong?"
He had a point. He even gave her a chance.
" Don't talk like if you know anything about her?" Atsushi glared at him. It was perhaps the first time that Kath saw the usually shy boy give away such animosity.
Akutagawa stopped in his tracks. " Is that a challenge? Then do tell me what you know about Kyouka."
Atsushi held his ground. " I know all about her. Her every habit, her likes and dislikes. I bet you never bothered yourself of any of them."
" Indulge me then? What does she like and dislike?"
" Is this really the time?!" Kath growled under her breath, hoping to pull them back to the main concern at hand.
" Do not interfere, Kate!" Well, she certainly couldn't defy him when he called her by that name.
" I'm waiting." His focus was on Atsushi again.
" Well...she likes Tofu and Rabbits. And she hates thunder and dogs." Atsushi folded his arms, not getting why he should be indulging Akutagawa in that.
The other man gave a disdainful snort. " Is that all? Then let me ask, do you ever know where she learned her assassination skills? That she had been trained by the world's most shrewd assassin who is currently a Mafia Executive? Do you even know what she is planning on doing once she steps out of this passage? That she is going to take Shibusawa's life? No?"
" That's enough!" This time it was Kyouka who interfered, his blade drawn ever so slightly in a threatening way.
Atsushi fell silent. " Figured that much." Akutagawa turned around and marched a few steps before looking back at Atsushi. " One more thing. Her likes and dislikes are lacking. She likes ghosts and hydrangeas, and dislikes gnats." And he continued walking. " I won't lose to the likes of you."
Atsushi's eyes fell on Kyouka. " Kyouka-chan... you..."
" If it's the only way to bring peace back to Yokohama and save everyone we left behind, then I'll have to do it." Kyouka drew a breath as she replaced her blade back in its sheath. " Please understand." And she followed Akutagawa. " What's the shortest route?"
" Zero five zero five."
Atsushi stared after them both as they walked side by side.
" Well, who would know...." Kath blinked at what just unfolded before her. " They actually get along well..."
" They definitely do..." And they both caught up...