Blood and Business

[mermalaide]

Mizuchi Hiroto. Her eyes narrowed a little in thought. Tsubasa removed her bladed fan from his throat. It left a nick, but it was nothing. "Better thank your lucky stars Daisuke, fuckin' clown shoe." She still thought he was a steaming dump with legs, and now a sniveling one. But if Katsu wanted to be nice, she would follow suit. She wasn't a complete murder hobo. But there were some buttons he had definitely pushed. But did the name he said ring a bell?

"Collection time." She took their phones. All of them, from Daisuke's to his henchmen. "Can't have you calling friends." She would dispose of these. At the very least, if they did get them back it would be well after the even. No warning for Hiroto. "I can get the doors. Gimme a sec to run ahead, 'kay?" She would make it quick. When she was getting the door for them, she went out a street over and dumped the phones in a lost and return kiosk box. She used her cat-like grace to leap up and over a fence, and then double back, all in a few minutes while Katsu was having a bit of an exchange with Shiroko.

Tsubasa looked flushed when she opened the door for them. "Dang Shiroko-chan!" She gave a wink to the girl. "Better call me for shopping sometime, I could show you some great shops." She flirted a little, trying to cover the fact that she had to be so nasty to handle Daisuke. She held the door for them and watched as the men were being dragged out the back. Katsu-kun was courteous about taking the trash out.

"Hey there Satoru~!" She wasn't loud, just cheery as she greeted him. "Great timing!" She crossed past the squirming forms, dropped to the asphalt. "What kinda trunk space do you have in there?" She had leaned over to the window to ask when her phone went off. "Pardon me Satoru-kun."

Heeey I'm hungry! You're such a meenie Tsubasa! I heard you gave that dumb spider something!

Yeah well you have ta be present for me ta give you stuff~



Tell ya what! You like hunting riiiight>? Well how about something fresh? Katsu and I have some nasty guys that could use a lesson.

No!  I don't want some stinky hangure! I want McRonald's and more play money this time! 

Gimme a sec, I will load yer cards ok?

=^_^= Thank you big sis! I love you so much I could eat ya!

Tsubasa shivered at the eat you comment. "Maan~ you guys lucked out. I still think we should drop them somewhere fun. Phones are all dealt with except this one~." She waved Daisuke's phone before tucking it into her pocket. She filled up Kuroka-chan's McRonald's pay and her Club Sega pay. That would be one fat and happy cat. "Originally, because ya like yokai girls so much, I thought I would introduce you to a real cute one. Maybe let her play some hide and seek with you 'cause she loves games. But she is a bit preoccupied." She wanted to roll her eyes. Kuroka's DDR habit was pretty bad. But at least she got pretty lazy afterwards. 

"Maybe a country walk would do ya'll some good, see some stars and all that?" It was up to Katsu. Still she could make them squirm while they waited. Though, they might have learned their lesson. 

[Sengoku]

"Tsubasa, hand me the phone real quick?" Katsumoto asked as he received Daisuke's phone. He squatted in front of Daisuke himself, the hangure thug bleeding from his nose. "Make this easy for yourself, Daisuke. What's the passcode?" Daisuke says nothing, only staring at Katsumoto in contempt before spitting blood onto his cheek.

"Wrong choice," Katsumoto replied as his fist smashed into Daisuke's face again with another crack. More groans of pain. Coughing. Spitting blood onto the ground. "I'm repeating myself one more time. I need your passcode."

"6... 9, 6, 9," he muttered through the blood filling his mouth. Katsumoto couldn't help but laugh.

"You're a funny guy, Daisuke. Real funny guy." The phone's touch screen taps quietly before the clicking noise indicates access to the phone's contents. Now came the time to scry at the juicy details. Contact information. Browser history. GPS history. Photos and videos. And there in the image gallery was the damning evidence. Photos of various yokai girls taken smiling and posing. Then images of them tied up. Gagged. Videos of Daisuke recording the other two thugs committing obscene acts with the girls. Then videos of Daisuke himself performing even worse as one of the other two records. Katsumoto's smile faded into a cold expression again. There were things on this phone he could not - would not - show to Tsubasa. Things no one should be subject to. Daisuke continued to cough up blood as Katsumoto closed the phone and stowed it in his own pocket.

"What now? I gave you what you wanted, didn't I?" Daisuke hissed.

"You really do disappoint me, Daisuke." Katsumoto pulled out his .44 caliber revolver, pulling back the hammer with his thumb. The Saika "Tora no Hōkō"「虎の咆哮, "Tiger's Roar"」Magnum. Daisuke's eyes widened in fear as his two goons began to protest.

"W-w-wait wait wait wait! Please! What'd I do wrong? I did what you asked! I didn't-"

BANG.

Blood, skull fragments, and brain matter splattered all over the concrete ground and splashed onto the other goons, now screaming at the top of their lungs. Onlookers from outside of the alleyway were now peaking in, but Katsumoto's guards deterred them from investigating further - they also knew better than to call the police on yakuza business. Daisuke's body jolted back and collapsed in a puddle of his own gore as smoke still rose from the gun's barrel.

"Fellas, strip 'em down, toss 'em in the trunk. I want 'em alive. I don't need 'em awake." Two of the guards nodded as they walked up to the screaming men, still squirming on the ground. Brass-knuckled punches silenced them as the two went to work, dropping the surviving hangure thugs down to only their underwear and shoving them in the trunk.

"Katsu-aniki. Tsuba-aneki. We'll clean up here," replied Seiji, the guard with the slicked back hair and chin fuzz. With that, they ushered in Katsumoto and Tsubasa into the car. Inside, Katsumoto maintained a grim look, his mind still on what he saw on the phone. As he loaded the revolver's chamber with a bullet to make up for the one used on Daisuke, he could only mutter to Tsubasa quietly.

"Them fellas been doin' this a while now. Some girls I recognize. A lot I don't. Ain't lettin' them keep this up." Katsumoto's tone was still calm and collected, though it covered a subtle intensity behind it. The young Tiger of Kai was preparing to hunt again. And Tsubasa was to be his handler.

[mermalaide]

"We probably aren't the only folks they are doing this too." Tsubasa had not flinched, nor did she turned away when Katsu shot Daiske. Daiske deserved it. Who really knew what happened to those girls? She had a vague suspicion, other than brothels, there was the parts trade. One less Daiske wasn't gonna ruin her day. "Tch! They wanna act like animals, then we can hunt them like animals, 'eh Katch-chan~?" No it didn't bother her none.


She looked over Katsu's shoulder to see the pictures. Something cold flicked on Katsu's hand. It looked like a raindrop. Tsubasa turned away from him suddenly and put away her fan. She reached between her breasts, at a compartment in her bra and pulled it out. It was coiled neatly and shown in the streetlight.  She was expressionless. Ziiiiip. Ziiiip. It was a metal sound. She walked over to Seiji. "Thanks Seiji-kun. I got the next round when you are off duty." She patted him on the shoulder. Tsubasa tried to give him a smile, but it was only a small one. "We appreciate you guy a lot." 

Her heart was pounding and she was angry. She wanted to hunt them down and tear them up with her wires. Her fingers ached. This wasn't her first time killing someone or being in that space, but it was not something her and Katsu did often. Takeda fellas usually solved it with fists or by other means. And Katsu wasn't really a cruel guy, his brother was, but he was not. He could have really tortured Daisuke, and the clown would have deserved it too. But, he only did and said what he needed to. 

"So," She turned to Katsu, her arms were out a little, and she played with her wire. "Wanna go fer a bike ride? I heard there was some guys lookin' fer a fight.." She tapped her toe a little sheepishly. If the men there didn't know better, they would think she was asking for a date. But everyone there knew Tsubasa. The playful way she put things, the way that she always smiled, when she felt like crying. The way she asked was more like that red haired girl from the kids' cartoon about wanting to build a snowman. She felt almost manic with rage. The song that bloomed in her head was funny and, well terrifying.

"Katsu?
Do you wanna start a gang war?
Maybe have a knife fight?
We could set a house on fire to get rid of some guys~?
It doesn't really matter much,
as long as some fuckers gonna die."


She made herself laugh, because if she didn't, Tsubasa would cry, and that would not help anyone. Especially not those girls, the living ones nor, the ones that were already dead. "Let's take yer bike. Mizuchi Hiroto owes some penance." She pulled at the leather gloves on her hands. She zipped up the jacket she wore and took out some tinted yellow glasses. The glasses kept the glare away from her eyes when they were night driving. The black jacket was a reinforced leather, without any distinguishing marks. "Let's get outta here Katsu-chan." Her voice was a bit quiet now. 

[Sengoku]

"Now, now, Tsuba-chan," replied Katusmoto in a calm, quiet voice. "We still got business to finish tonight." Katsumoto angled Daisuke's phone over for Tsubasa to see as his fingers flicked away at the screen, causing apps and lights to dance in response to his touch. Call histories, old message logs, and more were revealed as they scoured the phone. Katsumoto even went as far as to change the phone's password for ease of access. However, what Katsumoto wanted to show was Daisuke's most recent chat log. And how Katsumoto was now setting up a trap for new prey.

HIRO: Yo u got the cat girl yet?

Daisuke: Shes chillin in the car.

HIRO: When did u get a car?

Daisuke: Boyz brought it.

HIRO: Never told me b4. Why not the usual place?

Katsumoto paused for a moment and scowled at himself. Killing Daisuke was another example of Katsumoto letting his temper guide his hand, a mistake he couldn't take back. Not because he regretted taking the life of scum beneath him on the food chain, but because he didn't squeeze more information before feeding him to the crows. But a tiger is more than just brute strength - they are as cunning as they are mighty. A few seconds worth of a pause gave him time to formulate a plan on the go.

Daisuke: Takeda clan sniffed around.

HIRO: WTF IS THE FCKN TAKEDA DOING WITH U

Daisuke: U didnt tell us this was a takeda joint asshole.
Just shut up and listen.

HIRO: Ur on ur own. Fck this shit.

Daisuke: SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LISTEN.
We can still make bank. Meet us at chiyoda street.
They got alleys to hide in. Ill bring the car.

HIRO: No no no no this is alrdy fcked. I aint fcking with the takeda.

Daisuke: Grow some fckn balls. They still lookin. We just gotta be fast.
Meet me in 20 min.

HIRO: Dont be late. Get me? Dont. Be. Fucking. LATE.

With that, the charade ends as their car pulled up in front of a garage with two more suit-wearing men opening the door up, revealing a multitude of vehicles hidden beneath nylon sheets. As the Takeda mafioso stepped out of the car, he offered a hand to help Tsubasa up while shooting a grin at her.

"Alright, Tsuba-chan. You wanna piggy-back off my ride or you wanna take your own bike for a spin?" He walked her over to two shapes beneath the sheets, smaller than the rest inside the garage. Both of his hands gripped at one of the sheets and lifted it with a flourish, wrapping the sheet in a few deft motions of the hands. Here, it was revealed to Tsubasa that his prized bike had been shipped to Tokyo straight from their home city of Kōfu. The Shingen Model III by Takeda Motors. A beast of a motorcycle that was both parts a war machine and a work of art. Bulletproof chassis. An engine that would put most sports cars to shame. Military-grade skeletal structure that would ensure this machine could survive even the toughest scrap and only need a few days in the garage to fix up.

"We brought yours, too," Katsumoto said while he patted on the second shape beneath another sheet. "But it's still your choice whether you wanna go on yours or on mine." He winked at Tsubasa while maintaining the grin. "Just like old times, right?"

[mermalaide]

She let him help her out of the car and all the information from the texts had been swirling in her head. " I will ride with you Katsu-chan. Besides I might have to jump onto someone's back while we are moving, and I just got that bike prettied up from the last time." She did look over the bag that came with the bike though. "I will change my shoes though." She pulled knee high boots from the saddlebag of her ride. She loved that little bike, it was nice for going on jaunts, especially coastal ones for tanning. Thankfully, the skirt she wore had a zipper for more of a side vent to move. She dug through her things a little more and grabbed a few kunai and some caltrops, which were promptly stuffed into pockets.

Tsubasa shivered as she pulled up her boots. Hunting for scumbags never got old, and she was just as much of an adrenaline junkies as Katsumoto was. "It really is, ya know?" She tightened her ponytail. The last thing she did was pull out a pink and gold menpo. Normally, she didn't go toe to toe, but this would help a lot. "It will be nice to get out some frustration. These clowns are getting way to comfortable. "

"Someone should search and dispose of Daiske's car."

Daiske was an after thought though. "We need to catch up with Hiro and quick." She zipped up her jacket and pined on that mask. "I'm with you, let's go, Katsu-chan!" Her eyes had the twinkle of mischief. She cracked her neck. She also checked her watch, and put her phone on silent. That was zipped up in her jacket. Katsumoto could shoot through the streets far better than she could, though, one thing was certain, she would be at his back, like always. The best way to protect someone was that really. What had Mira said when he was writing poetry?

'So, when he fights, you're like the wind at his back then?' She never thought of it that way. 'Yeah, I guess I am. I kinda like that.' They walked up and down the street trying to get Mira some new customers, and he handed our origami flowers and wooed girls with poetry. 'You think you will die doing that?' He looked serious and handed her a black origami rose. 'Even wind dies sometimes. But we remember it on our face or rufflin' our hair jus' the same.' When she said that, he looked so sad. His eyes watered and he scribbled something on a paper before putting it in his pocket. 'I want to remember that.'

She always thought of that when they were doing something dangerous. It came with the territory. Tsubasa laid an arm on his shoulder. "Let's go yeah? If we hurry, we can cut him off. Though, gotta be honest, I'm itchin' fer him to run, so I can tear the top of his car off, like a can o tuna." Her eyes smiled under the half mask and she gave a giggle. Whenever he was ready to climb on and leave, she would mount behind him and hand on for dear life. He could go as fast as he liked. But Tsubasa would warn him if people were coming up on him or if she needed him steady so she could leap onto something. The night air felt good against her legs. 

[Sengoku]

Just as Tsubasa changed outfits, so too did Katsumoto. The young lord of the Takeda traded his stylish suit-and-tie outfit for a sleeker, more aggressive look. The kunoichi would be able to recognize it - this was Katsumoto's uniform from his bōsōzoku days, riding with the local gangs of Kōfu. Though this was a modern style by all means, the helmet was modern recreation of Takeda Shingen's old kabuto. Katsumoto's way of paying homage to his legendary ancestor, the man who gifted him his powers generations down the line.

"Piggy-backin' on my bike, eh, Tsuba-chan?" said Katsumoto with a smirk. "Just like the old days when I gave you joyrides with the boys back home, ain't it?" The key slid into the slot like a glove, locking into place when Katsumoto turned it to ignite the engine. The Shingen roared to life - the tiger was roused from its slumber. Katsumoto's gloved hand patted the engine tank of the scarlet motorcycle and whistled.

"Whoo-baby! Ol' girl still purrs like she came off the factory!" The seat of the Shingen Model III was tight, ideally fit for just the driver. This was an instrument of war, not a toy. Luckily for Tsubasa, the seat was modular, able to slide back the compact storage unit to make for extra room. Katsumoto was comfortably seated towards the front as the driver. Behind him was just enough space for the passenger, a snug fit for the Mochizuki girl. As he awaited her to mount up with him, Katsumoto donned his helmet and replied, "Daisuke's car? Why, that was just a lil' white lie I came up with to bait Hiro. We're the car, Tsuba-chan." Though the white-maned kabuto now obscured his face, the Takeda boy's grin was apparent even behind the menpō. "Let's not keep our guests waitin'. That'd be rude of us."

---

The streets of Tokyo's Shibuya Ward were still bustling with nightlife. People and yōkai alike chattering amongst themselves, planning for controlled debauchery now that the sun's rays were replaced by neon lights. Even with all that noise, they all went silent when they heard the tiger's roar. The Shingen Model III jettisoned itself down the streets, bounding from one road to the next. Drifting on tight corners and tilting almost to the point where Katsumoto's arm scraped against the concrete, the Shingen handled each of Katsumoto's commands as if it were an extension of the Takeda lord himself. This was the pride of Takeda Motors and Katsumoto could feel it.

It had been years since Katsumoto and Tsubasa shared a ride like this. Growing up meant new responsibilities, even for a delinquent like Katsumoto. Less time to fool around. To tear through the streets like this reminded him of their last joyride together before this, when Katsumoto was in his final year of high school. Back on his old bike with his old gang. The old boys. Some grew up with him and entered into proper service to the Takeda Clan, undertaking the clan's yakuza side of the business like Seiji and Akito from earlier in the club. Others went their own path in life. Some have even met early deaths, having embraced the "live fast, die young" mentality. Yet those days have long passed. It was time to move onto greater things and leave the streets to the younger riders.

Katsumoto's smartphone rested in the slot dedicated to it on the bike's dashboard. As he raced down the streets, Katsumoto commanded it, "Tomo-chan, rise and shine!"

"Good evening, Katsumoto-kun!" replied the cheery voice of a girl on the other end. At first, it would be easy to mistake this for an actual person. The voice, the inflection, the emotion behind the response. Yet Tsubasa would know: Tomo-chan was the name of Katsumoto's beloved pony from when he was a child. The same one poisoned to death by his brother. This "Tomo-chan" was simply the phone's AI, all part of the latest and greatest model in this time and age of electronics. "What would you like me to do for you tonight?"

"Be a darlin' and check which gangs 'round Tokyo roll with the Takeda, would ya?"

"It would be my pleasure, Katsumoto-kun! Please wait. Searching. The Crimson Cavalry should be operating in this area and are under the Takeda payroll!"

"Beautiful. Call their boss for me please, Tomo-chan."

"You've been connected! Enjoy your call, Katsumoto-kun!"

Several more seconds passed as the dial tone rang. On the other end answered the voice of a scrappy young man.

"Boss Katsu! You're in Tokyo?"

"Akira, my man. You doin' well with your boys and girls?"

"Same old, same old. Bikes lookin' stellar. Business is flowin'. You, boss?"

"Here with Tsubasa-san doing business for the Takeda. Need a favor, Akira."

"Shoot."

"Chiyoda Street. Keep an eye out for anyone that's waiting around. Name's Hiro. Likely got some muscle with him."

"Want us to rough 'em up for ya, boss?"

"No. Stall 'em. Buy us time. You'll know when we arrive."

"Gotcha'. We're rollin'. Say hi to Tsubasa-san for me, eh?"

The call ends with a click. As they continued to barrel their way down one street to the next, Katsumoto chuckles, "My, my, Tsuba-chan. You're a real hit with the boys, ain'tcha? Got every guy from Kōfu to Tokyo turnin' heads!" The Shingen's roar echoed throughout the alleys of Shibuya. The tiger was closing in on his prey.

[mermalaide]

"I missed this Katsu-chan. I missed it a bunch!" She squealed a little. Her blonde curls bounced a bit when she did. When they would ride together and get into fights, it felt unreal because she could not help but feel her blood rush to her ears, feel her heart beat a little faster. The adrenaline rush was so powerful. "Haven't seen you wear that in a while." She was almost a little teary eyed. Thank god for water proof Lancome. Getting on the bike with him and hearing the way the engine roar and feeling it was powerful. It made you feel almost invincibility.

"We need to go riding more together. I know I have my own bike now, but it's different, ya know?"

Tsubasa's bangs ruffled with the push of wind. The bike had kick when they pushed off. And she did hold on, because heaven knew, when Katsu got going, if you didn't, it would be a fast freefall. It was sheer force that propelled them through the night.
________________________________

She made a mental note of as many of the people as she could when they sailed pass. It was a habit to take in as much as she could while they moved. Tsubasa would remember each and every detail she could. When she would go quiet, that was usually what happened. Katsu calling to Tomo-chan snapped her out of it a little. "Oh wow.." She remembered Tomo. She had almost poisoned Katsu's brother over it. The whole thing caused a nasty stalemate in the house until he left. He knew we'd murder him over Tomo. It was just a matter of when, the fucking sicko. He wasn't exactly mean to her, per se, but it had nearly broke Katsu. He had been so soft before all that. If she had disliked him before for being a bit of a baby, well, that hadn't mattered. She remembered sitting there crouching in the dirt with him as he howled over Tomo, and she hadn't blamed him or said anything, she just put a hand on his back and let him. When he did finally stop, he never cried like that again. If anything, that was a tipping point that made him steel. "I don't think ya told me Tomo was in there. It's kinda neat."

She listened to him call everyone together. It had been a while since the big gang had rolled through a place. It had been high school, hadn't it? That wasn't too long ago, even if it felt like it. "Akira-kun!" She had to  yell a little in the back ground. Everyone knew her in one way or another.  Katsu teased her a little. "Gotta be if ya want all the info Katsu-chan~. People tell me all kinds of things, an' I am tha lil bird that tells you~." She chuckles to herself about that. Parties were really networking. And people said you couldn't have fun working. If you didn't have fun with your job, even a little, what was there to life?

"Who knows, maybe we will have to hit them up this week after all this stuff. Be nice to join the nightlife out here a little."

The sound was pleasing to be on the other end of. She felt herself go on a bit of an alert, though, most people would never know it. "You know, you are always welcome to come with me when I work a room. Gotta communicate with our friends a lot you know, don't want 'em ta think we forgot em." Her ponytail caught the wind and it was hard to see the smile she had behind that mask, but if you looked at her eyes, it would be there. It was also in the playful way she spoke. 

[Sengoku]

"Finally met the new Tomo-chan, eh?" said Katsumoto with a smirk hidden behind his helmet. "Been on my phone for two years now. Forgot to introduce ya to the old girl." Before he could continue, Tomo's voice called out again with the same cheery voice from before.

"Katsumoto-kun! You are two minutes away from your destination."

"Thank you, Tomo-chan." His head turned slightly to the side to indicate he had one more thing to say to the kunoichi. "You're right Tsuba-chan. Really should say 'hi' to the old boys and gals from time to time. Ready to throw a party with them?"

With that, the motorcycle continued to roar its way down the streets.

---

"ORRRRRAAAA!!!" A bōsōzoku dressed in a red biker jumpsuit kicked at the rear passenger door of a black SUV in the middle of the road. Motorcycles surrounded the boxy vehicle, engines still rumbling. From the rolled-down window, a young man in a tacky suit looked at the biker thug with an irritated expression, sweat running down his forehead.

"Look, I ain't looking for trouble, understand?" explained the nervous man. "I'm waiting for some friends. I ain't bothering you or your-"

"Like fuck you ain't botherin' anyone!" The thug leans in on the window, still carrying a baseball bat over his shoulder. "This is our street, son. And you didn't pay no toll for entry."

"Toll?! How the fuck were we supposed to know there was a toll?!" 

"Y'know now. So either you pay up and hand over the cash. Or we can take it and consider it paid."

"Fuck... I told that asshole we should've bailed..."

"What was that? Speak up, bruv!" The bōsōzoku tapped the car door with his baseball bat. "Hurry it up in there? You gonna pay or are we gonna make you pay? Ain't got all night, man!"

"Okay... what's the damage?"

"Just, uh... 500K yen an' we call it a night, huh?"

"I AIN'T PAYIN' YOU 500-FUCKIN'-THOUSAND!"

"Whats'a matter? That's 250K for entry. Then 250K to exit. What, you can pay for this sweet-ass ride and them fancy clothes but ya can't pay a toll fee? Shit, you could hand me over the car and clothes if ya don't wanna use cash." The negotiations were interrupted by the sounds of a motorcycle howling from around the corner. The scarlet beast on two wheels rumbled its way onto Chiyoda Street with Katsumoto at the helm and Tsubasa in tow. The Takeda lord allowed the kunoichi to dismount first before he stepped off himself. However, the motorcycle was left on, its engines still growling while idle.

"Akira, my man," he greeted the bōsōzoku with his helmet still on. "How's business tonight?" The bōsōzoku thug grinned at Katsumoto and Tsubasa.

"Big boss! You brought Miss Mochizuki with you! We got a customer that's tryin' to skimp out on the toll 'ere." He leaned in and whispered just loud enough for the two of them to hear. "Checked his ID for you. Guy's name is Azawa Hiroshi. Should be the guy you wanted us to stall."

"You don't disappoint, Akira my man." Katsumoto patted the bōsōzoku on the shoulder. "Tsubasa, let's see what complaints our customers have, shall we?"

[mermalaide]

"That's pretty cute, Katsu-chan." She got a little misty eyed thinking about it. Tomo would always live on in Katsumoto's heart, and his brother couldn't steal that from him. She hugged him as they rode. Katsu was family, and even if Tomo had to go, she would try to be there, as long as she could. It was a weird realization, knowing he would probably outlive her one day. It made her a little sad.

'Hey! Do you wanna share?' The little blonde girl with the curling twin tails held out her hands, which were filled with little wrapped candies. 'They're always better if ya share 'em with a friend. Wanna be my friend?' The little boy was still pouting a bit. 'Auntie told me from now on we were ta stick together.' She had a big smile.



She heard them as the bike pulled up. It was a ruckus alright and she couldn't help but grin. Aki came through! The flair of the jumpsuits stuck out. They looked pretty cool and Tsubasa wished she had one of those jackets. The car that they had stopped matched the description alright. She had to control the hot feeling of rage that was under her soft veneer. They needed to trace who paid this scumbag though. That or the person would just disappear and they would find a new fuck boi to pass this task onto. Meaning that the girls definitely would not be safe. 


Sometimes when she went out with Katsu , Tsubasa felt like a celebrity. "Hey guys~!" She greeted them as always with a smile, though, you couldn't see that under the mask. Part of her envied the guys because of their mono e mono style weaponry. Maybe sometime soon she would have to invite a bunch of them out to the batting cages. She made a mental note on that for later and followed Katsumoto with a dismount.

"Ah~! Hiroshi-san." She grinned very wildly under that mask now when she looked at Katsumoto. "I believe we have much ta talk about." She patter Akira's arm. "If I remember correctly, I owed the next round. We can grab a few soon, maybe hit the batting cages, on me 'kay?" Her eyes smiled beneath the mask. The bōsōzoku jumpsuits in red looked so sharp. They stood out crisp in the night. The neon color from the bottom half of her mask glowed softly, a glaring pink against her blonde ponytail.

She nodded when Katsu mentioned going over to greet their customer. "Let's!" She felt hyper, almost maliciously so, Tsubasa wanted to drag this dude out of his car and break his arms and legs. Tsubasa hooked her arm in Katsu and started to walk him over. "Let's hear his complaint and return the favor~" Her boot heels clacked on the slick, wet, pavement and she studied the car they were approaching. Mostly she was looking for anything attached to it, like a tracker or an explosive. Tsubasa was always looking for the hidden dangers to Katsu.

In her free hand, she held her fan, Part as a weapon to slice and the other to guard him as the walked. The way she used this fan made her look the part of the bored arm candy, but she was anything but. As the came up, she gently let go of his arm and stood by his side. The was she stood could immediately become a defensive position very quickly. It would be good not to underestimate this creep. Whoever he was tied to likely was going to be a big problem, call it woman's intuition, but she felt that in her bones. It was a cold feeling on her neck.

The images she had seen on the phone burned into her mind. Such ugliness. Girls who were just trying to make a buck or be friendly, brutalized and disrespected. It made her furious. "So~. You're Hiroshi-san. It's nice to finally meet you." She said in such a friendly, casual way, like someone brushing the lint off of their sweater. "I believe we have much to talk about." Katsu would take lead but she was right there, ready for whatever was thrown their way.

[Sengoku]

"Hiro, my man." Katsumoto walked up with a warm smile to the nervous gangster sitting in the passenger's rear seat, the thug sweating bullets as he met the heir to the Takeda Clan up close. "I met some o' yer buddies causin' a ruckus at our club. Gave 'em a firm talkin'-to an' all that. Couldn't help but recognize a few girls on his phone." The phone was pulled up and put in front of Hiroshi's face to see. A cute yōkai girl with slightly frog-like features was shown unconscious in the trunk of a car, though it was hard to distinguish what sort of car. "Miki. She went missin' around last week. Stopped answerin' calls and messages. She ain't the only one." More digital photos were swiped to the side revealing a full album filled with yōkai girls of all sorts. Katsumoto now shoved the phone back in his pocket as his smile disappeared. "Don't play games with me, Hiro. Jus' talk an' we can both resolve this like civilized gentlemen."

Yet Hiroshi already made his choice. He pulled out a pistol with his finger wrapped around the trigger. At the same time, Katsumoto's eyes went wide as he took a step back and reached for his uchigatana's handle. Hiroshi tried to shove the pistol's barrel as close to Katsumoto's face as he could before he squeezed his finger.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Katsumoto's blade struck the handgun, diverting the first shot over to his shoulder, grazing him and ripping through the jacket. A small trail of blood was left behind Katsumoto's arm as he staggered back another step. As Hiroshi was firing with reckless abandon, the second shot hit the side of a closed store, leaving behind a bullet embedded into the bricks. A third shot hit a street light, causing it to burst and send harmless sparks raining down on everyone as they ducked down from the gunfire. Several of the bōsōzoku outright hit the ground when the gun was discharged.

With everyone scrambling from the sudden attack, Hiroshi's van roared back to life and lurched forward, running over several of the bikes parked in front of it as a makeshift blockade. Curses and other profanities were shouted out as the bōsōzoku members swung their bats into the van's windows and bumpers. One went as far as to throw his crowbar at them, only able to scratch the paintjob as the vehicle barreled off. Several of the bōsōzoku bikers were already revving their bikes, ready to burn rubber.

Others were crowding around Katsumoto and Tsubasa, though the young Takeda lord only laughed while reaching for his helmet on the bike. "Well damn, I guess we're doin' this the fun way! Alright, everyone! We playin' tonight!" The bōsōzoku began to laugh wildly and howl as their bikes took off first, leaving behind a trail for Katsumoto and Tsubasa to follow. Katsumoto mounted back onto the Shingen Model III as Tomo reappeared on his phone's screen.

"Katsumoto-kun!" the AI girl beamed with a smile. "I'll begin routing the fastest way to your target!"

Katsumoto revved his crimson steed as a signal to Tsubasa. "Tsu-chan! Let's get this race on, eh?"

[mermalaide]

"Tsu-chan! Let's get this race on, eh?"

Tsubasa grinned. "Let slip the dogs o war Katsu-chan~!"

She laughed wickedly and got on with him. "Lead the way Tomo-chan!" She held onto him mostly with her legs, her hands were busy, firstly, the top part of the gloves she wore had to come off, fingertips were visible. She needed them to be able to use her silken threads. With those off, she relaxed her legs a little to lean forward on him a little. "If you can get me close enough, I can open his car like a tin can."

You could almost hear the smile under the mask.

Her body felt hot even though they were speeding through the streets, cold wind chapping the skin on her legs, barely felt. The thunderous roar of bikes pounded through the streets, they rattled windows and shook some of the places they blew past. "We need to head him off so he doesn't cut into civvies!" The idea that regular folks got caught in the crossfire was not something any of them wanted, also the more noise, the more likely police or Shinsengumi would show up.

The lights streaked around them, and she was reminded of possibly the only anime movie that she had ever seen. 

She remembered seeing it with Katsu, and Katsu admiring the red bike that had to run at a minimum top speed or else the engine would stall out and die. She remembered the creepy but well meaning albino kids and gang members too. She wondered if he had been inspired by Kaneda's bike. Every time she could hear a roar like that it always made her think of sharing jelly candies and peeking at the movie way past their bedtime.

She bent her knees and felt cat-like grace burn through her body. With this, she would be able to stand and leap onto the car she needed to when he got close. She let some of the silk web a little to her fingers to make herself a little sticky when she launched herself. She stood with the poise of a ballerina and launched herself when he got close enough. She hit the top of the car with  a light thunk. Her body had to handle the roof with care, it was likely that she would have to dodge bullets.

[Sengoku]

The moment Katsumoto revved his bike's engine, he was joined by a chorus of bikes roaring behind him. At the front of the pack was Katsumoto, soaring through the streets on his bike like a scarlet arrow while the rest of the Crimson Cavalry followed suit, some of them performing wheelies from the sheer speed at which they were accelerating. When Tsubasa leapt from the rear seat onto the top of Hiroshi's car, Katsumoto drew his uchigatana, the blade crying out with a sharp shing as it was released from its scabbard. Right behind him, the bōsozoku of the Crimson Cavalry mirrored the young Takeda lord, some drawing forth their own katanas while others drew forth handheld firearms.

A bead of sweat slid down the forehead of Hiroshi's driver as he eyed the rearview mirror. He could see the headlights of no less than seven motorcycles rumbling behind him. There was all manner of weaponry in their hands: spiked kanabō, handguns, and the gleam of steel blades. Gunshots rang out from behind, smashing through the rear windshield and sending shards of glass into the rear seats. Despite the gunfire, Hiroshi remained defiant, aiming his pistol upwards in response to the thump he heard on the roof of the car. BANG! BANG! BANG! His shots were wild, aiming all over the roof in hopes that his blind fire would hit at least once. The goon on the other side of the rear seats pulled out a submachine gun and pulled down the window as the goon in the middle held him by the belt. With half of his body out the window, he aimed down the sights and held down the trigger.

BRRRRT! A spray of bullets tore up the concrete and sent sparks flying when it impacted the metal frame of some of the bikes. Bullets whizzed past the goon, but he maintained his aim. One of the Crimson Cavalry bikers shuddered violently as bullets through his jacket. The bike swerved wildly before toppling over, metal screaming as it slid across the road. The bōsozoku rider was thrown from his ride and crumpled into a blood-stained mess on the road, unmoving. Some of the other bikers cried out for his name, their voices drowned out further by the roaring of motorcycles.

"Fuck," Katsumoto growled to himself. No time to stop and mourn for the loss of one his own, nor is he able to reverse time and prevent the biker's death. All Katsumoto can do is pay blood for blood. These hangure were career criminals if they were packing this much heat. The gunner was good but not good enough. Not when he's in the jaws of the tiger.

Rank B Ability: Hi ga Gotoku「火が如く, "Like the Fire"」

Time slowed down in Katsumoto's eyes. Everything was moving at a snail's pace, slower than that, even. Except for him and his bike. Katsumoto lurched forward while fire ignited on his uchigatana's blade. Amber eyes from behind the helmet stared dead into the eyes of the SMG-wielding hangure. Then came the flame-kissed sword, cutting through the still-image thug like a knife through butter. Katsumoto pulled up and stopped next to the driver's window, the entire world still as stone. Then everything caught back up to him. From everyone else's point of view, Katsumoto suddenly disappeared in a flash of red, now reappearing right next to the driver's door. The hangure holding the SMG was suddenly cut clean through, the upper half of his torso tumbling onto the road, his face contorted in shock. Man didn't even realize he was dead as he hit the ground. The driver now saw Katsumoto next to him, his jaw agape as he stared back at a red samurai with a bloodstained uchigatana in hand, embers still dancing around the blade.

[mermalaide]

Her eyes were wide under her mask. Having to constantly move to keep from getting shot was going to be a trick. She tried not to get distracted as bullets and concrete flew. Her back having to arch and having to use those sticky hands to do a handstand on top of the car as shots rang out. Her leg muscles were tight and she watched from upside down as Katsu, no a blood red blur approached.  Tsubasa felt the rush of blood to her head, and felt adrenaline. Her body felt almost an addict's shake from that adrenaline.

She grinned under that mask, and when Katsumoto pulled up and sliced the driver in half, she felt the need to capitalize  on their acute shock. Still in that handstand mode, she turned to the side, and positioned herself to the right backseat window, right behind the driver. "Hey you!" She sung her legs with all the force she could, kicking through the window, and landing on Hiroshi in the back seat. Her wire was around his throat, like a spider's noose. 

"My boss would like a word with you."

She held him to the point were her legs and arms were wrapped around him, in the manner a spider has a meal. If he moved, he would instantly die. Her legs had cuts from the glass, but they were superficial, and nothing a good healer would flinch at. Her mask and jacket protected a lot. The scene was straight from a gangland style horror flick. Her heart was pounding like a Taiko in her ears, and her eyes had a wide eyed expression. Yet, that voice seemed to purr.

The car seemed to decelerate a bit. It was slowing and when the torso of the man driving slid off to one side, Tsubasa squeezed him just a little bit, seeming to purr in Hiroshi's ear. "Well, well, now that is unfortunate. Probably a lot luckier than you though, hmm~?"

[Sengoku]

One of the men next to Hiroshi aimed his pistol at Tsubasa, ready to pull the trigger. But committing to that action would be a death sentence for the man. Instead, Hiroshi shouted at him, "Put the gun down. PUT THE FUCKING GUN DOWN!" With each word he uttered, he could feel the kunoichi's razor wire press harder against his throat. The car slowed to a crawl and lurched a bit when it slid off the concrete road and fumbled onto grass into a tree. Minor denting at the front, given that the driver was now dead and his foot slid off the pedal. The bikers from outside pulled over, engines still rumbling. The door to Tsubasa's right opened up as Katsumoto greeted the passengers behind his helmet.

"Tsubasa!" he beamed, "Now that was a good-ass show you put on! Let's give these gents some fresh air, shall we?" Including Hiroshi, there were still three hangure alive in the car, Hiroshi with one other in the back seats while the passenger seat up front still had a survivor, though blood ran down his forehead from the collision. They were all wrenched out of the car and thrown to the ground like sacks of rice, forced onto their knees with hands behind their heads. The hangure in the rear left seat was reduced to just the lower half of his body like the driver, smoke still rising from the stump of a body from Katsumoto's handiwork.

"I'll kill 'em!" screamed a bōsozoku girl being held back by Akira and a few other of members of the Crimson Cavalry. "Fuckers killed my brother back there! I'll tear their throats out!" Akira struggled to hold the girl back, wrathful tears running down her face. While that was happening, Katsumoto interrogated the hangure with the hardest expression on his face. The only one showing no fear.

"Let's talk things out like civilized folks, yeah? I jus' want info, that's all," said Katsumoto, looking down at the thug kneeling before him.

"Fuck you, I ain't a snitch," he snapped back, his voice steady. "Go on. Cut me. Shoot me. Do what you want. I ain't talking. Man's got principles." Katsumoto nodded as he paced back and forth before man, his uchigatana still in hand.

"I believe ya," the Takeda heir replied. "And I 'preciate yer honesty." A glimmer of the blade and a single swing. The hangure's head and forearms severed in one cut, blood splurting out of the neck and arm stumps like geysers. Hiroshi and the surviving hangure yelped in horror as they were stained in deep red, with Hiroshi vomiting onto the grass. The Crimson Cavalry gang, including the girl screaming for vengeance earlier, fell silent. They may be a well-supplied gang under the Takeda payroll, but this was the first time most of them got to experience the real deal. This was the brutality of their bosses, a samurai and a ninja who embraced the world of crime families.

"Tsu-chan!" Katsumoto called out to his shadowy aide as he wiped down the sword with a cloth pulled from his jacket. "I think our friends have their lips loosened up now! Yer turn to have some fun." He winked at the kunoichi as he stepped back. This sudden execution was the Takeda way of handling business. It was time to see how the Mochizuki conduct their work.

[mermalaide]

"Well, I couldn't resist with everyone watching." She felt a little bashful there. Hiroshi was pretty lucky there. Two reasons, one, that his man listened to him, because she would have given him an express ticket to Enma right then and there. Two, well that was the grace of Katsumoto for you. His timing was too good to be real at times. Maybe a kami gifted him that. She didn't say too much just then, but she smiled under that mask, you could see it in the way her eyes creased. "Ah, Katsu-chan, things were just getting good too~." She knew Hiroshi was on very barrowed time, and she disengaged from him gracefully, as she pulled herself out of the car. The smell of blood filled her nose when she stopped hyper fixating on Hiroshi.

The car looked downright gruesome.

She wanted to lean against the car and give her body a relaxed mode for now, but knew it wasn't a good idea. She kept herself ready to neutralize a target, should she need to. She would have to place herself in the best spot. One that was triangulated somewhere between Katsu, Akira-kun, and Hiroshi. The man that wiped out was the brother of the bōsozoku girl being held back by Akira, and she thought she remembered going out with him a few times to Karaoke. She felt a coldness come over her. She wanted to reach out to the girl, and likely would when she could, but she chose to look Akira in the eye. It was a look that told him just wait. 

They would have a penny for every pound of flesh, but first, what they came for. The information was precious, even more so, because people had died for it. Correction, people were also dying for it. "Sumurie-chan." She said the girl's name quietly, in a tone that was more serious than most people had the pleasure of hearing. "There are worse things then death, and for what they did, I will show it to them. I won't let them off the hook." There was a cold finality to that. One that was past the bleached hair and coconut oil, past the mini skirts and hostess couture.

She raised an eyebrow hearing the resistance from hangure Katsumoto executed. "Express elevator going down."

When he called to her, she turned, and closed the gap of Katsu and Hiroshi. "He's kind of lucky ya know~, you an' me, well, we are taking the stairs down." The look in her eyes. "Might draw it out to an agonizing rate too, lot slower than those nice girls ya fucked." You could hear her smile wide behind the mask. She took off her gloves. Rank C Ability: 'Silken Steel'
Tsubasa spun threads in her fingers the way a spider would and ended up with a small, sharp tool. Something a kin to a sharp pair of pliers with a cutting end. She grabbed his hand quickly, still using the cat like grace that had not yet worn off, and tore a fingernail off of his hand. 

"I've got all day fucko. So~ we can do this the hard way, and I won't say no, because the customer is king. Or, we can do this in a nicer way, where I don't tear the door off more lil' piggies."