Yoruichi listened attentively as Suì-Fēng reported the disturbance at the Ankoku household. She leaned back in her office seat, her expression thoughtful. It was clear that the situation had escalated quickly, and the guards had reacted swiftly. The activation of a specific kidō barrier meant that someone had managed to infiltrate the mansion, and it was a testament to the Ankoku family's formidable security measures.
"I see," Yoruichi said, considering the information. "The breach and the small exit hole indicate that whoever infiltrated the mansion was likely apprehended. The Ankoku family wouldn't take such a security breach lightly the intruder is most likely dead. We need to find out who was behind this and what their motives were."
Suì-Fēng nodded in agreement. "I've already ordered the Onmitsukidō to investigate further and try to gather more information discreetly. We can't afford to have any loose ends, especially when it involves such a secretive family backed by the powerful Tsunayashiro Clan."
Yoruichi folded her arms, her gaze fixed on a point in the distance as she thought. "Indeed. The Ankoku family's influence while not so far-reaching, however their secrets are well-guarded. We need to tread carefully and investigate this thoroughly. Send two of our best infiltrators to disguise as help for the household. I’m sure after such a blunder they’ll be purged. Keep me informed of any updates, Suì-Fēng. And be cautious; we don't know who or what we're dealing with."
As Suì-Fēng departed to execute the orders, Yoruichi couldn't shake the feeling of unease. There was more to this incident than met the eye, and she was determined to uncover the truth. The combined might of the Ankoku family and the Tsunayashiro Clan made it a formidable force, and their secrets were well-guarded.
With a sigh, Yoruichi began to strategize her next steps, knowing that she would need to rely on the skills and discretion of her most trusted operatives. "But I wonder who could manage to sneak in so easily," she mused aloud. "Even for my men, it would be difficult without spies and years of preparation."
Meanwhile, Miel had successfully eluded the Ankoku mansion's security forces, but it had come at a cost. Her escape had been a harrowing ordeal, with the guards nearly capturing her on several occasions. It was only through her quick thinking and cunning maneuvers that she had managed to slip away and reach the safety of the hollow-filled forest.
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Now, in the depths of the forest, she rested and caught her breath. Her reiryoku was drained from her previous exertions, and her body needed sustenance. Miel consumed other hollows to regain her strength. Feeding on the lesser hollows in the forest was a necessary step in her recovery.
With her keen senses, Miel located a small group of hollows nearby. Like a predator, she moved silently through the underbrush, the bushes concealing her presence. With a sudden burst of speed, she pounced on her prey, her sharp claws easily dispatching the hollows. As she ate their spiritual energy was absorbed into her, revitalizing her and restoring her depleted reiryoku.
As she devoured the hollows, Miel felt her strength returning. She was now strong enough to try to return to Yuichi’s dorm room in the academy. She made her way to the academy, her thoughts focused on reuniting with Yuichi, sharing her discoveries, and getting him to remove the kidō he cast on her before.
As she approached the academy dormitories, her reiryoku-sensitive senses picked up on Yuichi's familiar presence along with two others she hadn’t felt before. She had been away for longer than expected, and she was eager to see her fellow student again. Miel made her way to Yuichi's dorm room and quietly waited for him to open a window allowing her to sneak in unnoticed.
Inside, Yuichi sat down and became engrossed in his practice of absorbing reishi from the air. He had been diligently working at it for fifteen minutes before Miel realized, that if she wanted to report she’d need to make contact with him. The room was filled with the energy of his training, and he was completely absorbed in his exercises.
She needed to alert him to set up the sound-blocking barrier so the two observing him could not hear what he would say. With a subtle but deliberate movement, Miel quickly flew by his ear and whispered to set up a sound-blocking barrier. Her signal was designed to be subtle enough not to alert the newcomers, yet enough for Yuichi to notice.
Yuichi's keen senses immediately picked up the signal. He paused his training and swiftly erected a sound-blocking barrier around the room, ensuring their conversation would remain private. Then, he closed the window and exited his dorm room surprising Miel.
She had whispered, “Greeting Lord Yuichi, I have returned after completing my mission. I would like to report to you about it however there are currently three individuals observing the academy and two of them are watching this room. So I believe you should set up your barrier so we may discuss the situation.”
Yuichi of course had been surprised to know that there were three people watching the academy. He had assumed that Yoruichi would send someone to keep an eye on him and Kira but he doubted that she would waste two people just to watch him. This meant that someone else had sent someone to observe him and the weird thing was that they hadn’t discovered each other yet or they had and hadn’t made a move against each other.
"Thank you for the information. It seems our activities have attracted more attention than we anticipated," Yuichi said, his voice low to avoid being overheard.
He glanced around the room, contemplating their next move. "We can't afford to be careless. I'll just head to the study room. Once I’m in that place, we can discuss your mission and strategize our next steps. However, I should try to lose them if they follow me."