"What the hell am I looking at?" Kazuo sighed.

"It's the combined might of all of the Damascenes, all in one room!" Sylvie threw her arms up, as if revealing something amazing.

Amazingly, the warehouse was in a worse state than last time. The street gang had clearly seen its better days. There was no excitement or energy. They just stood around like statues, waiting for orders.

"Hey, you wanna meet the other guys?" Fumi laughed.

"No, I mean--"

"Remember who's paying you, Kaz." Tsuki glared.

Fumiko nudged her. "Lighten up, Tsuki."

Tsukiko sighed. "Sorry."

Sylvie tried her best to lighten the mood again. "So, we're gonna beat their asses, right?"

"Hell yeah." Haruka's shark teeth formed into a big grin.

"What, you're just gonna run in there and start beating people up?" Fumi scoffed.

Haruka shrugged. "What the hell are we supposed to do?"

Kaz pulled out his notebook. "Well, you could start by figuring out who to go after. Then, you find out what the place's layout is, what to take with--"

"Uhh, everybody wearing a black mask, who cares, and my fists." Haruka tried to sound cool.

"Jeez, that was really lame, Haru." Sylvie laughed.

"Hey!" Haru complained.

Kazuo raised his voice. "Hey, can't you idiots focus?"

Haruka and Sylvie turned red.

"What did you have in mind, Kazuo?" Fumiko asked.

"Well, I was hoping you guys would give me some ideas. Five heads are better than one, y'know?"

"I've got nothing." Sylvie admitted.

"Yeah, no. Seems too complicated. By the time we get there, we'll have forgotten." Haru shook her head.

"C'mon guys…" Kaz sighed.

"Do you know anything we don't?" Tsuki asked.

"I've been… Picking things up, here and there." Kaz began scanning his notebook.

"So, tell us!" Sylvie stood in front of him and demanded.

"Jeez, gimme a minute!" Kaz stepped back.

"Hurry up!" Sylvie whined.

"What's your deal, Sylvie?" Haruka pulled her back.

"I need to know!" Sylvie stomped her feet.

"Why?" Fumi asked.

Sylvie turned to Fumiko. "I need to know whatever there is to know about the Shakudos. I need to get back at those bastards."

"Here it is." Kazuo began to read from his notebook. "I managed to find one of their hideouts a few days ago."

"Really?" Sylvie ran back up to Kazuo.

"It's not too far away, but we can't go right now. The best time is a few days from now."

"A few days from now? Why's that matter?" Haru cocked her head.

"They're having a celebration of some sort."

"Big haul?"

Kazuo shrugged. "All I know is that someone emptied out all the liquor stores in the area a few nights ago. Probably connected to that."

"Sounds like my kind of party." Fumi laughed.

"You're an awful drunk, Fumi." Tsuki complained.

"Now I'm kinda curious. Maybe I'll buy you two a couple drinks sometime." Sylvie chuckled.

"Hey, guys, focus!" Kazuo cut through the chatter.

Tsuki cleared her throat. "Sorry, Kaz."

"Do you know their leaders? Who's working for them?" Sylvie begged.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Not really… Turns out they're really secretive. They don't show up that often, and it's hard to remember just masks." Kazuo frowned.

Sylvie clenched her hand into a fist. "Damnit."

"Sorry, Kaz. As much as you want us to plan things out, we just like to go in guns blazing." Haruka looked him in the eye.

"You'll get yourselves hurt if you just run in." Kaz glared back at her.

"Just let us do our thing, alright?"

Fumiko shook her head. "I'm not letting you run in like a dumbass."

"Stay outta this, alright?" Haruka said.

"I'm not letting you put Tsuki in danger--"

"We're not putting her in any danger. She'd just be getting in the way!" Haruka raised her voice.

"Haruka, what the hell's your problem?" Sylvie shoved her.

"Nothing, don't worry about it. Let's get on with it, alright?" Haruka looked away.

Sylvie paused to stare, before walking away to get something from a box at the end of the stage.

"That bitch." Haruka grit her teeth.

Fumi approached her. "What's wrong?"

"Don't worry about me." Haruka insisted.

Fumiko tried to say something, but she paused, then walked back.

Sylvie came back with a box in her hands. She held it in one hand, and reached in with the other. She began to pass things around to the group.

"What's this?" Kazuo asked.

"Masks. Might help in the raid." Sylvie almost dropped the box.

"The raid? That what we're calling it now?" Kazuo laughed.

Tsukiko got a mask. It was clean, almost to a mirror sheen. It was white, with a delicate gold design across the front. All of the masks that had been handed out had the same gold etching across the front.

Fumiko put on her mask, and laughed. "Ooh, don't I look good in this, Tsuki? What do you think?"

"Heh, I dunno." Tsuki laughed nervously.

"C'mon, put yours on, Tsukiko!" Sylvie motioned with the box.

"Nah, I can't wear this." Tsuki handed the mask back.

"Yeah, I knew you wouldn't… That's why I brought this!" Sylvie reached into the box again.

Sylvie handed Tsukiko a clear plastic bag with something in it. It was a jacket and hat. The hat had a flat top and a flat bill. The jacket was double breasted, and a deep navy blue with black adornments on it. The buttons were of a fine dark, unpolished metal. It seemed far too clean and formal for fighting.

"What's this?" Tsukiko asked.

"It's a Knight's jacket. I wanted to see if it fit you or not." Sylvie put the box down by her feet.

Haruka snatched the bag away. "The fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Give it back to her, Haru."

"You think you can just get rid of me just like that?" Haruka's face turned red.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Haruka started shouting. "You're trying to replace me, aren't you?"

"Replace you?" Sylvie gave her a confused look.

"Tsuki isn't ready yet, and you know it!" Haruka stomped.

"I'm not ready for what?" Tsuki cut in.

"Don't worry about it." Haru snapped at her sister.

Sylvie tried to defuse the situation, talking quietly. "I'm not trying to replace you, why would I--"

"Just let me have this one thing, alright?"

"If it mattered to you so much, you would've taken it with you!" Sylvie countered.

"I-It's fine, I won't wear it." Tsuki raised her hands.

"Damn straight, it's my jacket!" Haruka held the bag against her chest.

"She's gonna have to be a Knight some day!" Sylvie demanded.

Haruka sighed. "Not yet!"

Fumiko approached the two girls. "Haru, it's alright, just take it and--"

Haruka turned to Fumiko and slapped her in the face. Fumi reeled, grasping at the red mark left on her cheek.

Tsuki ran forward and took a swing, hitting her sister in the jaw. Haruka retaliated with a swing of her own.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Kazuo ran up to them to try to stop the fight.

Tsukiko shoved him away, then punched her sister again.

It was clear from the beginning that Tsukiko had gotten herself into a losing fight. Haruka was simply too quick, and far too angry. It took almost no time for her to overwhelm Tsuki. She could only hope to survive the full force of Haruka's attacks.

"Haruka, stop!" Fumiko shouted.

Sylvie tried to stop the fight, but with one powerful hit to the jaw, she was knocked out cold.

"Don't you swing at me, you stupid bitch!" Haruka shouted at her sister.

Hit after hit came crashing down, bringing her closer and closer to the breaking point. The pain became unbearable. She could feel her body shake with each powerful swing.

Tsuki held her forearms in front of her face. She wanted to keep her guard up until her sister tired herself out.

Haruka began to shout and scream like a crazed murderer. "You think you can just get rid of me, huh? You think I'm not good enough? Huh? Tell me!"

Tsukiko was too tired to answer.

"This is my life. You're not gonna do this to me just cuz I've been away for a while! Don't act so damn high and mighty!" Haruka's rambling was almost incoherent.

Fumiko turned to Kazuo. "Don't just stand there!"

"I-I can't do anything!" Kazuo shouted back at her.

In a final gambit, Tsukiko rushed forward, knocking Haruka to the ground. She pinned down Haru's arms and began taking swings of her own.

"Get offa me!" Haruka shouted.

"Shut up, you goddamn idiot!" Tsuki punched Haruka in the jaw.

Tsukiko wiped the blood off of her own face. Her whole body ached, but her anger was immeasurable. The fragile trust she had formed with her sister had broken in an instant.

"This is all your fault!" Tsuki gave Haruka a black eye.

"Tsuki stop!" Fumi shouted.

"I didn't do anything to you! We didn't do anything to you! I don't give a damn about the Knights. I don't give a shit about you!" Tsuki grit her teeth as she slammed her fist into Haru's face.

Fumiko ran over and grabbed Tsuki's right arm. "It's not worth it, you'll kill her!"

Tsuki grabbed her sister's throat. "I thought you cared about me, Haru. Is this really all just about some stupid jacket? Take the fucking thing and leave me alone!"

Fumi tugged on Tsuki's arm. "That's enough!"

Tsuki tried to get back up, but she couldn't. All of the energy in her body had drained rather rapidly and she collapsed.

No matter how much energy she tried to push into her body, she could only shiver and shake. Her eyes began to flutter closed, before she finally blacked out.