Tsukiko's boots were firmly planted on the stained, dirty concrete of the Damascenes's warehouse. Hotaru stood opposite to her, just beyond on the dirt and grass of the world just outside. The rusted out metal door was the barrier between both worlds, the smell of dust, mildew, and old metal flowing out with the wind to the outside.

The sky above had darkened, the sun already gone beyond the horizon and the blacks and purples of night taking over, dotted stars trying their best to peek through Tokyo's light.

Hotaru waited for Tsukiko to respond, but she just wouldn't. A lump in her throat practically strangled her as she tried to force something out, anything.

"You good?"

"Yeah."

A few of the Damascenes approached Tsuki from behind, but she held up a hand to stop them. Like well trained soldiers, they came to a halt in unison.

Hotaru repeated herself. "Tsuki. Is that you?"

Tsukiko struggled to choke out an answer. "Yes."

Hotaru looked at her for a long time, then her stiff shoulders finally relaxed. "So this is what you've decided to do?"

"Yeah." Tsukiko repeated, her voice lowered by the mask. "I'm leading the gang."

"I'm not here to stop you, if that's what you're worried about." Hotaru raised her hands.

"Then why are you here?" Tsuki interrogated.

"I'm here with Fumi." Hotaru looked away, her eyes darting toward Fumi's direction.

Tsuki had noticed Fumiko standing a few meters behind Hotaru, but she'd chosen not to acknowledge her. Instead, she turned to hide her masked face.

"Tsuki." Fumiko finally stepped closer to the two of them. "Is that… Flowers's mask?"

Tsukiko didn't say anything.

Fumi got even closer. "You know you can't fool me. Talk to me. Please."

Tsukiko lowered her head a bit. "It's mine now."

"You don't have to keep hiding from me." Fumi spoke softly. "I've said it a million times, I'll back you up no matter what."

"...even you have your limits, right?"

"If I wanted to stop you, I would've done it years ago. I would've stopped you the first day I had to bandage you up after that old guy went at you with a knife." Fumi reminded her of a day she'd already forgotten about. "A cop friend and an arrest warrant isn't gonna stop me loving you."

Fumi reached up and pushed Tsukiko's mask aside, revealing half of Tsuki's face. She pressed her lips against her love's, kissing her the best she could in those circumstances.

"I know you'll never believe me, so I'll be here every time to remind you." Fumiko looked up at her.

Tsukiko felt the tears welling in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Fumi pulled the mask back over Tsukiko's face, as if to hide her moment of weakness from the world. Tsuki's gaze didn't break from Fumi's, not for an instant.

Fumi's lips curled ever so slightly. "It suits you, doesn't it?"

"Huh?"

Fumi looked Tsuki in the eye. "It's like... it was meant to be."

Tsuki sighed. "Quit foolin' around, Fumi."

Fumiko let out an embarrassed laugh. "I'm just tryin' to help you relax, honest."

"I appreciate it." Tsuki smiled behind the mask. "...but your timing's terrible."

"Not to ruin the moment, but..." Hotaru finally mustered up the courage to break up their passion. "...we've really gotta talk, Tsuki."

Tsukiko was so focused on Fumi that Hotaru's voice startled her.

"Are you afraid of me?" Hotaru asked. "Worried I'll sell you out?"

"That's not it." Tsuki let out a sigh. "...I just thought you'd be a bit angrier about all this."

"Why?" Hotaru raised an eyebrow.

"You work for the Ministry. The PSIA." Tsuki kept her guard up. "Isn't it your job to stop organized crime?"

"Not really." Hotaru scratched her head. "...that's not our job at all, no offense."

"Well, that's convenient." Tsukiko complained.

"Besides, I'm not here to fight." Hotaru crossed her arms. "Do whatever you need to do."

Tsukiko watched Hotaru carefully. "I've already made up my mind. First Themis, then Ishikawa."

"...why like this, though?" Hotaru looked at her.

"I realized I'd been spending so much time trying to do what's right that I'd forgotten what that even means." Tsukiko looked at her own gloved hand. "It was about time I chose something I wanted for myself."

Hotaru smiled a bit. "You sound a lot more confident as a fugitive than you were as the Third Knight."

The word "fugitive" burned in Tsukiko's ears. "Don't call me that."

"Sorry, but it's the truth." Hotaru countered. "I feel like I'm gonna have a hell of a time asking you to help the Ministry of Justice when you're a wanted woman."

"If you wanted me gone..." Tsukiko let out a long sigh. "Working with you's my best bet."

"We never did end up asking anything of you, did we?" Hotaru crossed her arms. "I guess it's about time we ask you for a favor."

"Hmm?"

"Clear your name." Hotaru declared. "Fight back. Expose Ishikawa for everything he's done. We'll be right behind you the whole way."

Tsukiko wanted to make up some excuse and argue with her, but Hotaru's plea was genuine.

"This isn't just work for me." Hotaru continued. "Ishikawa was my colleague. I thought he was a good man. I thought we believed in the same thing... I thought he knew better than to do petty shit like this for... for no reason."

Tsuki struggled to find the words, if any, to comfort Hotaru.

Fumi approached her. "You knew Ishikawa?"

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"...we weren't close, but working in a place like that, you meet everyone eventually. Stories get around. We all knew he was dedicated." Hotaru shook her head. "I guess I want payback for what he's done, for turning his back on the law and getting involved like this. It's an insult to all of us still working at the Ministry."

Fumi frowned a bit. "Is everyone at the Ministry as... stiff as you two? Weirdly proud about everything?"

"We all want to do good things. It's drilled into us from the start." Hotaru looked away. "It's not like you take a job like that for the paycheck, y'know?"

Fumiko's face twisted into a mischievous smile. "For real?"

"...of course. From what I know about Ishikawa, he was always a stickler, always a perfectionist. He was always at the top of his game. Hell, they were talking about promotion before all this started." Hotaru shook her head. "I spent so much time wondering why he'd leave the Ministry just to fill an empty spot in the Tokyo police. He must've just wanted to get more... hands on."

"You're all... so, so proud of what you do. Real proud of serving justice or whatever." Fumi looked at Hotaru expectantly.

Hotaru's shoulders slumped. "I have a feeling you don't take me seriously."

"No, I do." Fumi assured her. "Serious as a heart attack. I just think you... cleared up some of my doubts, y'know?

"Huh?"

"Tsuki's about to turn the tide." Fumi muttered gleefully. "Just let it play out!"

Tsuki narrowed her eyes. "What're you--"

Just as the last word escaped Fumiko's lips, a bright light shined in Tsukiko's face. She raised her hand to get a better look as the others turned to follow her gaze. Instinctively, Tsuki's other hand pulled Fumiko close.

A battered white van with no windows came to a halt before them, the high beam headlights casting long shadows against the large front doors of the Damascene warehouse. A group of men in heavy clothes climbed out. The hoods of their jackets were pulled down tight, almost over their eyes.

"Following you around was a good idea." One of the men spoke as he raised his bat onto his shoulder. "I woulda thought you lot would've fucked off after we took out your boss."

The rattling of linked metal made Tsukiko stop in her tracks. Hotaru had pulled up the sleeve on her jacket and dropped a long chain limp on the ground. Steel links wrapped around her right hand as she gripped the chain tightly.

"Tsuki--" Hotaru didn't get to finish.

Tsukiko pushed past Hotaru and stood between her and the men as they approached.

"Open the doors." The man barked. "We don't need the Damascenes biting our heels."

"Why don't all of you pricks get back in that van and fuck off?" Tsukiko glared.

"Don't think you're gonna scare us off with a pretty mask." The man smirked. "If we were scared of you, we wouldn't have driven all the way down here knockin' for what you did to the boss. You can't hide from us."

"I don't have to hide." Tsuki said flatly.

"Worried about Ishikawa, then?" The man leaned forward slightly. "Don't you worry, once you pay your debt, we'll deal with him too."

"Is that what he's after now?" Tsukiko scoffed. "Masahiro's really going to try to go after Ishikawa himself?'

"Someone has to, and it sure as hell ain't gonna be you." The man in the lead tightened his fist. "Or your cop friend either."

"Damnit." Hotaru took a step, but Tsukiko stopped her.

"You did what you were supposed to, you led us right to Tsukiko and--"

Tsukiko stomped forward and punched the man, knocking the words and spit straight out of his mouth. His whole body turned as her gloved fist tore through his cheek like a bullet through glass.

"Don't talk to her, talk to me!" Tsukiko shouted down at him. "Who the fuck do you think you are, huh?"

Startled, the others took a few steps back.

One of the Damascenes ran through the warehouse door. "Boss!"

Tsukiko turned quickly. The masked man stood by her side with a few others standing by the warehouse's door, ready to defend.

Tsuki shook her head. "No. All of you, go back inside and shut the door. I'll settle this myself."

The masked man stopped for a moment, then turned and ran past Hotaru and Fumi. The rest of them went back inside and closed the door as quickly as they came out.

"Hotaru." Tsuki put a hand on her shoulder.

Hotaru shuddered. "Yeah?'

"Take care of Fumi for me." Tsuki had a terrifying look on her face. "If anyone touches her, I'll kill them with my bare hands."

Hotaru nodded, then stepped back, moving to Fumiko's side.

The man Tsuki'd just struck in the face was still reeling when she turned back to him. He threw a punch of his own, which she caught mid-flight. She twisted his arm into the most painful position she could think of, then jabbed him twice in the stomach. Once to stop him fighting back and the second time to knock the wind out of him. His body fell over, powerless, but not lifeless.

The other Themis soldiers ran to surround Tsukiko. A second man, one in a red jacket, moved first, swinging a heavy pipe toward her. She took a few steps back to avoid it, then a few more after a second attempt and then another.

A third attacker blindsided Tsukiko and forced her to the ground. He got a couple good shots in before the former Knight was able to overpower him and pin him under her. He swatted at her blindly, but Tsuki was able to return the favor with two right handed blows to the cheek and nose, blood streaming down his face.

The fourth and final man ran forward and kicked Tsuki off his friend. She rolled away to get some distance, but he'd already ran up to her by the time she'd stood up. Tsuki took one of his punches to the side, but pushed through his attacks and grabbed him, lifted him, and slammed him into the dirt, kicking him once in the stomach to keep him down and twice for good measure.

Only one opponent remained, the one in red with the metal pipe. He'd kept his distance, having watched his comrades fall one by one. The man in red raised the pipe and slammed it down into the dirt. Tsukiko quickly stepped onto the pipe to pin it down, then twisted her body to kick the man in the head. He went limp as her boot connected with the side of his face.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Tsukiko looked around to see the four men lying on the ground, reeling but still mostly conscious. Their leader, the man who'd spent so long insulting her, was finally back on his feet. Tsuki marched right up to him and pulled him up by the collar, dragging him back over to his group's van and slamming him against the door.

"Go on then." Tsukiko moved her mask to the side of her head, revealing half of her face. "Tell your boss that I'm gonna make him pay. For everything. For being Ishikawa's pawn."

"The boss wasn't anyone's pawn!"

"Tell that lying piece of shit that he and I know the truth." Tsuki hissed. "But if he's really so important to you, you can prove his honor if you want."

Neither of them spoke a word.

"C'mon, he already sent four of you. Maybe fifth times the charm? Sixth? I've lost count." Tsukiko shuddered with rage. "How many of you have I sent to the hospital? How many of you dipshits are gonna come here and mess with me before you quit trying to pull a fast one on me? Huh?"

With that, Tsukiko threw the man to the ground. He looked up at her. There was an angry expression on his face, but his shuddering, defensive movements betrayed him.

Though they could only see half of them, it was clear that Tsukiko's lips had curled into a smile. "C'mon. Run off already. Go tell your boss about me, and the Shakudos. Let him know I'm– We're coming for him. I wanna make him squirm."

"The Shak--"

"Yes. Yes. The Shakudos." Tsukiko's red eyes practically bore a hole into his face. "I didn't beat you blind and deaf."

His gaze didn't break from her as he motioned for the others to get in the van, one limping and another dragging an unconscious ally. Tsuki watched his sweaty, bruised, dust covered face as he stared back at her, turning the van around and driving the same way he came.

Tsukiko's chest heaved, rising and falling as she took deep breaths to bring herself back down to earth.

"There's the Tsukiko I know." Morgan spoke to her from behind.

Tsuki hid her face behind the black and gold mask again before turning to him. "Shouldn't you be inside with the others?"

"I was, but..." Morgan paused. "I like seeing you all worked up and angry."

"...don't say weird shit like that." Tsukiko started walking back to the warehouse doors.

"Do you feel better?" Morgan asked. "Y'know. After fighting?"

Tsukiko stopped. "...a bit, yeah. I feel lighter."

"It's like you were born to be a Knight, huh?" Morgan spoke in a higher tone than usual.

"I'm not a Knight right now." Tsukiko looked back at him. "Right now I'm 'Izanami'."

"Yeah, you're such a dirty criminal that you let 'em get away without even asking them where their boss is." Morgan mocked her. "That sense of fair justice of yours is still gettin' in the way."

Tsuki finally turned all the way around. "I don't need to torture anybody just to--"

Tsukiko stopped herself, then let out a sigh.

"...what's the plan, boss?" Morgan changed the subject.

"Don't call me boss." Tsukiko shook her head. "I don't like it. It sounds like something out of a movie."

"Would you prefer Izanami?" Morgan asked.

Tsuki admitted defeat. "...it'll do."

"Then what's the plan, Izanami?" Morgan bowed his head.

Tsukiko, or Izanami, paused to ponder the question. Her head was noisy, ripe with ideas, but one of them kept floating up to the top.

"...c'mon, let's head inside first."