"Alright, alright. Get some rest, everyone. Find a seat, talk amongst yourselves..." Sylvie waved her hand in the air. "Act natural, okay?"

The Shakudos stood firm, not moving until Tsukiko turned to look at them. With but a glance, they relaxed and the group broke away into their usual quiet chatter.

Sylvie started walking forward, toward one of the bigger tables near the center of the warehouse, an extended hand offering Tsukiko and the others to come with her.

Morgan tried to make a silent escape, but Shizuka planted both of her hands on his shoulders, making him jump a bit.

"Don't be a stranger." Shizuka spoke in his ear. "You came all the way here, no need to run. You're her guest of honor tonight, aren't you?"

Morgan stared down at the ground. "...I'm not, really."

"You remember me, don't ya?" Shizuka smiled.

"...I do." Morgan started walking toward the table as Shizuka let him go.

"Good." Shizuka nodded.

Sylvie sat at the far end of her chosen table, a large round one, and motioned for Tsuki to sit across from her. Fumi came to Tsukiko's left side, and Shizuka was seated to her right. Next to Sylvie were Etsuko and Flowers, while Hotaru and Morgan were across from one another, perpendicular to Tsuki and Sylvie.

"Ahh, I feel so important." Sylvie let out a dreamy sigh. "Fumi, you left this place looking how I always dreamed it would."

"Thanks." Fumi smiled a bit. "...though it mostly is just stuff we still had lying around from old jobs."

"All big talks happen at big tables." Sylvie had a big dumb smile on her face.

"I think I should introduce myself before we go any further." Hotaru spoke up before the others.

"Let me." Tsukiko looked at her.

Hotaru looked back at her. "...good idea."

"That's Mori Hotaru." Tsuki held a hand in her direction. "My trusted associate and contact in the Ministry of Justice."

"Ministry of Justice?" Sylvie repeated. "So, like an investigator?"

"Not quite." Hotaru shook her head. "But I am here on behalf of the Ministry to connect them with Tsukiko."

"The Ministry wanted me to work with them to investigate Ishikawa's connection to Themis." Tsuki explained. "Hotaru's a... liaison. She takes what she learns from me and sends it back to the PSIA."

"I thought I'd let everyone know now, rather than have it be some dark secret." Hotaru hid under her hat.

"Do you trust her?" Sylvie looked at Tsukiko.

"Yeah." Tsuki replied bluntly. "I do."

"...then I guess it's your choice, and I have to respect that." Sylvie leaned back. "I trust your judgment."'

"I just have one request." Etsuko spoke up with an uncharacteristic formality. "Trust is a two way street. If she wants our help, then she'd better not sit around back here while we're out there fightin'."

"I didn't plan on sitting around." Hotaru assured her. "I've had a few fights of my own."

"Speaking of plans..." Shizuka nudged Tsukiko. "You're not planning on running in, all gungho by yourself while we hang back, are you? You'd be a terrible leader if you did."

"No. I have a plan." Tsukiko confirmed.

"Alright, go on. Tell us." Sylvie demanded.

"At night, the curfew clears the streets, leaving just the cops and Themis." Tsukiko started to explain. "The chances of anybody getting hurt are pretty low."

"Sure." Shizuka confirmed.

"Then we're free to do as we please. It's a perfect time to have a good old fashioned gang war." Tsukiko proclaimed. "We need to defeat Themis first. Wherever Masahiro is, we have to find him."

The group went quiet, Sylvie and Etsuko staring at Tsukiko, while Morgan and Hotaru gave her the side eye.

Hotaru spoke first. "I know you have a bone to pick, but--"

"No." Fumiko stopped her. "Tsuki's right. If anyone's going to be able to help Tsuki clear her name, it's going to be Masahiro."

"After all this, do you really think he's going to want to help you?" Hotaru countered. "Those were his men outside."

Tsukiko shook her head. "Do you think he'd rather side with the cops?"

Hotaru opened her mouth to speak, then stopped.

Shizuka let out a long groan. "...that's a hell of a gamble. Even if he is willing to help you out and tell the world what Ishikawa was saying, you still need proof."

"The only proof Ishikawa had was Masahiro, and he never got to speak to the media." Fumiko frowned.

"...the media." Tsukiko repeated. "...oh, Asuka's going to be fucking thrilled."

"Who?" Sylvie looked at Tsuki.

"If that's his only proof, then you need something stronger." Hotaru explained.

"That's where Flowers comes in." Tsuki looked at her. "You had proof that Masahiro was working with the police."

"I do." Flowers nodded.

"This whole time?" Hotaru quickly turned to Flowers.

Flowers looked back at Hotaru. "Photo evidence. Masahiro meeting with police officers, taking rides in patrol cars."

"...you've been sitting on this this whole time?" Hotaru then turned to Tsukiko. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't believe her. I didn't want to." Tsukiko explained. "Now I need everything you've got, Flowers."

Flowers flexed her arm and smiled. "Alright!"

Tsukiko continued describing her plan. "Despite how small we are, we still have to divide up the work. I need your guys' help organizing everything."

"I'll do it." Fumiko crossed her arms and smiled.

"You?" Sylvie asked.

"You'd be surprised." Shizuka supported her. "Fumi's got quite the head on her shoulders."

"If Tsuki's okay with it." Sylvie again deferred to Tsukiko's decision.

Tsuki couldn't muster much energy behind her voice. "I have a feeling you'd stay even if I told you to stay home."

"I never wanted to just sit around." Fumi spoke firmly, making herself very clear. "I want to help."

"So, who's heading out to fight?" Shizuka asked with a smirk.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

"Me and Hotaru." Tsuki spoke bluntly. "You can join if--"

"I'm joining." Shizuka practically bared her teeth. "I don't care what happens, I'm killing some poor fools."

Hotaru looked at Tsuki, their eyes catching for just a moment. Tsukiko expected an objection that never really came, though the look on her face made it clear that she had her doubts.

"So what's Morgan supposed to do?" Sylvie pointed at him. "He's just sittin' there."

"Right…" Tsuki's voice trailed off.

"Got something to say?" Sylvie leaned forward.

"Not really." Morgan choked out.

Seeing Morgan squirm for once was satisfying. Tsukiko couldn't help but smile a bit, even if she knew she really shouldn't. He shot glances at Sylvie and Fumiko, who just looked back at him without fear.

"It's not really a comfortable place to be, is it?" Shizuka joked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Morgan shuddered. "It's... really not."

"You wanted to be here, so you'd better get used to it." Tsukiko jabbed.

"Morgan." Sylvie spoke up. "If it means anything to you, there's no hard feelings. You did what you did and you're paying the price for it. You left cuz of me, didn't you?"

Morgan raised his head and looked Sylvie in the eye. "...yes."

"Y'know, you really hurt my feelings at first after pulling that kinda stunt." Sylvie admitted. "I was working really hard to make my grandpa proud, trying my best to keep the gang together."

"I know." Morgan replied.

"And your men hurt some of my friends pretty badly." Sylvie continued.

Morgan repeated himself, but quieter. "I know."

"...but every gang has to fight for its turf. I just got lucky meeting Tsukiko." Sylvie said. "In a way, you gave me a real wake up call."

"If you say so." Morgan relaxed a little.

"Jail's given me a lot of time to think, and a whole new... perspective to everything."

"And what's that new perspective tell you about me?"

"You're just kind of an idiot." Sylvie said bluntly. "But I think you were clever. In over your head, but clever."

"Well, thanks, boss." Morgan lowered his head.

"I'm not your boss. Tsuki is." Sylvie motioned.

"Izanami." Tsukiko corrected her.

Shizuka snickered. "Who gave you that weird ass name?"

"Ishikawa." Tsukiko explained. "Heard it on the police radio."

Shizuka stopped laughing. "Oh, shit. You actually earned it, huh?"

"Izanami..." Fumi let the word roll around her tongue. "The name of a real villain."

"What's the significance?" Sylvie asked.

"Izanami was one of the original gods of Japan." Tsukiko explained. "When she died, she tried to escape the underworld and vowed to kill a thousand people every day when she failed."

"Isn't that perfect?" Fumiko asked her. "You're a big, scary villain now. They've got your face on TV, asking people about you online, and so on..."

"Your point?" Tsuki urged her.

"He's given you a name and a role, now it's your turn to play it." Fumiko bowed her head in respect. "The police are stretched thin right now, with all the protests and Themis running around. If everything up till now was some plan to scare Tsuki into giving up, then I say we scare him back."

"But what about clearing your name?" Hotaru stopped her. "Won't that ruin everything you've worked for?"

"Ishikawa probably expected Tsukiko to stick to her morals and keep on fighting, not throw everything away and become exactly what he said she'd be." Shizuka turned to Hotaru. "We'd be calling his bluff, and showing that Tsuki's still a threat."

"Plus, it's not like she's actually turning evil or something, that's silly." Fumiko added.

"Still..." Hotaru couldn't hide her discomfort. "That's a hell of a gamble."

"Everything's a gamble now." Tsukiko reminded her. "Even with a perfect plan, something could go wrong. This isn't a perfect plan, but..."

"I get what you mean." Hotaru sighed.

Sylvie tried to comfort her. "Don't worry so much. As long as I've known them, the Knights have always been picking the riskiest plans... If they even come up with a plan."

"It's true." Fumiko nodded. "If she could, Tsuki'd probably just walk into the nearest police station and start punching cops if it meant--"

"Alright, I'm not that stupid." Tsukiko hissed.

"Yeah, she's not Haruka." Sylvie joked. "...where is she, anyway?"

They all went quiet for a moment as Tsukiko and Shizuka stopped to choose their words carefully.

"She..." Tsuki started to explain.

"She's with Kaz, working on opening up the agency." Shizuka cut her off. "Didn't wanna be a part of this."

Sylvie lost her smile. "Is that right?"

"Yeah." Shizuka nodded. "She was really firm about it."

"Sorry." Tsukiko apologized.

"No. It's not your fault." Sylvie shook her head. "I'm just a little disappointed."

"You're really close, aren't you?" Hotaru reached out.

"Yeah." Sylvie sighed. "But y'know... I thought she'd be doing more for her sister, with how much she liked to talk about Tsuki. To think she'd abandon her like that."

"She didn't abandon me." Tsukiko defended Haruka. "She doesn't need to fight on my behalf. She's got her own life."

"She's your sister, but she's also an old friend of mine." Sylvie had an irritated bite to her voice. "You and I only met recently, but I've known her since... I dunno when... I hate when she gets like this."

"Like what?" Fumi asked.

"...scared, I guess." Sylvie could only shrug weakly. "She's not as brave as you. She worries a lot, a lot more than you'd think. Haru just puts on a brave face all the time."

"She's worried about Kaz and Lily and the agency, then." Tsuki countered.

"No." Sylvie denied. "She's afraid of watching you fail."

Shizuka made a strange sound. Tsuki turned to her, but she didn't speak.

"That's how Haruka is. She's tough, sure. She's always had to be tough." Sylvie stopped for a second. "But she doesn't wanna see her friends get hurt. That's just how she is. She'll do anything to avoid it."

Hotaru spoke. "That's horrible."

"Huh?"

"I don't want to get involved in your business, but I don't agree with that at all." Hotaru said. "Whatever happens, she'll have to live with it. She can't just ignore what's happening to Tsukiko."

"I never said it was logical or that it made any sense." Sylvie continued. "It's just how she is sometimes. She gets scared just like the rest of us, even if she likes to act like she's invincible."

"It runs in the family, doesn't it?" Tsuki added.

"I'd like to see anyone else put themselves in the kinda danger the Knights do on a regular basis and come out unscathed." Hotaru reassured her. "But what your sister's doing is wrong."

"Man." Sylvie laughed a little. "Haru would hate you."

"Cuz I'm a cop?" Hotaru repeated the same phrase.

"No." Sylvie smirked. "Cuz you're not a pushover, and Haru's got a baaaad thing for pushovers."

"...I try not to be." Hotaru lowered her gaze. "The best I can manage."

"Following orders doesn't make you a pushover." Sylvie looked her in the eye. "You stick by your guns, your morals. You believe in things and you're firm about 'em."

"Thanks, boss." Hotaru smirked.

"I'm not your-- No. Don't worry about it." Sylvie comforted her. "You'll meet Haru eventually. She's nothin' to be scared of."

Shizuka nudged Morgan. "You're lucky she's not here, huh?"

Morgan didn't say anything back, but from where she was sitting, Tsukiko could see him shooting glances toward Fumi.

"Hey." Morgan spoke suddenly. "Fumiko."

"Yeah?" Fumi turned to him.

He'd expected her to have some kind of angry look, some kind of disgust or disdain, but there was none in her eyes.

"I..." Morgan kept firm eye contact. "I'm so... sorry. For everything you went through."

"Don't worry about it."

"...I have to worry about it." Morgan sighed. "It's something I've thought about nearly every day in jail."

"It's..." Fumi laughed, then shook her head. "Y'know, the thing that really got under my skin, other than the knife, was the way everybody suddenly had some kinda pity for me."

"Huh?"

"Tsuki got hurt. Haru and Shizuka too." Fumi explained. "But I'm the one who gets the funeral march. I'm the one who gets all the interviews and questions."

"Oh."

"People get hurt. It's a natural part of fighting." Fumi assured him. "I accepted a long time ago that Tsuki's a Knight and she might get hurt. Hell, it might spill over into my life sometimes too."

Morgan wasn't sure when he could speak.

"Truth is." Fumi continued. "I just don't wanna be known as that girl who got stabbed. I'm fine just being Tsuki's armcandy. I just don't need anybody to feel bad for me. I'm still alive. That's what matters."

"S-sorry." Morgan looked genuinely intimidated, for once in his life.

"Don't be." Fumi smiled. "I appreciate it. I... I just don't need it. If you feel like you owe me something, just keep an eye on Tsuki, okay?"

"I'll do my best." Morgan spoke weakly.

"Cheer up." Fumi held out her hand. "Let's be friends."

"Yeah?" Morgan grabbed her hand.

"You seem honest." Fumi squeezed. "I trust you."