Haruka and Tsukiko approached a bridge crossing over a river in the middle of the city. Haru led them to the side of the bridge, to a set of stairs leading down underneath.

The stairs were concealed behind a wall. Haruka pulled Tsuki close. She pressed her younger sister against the wall, as if hiding from something.

They waited for a while, peeking around the corner from time to time. Tsuki's patience wore thin. Nothing happened after minutes and minutes passed. It didn't take long before the both of them began to fidget in frustration.

"So, where the hell's your guy?" Tsuki whispered.

"I don't know! He said he'd be here." Haruka spoke in a harsh, loud whisper.

Just after that, a sound came from around the corner. The two sisters peeked around the corner again, this time looking for whatever made the sound.

They caught a small, black haired girl in a yellow dress and large hat walking down the stairs. The girl approached the river, staring out to the water. She sighed as she took a moment to take in the scenery.

"Is that Lily?" Tsuki spoke to herself.

She tried to walk toward Lily, before Haruka pulled her back but the collar.

"Hold up!" Haruka put her hand over Tsuki’s mouth.

Tsuki broke free. "Hey! You really gonna risk this? What if he shows up and Lily gets hurt?"

"She won't get hurt, okay? I've got this." Haruka smiled.

"It's him!" Tsukiko peeked around the corner.

Haruka was too busy being proud of herself to notice. Tsuki nudged her over and over to break her out of her own little world.

"I thought you had this!" Tsuki asked.

Haruka shook herself back to reality. "What?"

"Your guy's got Lily by the throat!"

"I just told him to look for a black haired girl!" Haruka panicked.

Tsukiko walked around the corner, pulling back her sleeves. "Hey, get your hands off of her!"

"No way, man!" The man under the mask turned, holding Lily in front of himself like a shield. "I need the money!"

"What money?" Lily struggled.

"I-I dunno, one of you’s got cash!" He tried to back away slowly.

Tsuki approached. "Let her go!"

The man backed away as she approached. They didn't get any closer or farther away from each other. He moved back further and further till he hit something.

Backed against a wall, the man tightened his grip on Lily. He and Tsuki stood still, staring each other down. Neither one dared make any sudden movements.

The little girl bit down on his arm. He tried to tighten his grip further, but she just bit down harder. It didn't take long for him to lose his focus on Tsukiko.

Lily's teeth dug into the man's arm, his free hand desperately trying to pry her mouth open. When she finally let go, she broke free, running toward Tsuki. His attention turned to trying to get his hostage back.

He wasn't able to defend himself when Tsuki finally grabbed him. She threw him against the wall. He yelped in pain, raising his fists in the middle of the panic.

Without thinking, he swung his arms wildly in blind punches that hardly ever landed. The few that did had no power behind them. Tsuki was able to swat away most of his attacks.

Tsukiko broke through his assault, kicking him in the leg. He stumbled, reaching down to grab his calf. Another kick to the side sent him flying to the ground.

The man clearly had almost no experience fighting. Tsuki almost felt bad beating him down, but what he had done was inexcusable.

She turned back to see her sister's reaction. Haruka seemed more interested in the fight than in the man's wellbeing.

Haruka ran around the corner to the man's side. "I told you this would happen, you idiot!"

The masked man was far too dazed to respond, or even hold his eyes open long enough to reply to Haruka.

Lily ran to Tsuki and hugged her leg. "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!"

The feeling of the girl at her leg shuddering in fear triggered a deep anger within Tsukiko. Had she been alone, she would've kicked the man again while he was down as some sort of personal punishment. Lily's precious face reminded her to keep herself calm.

Haruka tended to the man on the ground as Tsuki tried her best to calm down Lily. She sighed in relief knowing that she was able to protect one of her friends. She made a mental note to scold Haruka the next time they were alone together.

Tsuki crouched down to see Lily face to face. "It'll be fine, alright? I'm here."

This moment was short lived. More masked men came running down from the opposite stairwell. They all wore the same white and gold masks.

Tsuki stood up and stared at them, bracing herself for the worst. They all stepped back, save for one. That sole masked man slowly approached Tsukiko with a casual stride.

"What? You wanna end up like that jackass?" Tsuki rose up, and clenched her fists at her side. "Haru, take Lily. Leave this to me!"

"This guy tried to kidnap Lilith Guillemot? What? Is he an idiot?" The figure laughed as it stepped past Tsukiko.

Tsuki turned and caught a glimpse of this strange person. Their body was rather thin, and it had a feminine shape. They wore tight black shorts and a loose fitting charcoal jacket.

It was rather odd to see one of these masked people without their robes. The mask was the only tell that this person belonged to the same organization.

"Who’re you?" Tsuki staired.

The masked girl turned around. "So, you’re the Tsukiko I keep hearing about, right?"

Lily ran up and grabbed Tsuki's hand, dragging her closer to the girl. Tsuki watched the girl closely as she followed Lily's order.

"Tsuki, careful." Haruka spoke calmly.

The masked blonde reached under the mask, pulling it off. The ornate white and gold mask had hidden the delicate face of a young woman.

She had a slight smile on her face. Her eyes were a deep sky blue. She seemed much too young to be a hardened criminal. Still, Tsuki kept her guard up.

"Surprised?" The girl laughed.

"I didn't expect a foreign girl to get dragged into this." Tsuki answered.

Haruka rose up a little, slowly stepping toward the blonde girl. She leaned forward, as if trying to get a clear look at the stranger.

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"Miss me, Haruka?" The blonde turned around and looked Haru in the eye. "I haven't seen you in ages."

Haruka sighed, prompting a small chuckle from the unmasked girl. "Man, you really had me there!"

"Wait, you know her?" Tsuki glared at her sister.

"I'll explain it later, alright?" Haruka shook her head.

"Later? You better--"

The blonde foreigner turned to Tsukiko and cut her off. "Hey, I've heard good things about you."

"Good things?" Tsuki asked.

"Yeah. I hear you're a good fighter. We could use someone like you." The woman chuckled.

"Not interested." Tsukiko shook her head. "I'd rather not side with criminals."

The blonde girl frowned. "I'm not your enemy, you know."

"Then who are you?" Tsuki took a step closer.

The woman took a moment to think of a response. "You like making bets?"

"I don't make bets I can't win."

"Then beat me in a fight and I'll help you out."

This caught Tsuki off guard, and she struggled to come up with a reply. "...why would I do that?"

The girl leaned onto one hip. "Lemme think…"

"Seriously?" Haruka tried to stifle a laugh.

"You and I are looking for the same guy. I could find him myself, but if you beat me here, I'll let you in on what I know."

"...and if I lose?"

"I get the satisfaction of beating you?" The blonde shrugged.

"Who are you, anyways?" Tsuki narrowed her eyes.

"Haruka knows me." The figure smiled. "I’m a friend, okay?"

Tsuki glared at her sister again. "A friend?"

The woman stretched out her arms. "Yeah, but I’m even friendlier after a good warm up."

The masked men that came with her took this as a signal. They all turned and ran up the stairs, leaving just Tsuki, Haruka and Lily alone with the blonde woman.

Tsuki raised her hands. "Alright, make it quick."

The blonde raised her fists and stepped back, as did Tsukiko. They began to circle around like two swordsmen, waiting for the other to swing first.

The foreigner moved quickly and Tsukiko braced herself. Tsukiko raised her arms to defend herself, but not before taking several punches from the strange girl. Before Tsuki could retaliate, the foreigner had already jumped back.

A few quick jabs wouldn't break Tsuki's will, nor would she let herself fall. She gritted her teeth and readied herself for a long fight. Her opponent backed away as she regained her composure.

Tsuki watched the blonde closely, analyzing her fighting style and movements. She knew she couldn't beat her opponent in speed, so finding and exploiting any weaknesses or openings would be crucial.

Every motion the girl made was telegraphed by another motion before it. The blonde's body moved like a spring, back and forth, creating momentum for the next swing or kick.

Taking another kick to the shoulder, Tsuki knew she wouldn't be able to bruteforce her way toward her target. Instead, she opted to mimic the blonde, loosening her body and moving her weight into her motions.

Understanding the foreign girl's way of fighting meant that avoiding her moves came naturally. Every opening was laid bare, leaving glaring targets for Tsukiko to exploit. She was finally able to trade blows with the foreign girl, putting the two of them on equal footing.

Constant aggression had been a double edged sword for the foreigner. Tsuki was in a lot of pain, but she was still able to fight. The blonde had been left weak, and tired, unable to keep up with Tsukiko's newfound agility.

It didn't take long for the blonde girl to back away to try and catch her breath. Tsuki didn't give her a chance, chasing her down relentlessly. A kick to the leg had sent the blonde girl tumbling to the ground.

The foreign girl got onto one knee. They both took a moment to rest, staring each other down with narrowed eyes. The two girls were tired and covered in red marks and bruises, but their bodies were still tense and ready.

Suddenly, the blonde stumbled back onto her feet and lunged forward. Her arm was moved back for one last wide swing aimed right at Tsukiko's head. Tsuki moved to the side and punched the foreigner in the jaw, letting her fall in a heap.

The blonde laid on her back, struggling to catch her breath. "Lucky shot"

Tsuki could only stand over her, panting. Lily ran over to the blonde's side, making sure she hadn't gotten too hurt.

"We really could use someone like you in the gang." The blonde continued.

Tsuki reached down and pulled the foreign girl back up onto her feet. "No thanks."

"…I coulda gotten you with that last one, huh." she laughed.

"You gonna say something important or not?" Tsuki's patience ran thin.

"He's not one of us." The blonde girl said with shame in her voice.

"How does that work?"

"Well." The foreigner crossed their arms. "Ever since I took over, we've been losing members left and right."

Tsuki kept a stern look. "Sounds like a good thing to me."

Haruka stood up and interrupted. "I-It's really not."

"Why not." Tsuki asked.

"Because they left and started their own gang. We're not the ones mugging and stabbing people, they are." The blonde one finished her sentence.

Tsukiko took a step forward. "Then what does your gang do?"

Haru ran to her sister's side. "Sylvie’s gang doesn’t hurt people, Tsuki."

Tsuki turned to Haruka. "Why do you know her name?"

"Don't worry about it." Haruka put her hand on Tsuki's shoulder. "She isn't involved in this."

Sylvie brushed the dirt off her clothes. "The man who stabbed your friend doesn't wear a white mask anymore. None of them do."

"Then what does he wear?"

"A blue one." Sylvie replied as she began to walk away. "Just look out for guys in painted masks. We'll talk when you find him."

Tsukiko stood in silence for a moment. She turned to Haruka and saw that the man she had just fought had vanished. Her older sister stood there. Haru had the face of a young child that realized that they had done something wrong.

"No more bullshit, Haru. Be honest with me." Tsuki demanded.

Haruka sighed. "If I told you, you wouldn't have come along."

"How am I supposed to trust you if you're not being honest?" Tsuki raised her voice.

"Because I'm helping you."

Tsuki tried to retort, but she failed to come up with a good argument. "It's not like that."

Haruka sighed. "I said there'd be something in it for you too, didn't I?"

"...did you even know that guy?"

"No, not really."

"Did you know Sylvie was gonna show up?" Tsuki stared at the ground.

"...yeah."

Tsuki snapped at her sister. "So you just lead me along this whole time?"

"What the hell was I supposed to do? I haven't spoken to you in like, years! Would you have even believed me if I told you I knew her?"

Tsuki made her right hand into a fist. "Do you actually care about this?"

"Care about what?" Haruka's face twisted with slight anger.

"Do you even care about what happened to Fumi?"

"Of course I care, you fucking idiot!" Haruka shouted. "Why the fuck else am I here?"

"You haven't spoken to us in years, Sylvie said she hadn't seen you in a while, whatever that means…"

"And?" Haruka sighed.

"Is this just some… bullshit ploy to get people on your side again? Did you really not know Sylvie was coming?" Tsuki asked.

Haruka grit her teeth. "Just… trust me, Tsuki. I'm not trying to trick you or--"

"Can I even trust that?"

"Shut up, Tsuki!" Haruka shouted.

Tsuki looked her sister in the eye. At that moment, she realized that Haru's efforts were genuine. There was a certain, deeply hurt look in Haruka's eyes that replaced her anger with guilt.

"...sorry, I--"

Haru cut her off. "I know I fucked up, okay? I know I made a mistake. You don't think this hurts for me?"

"Haruka, I--"

"Shut up and let me finish!" Haruka's face turned red. "I'm trying my best, damnit! I'm trying to help you in any way I can, alright? Just… let me try, okay?"

Tsuki paused, waiting for Haruka to finish. "...thanks, Haru."

"Huh?" Haruka didn't quite expect a reply.

"Thanks for helping me, alright?" Tsuki frowned.

"Aww, shit. Uhh, I didn't wanna get all deep on you or anything." Haru scratched her head.

Tsuki shook her head. "I can take it."

Haruka wrapped an arm around Tsukiko. "When'd you get so tough?"

"I've always been tough, haven't I?" Tsuki raised her head.

"Yeah, but now you're too tough." Haruka smiled.

"I have to be tough, for Fumi's sake." Tsukiko looked away.

"You're always thinking about protecting her, huh?" Haru chuckled.

"Of course I am."

"Don't you think you're overdoing the whole tough thing, though?"

"What do you mean?" Tsuki gave her sister a weird look.

"You're too damn serious. You're always angry."

"Hey, it's been a rough week." Tsuki groaned.

Haruka's face turned serious, as she stared out at the river. "Then I have to be around you more often."

"Why?"

"Cuz I gotta make sure you don't fall apart."

Tsuki tried to push Haru away. "I'll be fine."

Haruka wrapped her arm around Tsuki more tightly. "Then I gotta do whatever I can. You need to realize that deep down, you still love your big sis."

"Haruka."

"What?"

"You're weird."