Matoi's scar had begun brightening on the flight over and was a steady green by the time they landed in Mali, though she covered it with gloves for now.

Matoi's phone vibrated and she nodded to Mia, who opened their hotel room's door for a poorly shaven man and a tornado-necked man both bowing.

"President Swarm." said the latter. "I am very sorry for Japan deciding to ban you from the country." He stood straight. "…you might say that I am - very fucking sorry -"

- and the two laughed. Mia let them inside and the two Japanese introduced themselves to the two otaku.

Yamato's tornado-necked face near permanently wore a grin like he had just finished telling a dirty joke - just as likely it was he had. He had been elected Ueno's president partially because no one else, not even Rin, wanted the job now, but when it came to Ueno matters he was as lost as an alligator in winter. Most journalists still pretended Daishi was president, even having graduated, and in the rare case they wanted to find Yamato, it was better to try a pachinko parlor first.

Yamato, Mia, Matoi and Samuel sat down and talked about their plan. Yuruko & Serena would be staying in a separate room for the trip, as would Junpei & Yamato. Matoi & Yamato spoke in Japanese for a while, then eventually she gestured for him to speak English.

"Yes." he said. "And… when we find Sharp, Matoi can pair with… us. Taifū can… keep her safe, if needed. Some new ability."

Mia nodded. "…Junpei can't move hosts, can he?"

"No." said Matoi.

"Why is he here, then?" whispered Mia and Yamato laughed.

"A vacation."

"Has his scar been alright?"

"Yes. He says that he will… check airports. For if Sharp tries to flee."

Mia nodded, trust in Tyrant's speed. She looked over and saw Junpei & Yuruko & Serena already whispering about something off in the corner, then went over to them. "Samuel, Yamato and I are going out with Matoi to, er, see if her scar reacts anywhere near here."

"Sounds good." nodded Serena. Mia gathered up the others, and Junpei glanced over his shoulder at Matoi's hips as she left. He preferred Western women, but they could all generally be judged by width.

"…she really does look like her, doesn't she?" he said. "Satsuki Kiryuin?"

Yuruko winced. "Yep. She even has the Junketsu eyes with Wedding."

"You know if she knows about her doppelganger?"

"I'm not going to risk telling her." said Serena and the others laughed.

"Don't lo~ose your way…" muttered Junpei, relevantly. "Did you see Promare? Guess that was a few years ago."

"Uh, did it have the ending every other Studio Trigger thing does?" said Yuruko and he shrugged.

"It makes their shows unspoilable, at least. I already know that the human villain is fake bullshit, it's actually aliens that are the cause of everything, and they'll get beaten after a fight in space, say that they'll come back some day -"

" - and they never make a sequel." said Serena.

"Well, there was that Gurren Lagann and Darling in the Franxx crossover, but that seemed pretty forced. Did you see that one interview with the Persona guys a few years ago?"

"No."

"They said Japanese stories usually have a threat outside of the, uh, the - the main area. You know. Studio Trigger. Aliens or something that's an invasion from another planet or whatever. But then you've got Persona 5 where - you know, all the villains are -within- society and stuff, and they said that's more Western. I didn't really think about that."

"If only Western animation didn't suck." muttered Yuruko.

Junpei laughed. "Don't you like how it all has to have a message?"

"Yeah." muttered Serena.

There'd been a transgender character in a Japanese show she watched recently, and she hated it; both its stereotyping and that there was one at all. It felt like everything was set on reminding her.

"It has the shittiest animation, too." said Yuruko. "And it's all fucking - I mean, like you said, yeah - everything has to have some stupid message or whatever. At least regular anime is - it's stupid, but it's still fun. Western shit is just all kids shows."

In truth, Yuruko's primary dislike of Western animation was that it didn't remind her of Japanese. If she had it her way, there'd never be a show that didn't reference ones she'd seen before.

"You know that's how it is in Japan too, right?" said Junpei. "But yeah, I get what you mean. I don't like any of the serious stuff. Just give me, ano…" He glanced at the door. "…man. Remember that weird shit about clothes being our friends?"

"…yep." muttered Yuruko, then suddenly frowned. "…ugh. I need to go study for an exam for when I get back."

"You've got exams in America?" said Junpei and Serena nodded.

"Just her, um. She's going to be a Revenant researcher."

"What do you have to do for that?"

"A lot." mumbled Yuruko, kissing Serena before she walked out.

She had considered asking Mia to stay out for this one, but Satsuki was in trouble & the others would've thought her selfish if she asked.

◆◆◆

Before Mia met Samuel, she thought Texas was a state with more cactuses than people, and she should've assumed she was wrong about Africa too.

Mali was a poor country, but its capital was a city where the distinction between rural and urban was still sharply drawn. Most farmers took the freeway in to town to sell at an open-air market, and drove back on a dirt road to a home with no electricity. A man could lose a thousand francs at a casino, then buy a shirt off a street vendor's carpet ten minutes down the road.

On the outskirts, traditional housing overlooked roads dusty from the passage of scooters. In the dry climate, mudbrick was more common than concrete - it kept cooler. When the months came where the heat began to dessicate livestock, many made a living collecting mud from bogs, and let the Niger River carry their trash downstream. One couldn't afford to think of the future in Mali.

The four walked beside the freeway just as it started turning to dirt.

Matoi peeked in to her glove. "It hasn't brightened any more yet."

"Could he be north?" said Mia.

"We'll check south first."

Yamato yawned. "…what are we looking for?"

Mia frowned as Matoi explained it to him again, in Japanese so he couldn't blame it on the language difference. If he kept it up, Matoi's voice would make sure he'd be going back to Japan with the skin whipped off his back.

In her eyes' corner, she saw Samuel smiling a bit, hoping. Both had feared it last year - about time someone else did too.

"Are we planning on checking the Bright Foundation?" said Samuel and Matoi shrugged.

"If it's on the way. I highly doubt he'll be there, otherwise."

She looked over as they walked and saw Yamato already distracted by scooters passing by. Clearly, he'd be no help on this trip. Next time she spoke to Rin, she'd see if she couldn't get her to reconsider presidency - not out of any embarrassment for Ueno, but the principle of it. The world already had enough work-shy men in untouchable positions.

"Can we stop there?" said Yamato, pointing to a gas station on a dirt lot. "For… bathroom."

"Fine." said Matoi.

Yamato went inside, and Matoi sighed as the three waited outside. She leaned against the wall with the road ahead.

"And he gets paid as much as all three of us." said Samuel and Matoi's head shook.

"He doesn't have a mansion, at least."

Samuel nodded. Though not a greedy man, he figured anyone who said a good salary couldn't buy happiness was fifty-eight varieties of a fool. It had been his second motivator below prestige in his first two years, with willing women far below that. He suspected most men had that order flipped. There was no shortage of offers for him, written or in-person, but he didn't believe in an ideal of masculinity sold in a magazine.

It no longer surprised him how many did. The same men who cried women had it easier were happy to call him a pussy for working under Matoi & Mia.

"We won't have mansions soon, either." muttered Mia and Matoi laughed.

"Aimee and you can afford one."

"Yes, but where will Samuel live?" she frowned.

"Under a bridge somewhere." he said and the three laughed. "Won't have to take a pay cut, at least."

"And I wouldn't bother taking any contracts with Aimee." yawned Matoi, eyes on Mia. "Your wife's very boring to fight with. Every time we go out, she kills the host before I even see them."

Mia tried to stay focused. She hadn't visited Timepact in a while. Her hands yearned for that vest, and the muscles beneath it. "Er, is Marisa doing alright?"

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"She's fine."

Mia nodded, a bit disappointed. She'd been hoping to get more out of her than that. "Good. Er, I hope that she's - that she's … doing well at Timepact, yes. She's very strong."

Matoi just nodded, leaving Mia embarrassed. For all her social skills had grown over the years, making the occasional left-handed comment still frustrated her as if a splinter in her arm - it mostly bothered her when it was touched.

"Might get to try out some new food on this trip, at least." said Samuel. "Seems like they've got a lot of French food."

Matoi laughed. "I'm not risking eating anything in a place like this."

Mia frowned a little. Comments like that reminded her of how Matoi had threatened Urasaria's sole black staff member - a woman Mia found out after her death was chief interrogator. It had made her a bit uncomfortable at the time, but she knew Matoi had no real prejudice; she simply exploited every tactic she could.

"Makes you wonder why Sharp would even want to invest here." said Samuel. "You said the Bright Foundation's a charity, right?"

Matoi shrugged. "It is, but you know I've never been interested in questions like that. Most criminals are much more boring than you give them credit for. His Revenant is sapping Wedding's strength. We'll find him, kill him, then leave."

Mia saw Matoi's face tighten, reassuring herself.

"Right." she nodded.

"We will. Guess I'm just curious." said Samuel. "You said he killed his sister, then infected you and Rin, but he runs an African charity? I know it has to make sense, but I don't see how it does."

Matoi shook her head. "You're assuming it has to make sense. People simply don't work like that. Perhaps he has a close relation with somebody here. He mentioned the Gates Foundation when Rin and I spoke to him - it could just as easily be that he wanted to mimic it."

"Or he wanted somewhere to hide out."

"If you were a millionaire, wouldn't you be a bit petty?"

Samuel laughed, his boot catching against a tuft of grass. "I suppose I would be, yes. You know, you remind me of that - Mia, what's that phrase Serena and Yuruko say?"

Mia's lips pinched. She knew its origin now; they had gotten him to buy another five. "'The world only remembers the results.'"

"It's a good quote." nodded Matoi, and in the next instant -

- a splash of green liquid landed next to Samuel's boots, and in the next instant -

- a dozen blades of grass shot out of the ground and grabbed his wrists tight, another dozen wrapping around his legs; across the road, Mia saw a truck heading their way and approaching fast -

" - great." she sighed, relevantly - " - can you summon Outcast?"

"I'm - " - Outcast's armor flashed on, then disappeared in the next - " - trying, but -"

- a spray of purple flame hit the grass -

- and Mia sighed as they constricted even tighter, truck only a dozen seconds away now. Matoi rushed to the tanks of petrol with sword readied and sliced them out of the ground, and as the truck came five seconds within -

" - Wedding!" shouted Matoi; one shockwave blasted the tanks towards it -

- and the explosion ripped a few sheets of metal off it but didn't slow its speed, innards painted yellow with one man inside as it came towards the three; Mia & Matoi swept left to dodge it with Samuel still trapped in the middle -

- but the next scene was instant. Ghastly hands tore through the dirt below, and in to the sudden burrow he fell -

- and over him went the truck, passing by Mia & Matoi -

- and Mia swept with the speed of light back to dodge three drops of red liquid that'd shot towards her, truck driving away but still within range for the next instant scene. Her sword formed and one slash shot out a water cutter that bisected it straight down the middle, sending it crashing on its side -

- and she sighed as it kept its former momentum, still driving away; the three started rushing after it, speaking as they ran.

"It's - fucking still on me -" said Samuel as they ran, yellow grass on his wrists now; ghastly hands tried to pull them off - " - they tighten every time I -"

- Matoi laughed - " - I'm reminded of the joke where a man goes to see his doctor, and says his knee hurts every time he touches it -"

" - don't do that." chimed Mia, relevantly.

Ahead, they saw the truck sliding down a slope of dirt & past a bridge, forest below as they rushed to the apex of the hill. Mia saw the truck stop as it lost its yellow and out of it climbed a gloved man with a paintbrush & a palette, 50ft separating them & he.

'I hope she's not thinking of setting the forest on fire.' frowned Mia, glancing at Matoi.

'One laser should be enough.' thought Matoi.

A line of blue paint shot towards them; the three swept back as it hit the dirt ahead -

- and turned it in to liquid dirt; before the three could react, another splash of blue hit the ground -

- and their standing started shifting as the muddy hill began collapsing, dozens & dozens of blue specks turning the entire hill to liquid; in to the sudden ocean they fell -

- and landed on a platform of ice -

- but another blue speck turned it back to water, more dirt rushing in to shove them deeper down; Mia grabbed Matoi & Samuel as she hit the bottom -

- and a pillar of purple disintegrated the solid ground below; in to the burrow they fell, more liquid rushing in above -

- but the next scene was instant. A swarm of scarabs flew up, pincers locking & wings freezing as they formed a dome over the three -

- and the three stood safe again, underground with mud for walls and only a few specks of blue dripping in through the golden ceiling.

"Grass is gone." muttered Samuel, relevantly. "Yellow is indestructible."

"He has something to solidify." said Mia, glancing up. "He wouldn't risk this otherwise."

A tri-swarm raid gave them air as she felt the ground start solidifying above, scarab swarm still keeping most of it from dripping in -

- and a single speck of yellow dirt hit the ground.

Mia readied to burrow. "We need to -"

" - wait." Matoi's head shook. "Yellow isn't only indestructible - it conserves momentum. It might be regular paint."

"Might be trying to force us out." said Samuel. "Can paint it yellow while it falls if we burrow."

"...er, right." murmured Mia. She felt the dirt shifting near their walls. "He has another color that corrodes, then - he's also tunneling."

Mia rushed up to the wall and helped a few scarabs burrow a twenty foot pinhole in to it, them nodded as she saw blue liquid coming down it; ghastly hands plugged up the hole as she stepped back. "One of his tunnels."

A few specks of red dirt dripped in, and the ground sizzled when they landed -

- but the next scene was instant. Mia swept her sword up and slashed with the speed of fire three times -

- and one purple cutter disintegrated through the ground above; she saw a spot of motion that was their foe tunneling -

- and an electrical water cutter sliced his left hand off and sent it six feet high; a horrific shriek came out of him as he staggered near the sudden hole, liquid dirt dripping in to their den -

- but a dozen shockwaves blasted them out of the way, and a geyser of water launched the three up -

- and Mia grabbed him by his neck as they passed by; another guard launched her back to ground-level next to one tree -

" - Rembrandt -" - he panted -

- and she slammed him so hard in to it he left his teeth in the bark; another slam shattered his legs and left him on the ground. Rembrandt's brush appeared where his decapitated hand would've been as Matoi & Samuel came up. A single fire scarab lit Matoi's sword blue.

"Tell me what you know about Sharp." grunted Matoi, uberheated blade making his legs' skin melt twenty inches away. "You're clearly working for him - nobody else would be this stupid."

He screamed and replied in French. Mia checked her phone.

"We can translate with -"

- she swept back to avoid his vomit, and in the next instant -

- Rembrandt's brush burst out of his heart, and they knew he was dead before his head slumped down like a post-Renaissance scene.

"Of course." sighed Matoi, relevantly.

"Guessing they're all gonna do that." said Samuel. "Still need to finish checking the direction, too."

Matoi frowned as she peeked under her glove. "There has to be a better way than comparing the brightness by eye."

"Might be able to ask Yuruko for something to measure it." said Samuel and Mia nodded.

"I'll let her know."