Raise Some Hell [Part 1]

Mika stepped out of her room at midnight, having been plagued by the comfort of sleeping in a real bed once again. She had allowed herself to fall into the temptation of the luxuries she had never experienced as a child, such as sleeping on a soft mattress and being able to wear expensive clothing. She was beginning to feel like a real teenage girl with her very own cell phone, money to indulge in as many sweets as she wanted, and a fancy roof over her head to protect her from the elements. Beyond the gun strapped to her thigh, the tanto blade tucked between her buttocks and the vibrant tattoos covering her body, Mika's life was becoming something enjoyable. It didn't matter to her how many lives she had ended because, as Charlotte had predicted, she had become desensitized to the smell of gunpowder and the weight of her sins.

Mika arrived in the dining hall of the Bara-gumi headquarters, watching as her older brothers gambled recklessly over a game of richi mahjong, sipping on high-end whiskey. She plopped herself in the chair at the end of the table, trying her best to keep up with the fast-paced thrill of the game. Once again, she had no idea what the words 'Pon' and 'Chi' meant, but it fascinated her nonetheless. She shifted closer, watching as they reset the tiles for a fresh game.
"Can I play?"

The men at the table burst into laughter.

"You don't know the first thing about mahjong, Princess."

"Just sit over there and watch us; maybe we'll buy you a book on how to play."

Mika hung her head low at their insults, yet she wore a smile on her face. Banter wasn't something she was used to, but she sensed no malice coming from her crew.
"Fine, I'll sit and watch. But don't blame me if I get bored and start to annoy you."

Kazuya emerged from the basement, holding Wang Xianshi's earlobe in his dominant, three-fingered hand.
"If you want to learn mahjong, it's best to ask this sad sack of shit, Princess."

Xianshi tugged his ear free from Kazuya's grip, straightening his suit as he collected himself.
"True, I suppose I'm pretty good at it. But before that, how about we go out for some drinks, Princess? Kazuya here just gave me my first mission."

Mika smiled mischievously. She hopped up from her seat and walked over to Xianshi's side. She was eternally curious as to what kind of work the Bara-gumi had in store for her comrade.
"Drinks sound like fun, though I'll just settle for an apple juice. Where are we heading?"

Kazuya lit a cigarette between his lips, typing an address into his phone to send Mika.
"A bar on the outskirts of Shibuya. Just make sure Xianshi doesn't drink too much; he still has intel to acquire."
He tossed Xianshi a set of keys for one of the many Lexus sedans parked out front.

"I see... so, we're gathering intel? Are we meeting someone?"
Mika stepped beside Xianshi, looking up with fondness at the man she considered a friend.

"Yeah, a man by the name of Sakurai Shinjiro. Supposedly, he's got some leads about the upcoming war between us yakuza factions."
Xianshi climbed into the driver's seat, letting the engine roar to life.

"Sakurai? Is he important? Why is Charlotte letting you take on such a high-level mission?"
Mika tilted her head in confusion, wondering why Xianshi, the man who owed a massive debt to the Bara-gumi, was suddenly receiving Harumi levels of trust. Though, she didn't mind spending a night on the town with Xianshi.

"You bet your ass he's important, Princess. Sakurai was the man who got Charlotte on her feet when she was just starting out at eighteen years old. He's kind of like a neutral ground when it comes to yakuza work. I've only met him a few times myself. Charlotte trusts me because of our long history together... or something like that."
Xianshi's cigarette hung loosely against his lips as he drove, shifting between gears like a drag racer.

Mika admired his aesthetic as the neon lights of Tokyo led them into the sleepless ward of Shibuya.

The two stepped from the car, sending a frightening chill down the spines of anyone brave enough to gaze in their direction. As they approached the entrance of the bar, the large bouncer turned a blind eye after noticing their rose-patterned attire, not bothering to ask for Mika's identification, much less Xianshi's.

Waiting in a private booth was a man in his late fifties, wearing his long, grey hair in a beautiful ponytail. His aura alone was enough to make Mika's legs tremble. Her eyes trailed the silver-colored suit around his muscular body, as well as the tiger print shirt beneath his blazer. If there were ever a picture definition of 'Yakuza' in the dictionary, it would undeniably be this man.

Xianshi sat opposite of the imposing figure, motioning for Mika to follow. Once her bottom hit the seat of the booth, she let out a sigh of relief, feeling her the vibrations in her legs cease.
"It's been ages, Sakurai-san. Don't worry about the tab; it's on the Bara-gumi tonight."
Xianshi offered the man, known as Sakurai, a cigar from his breast pocket, bringing a Zippo lighter to the edge as a sign of respect.

"I certainly hope you'll pick up the tab, Xianshi. I've been drinking Dom Pérignon since noon. You aren't the first man I'm sharing this information with, and you won't be the last. So don't feel as if you're safe."
Sakurai puffed on the tip of the Cuban cigar, naturally letting his eyes fall to Mika.
"I see the Bara-gumi hasn't changed a bit. I thought for sure that Harumi would be the last child that Charlotte would ever train. I guess some things never change."

Mika scoffed at his harsh words. She didn't appreciate being singled out by the man, and she certainly wasn't going to let the comment about Harumi slide either.
"Just because I'm a child doesn't mean I'm weak. I don't know what Harumi-chan has been through, but I have no respect for Charlotte."
She defiantly popped her bubble of gum as her eyes turned away.

"No respect for Charlotte? That's quite rude of you, child. Did she or did she not provide you with housing, food, and the very clothes on your back?"
Sakurai inched closer to Mika, admiring her boldness. It was quite rare for someone to defy him, so he felt as if his authority were being tested.

Mika mimicked his posture, leaning closer despite her unbridled fear of the tall man before her.
"She did... but she also tortured me, killed my friend and took me away from my life! Just because you're in cahoots with her doesn't mean I have to bow to you, too. You're staring at the princess who killed Tetsu of the Doku-gumi, and I have no problem with killing you too, Sakurai Shinjiro!"

Sakurai's eyes widened, immediately covering her mouth with his large hand.
"Shut your mouth, brat! Don't shout about your exploits so carelessly! This whole bar is crawling with yakuza members! Defiance is one thing, but stupidity is another!"

Mika latched her teeth around Sakurai's palm, instinctively reaching for the revolver attached to her garter belt.

Xianshi intervened in a nanosecond, placing his hand over Mika's thigh to prevent any bloodshed.
"That's enough, Princess! Let's all just calm down and listen to what Sakurai-san has to say! My apologies, sir... our little Princess is still learning about our world."

Sakurai shook his hand free from Mika's teeth, rubbing it gently as he stared at the bloody mark she had left on his palm.
"Forget about it... it's just a flesh wound. I must say, she has potential, but that mouth of hers is going to get her killed one day."
He adjusted his posture in the booth, crossing his legs as he took another deep drag on his cigar.
"I'll get to the point. There's been some defiance from the Kairi-gumi and the Aka-gumi regarding the merger. The Doku-gumi seems to be compliant, but from what it sounds like the Aka-gumi and Kairi-gumi are discussing a merger of their own. They're talking about eliminating Charlotte for revenge."

Xianshi let out a sigh, pouring himself a glass of champagne as he processed Sakurai's words.
"I anticipated something like this would happen. Charlotte has a knack for attracting unwanted enemies. Any word on who will be taking over this new group?"

Sakurai leaned closer, lowering his voice to a gravelly whisper.
"Believe it or not, it's a woman. Here, I thought Charlotte would be the only female yakuza boss in Tokyo, but this new girl has quite the reputation under her belt. She goes by the name Sadako. Supposedly, she was Ren's main squeeze."

Mika looked up at Xianshi, curious about what was going through his mind. She chose her words carefully to avoid creating any more tension between Sakurai and herself.
"Who is Ren?"

Xianshi let out a shaky breath, downing the glass of champagne in one big gulp. He leaned his head back against the booth, preparing to tell Mika the unfortunate news.
"Ren was one of the yakuza bosses that Charlotte killed on the yacht. He was the leader of the Aka-gumi."

Mika tried to recall the events of the yacht party's bloody battle. Her memory was hazy, having been under intense stress and adrenaline. She could only remember the face of Tetsu and a few of the toughened men that surrounded him.
"I see... they all looked the same to me. Ugly men with crude tattoos and slicked-back hair."

Sakurai chuckled, signaling for a hostess to come take Mika's order.
"You summed up the yakuza pretty well, little girl. Just a bunch of wannabes playing dress-up and acting tough. That's all of the information I have for you, so I'll be on my way."

As Sakurai stood from his booth, he slipped a paper note to Mika's side. The hostess approached, wearing a revealing romper and a strapless crop top around her breasts.
"Yeah? What can I get you?"

Mika carefully unfolded the note, squinting her eyes to read the few words written in black ink.
"Just an apple juice..."
Her eyes widened with a sense of danger. The note that Sakurai had left contained just three words,

"Run away, quickly."