Improvise

The shipment that Time had learned about was loaded onto a freight train outbound from Shibuya to Meguro. It was enormous, dozens of carriages carrying both medical and military cybernetics.

Far more than I could ever steal in one night. But I was fine with that. Just meant I had more options.

“The train doesn't stop anywhere but it’s final destination, so you’ll have to board it while it’s moving,” said the gentle voice in the earpiece.

“Got it, Time. I can outrun a measly little freight train anyway.”

“For the love of god, do not be completely reckless about this.”

“So I can be at least a little reckless?”

“Toki.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be careful. Besides, I already hear it coming, not like I even have time to do anything stupid.”

“If there’s one thing you always find time for, it’s being stupid.”

“Oh, ye of little faith.”

I hopped off the high fence I had been perching on and made my way towards the train tracks. As I had expected, by the time I got there the train was already moving at my intercept point. Running parallel to it proved even easier than I had expected. Way to cheap out on the delivery, Kurogaisha.

“So what’s the plan? Jumping onto the roof and cutting your way in?”

“While it’s moving? Nah, too risky.”

“Then how are you getting on?”

“I uh… I might be cooking something…”

I quickened my pace, then matched the train again once I was level with the coupling between two of the cars.

“What are you- oh no.”

“It’s the only way.”

“Jumping on the roof is too risky but climbing on at the coupling is just hunky-dory?”

“Relax, all I need to do is get the timing right.”

“And if you don’t?”

“Meguro gets coated in a fine red mist.”

“Toki!”

“Come on, have I ever messed up like that before?”

“It only takes one to send you to an early grave.”

“Believe me, I screw this up, there’ll be nothing left to bury.”

“Dear god, I’m gonna be left alone, aren’t I?”

Ignoring her whinnies and whines, I grew closer and closer to the train until I could feel the ground rumble beneath my feet. In truth, this was incredibly reckless and dangerous, but you’d never hear me admit that to her. Either way, it was enough to make me hold my breath as I leapt towards the coupling.

It wasn’t quite wide enough for me to steadily plant both feet on at that speed, so I kicked off the rear carriage as I passed it and put my sword through the one in front. My shoulder hit the front carriage pretty hard, but my sword was wedged in well enough that the bounce didn’t leave me falling off the coupling, and I was able to find stable footing.

Damn, that shoulder is gonna swell to fuck in the morning.

“Well if they didn’t know you were here before, they definitely do now.”

“Hey, it was that or becoming a suspiciously human-shaped speed bump. Besides, this is just step two of my plan.”

“That plan being?”

“Step 1: formulate a plan. Step 2: fuck up the plan. Step 3: abandon the plan. Step 4: improvise.”

“I hate that plan!”

“It’s never led me astray before, I use it on every mission.”

“How careless are you?!”

“You sure you want the answer to that?”

“…just keep moving.”

“Yes, Madame.”

Judging by the fact that the carriage wall (and my torso) hadn’t been riddled with bullets the moment I stuck my sword through it, I felt pretty certain there wasn’t a company of MPs waiting for me in the first carriage. That didn’t mean there wouldn’t be resistance, but I could at least enter this one without my vital organs being used for target practice.

I sliced a square hole in the metal sheeting making up the carriage’s back wall, just large enough for me to comfortably fit through, and climbed my way in.

It was pitch black inside. So dark even my magically enhanced sight took a second to adjust. I almost wished it hadn’t.

The sight on the other side left me speechless.

“Jesus fuck…”

“Oh my god…”

It was a bloodbath. The walls were adorned with streaks of red, the ground littered with body parts, both organic and cybernetic. I couldn’t even tell how many corpses they belonged to. It was nothing short of a massacre.

Who could have killed so many MPs? And like that? It looked more like the work of an animal than a human being.

“S-someone there?”

The weak and pained voice came from further into the carriage. A survivor. I practically ran over to where he was laying.

“What the hell happened here?” I asked, crouching down at his side.

“Who are you?” he asked weakly.

“Uh- relief company. Special forces. Someone sounded a distress beacon,” I lied.

“Special forces? You guys should-” he stopped, coughed and threw up blood. “...you should… get out of here. There’s… no stopping her.”

“What? What the hell is going on?”

“We didn’t… even know what was happening. She- she hit the lights, dropped in through the hatch. It was… over before I could fire a shot. Cut my men to pieces. Stuck me with this.” He held up something small, metal and covered in blood. A shuriken. One look at his wound told me it had perforated his intestines. There was no saving him. “Get out of here… you can’t stop her…”

“Who? Who the hell is she, dammit?”

“...the Ronin.”

“The- wha-?”

I didn’t even have a single beat to process the invocation of my name. By sheer instinct, I leaned my entire upper body backwards until both my hands and head were touching the floor, the incoming blade skimming just over the tip of my nose. I wasn’t even sure which direction it came from.

I planted my hands behind my head and launched myself upwards with all my might, slamming through the hatch at the top of the carriage. I managed to land both feet down on the carriage roof, but the shock had still yet to subside.

What the hell was that?

If not for my precognition saving my skin, my head would be entering a long distance relationship with my shoulders. And I didn’t see or hear the person - or thing - that did it.

I didn’t have time to stop and think about it. A figure materialised out of thin air some few metres directly above the hatch. Then, in a flash of blinding light, disappeared and reappeared less than a metre from my face.

Once again, my precognition saved me, and I was able to block the powerful slice aimed for my midsection, but I was forced to jump back and land on the carriage behind. Only then did I finally get a good look at the figure trying to take my very life.

“A pleasure to finally meet you, my dear Ronin,” said the figure, with a sarcastic bow and an androgynous voice.

It appeared to be a man, slightly taller than me, and with broader shoulders. He was wearing a black and purple two-piece suit, and a masquerade mask that covered his whole face except his sneering mouth.

He? No. Appearances couldn’t hide what I was really facing. There was only one thing she could be.

“A magical girl.”