Chapter 52: The Weight of the Dragon

The hospital is a fortress. It is not a public hospital; it is the "Katsumi Wing" of the most expensive, private hospital in Tokyo. And it is swarming.

The black suits are everywhere. They are not the polite suits from the Oasis; these are the compound guards. They are Kenichi's men. They are yakuza. And they are angry. They line the halls, their faces like stone. They bow as we approach.

"Ojou-sama."

We. I am with her. I do not even remember the ride. Ayako was silent, her face a mask of tears and ice. I just held her hand, and she let me. Now, we are here. I am in my 'blending' attire, my suit. I am her asset, her shadow.

Kenichi meets us at the elevator. His face is grim. He has a cut over his eye.

"Kenichi," Ayako whispers, her voice shaking. "You were there."

"Ojou-sama," he says, his voice a low, pained rumble. "He is stable. The blast was not a direct hit. I managed to shield him with the car."

He is a hero.

"He is in surgery," Kenichi says. "He is strong. He will survive."

Ayako just nods, her eyes closed. "The assassin?"

"Gone," Kenichi says, his voice full of shame. "She was a ghost. A pro. S-Rank. She was gone before the smoke cleared."

"Sakura," Ayako hisses.

We go to the private waiting room. It is a penthouse waiting room. And it is full. The Region Leaders are here. Jiro. The Finance boss. The Logistics boss. They all stand, they all bow.

"Ojou-sama."

Ayako is not Ayako anymore. She is the Successor. She walks to the head of the room, her back straight, her face a mask of ice.

"Report," she commands.

And they report.

"The Hitsune-kai are denying everything," Jiro says. "They claim Kageyama went rogue."

"They are lying," Ayako says.

"The markets are unstable," the Finance boss says. "Our partners are scared. This shows weakness."

This is her world. Her father is bleeding on a table, and they are talking about money. I am so angry I am about to speak.

Ayako puts up a hand. "Stop," she says.

The room goes silent.

"My father is alive," she says, her voice like steel. "This was not a failure of his strength. It was a failure of my intelligence."

They all stare.

"I was the target," Ayako says. "The assassin was testing me. I was too arrogant to see the secondary target."

She is taking the blame.

"This war," she says, "is my war. Not his."

The door opens. A surgeon walks in. "He is out of surgery," the surgeon says. "He is weak. But he is alive."

Ayako slumps. The ice breaks. I catch her.

"He is awake," the surgeon says. "He is asking for you, Ojou-sama."

The private room is dark. Ryouji Katsumi, the dragon, looks small. He is in the bed, pale, hooked up to machines.

"Father...?" Ayako whispers.

"Ayako," he breathes, his voice a scratch. "You are here."

"I am sorry, Father," she whispers, kneeling by his bed, tears streaming down her face. "I failed you."

"No," Ryouji whispers. "You did not. She was good. S-Rank."

He looks past her. He sees me.

"Anomaly," he whispers.

I step forward. "Kaichou," I say, bowing.

"You are still here," he whispers. "You are still with her."

"Yes, sir."

"Good," he breathes. "Good asset."

He looks at Ayako. "The Bokumuchi-kai is unbalanced," he says. "The Hitsune-kai are at the gate. I am weak. I am a liability."

"Father, no..."

"Ayako," he commands, his voice suddenly strong. "The weight is yours now. You are not the Successor anymore."

He reaches out. He grabs her wrist.

"You are the Kaichou."

Ayako stops crying. Her face goes cold. She stands up. She is the dragon.

"Yes, Father."

She turns to me, her eyes black. "Shoujo," she commands.

"Yes... Kaichou?" I whisper.

"She is still out there," she says. "Sakura."

"Yes."

"She failed. She will try again."

"Yes."

"She knows my father is my weakness." Ayako looks at me, her gaze terrifying.

"She does not know my other weakness."

"Me," I whisper.

"Find her," Ayako commands. "Find the Pink Pest. We are going to war."