Little Goddess

Night descended. We received the furisode from the bribed woman, and Mana put it on. Some adjustments had to be made before it could fit her. It was black and yellow with intricate designs with a yellow crane on it. The scouts said that each furisode had its own animal. Kamiko’s furisode was crimson and black with a red fish sewn on it. Mana folded her hair and covered it with a black wig, rehearsing a few more times. The servants plastered her face in makeup to the point where she looked like a different person, similar to the bribed woman I expect.

I was dressed in a black suit, sunglasses, and an earpiece which connected to Kamiko’s security team as well as the Rats. I checked over the pistol, making sure I had enough ammo. There was a depot nearby where I equipped a new body armor and some extra magazines. Mana received a holster that would allow her to hide the revolver in her sleeve and a small listening device placed in her outfit.

The men who were coming with us were similar to the white tank top guards that Aimi had. Unlike them, they were equipped with firearms and bulletproof vests. There were ten of them, and they’ll be stationed outside the building while we went in. If things got hot, they’ll barge in, weapons at the ready.

We boarded the unassuming black van and watched as Toshiyuki, Aimi, Kido, and Matsumoto waved us goodbye. We left the gates and the resident behind, blurring through the night. The house was located on the outskirts of the city, and some time passed before we arrived. Mana seemed composed as she was readying for her role. Once given the opportunity, she’d enter Kamiko’s room and attempt an apprehension. I’ll provide backup, but it might’ve taken some time to break away from my orders to avoid suspicion.

The van neared the wharf, and we spotted a building nearby. Multiple black cars were parked outside, and the vehicle stopped across the street. We stepped out of the van, feeling the cool night breeze caressing our skin. Mana and I would split ways once we reached the building. She would enter the woman’s room and prepare to parrot her duties while I would try to blend in with the guards. I activated my earpiece, receiving my first orders.

“You’re needed at the CCTV station,” said a voice.

I entered the backdoor leading to the basement, not knowing where the station was. I stepped inside the dimly lit security office the enemy had set up, a few computers sitting on white foldable tables. A few guards looked at me, and one spoke up.

“Done with your smoke break? Get to your post,” he said, beckoning towards a corridor.

I walked, trying to silence my footsteps on the hardwood floor as best as I could even if it didn’t matter. A door on my right with the words ‘Armory’ on it came into view. On the left was a door leading the CCTV room. Curious, I twisted the knob and opened the armory. Long guns and pistols lined the walls. There were crates of orbs littering the floor. A box of smoke grenades was at a corner, and I took two, hiding them at my waist. I left then entered the CCTV room.

A guard laid back on his chair, yawning, and he looked at me when I stepped in.

“So you’re my replacement? Have fun.” He left the room, leaving me alone.

I took a seat in front of the many screens. Mana appeared on one of them who spoke into the listening device in her sleeve. There was a small, nearly undetectable earpiece in her right ear.

“I made it in the room. I have to do my duties before I make the arrest.”

“Careful with your movements. If it wasn’t me in the camera room, you would’ve been found out by now.”

She looked around the room then spotted the camera above the bed.

“Thanks for the heads up.”

She left the room to parrot Kamiko. I looked at the other screens, noticing that there were only views of four bedrooms. Kamiko had four clones, so there was a camera in each of their room, each with the door in sight. However, she did not put a camera in her own room. The scouts didn’t know which room Kamiko was in, but I could find out by process of elimination. By looking at the entrance to each of the room, I could understand their position by viewing them using the cameras’ perspective outside of their room.

Further investigation led me to believe that the largest room, the one facing the stairs, wasn’t the one Kamiko was in. After eliminating every suspect, I was left with the smallest room, the one in a narrow corridor on the left. I placed a finger on my earpiece, contacting the Rats.

“I found Kamiko’s room,” I said, telling them where it was.

“Understood,” was all they said, and the call cut. I couldn’t help but feel that Aimi’s affirmations were superior to theirs.

I informed Mana who gave a curt nod which I saw on a screen. From the schedule, her duties were nearly finished. She climbed the stairs, and instead of entering her room, she stood outside the narrow corridor in front of Kamiko’s.

“Wait for me to get in a better spot,” I said. From where I was, if something went awry, I wouldn’t be in the right distance to help her.

“Guards are coming my way, I’m going in.”

I left the CCTV room and speed-walked upstairs. The expansive staircase came into view, and two guards were posted at the entrance. They eyed me as I came up, and when I tried to climb the stairs, they interrupted my walk.

“You’re not authorized there, pal.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it,” I said, trying to excuse myself and walking away.

The men approached me and blocked my exits.

“Who are you anyways? I don’t think I recognize you.”

A lie nearly escaped my lips, but Mana’s voice alongside someone else’s sounded on through the earpiece.

“It’s over for you, Kamiko. If you surrender now, this can be resolved peacefully,” said Mana.

“So you’re the girl I met at that office,” said a voice identical to the one I heard that day when the client spoke. “I hope you don’t think that you, the stars, and your rat friends were the ones to drive me out of the city.”

“Put those hands up.”

“You’re really naïve. The only way this ends is either with you or me in the dirt.”

A gunshot followed after. The two guards and I whipped our head upstairs, towards the narrow corridor where Kamiko’s room was. A woman in a black and crimson furisode with a red fish on it ran out of the room. She held a derringer in her hands and faced us, pointing at the room she had just ran out of.

“There’s an intruder! Kill her!” Five guards approached from the basement and stopped next to us, and Kamiko pointed at them. “Get me to the helicopter!”

I ran up the stairs with the two guards at my heel. The other five followed Kamiko into a room leading up to the roof. I peered behind me as I ran up. About ten guards were standing downstairs, peering out the windows, rifles in hand.

I slammed through the door, pistol at the ready. Mana was on the floor and was trying to get up. The two guards behind me emerged and aimed their guns at her. I pointed the muzzle at each of their heads and fired. They collapsed onto the floor, a pool of blood darkening the white carpet. I went over to her, examining her injuries, noticing none. Not a speck of blood was on her despite the gunshot.

“I just dodged the bullet and fell. These things are hard to move in,” said Mana, and I pulled her up.

She picked up her revolver, and we ran out. On the first floor, a blaze of gunfire was erupting. Muzzle flashes brightened outside in the dark night while Kamiko’s men returned fire.

“We need some assistant!” said the Rats leader.

I took aim and fired at each one, and many collapsed before they realized that they were being flanked. Kamiko’s guards took aim at us, and we retreated into the room. From outside the building, gunshots resounded, and the muzzle flash grew closer. The men inside, unable to deal with both sides, fell, and the Rats were able to enter and clear the interior.

We ran for the roof and climbed the stairs, emerging from the door onto the roof, but the helicopter was no longer there. In the distant, the aircraft was speeding towards the sea where a cargo ship was sailing out of the city.

“We can still make it to the ship with the lifeboat!” said Mana.

We dashed back down to the first floor where the remaining Rats were securing the area.

“We’re borrowing your van!” said Mana, dashing outside and entering the vehicle. Before she closed the door, she pulled the wig off and threw it on the asphalt.

The key was still in the ignition, and she accelerated towards the wharf where the lifeboat was docked. We left the van and stepped into the boat. It was just as humid as before, but we ignored it and got into the cockpit. We set the speed to max and steered towards the cargo ship. Mana grabbed the knife and cut the furisode from a bit below her knee.

“That’s expensive, you know!”

“It’s getting in the way,” said Mana, dragging the knife back and forth, ripping into the cloth.

The helicopter landed on the ship which grew as we closed the distance. We neared the ship, and there wasn’t any ripples from the stern. From the hull, a door pulled open, revealing an oval of light in the night. A man stood in the opening, and I recognized him as the man who gave us a tour of the ship. We stopped the lifeboat under the man and got out, climbing on the roof.

“Hey, you got our distress call?” he said.

We simply nodded. “What’s the situation?” I said.

“They got the captain and some of the crew hostage in the bridge! The rest are with me,” he said. A few other faces showed from behind him.

“We’ll take care of it. Get in the boat and keep it next to the ship for the rest of your crew.”

He nodded and let down a rope ladder. A couple of men climbed down and entered the boat. We climbed up and began our ascent to the bridge. It looked just how we left it. Footsteps sounded around the corner, and we took cover, waiting. I peered into the corridor, seeing an armed guard equipped with a pistol. I attached the suppressor to the pistol and readied it close to my chest. He walked passed us, and I whacked the butt of the gun into his head. He collapsed to the floor, and I kicked his gun into a dark corner of the ship.

At the end of the corridor, there was another set of footsteps coming our way.

“Hey buddy, where’d you go?” said the guard.

We emerged into his field of view, and he gave a shout before pointing the pistol at us. I was already ready and pulled the trigger before he could react. It hit his head, and he tumbled to the ground. I didn’t know if those at the bridge could hear us, but we had to hurry regardless.

We reached the deck, looking up at the bridge. We crouched and snuck up the stairs. I looked through the window when we reached the top. Three men were holding the crew at gunpoint. Two crewmen were lying on the floor in a pool of their own blood. The captain was among the hostages, and Kamiko was speaking to him.

“Steer the ship, or another one dies.”

“You idiot. The ship cannot sail without those two men you just killed,” said the captain. “I never should’ve accepted the money from you people.”

Kamiko beckoned one of her guards to shoot another crew member. Before he could pull the trigger, I aimed the muzzle at his head and fired. He fell to the ground, but I couldn’t target the other two in time. They faced me, pistols raised then fired. I ducked to cover, and Kamiko dashed out of the bridge and ran towards the bow.

“Get after her!” I said, pointing at the fading silhouette ducking behind the cargo containers. Mana left my side and speeded towards her position, revolver at the ready.

I returned my attention to the other two. They had wrapped their arms around two crew members, aiming the gun at me. Still behind cover, I snuck to the other side of the bridge as quietly as I could. The whimpering of the crew members disguised my movement. I got behind the two and dropped them.

“There’s a lifeboat waiting at the exit,” I said. The crew nodded then left, and I hurried to Mana.

A gunshot rang out in the distance. I didn’t see a muzzle flash, so they must’ve been in the maze of cargo containers. I inched through the perimeter of the maze, straining my ears and eyes. Voices sounded in the distance, and they grew as I neared. I was getting closer to the bow of the ship, and the end of the maze was coming into view. I rounded the corner, seeing the shorter perimeter. Kamiko ran out, and Mana chased her. I followed behind the detective.

There was nowhere left to go on this ship. Kamiko grabbed onto the railing and looked out to sea for a second before turning to face us. She aimed her derringer and fired at Mana, the bullet hitting the flesh of her arm. Blood trickled down, reddening her dress. Her arm was limp, and she dropped the pistol to hold it while I held Kamiko at gunpoint who threw the derringer aside.

“It’s over, Kamiko. Surrender, and this’ll end peacefully,” said Mana. I inched closer to the woman, but she sat on the railings, stopping me.

“At this point, it would be wiser of me to say you are a fool instead of naïve.” Her hand grasped around the railings. “Let me give you a little lesson, child. If I allowed myself to surrender, I will either get out the next day, or won’t live to see tomorrow.” She chuckled. “The latter is more likely.”

“We’ll provide you the best protection. You’ll get a fair trial and be safely locked away.”

At this, Kamiko roared into a haughty laugh. She shook her head, wiping the humor away. Her hand strangled the railings.

“You remind me of my old self.” She spoke in a low voice, and we shouldn’t have been able to hear it, but the breeze carried it into our ears.

“Allow me to do you a favor, my last one,” said Kamiko, releasing her grip on the railings. She arched back, her head aiming for the sea. Her body disappeared and only her legs were in sight. From this distance, I could’ve run and grab them in time, but I didn’t. I already knew how this was going to end from the beginning.

Mana, even with her bleeding arm, raced pass me, leaving behind a gust of wind. She pushed against the railings and leaned off, trying to grab Kamiko’s leg but missed. Unable to regain her balance, she tipped out of the ship. I leapt forward and grabbed her legs, her upper body dangling off the side. From below, the body hit the hull and splashed into the sea. I pulled her back on to the deck and collapsed, heaving sighs of relief.

“So you could’ve saved her,” said Mana, her voice quiet, but I could hear her, nonetheless.

“I chose not to,” I said and pulled her up.

I grabbed a knife and cut off a piece of my blazer, tying it around her arm. We descended into the ship and headed for the entrance, but when we got there, the lifeboat was nowhere to be seen. Considering how long we were taking, I couldn’t blame them. There was still the helicopter. I wrestled with the controls for a second before remembering how to fly. There wasn’t a lot of gas in the aircraft. The ride back was silent with Mana clutching her arm. Her eyes drooped, and she fell asleep.

Service returned once I flew above land. I spoke through the earpiece to the Rats commander, telling him we were in the helicopter and that Mana needed medical attention. He ordered me to land at Kamiko’s hideout.

The phone in my pocket I had forgotten about rang. I tensed and gritted my teeth, answering the call.

“Well done. Now, I want you to meet me up at the top level of the carpark,” said Ryuji.

“Which one?”

“The one overlooking the entire area. Also, don’t think of trying any funny business. You and your friends won’t make it if you do.”

I confirmed the location, hovering over the hideout. The aircraft lowered and bumped as it landed. Mana shook awake, and we walked down to the entrance where the Rats were waiting. She got in the van where she fell asleep once more. I refused the ride, telling them I still had some things to do. The van drove off, leaving me behind. I faced the concrete carpark looming in the distance and walked toward the void of night.