Yuni's memories

Yuni sat in silence as she stared at her WWCF card. "To think things were normal a year ago. What was it that changed so much?" she thought as she stared at the search results.

The name she had tried to look up was Reika Yuzume, her old partner and mentor. After a mission to arrest an ILU executive had gone wrong, Reika had ended up sacrificing herself so that Yuni could escape. Yuni then tried to organize a rescue mission, but had been unsuccessful due to the plan being leaked real-time by an ILU agent. She had thought nothing else was truly amiss about that day, but now with the surge of the DESPERs, she began to ask questions.

"Did sensei know of the DESPERs? Illumous didn't seem to have them a year ago, but now they don't really exist anymore. Okaa-san didn't seem to have much insight either, which suggests Illumous really had no idea about the DESPERs, or just kept them exclusive to their highest ranks. No, not even that. But I guess since there's no record of Sensei playing chess, it means a DESPER might not have been involved in her demise. But still..."

Yuni closed her eyes as she thought back and remembered that fateful day...

...

January 30th, 2023...

A well-dressed woman with a black bob scowled as she drove with Yuni.

"So we're going to make the bust?" Yuni asked.

"Yes, but always be weary. There's a chance this is a trap, so if things get nasty, we run."

"Understood."

The woman was Reika Yuzume, a brilliant mind and ace detective who had solved countless cases. This time, the goal was to try and arrest one of ILU's top executives, Akuma Ookuma. Following the murder of Ginkawa patriarch, Gozaemon Ginkawa, Reika had managed to find evidence that Akuma was involved. Now came the culmination of all that as she and Yuni prepared to catch Akuma by surprise.

Pulling up to a lodge, Reika and Yuni got out of the car.

"Just like always, normal formation, side-by-side," Reika nodded as she and Yuni entered.

"Welcome. Do you have a reservation?" the hostess asked.

"Yes, a delivery of goods for Ookuma," Reika smiled.

Through her hannya mask, the hostess eyed Reika. Thanks to a little hair dye and some sunglasses, Reika had managed to completely turn into a different person. Yuni was also undercover, sporting bleached blonde hair, spray-tanned skin, and a different school cardigan from the one she normally wore.

"Follow me," the hostess nodded.

The two were then led down a hall to a large gathering room. There sat a scrawny twig of a man with longer fingernails clad in a light green robe that matched his hair and long wavy mustache. This was the target, Akuma Ookuma, head of the Ookuma family, one of ILU's 12 founding families.

"Huh? Who are you?" Akuma scoffed.

Reika let loose a smile before kicking the hostess in the back of the head straight into Akuma. Akuma struggled to react as the hostess smashed into him, giving Reika the opening needed to properly restrain him.

"LET ME GO! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM!?" Akuma fumed as his wrists and ankles were bound hogtied style with zipties.

"Under arrest, that's what," Reika proudly huffed.

However, as she and Yuni turned, they were greeted by a lone figure. The figure wore a black cloak along with a white mask with a long nose and red paint on it.

"Reika," Phantom mumbled as he slowly reached into his pocket.

Reika's eyes bulged as she charged for Phantom. "YUNI! RUN! GET OUT OF HERE!"

"What about-"

"RUN! DON'T TAKE AKUMA, HE'LL SLOW YOU DOWN!" Reika shouted as she tackled Phantom and pinned his arms down.

"I can help-"

"RUN! THAT'S AN ORDER!"

Yuni tearfully nodded as she began running away as fast as she could. As she looked back, she watched as Reika ripped off Phantom's mask, to reveal a dark void in place of a face. Then a second later, Reika yanked back Phantom's hood, causing the void to disappear and the face of an effeminate man with long blue hair to appear.

That was the last Yuni saw of the altercation as she turned and focused on escaping.

...

Yuni shook her head as she finished recalling the memory. "I never did find out who that man was that attacked Sensei. Whoever he was, Sensei seemed terrified of him despite having him pinned. How the hell did she lose? She took down Akuma by surprise, and he's said to have superhuman strength. Could that man have had a DESPER? Hmm... I probably shouldn't dwell on it. It's possible that he fell along with Illumous a year ago. Not to mention, not even Okaa-san had a lead, and if she doesn't, I doubt anyone else would."