?Well, that was a lot safer than most of my car journeys.?
Sakuya couldn?t help but sound a little upset as she stepped out of the vehicle. The journey had taken twice as long as she had expected it to - then again, she was used to Meiling?s barely legal, death defying stunts on the road. Komachi had been more willing to stop at red lights and peacefully coexist with other drivers. Her car probably couldn?t handle that sort of exertion, anyway.
?I call her Ol' Rusty. She ain?t fast, and she ain?t pretty, but she gets the job done.? Komachi emerged from the other side, giving the car a loving tap on the hood. ?Bought it from a pal five years ago, and she hasn?t missed a beat.?
?Do you refer to everything you own as ?she??? Sakuya asked without looking her in the eye.
?Only the stuff I?d be willin? to hug in public.?
Komachi walked away, without bothering to elaborate. Sakuya followed, too distracted to ponder over the lawyer?s choice of words.
The street was a nigh-endless line of apartment blocks, housing roughly four-hundred people. They were cheaply built, but with just enough reinforcement to keep them standing should an earthquake hit. They looked more suited for a middle-class employee than a master investigator, but Komachi insisted this was her contact?s address. She approached one of the apartment blocks, Sakuya trailing behind.
?OK, so here?s the deal,? Komachi said, her voice now much more serious. ?Kotohime is, well...strange is the best word I can think of. She?s not the sorta girl I?d want at my next birthday party, but I can?t deny she?s good at what she does. But she?s gonna ask some strange things of you, so it?d really help if you just played along.?
Sakuya frowned. ?You?re putting me in a room with a lunatic, and you won?t even let me poke fun at her? You lawyers really are a dull lot.?
?Hey, not my fault if you piss her off and she decides not to help us. Just trying to help.?
The maid gulped. Perhaps she had been pushing her luck recently. She decided to keep quiet as Komachi pressed an unmarked buzzer. A few seconds later, the intercom crackled to life.
?State your business.? The voice on the other end of the line was hard to make out, but held a tone somewhere between gleeful and melodramatic. Komachi clenched her teeth.
?Let us in, Kotohime,? she muttered. There was silence for a few seconds as the voice pondered the idea, before a noble?s laugh resounded from the metal box.
?Ohohohoho...you know that?s not what you?re supposed to say, Onozuka.?
?Just lemme in already. I really don?t wanna play games with you today.?
This time there was no reply at all, but the faint crackling of the intercom remained. Kotohime was waiting for Komachi to say whatever she was supposed to, and there was no sign she?d let them in otherwise. Sakuya saw the lawyer?s eyes drift towards the door, and she could almost hear the woman ask herself whether it was worth breaking the door down.
Eventually, sensibility won out.
?...Princess Kotohime, may I request an audience?? Komachi spoke begrudgingly, looking set to vomit with every word. A childish giggle came from the intercom.
?Certainly!? With a buzz, the door unlocked. Komachi let herself in, shoulders slumped like she was struggling with her own weight. Sakuya kept a few paces away from her, concerned her lack of enthusiasm was contagious.
Two flights of stairs later, Komachi came to a stop in front of an apartment door. The first thing Sakuya noticed was the flowery pattern engraved on the door. As she approached it became clear it was no engraving - rather, it had been painted meticulously to make the door look more fancy than it really was. She was beginning to understand why Komachi had been so worried about coming here.
The door was half-open, and Komachi let herself in. The apartment itself was everything Sakuya hadn?t been expecting - in short, it was a dump. She had to tread carefully across a minefield of empty soda cans and ready-meal wrappers to cross the hall. The wallpaper was peeling in places, and the ceiling fan whirled pitifully above her head. The whole place seemed designed to send Sakuya into overdrive - years as a maid had built certain instincts into her, and she had to fight the urge to overhaul the entire apartment without even being asked. The only saving grace was the faint smell of tea coming from the kitchen.
Kotohime?s room, thankfully, was only mildly tarnished. A few dozen cans of a popular energy drink were propped up next to one of the most impressive computers Sakuya had seen in her life. The whole rig hummed with power, letting off a faint blue light and whirring faster than any machine she?d ever witnessed. There was an electronic archive hidden away in the mansion for listing employees and finances, but against this behemoth it may as well have been a calculator.
The woman herself was seated in front of the computer, eyes jumping between three monitors at once. One screen displayed a database whose contents Sakuya couldn?t identify with a single glance. A second showed stock markets, reporting a gradually increasing stock in Kotohime?s favour. The final monitor was filled with numbers and symbols in what looked like a programming language - regrettably, one field in which Sakuya had never become fluent. Kotohime twirled about with deliberate flair as she swirled the chair about to face her guests.
?Onozuka. I?m surprised you haven?t cut ties with me by now.?
Sakuya gave the woman one of her cursory examinations. Late teens, maybe early twenties. Long brown hair, frayed and pointing in every direction. Vaguely red eyes, bright and curious. A nightgown with small gem-accessories sewn into it, perhaps as a makeshift robe. A small book in English hidden under her chair - Sakuya could just make out the words HANSEL AND GRETEL on the cover. She could draw many conclusions from her observations, but none of them seemed worth declaring given that she?d been ordered to keep quiet. She stayed in the doorway, allowing Komachi to do the talking on her behalf.
The lawyer grumbled, unable to look Kotohime in the eye. ?I?m not gonna pretend that I?ll enjoy this visit. I?m here for business, so if you wanna do away with the pleasantries that?d be wonderful.?
Kotohime sat up, a head shorter than Komachi but twice as proud. She waved a finger from side to side, tutting with disappointment.
?Oh, Onozuka. You know I request my payment in advance, don?t you??
Komachi grumbled, reaching into one of the pockets on her suit and pulling out a small bag. She flung it at Kotohime, and the ?inspector? caught it effortlessly in one hand. She opened it up, pulling out one of the dozen teabags held within. She held one close, took a sniff at it, and frowned.
?Darjeeling again? I hope you understand you?re becoming predictable now.?
?It was all I could get on short notice,? Komachi said with a shrug. ?It counts, right??
Kotohime thought it over for a moment, rustling at the tea leaves inside of the bag, before at last she nodded.
?Allow me to test it myself, and I will decide then.? She hurled it across the room, this time with a throw towards Sakuya. Her aim was better than the maid had expected, and Sakuya grabbed it with ease.
?Izayoi-san, would you mind making me a cup? I believe it?s your specialty.?
Sakuya felt her heart skip a beat. She turned to Komachi, mouth wide open in a rare look of surprise. The lawyer simply shrugged with a knowing smile. Thankfully, Kotohime was too vain to let her deduction go unexplained.
?When Onozuka made contact, I thought that a little background reading was in order. Sure enough, yesterday she was marked down as reading through court archives alongside a Sakuya Izayoi, who happens to be serving as a maid for the young Remilia Scarlet.? Every word sounded more smug than the one before it, her arms beginning to swing about in wild rotations. ?And for an encore, I found out that Izayoi-san has been doing some individual research throughout Gensouto?s public records - in particular, looking into the workings of the Saigyouji family.?
She held her arms out, awaiting a round of applause. ?So are you here to learn about the Saigyouji family, or have I made some sort of foolish miscalculation??
Sakuya wanted desperately to say she was wrong, but every deduction had hit its target. She settled for turning on her heels and heading to the kitchen, refusing to give the woman the attention she was looking for.
?A stubborn one,? Kotohime said as Sakuya departed. The maid couldn?t make out Komachi?s response before she was out of earshot.
The kitchen was at the end of the hallway, and Sakuya sighed as she looked within. Unlike every other room in the house, the kitchen had been given a great deal of care, and every surface was spotless. Sakuya felt more comfortable here than she had in Kotohime?s room, as if she had stepped into her natural environment. It was enough to make her forget the cocky grin on Kotohime?s face while she prepared the tea. Darjeeling wasn?t a brand she was intimately familiar with, but she knew enough about tea to have a general idea what she was doing.
A few minutes later, she returned with a perfectly made cup. She took care not to trip on the return journey, and was doubly careful not to give in to the urge to spray the boiling drink all over Kotohime. The ?princess? was chuckling to herself as Sakuya returned, telling a story that Komachi clearly wasn?t listening to.
?...And then I told him what HE could cyber, and-oh, you?re back.? Kotohime stretched an arm out to reach at the tea, refusing to leave her chair. Sakuya glared at her for a few seconds, waiting for her to stand up, but Kotohime was adamant about staying put. Finally Sakuya took the two steps necessary to place the cup right in Kotohime?s hand.
?Thank you. Was that so hard?? As the investigator took a tentative sip of the drink, Sakuya had to turn away and look towards Komachi. She didn?t trust herself to keep calm in the face of such blatant egotism. It was like talking to a caricature of herself, with every frustrating trait magnified by a factor of twenty.
Her cue to turn back was the small clink as Kotohime placed the cup on the desk, followed by a long sigh of satisfaction.
?Ahh, that really is a wonderful blend. Perhaps your taste is better than I thought.? Kotohime turned to Sakuya, that unbearable smile sliding onto her face again. ?I?d check the adoption records, if I were you.?
Sakuya raised an eyebrow. ?Excuse me?? The moment the words were out of her mouth, Sakuya already regretted them. Kotohime?s smile grew as she started another monologue on her own greatness.
?I assume by now you understand what Onozuka sees in me. I?m something of a technician, a fact-finder on the endless bounds of the internet. And since I was doing so much background reading on you, I decided to read up on this Saigyouji woman as well. An interesting madam, certainly, though I found no trace of anything blatantly illegal in her doings. What I did find, though, was a small anomaly looking through the public records.?
Now Sakuya couldn?t bring herself to look away. She knew she was giving Kotohime the public audience she was looking for, but this was the closest she?d had to an actual lead. She nodded for Kotohime to continue.
?Well, what I found was that Saigyouji?s name came up somewhere where it shouldn?t have. It was an old link, unavailable through standard methods, but with a few custom programs I found her name swimming around in the Gensouto adoption files. Only the name, though - the report itself seems to have been wiped from the system. Curious, that - they only store files when there?s a successful adoption, and usually every new parent gets a report written on them.?
?How certain are you about this?? Sakuya asked. ?I?ve searched through every public record I could find on Yuyuko Saigyouji, and I?ve found nothing referring to adoption.?
Kotohime shrugged. ?Anything can disappear if you throw enough money at it. Unless, of course, you have a princess on your side.? She winked, and Sakuya struggled to keep herself from throwing up at the sight of it. She turned away to Komachi again.
?Where does the court keep official adoption records?? she asked. ?They might have wiped the electronic file, but the paper copy might still be floating around.?
Komachi seemed startled, like the conversation had finally knocked her awake. She rubbed at the back of her head. ?Well, they?re in the archives like everything else. I figured if you were looking for that sorta stuff, you would go to the adoption agency...but if it?s something Saigyouji was trying to hide, the court record is the one she?s most likely to have missed.?
Sakuya nodded. She?d considered looking through adoption records before, but with no leads and a mountain of other options to look through it had been low on her list of priorities. She was frustrated that the answer had been so close from the beginning, but at least they were getting somewhere now.
?Thanks,? Sakuya muttered to Kotohime, offering her a small bow. Kotohime lapped up the praise, giving a noble wave to her as she left.
?Goodbye, Izayoi-san. If you need my services again, you know where to find me.?
Silently, Sakuya prayed to herself that this would be her first and last meeting with Kotohime. The look of relief on Komachi?s face as she closed the door behind her suggested she wasn?t alone in that thought.
?How often have you needed to work with her?? Sakuya asked as they stepped out onto the street.
Komachi grunted. ?More than enough. I hope this shows you how much I?m willing to help you out.?
?And I hope this lead shows you that sometimes a gambler?s hunch really does get you somewhere.?
Komachi?s face crumpled up. ?Yeah, whatever. Just get in the car. We?ve got some more reading to do.?
-----
?Aaaand that?s the last of them.?
Mokou threw the final bag into the pile, which by now was higher than she was tall. Koishi and Sango stood alongside her, taking a moment to witness their own work. Around them, the winds were beginning to pick up, which would have been a surefire sign of disaster if the leaves hadn?t been taken care of.
?It?s beautiful, isn?t it?? Sango said, one arm around Koishi?s shoulder and the other wiping at her eyes. ?It?s amazing what can happen when humans and dolphins put aside their differences and work together. It just gets me so emotional...?
Koishi wasn?t too impressed by the pile itself, but the feeling of a long day?s work had a definite appeal to her. Her muscles ached, but it was the sort of pain that came from doing something useful with herself, and it felt like she?d grow back a little stronger once the pain had passed. She leaned into Sango?s shoulder a little, almost falling asleep from relief.
The moment was ruined by a loud growling from Sango?s stomach.
?Oh...uh.? The dolphin looked down at herself, then to the Sirens. Koishi gave her a little pat on the stomach.
?You hungry, Sango-san??
?No!? Sango paused for a moment before pouting. ?Well, yeah. I was up late last night, so I kinda skipped breakfast...?
A door shuffled open behind her. ?Well, you?ll be grateful to know that dinner is served.? Youki Saigyouji stepped out to greet them once again, his expression as neutral as ever. He eyed the pile of leaf-filled bags for a moment, offering a small nod of approval before beckoning the trio inside. The gardeners gratefully followed in his footsteps as they started the labyrinthine journey to the dining room.
?What?re you having tonight?? Mokou asked, looking as if the exercise hadn?t fazed her at all. ?I?m a growing girl, so I can?t get by on something petty after a long day?s work.?
Youki didn?t even look back at her. ?On Tuesdays, we serve motsunabe. My mother is intent on hearty meals so that I grow big and strong.? He frowned. ?Her words, not mine.?
Sango tilted her head. ?Motsunabe??
?It?s a soup with beef offal and cabbage in it, basically,? Koishi said. ?And probably a bunch of extras too, if it?s like yesterday.?
Youki nodded. ?Not to worry, though. There?ll be an extra mouth at the table tonight.?
?Eh?? Now Sango tilted her head in the other direction.
?I believe my mother mentioned that we were hiring a new chief of security, correct?? Youki had a tone that wouldn?t sound out of place in a lecture room, Koishi thought to herself. ?She arrived a few hours ago, and she?s been getting on wonderfully with my mother. She?s been invited to dinner along with the rest of you, so you needn?t worry about leftovers.?
Koishi had to feel a little relieved at that. A hearty meal once in a while was good, but she couldn?t manage to eat that much two nights in a row. Sango would be willing to eat whatever Koishi didn?t, if it came down to it. She stepped into the dining room, smiling as the smell of dinner wafted into her nose.
The smile vanished from her face when she saw who was already seated at the table.
?You-? Sango was the one to cry out, pointing an arm towards the newcomer. Seated at the kotatsu was a woman in a baggy silver jacket, with a deeper tan than anyone native from Gensouto could be expected to have. Koishi?s eyes were locked on her back - she could only see it because she was looking for it, but the tip of the girl?s shark fin was barely visible beneath her clothes. Mokou needed a minute to understand what was going on - this was her first time meeting the woman in person, after all - but when it clicked, she was as shocked as the rest of the gardeners.
The woman paid little attention to them in comparison - other than giving Sango a playful wink. Youki looked puzzled as he turned to the dolphin.
?You two have met before?? he asked.
?Ah-? Sango stopped herself, going red in the face. ?N...No, actually. She just looked really similar to someone I know.?
The swordsman seemed unconvinced, but his expression carried a look of indifference. He simply took his seat at the table, taking the formal seiza position he?d been maintaining for all of yesterday. The security chief eyed him for a moment before copying his stance, tucking her legs in and sitting on them.
That, of course, was Sango?s cue to copy her.
...Sango-san, what are you doing?Koishi looked to her side, raising an eyebrow. Sango didn?t look back, her focus solely on the shark sitting across from her.
I can?t let her show off like that, can I?Koishi frowned. She had expected something more mature, but these two had a rivalry that would have seemed more fitting among middle-schoolers. She did her best to ignore them, but there was little else to look at. The table was silent, with Mokou looking as nervous as she was and Youki busy daydreaming about something.
After about five minutes, there were two small grunts as the youkai gave up. Both of them dropped the stance at once, giving each other the same proud smirks. Koishi sighed, wondering to herself how much longer dinner would take to arrive. Thankfully, she didn?t have to wait long.
?Evening~!? Yuyuko strolled into the room with pot of soup in her hand. Beef bubbled beneath the surface, the scent almost overpowering. In any other circumstance it would have been a wonderful meal.
The atmosphere was somewhere between tepid and outright dead. Beyond saying grace at the start of the meal, none of the guests spoke a word. The closest they had to interaction were the occasional glares that Sango and Jozu gave each other. Koishi and Mokou never looked away from the meal, leaving Yuyuko to wax poetic about her son?s achievements to an audience that wasn?t really listening.
?Youki, remember that time I took you to the beach?? she said, hand hanging over Youki?s head, ready to ruffle at his hair. Youki looked back at her, bewildered.
?Forgive me, mother, but I don?t recall that incident.?
Yuyuko went tense for a moment, frowning like a child. ?Oh, but of course you do! Surely you recall running from the waves when you learned you couldn?t cut them? You were only a boy when it happened, but if an old lady can remember it surely you can as well.?
Youki stared into his mother?s eyes for a moment, expressionless. Koishi saw him let out a small gasp, as if an idea had just struck him.
?...Ah, yes, now I remember,? he said at last, with obvious relief. ?Will we ever have another outing like that, mother??
?If you do well in nationals this year, who knows?? Yuyuko giggled, finally ruffling her son?s hair. Her plate was fuller than anyone else?s in spite of her age and health, she had a monstrous appetite. Even the youkai were taken aback by how much Yuyuko could put away.
A few minutes later, it was a beeping noise that broke the silence. Yuyuko reached into her kimono, pulling out a small cell phone. She didn?t seem to care for the anachronism as she put it to her ear.
?Saigyouji speaking. ...Now? Can it wait? ...How much? ...And you?re certain? ...Alright, I?ll be right there.?
She put it away, looking out to the table with a sigh. ?I?m sorry, ladies, but I must be off. An urgent business deal has come up that needs my attention. I trust that Youki will take care of you in my stead.?
She leaned down, giving her son a kiss on the cheek. ?I?ll see you later, Youki,? she said, sounding like a high-schooler bidding farewell to her boyfriend. She strolled leisurely towards the door, letting herself out and leaving her guests to finish their dinner.
It was two minutes later before Jozu stood up.
?May I be excused?? she asked, looking to Youki with brilliant blue eyes. The swordsman shrugged.
?Me too,? Sango chimed in, standing up the moment Jozu had left the room. ?I, uh...need to use the bathroom.?
Again, Youki gave her a nod of acceptance, mostly nonchalant at his guests? behaviour. Koishi wondered where his mind was right now - it wasn?t at the dinner table, that was for sure. He didn't even look at Sango as she followed behind Jozu.
?So, Koishi-san,? Mokou said, leaning over and speaking for the first time in over ten minutes. ?Should we ask Saigyouji-san to make shark soup tomorrow??
Koishi had to keep herself from laughing out loud.
-----
Jozu was waiting for Sango as she stepped out of the dining room. The pair walked at an even pace, moving two or three rooms out of earshot. The only person they were keeping out of the loop was Youki - Koishi and Mokou knew what the youkai really were, and there was nothing to hide there.
Eventually Jozu let herself into a small bedroom at the end of the corridor. It had never been furbished, and Sango stepped onto a cold stone floor as she followed the shark inside. A tiny window kept the room from being pitch-black.
?How?s the shoulder?? Sango asked. She could see the patchwork on the jacket where Jozu?s bullet-wound had been.
?Never been better,? Jozu answered, rolling her arm about in its socket. ?That which does not kill me makes me angrier.?
The pair grinned at each other. For a moment, Sango forgot that this woman was supposed to be her enemy.
?So what are you doing here?? Sango kept her distance, but she stayed tense, ready for Jozu to lash out at her at any moment. The shark had no such concerns, leaning on the back wall and never taking her eyes off the dolphin.
Jozu raised an eyebrow. ?You mean you don?t know?? She stifled a laugh, shaking her head in amazement and disapproval. ?Honestly, you White Pearl folks are luckier than you have any right to be.?
Sango felt her stomach drop. ?What?re you talking about??
?What do you think I?m talking about?? Jozu?s grin grew wider, giving Sango a glimpse of her brutally sharp teeth. ?I?m talking about the Siren in this building right now.?
Sango felt numb. Her mouth bobbed open and shut for a few moments before she regained her composure.
?You...you mean Yuyuko-san, right??
Jozu shook her head, watching intently as a look of awe rose to Sango?s face. If it wasn?t Yuyuko, that could only mean...
?It took me by surprise as well,? Jozu said, shrugging her shoulders. ?But if you look through the letter that the old hag left you guys, she never says that the Sirens are all girls, does she??
Sango couldn?t answer, her mouth still bobbing like a fish. She gripped her temples as the world begin to spin. It was a minute before she was calm enough to speak again.
?Why?? she asked, no longer sure which way was up. ?Why are you telling me this??
Jozu walked towards her, and Sango primed herself to fight. She went limp when Jozu placed an arm on her shoulder.
?You could have killed me in the courthouse. You didn?t. I don?t like owing anyone a favour, so let?s say we?re even now.?
The shark put on her menacing grin again. ?Besides, I want a fair rematch when everything kicks off. If it takes you by surprise, that defeats the point, doesn?t it??
Jozu gave Sango a pat on the back, squeezing at the back-fin as she made her way out. She put her hands in her pockets, strolling into the corridor without a care in the world.
?Oh, and while I?m giving you hints...? she turned back, giving Sango a dead-serious expression. ?That wasn?t a business meeting that Saigyouji got hauled away to. She?s going to be a little...different when she gets back.?
Sango could only watch as Jozu walked away, her footsteps fading into silence as she vanished into the mansion. The dolphin muttered a profanity in a language that would have made her parents blush. The Siren had been right in front of her, and she?d missed it.
As she ran towards the dining room, she felt the fatigue from the day?s work fade away. Nothing was going to keep her from doing her job.
One failure was more than enough.
-----
Koishi pressed her face against the kotatsu, grumbling to herself as she rubbed at her stomach. With Yuyuko?s disappearance there was now far too much dinner to go around, and she was full enough that even looking at the pot made her feel queasy. Mokou leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling, looking as full as Koishi was.
Youki scooped up the pot when he noticed his guests were finished, hauling it away into the kitchen. For a moment, the two Sirens were truly alone. Mokou?s expression darkened.
?The hell?s going on now? This place was already weird enough, but what does the Black Claw have to do here??
?Maybe they?re interested in Saigyouji-san,? Koishi said, staring at the wall opposite her. ?She?s rich and influential. Maybe they want a hand in the economy??
?Nah, that?s not it. They already have Morichika for their income. There?s gotta be something else here.?
?Hmm.? Koishi felt her thoughts wander, like her brain was looking in all directions for a sensible answer and finding nothing. ?Maybe Saigyouji-san is a Siren? Komachi-san is pretty old, but that didn?t rule her out.?
?We checked that. Toro-chan didn?t get any sort of response from her.? Mokou placed an elbow on the table, bending over and fiddling with a strand of her hair. ?Maybe she?s after us? Y?know, like an assassin.?
Koishi shook her head. ?I don?t think so. If she wanted to kill us, why wouldn?t she have attacked already? She?s trying too hard to fit in for it to be something as basic as that.?
Mokou opened her mouth to speak. Sango burst in before she could speak, face flushed and pace hurried.
?Where?s Youki-san?? the dolphin asked, standing rigid in the doorway.
Koishi tilted her head, pointing towards the kitchen. Sango nodded, and promptly followed after the swordsman. Koishi and Mokou looked at each other, each trying to see if their companion had a clue what was going on. Neither of them found much of anything.
?Phwee?! But...but...?
No more than thirty seconds later, Sango tumbled out of the doorway. She was scratching at her head so hard that a few strands of her hair were falling to the floor. She took a seat at the kotatsu, looking despondent.
?How did we miss this? This is...holy crap, this is...?
Koishi gave the dolphin a push on the shoulder. ?Calm down, Sango-san. What?s going on??
Sango frowned as she turned to Koishi. ?You wouldn?t believe me if I told you.?
?You?re a dolphin-girl leading me on a magical quest to save the world from evil animal people. Try me.?
The dolphin sighed, before she reluctantly spoke.
?I think...Youki-san is a Siren.?
Koishi flinched so hard her knees almost smacked against the bottom of the kotatsu. Mokou wore an expression verging on disappointment.
?I thought the Sirens were all meant to be girls. Why does this guy count as one? He doesn?t even act like a girl!?
?You?re not really that feminine either, Mokou-san,? Koishi said.
?Quiet, you.?
Sango looked like she?d managed to get over the initial shock now, straightening her back and taking a deep breath before she started again.
?I don?t know what?s going on, but Jozu is here to get rid of him. And they?ve probably sent off Saigyouji-san to get Mindcoiled, so we don?t have a lot of time.?
Koishi gulped. A little part of her had been expecting this from the start - whenever they were hauled out somewhere for a seemingly minor duty, it expanded into a full-blown Siren hunt. It was an expectation that flew in the face of common sense, but Koishi had given up on common sense a long time ago.
?Something wrong?? Youki stepped out from the kitchen, wiping his hands as he went. He must have finished cleaning the dishes. ?I heard your superior making some strange whining, so I was wondering if she had hurt herself.?
The three gardeners went silent. Koishi and Mokou both turned to Sango, waiting for the dolphin to explain herself.
?Oh, well...yeah! I stubbed my toe on something in the corridor. Don?t worry, I?ll survive. I?m a big girl now, see??
She fiddled with the glasses again for effect. Youki shrugged, the faint hint of concern vanishing from his face.
?I assume you can let yourselves out now. If there is any handiwork you feel needs to be done around the house, now is the time to do it. My mother will pay you accordingly so long as you keep a list of what?s been done. If you need me, I?ll be training - don?t disturb me unless something drastic comes up. Any questions??
Youki waited no longer than a second. When he saw no sign of his guests asking anything, he gave them a small nod before walking away. The icy atmosphere in the room shifted away along with him. Koishi felt like she could breathe again as he slipped out of earshot.
?He?s scary,? Koishi muttered to herself.
?Good thing he?s gonna be on our side.? Mokou rose to her feet, stretching to bring her body back to life. ?So what?s the plan, ladies??
?He looks pretty stubborn,? Sango said with a frown. ?I don?t think he?ll believe us unless we have evidence. Maybe if you transform in front of him, Koishi-san??
Koishi nodded. If there was anything she?d learned in her time as a Siren, it was that the best way to convince someone magic existed was to demonstrate.
?Uh, Koishi-san...? Mokou put an arm over Koishi?s shoulder, looking ready to console her. ?If you want me to do it instead, I?m fine with that. I mean, your outfit is...?
?Silly? Childish? Immature?? Koishi spouted out one word after another. Mokou grit her teeth before finally nodding in agreement.
Koishi just smiled back.
?Don?t worry, I?m used to the swimsuit jibes by now. And, well...the outfit?s kinda growing on me.?
Mokou returned the grin, stepping away and putting her hands in her pockets.
?Hey, Toro-chan,? Mokou asked, turning to Sango. ?How?d you figure all this out, anyway??
Sango rubbed at the back of her head, laughing nervously. ?Let?s just say a friend told me...?
-----
Koishi made the call on the trip over to Youki?s training room. Sakuya had told her to get in touch the moment she came across something worth mentioning. Koishi was relatively sure the discoveries she had made over the last half-hour would qualify as important.
She got an answer on the third ring.
?What is it?? Sakuya muttered from the other end of the line. ?Onozuka-san and I are following up a lead right now. Can this wait??
?Youki-san is a Siren, and the Black Claw already know about it.?
Sakuya was silent for five full seconds.
?Well, that?s...not what I was expecting to hear.?
?It wasn?t what I was expecting to tell you, either,? Koishi answered. ?They?ve got his mother under their control. Mokou-san and I will try to hold them off when they get here, but we might need some backup.?
?We?ll be there as soon as we?re done on our end.?
Koishi gasped. ?But Sakuya-san, they could be here any minute now-?
?I doubt your new companion will be as cooperative as you want him to be. I may have only met him once, but that?s enough for me to know he?s a stubborn son of a bitch. You?ll need more ammo if you want him to cooperate.?
Koishi?s grip on the phone tightened. ?You really think he?ll be that rough about it??
?I saw a lot of myself in him, so that?s probably a safe assumption.?
Sakuya spoke like she was the leading authority on Youki Saigyouji. Against that confidence, Koishi could only agree with her.
?Head over here as soon as you?re done, okay? We don?t know how big a force they?ll be sending.?
?Understood. Let me know if the situation worsens.?
Sakuya hung up without offering anything as genial as a goodbye. Koishi felt a wave of unease strike her as she put her phone away. Sakuya sounded too certain in herself to be wrong, and that meant Youki wasn?t going to be as friendly as she would have wanted.
Still, he probably won?t argue about a magical girl transforming right in front of him.Koishi heard Youki before she saw him. The swordsman?s cries echoed through the corridors, and the entire building seemed to tremble in time with his swings. Eventually she found his silhouette on the other side of a paper wall, and she stood mesmerised for an instant at the sight of his swordplay. She only came back into the world of the living when she heard Mokou pulling the door open.
?Hm?? Youki finished his swing, lowering the swords he?d been wielding. Koishi could see the glint of real steel for an instant before the blades vanished into their sheaths. He folded his arms, looking mildly frustrated by the interruption.
?I hope this is an urgent matter,? he said, tapping at the floor with one foot. ?I have a national tournament to prepare for next month, and I won?t be in a fit state to compete if my training gets interrupted like this.?
The air felt heavy in the dojo as Youki?s eyes fell onto Koishi. Sakuya?s words floated through her mind as she took a deep breath. She had to word this carefully.
?Youki-san,? she started, stepping forward as she clutched her Teardrop in one hand. ?I have to talk to you about something important.?
Youki raised an eyebrow for an instant before his expression grew morose. ?I see. You?re one of the journalists, aren?t you? Working undercover to get close and personal with the young prodigy. Well, you can take your article and-?
Koishi lifted her arm into the air before Youki could finish. An orange light seeped out from between her fingers as she felt a familiar power creep across her body.
?Wherever evil forces be,
On the land or in the sea,
All who sin should cower and flee
From Dolphin Rider Koishi!?The look of astonishment on Youki?s face as Koishi transformed was the largest display of emotion she?d seen from the swordsman in the two days she?d known him. He put a hand to the handle of his blade, ready to lash out at her.
?Just to make it clear, we don?t all look this silly,? Mokou said, waving at Youki from behind. The swordsman didn?t even turn to look at her.
Koishi placed her newfound trident on the floor as a peace offering, holding out a hand for Youki to shake. ?Now, I understand this is all going to be very sudden, but I need you to trust me, okay??
Youki remained rigid, beginning to draw one of his blades. His expression was torn between anger, fear and shock. Was he willing to attack Koishi? She didn?t know, and she certainly didn?t want to find out.
She thought of Yuyuko, undoubtedly on her way to becoming a slave of the Black Claw. That had to convince him, surely. She pulled her hand back, staring solemnly into his eyes.
?Youki-san...your mother is in a lot of danger right now, and so are you. I want to help you, but I need you to cooperate with us. Do you understand??
At the mention of his mother, Youki?s posture visibly loosened. His hand whipped away from the sword, and he reluctantly nodded in agreement. He looked exhausted, like his training regimen had finally caught up with him.
?I?ll say this - if you?re another trickster, you?re certainly much smarter than your predecessors. And if my mother truly is in danger, it?s my duty as her son to protect her.?
Koishi felt the weight on her shoulders begin to lift. Maybe this would be easier than Sakuya had been expecting. She?d made the right call in mentioning Youki?s mother, that was for sure.
?Alright. First of all, you?re not going to be able to fight like that. But you?ve got some special powers you can tap into...hopefully.?
Youki was hiding something. Koishi had seen from experience that every Siren had some sort of baggage dragging their heart down. Youki would be no different, and with Sakuya and Komachi preoccupied Koishi could use his help.
?Youki-san...we know you've been keeping a secret. We need you to tell us the truth about what?s going on here.?
The swordsman?s eyes wavered. It must have been the look he gave Sakuya when they met. Koishi could understand what had made Sakuya so suspicious now - the look didn?t belong on his face, like it had been taken from someone else and plastered onto him. It wasn?t an expression she expected from a fearless swordsman.
Then who did it belong to?
?If you want to become a Siren, you have to come to terms with whatever it is you?re hiding. We know there?s something wrong here, but we need you to tell us what. I?m not going to pretend it?s easy, but-?
?No.?
Youki was hanging his head, his hair blocking most of his face from view. He seemed to shrink, the frigid atmosphere fading away along with his composure.
?I won?t help you,? Youki repeated, shaking his head violently. ?I can?t.?
Koishi?s heart caved in on itself. Sakuya?s prediction had rung true after all. She looked back, seeing Mokou and Sango standing by the door in silence. They were willing to leave the talking to her, but Koishi wasn?t sure if she could make anything of this.
?Youki-san...please. This is really, really important. If you don?t help us, your mother might-?
?Die?? Youki pulled his head up, a look of cold fury on his face. ?That was what you were going to say, wasn?t it??
Koishi flinched, but slowly nodded in response. Youki laughed to himself for a moment, but it was a laugh that may as well have been a sob.
?You honestly don?t understand what you?ve stepped into. You don?t realise how much you are asking of me.? Every word was laced with finality, like Youki was resigned to a fate he couldn?t even speak of. ?Perhaps you speak the truth. Perhaps my mother may die if I stay silent. But if I tell you what you want to know, then I am forcing a fate worse than death upon her...and upon myself, as well.?
He fell to his knees, looking as if he was struggling to stay upright. His whole body trembled, cowering in fear like Koishi had never seen him before. Before she had struggled to speak out of fear; now she was silenced by sheer pity.
?Forgive me,? Youki said, his voice shrinking with every word. ?Perhaps you think me a coward. And...perhaps you are right. If my mother is in danger, I will do whatever it takes to protect her. Just...not that. I beg of you.?
He leaned forward, bowing at Koishi?s feet as deeply as he could. Koishi wanted to be sick at the sight of this once-proud man, reduced to a trembling wreck. What could have happened to bring this sort of change in him?
Whatever it was, it was clear Youki wasn?t going to talk about it. Koishi stepped backwards, whispering an apology and fighting the urge to flee the room in shame. She couldn?t push him any harder for fear that she would break him, but she had to find the truth somehow. Did she have no choice but to wait on Sakuya and hope her lead went somewhere useful?
d n t o r e t?Aah-?
Koishi froze. A voice leaped into her head, one that she had heard once before. It was louder, but still as hard to make out as it had been before. Either the source was stronger, or taking on this form had made her more sensitive to it.
In an instant, she knew what she had to do.
?Sango-san, Mokou-san. Keep this room protected. The Claw might arrive any minute.?
?Eh? Well, sure, but what about you?? Sango asked. ?Where are you going??
?I need to talk to someone.? Koishi was already opening the door before Sango could ask any more questions. This was good, given that Koishi honestly didn?t have any answers for her. She let instinct take over, pushing her through the labyrinthine corridors of the manor.
She understood what had driven Sakuya now. She was acting on something that was barely evidence, completely unprovable, but the idea seemed so real to her that she couldn?t ignore it. Explaining to Sango would have taken too long, if it was possible at all. What would the dolphin think if Koishi told her she?d been hearing disembodied voices in her head?
Her journey finally brought her out of the manor and into the garden. The winds were picking up, like the news had predicted. The cold gusts lashed at Koishi?s skin as she climbed up the stairs. As much as the outfit was growing on her, she wished it would offer her more protection from the elements.
At last, the mighty centerpiece of the garden came into view. No matter how many times she saw it, Koishi couldn?t help but be amazed by the sheer size of the tree at the end of the footpath. Several blossoms had been knocked from its branches by the wind, swirling around in a tiny tornado.
Standing in front of the tree was a child half of Koishi?s age.
The boy was a head shorter than Koishi, with a full head of hair and pale eyes. He was dressed in rags that had been through years of decay. Two wooden swords hung at his side, the blades worn away by the unerring hand of time. The dancing petals flew towards him, passing through as if he wasn?t there. He paid them no mind. His eyes were focused solely on Koishi.
She approached cautiously, but deep down she felt no fear. The young boy showed no signs of aggression. More than anything, it looked as if he was ready to cry. Koishi would have hugged him, but she doubted she could so much as touch him.
?You...? He spoke with the voice that Koishi had heard, echoing slightly as it reached her. ?You can see me??
Koishi nodded. The fact brought a light to the child?s face, his expression brightening.
?Yes, yes! They didn?t forget. They didn?t forget me! Mother didn?t-?
?Wait.? Koishi felt a growing pang of dread in her chest. ?Who...are you??
Koishi felt like she knew what she was going to hear before the boy spoke. He uttered the words with sheer conviction.
Words he?d waited years to say.
?My name is Youki Saigyouji.?