"Mmm, that was a rush," Misato stretched lazily once on board, eyes flicking to the news broadcast playing on the cabin screen. A grin tugged at her lips. "Ryuji, when we finish this mission, let's do it again! And this time, go big!"
She loved this sort of thing. Absolutely loved it.
"Sure. How much were you thinking?"
With him and Misato working together, there was hardly anything in this era that could stand in their way. Vaults, networks.... none of it could stop them.
"At least… a 10 billion yen, right?"
Misato tapped her lips thoughtfully, then clenched her fist with sudden enthusiasm.
"And when we've got it, we'll rent a plane and make it rain yen!"
The outrageous declaration drew laughter from the nearby passengers.
But Ryuji only nodded.
"Sure, but a 10 billion yen still feels a little on the small side… Once you convert it, it's not that much. If we're going to make it rain, let's make it rain in U.S. dollars."
Ryuji was completely on board with the idea. After all, this world already had more than enough gods and monsters; one more of him wouldn't make a difference.
Besides, the money he took would always be dirty money anyway.
If nothing else, the fortunes of those tiny island countries were far from clean.
"Uh, but there's no way we could ever get 10 billion U.S. dollars," Misato said, spreading her hands.
"Not that it's anything to brag about, but a 10 billion yen would be far more spectacular! If they were all Fukuzawa Yukichi bills or even five-hundred yen notes we could practically make it rain over all of Tokyo!"
She had even run the math herself and arrived at that conclusion.
"Yeah, but the problem is, to get a 10 billion yen in actual bills, we'd have to rob a bank or two. There's no other way," Ryuji added, shrugging, as if he'd just pointed out the most obvious thing in the world.
"…True. Looks like we'll have to plan this properly," Misato muttered, pinching her chin as she joined him in thought.
But while they were busy daydreaming about how to throw away a 10 billion yen as casually as garbage, down on the street beneath the very building where the bills had rained down, a pale-faced, white-haired girl stared at the cash in her trembling hands, tears welling in her eyes.
"Finally… finally!"
Origami Tobiichi, usually so expressionless, couldn't help but shudder, nearly breaking down as she clutched the Hong Kong dollars.
She hadn't slept properly in two days. With the authorities cracking down on IDs, she hadn't been able to eat or rest. If she hadn't had a little money left over before, she might have ended up rummaging through trash just to survive.
She couldn't even find part-time work. Everything was under strict inspection now.
Ryuji had wiped out plenty of gangsters, but because of that, many of the illegal immigrants who depended on that underworld also found themselves in dire straits.
"Finally… I have money!"
Origami squeezed the bills tightly. She had already found a human smuggler who promised to get her a Hong Kong ID, even a tourist visa. With proper papers, she could finally go back to Japan.
She could read the language here just fine, but her habits, her way of living... she preferred Japan. She was Japanese, after all.
"Finally…"
Looking at the tens of thousands of dollars in her hands, Origami felt as though today was her is her lucky day!
But the moment Origami thought of Ryuji's face, her teeth clenched in hatred. If not for him, she could have saved up from her own wages and obtained an ID legally.
"Hmph. I'll let you off this time."
That was all Origami could mutter. Without her gear, even something as simple as meeting a human smuggler required extreme caution. She knew all too well: a beautiful girl like her was a rare treasure.
And that was true anywhere.
Even if she returned to Japan, she understood she wouldn't be safe. Groups like the Yakuza trafficked in people without hesitation.
But still, that was a place she was more familiar with. Its unspoken rules and the quiet codes of conduct were familiar to her. Hong Kong was fine in its own way, but in this strange new world, she longed for someplace she understood.
So, eight hours after Ryuji and Misato departed, the teammate they had forgotten or rather, had never even realized was there.... also set out for Japan.
Her journey, however, was far less glamorous. Unlike Ryuji and Misato's first-class flight, Origami's transport was a cargo ship with abysmal conditions.
At least it was a legitimate vessel. The environment was poor, yes, but…
It wasn't exactly safe either.
The way the Japanese crew leered at her left Origami sighing in resignation. She slipped a hand into her clothing and drew a concealed pistol.
She might have been just a girl, but she was no ordinary one. To be chosen to don specialized CR-Unit and battle Spirits meant she, like Misato, was among the elite of the elite.
These gangsters were no match for her.
And so, a bloody massacre began... something straight out of a Tarantino film.
Meanwhile, Ryuji's trip was far more pleasant. He and Misato landed smoothly at the airport, checked into a hotel without issue, then visited a real estate agency and secured a property in the area Sailor Moon and her friends had recommended.
They had moved into a three-story house with eight rooms and a spacious yard.
There was no helping it... the gangsters were was filthy rich, after all..
Even so, by the time they finished their errands, it was already evening.
Ryuji slipped into the kitchen to prepare dinner, while Misato lazed on the sofa, flipping through newspapers in search of anything unusual. Ever since she had uncovered those martial arts scrolls at the Shaolin Temple in Dongguan, she had been restless, half-expecting to stumble upon some ancient Onmyōdō techniques here as well.
But the rich aromas drifting out of the kitchen soon disrupted the tired woman's concentration, drawing her gaze toward the counter with a hungry gleam.
Knowing full well how shameless she could be, Ryuji covered the dishes with lids and left them in the kitchen. If he set them out early, she would undoubtedly raid them before he was finished.
Misato sighed in defeat, pulled a can of beer from the fridge, cracked it open, and flopped onto the couch.
"This house is pretty close to Beika Town. We could even drop by Ran's place sometime!"
At the moment, Misato wore denim shorts, bare feet, and a plain black sleeveless tee. Her long black hair hung loose and unstyled, a simple curtain down her back.
She crossed one long leg over the other and studied the map in her hands. She had already marked several nearby shrines, planning to explore them with Ryuji tomorrow. After all, in just a few days, he would begin training the Sailor Moons.
"Yeah, right. From the looks of it, that glasses-wearing brat around Ran is cursed. Wherever he goes, people die. If you want to end up as either a victim or a suspect, then be my guest."
Ryuji's tone was flat as he answered her.
It was for that very reason that he hadn't tried to stop Ran when she left earlier.
He had no interest in inviting that kind of trouble into his daily life.
In fact, he even suspected that the incident on the cruise ship... the one that should have happened aboard the Fuji Maru had been dragged onto their own liner simply because Conan had been there.
"Wha... no way it's that exaggerated."
At first, Misato wanted to argue, but then she remembered just who Ryuji was and let the subject drop.
Instead, she went back to scanning the map, idly swinging her long, pale legs.
"What about Ryo Saeba and Saeko? Or Shizuko? You planning to reach out to them at some point?"
She lacked Ryuji's uncanny abilities, but when it came to the workings of official organizations and the darker side of society, she was well-versed.
"Thinking about joining the police system now?"
Ryuji finally finished cooking the last dish, though not without a minor mistake. He wasn't used to the shrimp here the moisture content was different from the ones he'd used in Hong Kong so he'd misjudged the timing a little.
Still, for Misato, it was plenty delicious.
"Ohhh! Shrimp Dumplings!"
She let out a gleeful cry, abandoning her map as she darted to the table, chopsticks in hand. Without a shred of restraint, she dug in.
"Careful, you'll end up with gout at this rate," Ryuji muttered, exasperated, as he carried out the rest of the dishes.
Misato, chewing happily, only lifted her thumb toward herself.
"But I wasn't kidding about joining the police."
She smirked.
"Some information never makes it to the public. If you want to know what's really happening in this world, the government is the only place to dig. Sometimes the truth only travels mouth to mouth."
She knew this all too well. Back in her own world, the existence of Angels had been impossible to hide... otherwise NERV would have tried. Yet even then, despite being an insider, she had never been told everything. If you wanted intelligence, you had to be inside the machine.
"But with a fake identity, you won't climb very high, right?" Ryuji pointed out.
Misato only chuckled.
"Who says you have to rise in the ranks to get good intel? Forget climbing ladders. Tonight, just work with me. We'll sort out our identities first."
Since they were only on tourist visas, they couldn't stay long. Which was why Misato was ready for another round of identity forgery. Compared to Hong Kong, she felt far more at home running this kind of game in Japan.
"Fine," Ryuji said. He wasn't worried about himself, but Misato did need a cover to move around freely.
"Just watch and learn."
Misato's grin was smug. Finally, the stage was hers. Social maneuvering in Japan? That was her battlefield. She looked at Ryuji with the kind of pride that said she was about to educate this clueless foreigner, the way he'd once looked at her in China.
By the time her fantasies were done, night had fallen. Both of them changed into light clothing, gloves, and balaclavas. Ryuji even strapped on a grappling hook, which made Misato's brows twitch the moment she saw his outfit.
Especially the all-black ninja getup.
"…What the hell are you wearing?"
Ryuji gave her a puzzled look.
"Obviously we're sneaking in."
"Are you kidding me?!" Misato's voice shot up as she grabbed the collar of his night gear.
"What century do you think this is? Who even wears ninja suits for infiltration anymore?! What are you, auditioning for a TV drama? Are you playing a ninja?! And a grappling hook?! Don't tell me you're planning to Batman your way across rooftops!"
Her outrage wasn't just at the cosplay factor.... he hadn't even prepared a set for her.
So much for being partners!
"We still have to take the train, remember? Do you want to announce to the whole city you're up to something shady?!"
Her argument was solid, and Ryuji had no comeback. He'd assumed their target was nearby, not across town by subway.
"You could've said so earlier…"
Grumbling, he tossed the grappling hook onto the table and went back to his room. Moments later he returned, this time in a plain jacket, though he kept the gloves and mask.
When he returned, he found Misato standing by the door, looking calm and composed, a bag in hand as she headed for the door.
"Huh? When did she pick up a bag? And... where's my grappling hook?"
Ryuji glanced at the now-empty table, curiosity flickering in his eyes, but didn't think too much of it. He simply followed her out.
The trip was surprisingly smooth. Even the train ride went without a hitch, and before long the two of them stood before the local registry office.
"There's an alarm system here, but with our skills, we don't need to worry about being caught. The internal setup is quite old... what really matters is filling out the forms and faking the seals. That part's easy. I've even got a simple magic stamp prepared. The only thing we'll need to avoid is the cameras."
As she spoke, Misato casually picked the lock with a piece of wire. The entire process took her less than three seconds.
Then she led Ryuji around to a blind spot in the surveillance system, and without hesitation pulled out the very grappling hook he had left behind earlier, preparing to throw it up toward the second-floor window.
Ryuji's eyes widened. Only now did it hit him... this woman had mocked him for playing around with a grappling hook, and now she was using it herself?!
"…Can't you just pick the lock?" he asked flatly.
There wasn't even a night guard inside. The supposed security Misato had mentioned didn't exist. After bypassing the outer patrols, the building was practically unprotected.
Which made sense, really... who in their right mind would break into a registry office?
"Ahem… picking a lock makes too much noise," Misato coughed lightly, looking away. Sure, she could have opened the door, but truthfully, she just wanted to play with the grappling hook.
Yeah, right. As if I'd believe that.
Ryuji rolled his eyes, but watching her swing the hook with such excitement left him feeling more than a little annoyed.
She wouldn't let him play with it, but here she was enjoying herself.
When he caught sight of her smug little grin, Ryuji narrowed his eyes. And just as Misato was about to throw the grappling hook, he scooped her up in a princess carry and leapt.
In an instant, the two of them landed on the second floor.
Ryuji set her down gently, while Misato stood frozen, staring at him in utter disbelief.
Wait... you carried me up here just so I wouldn't get to use it?!
Seeing the smile tugging at Ryuji's lips, Misato instantly understood everything.
~~~~~~~~~~
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