The surface of the water trembled softly beneath the reflection of the dim lights.
Yume was immersed in the bathtub, her head resting against the edge, her gaze fixed on the ornate ceiling of the hotel. Steam caressed her face, while her thoughts seemed to float along with the droplets sliding slowly across her skin.
"We'll have to act soon…" she thought, aware that she and Kaito were about to face the Fuyumi.
She gently pushed herself deeper, until only her face remained above the hot water. A thought surfaced in her mind. A word.
A name.
Spoken by Kaito a few days earlier.
Her mind returned to that moment: when he saw Kagura, he had called her Reina.
"Who could this Reina be...?" she wondered, puzzled.
She shook her head.
"Well, it doesn't matter now…" she murmured softly.
She calmly stepped out of the tub and wrapped herself in a towel. After drying off and putting on her pajamas, she began brushing her hair with quiet ease.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Kaito sat on the couch. Arms crossed, his gaze lost in the void.
"How are we supposed to ruin the auction?" he muttered to himself.
He ran a hand over his face.
His eyes grew serious.
"More than anything... I'm worried about what that guy let slip."
His mind returned to the encounter with the gang's boss. In particular, the sentence spoken by one of his underlings:
"Boss, don't do it. If he finds out, we're all dead…"
Kaito leaned back against the couch, staring at the ceiling.
"Him..." he murmured. "If the head of the family really is dead... then who is this 'him'?"
His thoughts were interrupted by a voice coming from the elevator.
"K-Kaito... it's me."
It was Kagura.
"Come in," he replied, rising slightly.
She stepped into the living room, a bit hesitant.
"S-sorry for coming at this hour, but I was worried. How did it go?" she asked, a touch of anxiety in her voice.
Kaito gave her a sincere smile.
"Well. Now we have everything we need to get into the auction. I really appreciate your help... we couldn't have done it without you."
"There's no need to thank me," she said, lowering her gaze.
"Kagura, you came."
They both turned. Yume had just stepped out of the hallway, drying her hair with a towel.
Soon, the three of them sat down together—just like the first time.
"Now we just need to figure out how to proceed," Kaito began.
"About that… I have an idea," Yume said, meeting his gaze.
"If we attack directly, we don't stand a chance. We should enter the auction as buyers."
She paused.
"We need to find out where the people are being kept... locate the storage. Once we do, we can free them all."
Kaito remained silent for a moment.
"I think it could work. If the 'merchandise' disappears in the middle of the event, chaos will break out... and I'm sure the Mugentamashii will show up too."
He clenched his fists as he spoke.
"Yume, your plan makes sense. But we still need to be ready… we'll likely have to fight if we want to get them all out."
Yume nodded, her face firm.
"I know that. But it's the only chance we've got."
Kaito smiled at her, then turned to Kagura.
"I need to ask you a favor."
"A-a favor? Me?" she asked, hesitantly.
"Yes. Nothing dangerous, don't worry. I'd just like you and Yume to go pick out more suitable clothes."
He looked at what he was wearing.
"These are just casual clothes. Considering the event is hosted by the most influential family in the city, it would be strange for us to show up looking this... informal, right?"
"You're not wrong," Yume agreed, glancing down at herself.
"Alright, we'll go. But aren't you coming with us?" Kagura asked.
"There's something else I need to make sure of," he replied, averting his gaze. A flicker of concern flashed in his eyes.
"Don't worry."
"Alright then…" Yume whispered. She then turned to Kagura, took her hands, and smiled. "Let's go tomorrow morning."
Kagura nodded.
The next day, the three of them left the hotel. They walked together for a while, until they split up: Kaito headed for the outskirts of the city, while the girls made their way downtown.
"Yume, what do you say we take a car?" Kagura asked.
"A car? Are you even old enough to drive?"
"I may not look like it, but I'm nineteen," she replied with a smile.
"What?!" Yume stepped slightly away from her. "You're older than me? I thought you were younger!"
"I get that a lot," she said with a chuckle. Then she typed something on her phone. "Do you have a license?"
"No, not yet. Though... someone dear to me taught me a bit." She smiled, thinking of Hauromi.
"Alright, then leave it to me."
Soon after, a car pulled up beside them.
"See, here in Shinkase, you can book vehicles through this app." She showed her the screen: Reservation Cars.
"Then, thanks to the GPS, the car comes straight to you.
Come on, let's get in."
The interior looked like a normal car, but the dashboard had several buttons.
"How do you make it fly?" Yume asked, intrigued.
"I'll show you."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Kaito had reached the old hideout of the gang they'd faced the day before.
(I need to find out more about the guy they mentioned...)
He entered the subway. But what he saw made his blood run cold.
"What the..."
Before him lay a row of bodies, drenched in a pool of blood.
He rushed forward.
"The blood is still fresh!"
He drew his blades, ready for anything.
Among the victims, he recognized the boss... and his partner.
"Damn it... it wasn't supposed to go like this."
"So, was it you?"
A voice echoed from the staircase.
Kaito turned sharply.
Footsteps rang through the tunnel.
A figure was descending slowly into the dim light.
(Could it be someone from the Mugentamashii?)
At the thought alone, his hands began to tremble slightly.
The figure stepped into view. The outfit was unmistakable.
"You're with the Reikeitai!" Kaito exclaimed.
"My name is Akizame," the man said, approaching.
"And now… you're going to tell me everything you know."
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Kaito growled, gripping his blades tightly.
"Tell me what you know about your organization. The Mugentamashii."
As he spoke, his body began to be cloaked in ash.