The Knights Himura

It wasn't any use, there was no way they were getting through to Haruka once she started crying again. Tsuki felt guilty about making her sister cry again, and Sylvie felt guilty for going too far. Instead, they apologized and walked away.

Sylvie apparently still had her lead hidden up her sleeve, and once Tsukiko sat down and actually listened to her speak, it was a good one, supposedly leading straight to the leader of the Shakudos. Going alone probably wasn't going to be the wisest decision, but at that moment, neither of them hesitated.

The destination was an abandoned office building, its front glass door smashed in years ago, leaving it open for anyone to enter, and judging by how clean the door handle was, someone had been there quite recently.

"So, this is the place." Tsukiko straightened her jacket.

"Yeah." Sylvie snacked on leftover chicken. "Hidden in plain sight."

"You should stay out here. I'll go in by myself." Tsuki took a step forward.

"Are you crazy?" Sylvie grabbed her shoulder and stopped her.

"Are you planning to fight lookin' like that?" Tsuki looked down at Sylvie's clothes. "You don't even have your mask with you."

Sylvie was wearing a charcoal jacket with a colorful pink and yellow graphic tee below it, with black biking shorts and crimson red high top sneakers. Her hair had been tied up in a ponytail to keep it out of her eyes.

"…Yeah, I forgot." Sylvie scratched her head.

Tsuki started walking toward the building. "Wait here."

"You're serious?" Sylvie whispered.

"If I don't come back, just run back to Haru and Fumi." Tsuki tried to sound heroic. "They'll know what to do."

"…lame." Sylvie groaned.

"Shut it."

Tsukiko pulled open the door and stepped inside, her heels crushing a few pieces of glass beneath her feet. Quietly, she thanked Aurelia for the boots and closed the door behind her. The inside of the place was lit only by moonlight that came in through the other windows, revealing the waiting room of a business that'd failed long ago.

All kinds of dusty furniture was strewn about the interior, glass tables and rusty metal chairs lining the edge of the room. At the far end, a receptionist desk had a large smashed flat screen TV hanging above it. The floor was covered in scattered file folders and papers, seemingly dumped out of some torn up cardboard boxes piled up in the corner. The damage bordered on vandalism more than wear over time, but it'd definitely been a long time since it'd happened.

Beyond the reception desk was a doorway whose door had been torn off its hinges. Everything beyond the threshold was so much darker than the reception area, Tsuki stopping to let her eyes adjust. She proceeded slowly, shifting her weight to prevent any unnecessary noise.

The hallway was lined with doors that led into small offices. Moonlight came in through their windows, lighting them just enough for Tsuki to see inside. Each of the offices had been ransacked, more loose papers lining their carpeted floors, with old CRT monitors and computer towers tossed to the floor, partially disassembled.

At the end of the hallway was one last door, white light escaping from underneath. As Tsuki approached, she could feel cold air escaping through the gaps between the door and its frame, a droning sound coming from the other side.

Tsukiko opened the door and her eyes were flooded with a strong, white light, her eyes taking a second to adjust to the light again. She put her hand over her eyes and squinted through her fingers, catching a glimpse of three figures sitting at a table in the middle of the room. Once her vision had acclimated to the harsh light, she could finally see them in detail.

They sat in a row, watching her from the other end of a long table. The man on the far left had a mask that was covered in scars and damage, filled in with something like bronze or copper. The one in the middle wore a black and silver mask, with no visible holes for their eyes. The one on the right, though, Tsuki recognized, with her black and gold floral mask.

The man with the scarred mask spoke first. "Who the hell're you?"

"That's the Third Knight, you idiot." The girl in the floral mask replied.

The scarred mask stood up. "So, we're gonna kick her ass, right?"

The silver masked man held out his hand. "Sit down, dumbass."

"Boss--"

"Just sit." The silver masked man repeated himself. "And keep your mouth shut for once."

The man in the scarred mask sat down.

"I'm not here to fight." Tsuki kept her guard up.

The floral mask crossed her legs and put them up on the table. "Not here to fight? Then why're you here, then?"

Tsuki pointed at the bashed mask. "I just need him."

The silver masked man tried to say something, paused, then said something else. "Why him?"

The scarred mask complained to the silver mask. "You seriously gonna listen to her? C'mon, Morgan!"

The silver masked man, or Morgan, stared at Tsuki. "You're braver than I thought you'd be, just walking in on our turf like that."

"I don't care about your turf, I care about what your men have done to my friends." Tsuki stared at him.

Morgan's mask covered his eyes, and his expression, and his voice was clear of any sort of emotion, flat and monotone, making it hard to gauge his true reactions to what she was saying, or his intention. Tsuki imagined him smirking under that black and chrome facade.

"Good answer." The floral mask's eyes looked happy.

"Not you too, Flowers!" The scarred masked man revealed another name.

"Shut up already, you fucking idiot." Flowers responded.

"Hey!" The scarred mask shouted.

Morgan snapped at him. "Didn't I tell you to keep your mouth shut?"

"...sorry, boss."

"Shut up." Morgan repeated himself.

"Now, back to talkin' to the Knight." Flowers pointed at Tsukiko.

Morgan sighed. "Tell me what my men did to you."

Tsuki was taken aback. His tone was a bit warmer this time around, as though he really was willing to hear her out. She took her chance, and told them exactly what she was angry about.

"One of our men stabbed my friend, and… another hurt my friend, a little girl." Tsuki kept firm.

"A little girl?" Flowers narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah." Tsuki stepped closer.

Morgan leaned over to Flowers, whispering something to her. Tsuki kept a close eye on all of them, not letting herself slip into a foolish sense of comfort.

"You never told me who started that fire." Morgan turned to the man in the scarred mask.

"I watched him start it." Tsuki cut in. "I remember that mask."

Morgan sighed. "Is that right?"

"Yeah, what about it?" The bashed mask crossed his arms.

Morgan slowly stood up. "So, you're an arsonist?"

"What?" The man in the bashed mask looked up at him.

"You know, an arsonist. People who start fires?" Morgan explained.

"I-I guess so." The bashed mask turned to Morgan in fear.

Morgan stood over him. "What else have you done?"

"I… Hey, you told me to get the Third Knight there, and I tried--"

"You didn't even know who she was when she walked in!" Flowers shouted.

"I did my job! You haven't done a damn thing, Flowers, and you know it!" The bashed masked man cried.

"What else did he do?" Morgan turned to Tsukiko. "What did he do to that girl?"

"He poured liquor all over her, and lit her on fire while she hung from the ceiling on a rope." Tsuki tried her best to stay calm.

"O-Oh my god…" Flowers had her voice waver.

"She's lying! You're seriously believin' this bullshit?" The person in the bashed mask tried to defend himself.

Morgan shook his head. "No, I know the Knights. She ain't lying."

The man in the bashed mask scoffed. "You're gonna take her side over mine?"

"This isn't the first time you fucked up!" Morgan made his right hand into a fist.

"It was a mistake, boss."

"You sure seem to make a lot of mistakes" Flowers lowered her head.

"It was your men who attacked that girl. It was your man that stabbed the Nakano girl. It was your man that put that kid in the hospital, and it was you who lit a child on fire!" Morgan practically shook with rage.

"I did what I had to do!"

Morgan grabbed the bashed mask by the neck. "Do you even think about what you're gonna say before you say it?"

"Whuh!" The bashed mask struggled.

"You know how many people you could've killed? You know what would've happened if that fire had spread?" Morgan tossed him aside. "You know what'd happen if somebody got killed?"

"Boss!" The bashed masked man backed away.

"You think you can do whatever you want and get away with it?" Morgan shouted.

"I-I thought that's what you wanted!" He backed away.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Morgan turned to Tsukiko. "My condolences to your friend… What was their name?"

Tsuki responded. "Lilith Guillemot."

Morgan sighed. "Of course it is."

"Lilith Guilletmot." Flowers looked away. "That little homeless girl…"

"Y'know what?" Morgan turned to the back door behind them. "You can have him."

"Huh?" The bashed masked man stumbled up.

Morgan didn't even turn to look at him. "I don't want to see you ever again, understand?"

"Boss!"

Flowers stood up, following Morgan. "Shut up!"

Morgan stopped in front of the back door, and turned back. "By the way, this idiot knows who stabbed your friend. Go wild."

"Why're you telling me this?" Tsuki asked.

"Because we made a deal. You told me who started that fire, and I gave you a criminal's head." Morgan explained. "Isn't that what you Knights want?"

"I don't remember agreeing to this." Tsuki countered.

Morgan laughed a little. "You didn't. I'm making your life easier."

"Why?"

"I've got a soft spot for the Knights." Morgan chuckled.

"You said you knew them. Who are you?" Tsuki raised her voice.

Morgan turned away and opened the door. "Don't worry about me. I'm not the one you're looking for right now."

Tsuki paused for a moment, before shouting a threat. "When I'm done here, you're next!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Morgan called out as he slammed the door behind him.

"See ya again, Tsukiko." Flowers waved, and disappeared out the door.

Before the Shakudo in the scarred mask could react, he was already within Tsukiko's grasp. She pulled him close, tightening her grip as she struggled to break free, then lifted him off the ground and slammed him down onto the table, shattering it into pieces beneath him. He laid there in a heap, and Tsuki kicked him in the side once, then twice.

"Back off!" The scarred Shakudo tried to get away.

Tsuki kept close. "Tell me who did it!"

The Shakudo scrambled to grab something off the ground, grasping a chunk of wood from the table, then threw it at Tsuki. She easily swatted it away, moving in close to kick him in the gut as he tried to get onto his feet.

"Talk!" Tsuki shouted.

"That all ya got?" He said as he tried to catch his breath.

Tsuki let him get back onto his feet, his posture wavering and his legs wobbling underneath him. He moved forward and threw a weak little punch at her. Tsukiko responded with her own strike in his gut, and as he reeled in pain, she wrapped her fingers around his neck and pinned him against the wall.

"Quit struggling and just talk." Tsuki demanded.

Her grip tightened, squeezing down on his throat. The man in the mask tried to break free by swinging his hands at her face, but she ignored the pain and squeezed harder and harder, making him more frantic in his resistance. As his face started to turn red, then a bit blue, Tsuki loosened her grip, realizing she'd gone too far.

"Okay, okay, I'll talk!" He pleaded.

"Who did it?" Tsuki demanded.

"T-Tell Sylvie Night Bird did it!" The scarred Shakudo told her. "Night Bird!"

"Night Bird?"

"It's… It's a codename!" The man explained. "Sylvie loved her codenames. Morgan, Flowers…"

"Hmm…" Tsuki stared at him.

"She knows what it means!" He cowered.

Tsuki wanted more. "And where do we find him?"

"Point Zero!" He was afraid. "It's a nightclub!"

Tsuki let go. "Point Zero…"

The figure fell to the floor in a heap. He sat up, holding up his hands to protect himself.

"Don't kill me!" He pleaded.

"I'm not going to kill you." Tsukiko shook her head. "But if I ever see you pulling this kinda shit again, I'm gonna beat you so bad, you're gonna wish I did."

Tsuki struck him in the stomach with her fist, and as he recoiled, she punched him again and again, her anger overpowering her sense of restraint. At first, he held up his hands to defend himself, but she kept beating him till he stopped resisting. By the end of it, he'd just curled up like some scared child, and Tsuki was finally satisfied. He wasn't going to be leaving that office any time soon. Still, once she realized what she'd done, Tsuki felt a sense of guilt wash over her.

"Are we gonna have a problem?" Tsuki spoke quietly.

"N-no." The figure whimpered.

"Good." Tsuki said. "Don't ever think about doing something that stupid again. This is me being merciful."

--

Tsukiko stepped outside to the moonlit street to see Sylvie sitting with her knees tucked in under her arms.

"You okay?" Tsuki kneeled down.

"What? Oh, yeah…" Sylvie turned to her.

"I might finally know who stabbed Fumi." Tsuki kneeled down next to Sylvie.

Sylvie looked up at her."Really?"

Tsuki nodded. "Yeah, had to beat it out of some poor fucker."

"You actually walked in there, and lived?" Sylvie laughed.

"I'm right here, aren't I?" Tsuki smirked.

"That's amazing." Sylvie sighed.

Tsukiko edged closer. "He said you knew someone called Night Bird?"

Sylvie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "What about him?"

"That's the name he told me." Tsuki sat down on the ground next to Sylvie. "That's who's responsible… Or, atleast, that's his codename."

"…Yeah, probably." Sylvie looked away.

"Did you know?"

"Deep down, I knew all along. I just never said anything cuz I wanted to be sure." Sylvie frowned. "Sorry."

"What made you think it was him?" Tsuki asked.

"That guy's always been a trouble maker. When I first heard Fumi got stabbed, I thought about it, but I wanted to be certain. I always hoped he'd change someday, but he never did." Sylvie lowered her head again.

Tsuki continued. "Well, apparently I can find him down at a club called Point Zero."

"I'm really sorry." Sylvie muttered.

"Sorry for what?"

Sylvie lowered her head. "I feel like I kept something important from you."

"...it's fine." Tsuki shook her head.

"Why?"

"That would've been a whole different kind of manhunt, and we wouldn't have known for sure, and we still figured it out eventually." Tsuki inched closer to Sylvie.

"You sure?"

"Trust me, Sylvie, it's fine." Tsuki tried to reassure her.

"That's a relief." Sylvie relaxed a bit.

"So, I can find him at that club?" Tsuki looked at her.

"Probably…" Sylvie mumbled.

"What's wrong?"

"I still feel kinda guilty." Sylvie admitted.

"Just keep helping me anyway you can. We'll finish this together." Tsuki comforted her.

"You sound like Shizuka way back when." Sylvie chuckled.

"I wish I knew her in her prime." Tsuki said.

"You would have loved her." Sylvie straightened herself out and sat against the wall. "I hate what she's turned into. I hate that everyone seems like they're running away. I hate that everything feels like it's falling apart."

"Things aren't falling apart, and people aren't running away. I'm here, Fumi's here, Haruka's back. I've got a good feeling about Shizuka too." Tsuki comforted her.

"Good feeling about Shizuka?" Sylvie repeated.

Tsuki grinned. "I'm gonna get her back on her feet."

"I don't think you can. I mean, she's been retired for years now."

"It can't hurt to stay positive, right?" Tsuki chuckled.

"Don't get too cocky, y'hear?" Sylvie cautioned.

"I just wanna have a good time tonight, is that too much to ask?" Tsuki took a deep breath. "I'm… I'm in a good mood."

Sylvie turned to her. "I kind of expected you to run off to that club. You've been working on this for weeks now."

Tsuki sat down next to her. "It's no rush."

"What if they tell him what happened?" Sylvie asked.

"I don't think that dude's gonna warn anybody, I made sure of that." Tsuki turned red.

Sylvie stared at her silently for a moment. "You're joking right?"

"...I'm serious." Tsuki admitted.

"...if you really beat him that bad, make sure to call the cops before we leave." Sylvie sighed. "Or at least an ambulance."

"Good idea." Tsuki nodded

"Learned that in the good old days, back when I had to fight my way out of a gang scrap." Sylvie reminisced.

Tsuki looked at her. "You think about that gang too much, Sylvie."

"Huh?"

Tsuki sat very close to her. "You and Haruka have known each other for years, right?

"Yeah." Sylvie nodded.

"You got into a fist fight over your gang. You don't even know who half the members are." Tsuki tried her best to get her thoughts out.

"Of course not." Sylvie looked Tsuki in the eye. "That's what the codenames are for."

Tsuki challenged her. "So some masked folks you know nothing about are more important to you than a long time friend?"

"No, it's different." Sylvie shook her head.

"It's a blob of masked people who're just supposed to follow you around for no reason?" Tsuki countered.

Sylvie snapped. "Your point?"

"Do you know any of their names?" Tsuki asked.

"Well, not really. They earn their codenames, they're not just--" Sylvie got cut off.

"What's scarier? Losing your friends, or losing your gang?" Tsuki asked.

The words hit Sylvie hard. "I… don't have that many friends to begin with."

"I like to think that we're friends. Unless this is all just about protecting your gang." Tsuki looked away.

"But it's my fault this all happened in the first place. If I had my shit together, Fumiko would've never been stabbed." The blonde stared down at the ground.

"And I'd have never become a Knight. I'd still hate Haruka, and I never would've met Aurelia." Tsuki spoke immediately. "You and I… we never would've met."

"What am I supposed to do, the gang's all I got." Sylvie looked down at the asphalt.

"Do your men matter to you or does the gang matter to you? It's just a name, after all. You could start a new gang if you really wanted." Tsuki put a hand on Sylvie's shoulder.

"I only really got mad at Haruka cuz I wanted to blame her for what happened with the Damascenes." Sylvie admitted.

"I don't think you can even blame yourself. It wasn't really your gang to begin with, was it?"

"Someone has to take the blame, don't they?" Sylvie fidgeted.

"Not if they're only gonna use it to hurt themselves." Tsuki scolded her.

Sylvie frowned. "What about the Shakudos?"

"We'll take 'em down. One by one, if we have to. They're just a bunch of nobodies." Tsukiko nudged her.

"And what're we?"

"Friends. How many times do I have to say that?" Tsukiko rolled her eyes.

Sylvie fidgeted. "But it's not just my gang… My grandpa taught me everything I know, and--"

"Would he have wanted to see you like this? You're just rambling at this point, Sylvie."

Sylvie sighed. "No, but I owe it to him, don't I?"

"You don't owe anyone anything, Sylvie. Sometimes, things just don't work out."

"You're right. I've gotta work with what I've got." Sylvie stood up.

"What're you gonna do?" Tsuki looked up at her.

"I don't know." Sylvie's eyes darted back and forth. "But I'm gonna keep the Damascenes around. I've been in this too long to just give up."

"Keep your head up and keep on fighting." Tsuki gave her a thumbs up.

"Yeah, you're right." Sylvie smiled.

"You want me to toss an idea your way?" Tsuki offered.

"What is it?"

Tsukiko looked at her. "Downsize."

Sylvie rocked from side to side slightly. "Y-you think?"

"Find the real Damascenes, the ones that are loyal. Don't be afraid to make some friends."

"And then what?"

Tsuki shrugged. "I dunno, what'd you guys do before?"

"I never knew what to do!"

"Why don't you ask them what they wanna do?" Tsuki blurted out. "Or just… do what you wanna do. It's your gang, your crew."

Sylvie scratched her head.. "…I never thought about that."

Tsuki yawned. "No wonder it wasn't working out. Your gang sounds pretty damn boring, I gotta say."

Sylvie smiled. "I think I know what I'm gonna do."

"What?"

"It's a secret. I'm gonna sit down and fix the Damascenes though, just you wait." Sylvie exclaimed.

"Don't do anything stupid. I don't wanna have to put you down." Tsuki tried to stand up.

Sylvie held out her hand. "Not even a friendly sparring match?"

Tsukiko grabbed her hand and pulled herself up. "No cheap shots, alright?"