The Knights Himura

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Haruka asked.

"She has to." Sylvie interrupted.

"I promised I would." Tsukiko proudly responded.

"Still, this isn't a game. You might feel invincible now, but you'd better watch out. This is some deep shit." Haru looked into Tsuki's eyes.

They once again, sat in a huddle around a table in Aurelia's shop, between all the fabrics, any sense of unfamiliarity with the place having finally gone away. Aurelia and Claudia themselves weren't around, but their presence was still clearly felt.

Tsuki laughed to herself. "I'm already in deep shit, aren't I?"

"They'll attack you on the streets." Haruka urged.

"They already do." Tsuki replied.

"Yeah, the Shakudos kinda declared war on her a while ago. They even tried to attack Shizuka, remember?" Sylvie reminded her.

Haruka let out a sigh. "Almost forgot. I guess we're all in this now, huh?"

Sylvie nodded. "Mhmm."

"We need to settle this now anyways. The more people we have, the quicker we can end this. How long before we run into another knife wielding lunatic?" Tsuki had a tough look on her face.

"…maybe I don't have to worry so much about you." Haruka smiled.

"What're you talking about?" Tsuki narrowed her eyes.

"You sound like a Knight. It's been a while since I've heard anyone talk like that." Haruka praised her sister.

Tsuki shook her head. "Nah. I sound like myself."

"Maybe you were born to be one, then. I got scared of you joining Shizuka and I, but now I know you'll be fine." Haruka finally admitted.

"Lame." Sylvie groaned.

"You don't get it, Sylvie. It's been a while since I've talked to my only sister, so I need to savor it. I'm just… stopping to smell the roses." Haruka's tone meandered up and down.

"You've smelled enough flowers already." Sylvie complained.

"Oh, how's your rose garden?" Haruka turned to Tsukiko.

"They're such a bright red this time of year." Tsukiko grinned mischievously.

Sylvie grit her teeth. "Quit it!"

"Sorry!" Tsuki apologized with a toothy grin.

Sylvie took the chance to start talking again. "Anyways, I don't think any of us had any say in this matter to begin with. Seems like the Shakudos have always had it out for us from the start."

"…did they mug me and Fumi cuz I'm related to the Knights?" Tsuki's hands fidgeted.

"Murder's bad for business, Tsuki." Haruka shook her head. "Murder's a lot more serious than something like assault or vandalism."

"But they had a Damascene mask." Tsuki balled her hand into a fist.

"And?" Haruka asked.

Tsuki paused. "Did they do it to make Sylvie's gang look bad?"

Sylvie shook her head. "No. Even if they did it to target you, you're only the sister of a Knight Himura. Hurting innocent people puts the cops on alert. It's bad for business. You ever watch a crime drama?"

"...does playing crime drama games count?" Tsuki asked, meekly.

"Only if you paid attention to the cutscenes." Haruka spoke in monotone.

"Hey, I'm a sucker for a good story." Tsuki nodded.

"…are you two always like this?" Sylvie groaned.

"Not really, just killing time. Not sure why we're here." Haruka shrugged.

"Uhh, were you expecting to just walk into a building and beat people up?" Sylvie frowned.

"Is that not what we're doing?" Tsuki asked with real, genuine confusion.

"That's… not the point, okay?" Sylvie took a deep breath. "You really should stop trying to punch your way out of every situation."

"Well, it's not like we're stupid." Tsuki defended herself and her sister. "Can you really blame us though? We usually have to punch back in self defense."

Haruka pointed to her sister. "Yeah, see? Nothing of value is being said right now."

"I'm glad that at least one of you gets the point." Sylvie relaxed a little.

"Fine. How's the gang organized? Cutting off the snake's head might work." Tsukiko turned to Sylvie.

"From what's come down the tubes, apparently there's two heads at this point. Used to be three, but Tsuki's already gotten one down." Sylvie put her hand on her chin.

"Wait, really?" Haruka asked.

Tsuki groaned. "Yeah, we've already been over this. He was the guy who burnt down the warehouse."

"That true?" Haruka turned to Tsukiko.

"Yeah. The other two let me have him after they found out that he tried to hurt Lily." Tsuki closed her eyes.

Haruka stopped to think. "Mutual respect? Honor among thieves? Something like that?"

"No, trimming the fat." Sylvie stared down at the table.

"Huh?" Tsukiko opened her eyes.

"They're getting serious if they're willing to cut off their own members like that. Something weird's going on here." Sylvie stared off into space.

"It caught me off guard, but I won't question it." Tsuki leaned forward. "We should finish this as quickly as possible."

"You're probably right about that." Sylvie muttered to herself.

"All we need is good intel." Haruka yawned.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"It's tough getting info nowadays. The best thing I've got is something going down at a shrine nearby." Sylvie groaned.

"What're they doing at a shrine?" Tsuki asked.

"Maybe they're superstitious. My grandfather used to make big donations to a shrine after every big job. He used to tell me about some weird fox thing. I have no idea what the hell he was rambling about half the time." Sylvie laughed quietly.

"Should we really mess with 'em then?" Tsuki looked away.

Sylvie was taken aback. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"…it just seems a bit cruel to attack someone at a shrine, okay?" The Third Knight had a look of guilt on her face.

"What do you suggest we do, then." Haruka countered.

"Maybe scope it out before we barge in uninvited." Tsuki spoke hesitantly. "It is a sacred place, after all."

"That's oddly thoughtful, Tsuki." Haru remarked.

Tsuki looked away. "I'm not a monster."

"Oh, now you want a plan." Sylvie folded her arms.

"Lighten up." Haruka whined. "You said you wanted a plan, you got a plan. Besides, you wouldn't wanna piss off a wayward spirit or a god or something, right?"

"But… you… fine, whatever. A plan's a plan, fuck it." Sylvie ran her fingers through one of the shop's exotic fabrics.

"I have an idea!" Tsuki blurted out.

"Huh?"

"Yo, Claudia!" Tsukiko shouted. "Get Fumi over here!"

Claudia appeared with her usual smile, her near instant appearances now becoming more mundane. None of them really knew or had even bothered to ask what the extent of her abilities were, but she really did bring Fumiko back with her.

"W-what?" Fumi took a moment to look around, clearly startled by the whole thing.

"...I wasn't totally sure that'd work, to be honest." Tsuki stared.

"Tsuki? What'd you drag me out here for?" Fumiko nudged Tsukiko.

Tsuki stopped to think for a second. "Do you remember that mask I gave you?"

"Oh, yeah, I have it in my room." Fumi scratched her head.

"Go get it." Tsuki commanded.

"What, do I--" Fumi was cut off by her vanishing for a moment and then reappearing. "Okay, here it is."

Fumi moved forward and placed the white mask on the table. The rest of the group stared at it carefully.

"Can we fix it?" Tsuki examined the damage.

"What do you need it for?" Fumi asked.

"I wanna paint it black and gold."

Sylvie grabbed the mask. "I know where this is going… It might be dangerous."

"Have a little faith in Tsuki." Fumi smiled.

"It's kinda smashed to pieces though." Sylvie ran her finger along the edge of the mask. "It'd hardly even cover half your face."

"Can Aurelia fix it? Maybe she can copy it?" Fumi stood over Sylvie's shoulder.

"Where is Aurelia anyway?" Haru looked around the room.

"Busy." Claudia held a little note with a big red heart in front of Tsukiko's face.

"Damn, there goes that plan." Sylvie laid her head on the table.

"No… I think Lily can do it." Tsuki nodded.

"Lily?"

"Can you bring Lily here?" Tsuki asked Claudia.

The instant she finished the sentence, Lily appeared.

"Hello!" Lily smiled.

"Can you fix this?" Tsuki handed her the smashed white mask.

Lily looked at it. "I can try."

"Go for it, kid." Tsuki put her hand on Lily's head.

Lily nodded, and motioned for Sylvie to place the mask down on the table. She placed her hands over the broken mask and took a deep breath, letting herself stop and concentrate for a moment. Rainbowy light began to escape from between her interlocked fingers, and the rest of the group gasped.

"Whoa, what the--" Haruka's eyes widened.

"…wait, this is… I guess Grandpa wasn't making that up..." Sylvie said to herself.

Lily took her hands off the mask and it sat in its perfect white and gold color.

"It worked!" Lily grinned.

"Great job!" Tsuki hugged Lily and let her go.

Lily once again vanished in an instant.

"Are we not gonna question that?" Haru looked around the group.

Fumi shrugged. "What's there to question?"

"Now all we have to do is paint it black." Tsuki put on the mask to fit. "You should paint yours too, Sylvie."

"Huh, me? No way, what if someone sees me?" Sylvie seemed more uncomfortable than angry.

"It's a mask, Sylvie." Fumi mocked her. "That's the whole point."

"What if I get captured?" Sylvie turned to Haruka.

"I've always wondered if I could run the Damascenes." Haruka smiled with her teeth showing. "Tsuki can come rescue you. It'll be fun to have someone else do it for a change."

"...fine, I'll do it." Sylvie had an uneasy look on her face. "You're a bitch sometimes, Haruka."

Haruka's smile disappeared. "Sylvie, you know I'd give you a better idea if I had one. I don't like it either, but it's the idea that's right in front of us, right now. We'd better take the chance."

Sylvie avoided eye contact. "Sorry… I know, I just--"

"Trust me, Sylvie." Tsukiko looked her in the eye.

Sylvie looked her in the eyes for a moment before relaxing a bit. "…I trust you."

"Now we get to painting!" Fumiko completely ruined the moment.

"But what about the gold? It'll take forever to paint around this." Sylvie pointed out the lines of gold laid into the material.

"Yeah, and you'll look like a dumbass if your mask is covered in shitty black gloss." Haruka joked.

"…gold paint?" Tsuki suggested.

"Yeah, that's the hard part… Maybe we can bake it? Burn the material and make it a sort of charcoal color?" Fumiko stared intently at the mask.

Claudia returned with a tool box, then placed it on the table. She put a hand on Fumi's shoulder, grabbed the mask out of her hand, then reached out for Sylvie's.

"W-what? I don't have it." Sylvie held her hands up.

Claudia walked over and shoved her hand into one of Sylvie's jacket pockets. The blonde squirmed as the mute pulled out her well adorned white mask.

"You're a bad liar." Fumi chuckled.

The toolbox opened, and out came some sandpaper and other rough materials, which Claudia distributed to the group.

There was a note under each sheet. "Grind until the gold fades and the surface is rough."

They both followed her instructions perfectly. The glossy, slick exterior of the masks were now porous, scuffed, eggshell white faces.

"Now what?" Sylvie slid her mask over to Claudia. "Thank god I've got another one at home…"

Claudia reached into the little tool box, and her arm seemed to get deeper and deeper, so deep that the edge had gone up all the way to her shoulder. She grasped something and pulled up, bringing a jug of water and black powder all the way back up onto the table. She reached in again and grabbed a pot, pouring the water into it, then mixing in some of the powder to create a black inky soup.

"She works like a machine…" Haruka watched closely.

With a pair of long, latex gloves, Claudia took the sanded down masks and dipped their rough surfaces into the black mixture, which seemed to soak into them and turn black as coal. It happened incredibly quickly, and after a few seconds, she pulled them back out.

"Shouldn't you let it dry?" Tsuki asked.

After that, Claudia brought out a bit of gold foil, and a tool intended to flatten it down, forming some rudimentary geometric patterns and shapes as the dye dried. Her work was rough, yet beautiful, Claudia working with amazing skill and precision. When she was done designing, she covered the whole thing in a clear lacquer, adding back the gloss.

"Couldn't we have just used spray paint? That was needlessly complicated." Haruka yawned.

"I don't wanna get light headed from the fumes." Sylvie inspected the masks.

"Lacquer still has fumes." Haruka rolled her eyes.

"Huh?" Sylvie turned to Claudia. "Does this lacquer have fumes? Is this thing gonna give me a headache?"

Claudia shrugged.

"Damnit." Sylvie put on her new black mask. "Wait, it's already dry."

Tsukiko put on her mask too. "How do I look?"

"You're gonna get caught." Haruka spoke in a monotone voice.

"They'll be fine!" Fumiko replied loudly.

"What about the robes?" Haruka stared with a look of boredom.

Tsuki turned to her. "The what?"