Isamu eyed the couple from his distance. Despite of knowing her significance, at some point in the past he had developed a strong antipathy towards the female. She had adopted the role of being the"most" loyal and submissive companion, and acted as flawlessly as her looks appeared. But for the ravenhead, her actual aims were just as obvious: Katsuro's influence, power and wealth as one of the foremost casino owners in the country. With that, she didn't differ from any other woman who had gotten in touch with the blond male.

Paris slid a photo across the desk, showing the tensed face of a middle-aged man in his side- profile. "He left the USA a month ago. I spoke with your informants, they confirmed his residence status. To be exact, he was seen here in the inner city barely a week ago".

Katsuro's gloved fingers stroke along his chin while he listened to her melodic voice. The presented male was the last person on earth he would welcome in his territory. He mentally noted to contact his masseuse later, for he could already feel the spite pulling on his muscles. It all started to make sense now- With their boss coming back into the country after ages, it was no surprise that Youkai rattled up the whole town. "Any information about his motives?"

The American shrugged her shoulders with a disappointed sigh. "I'm afraid my knowledge is incomplete, Sir. But as far as I can assureyou, it's highly unlikely that he is interested in taking over territory or trade routes." She rubbed her manicured nails. "It rather looks like... He is searching something. Or someone"

The man's blond eyebrows rose up, and new light flickered in his feral orbs. Now it was him pulling an envelope from the drawer. He laid out several photographs of young women, all having an obvious thing in common: Feminine facial features, [h/c] hair and vivid, [e/c] eyes."All these are women had contact to Youkai in the last few months" he explained. "They all were abducted. Some for weeks, some only for a few days. Three of them are still missing" He pointed out the last mentioned ones. Paris immediately collected the images and scribbled into her notebook. "I'll check the police data base. I'll see what I can do"

The blond silently nodded with content. "We as well have someone... In view that fits this description. We are keeping her under supervision. At first, she was a mere interference factor in Shiro's little hunting sessions, but since I know that Youkai is looking for her..." He folded his hands on the table. His opposite watched him attentively. "...We plan to use her as bargaining chip. Since they keep infiltrating my clubs and scare away my guest. But first, I want more information about what business Youkai has with her. I need to know how valuable she is, you understand?" He suggestively winked at his visitor. Paris returned the gesture with an understanding smile. "... As you wish"

Satisfied with the newly gained information, Katsuro accompanied his employee along the hallway and into the elevator. They descended a few floors downwards: Floors that held the glamorous suits for the man's most important visitors, such as the pretty woman who pressed her lips to his cheek before exiting the box. He solely continued several levels further, past the average hotel rooms, offices and storing places. Past the fifth stage that held the V.I.P- lounge to the attached dance bar below, the expensive restaurant behind the three- button, and the two floors of colorful casino life before coming to a short stop at the main floor. Underneath the "zero" were two more numbers, for the worker's places and machine rooms. And in the lowest corner, only visible if you specifically looked out for it: A small key hole. Katsuro slipped out the fitting tool and the elevator began to move once again, to a destination that would forever remain unknown to the public eye.

[y/n]'s wobbly legs pushed her up from the mattress. Yawning, she stretched her arms to embrace the rising evening, awfully aware that there was no option to somehow prepare her mind for whatever the night had to offer. She eventually came to her feet, supporting herself at the mural as her body was not fully awake yet. With half- closed lids,her fingers fumbled through the twilight in search for something to wear that did not reek of sweat or blood. With a dusty set of clothes, she carried herself to the bathroom. Her door stood open, but the living room greeted her with silent solitude. A glance on theclock discarded her thought of being up too early; normally, the basement was filled with the usual tumult by this time. But there wasno Yasu on the couch, no Isamu in the kitchen, no Shiro teasing andno Akito yelling. Not that the girl meant to complain about their absence- but she sensed the alarming anomaly shaking up her tired senses.

The captive threw her clothes across the room before climbing into the shower, taking a deep breath as the cold water ran down her skin. She increased the temperature to a comforting warmth, soothing the tension in her muscles and the ache in her head. As the steam engulfed her in a foggy hug, her mind began to wander.

The [h/c] haired female gaped at the man. His vocals were nonchalant, a scalm as his fingers playing with the knife; but his gaze was uptight, deep and somewhat lost. When he noticed the girl's afflicted expression, he quickly averted his focus before the [e/c] of her eyes could unravel him further. But she seemed to have other plans than just letting the topic drop by.

"...How comes?" She tilted her head.

Isamu shot her a sharp glare, and the hand around the weapon tightened. Her sympathy was the last thing he could ever ask for. But without as much as wincing, the opposing individual maintained the pressuring contact. Eventually, the ravenhead scoffed. His finger traced the blade, the reflected light let his gray hues flare up once in awhile. "My farther was an excellent sniper. As my grandfather and all before them. My family used to work for a very influential..." his gaze strayed through the hall, as if the word he searched for lay around somewhere. "...Let's call it a 'company'. That old man was a professional, the best of the best. I was born for the simple purpose of becoming his successor."

As she found the energy to start the night between the veil of drops and clouds, [y/n] left the cabin- Only to be struck by a lighting of wonderment. With furrowed brows, she gaped at the corner where she previously, and she was rather sure about it, had placed her clothes. But the plump of white, over-sized textiles had turned into a neatly folded, colorful pile of fabric she could not even recognize. With wrinkles of disbelieve, she covered her form with a towel and searchingly scanned the tiled room, hoping her recollection was just playing tricks on her tired eyes. But the missed items came nowhere into sight. Taking hesitant steps, as if approaching a shy dog, she squatted down in front of the unknown object. Her hands unfolded the first soft, silky textile into a champagne- colored sweater- Asweater that strongly resembled the one she had received with a certain present.

The expensive piece flew through the air and smacked against the next wall. A pair of fitting business pants followed. With now trembling fingers and boiling blood, the irritated female glared at the closed door: She refused to believe that someone had sneaked inside- while she was bare and exposed- had changed her clothes and crept out again. Multiple shivers rattled at her spine by the mere picture ofit. And there was only one person she could imagine to be in charge of the deed.

The water left ruby stains on the carpet as [y/n] stomped down the corridor. Embarasement and fury pushed her forward; she did not even bother to knock against the daunting wing door, and so Katsuro almost dropped the phone as his half- naked captive slammed her palms on the desk.

"...Sorry my dear, some urgent business came up. I'll call you back later" Without taking his chartreuse orbs off the girl, he sank the receiver back on it's station. His gaze was observing, yet touched no other place but her own glowing eyes. The melody of single driplets, gliding from the [h/c] strands and to the floor, was the only sound heard in the analyzing silence.

A taunting smirk spread across his lips. "How can I help you, my love?" he chanted, voice glossed in innocence. "That's an interesting dress you are wearing. But a little revealing, don't you think? Not that I would complain"

The female was far from sharing the man's amusement. While her [e/c] hues  daggered his dermis, Katsuro's gaze glided across the scene. Not only was he finding entertainment in her emergence, he could also sense his curiosity increasing. What was it inside her, that she would rather run through the men- occupied basement in nothing but a towel than simply wearing something he had prepared for her? Was she trying to provoke him, or did she really own no sense for danger at all?

"Give me my clothes back" the sharp vocals cut through his thoughts.

The leader gave her a calm smile, still keeping up the act of not knowing what could have triggered the captive's fury. "What clothes? You mean the sweat- drenched ones of a stranger? Or are you talking about that ripped rags you had showed up in on our first encounter?" he stepped around the desk, and [y/n] immediately clutched the hem of her cover. 

Her eyebrow twitched as she spoke. "You think this is funny? I would rather catch a cold and die than touching that stuff of yours"

"...Which would go quicker if you wore nothing at all"

The girl let out a gasp of terror as the blond suddenly made a wide step forwards, hand reached out. In the haste of escaping his reach, she stumbled backwards, hit his intently placed foot- And in the very next second, she found herself on the soft ground, a masculine, intimidating face hovering above her.

[y/n] laid trapped between two broad arms and a close torso. She held onto her towel like a castaway to a lifeline. The panic and bafflement kicked in and immobilized her system. For a very long moment, the chartreuse eyed male did nothing but gaze at her with a neutral, lifeless expression. She had a feeling that every breath she spent with staring at those feline orbs, a further part of her sanity got taken away.

Eventually, as if someone had pushed a button, the man took his focus off. He huffed out a laughter, and before the captive could progress the sudden change of mood, he exited her personal space and squatted in front of her.

"You know..." His hand glided through his strawberry- blond locks."I can't decide whether you are truly brave or just incomparable stupid" His glance traced her legs. She pulled them closer to herself. "Rejecting my present and than running around in my territory...half- naked. Do you even understand what happens to women like you in this world?"

The girl kept her gaze steady, while her heart did the opposite. The rush of her fury had nullified her sense for consequences- It was only now, as she was exposed with a man in a closed room, that the danger of the situation sank down on her perception. Long ago, [y/n] had conceived that there was no chance in running. She slowly crawled backwards, before carefully getting on her feet, making sure that the textile stayed in place without letting go of the man's intense stare. It was either winning, or giving up- But with all the things she had gone through by now, the female had no interest in going down without a fight. "...Give me back my clothes"

Katsuro had returned to an upright posture, leaning on his writing table,arms casually crossed. He tilted his head while observing her with ahalf- smile. "You don't plan on retreating, do you? I really like that. It makes me want to challenge you even more"

The captive felt an urge to spit on the ground. With him ignoring her demand all over again, she was running out of options. And the basement's coldness crawling underneath her tissue reminded her thatshe couldn't remain in this state much longer. "...Fine." she hissed through gritted teeth. "I will wear them tonight. But only tonight. Then you give me back my stuff"

A coolness filled the space between the both of them while [y/n] tensely waited for his reaction. But unlike anything she had expected, the tall male broke out into a twisted laughter. "You even try to give me conditions now? But since you are this brave, Iwill agree. For now"

She threw him one last wary glance before turning around. As she laid her palm on the golden handle, she halted a few seconds. But her kidnapper remained silent, which only irritated her more.

Katsuro watched the feminine back approach the exit. [H/c] strands stuck to her neck, and single marbles of water rolled down the [s/c] skin. Her legs were trembling, yet her posture remained straight. It was a truly magnificent view. As the doors fell shut behind her, a smirk played on his lips. That woman was nothing like he had seen before.

The leader returned to his office chair, collecting the papers that gave him a detailed overview over his latest achievement. The first page showed the individual in a distanced half- profile, through a blurry crowd of people. The second one captured her running across a rooftop, a dark night sky in the background. She was a mere shadow on the black canvas, if her flying [h/c] hair wouldn't betray her identity. The third in a fight. Five men, broad and muscular, the monstrous mask of a demon conspicuously tattooed on their upper backs. Date: 11th of July. Paris had delivered excellent work again. His fingers slipped to the next paper, containing a quick overview of any relevant information:

Object was born in the outskirts, wealthy family. Father repeatedly criminally suspicious, yet never arrested. Mother in repeated medical care of a mental- health facility. Object visited a regular school, visited afternoon- activities. Parents lost custody when the object was eight years old, due to disappearance of the father and progressive depression of mother. Object moved to grand-parents afterwards. Started martial art classes by age of ten. 3 years later, grandparents moved to another town, object changed schools. Repeatedly skipped school since the age of thirteen and went to training instead. Left grand- parents by age of sixteen. Reported as missing, yet never found by the police. Case got unofficially dropped after several months due to lack of indications.

[y/n] vigorously rummaged through the massive carton. Pieces by pieces of clothing flew around and disappeared in the background. Dresses, skirts, blouses- Any of them way too tender and feminine for the surrounding she moved in. Running out of options, she eventually grasped a pair of soft jeans and a silky top. It was as well neither suitable for fighting nor for running, but it was still the outfit that granted the most elbowroom. The now yet still reluctantly dressed girl stepped out into the living space, her gaze checking for the other individuals; but from all four corners of the room, the kitchen included, still, nothing but silent emptiness stared back at her. Her head turned from left to right while a tearing sensation bubbled up in her stomach. Could she really be alone... With the leader himself?

Just as [y/n]'s brain had finished the disturbing thought, the said person nonchalantly strove down the corridor.

"See how lovely you look" Katsuro leaned against the wall, hands buried in the pocket of his suit pants. A satisfied smile rested on his lips. "One could actually identify you as a woman now"

The female had the reflex to roll her eyes at his comment, but only contorted her mouth in displeasure. The new outfit felt tight yet soft on her skin, and every fiber seemed to grow even tighter underneath the man's intensive observation. She felt like a model in the spotlight of a famous fashion criticizer. With the mere difference that it was not her career, but her life that depended on his taste. The captive fiddled with the thin straps and nervously scanned the quarter for a distraction. Finally, her glimpse landed on a circular object on the dining table.

"What's this?" She mumbled more to herself than to her unwanted company as she approached the furniture. Two perfectly sliced sandwiches awaited her on a silver plate, but that was not what had caught herattention; or at least not the only thing. Next to the dish was a small piece of paper. In a fluent, cursive handwriting, the girl read: "For the brat. Make sure she doesn't starve"

It was not only the visible effort put in the meal, but also the almost audible moroseness resonating with the words that gave her a goodcase of it's creator. Her focus flickered from the note to the table and back. The presence behind her voiced out her thought.

"Yes, he prepared breakfast for you before he left. Kind, isn't he?"

From the corner of her eyes, [y/n] glared at the blond male. But she couldn't fight the truth in his statement. Still staring at the note,she tried to picture how Isamu got up earlier this night, thought of her and took his time to prepare her something to eat. Even though it obviously happened, she couldn't imagine this process to be realistic. And yet, it did take a little of the oppressive weight offher chest. The [h/c] individual took her meal and was about to backtrack into the comfortable lonesomeness of her cell, if it weren't for the strong grip on her shoulder that abruptly stopped her tracks.

"Where you think you going? We are people with manners. We eat at the table"

The lass had no need to turn around to perceive the mischievous grin onthe leader's face. For a moment, she considered to defy his request.But the possibility of loosing her presumably only repast of the night did not seem to be worth the dispute. With a stretched exhale, she followed.. Katsuro made an inviting gesture towards the near endof the table. He even showed the courtesy to pull back the chair for her, and gently pushed it forward as soon as she took a seat. Disappearing for a moment, he came back with a steaming cup of tea, softly placing it in front of her. With aggravating mistrust, the girl eyed the beverage and watched him siting down on the opposite end. The blond leaned his elbows on the surface, folded his hands and rested his chin on top.

The silence made [y/n] tap her feet on the ground. The delicious taste spoiled her tongue, and yet the fluffy bread felt dry and heavy inher mouth. Katsuro's chartreuse orbs seemed to suck in even the tiniest of her movements. She was almost relieved as he eventuallyrose his voice and broke the awkward sound of her chewing. "See, it's not even that bad here. A bed, a shower, fresh food...Everything you hadn't had for the last few years" He flashed her a challenging smirk.

The agitated girl licked along her lower lip. Again, what the male across from her said, was indubitable right- She indeed valued her regularmeals, the hot water, and even the outworn mattress offered more comfort than a stolen sleeping bag. But what she valued in fact morewas her liberty, her autonomy. Even in the darkest and most insecure of nights, the female had experienced less mental stress and fear than in the bygone time at her current location.

A flat item slid across the table's surface and stopped right at her index finger. That was the moment where [y/n]'s [e/c] orbs widened in horror. Her lungs hammered as they tried to throw up the substance inthe wrong pipe. She clutched her palm over her mouth, hoping to keep in the food that her system refused to hold. In the whirl of the spinning room around her, she did not even realize how the floor grew closer. The photo showed her in the night of her first murder.

The nightlights brightened up the main street like a colorful firework. Young couples and groups of friends celebrated their freedom and youth, on their way to mix up the bars and clubs along the way. With her hood deep over her face, [y/n] was just another shadow of the dark. As soon as one left the illuminated quarter and dove into  the abandoned alleyways- the city changed. She tightened the grip around her knife, ready to pull it out any second. The sounds of laughter and music faded, the shadows grew taller, the smell of urine and sewerage became thicker. Obscure and deformed visages peered after the dark, eery shape.

The backdoor was hidden beneath two reeking refuse containers and a skimming layer of graffiti. It was one of the doors one would never perceive if not knowing about its existence. [y/n] checked for other beings in her surrounding, but the only thing watching her was a family of rats, curiously waggling their noses. She slipped through the entrance and sneaked down the thin staircase. Smoke and other gases confronted her, veiling the deterring faces at the bar once she emerged in the underground location. The smell was acid and toxic. The scarred barkeeper briefly nodded at her. The security waved her through the permitted door, and the straying female came to meet her regular dealer: A fifty- year old man, running a business of drug and human traffic. He sat on his leather couch, a cigar held between the few teeth he had, arms around two young females. As soon as he saw his favorite huntress, he shooed them away.

"[y/n], my darling!" he yelled, words slurring, slapping on the empty seat next to him. The girl did not mind it a glance and smacked her newest prey on the table. Grumbling about the girl's coldness, he examined the bags. The crystals sparkled like fresh snow in the dim light.

With a halfway appropriate reward in her pockets, the female could finally leave the hazardous basement. But just as she stepped back out onto the streets, an even worse scene awaited her.

There was a girl, screaming for her life, cornered by two grown man. [y/n] could not see her face, but by her height and frame she guessed her to be around the same age. One attacker tried to grab her flailing arms, the other one stood behind her and pressed his broad hand on her mouth.

After three seconds of shock- paralysis, the adrenaline flooded her veins. Swallowing her fear, [y/n] pulled out her blade. And slammed it into the man's spine. He cried out in pain, but unfortunately, he appeared rather angered than hurt. With the weapon still stuck in his body, he turned around to his new opponent. The girl felt her legs losing all stability as the massive person approached her. The few steps she took backwards were not enough to save her. Without having her knife between her fingers, she felt small, weak and defenseless. And so she could do nothing but watch how the attacker slung his hand around her neck.

He whispered something into her ear, but she was not able to listen at all. The only thing that got her attention was the missing air in her windpipe and the lost ground underneath her feet. Over the man's shoulder, she saw how the female stared at her with wide, terror-filled, deep brown eyes. Like a scared deer. She was indeed not much older than she herself. And while [y/n] swayed above the pavement, the girl got pulled further into the darkness.

The female sensed her time running out. In a few moments, there would not be enough oxygen left in her blood to sustain her rattling brain. Then she would be dead, and the stranger she had tried to rescue would be gone. And compared to whatever was about to happen to her then, death would be a sweet slumber. The straying lass kicked his chest, even reached his chin, but her aggressor showed no reaction apart from tightening his grasp. Through the blur of her tears, she saw the captured individual blending into the dark. Three seconds. There was only one option left.

[y/n] reached into the back of her pants. Her palm trembled as it insecurely closed around the butt*. For a brief second, the male's eyes widened as he gaped into the barrel. Yet his body was shaken by laughter. "You think you could shoot me?" he cried out, shaking the girl's hovering form. She almost dropped her gun. "Go ahead!"he yelled into her face. "Show me you can do that, foolish-"

He went silent as the bullet drilled through his head. She landed on the floor, sharply inhaling as her back hit the rough ground. Coughing, crying, trembling, the girl tried to stabilize herself, tried to stop the spin of the world around her, tried to force her breathing to normalize. As soon as her muscles were able to move again, she dropped the weapon in her hand like a hot piece of coal. Her gaze jumped to the lifeless body in front of her. Hesitating and shaking,[y/n] leaned over the stranger's front. Her shot was not precise, and so the projectile did not went straight through his forehead like she aimed it to be, but in a diagonal line through his face. A part ofhis nose and left eye got shredded away before the metal had disappeared into his skull. The female emptied the insides of her stomach on the street, then her eyes shot down the alleyway. Still panting and panicking, she collected her gun, and in order to get back her knife, she had to roll over the massive, deformed corpse. It gave off a wicked, surreal sound as she attempted to pull the blade out off the flesh. It seemed to be caught up in the mesh of muscles and sinews; in the moment she finally freed it with a yank, blood splattered all over herself. It stuck to her mouth and even her lids. She tasted the iron on her tongue, her lashes stuck together and blurred her sight. When she jumped on her feet to finally chase after the kidnapped person, the girl had to realize that her limbs worked way not as fast as her spinning mind did. All few meters she collapsed, had to pull herself up again, support herself along the cold mural. Hopelessness and desperation arose inside her guts. When she stumbled out onto the main street, her system fully shut down.

[y/n]'s perception abandoned her to a whirling nothingness. The pictures appeared so lively in her head, memory and reality began to blend together. While she began to feel the cold pavement underneath her nails, to hear the fading screams of the woman, to smell the metallic stench of body fluids, she completely lost herself in the darkness. Until a strong, warm presence embraced her.

"[y/n]."

The captive abruptly broke through the surface. With a strained, sharp inhale she left the sea of imagines, and the dark gray stones waved back into the ruby, soft carpet.

Katsuro calmly gazed at her, and the unique, bright lime green of his iris glowed like a firefly in her shadowed view. Sucking in her focus and preventing it from drifting off again. In her mental drowning, she had completely blended out his attendance, and so she as well did not perceive how his arms had slung around her. Not only was his grasp stabilizing, even worse- It was comforting. The last time that the female had felt the touch of a human form was months ago, and so her cells quickly devoured the warmth radiating from his skin. And as soon as [y/n] became aware of that, her bubble of dissociation popped.

"D-Don't touch me!" She yelled, abruptly pushing the male away from her. A shadow of annoyance scurried across his features, but quickly faded into a pitying smile.

"Must have been a rough night" he sighed, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back up with him. The captive roughly freed herself from his grasp. His comment brought back the origin of the topic, and her gaze darted back to the photo, careful not to absorb its content. "Where do you got that from?!"

Katsuro's grin widened, and [y/n]'s throat tightened. The captured scene had taken place years ago- Why did this image even exist? And why was itin this stranger's possession?

"What you did back then was something very brave, you know" he started, his gaze making sure to catch every fiber of her attention. "I know about every movement, every change in even the darkest corners of this city. Especially when it's about a young lady taking down my rivals" The man stepped closer, eyes flickering dangerously.

"In fact, I always wanted thank you" he breathed. His hand reached out to her face. The thin leather of his gloves felt cold yet soft against her cheek."It must be fate that has reunited us"

The lass eyed him with distrust. She could barely follow his explanation, not to mention evaluate its authenticity. "...You're welcome. Now, if you are that grateful, how about you keep your 'thank you' and just let me go instead. Who knows, maybe I'll take down even more" She spoke her words with sass, yet knew the seriousness of her intention became clear.

The corner of his mouth curled upwards, reveling her a coquettish smirk. "That does sound like something I could work with. But instead of leaving you to your fate on the streets..." he gently took her hand into his and led them to his chest. Her [e/c] hues watched his movements with wariness and curiosity. "...I would like to send you out in the matter of a mission. As one of my members. Not only will I reward you with more than your slender fingers could ever grasp"- a light kiss fluttered on her nails- "but you would also always have a safe place to return to"

Seduction glistened in the man's deep pupils. By the look on her face he could tell he owned the female's full attention. Not her trust, yet her interest, and that was enough for him to work with.

[y/n] mentally exhaled as Katsuro eventually let go of her and took a step backwards. His hand slipped into the vest pocket of his coat, and out he pulled a shimmering, small object. Color left the girl's face. He held the key right underneath her nose. Something tickled inside of her stomach. She had an instant idea where the tool might fit.

"If you manage to take this from me before the night has ended- I'll let you open the door in my office"

~~~
Hey everyone, it's been a while. I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

Speaking of enjoyment, check out this beautiful fanart by miyu98__ !!
Thanks a lot!!