Taking a public plane left too much of a risk because a single villain with adequate strength could tore the place apart and free falling thousands of meters to the hard ground was not something most survived. Utilizing the railroad connecting the nearby central hub to Sapporo was much more reasonable.
Cruising at three fourth the speed of sound, the maglev Chuo Shinkansen cut through a mix of urban and suburban areas, running in the same path as the old rail system had. Izuku was sitting in one of the passenger seat on the marvel of civil engineering, his eyes glued to the laptop screen on the flip table in front of him.
He was browsing through every major players at the place seeing that his job is to protect someone, or something during a period of a week. The job was outsourced to the illegal side of that delivery company due to stringent requirements and he met them so here he was. And according to the timetable, just about now...
" Mastermind-san, ojou-sama wishes to have you in her proximity."
Izuku just needed to check something.
" Code?"
" Jormungand, the planet-size snake."
Now Izuku had the chance to observed the one who had been addressing him. The man were young, in his twenties, and he was wearing a professional suit. His hair is black but Izuku had no doubt it was dyed as he had already stood up and saw the white roots. His blue eyes were calm, almost lifeless as there were still some spark left in them.
The man was still sitting and had no suspiscion toward Izuku. He gestured Izuku to sit down and the suggestion was taken up.
" I thought we were supposed to meet at the dining cart and not here?"
" Mastermind-san, you do not need to worry about that for I am already here."
Izuku already knew the girl was coming. Every other passengers aside from had already got up and left the vicinity. One person was fine but fifty and simultaneously? Not so much.
" You do not strike me as someone who acts on a whim, ..."
" Kana, call me Kana and not my surname."
The girl, Kana, had vine green hair and pale skin as white as carved marble. Her height only reached Izuku's chest but the butler beside towered over him an entire head. The girl was wearing an outside jacket and inside was simply a pair of T-shirt and jeans often seen in normal teenager
" Kana-san, what do you want?"
" My father is afraid of me going around Sapporo and the regional cities so he hired you as guard. What I want you to do does not contradict your contract and is simply a suggestion if a method of doing it. "
" What is it then?"
" Please do not show your face openly. I only demand for digital protection and surveillance. My personal butler is good enough in my eyes. Do not tell my father and I will give you a thirty percent bonus.
" ...So this is for an entire week, ojou-sama? I do not condemn such extremity. He is not trustworthy to handle your personal information."
" Tomiya, it's good for me to act without my father's hound lurking around. You can't deny the truth that one Mastermind-san is better than an entire security teams trailing me around. "
" But..."
Watching the two people bickering while he sipped his can of coffee, Izuku moved his hands around to check everything necessary for long-term stay.
" Bring your hands up. or else..."
Such a keen butler Kana-san had in her faction.
" Stop bickering and relax. I am checking for my wallet. I will sum up my mission here. Protect you against tracking or hacking attempts, surveil for trafficking schemes and anything detrimental to Kana-san's life while remaining elusive and let Tomiya-san protects you."
" That's the plan. The bonus will be thirty percent total, ten as collateral. The time starts as soon as we arrive in Sapporo."
" You are indeed quick and determined."
Not caring about the notification sound of a bank account somewhere in Malaysia in his possession getting richer, Izuku nodded and began to prepare for Sapporo and other cities nearby. From local news to city accounts on social media, from group chats concerning villains to other possibilities, Izuku spent the remaining time on the train to dig up and to rest.
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"Sapporo is much safer than I expected. Heroes are not parading their presences and actually prevent the crime before it even happens."
"Indeed, ojou-sama and her family is the puppeteer behind this cities around here so security is not really an issue."
"Tomiya-san, may I ask why are we having an evening visit in the aquarium? I thought your master would choose a more ... reptilian place? And when do we get back?"
Kana had already forgotten her demand for secrecy from Izuku and was now dragging him into a citywide tour together with Tomiya. The men could not really deny the lady's request: she was one's responsibility and another's employer.
"Should be 8 PM. There would be some plays going on at the theater and ojou-sama has agreed to going back to the hotel immediately after the plays."
"... So full of spirit, isn't she?"
"Ojou-sama has always been like this so please put up for the time. I have recommendations for dining services and hotels just for you as I have only booked two neighboring single rooms."
"...Can't I just crash at your place?"
"Not exactly, you can try but the security will not be so peaceful with your corpse."
"Got it."
"Both of you guys, come here! The beluga whale is making faces!"
Tomiya patted Izuku's shoulder, signaling him to go with the flow. Before the three set off to another tank, the butler pushed a piece of paper into Izuku's hand and then nonchalantly stopped his master from purchasing the entire aquarium.
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"Oh I see ... who are we hunting for?"
Izuku was in a sketchy bar with blatant display of prostitutions and shady dealings. Now was midnight and Tomiya arrived just the right time for the clock to hit twelve. The butler had removed his suit and was wearing a thick leather jacket, no inner shirt and unfit military cloth jeans.
"You have done your research haven't you? Ojou-sama will be under the protection of another butler as we work in shifts. Consider this some... light exercise."
"Lead the way then."
Not that interested in pointing out the changed subject, Izuku followed Tomiya onto a cab before making it to a 24/7 cafe. The barista asked for their drinks: Tomiya asked for black coffee with full ice and no sweetener, the Robusta variety, while Izuku did not give an answer.
"So newcomer huh, Tomiya-san? Go to the room 107."
Walking to the instructed room, Tomiya knocked in a series, possibly a passcode. The door was opened and a smell of disinfectants filled the two's noses. In the middle of the minimalist room was a table with a single file on top.
"So this is your family's information center. Good disguise since it also doubles as a normal coffee shop."
"Are you always this much of a chatterbox?"
"Not really, only to those who are still hiding something from me despite it being necessary for me to know beforehand."
"Like what?"
"Like... why is the young daughter allowed to wander around the city with an active bounty for her? Not only that...something particular about your skin."
"That is but a mystery even to me. A job of a servant is to follow the order of my masters."
"Does your order have ... vigilante works on the list?"
"Yes."
"I'm fine with it. And tomorrow, we will be moving to the next city via train. If Kana has any objections, I will not be taking hers."
"That's fine."
"I am currently in your employment and you can safely share the mission details and the NDA signed before will ensure that."
"... We are collecting debts from criminal groups around the city."
"They are quite unruly heh?"
"Stop chattering. The job will take a long time."
The two of them discussed what to do and quickly set off to the hunting grounds they had talked about. That night, no criminal activity took place in Sapporo and screams from broken finger, cut muscle and blunt impact to the heads reverberated in the shadows.
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The schlurping of ramen noodle in a ramen cart signaled the most beloved activity during cold time: having something warm to fill your stomach.
"Hey... I don't really know your name but going for a meal this time around here is quite risky. But seeing your build, you seems to to have a lot of confidence huh?"
The chef's son asked the only customer seating before his family's cart. This time around his dad would have closed the shop but this one actually asked for five bowls using fingers like a starving dog almost on the other side of the river and the father could not allow such sight to remain in front of him.
The customer was on his fourth bowl, the clanking of utensils told the end of it and the move to the final bowl.
"Hey man...uh... Do you have a place to stay for tonight?"
The sound of noodles being devoured stopped following the sudden question. The goodwill of the son was met with a period of silence before a deep voice, but still recognizably female, answered.
"Thank you for the offer but I still have something in my bucket list."
"Oh, sorry. I am just worry for your safety, miss..."
"Orochi, the surname."
"Yes Orochi-san."
"And I can pay you guys for the bowls. Here, take some."
Throwing on the countertop a few piles of notes, mostly in 10 000, Orochi got up and bid the cart a goodbye.
"Thanks a lot, Orochi-san. If you have time, our place will always welcome you."
"Noted kid."
The woman, whose height stood at over 2 meter, walked along the desolate snow scenery. Most buildings had their lights turned off but the moon's soft light was enough. Orochi took out a small notebook and began writing the location of the food cart before. Finishing up the notes, she put the thing back into her mountaineer backpack and began her run to another nearby city. She still had some preemptive cleaning to do.
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It had already been three days for Izuku here in Northern Japan. Aside from the nightly excursions for debt moneys, his quality of life was significantly much better than expected. Gourmet meals, not a lot of work, and plenty of time for sight seeing. He was now treating the whole commission as a much needed vacation as only now looking back at his activity last year, even he had to admit that he was pushing himself a tad too much.
"Hey Mastermind-san! Look outside!"
Guiding his sight toward thee location Kana's finger was pointing, Izuku only saw patches of frozen ice on thee ocean. Despite the salt content of the water, it seemed the coming temperature drop was still enough for some ice to form.
"Have you not seen frozen sea water before, Kana-san?"
"Ehhh not really. I have always traveled to tropic places for vacations!"
"Ojou-sama, please take a drink."
Tomiya brought out a glass of orange juice. Kana quickly down the content and then fell asleep just as quick.
"Tomiya-san, I have to ask... is the security of train around here that low?"
"Not the reason. We are just meeting someone that ojou-sama must not see at any cost. Family secrets."
"Sure."
Letting Tomiya lead the way cutting through cars, Izuku could see disguised guards all dotted around the place, letting the pair had time for meeting the person of interest.
Passed the dining car, further down the train, in the final car outlooking the rails they had left behind.
"Any problems, Orochi-san?"
Tomiya asked the one smoking while observing the scenery outside.
"No major problems aside from killing a hero. No camera at the scene, no eye witness."
"You are here. What is the order this time?"
"Protect the young lady, nothing else. And you, Mastermind, your reputation really exceeds your presence."
" Thank you for the kind words... You must have realized it right, Orochi-san?"
"Yes."
Izuku and Orochi quickly brough out their weapons. Him a pair of swords and Orochi a hook connected to her left wrist through a rope.
"Are you following, Tomiya-san?"
"What's the issue?"
"You have been keeping eyes on Kana-san but not the outside. We have been looping around for quite some time. And Orochi-san was just checking the situation before we arrived. I have guesstimated the time before we loop again, 10 minutes. Now we need to check through the entire train while keeping Kana-san safe. Any objection?"
"Nothing."
The three continued their talk while walking to the front of the train. Passing through groups of guards surrounding the cart Kana was in, they saw a smirking Kana on the floor, her posture not lady-like.
"Let me do one thing."
Tomiya quickly walked to a cabinet, took out a blanket and then cover Kana's body.
"Still professional as usual, Dabi?"
Orochi tried to rouse something in Tomiya but that did nothing to him, who was putting the black coat on.
"Orochi, you check the top of the train. No tunnel so you will be fine. I and Mastermind will scour the inside."
Not waiting for any spare second, Orochi opened a window in another car with her fist and then made her way on top. The remaining personnel began to search in opposite directions. Cars after cars, the usual travelers only gave the two lukewarm, tired eyes and then returned to their sleep. Now Izuku realized that Kana's family had only purchased 5 out of 27 carts.
While on Tomiya's side, he went to check the drivers. Bad news was what he got.
"Another quirk, hypnosis most probably."
Tomiya thought as he waved his hand in front of the driver for a few minutes. Using the radio he had brought with him, he checked the situation back at Kana's car. Receiving a report of everything, Tomiya produced a sigh of relief. The hypnotist had not gotten inside the place.
As he returned through the cars, he was met with Izuku tinkering with something blocky. Tomiya had a bad premotion and asked him.
"What is that?"
"A small bomb. I found it on the connecting links and I am trying to stop it. 1,2,...3! It's fine now."
Tomiya watched as Izuku pulled out a red wire and then walked to the window broken by Orochi before. He threw out the block and returned, wiping his palms into his pants.
And just before the two could contemplate what to do next, they both heard loud thumping above and when looked outside, they could see a falling snake head. Trying to call for the guards, they belatedly discovered that the personnel just stood there, dazed and looking outside toward the horizon.
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Orochi had been making her way on too of the cars when she spotted a man in traditional kendo clothing with a katana on his hip. His long hair spread chaotically in the rushing winds and covered his face. The man was also looking at her and his hand was on the hilt, finger on the scabbard.
Orochi did not let him had the chance of escaping. Using her already spinning hook, she threw an artillery shell using her wrist motion. The distance was tens of meters but the hook still traversed the gap, aiming for the man's body. Seeing the coming weapon, he lowered his body and dashed to a side before running toward Orochi, the clipping of wooden geta getting closer and closer.
" No long range quirk. Good, now to binding."
Catching the outstretch rope using her left hand, she gave it a pull to the right, swiping a cone and forcing the attacker to change foothold. The rope was thick and could easily bruise or even break bones if connect but the man jumped over it with agility. Gripping and feeling the friction trying to tear the skin apart, Orochi thrusted her right hand forward. On the way to its maximum reach, the skin around the wrist changed color to that of emerald and began to turn into snake heads aiming straight at the man in front.
Seeing the large scale attack, the man sped up and use his sword to cut the three earliest strikers with a single slash. The range of the attack was not right with its effects so Orochi could deduce the quirk as having to do with lengthening the attack range. The man than jumped over the snakes, landing on some of them and making his way toward her.
Having already recollect the hook, Orochi gave the snakes a shake. The sudden displacement of footholds led to the man jumping up to again dodge the ground. One characteristic of the snakes was that they could grow and turn around.
As if there was eye on his back, the man twisted his body to evade the coming spears of fangs. Utilizing that chance, Orochi threw the hook that she had already spun up to speed.
The man was surprised seeing the metal hook right in front of him. A head tilt saved his life as the original destination of the hook was his brain. The sharp edge made a cut to the man's right eye brows.
The sudden near-death experience halted the man's movement but Orochi did not use that opportunity to attack. She spent the time recollecting the hook, gripping it as a dagger and cut her wrist off. The mass of snakes fell with a loud thump onto the roof of the car and the man began to close the distance even more.
Bring up the hook to meet the katana, Orochi remembered to change her body's orientation to avoid the downward blade. The steel katana connected to the specialized hook and cut straight through the reinforced steel.
'Weapon range or double attack give or take...'
Using the momentum of the man, she threw a punch toward the solar plexus but was interfered by a raised leg from the man. The impact from the trade separated the two again, the distance around twenty meters.
The hook was still useful as a weighted whip. The man raised the sword to the height of his shoulder and pointed the blade point toward her. The swinging of the rope created quite a ripple through the air. The two glared at each other for a few seconds before rushing in.
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"What did you let her drink, Tomiya-san?"
"Just sleeping pill. She is not good with blood."
"Hoh... It seems your family head really treasures her huh, unlike Orochi."
"What do you really want to ask?"
"What is your quirk?"
"... I ... Fine. My quirk is flame manipulation."
"Mine is just better intelligence."
Both Izuku and Tomiya was keeping check on the car with Kana inside. The two was looking at opposite direction to maintain a 360 degree view. The two gave out their quirk with slight obfuscation to the details.
"So have you checked the guests?"
"They are still acting normal, and that's what make it weird. The dazed guards stand in their ways and the journeymen instinctually moved aside and continued as usual. Mass mental intrusion across the entire train."
"And plus another spatial quirk user. The energy consumption of such quirk is ridiculously extreme so just waiting can be an answer so the main issue here is the mental quirk user."
Bam!
A window nearby was broken by a brown mass. Observing the standing up thing, Tomiya quickly approached the stunned man and gave him a punch to the face. Not stopping there, Izuku used his twin swords to stab the man's wrist to immobilize the intruder and let Tomiya do the interrogation freely.
Orochi had also reentered the car via the broken window, in her arm was a stuck katana. She pulled the thing out and stored it somewhere far from the man but still in her reach.
"Can you please talk? It's lonely to be monologuing."
"You bastard ... patoo!"
The man spitted blood onto Tomiya's face. In response, he only sighed and took out a handkerchief from the front pocket and swiped his face clear before pushing the thing into the man's mouth.
"Close you eyes."
"Huh?"
Tomiya grabbed the man's face with his now bare hands. Soon smell of charred meat could be smell and the man's scream was muffled but still loud enough. With a pleasant smile on his face, Tomiya asked the man again.
"Can you tell me where your friends are? Or did the burn get inside your mouth?"
"Hah Hah... I wil-ill speak! Please do n ARGH!"
"You should have some cleaning done to your ears. I ask, you answer."
"Yes!"
"Now let's go again."
"Where are your friends?"
"O-one is in the third car after this, another is hiding in the dining car."
"Thank you for your information."
A simple kick was then delivered to the man's head, twisting it to a side and breaking the spinal connection.
"Orochi, please go to the dining car. Mastermind, control the rain. And I will go to the third car."
"Fine."
"Same."
The three set out to complete their own task. After ten minutes, they returned, all with the targets. The three agreed on getting to the station as quickly as possible so the two of Tomiya and Orochi ended the lives of their prisoners.
Just after killing them, the three heard a ringing tone in the samurai's phone. Picking it up, Tomiya could hear a deep, musky voice.
"Hey Jack, how is the mission going? We are not being paid by the hour! So tell me, how is it going on?"
'Hmm... Opponents hiring a group of criminals to eliminate the Orochi's family... Quite a strong one.'
Tomiya though as he turned on the camera to film the outside. Izuku had already begun reverse-tracking the
"Jack, show me the inside! Stop capturing the fucking snow outside."
"In front of us, just before the station."
Izuku said, his eyes on the coordinate. The signal was not masked but for someone to be this blatant, it meant either the man on the other side was very confident in the three people sent or he was enough to handle the edge case of the three intruders dying and failing the mission.
"... Oh I get it. Did the three of them die? Don't keep silent. I know the one on the train is some VIP of the Orochi clan. Are you one of the guard?"
Not having the energy to deal with another masquerade, Tomiya picked up.
"I am a butler of the Orochi clan. How may I help you sure?"
"Let me guess your name. Hughman, Tokaro, Malthi, Tomiya, ..."
A list of name continued to be rambled on and on. Tomiya's face turned ashen as names and names of peers and previous employees were being discussed. The issue here was the fact that the one on the other side even had access to the information.
"Where are the security force of the company running this line?"
"I do not know."
On the other side, a pile of bodies was being sat on. A man in his deep red suit and a great sword with a revolving pistol scabbard was looking at the phone in front of him. He originally had no confidence in the mission of killing the VIP of the Orochi but... this was something fun! Ending the call, he started fixing his attire to greet the guests.
Revving the engine via the sword handle, he stood up and began making his way toward the coming train in the distance, he could not see it yet but he could feel it. After fifteen minutes, the silhouette finally appeared behind the horizon. Bringing the weapon above his head, the man activated his quirk. Rings of light bounded the great sword and began rotating, three in total.
The rings sped up as the gap between the incoming train and the man reduced at an alarming rate. Soon he could see the insignia hammered onto the front of the train: a nine-head snake. Not giving a single shred of care toward the hulking mass heading his way, he slashed downward.
And the train was split in two.