"He was murdered."
The words hovered in the airlight a curse more than a statement. Their expressions darkened.
Murdered. That's a very serious thing. And the fact that Akira said that made it seem all the more uneasy. It was like hearing a child finally say their first words, except their words weren't 'mom' or 'dad' but more like 'kill'.
"You're saying that Akashi was...murdered?" Hinasuke said, his tone low and grim.
"Yes. At least that's what I've been told. I already suspected that he wouldn't just kill himself but..." her eyes slid to Yoshida, whose flickered with guilt, "Yoshida didn't believe me."
"Hold on. How do we even know that's the truth? What if the detective's lying?" Yano said, her tone calmer than it should've. She was skeptical, as always. She never was the type to act rash like Akira.
"And what reason would a detective have lying to Akira?" Hina said, eyes quietly evaluating Yano.
"I don't know. Still, hard to believe it when so much of the evidence points at suicide."
"If the officers say it's murder, then they would've obviously done more research first, Yano." Hinasuke said, body shifting to face her.
"And what makes you think they'd treat this case any differently from any of the other Hybrid cases that have been surfacing around lately? You think they'd care enough for a thorough evaluation?"
That one landed like a bite to the heart. It hurt to hear her say that because it was the truth. A truth that couldn't be ignored.
No matter what anyone believed, there was always that possiblity. The world always treated Hybrids differently. Even in death, they were cursed by the living.
"Regardless of what you think..." Yoshida chimed in, voice low and uncharacteristically unsure, "...if Akira's brother really was murdered," he looked at her, his eyes apologizing for doubting her, "then we gotta at least support her."
Akira didn't say anything, but the small curve on the corners of her lips meant she forgave him.
"So what now? I mean it's not like we can investigate on his body to determine the cause, and even then what the hell could we possibly do about it? We're just people."
"We start by finding out what really happened that night." Akira said, her voice now resolute, no longer the crybaby she was, "Then we find out why it happened."
"And how do we do that?" Yoshida asked, "We don't have any connections."
"Maybe not, but we do have a reference." Hinasuke muttered, his tone gentle as he looked at Akira, "That means...going back to the scene of the crime..."
And there it was.
The flicker of the girl who lost her brother, her guardian, her life.
Her heart skipped a beat as her brows softened, eyes flickering with guilt and hurt all at once.
But then, as quickly as it came, it faded, replaced with a shaky but unbreakable determination.
"Fine. If that's what we have to do, then we will," she said, hands clenching into a balled fist.
Hinasuke gave her a small, but proud nod.
Yoshida chuckled beneath his breath, a flicker of pride in his hazel eyes.
Yano sighed as she scratched her eyebrow, "You three are lunatics..."
"Count yourself as well," Akira smiled softly.
They didn't know what they were going to find out, but they didn't need to care yet. This was for Akira...for Akashi.
For closure.
And yet...
The world outside that room had other plans.
{ Somewhere in Tokyo. }
Hirangi hurdled to the floor, brown suit all messed up by the coffee he'd spilled on the journey here. However, that was the least of his problems...
"Oshido Hirangi..."
That voice. Smooth like silk, cold as a viper's heart.
"... You're an interesting man, do you know that?" The voice said, low, slow, cold.
Oshido Hirangi, Head detective of the Ayanaki Police Department, was a man of secrets and corruption. He'd used his power to manipulate people's lives, some ruined, others...well, what 'others'?
He was the kind of man who'd let anything go as long as it was in his benefit, but now...that wasn't the case anymore.
All he could feel was fear. What he wouldn't give to go back to his spacious office.
"L-Look, I did what you want, okay? I told her what happened, exactly the way you said, now please, I beg you, burn that USB Drive..." He pleaded, falling face first on his knees.
"Barking orders at me won't do you well, Oshido. I suggest you try a different approach."
"Please..." the man said, voice shaking softly, "I'm begging you...please burn that USB. It'll ruin my life." the half balding man, begged as tears ran down his face. Real tears.
Yet.
"Don't give me that sentimentality."
The man's body was suddenly lifted by the cheek, squeezed together by soft fingers that gripped his jaw like a vise, "Not after all the lives you've ruined."
The man's feet dangled off the ground as he stared directly into those cold gray abyss for eyes. His heart pounding in his chest as snot and tears mingled down his plump pink face.
"P-Please... I'll do anything...j-just don't killed me, please!" He begged, hands gripping those pale wrists. They were so cold, like there wasn't any pulse or body heat.
The mystery figure held him just a moment longer, watching him squirm and heathe like a dying animal before they finally let him fall to the ground.
"I despise creatures like you." the voice whispered, yet the whisper carried a harsh finality. Like whatever they said was absolute.
"I-I... I'll do whatever you say, just don't—"
"Quiet. Filth."
There was a small pause, punctuated by his hiccups and the soft echo of their voice.
Oshido shut his mouth, hands on his jaw, tracing the sting of his jaw. He touched a warm liquid, rubbed his fingers together. Blood.
His eyes dilated, he wanted to scream, but the crushing presence of this thing in front of him denied him even the tiniest of sobs.
Then slowly, the one before him lowered themselves until they were just shy of touching.
"Until I'm done with you," the voice's cold fingers sunk into his scalp, forcing him to look at them in their eyes.
In their beautiful, cold gray eyes...
"...you are going to keep an eye of the girl, understand?"
"Y-Yes! YES!" The man cried, nodding rapidly as his head kept rising.
Soon he was in the air again, try and failing to scream in pain because of the sheer pressure of this person's bone chilling glare. A small chunk of his hair ripped from the meat of his scalp as the voice gave him a simple, but absolute threat.
"You will watch Akira or I will disembowel your body..."
Another chunk ripped. His legs kicked and jolted in pain, hands helplessly clinging to the person's arms.
"...limb."
Another rip.
"OH GOD, PLEASE—!!"
"From agonizing limb..."
And just like that, Oshido's body slammed into the ground, blood painting his forehead, eyes, mouth as he helplessly cried on the floor, body curling in on itself as the figure walked away.
....
Once outside, just a few steps away from the abandoned building, a soft and warm voice spoke from the roof.
"Well that wasn't very 'mature' like, Ishiki. I always thought you'd be the quiet type, not the messy type."
Their eyes fluttered to a close, looking back before looking in front again.
A woman. Dressed in nothing but an oversized white shirt that clung on to one shoulder, white socks and black sandals. Their hair, white and messy, brushed past her shoulders. She brushed a strand of stray hair from the warmest face imaginable, smiling as she tilted her head. She seemed so friendly, so pure, so welcoming, everything about her screamed 'friendly' well...except for those blood red ruby eyes that always —always— glowed in the dark.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was gonna ask you that first." The woman smiled gently, head tilting a little further, hands behind her back.
Ishiki glanced at the man, through the door, then back at the woman, "Sorting out a minor issue."
"Hmmm, didn't seem minor to me, though..."
"Maybe that is because it does not concern you," she said walking past her when suddenly...
"See the thing is, I know what you're up to, Shiki-chan, but... I'm not gonna stop you."
That made Ishiki stop, back to back.
The gray haired woman glanced over her shoulder and a faint curve played along the edges of her lips.
"Well I'm sure you wouldn't want to. After all, these kinds of things have became rather boring to you, haven't they..."
The woman grinned, pearly whites grinning ear to ear as she skipped around Ishiki, "Damn right you are, Shiki-chan! All this fight stuff has become rather boring to me! I don't even know what to do as entertainment anymore!" Her eyes softened as she looked away, "Everything's so bland..." Her tone darkened dramatically, the air dropping so quick that some boulders cracked, "Well except for you, Shiki-chan..."
Ishiki wasn't fazed however, she looked at the woman before her nothing but a straight face as she said to her simply, "Then I'm sure you'll come to enjoy what I've set up for you..."
She kept walking as she spoke, her voice calm and quiet, however it held an undercurrent of something deeper, "...afterall, you will find this next one enjoyable seeing as she's out looking for the truth..."
"...and that truth is you, Tokito."