The rain kept falling in Tokyo even after the storm had subsided. A black SUV drove on the slick road, until a road worker in a bright vest and a hard hat signaled it to stop. He came to the window and talked to the driver.

"You can't go this way."

The driver was a burly man in a black suit and sunglasses. He had a low and menacing voice that made the air colder.

"Why?”

The road worker was startled by the sight of the man and his intimidating aura. He stammered nervously.

“Uh, sorry sir, there was a tree that fell during the storm and it blocked the road. We’re waiting for the service vehicle to come and clear it.”

Without a word, the driver rolled up the window, backed up and drove away.

The car had picked a detour, its destination set on the towering headquarters of BiogeneX, Japan's leading biotechnology conglomerate. As they drove along, they were once again stopped by a police officer, who came to the car window and requested it be opened.

“Sorry, this route is temporarily closed due to an ongoing investigation,” the officer said.

The driver picked up some murmurs from the bystanders and cast a quick glance at his owner in the back seat through the rearview mirror. Then, he made an effort to sound nonchalant as he spoke to the officer.

"Is this related to those high school girl murders that have been in the news lately?"

"Sorry, we can't disclose any details about this," the officer said curtly and moved on to the next car.

The driver turned the car around and looked for another way to reach their destination. He spoke to his owner with a worried tone, "Ojou-sama, if we take another detour, we will be late for another 30 minutes. I need your permission to pass by the Nakamura dojo."

There was a long silence in the car. Reina's gaze was fixed on the traffic light, which was about to turn green. She knew what passing by the dojo meant for her, a place she wished to forget.

"Very well. This is an important meeting and I need to be ready. I can't let my personal issues interfere with my work."

 

 

 

"Who's in there?"

Kaito froze at the sound of his father's voice rang out from the other side of the door. Panicking, he clamped a hand over his mouth and tried to keep his voice down as he spoke to Yuuko. The urgency in his tone was palpable.

"Where are my clothes?" he whispered frantically.

Yuuko seemed amused by his request. "Of course, Kaito's clothes are in Kaito’s room," she replied with a hint of surprise in her tone.

Kaito's frustration mounted "Wait, you mean you have stripped off my clothes before dragging me to this room?"

"...Yes." Yuuko's voice sounding like that of a shy girl. "wouldn’t it very bad if someone sees Kaito's clothes here?"

Kaito imagined the horror of himself had been paraded around the house naked. He covered his face with his hands, seething with anger.

"You!" he spat.

Despite his fury, he had to calm down and act quickly to escape the room before his father came in. He made his way to the window and tried to open it, but it had been stuck shut for far too long. He didn't want to force it open and risk damaging the window, especially since it was his mother's room.

"Kuso!⁽¹⁾"

Kaito cursed under his breath, realizing he had no other option but to face his father in this appearance. The thought of being caught filled him with dread. It would be humiliating. And worse, his father might disown him, let alone the inherit of dojo.

"Shit!! Shit!!" He banged his head on the window frame, muttering the word repeatedly in frustration. But then Yuuko's voice cut through his panic.

"Calm down, Kaito. Let me help you."

Desperate for a way out, Kaito immediately seized on the glimmer of hope that Yuuko offered him. "What do I need to do?" he asked, his voice shaking.

Yuuko chuckled, her tone mischievous. "Well, This is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate the power of the Hagarin technique."

 

 

After several attempts to call out to whoever was in the room, Hiro resolved to take matters into his own hands. With a show of force, he slid the door open widely and stood in a defensive posture ready for any potential threats.

To his surprise, he found a girl behind the door, with an unusual appearance. She was dressed in a school uniform, a long-sleeved shirt and a knee-length skirt with socks, but her long hair hung down, completely obscuring her face. The lantern on the wall illuminated her back, casting a long shadow over Hiro's feet. She looked like a ghost straight out of a Japanese horror movie.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?” Hiro asked sternly.

In response, the girl spoke in a soft, trembling voice that evoked pity. "I'm sorry, Owner-san. The storm was too strong, and I had nowhere else to go. I came into your house without permission to seek shelter."

Hiro's guard lowered and he relaxed his posture. It seemed like the situation was not unfamiliar to him. His voice was soften but remained firm.

"Listen, girl. You can’t just barge into someone’s home without asking. Next time, you have to knock and wait for an answer. Now, come with me. You can’t stay in this room."

The girl quickly replied with a "Yes!" and ran towards Hiro, extending her arms as if she were about to embrace him. But just as suddenly, her right hand thrust towards Hiro's neck, sending a wave of murderous intent through his body. Reacting quickly, he rotated his body to the side and instinctively countered with a punch of his own. The girl swiftly lowered her body to evade his attack and followed up with a sweeping kick, forcing Hiro to jump back into the hall, where the lanterns were casting yellow radiance. Hiro moved skillfully, his figure disappearing and reappearing within the limited range of each lantern's light.

The girl stepped out of the room, still hiding her face behind her hair, she spoke in a plaintive tone, "Why are you running from me, Owner-san? You said you would take me somewhere." She sniffled and took a step towards Hiro, her movements becoming faster and more erratic with each passing moment.

Hiro stood his ground and changed to his defensive posture, preparing for the impact.

"Why are you attacking me?" he asked, his tone steady.

But the girl didn't answer. Instead, she let out a high-pitched giggle and continued to move closer and closer until she was just inches away from him. Suddenly, she lowered her body once again, but this time instead of a sweeping kick, her right hand was poised to strike at his groin. Hiro's reflexes kicked in and he quickly thrust his knee forward to block the attack, intending to counter with a kick of his own. But the girl just laughed.

"I know how sensitive your men are at that area.”

Hiro realized too late that her raised hand were just a ploy to distract him. Using her lowered position, the girl lauched herself into a high jump, like a leaf being lifted by a gust of wind. She twisted her body in mid-air, spinning three quick circles, her arms and legs were blur in the motion, her movements fluid and graceful. With lightning speed, she delivered a thrust kick to the center of Hiro's body, sending him sliding back across the floor despite his attempts to block the attack.

 

 

"Are you impressed, Kaito? This is the power of Hagarin." Yuuko's voice sounded proud and triumphant in Kaito's mind. “But I must admit, I was quite surprised when your father managed to defend against that kick."

Yuuko communicated with Kaito through their mental connection, exchanging thoughts. Earlier, she had proposed that Kaito relinquish control of his body to her. Though hesitant at first, the urgent circumstance left him with no other choice. Unlike Yuuko, who was exhilarated by the battle, Kaito remained silent, observing and analyzing the ongoing fight through Yuuko's eyes.

"What's the matter, Kaito? Enjoying it so much that you're speechless?" Yuuko teased him.

"Shut up, you haven't won yet." Kaito snapped back, annoyed by her arrogance.

"Okay, okay, don't be so grumpy. I'll make you worship this technique of mine when I finish him off.” Yuuko said, confident in her victory.

Currently, there was an unsettling uneasiness gripped Kaito's heart. Having fought his father multiple times in the past, he knew that his father had yet to unleash his full power. Something felt off, particularly during the last kick, as if his father had deliberately held back for some reason.

Meanwhile, Yuuko continued to act her role. She had a special ability to mimic anyone's voice. With a soft, sweet, and pitiful tone, she addressed Hiro.

“I'm sorry, owner-san. Did I hurt you? Please let me apologize by healing you.”

She reached into the skirt pocket and pulled out a band-aid, holding it up for Hiro to see.

However, Hiro's behavior was far from ordinary. He stood silent, maintaining the same posture from their last clash, resembling a statue in the shadow of the dimly lit hall. Undeterred by his lack of response, Yuuko approached Hiro with a cheerful demeanor, the band aid still raised in her hand.

Then, in a instant moment, everything changed. When Yuuko was barely a meter away, with a sudden burst of energy, Hiro unleashed a devastating punch aimed directly at Yuuko's face, his intent to kill clear in his eyes. The attack happened so swiftly that Yuuko barely managed to evade it, leaving a scratch on Kaito's face where the wig had concealed it.

Yuuko quickly leapt backward, trying to create some distance between herself and Hiro. A chilling sensation ran down Kaito’s body, that both of them could sense. It was clear that Hiro's true capabilities had been underestimated, and Yuuko realized that she needed to reassess her approach.

"Owner-san," Yuuko said, her voice taking on a pouty, cute, and sweet tone. "Don't you think you're being, like, way too rough with a girl?" She emphasized the word "girl" with an exaggerated whine, trying to appeal to his sense of guilt or reason.

But Hiro slowly advanced into the illuminated area of the hall, his face emerged from the shadows, revealing a grimace filled with scorn and anger. With a venomous tone, he retorted:

"Shut up, you repulsive pervert! I saw that abhorrent sight beneath your skirt as you executed that airborne kick."

...

Eh!

Eh!? Eh!? Eh!?

A crescendo of panic surged through Kaito, rising steadily like an impending storm until it exploded in a piercing scream that reverberated within the confines of his mind.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

"Calm down, Kai—" Yuuko's voice wavered, unable to pacify him. Her words were even abruptly cut off as Kaito waged an internal battle to reclaim dominance over his own body.

Summoning every ounce of strength, every fragment of will, every fiber of his being, Kaito pivoted away and bolted toward the nearby window. Without a moment's hesitation, he crashed into the pane, shattering it into a cascade of fractured glass. He leaped out from the second floor, hurtling through the air, his landing sending a jolt of pain coursing through his body. Yet, in his mind, there was only one imperative. To flee, to distance himself from the house, to escape as far and as fast as possible from the situation.

 

 

The rain mercilessly pelted Kaito, drenching his clothes and causing the undergarment beneath to be revealed. It would have been a picturesque and captivating sight, with an air of romance and allure, if only Kaito was... a girl. Unfortunately, in his current appearance, he resembled nothing more than a pervert with disturbing inclinations.

After running for what felt like ages, he came to halt in a dark alley. Leaning against a wall, he tried to steady his breath and calm his racing thoughts.

A mix of embarrassment and anger coursed through Kaito's veins. He knew he had only himself to blame for succumbing to a moment of weakness and being lured by the intoxicating allure of power. Yet, instead of accepting responsibility, he directed his frustrations towards Yuuko, the self-proclaimed ancestor who haunted him. But no matter how loudly he called out to her, no matter how vehement his anger, Yuuko remained absent, as if everything he had experienced thus far were nothing more than illusions.

Kaito flung the wig to the ground in a fit of rage and let out a primal scream that echoed in the alley. He looked up at the sky, as if accusing it of his misfortune.

"KUSOOOOOOO!!"

Tears started to stream down his face, their salty trails mingling with the raindrops, creating a poignant reflection of his inner chaos in the natural world around him.

In an eerie synchrony, a car materialized as if in response to his outburst. The blinding glare of its headlights obstructed his vision, preventing him from noticing the two individuals who had emerged from within. They stood at a distance, silently observing him.

A voice, reminiscent of the one he had heard the day before, cut through the rain with a chilling tone.

"Camera!"

It was Reina. She spoke to Adam, her guard, who dutifully held an umbrella to shield her from the rain. With a silent understanding, he dropped the umbrella, then pulled out a mini camera from his coat. Without hesitation, he snapped pictures of Kaito relentlessly.

"Hey, stop! What do you think you're doing!?" Kaito shouted, his intention to confront them thwarted by the blinding lights of the car and the persistent flashes from the camera.

"How disappointing, Kaito."

"Reina-san?"

Reina exchanged some words with Adam before returning to her seat.

"Wait, Reina. It's not what you think!" Kaito attempted to give chase, but Adam held him back. Under normal circumstances, Kaito would not have been so easily restrained, but his current state was one of mental breakdown, compounded by the earlier injuries sustained from the fall.

"Take this." Adam firmly grasped Kaito's arm and handed him a card. "Tomorrow, 5 pm. Come to this address."

With those final words, Adam got back into the car. The vehicle swiftly departed, leaving Kaito alone in the desolate darkness of the alley.  

 

 

Note:

(1): “Kuso” is is a slang term that is often used to express frustration, annoyance, or disappointment. It is a vulgar term that can be translated as "crap," "damn," or "shit" in English. I will restrict the use of Japanese words in the novel to crucial moments, where they can enhance the atmosphere and contribute to creating an authentic Japanese feel.