Part 2 of huge chapter 2. Get ready for stakeouts, anko grudges and princess carries.

Chapter 2 (part 2/3) (volume 1, pages 83-106)

†

On Awashima’s orders, the members of Scepter 4 who were not busy with work, conducted a search inside the HQ. The search was thorough, from bas.e.m.e.nts to lofts.

At first the members were confused, but when Awashima specified the reason for such a measure, they got motivated and did an exhaustive search in every building.

If even a single peeping picture taken inside the HQ showed up, they would have to admit to the opponent that their security was full of holes. Moreover, also, many were afraid to even imagine all the shameful pictures that could be snapped in the dorms which were a private s.p.a.ce.

So the free troops split into groups and went through all the places, starting with the main building, then the south and the west ones, the dojo, the garage and finally the dorms for the troops, with a fine tooth comb. Among the partic.i.p.ating members were not only those of the Special Ops squad, that became the direct targets of that kind of filming, but also office workers like Yoshino.

The one to take command of the search parties was Enomoto Tatsuya who was knowledgeable about this kind of devices.

He gave all the directions regarding the search process, summed up the general cla.s.sification of camouflage cameras for the members, narrowed down the locations where such cameras could be installed, provided necessary explanations, even touching upon the psychology of peeping toms who used this kind of cameras.

Hearing such fine particulars and accurate comments from him, Hidaka gingerly ventured, “—Umm, Eno… You don’t really have any kind of actual experience in this, do you, I hope?”
“Fufun,” Enomoto snickered disturbingly. “I have knowledge in the area and the equipment, but I have yet to apply it to practice, because that sort of thing doesn’t really arouse my interest all that much, I’m afraid.”

Together with relief, Hidaka felt a smidge of uneasiness at those words.

Following Enomoto’s instructions, Hidaka was mainly in charge of the back yard search. The inside of the buildings had already been checked thoroughly and not a single suspicious gadget had been found anywhere. No matter how ingenious the opponents might have been, it seemed impossible for them to slip through the nets of Enomoto’s manically thorough check. At the moment, Hidaka was only looking around the outdoor s.p.a.ce near the back yard just to make double sure they didn’t overlook anything.

Installing cameras at a place like this that rarely even saw people wasn’t going to pay off anyway.

‘So in the end, Fushimi-san knew that the Captain and the Lieutenant had already been making their move.’

Suddenly, Hidaka froze. In the underbush, there was a cardboard box. Hidaka’s heart did a flip in his chest. The place where the box was left didn’t follow the principles of hidden camera installation that Enomoto had explained to him, but there could be no doubt that it was a suspicious object. Hidaka drew closer slowly and cautiously and, picking up a stick lying on the ground, moved the cap off of the box, opening it.

“Hn!” he realized something, leaned in closer to the box with disbelief all over his face and took out one of the items out of it. He had already concluded that the contents weren’t explosives. They couldn’t be.

“—Eh? But how?” Something close to a groan slipped out of him.

Because what the box contained was…

“How could this be carried all the way here, all of places…?” he lamented, covering his mouth with a hand.

The things inside couldn’t be mistaken. They were “archive E” taken out of the “library” that Enomoto and Fuse managed - that is, obscene magazines. Hidaka opened a page and reunited with the girl he had given up all hope of seeing again.

“No mistake then,” he whispered with something akin to a moan.

†

Later, Hidaka contacted Enomoto and Fuse, and they came to collect “archive E”. They handled it quickly but with utmost care and reverence as if it was a gold bar or a work of art. Although neither of them seemed to have any idea of how “archive E” could turn up at a place like the back yard, for the moment they were apparently very relieved to recover the precious magazine collection bought on shared investments.

The search hadn’t discovered any hidden cameras but found the dirty magazines instead.

Only Hidaka couldn’t help feeling slightly ill at ease, fidgeting that maybe they needed to report it to somebody, so he tried suggesting they do to the two indirectly, but…

“—And what do you wanna say? "We lost some dirty mags, but safely found them, so no worries”? Thank you but I’ll pa.s.s, personally. If we reported to Lieutenant Awashima, for starters, we’d be in for a shouting session, you can bet on it.“
"He’s right. What if it involves some unavoidable circ.u.mstances of one of the "library members”. We can’t be so careless.“

Enomoto and Fuse both were unanimously against the idea. Furthermore, Enomoto declared that he was going to raise the security level of "archive E” management, so even Hidaka had to stop with the further argument. After all, he didn’t exactly want to make the existence of the “library” public because of something that didn’t even look significant.

Later on that day, after the search had been finished, all the partic.i.p.ants stood in rows in front of Awashima as Enomoto reported the results.

“No hidden cameras or other suspicious gadgets for illegal information gathering have been found on the premises of Scepter 4. I guarantee it!”
“—I see.” Awashima looked somewhat relieved.

Enomoto ventured a suggestion, “If I may, I would like to propose we install surveillance cameras of our own. We will be able to detect it faster if any suspicious persons trespa.s.s on the territory, and use the footage as evidence.”

After considering his suggestion for a short while, Awashima shook her head. “No. We won’t do that. Our opponents apparently have a hacker who can hack into surveillance camera systems.”

Enomoto’s countenance betrayed his disappointment, if only a little. It basically read, “If I’m the one in charge of the system, I won’t let anything so unsightly happen.”

Seeing his expression and grasping the meaning behind it, Awashima gave him a wry smile. “Don’t misunderstand. It’s not like I’m doubting your skills, it’s just a precaution to be on the safe side.”

“—Sometimes it’s better to have human witnesses,” Gotou, standing next to Hidaka, remarked in a whisper. “A camera itself can’t notice abnormalities about someone or sense that something is off about them. What can notice such things without fail is…” Gotou pointed to his own eyes. “…these. Human eyes only.”

He was telling this to Hidaka, but Awashima, p.r.i.c.king up her ears, heard him too. She nodded like Gotou’s opinion was in complete consort with her own. “Nice observation, Gotou.”

Gotou smiled slightly.

Awashima, looking everyone in the face, raised her voice. “Kounomura Zenichi’s goal for approaching us is exceedingly baffling. At the moment, we hardly have any information on his methods or his subordinates. You can’t let your guard down, even if we found no cameras inside the HQ buildings,” she warned the gathered members again before dismissing them.

As she did, her PDA rung. The caller was displayed as Munakata Reishi.

Awashima answered the call promptly. “Awashima listening, sir.”
“Awashima-kun,” Munakata said in his usual detached tone. “Please gather troops for an emergency dispatch after consulting with Akiyama-kun.”
“Eh?” Awashima’s voice was audibly high-pitched.

The members, who were leaving the grounds, p.r.i.c.ked up their ears, wondering what was going on.

Being aware that she had become the focus of the troops’ attention, Awashima asked for a clarification, “—What does that mean, sir? Did something happen?”
“Oh, nothing much.” Munakata chuckled lightly. “I simply had an idea that might allow us to catch Kounomura-shi by the tail. We shall test if they really have the skills and strength that they have been boasting of or not.”

Munakata then proceeded to explain the particulars of his plan to Awashima. 5 minutes later, Awashima started giving out orders to the members left on the grounds in a resolute voice, thinking all the while, "This is the Captain for you, regardless what he might have said previously.’

†

It was past midnight, and it started to rain, threads of rain looking like someone was pulling on them.

Having bought late-night snack, Doumyouji, in civilian clothes, made his way to a room in a certain apartment building. Patting his shoulders off water droplets, he asked in a bright, jaunty voice one wouldn’t expect to hear in this dim, gloomy room.

“Hiya. I’ve bought what you requested, Lieutenant, Kamo. Any changes in the situation?”
“—Oh, Doumyouji. Much appreciated. No changes so far,” Awashima answered in place of Kamo who, with a pair of binoculars in his hands, was steadily observing a certain room of an old apartment complex across the street.

Taking the plastic shopping bag from the nearest convenience store that Doumyouji held out to her, Awashima took her turn to ask Doumyouji, “I hope you were careful on your way back?”

Inside the bag, she found foodstuffs, tea and sweets. Her eyes lingered on “Parfait with plenty of anko!” and she earnestly complimented Doumyouji in her mind for being a perceptive man when it counted. She positively beamed like no one ever knew she could.

She really was looking forward to this parfait because it was a new article she had yet to sample.

“Nooo wooorries.” Doumyouji grinned, showing his pearly whites as he took off his coat and plopped on the tatami floor with his legs crossed. “I made sure no one was watching when I entered the building. Perfect stealth, I guarantee you. That aside, Kamo. I know it’s still a bit early to switch lookouts, but wanna switch anyway? You’ve had a lot to deal with yesterday and look a bit tired.”
“…” Kamo threw a glance back at Doumyouji, then looked at his wrist.w.a.tch and nodded. “Thanks, Doumyouji. I think I’ll take you up on that.”

Like Doumyouji pointed out, Kamo did indeed look somewhat weary. Sighing a little, Kamo handed the binoculars to Doumyouji and went to look through the bag with snacks that Awashima left on the floor. His eyes lingered on the convenience store sushi for a few moments as his face showed somewhat mixed feelings. But for various reasons and as a former chef, he pa.s.sed on that.

Then his gaze shifted to rice b.a.l.l.s, from them to strawberry jelly, to chocolate until finally settling on “Parfait with plenty of anko!” as he extended his hand to take it.

Awashima’s face fell.

But Kamo didn’t notice it, prying the plastic lid open with a dry click. Originally, he specialized in j.a.panese cuisine and was quite fond of pleasantly sweet anko beans (provided that the quant.i.ty was reasonable).

Gazing outside the window through the binoculars, Doumyouji asked, “So, uh, your wife didn’t let you see your daughter yesterday again?”

Kamo visibly tensed at this direct and severe blow. But since the question was asked so bluntly, there was no need to drag this out, so he was able to recover quickly.

“—Well, yeah,” Kamo replied with a self-derisive smile as he carried the spoon to his mouth.

Awashima’s eyes became a perfect circle.

“Once things turn sour, everything becomes very complicated. Especially in the relationship between former spouses,” Kamo said, drowning himself in anko. Now that he was eating it, he had realized that his body did crave some sugar.

“It’s good. Really good,” he finally commented.

“Hmmm,” Doumyouji expressed wonderingly. “I’ve never been married myself, but you look mature to me, and you’re holding it together just fine, have a proper job and everything. Why did your wife even divorce you?”

Abruptly, someone whispered in a dark, dark voice, “—Actually, I think I understand her a little.”
“Eh?” Kamo’s head turned to look back at Awashima.

For some reason, she refused to look at him, staring at the ceiling that obviously had nothing to do with the matter.

Her face was absolutely unreadable.

What was it? Even though she was sitting in a very neat and proper seiza, it felt like blue flames of fury were rising off of her otherwise very feminine body.

“U-Um, Lieutenant…?” Kamo tried nervously, but Doumyouji’s sharp and alert call interrupted him, “Lieutenant! Kamo!” making both Awashima and Kamo instantly switch back to work mode and jump to the window.

Doumyouji held out the binoculars to Awashima, but even without them she could see the reason for the alert clearly.

“Who is that?” a groan escaped Awashima’s mouth as she pulled up the curtain.

Kamo was already contacting Akiyama’s group who were on standby nearby via his PDA.

A bright vermillion parasol. Clattering of geta that could be heard even here.

A bald giant in a priest’s garb was slowly walking along the dimly-lit street under the drizzling rain, approaching the apartment they were staking out.

†

The plan wasn’t all that elaborate. If Kounomura and his followers were apprehending culprits who possessed strain powers in place of Scepter 4, then Scepter 4 just needed to use a strain whose whereabouts they had already been aware of as a bait and wait until the opponents showed themselves. Simple as that.

That was what Munakata had explained to Awashima.

“There is no need for an ambush more elaborate than this. Our opponents are bound to reveal themselves in any case.”

When Awashima asked him why, he gave the following answer, “Kounomura-san declared that his people can do our job better than us. That is why they cannot afford to make any exception. Extreme case scenario, they would still have to come and capture the strain even if there would be a crowd of us, in full uniform, around him.”

But still, even if Munakata made it sound so easy, it was out of question to set up this trap in the open. After all, if they did, the strain they were using as the bait would notice Scepter 4’s presence and simply escape. For that reason, Awashima’s group was staking out the strain’s place from an apartment in the building across the street, Akiyama’s group was standing by in an apartment in the same building, while Hidaka’s group was lying in wait in a nearby alleyway.

"To think that they’d really show themselves so brazenly and openly, just like the Captain predicted!’ Awashima thought to herself in surprise as she took the lead and sprinted out of the building.

Although it couldn’t be completely ruled out that the bald giant of a man in the priest’s robe was someone unrelated to the matter, at this point that was a possibility they didn’t need to concern themselves with anymore. For the man, when he pa.s.sed under the gazes of Awashima’s team, had looked up and flashed them a grin.

He had already been well aware of their presence.

Awashima’s hand on the saber tightened. With her taking the point, Kamo following and Doumyouji bringing up the rear, they burst out of the building and stormed into the one across the street like a bullet. By that time, loud sounds of destruction, with screams mixed in, could already be heard from inside the building.

Racing up the stairs, Awashima unsheathed her saber. “Awashima, emergency draw!”

Kamo and Doumyouji behind her followed suit. Three blades flashed blue in the dark confines of the cheap wooden structure, moving fast and resembling will-o’-the-wisps. The site of the disturbance was located on the third floor. There, they immediately saw the strange looking bald man from before.

He was in the hallway, standing at his full height with one hand held up. The hand was closed around the neck of a lanky young guy, who was flailing his limbs and screaming shrilly, but the big man wasn’t budging an inch.

On his lips, a bold smile played. Hoisted up by the giant like a prankster kid was the strain, who was the target of this time’s surveillance efforts. Awashima only knew that the strain was a petty thief with the ability to emit shockwaves from his palms which he used to destroy house doors or windows when no one was home and to steal valuables.

Credit for cooperating with the police in uncovering his existence and establishing his whereabouts but letting him remain at large for Scepter 4’s purposes all went to the Akiyama and Benzai duo. They negotiated with the landlord of this apartment complex and stood by in a vacant room on the third floor almost around the clock.

Right now, Akiyama and Benzai blocked one end of the hallway while Awashima’s group was coming from the other end, trapping the bald giant and the young strain in between them.

Like Awashima and her group, they were already holding their drawn swords ready, but with the hallway being narrow and the strain in the way, they couldn’t charge in carelessly.

“I’m warning you: let the hostage go!” Awashima shouted. “You’re completely surrounded. Cease your resistance and surrender!”
“Hostage?” The giant of a man raised his brows and threw a sharp glance Awashima’s way. “Surrender? Quit saying nonsense!” he roared. “I’m not so cowardly as to take hostages, nor am I being cornered by you nearly enough to surrender!” His voice was throaty and powerful, perfectly matching his appearance.

At that instance…

“You d.a.m.n…!” The strain the man was holding up cried out, red faced. “Cut it the f.u.c.k out already, d.a.m.n geezer!” Putting his hands on the giant’s skull, he yelled, “Die!”

Awashima and the others gave a start of shock. The youth’s power was to produce shockwaves from his palms. As a strain, he wasn’t much of a threat, but still, his ability had enough destructive force to blow metal doors off their hinges. If applied to the head directly, there was no way a human being wouldn’t die from it.

“Don’t–!”

Before Awashima had the time to jump forward, a white flash blew out, engulfing the whole of the giant’s head.

“Ugh!” The light was much more blinding than Awashima had expected, so she had to stop and put up both her hands in front of her face for protection.

Akiyama and Benzai shouted something.

“Gufufufufu.”

As the light unspread, the breath of all the present Scepter 4 members caught in their throats.

Not the slightest change was seen in the giant before them, who was now laughing arrogantly. He was still holding up the youth in the air with one hand.

To be precise, traces of light burns could be glimpsed on the temporal regions of his skull where the youth pushed his hands against, but there were no signs that it dealt the giant any damage.

What astounding hardiness.

"This man must be a strain himself or something along the same lines…’ Awashima’s thought processes recovered quickly.

“My head is a bit special, you see.” The giant slapped himself on the forehead a couple of times with his free hand. Then he lowered the shaking wide-eyed strain to his eye level, said, “Fix your att.i.tude and try again,” and jabbed him in Adam’s apple with his thick index finger.

With just that, the youth fainted, the whites of his eyes showing as they rolled back into his head. The giant carefully sat the unconscious strain down against the wall and then turned to the Scepter 4 members, glaring at them.
“Now then. This person won’t get in the way anymore. So have at me. All at once, of course.”
“…” Awashima and the others couldn’t help being demoralized.

That was when Hidaka, Fuse and Gotou came rushing to the scene.

Awashima, sensing their approach with her back, challenged their opponent in a carrying voice. “Let me confirm something first. Are you one of Kounomura Zenichi’s henchmen who’s here to interfere with our duties?”
“…When asking somebody’s name, it’s only proper to give them your own first, you know, but well, you people are too easy to recognize even when you’re wearing civilian clothes, Scepter 4. And you…” he was looking at Awashima in clear amus.e.m.e.nt, “…Awashima Seri, right? The woman clinging to that scrawny greenhorn Munakata Reishi, no?”
“Unmh.” Awashima scowled.
“I know all about you and your backgrounds from Zenichi. So fine, I suppose I’ll give you my name, as well. I’m Nakamura Gouoku. About a decade ago I met Zenichi and happened to like his style and eccentricity, so I’ve been cooperating with him ever since.”

Then the man, who introduced himself as Gouoku, slowly p.r.o.nounced a row of digits, perplexing Awashima.

Kamo leaned in and whispered into her ear, “The numbers he just gave us is his Citizen ID, I think. He is telling us his personal history. Let’s look it up later.”

Awashima nodded.

“—Nakamura Gouoku.” She started in a hushed tone. “We will now…” Communicating with Akiyama and Benzai with her eyes only, she finished, “…arrest you for obstruction of Scepter 4’s duties!”

She kicked off of the ground nimbly, instantly charging ahead. At the same time, Akiyama and Benzai drew closer to Gouoku, intending to trap him with the pincer movement.

They had been training together for a long time and could understand each other’s intention without words.

“Hmph!” Gouoku grinned fearlessly.

Then he turned his bulk around and with speed unimaginable for his size, dashed in the direction of Akiyama and Benzai. In a certain sense, it was a foreseeable move. Before one is trapped from both sides in the pincer attack, one needs to break through one of the flanks by smashing the enemy.

For anyone more or less experienced in fighting, it was a natural choice. On Awashima’s side, there were 5 people, but on the opposite flank, only Akiyama and Benzai. So the man obviously intended to make use of the unequal numbers.

Awashima shouted, “Hidaka! Fuse! Secure the unconscious strain!”
“Yes, ma"am!” They answered the same instance from behind Awashima’s back.

With this, Awashima, Doumyouji and Kamo from one side and Akiyama and Benzai from the other were going to encircle the giant.

Just when Awashima thought that…

“Ha!”
“Heya!”

Despite the narrow hallway, the two on the other end took the flawless fighting stances and swung their swords, Akiyama from the above and Benzai, bending a little so that he and Akiyama wouldn’t get in each other’s way, from the side. Their blades were being brought down on rushing Gouoku, and watching the scene, not even Awashima thought there was any room to evade them.

But Gouoku only smirked broadly. He didn’t even try to evade.

“Hmphuum!” Instead he strained bodily.

Akiyama, Benzai and also Awashima’s group bugged their eyes. The man’s body took on a copper-tanned metallic shine and repelled the two sabers with ease: upon the contact they made a clinking sound as if a rock was. .h.i.t with a metal bat.

Akiyama, pain visible on his face, took a step back, while Benzai dropped his saber with a groan, holding his suddenly numb right hand with his left.

“Guwahahahahaha!”

Gouoku wasted no time. Seizing Akiyama by the scruff of his neck, he hoisted him above his head with no apparent effort and quite literally threw him in the direction of Awashima’s group.

Next, he grabbed an armful of Benzai and launched him at the others, too, like he was a kitten. For a second, it left all the present speechless.

Akiyama and Benzai were also too paralyzed with shock to even attempt to do anything mid-flight.

The man’s herculean strength was so absurd that it was hard to believe it was real.

Before long, Akiyama, on his trajectory down, dragged Doumyouji and Kamo down with him and all three flopped onto the floor in a screaming heap. Benzai, though, was able to avoid Akiyama’s fate. Just when he was about to crash into Awashima, she caught him.

Kneeling down on one knee like she was going to receive a powerful throw in the game of dodgeball, she managed to catch Benzai grabbing him with both her arms even though he was larger than her, demonstrating unbelievable for such a slender frame physical strength of her own.

“Hoo.” The corners of Gouoku’s mouth lifted in an amused grin. “A king’s right hand person is nothing to sneeze at even if she’s a woman, I see.”

“E-Erm, Lieutenant…” Benzai, currently curled up in Awashima’s arms and held in a princess carry, tried to express his grat.i.tude. “Thank you for your help.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Awashima answered like the galant prince and put Benzai down.

Benzai was clearly uncomfortable. Next to him, Akiyama, Doumyouji and Kamo managed to untangle themselves somehow with welps of pain and got up.

Awashima, taking a fighting stance again with her saber at the ready, inquired, “Nakamura Gouoku! That immense power and hardness of yours. It’s already obvious, but I still want to confirm it with you: you’re a strain, aren’t you?”
“Uh-huh,” Gouoku honestly nodded. “It looks like I possess the adamantine body.”

To show it off, he struck poses bodybuilders would, tensing his arms, flexing his muscles, making his abdominals stick out and demonstrating his back. With each pose, Gouoku’s whole body glinted metallic.

“—What’s with these ridiculous poses?” Awashima asked with displeasure.
“I was a bodybuilder when I was young, you see. I don’t know if it’s because of that or not, but when I do poses like Abdominal&Thigh and Double Bicep, my body gets even stronger and harder, it seems,” Gouoku laughed heartily. “Don’t ask why. I only became a strain half a year ago, so I don’t know any detailed stuff. ”
"Half a year?’ When she heard that, something bothered Awashima.

But before she could try and put her finger on it, Gouoku addressed her, “So what do you choose, Awashima? Will you hand that youngster over to me peacefully or should I take him from you the hard way after beating up all of you?” He grinned. “C"mon, c"mon, which will it be?”

Awashima took a soft breath, “It’s easy. We’ll beat you up and get Kounomura Zenichi’s whereabouts out of you. Does this answer your question?” She gazed at Gouoku sternly.

“I like that!” He did a pose that looked intimidating, with both his arms up and his clenched fists turned sideways above his head.

Awashima pointed the tip of her sword up at him.
“Bring it!”
“Here I come!”

Awashima and Gouoku charged at one another at the same time. Their furious duel lasted for about 10 minutes.