An unmarked black vehicle had been sitting just out of reach of the bright streetlights that lined the rather vacant street of Minami, downtown Osaka. The two men had been fixated on the unassuming grey warehouse for some hours now, their target one of the leaders of Sugiwara Co., a company that seemed to lead the underground crime syndicate in the area of Osaka. The more impatient of the two men was Kurosawa Kousuke, a brown-haired man with a fit, average build that tapped his fingers in irritation against his crossed arms.

“Damn it, how much longer are they going to be…” 

“Just stay sharp.” The second male replied as Kurosawa shifted his position and leaned forward with a groan. Kurosawa's hazel eyes flickered to the calm, unperturbed gaze of the silver-haired officer beside him. 

“Geez…” He sighed with a long exhale as he moved back against his seat. His co-worker was a dutiful Officer by the name of Date Ryoya, an ethereal man of a lean, slender build and average height with silver hair and slate grey eyes. He had been working intently on a previous report on the laptop posted between them, only occasionally glancing up at the warehouse a block or two away. The quiet clasp of the laptop garnered Kurosawa's attention, and he soon mimicked Date's movements of exiting the car. The Sugiwara Company, one of the wealthiest trading companies in all of Japan, had nearly monopolized the ports of Osaka. Prior investigations revealed that not even the common employees knew what was being imported and exported at the docks, as their responses to such clandestine work was often ‘they pay well, and I work for the money.’ Previous infiltration attempts resulted in gaining little to no knowledge of the business they were truly conducting, and even so, leads of missing persons almost always seemed to result in a dead end once one of the three Sugiwara brothers' names were involved. After the cases began to stack up by the dozens, the Special Investigations Bureau was finally granted a warrant permitting entry to their main port warehouse belonging to the company. 

Keeping to the shadows, Kurosawa watched for Date's nonverbal cues. Their goal was to prevent this investigation from becoming a raid, keep it bloodless, and obtain evidence that the Sugiwara Co. was absolutely responsible for the abductions on the missing people. Date's gaze had been locked on to the businessman exiting the warehouse and locking the garage gate, and right as the man seemed to sense the intensity of Date's glare, his arms were pinned behind him and he was held to the ground.

“Sugiwara Toshiro, you are under arrest for reasonable suspicion of human trafficking.” Date spoke as he nodded towards the warehouse, urging Kurosawa to move in.

“Release me this instant! I have done no such thing!” The compact man argued, craning his neck to catch a glimpse of the arresting officer. “How dare you accuse me of such a heinous crime! Do you know who I am?!” He grovelled as he was pulled upwards by his arms.

“You're not deaf, so you must be stupid.” Date leered inches from the man's scruffy face. “Get in the car, Toshiro.” He demanded after dragging the struggling man back to their cruiser. As Date was about to shut the back door after him, he heard shots fire from inside the building. 

“If you think you'll stop any of this by taking me in,” The stout man laughed as the Officer furrowed his thin brows. “You'll have hell to pay.” Date paid him no mind, clasping the door shut yet hastening back to the warehouse to assist his partner.

“Ryoya, we've got a problem.” Kurosawa's voice chimed in through the radio clipped to Date's uniform.

“What is it?" He inquired as he stepped through the door.

“Three people escaped; I shot one but I can't give chase. Get up here, third floor. You… might want to cover your nose."

“I'll be right there.” He responded, cantering up the stairs. Upon reaching the third floor, a highly offensive smell assaulted his nostrils, but the familiarity of the scent repulsed him more than anything. He swung the metal door open, his eyes scanning over the rotting corpses of ‘undesirables’- victims that wouldn't sell. 

“I called for backup.” Kurosawa announced as he saw Date's hand twitch towards his radio. The silver-haired man's deeply knit brows stepped slowly around the bodies, looking for any signs of mutilation or ones that might be sent to the hospital, rather than the coroner's. His gut twisted in disgust, having seen such ghastly crimes occur far too many times than before. Meanwhile, Kurosawa was fighting himself to keep from hurling as he looked over the victims, feeling slight relief as he noticed one that was not quite as grey as the rest. He moved to pull a glove from his pocket, but paused as he watched the woman's eyes flutter open. She drew a shaky breath as she glanced at him, falling unconscious as suddenly as she had awakened. “We have a survivor!” Kurosawa exclaimed a little too enthusiastically, his voice echoing off the metallic flooring and cinder-block walls.

“The paramedics are almost here.” Date informed as he paced over to the woman Kurosawa gestured towards. The brown-haired man clicked his radio questionably, furrowing a brow. 

“Did they radio in?”

“I can hear them." He replied, unscrewing an elastic water bottle he drew from his pocket, and knelt down to the girl as he attempted to rouse her. 

“…Right.” 

“Get a blanket." He ordered as Kurosawa offered him a look of confusion, spinning on his heel to fetch the item from the cruiser. Right as he had reached the car, he began to hear the wailing sirens of the backup he had called in.

“That guy's sense of sound is crazy." He muttered to himself as he shut the trunk. He waved the arriving forces in with him, where they worked together to clear the site of victims and collect evidence. That night resulted in the removal of twenty-two victims with only one survivor among them. The Sugiwara Company's business and finances were frozen and their actions suspended indefinitely by the government, thus making it much harder to commit any such crimes should they try. A warrant for the arrest of eight individuals within the higher-ups of the company was put out following the arrest of Sugiwara Toshiro, who cracked under interrogation very easily despite the tough facade he attempted the night prior. The one survivor, a twenty-two year old woman named Chibana Ame who was originally from the outskirts of Tokyo, would be a key witness in the following investigation once she had recovered in the hospital.

Date ended the night of horrors by drinking a hot cup of black coffee on his balcony, overlooking the twinkling lights of the city. His studio was quite and peaceful, leaving him to only his thoughts as he watched the sun dimly burn the horizon as it began to rise. How long has it been, he wondered, that he has bore witness to such violence? He thought it funny that the term ‘humane’ applied to ‘being human’, in a context that implied humans were to be merciful creatures, and yet the most vile crimes he had seen committed were always at the hands of humans. From time's beginning, humans oft called murderous or sickening humans ‘ demons’, but as a demon himself, he found that comical. Demons could never hope to live up to the twisted misery humans force upon others for the most ridiculous of reasons, if there was even a reason at all. In all his years of life, he knew demons to kill to survive, or at their very worst, torment others for entertainment, but never to the point of murder or brutality. Yet people- all of those victims experienced a life worse than hell for no reason other than human greed. He took a long sip of his steaming coffee- a beverage he used in an attempt to stop his habit of smoking- and thought back to the surviving woman. How long had she been there, he wondered, remembering her frail body, thin face, and sullen eyes. He knew that though she had been rescued from her place of torment, her hell was far from over. He contemplated- people that suffer as much as she had, would they find more peace in death, as opposed to living a life haunted by the memories of living through hell? He went to drink more of his coffee, but as he lifted it and noticed the jiggle of liquid was absent, his gaze flickered downward to the empty cup and he removed himself from the balcony. 

The sun had risen by this point, yet the insomniac man had turned on a shower that was fogging the mirrors of the bathroom as he pulled his hair out of it's ponytail. His silver locks fell a few inches past his shoulders, his bangs touching his eyelashes as he gently shook it free and stepped inside to wash. He allowed himself a release from his human form, with two velvety silver ears popping up from beneath his hair and perking on top the sides of his head, his spine instantaneously lengthening and splitting into nine tails covered in thick plumes of pale fur the second they emerged. The water dampened and weighed down his hair and fur which he took special care to lather with various soaps before stepping out to dry off. He shook the excess water off his tails after turning the shower off, wrapping his lower body and hair in towels before slipping into boxers, where he soon after dozed off on the couch while watching the news on the flat screen.

It felt like the second he fell asleep, he was being called to work again. His phone buzzed obnoxiously on the coffee table where his eyes lazily slid from the small device to the TV, when he then noticed the program had changed from the news to some random show. With a quiet grunt he leaned forward to check who was calling, and clicked his phone to answer.

“This better be good.” He croaked, his voice hoarse from sleep. He was annoyed to be called over an hour before his shift started.

“We need you to come in. The girl Kurosawa and you found the other day is awake and ready for questioning.” The Chief requested from the other end of the line. Date released an unnoticeable sigh as the other man spoke, clearing his throat as he answered.

“Be there in twenty." He hung up the phone, setting it back on the table as he went to prepare for work, brushing his hair, teeth, washing his face and ironing his uniform before equipping it. With a quick fastening of his tool belt and holstering his gun, he hopped into his cruiser and drove to the hospital.

The sun had placed itself over the west of the pink-tinted sky with a power bright enough to keep the streetlights from turning on. Date's car seemed to glide over the paved roads of Osaka, the sunlight peeking between buildings and trees dancing across the glossy black hood. The quiet hum of the engine was the only noise to accompany him on his drive. His grip on the wheel was one-handed and loose as he sat leaned comfortably against his seat, his focus lingering on the investigation the night before. He found it nonsensical that a wealthy and massive company that had been conducting illicit business, would leave one of their warehouses undefended and practically empty despite the type of products they were offering. His silver brows furrowed in deep thought as he pulled into the spacey garage beneath the white hospital. The car's horn echoed in the concrete garage as Date summoned the elevator. He considered: was it possible the Sugiwara's were tipped off via mole, and led them into a trap of some sort? If so, what was the trap? The Officer's eyes narrowed as the elevator rose to the desired level. Could it be the girl? His focus was broken by the young man who greeted him after the doors finished opening.

“Took you long enough.” Kurosawa complained with hair that looked as if it had been freshly gelled. Date cocked a brow as he glanced at his partner's new hairstyle. “She's down this way.” He stated with tired eyes before leading him down the sterile corridors of the hospital.

“Good Evening, Ryoya. Or should I say- Morning, to you.” The Investigations Chief, a man of a tall, broad build with salt-and-peppered hair, attempted to joke as he exited the woman's room. 

“Evening, Chief.” Date replied as he took note of the other deputies standing by the hall.

“Sorry to call you boys in before scheduled. I did a bit of research the other night after Sugiwara Toshiro's confessions, and, well… I thought it'd be better if you two were present during questioning.”

“We're really questioning her here, huh?” Kurosawa asked incredulously. 

“No rest for the wicked, as they say.” The Chief shrugged.

“I hope by ‘the wicked’, you don't mean the girl.”

“You'd be surprised how much didn't add up last night, Kousuke." The Chief said warily before stepping aside the door and motioning the two men inside. Kurosawa displayed a look of discomfort as he approached the frail woman sitting upright in the bed. He shot Date a cautious glance, his eyes faltering back towards the woman as he realized his partner's gaze remained unfazed and stern. A deputy came in to hand the two men the report on the situation thus far, a packet of stapled papers that they both skimmed through before addressing the woman.

“Chibana…Ame, right?” Kurosawa's hazel eyes flicked towards the girl, meeting her emerald orbs. She nodded, her focus jumping from person to person and back to the bed sheet clenched between her fists.

“I'm Officer Kurosawa, and this is Officer Date. We… have a couple questions for you.” Kurosawa hesitated as he realized he had not yet thought up anything to ask, and thus provided Date an opportunity to interrupt. The silver-haired partner took a seat nearby the end of the bed, leaning over to rest his elbows on his knees as he analyzed the report.

“Ms. Chibana, do you know where you were?” Date wondered monotonously, his gaze trained on the papers.

“A warehouse belonging to the Sugiwara Company.” She answered hoarsely.

“How is it that you ended up there?”

“…I was sold to them." Her voice wavered with her response and Kurosawa knit his brows.

“Who sold you to them?”

“My… ex.” She admitted quietly and abashedly.

“Who was your ex?”

“His name is Kasshoku Benzou. He's twenty-three." As she replied, Kurosawa pulled out a notepad and began to write.

“What do you believe his motive was in selling you?”

“He wanted to get rid of me.” 

“Do you know who your buyers were?” Date interrogated, firing one question after another with deliberation while Kurosawa scribbled away.

“Based upon what you've told me, your ex whom you've dated for three years, wanted to ‘get rid’ of you so badly that he either took a great risk in approaching a business to sell you, or he had confirmation that the Sugiwaras were traffickers. You were conscious but made no attempt to resist or escape. You spent three months in captivity, where you were moved from Tokyo and wound up here. You have no communication with friends or relatives, no job, no schooling, and you are the only one to make it out of there alive. You only know the face and identity of one man, which happens to be the only one in custody, despite speaking with the other abductees and knowing nothing of any other of the Sugiwaras' collaborators." Date shot the woman an icy glare from beneath his brows. “Don't you think that's all a bit convenient?” 

“Ryo- Date, hang on-” Kurosawa began, but stopped as Date rose from his seat and approached the end of the bed.

“It sounds as if you and you're supposed ‘ex’ are both working with the Sugiwara. Unless… There is something you aren't sharing?” Chibana trembled beneath his intense gaze. Kurosawa shifted his focus from his partner to the woman, who bit her lip before finally speaking.

“My ex-boyfriend paid the Sugiwaras to take me. I found out he was working with human traffickers around nine months ago. I wanted to leave- but he wouldn't let me! He knew I would tell the police, he saw me as a risk-” The woman choked. “He had always been abusive. But that time, he had tried killing me… And when that didn't work, he wanted me disposed of so badly that he sold me to Toshiro! I did try to escape, I jumped out of Benzou's car… Then he turned around and caught me. He tied me up and threw me in the backseat.” At this point, the woman was shaking terribly and stifling sobs. Kurosawa looked pained as he watched her continue, while Date listened carefully. “I spoke with the girls about trying to escape. I didn't know much about what happened to them, they were too scared to speak. I just wanted to reassure them we'd all escape one day, and… I'm the one that survives.” Ame hung her head, her tears soaking the fabric between her hands. “I don't have a job… I didn't finish college…I quit them both because it was so stressful- always having to hide bruises or my tears caused by a man I couldn't get away from. I-”

“That's enough.” Date interrupted, straightening his posture. “Kurosawa, let's go. She needs to recover from her ordeal.” The silver-haired Officer strode through the doorway, his co-worker in pursuit. Suddenly, Kurosawa yanked him by his tie, pulling him closer.

“Did you need to be so brutal?!” He hissed as Date looked down his nose at him.

“Interrogating is part of the job. Don't let your personal feelings get in the way." Kurosawa grit his teeth at his response but instead angrily released his partner.

“You're a real ass sometimes.” He growled.

“How'd it go, boys?” The Chief asked as he came down the hall with a drink in hand.

“Add another suspect to the list. This one's named Kasshoku Benzou, a twenty-three year old man, born and raised in Tokyo.”

“Hm… Good work, Ryoya." The Chief praised as he moved to type that into his phone. His light brown eyes flickered to the shorter of the two men. “Something bothering you, Kousuke?” He inquired to the typically good natured Officer in front of him.

“Just fine, Sir…" Kurosawa grumbled in response. “I'll be heading back to the station. Better update this report.”

“Sounds good.” The Chief nodded, watching with a sigh as the brown-haired man left towards the elevator. “I feared he would take this case too personally. I understand his sister had struggled with a similar horror, but-”

“An Officer who lets his emotions cloud his judgement is a liability.” Date interjected boldly. The Chief raised his brows in surprise before releasing a hearty laugh.
“You truly are a machine. It's okay to be a bit more human sometimes, Ryoya. Well then, that being said, I think you are better suited to guard the girl than the man who stormed off. Learn what you can, I feel she could be useful in this investigation." The Chief ordered, patting the man on the shoulder as he moved past.

“Yes Sir.” Date waited for the hall to clear before taking his seat inside the hospital room, where he sat by the door. Chibana eyed him cautiously, feeling vulnerable and judged by the man who stared as if he was reading something off his phone.

Chibana Ame had focused entirely on trying to keep herself from throwing up as her body trembled and her internal panic left her lightheaded. She noticed the silver-haired officer return to the room to take a seat, which made her feel even more pressured to hide her anxiety. Thinking back to the abuse she endured and what could possibly happen after this, terrified her. She had nowhere to stay and nobody to turn to for help. She wouldn't be safe- eventually Benzou would hear she was taken in by the police, and he would stop at nothing to get his hands on her. That is how her ex was, an obsessively violent man with a need to control anyone who knew the truth of his nature. She hadn't noticed she had begun to cry until she had choked on a sob. She moved her hands over her face, sensing Date's perceptive gaze. She shuddered and wailed as quietly as she could manage as she finally allowed herself to break down. The intensity of her despair increased as she realized there was a witness to her fall out. She caught a glimpse of the Officer from between her fingers, noting that he had not once looked away as she cried. He inhaled and exhaled deeply as if he were annoyed.

“I'm sorr-” 

“Crying won't get you anywhere.” He interrupted coldly before turning his attention back to his phone. Chibana shook as she tried to stifle her sobs, wiping at her tear-stained face with her thin and frail arms. As she moved her arms back against the blankets, she noticed a small spot of blood gathering on the white material. She warily lifted her arm, noticing that her IV had been knocked out during her outburst. Before she could comment on it, Date had risen from his seat and moved beside the bed to reach behind it, clicking an orange button to call the nurse into the room. 

“Sorry…” Chibana murmured with a downcast expression.

“What are you apologizing for?” Date awaited an answer as he stepped a few paces aside to stand. Chibana's shapely red brows knit in concern.

“For being so troublesome.”

“Who said you were troublesome?” Chibana was visibly uncomfortable beneath his intense stare and his question made her feel even more so.

“I just know that I am.” Date slightly raised a brow at her hushed response.

“Each person has their own opinion on things. Don't apologize to me for the opinion of someone else.” The bed-ridden woman slowly rose her gaze to match his. He looked unbothered and did not seem the type of man to say things he did not mean. The strange way he seemed to offer reassurance helped soothe her nerves.

“…How long do you think it will take to arrest Benzou?” She said as she began to expose her concerns.

“It depends on how much help you can offer us." He replied coolly as he typed on his phone.

“I've already told you everything I know though.” Chibana was confused about his previous statement, but the conversation was paused as the nurse came to insert a new IV in the opposite arm. 

“There's a lot we know that you don't. You'll end up being more useful than you'd think.” Date moved towards the doorway, following the footsteps of the nurse that had just left. “Don't mess with your IV while I'm gone.”

“Wait, where are you going?” Chibana inquired with more panic than she had wanted to exude.

“A drink.” Date's fingers moved to reflect as though he had a cup in his hand before stepping out of the room. The girl was talkative and had enough energy to act on her embarrassment and worry about the opinions of others, he noted. Besides being malnourished and her extremities covered in bruises, the woman seemed physically decent and he expected her to be discharged soon. Her mental state was another topic, and Date wondered to what extent her trauma would effect her. He knew many humans to have weak minds- in his long life, he had seen humans kill others over mere insults, kill themselves over being rejected, or start entire wars over the most trivial matters. Date had seen women experience crimes similar to Chibana's, and their lives often ended unnaturally short for a variety of reasons. He inserted coins into a vending machine and listened to the drinks clang at the bottom before bending to pick them up. In the older eras, women that were abused by their husbands often ended their lives because they had no escape. In the modern era, women seemed to destroy themselves even after escaping their abuser, perhaps because it is what they subconsciously felt they deserved and was all they were used to. He wouldn't necessarily call these women weak, but often labelled them as tragedies-nothing more, nothing less. Date returned back to the hospital room with two drinks in hand, cracking open one and tossing Chibana the other.

“You didn't have to do this…” Chibana flustered.

“You'll be helping us. Take it as a ‘thanks’.”

Chibana had spent four days in the hospital before she was cleared for discharge. Date and Kurosawa had taken turns guarding the woman for half of their shifts, while the latter half was spent resuming normal duties. On Date's first shift protecting Chibana's room, his phone had continuously buzzed with the conversation of Kurosawa and the Chief deliberating on where Chibana would be housed pending her discharge. Without much of his input, it was decided Date would be her guardian during the course of the investigation. As capable as he knew he was, Date was hesitant on allowing a strange woman into his home, not because he saw her as a threat to him, but a threat to his peace. He had spent the better part of two centuries concealing his identity from the humans, and was rather irritated his only place to relax was now being compromised. He stressed that at some point, she would catch him with his guard down and find him in his true form- with claws, ears, and several thick tails. If that happens, he thought of two scenarios: that she would take an picture of him and ruin his carefully crafted image of himself, or she would run off and tell others what she had witnessed. He decided he would keep her from having any device with a camera, and if she saw him, he would blame her ‘sighting’ on mental illness. Cruel, he admitted to himself, but it may be necessary, he concluded. 

As Chibana took her seat in Date's car and buckled herself in, the Chief pulled Date aside by the shoulder.

“Take note of all she says and does that gives cause for concern. Don't trust her just yet, Ryoya.”

“Yes, Sir.” He replied shortly, allowing the Chief to step away before moving into his car.

“You're in good hands Missy." The Chief raised his voice, tapping the roof of the car as Date began to drive out of his parking space.

“You can sleep on the couch. There's a bathroom to the right of the kitchen. You can have whatever is in there… and this TV is yours to use. Don't go down this hall.” Date instructed as he gave the woman a short tour of his large loft condo. He dropped his bag at the mouth of a narrow hallway with recessed lighting. It seemed to dead-end, if not for the stairs that wrapped around the corner at the rear. Chibana moved into the room wide-eyed and cautiously as she did not expect Date to be able to afford such luxury.

“Okay.” She responded slowly, taking a moment to observe her surroundings. “Are you really just a police officer?” She inquired as she glanced around.

“No. I work for the Special Investigations Bureau.” Date answered as he put up his shoes, gesturing for Chibana to put hers away as well.

“I thought they were the same thing.” 

“We take on the cases the police can't handle.” 

“What do you mean ‘can’t handle'?” She wondered as the man began to undo the buttons of his shirt, his gunmetal-grey eyes flickering towards her.

“Shit they'd let get out of control if they involved themselves.” He yawned as he pulled the navy blue uniform from over his undershirt. He took no great measure to welcome the woman into his home, and instead treated her as though she was a frequenting guest that needed only a reminder of where things were. Chibana hesitantly settled into the main floor as Date retreated back upstairs after handing her some plush blankets for the couch. She admired how tidy his home was, with dark wooden floors clean enough to eat off of and light grey walls. The floor-to-ceiling windows allowed a crisp and refreshing amount of sunlight into the room, and within those windows was a glass door that led to the outer balcony. Chibana stepped across the living room to the platform only to be amazed by the terrific view of the city it offered. She leaned over the metal rail with a slight breeze tousling her hair as she watched the cars and people moving about several stories below. As beautiful as she had to admit Date's condo to be, she felt it was very cold and unwelcoming. Things were kept meticulously clean, as if they were hardly used in the first place. She didn't harp much on the thought as she snuggled into the blankets on the couch and turned on the TV.

“How's it going over there?” A message on Date's laptop popped up as he opened it on his office desk. He had resorted to working from home while keeping an ear out for the stranger acquainting herself with the lower level.

“Fine.” He swiftly typed back, clicking from one screen to another until he found the investigation's folder.

“Is the girl okay?” The notification pinged once more, Kurosawa's name and badge number appearing on the screen. Date opened the file containing the current information on the identified suspects before clicking to reply.

“She's well enough.” He answered.

“Good. Yumi and I were going drinking this weekend. Why not bring the girl?" Date's brow twitched in annoyance as he attempted to read the case files without Kurosawa's messages getting in the way.

“Officer Kurosawa, I believe I've spoken with you before about using the Bureau's system to send personal messages.” The Chief chimed in right before the silver-haired man set his user to ‘do not disturb’. He resumed working until the glare from the window behind him grew too bright to see the screen, forcing him to check the time. With a sigh, he realized most of the time he spent attempting to sleep was worked through. He jogged down the steps and head for the kitchen, passing by the open living room and noticing the redhead curled up and sound asleep against the arm of the couch. Her peaceful and off-guard expression was a stark comparison to the knit brow bundle of nerves she had been a few days prior. Date knew how it felt to not even be able to relax enough to sleep, and snidely thought she was the reason he would feel that way once more. He filled his glass of water and moved quietly up to his bed, anticipating hours spent pretending to be asleep until he would finally be able to do so. 

“This way, through here!”

“Hurry before he gets to anybody else!” A mixture of panicked orders erupted from the dull glow of a decently sized village during the night. 

“Ma'am, I understand you are frightened, but we need these horses.” 

“But they're all I have left of Hiroshi!" The man clasped the sobbing woman's hands.

“There is no better way to avenge your husband than to use his horses to pursue his murderer.” The man stated sincerely before pushing the woman away and allowing the following men to seize control of the animals. Screams echoed across the dark and starry sky, filled with small billows of smoke wafting from lit torches. Long, silky locks of hair streamed over the rooftops as the demons claws sunk into the straw roofs for traction, only to leap to another house a moment later. With a trained gaze, the monster's ears pricked towards the noise of the mob behind him as his blue-grey eyes scanned for an escape. Blood dripped from the demons lethal nails, leaving splotches of the liquid wherever he touched. His golden yukata shimmered with crimson beneath the bright moon, evidence of the atrocity he had committed. He leapt downwards, sensing he was finally free of the furious villagers until he landed on the ground, face-to-face with a man with a malicious glare, imposing spear in hand. In one sudden, fluid motion, the man swung his mighty weapon towards the beast-

And Date awoke, eyes wide and heart racing. His phone rattled on top of one of two night-tables beside his bed, grounding him from his delirium. He reached to silence the alarm and then moved to sit off the edge of the bed, slouched and resting his elbows on his knees as he forced his breathing to slow until he was calmed. He began his morning routine once more and once finished, concealed his inhuman attributes as he dropped down the steps to the main floor.

“Good morning.” Chibana greeted quietly, her eyes flickering to meet his. She noted how pale he looked, but decided against saying anything as she was not familiar enough with his appearance to criticize. 

“Morning.” Date responded with a side-long glance as he prepared a hot cup of tea. Chibana stood stiff and quiet. While too uncomfortable to take a seat, she had the impression Date was not the type for small talk. Besides, she did not feel particularly skilled in the art of small conversation either. “Want a cup?” Date offered as he broke the silence without lifting his gaze.

“Um… What kind is it?”

“Sencha.” 

“Yeah, that'd be great." She responded, feeling embarrassed about her enthusiasm. “So… What can I do to help with the investigation today?” She inquired with a timid high pitch.

“That'll be decided when we get there.”

“Oh. Okay…” She murmured as Date pulled his keys from off the countertop and placed a thermos on the counter.

“Let's go.” With the man's order, Chibana grabbed the thermos and made after him, riding the elevator down the tall building and into the garage where Date's sleek black car had been parked. The ride there was a quiet one, but oddly enough Chibana was at peace with the silence. It was hard not to fall asleep on the way to the station.

Date's grip on the steering wheel flexed as he reached to sip his tea from inside his own thermos. He wondered why Chibana was not drinking hers, and considered perhaps it was not to her liking. The curly-haired redhead seemed to of been awake for a while by the time he had come down the steps that morning, for her hair was almost entirely dry from her shower by the time they left. Even so, her expression was that of a frightened animal- a face Date knew all too well. 

Date led the woman into the station where the pair were then greeted by Officer Kurosawa.

“Nice to see you again, Miss Chibana.” Kurosawa grinned, running his fingers through his short brown hair. “…Rough night, Date?” His companion questioned with obvious concern towards the bags beneath the silver-haired man's eyes. Date shot him a glare with more intensity than his typical deadpan smolder possessed. Kurosawa raised his brows dismissively before pulling the two into the conference room. 

“Right on time, you all. Take a seat, let us begin.” The Chief spoke as he clicked a small remote to power the flat-screen TV on the wall. Chibana's eyes went wide as she settled into her chair only to be greeted by the pictures of the facility she had been rescued from. “The Sugiwara's port warehouse in Osaka that you've all acquainted yourselves with has been combed thoroughly by our detectives and has recovered the employment information of several individuals, but three people of interest.” The Chief clicked the remote once more, changing the slide to an image of two men and a woman, with a list of information beside each picture. “Take a moment to review this information." The Chief instructed as he adjusted his glasses. 

“You alright there, Miss Chibana?” Kurosawa questioned between taking notes on a yellow pad of paper. The tense redhead earned the attention of the other two men in the room as well.

“Just fine.” She nodded hastily. Kurosawa raised a brow before continuing his notes. 

“If this is too much for you, feel free to step out.”

“No. If seeing Benzou on a screen is too much for her, she won't be of any use for the investigation." Date spoke up before returning his attention to his writing.

“Ryoya, consider what she's been through. Not everyone is the machine you seem to be." 

“Chief, there's no getting through to him about anything involving emotion. Ryoya doesn't have any." Kurosawa insulted with a mild leer. Date sighed, ignoring the two's complaints. Chibana swallowed.

“He's right. I'm alright, I promise. I want to help solve this.” She collected, earning a hesitant grin from the brown-haired lad.

“We're thankful for your help." 

“Of course, thank you for helping me.” Chibana answered, glancing at the ever-focused Date. The three shared information about Kasshoku Benzou, and took diligent notes about the other two individuals before continuing slides to the possible whereabouts of the suspects. The first of the several locations was a small house in Mibu, a town inside the Tochigi prefecture of Japan. It was several hours away, like the listed apartment in Yokohama was as well. It was decided they would visit two of the closer locations first, Hashimoto Hospital in Nara and a joint shop-home nearby Kansai Ikeda Memorial Park. Kurosawa was deemed responsible for zeroing in on one location and collecting all possible reconnaissance intel prior to attempting any sort of entry, while Date was tasked with keeping an eye over all aforementioned locations for any signs of the suspects' activity.

“You'd be operating under disguise as well. Any objections?” Kurosawa directed towards the redhead, pulling her into the conversation between the two officers.

“Oh, uh… No.” She replied.
“You better be paying attention.” Date quietly scolded as he sipped from his thermos.

“I am! I was just wondering… I don't have all the training you guys do, I mean I want to help, but don't you think I'd just be getting in the way?”

“Stay focused and there won't be a chance you'll get in the way.” Kurosawa sighed at the grumbling man.

“It's not like we're expecting you to lead the investigation. You'll be taking more of a backseat role in this, but we still need you on scene to identify anyone or anything you know about that we miss. Besides, if any of these locations look familiar to you, you'd be a great guide.”

“It is as they say. Follow their instructions and I'd trust them even with my own life.” The Chief reassured.

“Don't freeze up on the field like you just did and you'll be fine. Kurosawa and I won't let anything happen." Date added as he rose from the table. The Chief opened his mouth to speak before Date raised his cup and turned to leave the room. “Tea.” He uttered before exiting. Chibana sat with tightly clenched hands, her brow furrowed ever so slightly with anxiety.

“Hey, nothing will happen to you. Ryoya's a man of few words, but he means well. Try not to stress, okay?" Kurosawa attempted to soothe her, but his statement did little to calm her nerves. The conference concluded, and the men returned to their desks to begin their investigations on the properties while Chibana was left alone in that room.

She remembered Benzou's pleading and promises each time he would hurt her, and if she did not immediately forgive him the abuse would begin once more. Her heart would feel as though it were being crushed each time she realized that someone hated her so much, that they would willingly subject her to such horrors. Benzou claimed to love her at times, yet sold her to be tortured.

“Do you think anyone else could love someone as crazy as you?” He would yell after she would threaten to call the police on him after particularly nasty days. “You are nothing. Worthless, no friends, no job, nothing you're good at-" He would say. “Go get into a fucking car crash.” He'd seethe with an uncomfortably calm tone and maniacal  expression. She gingerly rubbed her fingers over her arms, where he would usually grab to drag her by. She wondered if he was sorry, if he ever felt truly remorseful for the things he did beyond his common manipulative apologies. The hatred that quietly brewed inside her that came to a peak after being sold often provided her the answer. He was sorry for nothing, and probably thought as little of it as he would gum on his shoe. Maybe even less, she considered with a frown. She assumed he attempted to absolve himself of the guilt of abusing her by starting fresh with a new woman, a woman that had no idea about the monster he truly was. Chibana did not think of that woman scornfully, but rather with pity, knowing that one day that woman would be abused by him as well and she could do naught to stop him except help the officers jail him for what he did to her. However, Chibana felt worried that she was the only one to be abused to this extent, and that the new woman would be the one who lived the peaceful life with Benzou that she had wanted for the longest time. This type of thought made her feel terribly guilty, as though she were wishing he would abuse this new woman as well…

“Chibana.” A tall slender figure appeared in the doorway, summoning her attention. “It's time to go.” Date announced. Regaining her composure, she only then noticed the sun was beginning to rise.

“Okay.” She mumbled after him, following him to the car. It was another quiet ride home, the silence filled only with the hum of the engine. The sunlight had just barely began to reflect off the hood of his car, peeking over the horizon. Date observed the dejected woman from the corner of his eye, her shoulders sunk and her hands folded tightly on top of tense legs.

“There something bothering you?” Date inquired, his voice almost startling as he broke the silence.

“Noth-”

“Save that for someone who'll believe it.” He cut off, his gaze trained on the road ahead of him as Chibana's eyes flickered between him and her lap.

“Just remembering some stuff I'd rather forget.” She admitted sullenly. Date's slate orbs gllanced towards her mid-blink before returning to the road. The frail woman looked as though she would break. 

“Don't forget just yet. You'll make our case stronger as the only survivor from that warehouse. You owe it to the people who didn't make it out alive to tell your story in court." Date declared, earning a shaky sigh from the redhead.

“I know.” She answered as he pulled into the garage and parked. He moved to get out of the car, but quickly turned to lean down against the roof and peer into the car.

“Listen, kid. You've got two choices here. Succumb to what you've been through or rise up from it. Giving up won't help anybody, but I don't have room on my team for people that have doubts. So what'll it be, you going to bow out, or stand up for yourself and get justice?"

“I want to help!” Chibana trembled. “Do you know how painful it is to be sold into slavery by someone you loved?! Someone that said they loved you just to smack you right after?!” Her voice quaked as she yelled back at him. “I'm trying, okay! I've been trying! I'm not like you where I have a house for myself, friends, a job, or anything positive… I've got nothing! Nothing but a stupid brain full of stupid memories that I would do anything to forget!" Tears streamed down reddened cheeks, and Date listened blankly. “Even if Benzou is charged-”

“Convicted.” 

“Whatever! Even if he's convicted what's left for me?! I'm twenty-two with no degree or prospects or family-”

“How long will you continue to throw this pity party for yourself?” Date interrupted with an unenthused stare. Chibana's eyes went wide.

“What…?" 

“'What's left' for you? Whatever you choose. For one, you'll have freedom.” He began. “It's not like you're a repulsive girl. That snotty face is, but you'll be able to make friends. Friends that you can consider family. Your current job is to help the Bureau, so focus on excelling at that. Lastly, your home is my home right now. Stop your crying. I already told you.” Date reached into his pocket and pulled a grey handkerchief from it. “Crying solves nothing.” Chibana warily accepted the cloth, wiping her tear-stained face with it. She calmed down and remained quiet, only occasionally sniffling as a consequence for bawling her eyes out. “So bratty.” Date commented after looking down at her during the duration of the elevator ride. He noticed how her hair hung down to frame- no, conceal- her face after sobbing. The elevator pinged and the tall man stepped forward. “Let's see if you're any good at cooking.” 

“Sorry sir, we stopped taking visitors at eight." A young woman dressed in turquoise scrubs declared to the Officer adorning false blond, shaggy hair. The iridescent lighting gave the lobby of the hospital a sterile, uncomfortable air. The floors tiles were chipped as they neared the walls, and each wall had a metal rail screwed into it. Large double doors cut the hallways of the building into choppy compartments.

“Oh, that's alright. You see, we were called down for a family emergency and we're not sure if this is the right hospital… Our cousins aren't the best at relaying important things. Have you perhaps seen a a very tall, buff man with messy hair? Or his brother, a shorter man that keeps his rust-colored hair combed to one side? He wears glasses. My aunt should have come through too…" Kurosawa provided a brief description of the suspects the Bureau put together thus far. The woman thought for a moment, rubbing her hand on her chin as Kurosawa gestured through his explanation.

“Hm… I do recall seeing a man with odd hair. He was here just a few hours ago visiting a patient. Let's see… Do you recall his name?” The nurse asked as she began to flip through the visiting logs.

“Yukimura Kamo.” Kurosawa replied, brushing aside a strand of the loose blond hair that seemed to be annoying him.

“Ah… I see! Yes, he was visiting Miss Takeda, Misao Takeda. I'm here to assure you that Miss Takeda is doing just fine.” As the woman finished speaking, Kurosawa drew an exaggerated gasp.

“Our poor, poor Misao! Please nurse, tell us what happened to our dear cousin?” Date raised a brow at his partner's antics, and Chibana wore a fitting nervous expression. The nurse leaned over the counter to whisper to the false-blond.

“I'm not supposed to allow visitors at this time, but Miss Takeda has seem so horribly depressed… Follow me.” The nurse waved so that the three would follow her. She used her badge to allow access into the further parts of the hall, the large doors opening automatically. “Here.” The woman opened one of the many doors in the long hallway, holding it open so that the three could walk in. “Miss Takeda, your family is here to see you.” She announced.

“Oh, dear cousin!!” Kurosawa exclaimed, rushing to the seemingly delirious woman's side. He grabbed her hand gently, leaning in to murmur ‘play along’ ever so quietly. “Nurse, could you please allow us a moment?”

“Of course. Just stay in here and hit the call button when you're ready to be brought back to the lobby.”

“So kind. Thank you!” Kurosawa replied over-graciously. 

“Tch. Tone it down.” Date grumbled with a twitch of his brow. Chibana's eyes trailed over the woman's body- pale, covered in light bruises, with track marks on her arms. She squeezed her eyes shut, as if forcing out horrible thoughts, before approaching the woman.

“Is your name really Takeda?” She asked carefully. The woman's dull, unfocused stare lazily slid to meet her  green orbs.

“No.” She croaked, her voice barely more than a whisper. “Please…” The woman raised a shaky finger to the drip connected to her arm. She pointed at the small dial at the side of the bag. “Twist it towards you…” She begged of the redhead, who's curls were kept beneath a hat. Chibana moved to fulfill the woman's request in an attempt to help her. 

“Chibana, wait-” Kurosawa started right as her fingertips moved to touch the dial just to be stopped at the wrist by Date's hand.

“What?”

“Ma'am, we're with the Special Investigations Bureau. We understand you were visited by Yukimura Kamo, an individual we suspect to be responsible for the deaths and trafficking of many women. Would you know anything about this?” Kurosawa divulged. Within the few seconds the woman went quiet, she began to cry weakly.

“I haven't seen home in so long. I woke up here, I don't know what happened. Please, please… Let me die.” She groaned hoarsely as her head rolled towards the IV drip. Chibana felt a pull in her heart and opened her mouth to speak.

“What you have been through has surely been hell, but it's over now. You'll be transferred to another hospital before we leave and placed under our Bureau's protection. This one has been through the same shit you're going through now, but she's still here. Can't promise life will get any easier, but it's sure to be better than this." Date spoke, placing a hand on Chibana's head. The woman rolled to face the younger girl with pleading, desperate eyes.

“How do you live…?” She asked her. Chibana's eyes widened slightly. “How do you remember what you've been through… and not want to die?” 

“I…” Chibana gaped as the the two officer's settled their attention on her. “I hope.” She said. “I hope that for such a hell to exist, there's got to be an opposite. Something to compare it to. Or else… It wouldn't be hell. It would just be normal. So… I hope that one day, I'll find that opposite. The good that puts the bad in perspective. I haven't found that yet… But there's got to be something worth living for.” Chibana reached for the woman's hand as Date began to dial a number on his phone. “We wanted freedom so badly. We wouldn't have wanted it if we knew life would always be this terrible.” The woman bounced her head in a small nod, blinking and allowing tears to drop from her eyes.

“I hope we find that opposite, then…” She mouthed as Date announced that there would be another squad waiting for her arrival at a hospital thirty minutes away. “What's your name?” She mumbled.

“Ame.”  She smiled. The woman nodded once more.

“Fumi.”

Kurosawa left the hospital room to arrange a transfer with the nurse, but quickly returned.

“Ryoya, the woman's here.” Kurosawa announced and caused the tension in the room to peak.

“Well, can't you just arrest her?” Chibana worried.

“Not yet.” Kurosawa replied.

“Unless she tries something now." Date added. The woman, Fumi, began to groan and cry, shoving her fingers against the hair at her scalp.

“We still need that warrant on Yukimura too.” 

“The Chief is processing that now.” 

“Would've been faster if we had a written statement from this woman here…” 

“We aren't just going to leave her here, are we?" Chibana stressed.

“No, please no!" The woman caterwauled with a hoarse voice. Kurosawa knit his brows.

“It just depends on what that woman does.” His hazel eyes flickered over to his partner's gunmetal hues.

“You can't be serious.” Chibana's forehead creased with concern.

“We can't blow this whole investigation attempting to save one woman at the price of many. And Ma'am, please quiet down. You're going to give all of us away." Kurosawa turned towards the wailing woman and peered into the hall. “Shit. She's coming.” 

“Listen up.” Date pulled the redhead within earshot by the back of her jacket. “Orihara has to be aware that this victim had unauthorized visitors. With the warehouse raid, they're sure to move the victims from this hospital to another- if that. It's safe to assume they'll fuck with the paperwork, so tracking transfers will be difficult if they aren't false altogether. This leaves us one option." Date straightened his posture and took one stride towards the wall. Beneath his finger, he had clicked the ‘code’ button. Immediately, a speaker played overhead in the hospital, announcing that a patient was coding and needed immediate care.

“Date, what have you done?!” Chibana panicked as Kurosawa returned to the door to find that the woman was being led back down the hall into the waiting area. A swarm of doctors and medical staff soon flooded the corridor.

“Smart thinking.” Kurosawa grinned. “Lady, we'll be sure you're pulled from this hospital the second we can determine who else is a victim here. We want to save all of you, but you play a major role in that. Keep quiet about us. Act like you're seeing things- the drugs are your excuse.” 

“Don't leave me!!” The woman begged. “No!!” Kurosawa frowned and slipped out of the door as the staff created a visual blockage in the hallway.

“We can't-” Tears ebbed at Chibana's eyes as she glanced over her shoulder back at the woman, being pushed forward by Date. The woman screamed once more, but softened her noise to simple crying when they had left the room. Date dragged her down the hallway with a strong grip on her upper arm and another hand wrapped around her back. They used the stairways to discreetly exit the building, and as a cool blast of bitter autumn air bit at her face, Chibana shook free from Date's grip. “Don't touch me!!” She snapped as her anger and distress had increased with every step she took through the hospital. Kurosawa halted, turning back at her as he watched her slap Date's hand away. Date responded to her action with a deep frown. “Don't… touch me.” She repeated more quietly. The three stood in silence for a moment, the breeze knocking her hat from her head. Her red tendrils sprang loose and dropped to her shoulders. “How could… you just leave her there? She was begging!” She shook as she spoke. Kurosawa sighed.

“Just get in the car, Chibana. We need to get out of here.” Understanding the urgency but still distraught, she shuffled towards the car and clambered into passenger seat. Kurosawa stretched in the back, sighing deeply.

“Do you really think we're the type of people to ignore someone's cries?”

“You just did.” She snapped at the man in the rear seat.

“We had no choice, Chibana. If we saved her, there could've been a dozen or more in that hospital that would be moved or worse as a result. We want to help the woman, but we can't be impulsive.” Kurosawa explained.

“There's a chance they'll all be moved anyways, isn't there. Because that woman showed up.” 

“Yes.” Date replied with no deliberation. Chibana's clenched hands trembled and her nose crinkled with rage.

“Then why couldn't we of saved just one?! Just one woman?! What good is a executive force that can't even save people?!” She screamed, slamming her fists against the window and grabbing at Date's sleeve. He slammed on the brakes and whipped over to the side.

“Ohhh boy…” Kurosawa said under an exhale, slinking back against his seat.

“You were that woman." Date enunciated each word and reached to grab Chibana's face, holding it firmly in his palm only to be reflexively slapped away. With clenched eyes and the expectation she would be hit, she swung her open palm outward, hoping to hit his arms away from her but instead slapping his face. Kurosawa's eyes darted to Date, fearing whatever we could next. Instead, Date took a deep breath, taking up his original posture in his seat. “You told me not to touch you.” 

“I…I didn't mean-” Chibana stammered.

“You are implying we are the type of men to allow other's suffering. Nothing could be further from the truth. Understand that.” 

“…As I said, we'd transfer the woman and any other victims out as soon as we can.” Kurosawa chimed in.

“We had no chance but to gamble here.” Date concluded.

“And Officer Ryoya using the code button as a diversion upped our chances of the women remaining where they are. You don't think we were noticed, do you?" The brown-haired man inquired as he pulled off his wig and turned in the backseat to check if anyone parked nearby in pursuit of them.

“No, no tail.”

“Do you understand now, Chibana?” The backseat passenger wondered.

“…I hate this.”

“Your actions and hesitation could have cost us this investigation and countless lives. You aren't helping, you're a hindrance. Keep it in check or keep your ass at the house.” Date scolded with a fierce gaze.

“…I'm sorry.”

“Fix it, don't apologize.” 

“Yes sir.” The woman replied quietly, feeling ashamed for her outbursts but still so disheartened.

“Alright, how about you take me home?” Kurosawa suggested eagerly.

“Something wrong with your head?”

“Huh? No.” 

“Drive your damn self.”  Date growled as he set off for the station and dropped off his partner, then drove to return home. Upon entering his condo, he had to remind Chibana to remove her shoes and asked if she had wanted anything to eat, in which she refused. The day prior, she had revealed herself to be a fairly adept cook, something that Date could not claim as a skill of his own. He moved to his upper floor where he began to decompress and shower for the day.

Chibana could not get the woman's words and actions off of her mind. The desperation, the plea to die… she understood those things. She felt helpless, useless. She wondered why she was even brought on these investigations if she was only seen as a hindrance, and did nothing to help to begin with. How could she be expected to ‘keep it in check’ when she struggled to even process her own emotions? It had been nearly a week since she was rescued from that decrepit,  revolting port warehouse, and she could not say whether or not she felt any safer here. If the Bureau felt threatened, would they abandon her too? Would they grow tired of her, find her a burden, and grow to hate her as Benzou did? When Date reached for her face, he must have been angry. His tone was icy and his voice deep, each word felt like a drum to her ears. If he had not of slapped him, would he have hit her? Did he not strike her back because Kurosawa was in the car? She had not meant to hit him… It was reflexive. But does that mean she was becoming like Benzou? She shuddered at the thought. “No…No… I don't want to be anything like him. I don't enjoy hurting others. I… don't want to hurt others.” Her internal dialogue relayed. Was she so tainted by her experiences that who she was as a person had been forever changed into someone that now hurts others when they are upset? Chibana hugged her knees and rested her head atop them, staring blankly at the wall. Hours had passed, the sun had risen and the business of the world had begun again. Bags developed beneath her eyes, her knees and back ached from having been in that position for so long, but she had ignored it. The aching made her feel like she was more than an empty shell of who she was- the pain reminded her she was still alive. She glanced at her pale skin and thin arms. The bruises she had were yellowed and aging, finally healing. Though this was a cause of panic for her- with the healing of old wounds, it meant Benzou's temper was set to rise sooner than later and she would develop new ones within the next few days. Healing wounds meant anticipating a new beating. She tried to remind herself that he was no longer there, but she could not get the possibility of him reaching her out of her head. Even Date- why was he reaching for her face? To hardly know her, and already get physical like that? For the Bureau to turn their back and leave someone so obviously in distress? She was scared. How much longer did she have with this roof over her head? Would Date get annoyed that she was using his food, his shower, his TV- his resources? It was forced upon him by the Bureau after all, and he never seemed to be fond of that, so Chibana tried to make her existence as small as possible. All these feelings, and yet she felt she could not cry. All of this stress and anxiety made her feel acutely aware of her body and the lack of injuries to wince at on her skin. It didn't feel like her- she didn't recognize herself without wounds. Suddenly, a thought popped into her head that she immediately felt ashamed of but could not resist. She felt driven to it, to fight off the anxiety and hatred she had towards her own uselessness and annoyance. She drug her aching knees into the bathroom and reached into the shelves beside the mirror. She felt guilty even for this- once again using Date's resources for her own selfishness. At least, this way, she could punish herself. She'd understand their negative feelings towards her in a way that said ‘I feel that way about me, too’ without having said anything at all. To her sickening relief, a small plastic box of unused razors sat on the shelf. She picked it up, pulling one out of the box and accidentally touching the blade. She felt an uncomfortable, euphoric rush run through her as she realized such a small touch developed a cut on her thumb. “Finally…” She said to herself.

Finally, she would not have to fear new injuries from Benzou. She took that control from him, and injured herself.

Finally, she would not have to feel hurt any time someone discarded her because they were annoyed, bothered with her, or felt her to be useless. She etched it in her skin that she understood their feelings. 

Finally, the disgust she had with her own body and what it was used for would be dealt with by ripping her body apart.

By the time she had finished, she was calm and tired. Blood dripped onto the floor from the streams that cascaded down her arm. She worked to clean up the mess and discarded the razor, putting the box back where she found it. And then she ran into the problem.

“What would I bandage this with? It will get onto the couch. It will bleed through my shirt- and it's not even my shirt. Why did I do this? Everyone is going to think I'm a freak. Date will get rid of me- I don't want to leave this place. I don't want to be alone again.” These panicked thoughts rushed through her head at a dizzying pace until suddenly, her mind went blank.