A Dose of Diamond Dust

Part X - Oku's gambit

"Don't worry Mom, I'll be back soon." Okuyasu called to his stepmother as he closed the apartment door behind him. The weather was cloudy and humid this afternoon. He then climbed down the grey flight of stairs and approached his mother's car. "Good thing she didn't notice me going through her stuff earlier, otherwise it'd be over." Okuyasu patted the briefcase at his side, then set it on the back of the car.

A blue spirit hovered behind him, before it gave a quick sweeping motion with its right hand. Suddenly, the lock on the case disappeared. Okuyasu gave a cold stare as he picked up the shotgun from inside the briefcase. "It won't be long Koichi. I've had enough of you for one eternity. Josuke is mine and mine alone!" He suddenly sped off from the parking lot, shotgun in his lap.

"I don't have any time!" Josuke dashed down Jōzenji Road towards downtown. The paper was still in his hands, but all he could focus on was avoiding the pedestrians along the sidewalk. "Think! I've got to think. Where would Koichi and Yukako go for a date?" A pause. Josuke was almost hit by an oncoming vehicle. He shook it off. "The hell would I know? I have nothing to go off of. I'll take the cut to St. Gentleman's, it's the closest place I know from here." Josuke continued his sprint and took a left past the local Kameyu Department Store.

"Now even if I don't know exactly where Koichi and Yukako are, I'm not taking any chances." Okuyasu recklessly accelerated down the street. He drove many cars off the road, some of them even crashing. "Casualties are acceptable. Not like I give a damn about their pathetic lives. They've never concerned me or Josuke." After passing the rest of the midday traffic, he then shot a passerby for no reason. "I've got plenty of time. Their date will last at least an hour. I'll check out St. Gentleman's first, then Café Deux Magots. If they're not there, then I'll visit either Morioh City Park or Trattoria Trussardi. I'll kill them both if I have to."

Josuke was just down the road from St. Gentleman's. "Yes! Koichi I swear I hope you're there. I hate to ruin your date and all, but we've got some big problems." He just finished his sentence as a convertible suddenly zoomed by. Okuyasu emerged from the driver's seat while the vehicle continued down the road. slowing down as it passed the store.

He steadied his shotgun. "You monster!! Okuyasuuu!!!" Josuke screamed reaching his hand out towards the distant vehicle. The madman rapidly fired 18 rounds into the store, shattering the glass and seemingly downing everyone inside. Blood fell against the broken sandwich displays in every direction. Okuyasu fell back into his seat and sighed as he drove on. "Like I said before, I'm not taking any damn chances. Don't even try to get in the way, Josuke." A wicked grin rose up Okuyasu's face as Josuke stopped to help the victims.

Koichi and Yukako were nowhere to be seen, luckily. Josuke was both relieved and still filled with horror at the same time at what Okuyasu had done. He helped heal who he could with Crazy Diamond. Sirens began ringing, and Josuke looked down at the lost souls. "I'd better get going. Trust me, I'll avenge you over what that bastard did to you guys."13 innocent people had died.