Fingers Crossed [Hiatus]

Chase

When Ayato departs to catch the professional thieves, he was expecting to find a secret hideout inside a cave or someplace suspicious, hidden in the dark.

He was not expecting to find himself standing 15 metres away from a Kanjou Commission base.

The track ends at eastern Araumi shoreline and he arrived there just before sunrise. It was possible if the track got altered by this morning's damp air, but it couldn't possibly change the destination. The precision of this tracking method is almost perfect unless it rained, and there was not a single drop of water to disrupt his tracking ability.

But Ayato is sure the thieves are inside, no matter how odd it is. They might get caught by some Kanjou men and Ayato will find out what did they took from him. He lowers down to crouch near the ground and observed the base closely. It looks like a normal base, though the location is quite odd. Two stories building with one way in and out, no window or ventilation. Looks more like a jail instead of a base.

Some Kanjou men were busy carrying wood crates to their ship, docked near the beach. Most of them also gets inside the ship while one man returns to the base. It only took a while until the lone Kanjou troop returns outside with some new company in tow.

Ayato was flabbergasted when he saw those who walked out from the base. Almost a dozen Fatui rankers were walking leisurely from a Kanjou base to their flagged ships. Ayato knows that Hiiragi is not in the right mind but this means he is out of it. Hiiragi is directly conspiring with the Fatui.

That also means the thieves are one of them.

Ayato exhaled a long breath through his lips. The surprise is not too surprising. Kanjou Commission is compromised and he knew that a long time ago. But what could they possibly want until they had to risk their members to steal from Ayato?

The Commissioner flinched when he heard the soft whistling wind against an incoming person to his direction. He felt familiar with the approach, and he felt annoyed by it.

"Didn't I told you to fix my room?"

Hisashi popped out from a bush with a smile while he rubs the back of his neck "I'm not a wood worker so I couldn't fix a thing. But we already ordered someone to clean your room, my Lord."

Ayato's side brow raised after one second delay "We?"

A second figure with blue kimono and armor-coated skirt popped out and does the same smile and neck rub. Alternately, she waved "Hello, brother."

"Wonderful." Ayato smiles with his twitching eyes "Why don't you bring our parents' ashes as well? Then we could be gathered together in this family reunion."

"We're here to help." Ayaka bails her fist and her determined voice to tell Ayato that she won't change her mind.

"This place is infested with Fatui and I can't risk your safety." He flings a finger to the estate direction "Go home."

She huffed and raised her face to look at his twitching eyes "I'm not going anywhere."

"Hisashi," Ayato turns to his Shumatshuuban, who is staring at him wide eyed and two hands raised in the air "Take her back."

"Well, I'm under your command but the Lady is also my upper ranker so I might have to ask for her approval first so there won't be a misunderstanding."

Ayato grinds his teeth, showcasing a great effort to keep his whispers unheard by dozens of Fatui around them "You don't have to because you have my approval."

"You realize that you're wasting your breath, right?" His sister chuckles bitterly "And there are lot of Fatui here. Too dangerous for one man to handle them all by himself, don't you think?"