The girl in Darkness - Kousano

Chapter 1

"Me, go on a solo mission?"

Kunikida nodded at Yosano's off-guard question. "It's just a simple investigation, really," he elaborated. "There's been some suspicious activity in a certain neighborhood lately. There isn't any info on the situation, but we should perform a reconnaissance nonetheless to ensure that there's no relation to the Port Mafia, or something worse."

"Reconnaissance, I can handle," Yosano said. "But is there any reason to send me alone?"

"There's nobody else available," Ranpo called over lazily from his desk, taking a lollipop out of his mouth.

"You're not busy!" Kunikida snapped. "If you weren't such a lazy bum, you could go!"

"Don't be so harsh, Kunikida! The world's greatest detective needs a day off from his galavantious crime-solving adventures!" Ranpo said snarkily, sticking the lollipop back in his mouth.

Yosano held in her laughter from her friend's slothful demeanor. "It's alright, Kunikida. If I run into anyone shady, it's all the better; perhaps I'll actually have some fun on such a mission."

"Please don't jump to any conclusions, Yosano," Kunikida said nervously. Ranpo laughed in the background.

An old warehouse sat at the edge of the dull little neighborhood. As Yosano walked down the littered street, she wondered how often important and shady things occurred in supposedly 'abandoned' warehouses.

She pushed open the giant metal doors to the warehouse, resting her cleaver over her shoulder threateningly. The inside was completely dark, and it seemed like the temperature dropped a full ten degrees once she took a step inside.

The cold, stretching darkness... something stirred in her. A memory? Deja vu?

Yosano began to walk through the darkness, clicking her heels against the floor and creating loud echoes in the seemingly empty warehouse. This place was by far the most suspicious location in this quiet, backstreet neighborhood. Something felt wrong here.

Yosano distantly heard a noise like a rustling of silk. She tightened her grip on the cleaver.

The warehouse wasn't just one room; it stretched around a corner. She quieted her loud, echoing steps and cautiously peeked her head around the wall.

Two men in suits, stood with their backs to her, loaded guns in their hands. Yosano steadied her breathing and quietly went around the corner. By the time the men noticed her behind them, she'd brought her leg up swiftly to meet their heads.

With a sharp crack made from her heel colliding with their skulls, both of them hit the ground with a thud.

Yosano recognized them as Port Mafia guards. No relation to the port mafia, she remembered Kunikida saying. Yeah, right.

She was psyching herself up to continue down the dark room when a bright light shone from the corner of her eye. She barely dodged quick enough to avoid the enormous, crimson sword that cleaved into the ground where she had been standing just a moment ago.

Yosano whipped her head up to face her opponent, and her breath caught in her throat.