The Head Lord and the Rat Thief {Kamisato Ayato FanFiction}

Chapter 33 ~ The Rain and the Blue Diamonds

Chapter 33 ~ The Rain and the Blue Diamonds

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       Three days later, at midnight, at the entrance to the blue diamond mine in the southern head of Tatarasuna Island and along the entire road to the warehouse in the eastern head where they were to be loaded and transported by sea to Narukami Island, dozens and hundreds of soldiers with torches in their hands stood guard. The entrance to the mine was relatively empty, four soldiers – all Shuumatsuban members – and a few miners were placing the crates with the blue diamonds whose glassy surface Caiome glanced at only once before they were covered.

       The other members participating in the ambush were hidden and, of course, relied on Caiome to give the signal. But Caiome had told them from the beginning that it would be a risky operation because they only knew the thief's pattern but not the methods: how, when, and in what way they were going to make the exchange between the crates with the real diamonds and the counterfeited ones. She needed to focus as well.

       However, it was her great pleasure to wear a complete Shuumatsuban member-specific costume, a black suit, very light and pleasant to move in, elastic and with all the necessary accessories. Koshi brought her all the equipment she needed, from clothes to weapons, of which Caiome chose only a few small ones, such as shurikens and kunais, considering that she relied more on her sword, the power of her Vision, and balance, so the others were useless to her.

       Like all the others, she was hidden behind a wide tree that completely concealed her, hiding her Vision among the clothes, so as not to create unnecessary light that could attract attention. From the previous thefts investigated by the Information Department, most were done after midnight, at one or two o'clock, because that's when the precious stones came out of the mine. Although there was still time until then, Caiome wasn't one hundred percent sure it wouldn't happen sooner, considering that the alchemist thieves were going through the same level of desperation as Shoichiro. They depended on the gemstone industry if they wanted to continue their research.

       She let the breeze pass through the trunks and branches of the trees, through bushes, making them rustle, through blades of grass and over dusty roads, through the flames of the torches and through the salty smell of the sea, through the waves crashing against the rocks, bringing all the sounds to her. Birds flapped their wings, agitated by the unexpected wind, and she heard the soldiers' breaths, their steps, and the wood crackling in the campfires at the entrance of the mine.

       Suddenly, she heard some footsteps approaching her, footsteps that were foreign. She grabbed her sword and turned ready to strike, but the figure dodged inches away from the sword's edge, then grabbed her wrist. Caiome frowned, quickly studying the stranger dressed in black, in the Shuumatsuban clothes.

       Somehow, she first recognized the torso under the black clothes, and the narrow waist she had seen naked at some point, and then she saw the very faint shimmer of the Hydro Vision hidden among the clothes. Unlike his elegant clothes worn as Lord Kamisato, the Shuumatsuban clothes made his body appear thinner and more agile at the same time, outlining his muscles, shoulders, and long legs.

       Ayato took off the tenugui covering his face, but left the zukin on his head, covering his hair, which stood out very easily. Caiome smiled under her own tenugui, retracting her sword and putting it back in its sheath.

       "I could have killed you," she whispered, and Ayato covered his mouth and nose again with the tenugui.

       He moved closer to the tree trunk, standing between the roots, and Caiome followed him, to stay as covered as possible. "Are you sure they would take the bait?" he whispered back a few seconds of complete silence later.