Project Phoenix (ReiXShiho Case Closed Fanfic)

Chapter 1 - Birth of the Phoenix - 3

The truck door opened, and the Goddess of Death emerged, her auburn hair falling on her back, like a bloody veil. The incarnation of Death shone her flashlight on her most recent prey: a car diagonally crushed against a sturdy tree, way down the hill.

The rear had received the greatest impact, since it was the largest part of the car that had hit the obstacle. However, she knew well that the chances of survival from such a fall were slim, even if the front, where the passengers resided, was barely crushed by the tree. Even if the passengers survived, they were surely unconscious and would become grilled meat. The fuel tank was broken, and the combustible would surely leak on the hot engine, causing a fire that would engulf the passengers. If the passengers were lucky enough to avoid all these scenarios, they would still perish by bleeding to death. No one would discover them in this deserted area and call for medical help in time.

"They're dead," she announced coldly to herself.

When her two useless henchmen had failed, she had decided to finish the simple job by herself. She had hot-wired a truck on the road, where its driver had left to take a break, and she had followed the car of his two preys through an inconspicuous tracker that one her henchmen had attached on the dress of the Miyano girl. The tracker was intended to lead her to the girl in case she refused to collaborate and managed to escape.

Yes, the auburn incarnation of Death had predicted everything - apart from the key fact that the Miyano girl knew NOTHING about her parents' trump card. Her blood boiled at the thought that she had wasted all her precious time and hope.

At least, the Miyano girl was dead. A sadistic smirk crossed on her face at the realization that every single Miyano had then finally met his or her tragic ending, the most justified type of punishment.

"It's about revenge." She wanted to strangle her secretary for always guessing so accurately her darkest thoughts, but he was too important. As much as she was annoyed by him, she needed him. He was her only reminder of her past self, the young, naive girl full of optimistic delusions, the girl who could feel so much guilt after experimenting on a live white mouse that she would have nightmares for days.

It's funny how a fraction of second could shatter all her beliefs and bring her on a fatal quest. Yes, she knew well how this quest would end. However, it was too late to turn back then. She had accomplished too much... She was already a different person, a woman with a stone heart.

Perhaps, the guilt from that day was too strong that it overshadowed all her other feelings. She didn't feel any other form of regret anymore, not even when she murdered that childlike Miyano or that audacious - but innocent - man who cared too much about the cursed girl.

Thinking about that man, she remembered that he had been an interesting person. When her henchmen had given her a list of information on the Miyano girl's acquaintances during their research about her, at first, she thought the man was a simple barista. However, a simple barista - or even one who was also an amateur detective - would not possess this type of gun and such professional 'evasion' skills. The way the man swiftly escaped from the warehouse with the girl and skillfully handled the car was impressive. She would have loved to learn more about this person, but she had little time and he was dead anyways.

The woman opened her car's door to the passengers' seats, one of which was already occupied by her secretary. The man was holding his forehead - perhaps in exasperation - and mumbling to himself with words similar to "This is crazy...". He always had a soft heart, and this would probably become his cause of doom in this business.

"Where to?" the henchman on the driver's seat asked. His accomplice from the other seat of the front row also turned around his head to meet the woman's gaze.