Falling

Bonus 1 - Rencounter in the Forest of Death; Epilogue

Silence had befallen on the forest and people in it. A silence vibrant and feared. No one dared to speak, unless it was necessary.

Lower-ranking members who secured the path watched how the Boss of the Port Mafia carried a ginger haired boy in his arms with a brown haired one clinging onto him. A woman with red hair and wounded face was staggering behind them, supporting herself with her closed umbrella.

It was hard to say or even admit it, but everyone was on edge, even the smallest bit. Their greatest executives, the ones who were addressed as Double Black, were captured and tortured, unreachable for almost five days.

Despite their fearsome strength and indomitability, which was famous in the whole Yokohama and wider, there just appeared someone who had almost gotten rid of them.

That cognition was not very pleasing to say at least. Nor has it ever been a subject of discussion among men, because it was believed there was no one able to overcome them in any way. Looks like they were wrong.

Hirotsu had commanded his men to disperse in the area, some to secure should anyone dare to attack, some to bury their killed enemies and destroy all evidence they were there.

But how had the rescue taken place, one might ask. Well, it had been rather simple for the executants yet inconceivable for the caught.

The group which had gone to chase Dazai and Chuuya had seen cravings in the wood when they had passed from the river. They had quickly connected signs 'P' and 'M' with the name 'Port Mafia'. Most of them had rejoiced except Yukio and another man who had opposed.

Was it experience in the military or his own intuition, he hadn't known, but Yukio had manifestly seen there was something wrong. Two of them had been smart enough to figure out it might be a trap, which others, except the one, learned was true, but just when it was too late.

Sakio had been the first one to overtly declare he doesn't want to follow the man who flees out of fear instead of seeking revenge for their killed comrades. Others had upholded him, unconsciously flaring up the flame of their inauspicious fate.

Yukio had tried to dissuade them, even mentioning how he's first in command now and he can demand them to listen to what he says with full right. And that's how a dissension had begun.

Sakio had continued spitting insults at Yukio and two other men, others joining too, knowing well enough who was going to break first, a plan already forged in his head to its finest.

The man who had allowed an ire to take the better of him had been, to say at least, maybe the strongest among remaining members. So no one could have blamed men on Sakio's side who had backed away when the said one had furiously stepped forward.

He had attacked Sakio and the said one had vanquished and threatened to kill him, but Yukio had intervened. Right then he had been convinced there was no reckoning with Sakio who, he had understood just then, has always been waiting quietly and prudently for that very moment. So he had helped the fallen one to stand and two of them had turned and left the group on their own.

The others had continued further, falling soon into an ambuscade. Kouyou and Hirotsu had been there with their squad and had wiped out everyone except Sakio, who had been much harder to break.

While Hirotsu had been distracted, Kyouou had been fighting Sakio. Despite a great artistry with blades from the both sides, Sakio had broken a thin line between them by finding an opening and wounding Kouyou's face. By unplaiting her hair instead of finishing her off, he had taken her two golden hairpins, much to her dewilderment, and disappeared.

Immediately after that, Kouyou and Hirotsu had gone to Mori who had been moving towards Dazai and Chuuya on the right route with his squad. They had informed him what happened and that one man escaped.