Otomedori- 2

At midnight, on the nearly deserted streets of Tokyo, a masked figure moved silently through the shadows.

The few passersby paid him no attention, their minds preoccupied with their late-night concerns.

Beneath the black mask was Kazuki Okino, his heart steeled with resolve. He had made a decision: to confront that old man responsible for ruining his little sister's life.

After preparing dinner with his little sister and enjoying the meal together, Kazuki gently took her to her room, ensuring she was comfortable and ready for bed.

He stayed by her side, watching over her as she drifted into sleep, her breathing becoming slow and steady.

Once she was sound asleep, Kazuki quietly left her room, moving with careful precision to avoid waking her. He removed the bandage from his hands as the wound had healed already.

He returned to his room, his mind racing with thoughts of the night ahead. He lay down, feigning sleep, but his eyes remained open, staring at the ceiling as he counted down the minutes.

At midnight, Kazuki rose from his bed and made his way back to his sister's room. He cracked the door open just enough to see her, still asleep and undisturbed.

Satisfied, he silently exited the house, the cool night air hitting his face as he stepped into the darkness.

Dressed in black, with a mask concealing his identity, Kazuki's resolve hardened with each step he took away from their home.

The information he had gathered about the old men was clear in his mind, a roadmap to his mission of retribution.

His first target was not far from their neighbourhood, a man who had once been a respected teacher. Kazuki moved through the streets with purpose, avoiding the occasional passerby.

He knew the man's address, his routines, and most importantly, his vulnerabilities.

Kazuki wasn't planning on killing these men. Death was too easy, too merciful for the pain they had inflicted on his sister.

Instead, he intended to dismantle their lives piece by piece. He wanted them to feel a fraction of the suffering they had caused, to live out their days in a personal hell.

Reaching the man's house, Kazuki observed from the shadows, ensuring there were no unexpected visitors or witnesses.

Once he was certain the man was alone, he approached the house, his mind focused on the task ahead. He had tools with him to break in, but he preferred a more subtle approach, testing windows and doors until he found an unlocked back entrance.

Slipping inside, Kazuki moved through the house with practised stealth. He found the man asleep in his bedroom, oblivious to the danger creeping closer. Kazuki's eyes hardened as he looked at the man who had played a role in ruining his sister's life.

"Come forth, my sword..." Kazuki mumbled under his breath. A beautiful black sword appeared in his right hand, the Sword of Victory weapon said to have the power to kill even concepts with just one hit.

Now, he was going to use it to deliver justice.

He approached the old man and swung his sword at his legs. There was no blood as the sword passed through; it wasn't cutting the physical body but the soul. This ensured the man would never walk again.

Kazuki then swung the sword again, this time targeting the man's private parts. The old man remained asleep, unaware that his soul had been irreparably damaged, leaving him permanently incapacitated.

Kazuki left the room silently and moved to a secluded corner of the house. Concentrating, he accessed the memories of the old man, which he had acquired through the Sword of Victory.

This was one of the abilities of the sword-gaining insight into the victim's memories by cutting their soul.

These memories provided Kazuki with detailed information about the man's accomplices and the locations where they had hidden evidence of their crimes.

Despite already having some information, this new insight was invaluable, revealing secrets he hadn't uncovered before.

Guided by these memories, Kazuki quickly located a hidden compartment containing incriminating documents and other evidence of the old man's crimes.

He photographed everything meticulously, ensuring he had all the proof needed to expose the man and his network. There were even pen drives there which he had picked up and stored in the storage given by the Star Guide system for Star points.

Satisfied with his work, Kazuki left the house as silently as he had entered. His next target was another old man who had also played a role in tormenting his sister.

Kazuki moved through the city with renewed determination, ready to dismantle the lives of these men piece by piece, ensuring they paid dearly for their actions.

As Kazuki approached the second target's residence, he repeated his process, slipping inside with practised stealth. This time, he knew exactly where to look for hidden compartments and secrets.

Using the sword, he incapacitated the man similarly, ensuring his soul was damaged beyond repair without causing any physical harm.

Once again, Kazuki accessed the man's memories, gathering more evidence and details about their crimes.

And just like that, Kazuki spent the entire night moving through the houses of the old men who had ruined his little sister's life as well as his future.

He methodically incapacitated each one, gathering incriminating evidence and ensuring they could never harm anyone again.

By the time the sun rose, Kazuki was back at his house. The first thing he did was check on his little sister. Seeing her still sleeping peacefully, a small smile appeared on his face.

The evidence he had gathered was safely stored on his phone, which he carefully placed on his bed.

He walked into the bathroom to clean himself up. Despite spending the entire night running around and not getting any sleep, his peak human condition allowed him to feel as fresh as ever.

After a quick shower, he dressed in his school uniform and picked up his phone. Heading to the kitchen, Kazuki began preparing breakfast and lunch for himself and his little sister.

When breakfast was ready, Kazuki set the table and went to wake Rinka. He gently shook her shoulder, and she stirred, slowly opening her eyes.

"Good morning, Rinka," Kazuki said softly, smiling at her. "Breakfast is ready."

Rinka rubbed her eyes and stretched. "Morning, Onii-chan," She replied, her voice still groggy from sleep. "You're up early again."

"Yeah, just wanted to make sure everything was ready for you," Kazuki said. "Why don't you take a bath first? Breakfast will be waiting for you."

Rinka nodded sleepily and headed to the bathroom. As she bathed, Kazuki continued to prepare the kitchen and double-checked the lunches he had packed.

The rhythmic chopping of vegetables and the sizzle of food on the stove filled the kitchen, grounding him in the routine of their morning.

Once Rinka finished her bath, she joined Kazuki at the breakfast table, her hair still damp and a fresh glow on her face.

"How was your bath?" Kazuki asked as he handed her a plate.

"Refreshing," Rinka replied, smiling as she took a bite of her breakfast. "Thanks for making breakfast, Onii-chan."

They ate together, enjoying the meal Kazuki had prepared. The warmth of the morning sun filtered through the kitchen windows, creating a serene atmosphere.

Despite the turmoil of the previous night, this moment of normalcy brought Kazuki a sense of calm.

After breakfast, they finished getting ready for school. Kazuki handed Rinka her bento box with a reassuring smile.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

Rinka nodded, smiling back at him. "Yeah, let's go."

As they left the house together, heading towards school, Otome joined them on the way.

"Good morning, Rinka-chan, Kazuki-kun," Otome greeted warmly.

"Good morning, Otome-chan," Kazuki replied with a smile.

"Good morning, Otome-chan," Rinka echoed, quickly engaging her in a conversation about school activities.

Kazuki occasionally chimed in, but his thoughts were mostly occupied with the evidence he now possessed. The gravity of his mission weighed heavily on his mind.

"Is something wrong, Kazuki-kun?" Otome asked, pulling on his sleeve with a worried expression. "You seem very distant from us for some reason."

"Everything is okay, Otome-chan. Don't mind me," Kazuki said with a chuckle. "Anyway, how are your classes going?"

Otome brightened at his question and began to excitedly talk about her classes. Rinka, on the other hand, watched her brother with a worried expression. She noticed something that made her stop in her tracks.

"Onii-chan, did you remove the bandage?" Rinka quickly grabbed his previously wounded hand, surprised to find it completely healed. "Where did it go?"

"What are you talking about, Rinka-chan?" Otome looked at her in confusion.

"Yesterday, Onii-chan wounded his hand with a knife," Rinka explained with a downcast expression, guilt washing over her.

"What?" Otome's eyes widened with anxiety, and she immediately began to check Kazuki's hand for any sign of injury but found none.

"It was a small injury. It's all healed now," Kazuki replied with a reassuring smile, showing both of his hands, which bore no signs of the previous wound.

"But..." Rinka started to protest, wanting to mention how severe the injury had been, but Kazuki's subtle motion for her to stay quiet made her stop.

"You need to be careful with knives, okay?" Otome said worriedly, gently caressing his hand, which caused a pang of jealousy and anger in Rinka. "What if something happened to you? Who would look after Rinka-chan? Who would look after m-me...?"

Her voice trailed off, and a deep blush spread across her face as she realised the implication of her words.

"Don't worry, Otome-chan. I have no plans of harming myself," Kazuki said with an amused smile, enjoying her flustered reaction. Meanwhile, Rinka glared at Otome, her expression a mix of irritation and protectiveness.

After the little commotion, they all walked to their classes, each lost in their thoughts. Kazuki's mind was on his mission, Rinka's on her brother's recent actions, and Otome's on her feelings for Kazuki.

~~~~~~~~~

After the third period, Kazuki left the school with the excuse that his stomach was aching and took a taxi to the police station.

While on the way, he asked the Star system to remove any video or file containing his sister's videos or photos.

He didn't want her reputation to be tarnished and planned to heal her later using the Sword of Victory.

He also took out multiple pen drives from the system storage and put them in his pockets, ensuring no one would see him pulling items out of thin air.

After paying the taxi fare, he walked into the bustling police station. Approaching the front desk, he caught the attention of a constable.

"Excuse me," Kazuki began, his voice steady. "I need to file a case, but it's important that I speak to a senior officer first."

The constable, a middle-aged man with a hint of scepticism in his eyes, looked Kazuki up and down. "What's the nature of your case, son? We're quite busy, you know."

Kazuki met the constable's gaze firmly. "It involves multiple high-profile individuals and serious criminal activities. I have evidence that needs to be reviewed by someone in charge."

The constable frowned, clearly uncertain. "High-profile individuals, you say? That's a big claim for a young boy to make."

"I understand, sir. But this evidence is critical, and it's about protecting innocent lives, including my sister's. Please, just take me to the senior officer. It's urgent."

The constable studied Kazuki for a moment, noting the determination in his eyes. With a resigned sigh, he nodded. "Alright, come with me. But if this turns out to be a waste of time, there will be consequences."

Kazuki nodded, following the constable through the busy corridors of the police station. The constable led him to an office at the end of the hall and knocked on the door.

"Sir," the constable said, opening the door slightly. "There's a young man here who insists he has important evidence involving high-profile individuals. He's requesting to speak with you directly."

From inside the office, a deep voice responded, "Send him in."

The constable stepped aside, allowing Kazuki to enter. "Good luck, kid," he muttered under his breath as Kazuki walked past him.

Kazuki stood in front of the senior officer, a man in his early fifties with a stern face and sharp eyes that seemed to scrutinize every detail.

"Good afternoon, sir," Kazuki began, trying to maintain his composure. "My name is Kazuki Okino. I have come here with evidence of serious crimes committed by high-profile individuals."

The officer leaned back in his chair, folding his arms and fixing Kazuki with a penetrating stare. "That's a very bold claim, Kazuki. Do you understand the gravity of what you're saying?"

"Yes, sir, I do," Kazuki replied firmly, meeting the officer's gaze without flinching. "These individuals have been involved in heinous activities that have harmed many. I have concrete evidence to support these claims."

The officer's eyes narrowed slightly. "What kind of evidence are we talking about?"

Kazuki reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the pen drives. "I have multiple pen drives containing videos, documents, and other incriminating materials. They show the involvement of these individuals in various crimes."

The officer gestured for Kazuki to hand over the pen drive. "Let's see what you've got."

Kazuki handed over the pen drive, watching as the officer plugged it into his computer. As the files loaded, the officer's expression shifted from scepticism to surprise and then to anger.

The first video began to play. It showed an old man, one of the accused, engaging in despicable acts.

The officer's eyes widened as he leaned closer to the screen, his jaw tightening. "What the hell...," he muttered under his breath, barely loud enough for Kazuki to hear.

He paused the video and glanced at Kazuki, his face pale. "Are all the files like this?"

Kazuki nodded. "Yes, sir. There are multiple videos and documents detailing their crimes. Each file is more incriminating than the last."

The officer resumed watching, his expression growing darker with each passing second. His hands clenched into fists, and he occasionally looked away from the screen, unable to stomach the horrifying images. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the edge of the desk, trying to maintain his composure.

There were scenes of exploitation, abuse, and manipulation, each one more grotesque than the last. After several minutes, the officer abruptly stopped the video, breathing heavily.

He turned to Kazuki, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and sorrow. "This... this is beyond anything I expected. How could they get away with this for so long?"

"They had power and influence," Kazuki replied quietly. "They knew how to cover their tracks. But now, with this evidence, we can expose them."

The officer asked with a narrowed gaze, his voice taking on a steely edge. "How did you come by this information?"

Kazuki took a deep breath. "I gathered it by sneaking into one of their houses. I noticed one of the old men following my little sister and keeping an eye on her. It raised my suspicions, so I decided to investigate."

The officer raised an eyebrow, a mix of scepticism and grudging respect in his eyes. "Sneaking into their house? That's illegal, you know."

Kazuki met his gaze evenly. "I know, sir. But I didn't see any other way to gather the proof. They're powerful men, well-connected. I had to be sure before coming here."

The officer continued to review the files, nodding slowly as he took in the extent of the evidence. "This evidence is compelling. These men used to hold high positions, but now that they're retired, it's easier to catch them."

Kazuki felt a wave of relief wash over him. "So, you'll start an investigation?"

The officer nodded, his expression grim. "Yes, this evidence is more than enough to launch an investigation. It would have been difficult to catch them when they were in power, but now, it's a different story. They've retired, and their influence has waned."

"Thank you, sir," Kazuki said, his voice filled with gratitude.

The officer nodded, his stern expression softening slightly. "We'll do our best to handle this delicately and ensure the investigation is thorough. Your bravery in bringing this to us is commendable, Kazuki."

"Thank you, officer. I just don't want to see anyone else suffering under their hands." Kazuki replied with a serious expression.

The officer stood up and extended his hand. "We'll keep in touch. And Kazuki, thank you. You've done a great service today."

Kazuki shook his hand firmly. "Thank you, sir. I trust you'll do what's right."

As Kazuki left the police station, the officer watched him go, a mix of respect and admiration in his eyes.

Turning back to his desk, he immediately began making calls, initiating the first steps of what would be a massive and far-reaching investigation.

The wheels of justice had begun to turn, and there would be no stopping them now.