Kill or Take

Night had fallen, the darkness providing a cloak for the operations that were about to unfold. In the quiet hours of midnight.

Kasumi and Lidiya were on a mission.

"Kasumi-chan~ Did you take out the cameras?"

A soft giggle followed Kasumi's reply. "Yeah~ You should be clear~"

"Alrighty~"

Their voices held a hint of mischief, their actions shrouded in secrecy. With precision and expertise, they moved through the targeted area, ensuring that every surveillance device would be rendered useless.

Kasumi's dexterous fingers danced over control panels, disabling the watchful eyes that had been monitoring the surroundings.

Lidiya's sharp eyes scanned the vicinity, confirming that no unwanted presence lingered.

"Oh please don't forget to take out the security room first. They don't want to know that you're here, and you have 20 minutes, so please hurry~" Kasumi's voice flowed through the earpiece.

"Aye~"

My current mission was to extract the blonde guy involved in the family restaurant incident from jail. Interrogation was on the table, but so was the option of eliminating him entirely.

As I entered the police station, I assessed the layout.

The building had three floors: HR Officers on the third, the evidence room on the second, and the reception and lobby on the first. The jail cells were located in the basement. The station was compact, making navigation relatively straightforward.

"Kasumi, any idea where the security room is?"

"Hmmm~ Second floor on the left side... near the fire exit. Use that."

"Thanks."

Casually, I made my way to the left side of the police station where two officers were taking a smoke break.

"Hey... I don't think you're allowed here, miss," one of them commented as he leaned against the wall.

"Sorry, but aren't you two supposed to avoid smoking? It's bad for your health, you know."

The officers exchanged a glance before chuckling. "Yeah, right... What are you, a kid?" the other one retorted.

"Hmmm~"

"Oh, by the way, why are you wearing a maid outfit? It doesn't suit you."

"This? Well... it actually suits me, don't you think?" I spun in a little twirl, drawing their attention to my attire.

"Ehh?~ I see... I guess it suits you right?" The officer glanced at his companion, who seemed to be equally mesmerized.

"Yeah, yeah."

Kasumi's voice broke in through the earpiece. "Lidiya, what are you doing? Get inside already! Lidiya!"

"Anyway... I have some important business to attend to... sooo..." In one smooth motion, I retrieved the concealed tranquilizer gun from beneath my maid skirt and incapacitated the two officers with well-aimed shots.

As the officers fell asleep on the floor, I muttered, "You know... Chief Suzume should have informed Master Kiro about our assassin uniforms. Wearing a maid outfit is rather off."

"True... It's also a pain to move around in a skirt."

Standing at the entrance of the fire exit, Lidiya peeked into the building.

"Clear..." She whispered to her earpiece.

"Nice, now find the security room."

"Aye~" She silently eased the door open, slipping into the second-floor corridor. "Hey, Kasumi-chan, how much time do I have left?"

"Hmmm... Considering those two guards... about 5 minutes? No, wait... 8 minutes."

"Hehe, my bad." She continued down the hallway, my senses alert for any potential threats. "Got eyes on it, Kasumi-chan... But there's a little obstacle. Need a bit of help gaining access."

"Hm? Why's that?"

"There's a keycard reader on the door, and guess what, I didn't bring a keycard."

"Ah~ Can you try using your phone against the reader?"

"Huh? Really? But here's the kicker."

"What's that?~"

"My phone's hanging out at home."

Kasumi's voice sounded both surprised and amused. "You've got to be kidding. Well, I suppose I can hack the door through the security camera feed... Can you tell me the model of that reader?"

"Model?" I squinted at the keycard reader, searching for any identification. "Where's the model info usually on these things?"

Kasumi hesitated, then her voice returned, more mischievous now. "How about you press it against the reader and I'll take a look at the video feed? I might be able to figure it out."

I rolled my eyes at her suggestion but approached the reader nonetheless. "Fine, let's give it a shot."

I pressed the back of my hand against the reader as if trying to use an invisible phone. "Do you see anything, Kasumi-chan?"

She hummed thoughtfully. "Yeah, I think I've got an idea. Give me a moment."

As I stood there, waiting, my earpiece cracked to life again. "Okay, Lidiya-chan, I've managed to mimic the keycard signal. Try it now!"

She tapped the reader with the back of my hand again. A soft beep followed by a green light indicated success.

"You're in."

"Just be careful in there, alright?"

"Of course."

She cautiously pushed the door open just enough to get a glimpse inside, but before she could react, the door was abruptly pulled fully open by one of the guards on the inside.

"Huh?! Who the hell are you!?" The surprised guard blurted out.

Without missing a beat, Lidiya swiftly incapacitated the guard with a well-aimed strike to the neck. The guard crumbled to the ground, the impact producing a resounding thud.

The noise drew the attention of another guard, who began to reach for their radio to alert others.

Lidiya acted quickly, firing her tranquilizer gun at them. The guard's movements slowed and then ceased as the tranquilizer took effect, and they slumped to the floor in a slumber.

"Ух ты, как эффектно~" (Wow, that's spectacular~), she muttered to herself with a faint smirk.

With the immediate threat neutralized, Lidiya entered the room, gently closing the door behind her.

She moved with a purpose, heading toward the bank of monitors displaying various camera feeds.

"Kasumi-chan, I've dealt with the security personnel."

"Good job. Now, onto the main objective. He's located in Cell C-A. Make your way there," Kasumi directed.

"Roger, Roger ~" Lidiya acknowledged with a soft chuckle.

Exiting the room, Lidiya stepped back into the corridor, her footsteps barely making a sound against the polished floor.

"By the way, Kasumi-chan, do you mind checking how many blue boys (officers) are currently in the building?~"

"Hm? I can certainly do that. Let me see..." Lidiya could hear the faint clicking of keys as Kasumi worked her magic.

After a brief pause, Kasumi responded, "There are 16 officers in total~ Although it's not perfectly accurate, that's what my feed is showing."

"Cool~ Let's get this done," Lidiya replied with determination.

Navigating the corridor, Lidiya remained mindful of the situation around her. Her years of training had honed her senses, allowing her to detect the subtlest of movements and sounds.

She slipped past offices, avoiding any potential encounters, and maintained her focus on reaching Cell C-A.

Finally reaching the corridor of Cell C-A, Lidiya confidently advanced towards her target, her senses keenly attuned to the atmosphere around her. As she walked, she was met with comments from some of the inmates.

"Hey there~ Visiting someone?~"

"Whoa, look at that cute girl..."

Tch... These rotten criminals...

Lidiya's resolve remained unshaken, and she pressed forward, her steps steady. As she approached the cell she was looking for, she delivered a swift, purposeful kick to the bars, capturing the attention of its occupant.

"Oh? Coming for me? Who are you?" The blonde guy's gaze roved over her, accompanied by a teasing tone. "You look cute."

"Shut up." Lidiya's retort was curt and dismissive. Unseen by anyone, she retrieved a lock-picking tool from her concealed pouch, hidden under her skirt.

Her skillful fingers deftly manipulated the lock, working to free the man from his confines.

"Oh, you're here to break me out? That's nice of you~ But I'm pretty sure there will also be strings attached."

Lidiya remained focused on her task, finally succeeding in unlocking the cell door.

"Okay, blonde guy... Tell me your name."

"Oh? So you're interested in me?"

"I am. What of it?"

"Pfft~ kekeke... Roy Sukiragi. And you?"

"...Silversong."

"Hehe, cute name... or should I say... codename?"

A mischievous smirk crossed Lidiya's lips. "Oh? You knew? Well then, I'll get straight to the point." With precision, she grabs a knife, placing its blade against Roy's throat.

Tell me everything you know about the family restaurant incident."

"Hey, hey... Easy there..."

"You have 5 minutes."

"That's a lot of time."

"Shut up." Lidiya's grip on the knife tightened, applying subtle pressure to make her point clear.

"O-okay... Calm your ass!" Roy's words came out in a rushed manner, a hint of nervousness seeping through his bravado.

"Shit... You're impatient, aren't you."

"4 minutes."

He let out a resigned sigh. "Tomo Ryoko, the one responsible for everything... She's actually quite a sly actress despite being one of the members of the so-called 'Four Seasons'." He continued, his words flowing more freely now. "The Four Seasons' goals? Destroying the Yakuza? As if... The true reason the Yakuza were afraid was the demon that lurks in the shadows."

"Continue."

"I will, sweetheart... And so the Yakuza planned to eliminate the demon's son... What was his name? 'Ryo Sorata?'"

Lidiya maintained her composure, her grip on the knife unwavering.

"That's right... The Devil's son... How did we know? Well, ask that of Tomo Ryoko... After all, the Yakuzas hold a deep grudge against the devil. It would only be fair if they also removed his only son, wouldn't it? Plus... there's a Trojan horse who is always with the boy."

"I see... Did you hear that, Kasumi-chan?"

"Loud and clear," Kasumi's voice sounded in Lidiya's earpiece.

"Good job... You've saved yourself." With a deliberate step back, Lidiya turned away from Roy's cell.

"Tch... Bitch..." Roy's muttered insult was followed by a sudden movement as he reached for a shiv hidden beneath his pillow.

He lunged at Lidiya, but she reacted swiftly, throwing her knife with deadly accuracy. The blade found its target, burying itself in Roy's forehead.

"You're slow." Lidiya's voice was cold as she walked over to the fallen man, retrieving her knife from his lifeless body. "Kasumi-chan, I'm making my way out... create a diversion in the facility."

"Alright~"

Lidiya strode out of the cell corridor just as alarms blared throughout the police station, signaling a false alarm.

She seized the opportunity to escape, her movements fluid as she exited the scene. Once on the streets, walking along a quiet sideroad, she couldn't shake a sense of concern for Ryo.

"Ryo-sama, you need to be more cautious in your surroundings..." Lidiya murmured to herself, her thoughts consumed by worry.