Withering moon lit rose

Chapter 25

Kyoka wasn't aware of Akutagawa and Atsushi relationship at the end. Akutagawa had briefly mentioned a letter from Atsushi to her but never elaborated on what was on it, but he always looked disheartened when he mentioned it. Kyoka imagined it wasn't a friendship letter of sorts, hence her telling the man to get a partner of sorts.

"I don't have time to look for anyone... Romance wise. I'm too busy with the agency." Kyoka sighed in annoyance.

"That's always your answer, you're getting as bad as Kunikida before he dated Katai." Akutagawa flicked her on the forehead for her remark.

"Don't compare me to notebook, I take that as an offence."

Meanwhile in the office -
"Achoo!" Yosano looked at Kunikida, "You catching a cold?" Kunikida shook his head, "Someone is talking about me... I think it's that brat."

~

"Why do you always call Kunikida that? He dotes on you, you know." Akutagawa sighed at that, he knew the man dotted on him. He hated it.

"Yeah, but enough about me. What about you and that boy?" Kyoka's cheeks reddened slightly at the mention of him.

"What's there to speak of? Kenji and I are just friends, he's been kind to me ever since I joined the agency." Akutagawa's lips tugged upwards slightly.

"I never said his name." He then proceeded to walk past Kyoka who was left dumb founded and annoyed that she had fallen for the man's trap. The pair continued to walk in silence, when they approached the location they saw that there was an individual already in the alley. The pair easily sneaked onto a nearby roof, both being from the mafia being stealthy was like second nature to them.

Just as they got into a prime spying spot three individuals appeared in the alley each with a hood covering their heads, one further forward than the other two.

"You have the money?" The first hooded figure spoke, his voice sounded off, as if something was interfering with it, he then extended a hand towards Hanzawa, he dug his hand into his pocket and revealed a lofty pile of notes. The hooded figure took them and began to count, once done he hid them within his own pocket.

"As agreed, the new trial nullification bullets as ordered. Just note they are still in trial run so as not guaranteed to work on every shot." Hanzawa nodded in agreement.

"It'll do, for what I need." Just as the group was about to disperse, Kyoka and Akutagawa jumped off the roof and landed on opposite sides of the alley. Preventing anyone's escape.

"You bastard! You sold us out!" The hooded figure cried as they pulled a gun from their coat. Hanzawa raised his hands in defence, "I didn't! I don't even know who these people are!" That was true, he didn't inform them of the transaction. His girlfriend did.

"You've got nowhere to run, so come quietly with us and your sentence might be lightened." Akutagawa's voice echoed through the alley, but the hooded figure clicked their fingers on their left hand and the individuals beside them began to move.

However they didn't get far before Kyoka used demon snow to cut them down, they weren't dead. But they weren't exactly unharmed, Kyoka's usual defence for this was "Demon Snow has a mind of its own, I can't control every little move it makes." Demon Snow would usually appear and laugh at her small remarks in defending her. Akutagawa was sure he saw something lifelike in the abilities laugh, but decided it best not to ask unneeded questions.

Just as the two individuals fell to the ground everyone heard a shot being fired. The hooded figure simply moved aside as the bullet fired through the air. Demon Snow sliced the bullet in half, the casing fell in opposite directions. But the substance inside gathered itself around her head, following her coughing and waving her hand in an attempt to disperse the cloud surrounding her.

Demon Snow began to glitch in a way before shattering to pieces right in front of Kyoka.

"Demon... Snow..." She muttered a fear laced in her voice, before the others could do anything else Akutagawa grasped the hooded figure's wrist while using Rashomon to choke Hanzawa. He only deprived him of enough air to pass out.

"Just me and you now hooded..." Akutagawa's world froze in the few seconds it took for the hood to fall. No second glance was needed, he knew who it was...