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The Big PTA - Episode 01: Kazuki the Reluctant Guardian

Act I

"Kazuki... Kazuki," the voice softly giggled and continued to gently nudge the lethargic lump resting in the middle of the king-sized bed.

The occupant groaned, shifting the sheets over his head, "Whaaaaat?"

The white-haired young woman's cheeks reddened as his eyes glared at her from the protective cocoon. "I'm sorry, Master. I know how much you hate being woken early, but you informed me yesterday that you desired to be aroused early for your job..."

"I see. Very well, give me five more minutes, Yayoi."

Yayoi cleared her throat and nudged the bed once more, "I'm sorry, sir, but you were quite insistent that I wake you at this time." Her tone instantly changed from authoritative to seductive as she added, "I could make waking worth your while... And quite 'arousing'."

Kazuki threw the navy blue sheets onto the floor, kicking off the bed quickly. "That will not be necessary, Ms. Schwael. I am quite awake."

Frowning, she replied softly, "Yes, Sir. I'll go get breakfast ready."

Kazuki stretched, draping his blue satin robe over his shoulders. As he approached the large bay window that overlooked the city, he spread the curtains and squinted as the noontime sunlight assailed him.

My name is Kazuki Yotsuga. I perform a much-needed job in this city of Ancients...

Fully garbed in his blue suit, Kazuki approached his small steel-blue sedan, pressing the alarm release that retracted the wheel and window coverings. Fumbling for his keys, he began patting his suit pockets over and over.

Finally, Yayoi poked her head out of the window, shouting, "Kazuki! You forgot these!" She threw the set of keys from the third story window to her master below, adding, "Have a pleasant transaction! Be careful!"

Without looking upward, Kazuki caught the keys with his left hand and tossed them into his right, unlocking the car door in a swift motion. He slid easily into the leather seats and flipped a switch on the dashboard. Instantly, the local police radio signal was played over the car's speakers.

"We have a four-nineteen in progress. Officers Bushnell and Kira, report to..."

Kazuki glanced up at the artifact city that hovered above him, tethered by steel cables and transport tubes so that it would not float away. As the sun peeked out from behind the floating city's round form, he pushed his blue-tinted sunglasses back up the bridge of his nose and returned his gaze toward the road.

Kodai City, the City of Ancients. For some, it's paradise. For others...

The street urchins swarmed around the obviously well to do individual in the light blue sedan, offering him any number of goods and services in exchange for any small amount of monetary gain. Frowning slightly, Kazuki attempted to ignore them as the light turned green and he continued on his way. As he looked back in the mirror, he frowned slightly. "Poor fellows..."

When surrounded by a world seemingly full of inequality, I'm reminded of a quote I once heard, 'There are only two things guaranteed in life: taxes and death'. No one is really certain who said these words so long ago, but if I could meet him, I would add one more item to this list: conflict.

Kazuki entered the gates of the private estate and as he did so, the scenery markedly changed. Flowers bloomed on either side of the driveway and a lush green landscape led up to a large mansion. It was a stark contrast to the dismal cityscape that lay just beyond the holographically projected blue sky.

Kazuki pulled parked his car in the roundabout located in front of the mansion. Straightening his blue suit, he tossed his keys to the approaching butler, motioning back towards his sedan. The butler merely nodded and proceeded to move the vehicle.

Another butler approached Kazuki and asked politely, "How may I help you, sir?"

"A request for my services was made and since half of the generous payment has already cleared my account, I have arrived to render service."

In times of conflict, some find it necessary to hire an intermediary; a non-partial arbitrator, if you will...

"My name is Kazuki Yotsuga. I'm a Negotiator."

"Finally! You're here," the overweight man pushed past the butler and approached Kazuki, causing him to back up nervously. "We've been waiting over an hour for you! 'Greatest Negotiator in Kodai' indeed!"

Kazuki bowed his head, "I apologize for the delay. The streets were more... crowded than normal, Mr.?"

The portly fellow snorted before responding, "Ah, I would have assumed that you knew my name. Obviously your information is not as vast as we were told. My name is Mr. Lucas."

"On the contrary, Mr. Lucas. I was quite aware of your name. Negotiations are a formal subject to be handled delicately, however. Much like introductions, wouldn't you agree, Mr. Lucas," Kazuki lowered his head, allowing his eyes to be seen above his blue-tinted sunglasses.

Mr. Lucas began to shudder as his face reddened with anger. Before he could respond, Kazuki held up his hand. "Lectures on manners are not a part of my services, therefore I must ask: Why did you summon me?"

Straightening his tie, Mr. Lucas motioned towards the room at the end of the corridor. Its door was already cracked open and light seeped out into the poorly lit hall. "Follow me, Mr. Negotiator."

The two men proceeded towards their destination, passing many closed doors as they did so. Kazuki glanced from left to right, attempting to ascertain the contents of each room as they passed. One of the doors was slightly ajar and as Kazuki walked by, he thought he saw a woman sitting in the dark. Coming to a complete halt, he eyed the shadow carefully.

"Mr. Negotiator! This way!"

Nodding, Kazuki bowed his head toward the shadow before continuing. Suddenly, he thought he saw a shimmering light from within the same room. Snapping his head back towards its entrance, he scanned the area but saw nothing. Shrugging, he followed Mr. Lucas into the adjacent room.

Kazuki, having removed his sunglasses during their walk down the corridor, squinted as his eyes adjusted to the change in light levels. When he opened his eyes, he saw what appeared to be a large study. Aged volumes lined the shelves of the large room on both the first and second floors. An ornate chandelier hung from the ceiling, its crystalline light creating strange multi-colored patterns around the room. Smaller lamps were placed in the center of the room to draw attention toward the large model before them. As he approached, he recognized it as a model of Lower Kodai City, complete with Mr. Lucas' dome.

"As you can see, this is a scale model of our lovely city," Mr. Lucas waived his hand over the township, fumbling for the laser pointer with his free hand. Finally grasping it between his stubby little fingers, he turned it on and aimed it towards his dome, "This is my current residence. Modest at best, I assure you. I was strolling through my garden the other day when I realized that my estate was a little lacking." Mr. Lucas pressed a button on the table that held the model. Slowly, a larger dome rose from the model's surface, covering some of the slum buildings that surrounded his current dome.

Kazuki instantly realized the problem. "You're wanting to expand your dome, but the 'little folk' are standing in your way and now you want me to convince them to see the light. Am I correct?"

Mr. Lucas nodded. "It is as you say, Mr. Negotiator. Will you take the job?"

Kazuki sighed, slumping down into one of the nearby seats. This was the part he hated the most about his job: Convincing those who had a right to their little piece of this city to give it up. However, he knew that if he did not take the case, more forceful means would be acquired to solve the problem. He rose from the chair, closed his eyes, and nodded his head. "I'll do it."

Mr. Lucas' demeanor brightened slightly. "Good! I'll have all the pertinent information forwarded to your home immediately!" He brought his hand up to shake with Kazuki, "I hope that this will be a fruitful and pros--," the man's insincere comment was interrupted by gunfire. The ground beneath them seemed to shake as the fighting outside continued.

A butler quickly entered the room, his face pale. "S-s-sir! A giant robot has appeared outside the mansion! It's heading this way!"

"What? What the hell are they doing here?"

Kazuki turned towards his client. "They?"

Mr. Lucas shook his head, "It doesn't matter! We have to get out of here! Now!"

Kazuki nodded and began running for the door that they had entered through, Mr. Lucas directly behind him. As they exited the study, a large blast shook the house, causing debris to fall upon Kazuki and Mr. Lucas. A large beam fell on Mr. Lucas, pinning him to the floor.

"It appears they'll go to any length to stop my expansion," Mr. Lucas coughed, a small amount of blood spattering out of his paling lips.

"Hold on! I'll get you some help, just hang on!"

Mr. Lucas' eyes focused in on something just over Kazuki's shoulder. They widened in disbelief as he stuttered, "S-s-sh-she never moved for anyone... I wonder... Why now?"

Kazuki turned his head slowly, keeping his eyes on Mr. Lucas until the last moment. Turning his gaze towards what stood behind him, he quickly sprang to his feet and took a defensive posture. "Who are you?"

The slim young woman's right eye gazed blankly at Kazuki, her green hair covering the left. Her head tilted in a curious fashion, analyzing the new arrival carefully.

"I'll say this again: Who the hel--," Kazuki was interrupted by the woman's movement. She tilted her head in the opposite direction from before, her hair sliding from the position that had covered her left eye. A large open hole with a strange light emanating from it stared back at Kazuki. A shocked expression crossed his face and he took a step back. "What are you?"

"A-Android," Mr. Lucas sputtered, coughing up more blood now than before. "Until this moment, s-she would not move. W-w-we assumed she was damaged. Apparently we were mistaken," Mr. Lucas chuckled softly, his life beginning to ebb away. "S-s-she's yours, Mr. Negotiator. Consider her payment... For my next job: Find... my," Mr. Lucas groaned. His last words inaudible, but their meaning were clear.

Kazuki bowed his head momentarily, making a cross-sign across his chest, "I accept your job, Mr. Lucas." Raising his head from his chest, Kazuki looked at his new assignment. "We have to get out of here! I don't suppose you know of a safe exit, do you?"

"D," the android replied in a cold, monotonous voice.

" 'D'? 'D' what?"

"My name is D. Pleased to meet you," the android curtsied before Kazuki, spreading her skirt slightly.

Kazuki rolled his eyes, "Great! I'm about to die and I'm stuck with a polite android!"

D tilted her head again at Kazuki, replying, " 'Negotiations are a formal subject to be handled delicately, however. Much like introductions, wouldn't you agree, Mr. Lucas?' "

Kazuki rolled his eyes again, "Oh brother!" Sighing, he held his watch up to his lips and stated, "I guess it's up to me to get us out of this mess! Zinv, it's show time!"

The ground beneath the remaining two ambushed parties shook violently as an unknown object forced its way to the surface. D and Kazuki jumped onto the outstretched hand that arose from the floor as the building separated around them. Within seconds, the towering form of a white robot stood in the remains of the mansion.

The artificial sunlight beamed off of the white robot's visage. A single pony-tail-like strand of what appeared to be hair stretched from the top of its head toward the ground. Its golden chest plate remained open, allowing Kazuki and D to hop inside and escape the chaos surrounding them. A red crystal flashed briefly, signifying the closing of the chest plate and activation of the robot's main systems.

Inside, Kazuki began running his fingers over the various buttons and consoles. D moved behind him, watching his every move carefully. The large view screen before them flashed briefly, then text scrolled across it stating, "Do your best, Kazuki-kun! Kisses! - Yayoi."

D tilted her head slightly, "Kisses?"

Rolling his eyes, Kazuki placed his hands on the orbs at either end of the pilot's armrests that had descended from behind his seat. As the words faded from the screen, an exterior image of the surroundings appeared, including a large snake-like robot. "So, that's what's causing all the ruckus. We'll have to teach him some manners, won't we? Zinv, let's go!"

Zinv lifted its legs over the rubble of what was once a gorgeous mansion. Shaking off the remains of a balcony, it approached the attacking robot cautiously. The snake, sensing Zinv's approach, coiled and eyed its new opponent, hissing softly as the steam that obviously powered it poured from its open mouth.

Instantly, the snake sprang towards Zinv. Kazuki flinched, then instinctively brought Zinv's hands up to punch away the snake's head. It flew backwards, slamming into the side of the dome, but quickly recovered. It's body slithered across the ground, destroying the small trees and beautiful flowers that had once lined the driveway to the mansion and causing dirt to fly into the air.

The snake reared back momentarily as Zinv wound up for another punch, then lunged towards the robot and its crew. It wrapped its body around Zinv, slowly constricting its prey. The snake's large mouth opened, steam pouring from its metallic lips. It lowered its head toward Zinv, the Megacore's head and upper-torso entering the snake's mouth. It bit down swiftly, attempting to sink its teeth into Zinv's skin.

Two of its teeth broke off, falling to the ground below. Hissing, the robot tightened its grip and began pouring more steam from its mouth.

Inside, Kazuki wiped the sweat from his forehead as he pondered his next move. Zinv's internal temperature was rising rapidly, but Kazuki knew the robot could survive in temperatures that would far exceed those that this villain was capable of producing. The problem was that Kazuki most likely would not survive the same experience. Pressing his hands against the orbs in his armrests, Kazuki tried vainly to get the robot's arms to move.

D raised her head from the perpetual tilt it seemed to be in and muttered softly, "Father..."

Kazuki glanced over at his passenger, having forgotten momentarily that she was even there. "Yes, it killed your father. And if we don't come up with something, it'll kill us too!"

"F-Father," D stood up off of the cockpit floor she had been sitting on and raised her hand toward the metallic tongue that occupied the view screen.

Suddenly, the snake's grip loosened. Zinv dropped to the ground as it uncoiled around it. The snake brought one eye up to the cockpit, eyeing it carefully. In response, a bright light emanated from D's left eye socket.

"Go. Now," D's monotonous voice almost commanded the robot.

As if it understood, the snake turned and began slithering towards the hole it had created in the dome wall to enter the compound to begin with. Kazuki stared in amazement at the android before him. What type of machine had the coot given him?

Shaking the momentary confusion from his mind, Kazuki placed his hands back on the control orbs. "You're not getting away that easily... Zinv," as Kazuki shouted, Zinv's arms stretched out from its sides.

"Gravity..."

Zinv's left hand grabbed its right wrist. Its right hand fully opened as a large gathering of energy formed at its fingertips.

"SHELL!"

The large energy mass coalesced into a large black ball of energy which was then released from Zinv's right hand. The blast traveled at a blinding speed toward the escaping robot. However, the robot slammed its head into the ground and quickly burrowed beneath the surface, leaving a large track of up heaved dirt and pavement in its wake. The blast struck a portion of the dome, absorbing a large chunk of the glass and metal fragments in a circular pattern.

"Damn it!" Kazuki slammed his fist onto his armrest as he stared at the trail. "We're going to have to go after him! Zinv..."

Kazuki was interrupted by the sound of sirens in the distance. Looking at the dome around them, he began to realize the problems that would arise from all the destruction and a single suspect in the vicinity of said destruction. Letting go of the client for now, he opened the cockpit door and lowered Zinv's body.

As he got out of the pilot's seat, he approached D. Her left eye socket had returned to normal, or as normal as could be expected for such a strange android. Its right eye stared expressionlessly at the track left behind by their foe.

"D, we need to get out now."

The android continued to stare blankly.

Sighing, Kazuki placed his hand on her back and, after considerable effort, pushed her out of the cockpit and onto the ground below. She stumbled briefly before falling into a puddle from the nearby-severed water pipes. Kazuki jumped from his perch as Zinv slammed his foot onto the ground and began sinking beneath the surface from whence he had arrived. Kazuki landed perfectly beside the puddle D currently occupied, not a single speck of dust upon him. D, clumps of mud all in her hair and over her face, looked up at Kazuki and offered him her hand so that he could help her up.

"As if I'm going to do that! Do you have any idea how much this suit costs to dry clean?"

D's cool eye stared at him for a moment before she launched her body with surprising speed out of the puddle and onto the firm ground. "You're a sleaze-ball, Kazuki Yotsuga."

Kazuki smirked, "That's not very lady-like of you, Ms. Lucas."

Their conversation was interrupted by the wail of the approaching police sirens. Numerous armored vehicles spread out across the remains of the formerly domed landscape and armed men began pouring out of all sides.

As Kazuki watched the fiasco, he muttered to himself, "Please don't let her be here, please don't let her be here..."

The sharp voice penetrated his mantra from behind, "I should have known you were here. What happened this time, Kazuki? Did a client get behind in their payments?"

Kazuki removed his sunglasses from his suit coat. He slid the blued-steel frames over his face casually, allowing his eyes to adjust to the blue-filtered light before turning to face his accuser. "Come now, Major Sanada, you know my clients always pay in advance."

The woman that stood before him smirked. "Yes, of course. All of your clients pay in advance... Except for your lady friends. They pay during and afterwards. Isn't that right, Kazuki," as she asked this, Mitsuki Sanada stared at Kazuki's companion whom was still covered in mud.

Noticing the subject of the Major's question, Kazuki responded calmly, "Now, now, Major Sanada, you know that bringing up old wounds that you're still bitter about isn't good for your health. We wouldn't want that lovely face of yours to wrinkle, would we?"

The Major's fiery eyes focused in on Kazuki like two laser beams. A low growl could be heard building up from her mouth.

"Besides Major, this is not a lady friend of mine, or even a lady at all. Its name is D Lucas. Until recently, it was the 'daughter' of my client, Mr. Lucas. His passing wish was that I take care of it. It is nothing more than a client, I assure you."

D, who had been watching Major Sanada closely, curtseyed toward her and stated blandly, "Pleased to meet you."

Mitsuki eyed the android up and down, muttering, "A fine job you did, too." Suddenly, Kazuki's words connected to her thoughts and she spun back towards him, "You mean he's dead?"

Kazuki nodded solemnly.

The Major snarled, "Ugh! Why is it everything you touch falls to ash?"

Kazuki shrugged. "I didn't cause any of the problems to which you are referring. Not between us and certainly," he waived his hands at the surrounding environment to make his point, "not this. Unless you're suggesting, good Major, that I somehow brought a large robot into this dome and ripped the place apart. That would be preposterous, to be certain."

The Major lowered her head, "Yes, it would be... You can't even operate a simple paper-shredder. Who or what did this, then?"

Kazuki shrugged again as he twisted his watch face. "Hell if I know. All we saw was a large snake-like robot. It came, it smashed, and it fled when it heard the sirens in the distance. Perhaps following that large trail might answer your question more properly," Kazuki motioned to the track the snake had left behind as his car pulled up next to him and D. "As for me, dinner is waiting."

"Wait! I'm not done talking to you, Yotsuga! Get back here!" Mitsuki began to chase after Kazuki as he and D climbed into the car.

"Sorry, Major! I have to run! You know how Yayoi can be!" Kazuki waived as he shut the door behind himself and locked it. As he put on his seat belt, he shifted the car into drive and glanced over at his muddy passenger.

"Hmm... I probably should have made you walk. Yayoi is not going to enjoy cleaning that."

"You're still a sleaze-ball, Kazuki Yotsuga."

Kazuki laughed as he swerved around the large craters that obstructed his path out of the dome. He pressed a button on his console and a small monitor on the dashboard lit up, with Yayoi's expectant face plastered dead center.

"Where have you been, Kazuki? I've been worried-sick about you!"

Kazuki rolled his eyes, ignoring her questioning, and stated, "I'll be home soon. Is dinner ready?"

Yayoi nodded. "Yes sir! It shall be on the table and awaiting your arrival!"

"Good. Oh! And Yayoi, please acquire some feminine clothes. We're going to have a guest staying for a while and she's going to require a change of clothing. I'd guess a size," Kazuki eyed D momentarily, running his eyes up and down its body as he judged its measurements. "Incredible workmanship..."

Yayoi's face grew redder as his eyes traversed his unseen occupant's body. "Kazuki! How could you?"

Shaking his head, Kazuki looked back at Yayoi's image. "Well, it's not a very large size, I'll say that. Just have it all ready by the time I get home. You know what color to get. Kazuki out," he terminated the call before Yayoi could argue with him any further.

Kazuki looked back at D again, pondering the question of the moment. "So what size do you wear, D?"

D kept its eye on the road ahead without glancing back at Kazuki. Its cold voice simply responded, "Sleaze-ball."

**

Kazuki swirled the soup in the bowl before him with his spoon, watching the waves it created in its passing. He hated losing to that clearly inferior machine and also having to deal with that woman he once called lover.

"Kazuki-kun, I forgot to mention," Yayoi, who had been hovering behind him since he had returned home, interrupted his train of thought, "That Major Sanada you were so fond of called while you were out; six times, to be exact. I see she's up to her old ways..." Yayoi had never been fond of the Major. Kazuki suspected most of this stemmed from female rivalry, but at times he shared the sentiment.

Kazuki sighed and changed the subject, "How are repairs coming on Zinv?" He finally scooped up a portion of the liquid and brought it to his lips.

"Oh, that's not a good subject... It's going to take at least a week to repair the damages."

Kazuki promptly spat the soup he had just consumed back out over the table. "What? A week? No good!"

"But it will take at least that long in order to repair the damaged internal components, not to mention the armor!"

"No, no, no! You have two days to get Zinv back in working order!"

"But Kazuki-kun..."

"Yayoi!"

Yayoi turned away from Kazuki, placing her apron on the nearby hook. As she stormed off, she muttered, "I don't see why I have to do all the work while that thing just sits there and stares blankly..."

Kazuki raised an eyebrow and glanced across the long dinner table towards his guest. D sat in a new navy blue dress that fit it surprisingly well. Yayoi had probably picked it because she thought it would be so small that their guest would be forced to admit that they were too big to fit in such a sleek outfit. D unknowingly had defeated its first opponent. Kazuki chuckled at this thought as he spooned another portion of his soup into his mouth.

D cocked its head slightly. "What is so amusing?"

Kazuki held his hands up in the air, shaking his head back and forth. "Not a thing, my dear Ms. Lucas."

D's head returned to its normal angle as it brought its teacup up to its lips gently. Once it had placed it back down, it replied, "Who is this 'Ms. Lucas'?"

Kazuki's eyebrow rose yet again as he spooned another portion of his soup. "Why, it's you of course. Mr. Lucas was, after all, your father."

"Not at all," D's monotonous voice contradicted the statement. "Lucas was not my creator."

"Oh? Then who was?"

D remained silent, staring coldly at the occupant of the other side of the table. The silence continued until a loud crash from down the hall followed by Yayoi's inaudible curses pierced the tense atmosphere.

Kazuki sighed, continuing to eat his soup. D, having apparently finished its imaginary tea, rose from the table and walked out of the dining room. Always the inquisitive mind, Kazuki quickly finished his soup and got up from the table as well.

He poked his head around the corner and spotted D as it was entering the large bay area that held Zinv. Wincing, Kazuki anticipated the battle that was about to ensue. He listened carefully to the voices down the hall.

"What are you doing here?"

D's soft voice replied, "You are doing that wrong."

"Oh? And I suppose you have a better way, Ms. Guest?"

D jumped up onto the platform Yayoi was currently occupying, causing it to shake slightly under the increased weight. Slowly at first, it began replacing the wiring that had been severed during Zinv's last fight. Its pace gradually increased until finally D was moving at a blinding speed, ripping out old cables and replacing them with new ones at a rate much faster than humanly possible.

Yayoi's mouth dropped along with Kazuki's, which had snuck up to the door and was watching from a distance. Once completed, D dropped its arms back to its sides, turned toward Yayoi, lifted its head up so that it could look into her eyes, and stated, "See?"

Recovering her composure, Yayoi picked up her toolbox and replied, "There may be a use for you after all. You've just volunteered to help me."

D merely stared at the strange servant as she lowered the platform. Kazuki retreated to his study, chuckling as he pondered whether or not the android knew what it had gotten into.

**

Major Sanada stepped out of the police vehicle as it stopped in front of the transport tube. Quickly climbing inside, she sat in one of the far corner seats. She preferred being in a position such as this so that she could observe all passengers without fear of being attacked from behind.

As the passengers filed in, she noted the items they were carrying. A little girl clung with one hand to her doll as she clutched to her mother with the free one. A businessman pushed his glasses back into place before checking his watch. Once he had located a seat, Mitsuki noticed he was sweating profusely. He opened his briefcase as she stared intently, expecting a bomb.

The man shuffled through the various papers until he had found what he was looking for. Mitsuki sat back in her seat. Sometimes it was a pain being a police officer.

The lift shook momentarily before it began its ascent into Upper Kodai. The cityscape slowly melted away from view, giving way to the gray-infested sky. As they rose, the child pressed her doll against the window along with her face, a gleeful smile across her face.

Mitsuki wondered if her job would ever slow down enough for her to have a child of her own. If it did and the child was a boy, she'd make certain that it turned out nothing like that no-good Kazuki Yotsuga.

The windows darkened quickly as the transport entered Upper Kodai. The large vessel's mechanical systems briefly came into view before giving way into the utopia-like vista of the ancient technology.

The occupants of the city carried on about their business, ignoring the presence of yet another transport. It quickly passed them, their living quarters, the open places of business, the offices, and other assorted passageways and structures on its way to the top level. Another view of internal mechanics and a decrease in light signaled that the lift was approaching the surface.

The bright sunlight flooded into the lift and the countenance of all but one aboard brightened. As it slowed to a halt at the station, everyone's eyes were fixated on the view outside. Rare was the view they were currently seeing. Blue sky surrounded them, with few clouds in view above. Below, the gray mess that they had left behind was a mere afterthought.

After the other occupants had gotten out of their seats and gone about their business, Major Sanada stood up and collected her paperwork. Whereas once Mitsuki would have enjoyed a trip such as this, she now hated these weekly trips into the heavens because of the reports she had to give to her superiors.

As the doors closed behind her, Major Sanada hoped that Ayuko, the ruler of Upper Kodai and thus also the head of law enforcement, would not be in attendance. Nothing ruined her day more than a visit with her...

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