While Adam was resting after going through a great Ordeal, that pulled every bit of willpower he had in him, and succeeded only after swimming in a sea of pain that even numbed down his very soul, the world was moving as it always did. The gears were moving in their ever-staunch rhythm, not caring for anything or anyone.
In an abandoned building, a great meeting was about to take place.
Sitting on a chair that seemed clearly out of place in such a place, The Director was quietly reading the information that had been transferred to her notepad.
She was not particularly interested in this case, all things considered. But since she was a young director, the job fell on her lap.
She could have easily ditched this work as she was not really obligated to clean out LAPPD's mess but she had decided to use this case as an opportunity to impart some knowledge and experience to her student. After all, the girl was basically a shut-in who never left her house and only trained at home day in and day out.
"So, how are you finding LA so far?"
"The LAPPD is sloppy. They lack discipline and training. The supernatural creatures are wreaking havoc as they wish but no one seems to care at all about the situation."
"Haha. I meant to ask your impression about the more mundane things of the city but I guess it was too much to ask that of you."
"I am terribly sorry, teacher."
"*Sigh* You really remind me of the Lady from back then. I always felt like that girl had a stick shoved up her ass to keep her straight to the bitter end…"
"Teacher!!!"
"Heh… Well, even though I found her way of life to be extremely boring… The results spoke for themselves. So I guess I can't talk too much about it. She would be able to destroy me without a problem even if we were to fight now after all this time."
Makoto was surprised to see a smile on her teacher's face even as she admitted her inevitable defeat at the hands of Lady Mei.
Theresa Kaminari. She was a woman who had been adopted alongside her sister, Cecilia, into the Kaminari Family by the clan leader.
Makoto was not born at that time but she knew that this decision had caused a great uproar in the family back then.
In the end, though, the detractors were forced to stay silent as the two sisters showed their overwhelming superiority in talent and effort.
As proof, Theresa was now one of the youngest Hunters ever to be promoted to the position of Director and there were even talks about her becoming a bonafide Zodiac in the future.
Makoto knew that her teacher was a very bad loser who would do anything to win if it was possible and within her reach.
"I can see that you are surprised. Well, it's understandable. Wait patiently. When you meet her, you will understand yourself."
Theresa chuckled bitterly. In this world, there was always a sky above the sky and a higher, loftier mountain beyond a mountain.
Theresa had always thought that she was talented and even though her sister was more talented than her, it was not to such a big degree that she lost all hope to surpass her.
But Mei? That girl was simply a monster in the absolute sense of the word. The difference was so great that she could not even bring forth the slightest feeling of envy or jealousy for her. Only endless admiration was left to be felt by her competitors and onlookers.
The same happened to all those who faced Mei in a fight. They would always give up and drown in endless admiration of her abilities and talents.
Though they had been one exception – Her sister, Cecilia.
'I guess her stubbornness is the reason she surpassed me while I stagnated into what I am now.'
"By the way, teacher. Why did the Lady leave the family and vanish like that?"
"Hmmm. Beats me, to be honest. Geniuses have different ways of thinking. Perhaps she was just bored by the life in the clan and wanted to experience the mundane or something."
She enlarged the photo of a victim on her notepad and observed carefully around the neck but she could see no traces whatsoever.
"This is weird…"
"Teacher?"
"Hmm… It's nothing. Perhaps I am just thinking too much."
The criminal was suspected to be a newborn or a vampire who went crazy.
This was nothing particularly new but this case was simply too weird.
The criminal was just too meticulous.
Newborns who were abandoned would simply drink blood without really understanding everything that entailed. Only guided by their hunger, they would leave a trail of corpses behind them until they were exterminated or taught properly by the ones who turned them or the other vampires.
The same more or less went for the crazy vampires.
But this one here was very careful and meticulous. Never leaving any particular traces and even destroying the body as much as possible.
'Ugh…'
She felt like she was missing a piece. It felt like something big was preparing or perhaps she was just thinking too much.
Either way, 'Fun things are about to happen.' She idly thought in her head.
She moved to the next picture which showed the photo of a young boy in his 20s.
She only had his name and photo for now— Adam Gospel. The only survivor to ever come out of this case of serial murders.
She had been quite interested in the boy as she indeed confirmed that it was the same boy that walked past them a little earlier this afternoon but she was surprised to find that she could find basically no information about him in the LAPD database.
It was only after Kirishima told her that he had ties with the Triad and the Yakuza in this place that she understood what was really going on.
'The world is really such a small place.'
After all—
"I must say. You really have a weird taste."
Both Makoto and Theresa looked up as two women entered the abandoned Usine.
The first one was a boyish girl with short red hair wearing a black Tuxedo and a pair of black gloves. She looked like a professional butler. Uncanny but not really uncommon.
The second one was more a glamorous and enthralling woman. A beautiful woman with the air of a queen. She was clad in an intricate night blue short robe with a long slit on the sides that nearly reached her hips, showing off her beautiful and slim legs.
"Feng Huang Yui. How time flies. I remember when you were still a toddler, now look at you."
Yui smiled as she put a hand on her hips, "I am also happy to meet you, Director. I am sorry that I cannot remember you."
"Heh. Don't worry. Your mother brought you, when you were born, to the Kaminari family. I would be surprised if you could actually remember me."
She switched off the notepad and gave it to Makoto,
"Well, I don't want to waste any more time, though we are still lacking someone. Where is the representative of the Aldini family?"
"How would I know? I don't really have much business with the Vampire Mafia. You would have to call my brother for that."
Theresa nodded to her words, "I see. I guess I will have to pay them a visit soon. After this case is over I will officially take office for the next few years in California."
"I see. I was curious why the old director didn't come. So you replaced him, huh…"
"Nope. He died. Got assassinated by a Drow. At least it was painless it seems. I got sent here because of the new problem with that vampire and to find the reason why a Director got killed."
Even though she was talking about the death of a colleague, Theresa showed no particular feelings on her face which mirrored the state of her mind. In the first place Directors rarely met as they had specific districts to take care of.
Furthermore, she was from the Kaminari family. Many old Directors did not like her as they thought she only got her job thanks to her family.
Theresa had never bothered defending herself. She was as strong as any Director but she knew very well that she would not have her post without her family name.
She felt no shame over this reality though. Only morons or supremely talented people would try becoming self-made even though they could make use of their familial connections.
She was neither.
Yui meanwhile was quite surprised that someone actually dared to kill a bona fide Director. Even though they were criminals, there were lines that shouldn't be crossed if one didn't wish to have a big problem fall onto their head.
But since the one who did the deed was a Drow she knew that it would be hard finding the culprit. They were even better at stealth than the Yokai.
"Are the two cases connected?"
"Hmm… No. I do not think so. The Director in question was investigating a new drug. <<Fairy Dust>> or something. Haha, people are really ready to sniff anything."
Yui grunted, "I think I may have some information about that which would interest you."
"Oh? Really now…"
Theresa crossed her legs, showing a barely visible glimpse of what was beyond her skirt.
The smirk on her face grew deeper when she realized she made the right decision in convening that meeting.
"Very well. You caught my attention. But before that there is something I am pretty curious about."
Makoto switched on the notepad and showed them the picture on it.
"Do you know that boy? Adam Gospel, was it? I wish to meet him."
Yui and Nikola's eyes narrowed.
Things seemed to have become quite troublesome.
