chapter 20: The first strike
The day after their dramatic "fear show," Hotaru expected a bit of peace. Maybe enough to clean her disaster of a living room and reclaim her bed from kuro.
That didn't happen.
At exactly 4:00 AM, Tora's laptop screamed to life with an emergency alert.
Hotaru bolted upright, half-asleep, reaching for her katana like a reflex. Mira tumbled off the sofa, while Jin was already in the kitchen, frying onions in his sleep.
"ALERT. ALERT. ALERT," Tora's laptop blared in a robotic voice. "Kurogane operatives detected at safe house perimeter. Prepare for contact."
"What the hell?!" Hotaru screeched. "Tora! Explain!"
Tora, somehow already awake, adjusted his glasses. "They found us. Probably traced the signal from my hacking yesterday. Oops?"
"Oops?!" Mira panicked. "We're not ready for a full-on fight!"
Ryuuji emerged from the bathroom, shirtless, toothbrush in his mouth. "Relax, princess. We've got home-court advantage."
Hotaru's eye twitched. "What advantage? This place has cardboard walls!"
---
Bang!
The front door shuddered under a heavy knock. Silence fell over the room. Kuro hissed, tail puffing up like an angry brush.
Hotaru took a deep breath, stepped forward, and opened the door.
Standing outside were two kurogane goons in cheap black suits, one of them holding a crowbar, the other chewing gum like he didn't care about his dental health.
"Morning, sweetheart," Crowbar Guy grinned. "We're here to politely ask you to die quietly."
Hotaru's smile was pure venom. "Politely, huh?"
The door slammed shut.
---
Team Disaster vs. kurogane – round 1
"What do we do?" Mira whispered.
Hotaru cracked her knuckles. "We fight dirty."
Ryuuji's grin stretched wide. "My favorite kind of fight."
Jin handed Hotaru a frying pan, solemn like he was passing down a family heirloom. "Use it well."
---
Five minutes later
The door burst open—and the first Kurogane goon slipped immediately on a booby – trap floor soaked in soap dish.
As he crashed down, Tora unleashed a barrage of plastic bottle rockets from the balcony, each one screaming like a banshee.
The second goon swung his crowbar—only for Ryuuji to parry it with a mop, flicking soapy water directly into his eyes.
Jin appeared from the kitchen like a ghost, holding a flaming ladle. "Welcome to my domain," he said ominously.
---
The fight ends in 30 seconds
The two goons were knocked out cold, tied up with extension cords, and left in the hallway with a note that read:
"Next time, bring snacks." - Team Disaster
---
Aftermath
"That was way too easy," Hotaru frowned, wiping sweat from her brow.
Mira nodded, still shaking. "They were probably just scouts. Testing us."
"Which means," Tora added grimly, "the real attack is coming soon."
Hotaru's fingers tightened around the frying pan. "Let them come."
---
But that night...
As the others celebrated with instant ramen and victory dances, Hotaru slipped out to the balcony alone. The cold air bit her skin, but she didn't care. She stared at the faint scar on her palm—a memory from years ago. A reminder of why she couldn't lose.
She thought of her parents. Their voices were fading in her mind, but their warmth never left.
"We'll do this together," she whispered to the stars.
Behind her, Mira stepped out quietly. "You okay?"
Hotaru forced a smile. "Yeah. Just thinking."
Mira took her hand, squeezing gently. "We've got your back, you know?"
Hotaru felt a lump in her throat, but she swallowed it down. "I know."
---
Inside the house
Tora was building a DIY flame thrower from a hairdryer and cooking oil. Ryuuji was trying to flirt with the tied-up goons ("Hey, how do you keep your skin so clear? Prison soap?"). Jin had fallen asleep standing up, snoring peacefully.
Kuro sat on the table, judging everyone.
This was her team.
And Hotaru wouldn't trade them for anything.
---
End of Chapter 20
WARNING
This is the original version of the webnovel "Hotaru's assassin" by the author "Hanagaki Ryuka". Please don't copyright or upload it in your name
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O1cON4UEjsjFPMZxqNSY425-fdHW19779uAKscbDsy8/edit?usp=drivesdk