The Deceptive Trap

Kaito moved swiftly through the deserted halls of Sakura Academy, Maria a silent shadow at his side, Yumi walking calmly between them. His eyes darted to every corner, ears straining for any sound beyond the faint cries and distant shouts echoing through the walls.

"Do you think this is a diversion?" Kaito murmured.

It had been a peaceful three months. His task, given by the Association, was to protect Yumi, the High Priestess. But from whom, exactly, he hadn't been told. There had been no apparent sign of danger, no whispers of threats, just the mundane rhythm of school life. Yet, for an entire academy to be suddenly held hostage—this couldn't be a coincidence.

'Perhaps during those three months,' Kaito mused to himself, the grim realization settling in, 'this unknown assailant had been gathering intel on us, letting us lower our guard before striking. If I were an assassin after a high-ranking member of a secret organization, that's precisely the strategy I would employ. Patience, observation, then a decisive, overwhelming strike when the target feels safest.' The thought made his skin crawl.

Maria's soft voice broke his internal monologue. "I'm not sure," she replied, her tone analytical, devoid of fear. "They look too amateurish to be a specially trained force." Her brow furrowed slightly. "I also detect no abnormal signs from them. They're just ordinary gunmen, well-armed as they might be."

Kaito nodded. "That's what I thought too." He weighed her assessment. "Yet, they were capable of taking the academy hostage. That level of coordination, the resources for this many armed individuals... it shows signs of serious backers. It's too big for a random group of petty criminals."

"Which means..." Kaito trailed off, his gaze hardening. "Maybe they intend to trap us here. We are surrounded by hundreds of witnesses. And with the police undoubtedly approaching, if we were to demonstrate our abilities openly..." He paused, picturing the news headlines, the inevitable fear and hysteria. "It would paint a massive target on us."

He clenched his jaw. "They could have individuals embedded in the Japanese government. Using the prior frenzy of the supernatural from London, they could easily manipulate the public, turn us into 'monsters'. They could hunt us down using the country's full resources as well as their own personal resources. It's a highly effective way to neutralize us without getting their own hands dirty."

Maria remained silent, acknowledging the grim truth in his words.

_______________________________________________________________

Yumi, walking between them, listened to Kaito and Maria's low-voiced exchange. Her eyes, typically calm and distant, held a flicker of genuine surprise.

'Someone coming after me?' she thought, a rare wave of confusion washing over her.

This entire "bodyguard" mission had been her own fabrication, a careful pretense to observe Kaito and Maria up close. She hadn't detected a single ripple of genuine threat targeting her. The notion that an actual, unlooked-for danger had manifested was, frankly, puzzling.

'Yet, their assessment sounds convincing,' she thought. 'Is there actually someone targeting me?'

_______________________________________________________________

Kaito, Maria, and Yumi descended into the school basement, the hushed sounds of their footsteps echoing in the dim concrete corridor. They weren't heading for a true safe house. Instead, they arrived at a heavily reinforced door, which Yumi opened with a keycard. Inside was a secure room she had meticulously built using her family's vast wealth and influence, primarily as a clandestine sanctuary to skip class and indulge in video games without interruption.

Yumi wasted no time, settling into the ergonomic chair in front of a bank of monitors. Multiple screens flickered to life, displaying perspectives from surveillance cameras strategically placed throughout the entire academy, offering a comprehensive overview of the unfolding crisis.

Kaito watched, his fists unconsciously tightening at his sides. He knew that he couldn't play the hero all the time, especially if it would snowball into something much bigger.

Yet, as he saw the terrified faces of the students, some of whom he now recognized as acquaintances, even friends, a familiar ache settled in his chest. He had always been a loner, be it in Japan or Britain, content with his own company. However, as a result of Durandal's blessing, or perhaps just his own subtle shift in attitude after the crucible of London, people seemed to gravitate towards him. It was nice to be popular, he admitted, even if it was a bit exhausting at times.

"What's the plan, Yumi?" Kaito asked, his eyes fixed on the screens. "Do we bunker down here, or find the enemy and neutralize them?"

Yumi's fingers flew across her custom keyboard, a rapid series of clicks accompanying her actions. A moment later, a text message appeared on a large monitor facing Kaito.

AluM7: "Let's wait and see. The police and the head of these gunmen are in active communication. The media is also covering this event. Whoever is after us, can't take drastic action either."

Maria gaze, however, was fixed on one of the screens. "The top left camera," she stated. "They are kidnapping someone."

"Oh, she's Akari Sato," Kaito said, a flicker of recognition of the olive hair girl. Akari was a quiet girl from a different class, always polite and modest, if a bit shy.

Maria shot him a sharp, almost disapproving glance. Kaito cleared his throat, retreating a bit.

Yumi, meanwhile, had already pulled up Akari's detailed information on another screen. It was an unnerving dossier, something right out of a visual novel dating sim: her blood type, age, height, even her three size and favorite meals were listed, along with a detailed description of her personality and family background.

AluM7: Her family owns the Sakura Group, a huge conglomerate that is in the midst of a merger with another big name in Japan, the Miyazaki Holdings.

"Are they kidnapping her for additional ransom?" Kaito hypothesized, his mind already shifting to the mundane motivations he was more familiar with.

"More likely a blackmail attempt," Maria corrected. "Leverage for the merger."

Time passed, marked by the rapid flicker of screens and the low hum of the servers. Yumi continued to type. Finally, another text appeared on the main screen along with various information about the two corporation.

AluM7: Miyazaki Holdings has connections with the police. They've bribed them a notable amount recently. I can't find any direct connection with the gunmen, however.

"So, the police are in on it too," Kaito mused aloud, a strange mix of disgust and grim relief washing over him. Even if the situation is this dire, they wouldn't harm or escalate the situation further if the police are complicit. It means it's a controlled operation, not true chaos.

"So, they'll look the other way regarding Akari Sato's kidnapping," Kaito continued, watching the footage of the struggling girl being dragged away. "Did Miyazaki Holdings do all this, orchestrate a whole school hostage crisis, just to kidnap a single person?" He paused, then his eyes narrowed. "Or perhaps, this is another diversion from 'them', leading us to a false line of thinking? We should be extra prepared just in case."