Chapter 174 : The Lioness's Den

The war room fell silent. Tatsumi stared at the photo on the screen, the photo of the hero named "Lionel." The strange, inexplicable warm feeling still lingered in his chest, an echo from another soul whispering of a long-lost familiarity and friendship. He didn't recognize the face, but his soul recognized something else.

"You know her, kid?" Hawks asked, noticing Tatsumi's unusual silence.

"No... I don't know," Tatsumi replied, his voice a little hoarse. "But I feel... I have to meet her."

Hawks smiled faintly, a smile that suggested everything was going according to his plan. "Good. Because she's our next step. Her name is Leone, though the world knows her as Lionel. She's an independent pro-hero who has made the Shinjuku district and its surroundings her territory. She doesn't play by the HPSC's rules, but she gets results, and more importantly, she has a network of informants in the underworld that no one, myself included, can penetrate."

He pointed to the map. "That PLF facility is in Aokigahara, right in her backyard. If anyone can get information about movement in and out of that forest, or about security personnel who might be hired from the underworld, it's her."

Hawks deactivated the screen and looked at Tatsumi seriously. "You're going to meet her. Alone. This isn't an official request for help. This is one 'hero' asking another 'hero' for help unofficially. I'll give you a datapad with sanitized information—enough to get her interested, but not enough to leak our sources. Your job is to convince her to join this operation."

"Where can I find her?" Tatsumi asked, his determination beginning to form.

"She doesn't have an agency," Hawks replied, sending an address to Tatsumi's phone. "But she has an 'office.' A small jazz bar in Kabukicho called 'The Lion's Den.' Go tonight. And try not to look so tense."

A few hours later, Tatsumi found himself standing in a sea of neon lights and human hustle in Kabukicho, Shinjuku. After weeks of isolation in the quiet villa, the noise and crowds of the entertainment district felt like a sensory assault. The smell of cigarette smoke, perfume, and street food mixed in the air. Music from various clubs and bars spilled onto the streets. This was a completely different world from the silent battlefields he was used to.

After wandering for a moment, he finally found the place. 'The Lion's Den' was a basement bar, its modest entrance flanked by more garish signs. The sound of soft, soulful jazz music flowed out, inviting him in.

Tatsumi descended the stairs and entered a dimly lit, smoky room. The atmosphere was intimate and authentic. A small stage in the corner was occupied by a trio of musicians playing a melancholic melody. A few patrons sat at small tables, while others filled the bar. Tatsumi, in his simple jacket and jeans, felt completely out of place.

His eyes scanned the bar, looking for the woman from the photo. And there she was. Sitting at the end of the bar, she was laughing uproariously at a bartender's joke, a large mug of beer clutched in her hand. Her long blonde hair seemed to shine in the dim light, and her eyes sparkled with life. She was even more vibrant and alive than her photo had suggested.

Nervously, Tatsumi walked up to her. "Excuse me..." he said, his voice nearly drowned out by the saxophone. "Are you the Pro Hero, Lionel?"

The woman stopped laughing and turned, looking Tatsumi up and down with a sharp yet amused gaze. A wide, slightly wild smile played on her lips.

"Depends on who's asking, kid," she replied, her voice husky and full of confidence. "You look way too tense to be in a place like this. Want a drink?"

As she spoke, the warm feeling Tatsumi had felt when seeing her photo returned with tenfold strength. Her voice, her laugh, the way she looked at him... it all felt so familiar, like coming home to a place he never knew he had. An instant, irrational sense of trust emerged, catching him slightly off guard.

"I... I don't drink," Tatsumi answered awkwardly. "I was sent by a 'mutual acquaintance.' Regarding a matter of potential mutual interest."

Hearing those words, the glint in Leone's eyes changed from playful to sharp. "Oh? 'Mutual interest'?" she repeated. "That's usually code for a very big problem." She chugged the rest of her beer. "Alright. Follow me."

She led him to a secluded booth in the back of the bar. After they sat down, Leone leaned forward, her smile gone. "So, who are you really, and what big problem have you brought to my bar?"

Tatsumi pushed the datapad Hawks had given him across the table. "My name is Tatsumi. And the problem is this."

Leone took the datapad and began to read. Her face remained relaxed, but her eyes moved quickly, absorbing every piece of information: the satellite images of the facility in Aokigahara, the report on the weapons shipment, and the suspected involvement of the PLF.

"The PLF is building a nest in my backyard?" she muttered, more to herself. "The nerve of those rats." She looked up at Tatsumi. "This intel... it's very detailed. Your 'mutual acquaintance' must be someone important."

"He's concerned about the threat the PLF poses," Tatsumi replied, sticking to his script.

Leone grinned again, this time her smile was more predatory. "And why did he send a serious schoolboy like you to see me?" She leaned over and playfully poked Tatsumi's cheek. "Wow, you really are tense, huh? Relax a little, or that vein in your forehead is gonna pop."

Tatsumi flinched slightly at the touch.

Leone laughed, then looked at him again, more carefully this time. "But there's something else about you... something powerful. Like a big, sleeping beast inside you." She narrowed her eyes. "I know! I'll call you 'Dragon Boy'."

Tatsumi could only stare at her, confused by the mix of familiar feelings and this woman's blunt manner.

After a moment of thought, Leone slapped the table hard, making Tatsumi jump slightly. "Alright, Dragon Boy, I'm in! I don't like PLF wolves dirtying my forest. Plus... this sounds like it's gonna be a lot of fun."

She held out her hand. "But there's a condition. As long as we're in my territory, we play by my rules. And you owe me a lot of drinks after this is over."

Tatsumi looked at her outstretched hand, then into Leone's sparkling eyes. He felt a powerful wave of trust. Without hesitation, he shook her hand. Her grip was firm and warm, and once again, that jolt of familiarity ran through him.

"Deal," Tatsumi said.

Leone let out a hearty laugh, her unrestrained joy filling the dim corner of the bar. She raised her empty beer mug as if in a toast.

"Welcome to the lion's den, Dragon Boy," she said with a wide grin. "Let's go hunting."

A new, powerful, vibrant, and completely unexpected ally had just joined their war.