Chapter Text
“Recent.”
“Yes. Transport happened immediately after the body was found. It was only yesterday.”
“Do we know if the body was dead for a while before it was reported yesterday afternoon?”
“I believe that it was instant. That’s what the soldiers at Kannazuka said, either way.”
“And the body hasn’t been tampered with afterwards?”
Kujou Sara stops. “I believe not.”
“Assumptions, General. A detective’s enemy.” Heizou brushes his fingers against the robes of the murdered spy, laid out flat for his inspection. “Ink dries faster than blood, after all. But…”
One of the fingers he pulls away comes away stained black.
“The stains won’t come off - or even smudge, for that matter - without water.” Heizou muses. “I think it’s safe to say that the ink was spilled right before - or perhaps during - the crime.”
“They were writing, then?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” Heizou turns to the Commissioner, then, lurking quietly in the corner and watching him work. “Well, Commissioner? Anything to report?”
“...the last letter we’d received was three days ago.” Kamisato mutters. “They said that they had nothing to report.”
“Nothing, huh.” Heizou peers over and sees a blood-stained collar, which he peels back to reveal a wound, crusted over with blood and age. “A clean job. One quick swipe to the neck - although they didn’t go down with a fight. Cuts all over the body - most likely overpowered while trying to escape.”
“The ink?”
“Maybe a bottle carried with the spy while running - unlikely, though, because none of these wounds were caused by the splintering of a glass bottle. Perhaps more likely, they were interrupted while trying to report back.”
“Can you tell the specifics of the wound?”
“Caused by a blade. About two sun in length. Very quick - just deep enough to cut the artery. Definitely an assassination, then - targetted, and by someone very experienced in these matters. They were investigating the Takatsukasa clan?”
“Yes.”
“Found near any Takatsukasa bases?”
“Further from the ones that we’ve located so far.”
“Reasonably far, then.”
“But close to the Kujou Encampment.”
“Odd. Who found them?”
“Two habitants on the island. They set off the panic flare when they saw the body.”
“Wrong place, wrong time, then. Or maybe not.”
“Panic flare?” The Commissioner asks.
Heizou refuses to roll his eyes. He refuses. “The residents of Kannazuka all carry emergency flares that call the closest Tenryou patrol directly to their location. It’s a dangerous place, after all. The same thing happens at Yashiori.” He taps the map that Kujou has pulled up, on the red X that she marked for him. “We’ll have to visit this area. Maybe there’ll be more clues.”
Kujou frowns. “On your own, Shikanoin?”
Here’s a secret: Kujou, for all that she appears cold and strict, cares. She cares greatly for her soldiers, for any person placed under his charge. Heizou is right - Kannazuka is dangerous, overrun with ronin and perhaps, more recently called to their attention, the Fatui. It’s a landmine, sometimes literally.
The thought of Kujou Sara, caring for his well-being, is almost enough to make Heizou laugh in fondness and exasperation. He opts instead for a smile. “Well, I won’t be alone. Not if the esteemed Commissioner insists on accompanying me.”
“I will.” Kamisato says without hesitation.
That gives Heizou pause for a moment. He really is invested in this case, Heizou thinks, and for a second he wonders.
“Focus.” Kujou snaps.
Heizou pulls himself back to present. “Right. Then we’ll make our way there as soon as possible. It rains a lot there, you know. And rain washes away most of the clues that we could benefit from.”
“Then I’ll-”
“Stay here.” Heizou raises his hand before Kujou can go further. “The Tenryou Commission needs you here, anyway. We can manage fine on our own. Besides… something tells me that someone else is calling for your attention now, anyway.”
Kujou raises an eyebrow at him. Before she can reply, a knock on the door sounds.
“General?” A voice calls. “Two soldiers resigned this morning. We’re short of patrol-”
“Alright, I’m coming!” Kujou shouts, and the voice on the other side stops abruptly. She sighs. “It looks like you are, infuriatingly, right. Fine. Remember: be civil.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of being anything else.” Heizou says, a touch too sarcastically.
The Commissioner raises an eyebrow at him. Heizou, in his infinite patience and wisdom, elects to ignore him.
Kujou Sara looks between them for a few moments later, like she’s contemplating all of her life’s choices that have led her to this moment, before turning away. “Safe travels, Shikanoin. Kamisato.”
“To you too, Kujou.” The Commissioner returns, ever polite.
(Heizou hates it. Hates the thin veneer, the fake politeness that bleeds cruelty and bespeaks manipulation. Doesn’t he ever get tired of it?)
Heizou waves her away. “Go, do whatever General things you need to do. We’ll handle this.”
“I never doubted that.” Kujou huffs. “Good luck.”
“I won’t need it, but thank you!” Heizou calls out cheekily, maybe just to have the last word, as the door swings shut behind the Kujou warrior.
He turns back, and then it’s just the two of them - Commissioner and detective.
Kamisato looks at him. “Well?”
“ Well,” Heizou drawls, “just like I said - we depart for Kannazuka. Immediately. Unless there are objections?”
The air’s tension is thick enough that Heizou could probably shatter it with a Heartstopper strike, if he really wanted to. Brewing hatred, spite and anger, for some reason mutual, though Heizou himself can’t fathom why the Commissioner has any reason for hating him - it makes for quite the heavy atmosphere.
Not that Heizou has ever been fond of the heavy atmosphere in question. But he can’t help it, really.
The Commissioner draws himself up from where he was leaning against the wall - no longer a silent observer, no longer the puppeteer behind the scenes.
Heizou wonders, briefly, if this is the first time the manipulator has stepped out onto the stage like this.
“No objections to your expertise, detective.” Kamisato says, voice smooth like a serpent’s tongue. “No objections at all.”
Watching the detective work is an odd experience.
Ayato himself rarely keeps a profile of any particular Inazumans, but Shikanoin had long ago found himself on the list of the extraordinary individuals. He intrigued him, at first. It was fascinating to observe a free soul solve cold cases one by one, leaving no stone unturned and no question unanswered.
But then Ayato had observed the easy way Shikanoin slacked and did whatever he pleased - an impromptu trip to Watatsumi Island, of all places, among them - and slowly that curious feeling had grown into something far uglier.
Maybe it was resentment. Or at least partially due his freedom. Ayato was never afforded freedom, after all.
“We’re on a tight schedule, Shikanoin.” Ayato finds it fit to remind the Doushin as they walk through Inazuma City, drawing whispers as they go. “I’m a busy man.” The walk is a little too leisurely, in his opinion.
“Not for the next week, Commissioner.” Shikanoin almost-spits to him, low enough that only he can hear it, and Ayato is too practiced in his neutrality to bristle, but it’s close. “You knew that this was going to take time. I’m sure you’ve cleared out your schedule.”
“That does not mean I have the time to waste on trivialities and useless matters.” Ayato snaps back, just as quietly and out of the corner of his mouth. “You said it yourself - the longer we stay here, the more likely Kannazuka’s landscape changes beyond something we can use.”
“Using my own words against me, are we?” Shikanoin fires back, before sighing. “And this isn’t useless. It’s a normal rodeo for me, to walk around the city like this before leaving to chase something.” He stops at the groceries. “Aoi-san.”
“On official business, Shikanoin-san?” The merchant asks, though by the tone of her voice and the way she glances at Ayato it’s clear that she knows the answer. “I take that it’s the usual, then.”
“You know me well,” Shikanoin agrees. “One pack.”
“Not another for the Commissioner?”
“No need.”
Ayato raises an eyebrow.
Shikanoin rolls his eyes at him just as Aoi turns back to prepare whatever it is the detective just ordered. “I’m sure Kamisato will find it fit to have his own travel pack done at his estate.”
Ayato keeps his smile plastered firmly onto his face. “You know me well.”
Shikanoin mutters something under his breath.
Aoi chooses that moment to turn back with a customer smile etched onto her face. “What was that, Shikanoin-san?”
“Nothing.” The Doushin says for her benefit, producing a pouch of mora and paying her a generous amount. “I’ll be going, now. Remember the agreement.”
“Of course, of course.” Aoi says delightfully as she gathers up the mora. Ayato can’t blame her - it’s difficult to be a merchant in Inazuma, even for the well-known owner of Tsukumomono Groceries.
Shikanoin doesn’t say anything else as he slings the pack over his shoulder and continues on his way down. Ayato follows him.
And then, just… nothing.
Silence, except for the bustling of Inazuma streets around them. Idly, Ayato drinks in the sounds around him while they walk, mind simultaneously keeping an eye on the detective and running through scenarios in his head. It’s quiet between them.
Privately, Ayato thinks that if most of their company time was spent like this, it would be tolerable.
They make it far enough - to the tree that Thoma is always fond of visiting with newly knitted sweaters for the animals frequenting - when Shikanoin abruptly stops and turns on his heel. “Well? Are you outfitted for travel?”
“…no.” Ayato admits. He’d come with official clothing, traveling lightly, expecting to return to the estate at least once long before nightfall.
Shikanoin eyes him critically. “Well, that won’t do. As much as I would like to make use of the daylight, however…” he squints at the horizon, where the sun is close to dipping below the line and usher in the moon. “No matter. Take tonight to rest. Meet me at Konda village by sunrise, fully prepared and in less conspicuous clothes.”
“This seems like an awfully terrible use of our time, Shikanoin.”
“I know. I don’t like it either.” The Doushin, emboldened by the lack of witnesses around them, scowls at him. “But you’ll be worse than a burden if you walk into this not ready to go fast and ready for scuffles. Announcing ‘the Yashiro Commissioner is here!’ to all surrounding ronin and unsavories will only hinder our progress.”
“Then we could travel by nightfall.” Ayato points out, only slightly annoyed by the fact that Shikanoin raises some very good points and has thus far completely seen through all of his intentions.
“I am not doubting your ability to travel at night, Kamisato,” Shikanoin says slowly, “but I am doubting my sanity’s ability to survive if I had to deal with a high profile case alongside you with anything less than a full night’s rest.”
Ayato, also feeling more daring to express his displeasure out of the city, allows some of the venom he’s honed over the years to seep into his voice. “Such character, detective. It sounds awfully like an excuse to put this off.”
Shikanoin visibly wrestles with his expression before settling on cold neutrality. “Believe what you will, then. But you and I both know that the next few days will be long.”
“That much we can agree on.” Ayato huffs. “Very well. We set out at dawn.”
Shikanoin barely nods at him over his shoulder before stalking off, leaving Ayato behind.
Hm. He’ll have to send a couple of Shuumatsuban forward tonight, then.
Clearing the path ahead will make things easier, even if Ayato is still reluctant to let them leave Narukami for now.
As for Shikanoin…
Ayato stops that train of thought before it can lead him back to his resentment. Better not to think about that for now.
First, get back to Ayaka, Thoma, and the estate. Explain the situation to them - then worry about everything else.
(Family first, after all.)
Ayato tries his best not to rub his temples at the thought of the everything else in question. Shikanoin was right - it will be a very long next couple of days.