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IT WAS EASY GETTING IN— there were no guards, no cameras, no anything. You and Odasaku speed through searching the building, and you eventually found the ones you were looking for in a large room, tied into chairs.
Odasaku said that Dazai's subordinates would arrive soon, but he wanted to investigate before they arrived. You agreed on his stance to this mission and went along with him. You had quickly searched room to room, memorizing your way back to the entrance for a quick escape.
"Odasaku? Y/n? You shouldn't be here!" Ango's voice echoes throughout the room. "Why did you come here?! This was the facility the enemy used as their hideout!" He began to scold, but you paid practically no attention to his scolding, as it seemed that a certain bluenette had snapped out of her little nap when the Port Mafia intelligence officer had began to shout.
"Ganyu!" You exclaim.
"Y/n!" She calls out as both you and Odasaku go and help them out of the ropes.
"I thought you might have needed some help. Y/n came to help as well."
"What happened to you? Why is Mimic after you?" You ask her, while she squirms around. "I'm going to guess you were investigating them and you got too close to the full truth."
You just know her face forms a frown as you finish talking when she speaks. "I'm sorry for causing this much trouble. I made a mistake while investigating and it led to me being exposed. I've failed everyone."
"Your exposure wasn't necessarily a failure." You tell her. "You happened to get involved with our investigation of our informant's disappearance. With your efforts, we have more information to understand Mimic more."
You realize how Ango and Odasaku were staring in your direction, the former sweatdropping. You look at Ganyu, who was close to dozing off again.
"Ganyu, keep it together for the love of Morax!" You scold her, slapping her arm lightly to wake her up.
What sounded like a frustrated sigh escapes from Ango's mouth as he spoke once more in a scolding-like tone. "I don't need help!"
"Really? Let us deduce one of the reasons that you're troubled right now. Mimic found out that you were a spy."
"That's.."
"Everyone in the Port Mafia believes you're a spy for Mimic," You tell Ango as he looks down at the floor. "But it's the opposite, isn't it? Like Ganyu here, you're a spy for your respective organizations. You're a Port Mafia spy that infiltrated Mimic."
"And the reason those guys were looking into your room with a sniper's scope was so that the Graugeist, hidden in your room, wouldn't be stolen." Odasaku explains his thoughts. "But why didn't they hurry up and shoot the boss of the Port Mafia? That's because you lied, and said you didn't know where the boss was. The reason you did that, as well as everything you did or didn't say, were all determined by the boss."
"Odasaku, Y/n. Please run." You and Odasaku raise your eyebrows at his sudden request. "I, of all people, messed up. There are timed bombs hidden throughout the building. They were planning to burn me — well.. us — to death for being the traitors that we are!"
"See? You were asking for help." Odasaku says, ignoring Ango's request for you both to run away. The burgundy-haired man takes out one of his guns to make the process faster, and shoots Ango's restraints, while you take your sharp jade spear which had appeared out of nowhere and cut your former apprentice's ropes.
Both spies fall to the floor, Odasaku taking Ango with his arm over his shoulder while you help the half qilin stand, while she reassures that her injured leg is fine and that she'll survive — the injury obtained from intense torture from Mimic members. Ganyu got it worse than Ango, which made you frown.
"Let's go, Ango. How much longer until the bombs go off?"
"I believe you'd be able to tell with your powers."
"Like my ability is that convenient."
"Let's hurry," You suggest, and Odasaku nods, beginning to run along with you while you take Ganyu's wrist.
Just as you were about to go down the stairs, Odasaku stops, and it seemed that his ability had done its job. Just a few moments after you four ran off in a different direction by Odasaku's lead, explosions went off in the stairwell you were just about to go down.
"What an incredible ability," Ganyu says as you run, while you nod in agreement. As the flames of the explosion begin to catch up, you find a window and Odasaku shouts just as you were approaching.
"We're going to jump!"
"Pardon?!"
As you rush ahead with a wisp of black and turquoise, you ram your foot into the glass surface, the material breaks. Your action allow a clear and safe passage through for the other three to jump through. The force of the explosion pushes you all forward, and it makes a painful landing on the ground.
"Are you okay?" You ask Ganyu, who looks up at you and smiles softly.
"I'll be okay. Thank you, Master Y/n."
"I've told you, Y/n is just fine."
"Oh.. right. Thank you, Y/n." You hold out a hand for her to take, and she takes it with a smile. You pull your former apprentice up from the ground, and you look over at Ango and Odasaku.
Ango pants, breathing heavily as the adrenaline of the situation slowly died down, sighing when Odasaku asks if he was alright. "I'm not cut out for all this adventure. But, you and Y/n saved my life."
"How much does our boss know?" Odasaku asks.
"Nearly everything," He replies. "The only one who knew about me infiltrating Mimic was the boss."
"So the reason the boss had me look for you was for insurance.." Odasaku concludes. "Because he knew that I'd search for you, even if I didn't know the truth."
Ango begins to stand up, stumbling as the flames of the building continue to rise into the night sky, the pinkish moon glowing behind the building. "I must report to him immediately. The head of Mimic is an extremely volatile man. He plans to crush the Port Mafia."
"What's the head's name?" You ask, approaching along with Ganyu, who was slightly struggling to understand what you all were saying. She wasn't that strong in foreign languages..
"His name is Gide. He has a very powerful ability. We mustn't fight him." He responds, turning toward you, Odasaku, and Ganyu. "Odasaku-san, especially you."
The burgundy-haired man looks up in surprise at the mention of him being advised not to fight him. You were also curious as to why Odasaku specifically was advised not to fight him.
"The gun that was in that lockbox, the Graugeist, is a sign. There is a special carving in the cocking piece, and that proves you are a member of Mimic."
"What the hell is Mimic, anyway?"
"They are remnants of those defeated in the war, that can only survive on the battlefield. They are still haunted by the war." He explains, as you shared a glance with Ganyu, who seemingly was confused because of the language difference. You knew deep down that you knew that feeling all too well, and that feeling is partly why Ganyu drowns herself in her work most of the time.
The bluenette half qilin visibly flinches at a sound, whipping her head over her shoulder, and at the same moment, Ango points behind Odasaku, looking on in curiosity. "What's that?"
Odasaku calmly looks behind him, as the sight of a bouncing ball going toward him lets his guard down for the moment he kneels down to pick the ball up. Big mistake on his part.
"Odasaku?" You call out to him as he freezes, before his hand begins to shake and he drops the ball onto the ground. A green substance appeared, coating his palm as he began to clutch it as he fell to the ground. "Odasaku!" You rush over to him, Ganyu close by your side.
A group of armed people dressed in black enters from the bushes that the ball had came from, and you look up in both shock and curiosity. Who were they and what was going on?
"Odasaku-san, Y/n. Everything I just told you about Mimic is the truth. It is not a lie. Thank you for saving me. Take care."
"Ango!.." You exclaim as he runs away from the three of you to join the group of people dressed in black. "What.."
"If it were possible, I would have loved to go drinking with you and Dazai-kun again at the usual place..." He pauses before adding a small "I'm sorry." and then running with the people dressed in black.
As much as you want to know what the hell was going on with Ango, your concern shifts over to the poisoned Odasaku, who was close to blacking out. "Odasaku.. Odasaku!" But instead of responding, he blacks out, making you clench your teeth in slight frustration.
"Ganyu," You say, and the bluenette turns to face you. "I'm going to the Port Mafia headquarters. Come with me."
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You open the door to your apartment, peering inside. "Come in," You whisper to Ganyu, who sweatdrops, gulping and stepping foot in, taking her shoes off while you do as well. "I'm back." You say out loud, and you see Dazai and Chuuya excitedly perk their heads up at the sound of your voice, only to practically have their hearts drop to their ass when they see the half qilin standing close behind you.
It was silent for a few moments, as the infamous but dumbfounded duo just looks between you and Ganyu.
"Who.. Who is she?" Dazai mutters in a dark tone, venom practically dripping from his voice, which made her edge closer towards you in slight fear, and you pat her shoulder, which only sparked a larger flame within the two.
"This is Ganyu. Be nice to her, as she is staying with me until the Mimic conflict is over."
Ganyu could see the menacing aura coming from the two of them, their eyes screaming 'THEY'RE LETTING HER STAY IN OUR HOUSE?? WITH THEM?!?!'
"We've discussed the rooming arrangements. You two are staying together in our room. She's staying with me in the spare room, as we only have one spare room and I need to keep an eye on her. I need to make sure she gets sleep." Your words were only gasoline to their flame, and this made them even more enraged.
"WHAT?!" The both of them scream, making Ganyu yelp and quickly speed through a string of apologies that she knew in Japanese.
"Hey, hey! No need to apologize.." You tell her, before turning back to the two with a colder glance. "You two! We have a guest here! Do not scream so loud, we'll get another noise complaint." You scold them. "Clean up the guest room and your own room. I need to help make her feel more at home while she's staying with us."
The two of them glare lightning at the bluenette momentarily before the ginger huffs while the brunette crosses his arms and they both walk away.
"I'm sorry about them." You tell her, and she sighs, telling you it's okay. "They're my work partners, they just need some time to open up."
"I see.."
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You had a lengthy conversation with your former apprentice before being interrupted by the clearly irritated Dazai and Chuuya, who both seemed to finally have something in common — not wanting Ganyu to room with you at all.
"Thanks for telling me all about this after I was sealed away.." You tell Ganyu, who nods. "I'm caught up.. The room is prepared. Go wash up, I'll ask for spare clothes from my female co-workers."
"Alright," She says, before going to the bathroom after getting directions from you. Once the door was locked, both Dazai and Chuuya's gazes turns over to you immediately. They immediately start to bombard you with questions.
"Who is she?!"
"What is she doing here?!"
"How could you let her stay with you?!"
"Did you find a girlfriend already?!"
"Is she your girlfriend?!"
"Enough!" You exclaim, silencing the two immediately. "You two were so rude to her! Ganyu is my former apprentice and now, a guest in our house. You are adults, so act like it." You say sharply, before teleporting away.
You had gotten more comfortable clothes from Kouyou, who understood the situation once you briefly explained you had a 'battle guest' over.
You slipped the clothes in from a crack under the door, and Ganyu had changed into them, more refreshed and comfortable.
"You go ahead," You say to her, who nods. "The spare bedroom is on the left at the end of the hall."
"Alright."
You sit at the table for a moment, thinking about what Ganyu had explained to you in the lengthy conversation you had while Dazai and Chuuya were cleaning.
"I'm part of an organization that is led by Rex Lapis." She explains. "It's called C. Lapis. We have a cover base with a funeral parlor here in Yokohama. Rex Lapis has taken on a human form and explained everything to his boss, who agreed to make the Yokohama branch their base on the term of her being second in command."
"I guessed as much.."
"I never thought I'd ever run into you here.. And working for the Port Mafia."
"The Port Mafia brought me back to the mortal world about two years ago." You explain. "I've become too attached, it seems. To those two mortal imbeciles I live with."
She chuckles at you before expressing her surprise. "That's very surprising, coming from you. They must be really special to you, then. From the many years I've trained under you, you were never ever the type to be attached to mortals."
"In truth.. there's two other reasons." She raises an eyebrow in curiosity. "The first one is that.. The brown haired one with bandages? He has obtained a sigil of permission, specifically tailored to me." Her eyes widen at this information. "I'm under a contract.. I have to protect him as long as he has possession of it."
"Oh.. I see... What's the second reason?"
"The ginger one... he is Arahabaki's vessel."
"Arahabaki?!" She exclaims, setting down her teacup onto the table, taking a moment to process before calming down slightly. "You.. see them in him, don't you?"
"Knowing that.. I just can't get away from him." You tell her, who furrows her eyebrows.
You let out a frustrated sigh as what she said after you told her that began to echo in your mind like a broken record. You run your hands through your hair frustratedly as it plays once more when you close your eyes.
"Rex Lapis and the others always told me about how much you loved them."
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- 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋 -