“I never expected you to contact me. Well, I knew you were tailing us, though.”
Totoki guided Kamikura into the underground training room. It was slightly smaller than a judo dojo, but quite spacious for a basement in a regular home.
“So, what is your request? If it’s about the joint investigation into AW, I wasn’t just posturing. I genuinely want to cooperate and solve this case together.”
“Tetsuya. I’ve known for a long time how much you care about Himemiya.”
“What are you trying to say?”
And then, looking Totoki straight in the eyes, Kamikura said:
“Make Himemiya happy. And both of you… stay out of CODE:AW from now on.”
A momentary silence fell.
“…Are you saying this knowing my position? We are moving on AW at the request of the US. It’s not something I can stop on my own. You, of all people, should know that.”
“I’m telling you to take a different path. You could easily enter politics. When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you. You can still turn back now.”
At Kamikura’s words, Totoki took a wooden sword hanging on the wall.
“Don’t underestimate us, Kamikura. I don’t know what happened during your blank year. But listen to me. Neither Asami nor I… are as weak as you think.”
Kamikura also took a wooden sword from the wall.
“…Tetsuya. Do you really think you can beat me? That stance is rather interesting, but I don’t think you’re cut out for fieldwork.”
The two men faced each other, wooden swords raised. Totoki held his wooden sword diagonally behind him to the right. Kamikura held his straight in front, fixing his gaze on a single point like in kendo.
“Have you ever considered… how much Asami cares about you?! I figure there must be some reason you suddenly disappeared and cut off all contact. But are you really okay with this? Asami desperately chased after you, crawling her way from the NYPD to the FBI. Her feelings—have you truly thought about them?!”
Totoki raised his voice.
“To me, she’s just a burden. Her… and you too.”
Kamikura directed a cold gaze at Totoki.
“I see… I misjudged you, Kamikura. You’re just scared. You’re just a coward who’s afraid of losing something precious!”
The next moment, Totoki lunged at Kamikura. A slashing trajectory from the lower right to the upper left. Kamikura deflected it beautifully with his wooden sword. Then, raising his sword vertically, he counterattacked.
The sound of fierce clashing. Their wooden swords crossed, resulting in a deadlock.
“This finally helped me make up my mind! Don’t worry, I’ll take Asami! I’ve always hated that composure of yours! I’m thoroughly disappointed in you!”
Totoki pushed back fiercely with his wooden sword. In the brief moment they distanced themselves, he crouched down, spun for a split second, and used the centrifugal force to swing his wooden sword horizontally.
But Kamikura, as if he completely anticipated the move, dodged it with a jump, instantly closed the gap, and delivered a powerful flying kick to Totoki’s shoulder.
From the heavy impact, Totoki let out a cry of pain as his body was blown backward. The wooden sword he was gripping rolled away into the corner of the training room.
“…Your rotation is too slow. I’m not weak enough to be defeated by half-baked, superficial skills.”
Kamikura offered a hand to the fallen Totoki. But Totoki swatted his hand away.
“…I’ll take the sleeping Asami back to her hotel.”
Totoki said quietly, looking down and suppressing his pain.
“Tetsuya… I’m not the man I used to be. I can’t be with you guys anymore… This is my first and last warning.”
And as he walked away, Kamikura said:
“If you stick your nose in any further… consider your life forfeit.”