The Bounty Hunter
Chapter 94: So Close and Yet So Far

September 10th, 2089

Terra’s POV

“Hello, I’m Daiki Hayashi.  I’m your grandfather.”  A man with piercing black eyes and short, cropped brown hair spoke to me as he introduced himself.  My mother, normally a strong and confident woman, was radiating anxiety.  She put on an excellent front, but it was excruciatingly obvious to my senses that she was uncomfortable being here.  I too was uncomfortable, as I saw my grandfather’s eyes clearly assessing me.  How did I end up here on a random Wednesday?

I had woken up early in the morning, took a sadistic pleasure in rousing the girls for their early-morning training, and then tortured, ahem, trained them for the subsequent hour.  I took a shower, had breakfast, and then went to school with the gang.  I left Irene and Rin to continue fighting out their differences and to work on their teamwork.  There’s no point sending them out to fight Pandemonium yet if they are too busy fighting each other.

Class was uneventful, although during one of the breaks Veronica discovered what a “Santa’s Elf” was.  I’m not sure how that topic came up in September, but I digress.  Her reaction was priceless.  Kira couldn’t resist teasing her about it until lunch, where she finally pushed Veronica over the edge.  Hikari nearly busted a gut laughing at the aftermath, I had to devise a new charm to fix the damage, and Kira discovered what superglue is.  She was rather intrigued by the substance, which only made the clean-up more difficult.

After the amusing lunch, I was called out of class to see my mother in the principal’s office along with a black-suited chauffeur.  One car ride later and here we are, at the top of a high-rise in the heart of Tokyo.  Apparently, things have progressed between my mother and her family to the point of meeting face to face.  My father is gone on business (the health department has inexplicably been cracking down on the restaurants recently), so I suspect I am being brought along mainly as emotional support.

“Have a seat.”  My grandfather commanded as he placed himself behind his desk.  My mother and I were seated across from him, giving the impression of a business meeting rather than a family reunion.  “So Yuuna, I hear that you have been doing rather well at the law firm.  How do you like it there?”  my grandfather asked my mother.  “Ah, um, well, I enjoy my work very much!”  my mother replied rather awkwardly.  

I could see my grandfather resist the urge to sigh at the response, and he immediately got to the point.  “I thought that it would be best to commence some small talk first to lighten the mood, but that obviously won’t work.  I was wrong, Yuuna.”  My mother had a shocked expression on her face as she only managed to respond with an “Eh?”.  “I’ll say it again.  I was wrong to dismiss your potential simply because of your gender and perceived infertility.” “…EHHH!?!”

This time my grandfather did openly sigh at my mother’s reaction.  “I understand it is a rare occurrence for me to be wrong, let alone openly admit it, but do try and control yourself.  What were all those etiquette lessons for?”  His words snapped my mother out of her funk, and she blushed.  “Sorry Father, but it is all a bit too sudden.  I came over with Minato so he could meet his grandfather and so we could attempt talking face-to-face.  I had no plans about revisiting the past.”

My grandfather brushed that statement away “Nonsense.  To mend the rifts between us requires that we acknowledge the mistakes we made that led up to this point.  But for now, this should be enough.  I did not simply request the two of you over so I could humble myself.  I would also like to personally extend an invitation to the two of you and Mr. Cross to attend the Hayashi Group’s Gala for the Day of Peace in November.  “…EHHHHH!?!?”  I joined my grandfather this time in sighing at my mother’s reaction, although I certainly understand her surprise.  The Day of Peace is the global celebration that marks the final armistice of the 3rd World War (not counting the ensuing mayhem from the Cyber Plague).  Every country has it declared as a national holiday, and it is a widely celebrated one. 

The Hayashi Group hosts a party on the Day of Peace that has become known as “the place to be” for that day.  The elites in business, politics, fashion, entertainment, and sports all attend.  Everyone from the Prime Minister to the MVP of the Japanese Baseball League can be seen in the ballroom.  The guest list is exceedingly exclusive, and it has grown in popularity to the point where even foreign dignitaries have started attending.  An invitation to this event is worth the invitee’s weight in platinum.

The intercom on grandfather’s desk rang and his secretary’s voice rang out “Sir, your 3 o’clock is here.”  “I understand, send them up.”  My grandfather then returned his attention to us “I apologize, but work calls.  Yuuna, I’ll video chat you soon so we can continue talking.  Minato, it was a pleasure finally meeting you.”  With that we were dismissed, bringing to a close my first meeting with my grandfather.

Daiki Hayashi’s POV

I watched as my daughter and grandson left.  It was intriguing to see the calm poise that Minato exuded throughout the meeting.  He has an excellent grasp on his emotions.  He reminds me a bit of myself, dare I say that this is grandfatherly pride I am feeling right now?  It’s a shame his blood is tainted, but at least the Hayashi side appears dominant in him.

The door to my office opened as my 3 o’clock arrived.  He was dressed impeccably in a black suit with a red tie, sunglasses, and a black bowler hat.  The one mar in his outfit was a gaudy neon pink pin on his lapel with gold letters that read “Rin Yamamoto’s Number #1 Fan”.  He sat with a flourish, taking off his hat and glasses to reveal crimson eyes and hair that matched his tie perfectly.  The air suddenly seemed to gain a cutting chill to it.

“Hello, Mr. Hayashi.  I heard from some friends in low places that you are looking for a ‘cleaner’, so I’ve taken the liberty to come over.  I’m Dante.”  So, it looks like the 47 Ronin group has been taken over by Pandemonium.  He doesn’t seem to be here to kill me, but with unstable individuals it’s always an uncertainty as to their motives.  Nevertheless, I can use this.  I maintained my composure as I stared down the wildly infamous “Demon Lord” Dante.  “The head of Pandemonium himself comes to visit me, I must say I’m surprised.”  Dante lightly smiled, giving me the impression of a predator looking at prey.  “Well, chaos and mass murder isn’t cheap, so the group has been branching out into more unsavory enterprises other than good ol’ fashioned terrorism.”

His words confirmed my suspicions.  Any secret organization would require copious amounts of money to operate as successfully as they have.  “Since you are here, you must know what I am requesting, correct?”  I continued after Dante nodded “Very well.  Name your price.”  Dante put a finger to his chin and tilted his head as he thought.  It was… disconcerting seeing an adult male doing that gesture.

He came to a decision and then spoke “I don’t want your money, what I want is your reach.”  “Elaborate.”  “I’m in love.”  “…Pardon?”  “There’s this lovely girl that has caught my attention, but she’s proven rather adept at hiding.”  He pointed at his pin “It’s impressive, given how famous she was getting.  I can’t allocate the necessary resources to find her myself.”  “I see, so you wish instead to utilize the Hayashi Group’s reach here in Japan.”  “Yep.  I’ll take care of your problem in exchange for agreeing to help.  When you find her, I’ll throw in one more free contract.”  I paused to consider the proposition.

Pandemonium’s record of completely random attacks make them an excellent choice for my problems.  No one would suspect motive in a Pandemonium attack.  It’s perfect.  I can accelerate my plans even further with this and start more forcefully suppressing Yuuna and her husband’s livelihoods.  “I agree to your proposal.  Timing is everything with the first contract, I’ll contact you when I believe the moment is right.”  “Okey dokey!  Just use the usual number, everyone is working for me now anyways.”  Dante donned his hat and sunglasses once more as he turned to leave.  “Toooo~dles!”

And just like that, the Demon Lord left.  I released my breath which I hadn’t even realized I was holding in.  I then noticed the cold sweat I was in and that my heart rate was accelerated.  Although I intend to use this Dante for my own ends, I must remember to tread carefully.  He is clearly someone not to be antagonized.

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