Chapter 43: (35.1) Extra Chapter 4 – Regrets

“Unbelievable.” said a short purple haired girl before turning to an elevator.

This was the office of Director Light Haswell, and an intense conversation had taken place just moments earlier.

The doors to the elevator closed, leaving the stone faced Director standing behind his desk.

“… Ah, WHY???” His stone-like expression disappeared as he pleaded, giving way to wrinkles that were previously absent. He fell down on an articulated office chair and looked at the celling.

‘What the fuck did I just do!?’ Light thought. ‘Well, there goes my chance to nail her down! If my aim was making her rethink her interactions, then well done me! Also, what was I thinking? “Would be a shame if…” What am I? A criminal boss?’

“Argh!” angrily grunted the director.

He pressed a button on his desk, making a hidden panel on it slide away to reveal a tray that promptly rose flat with the table. On top of this tray were various alcoholic beverages in glass bottles that showed their exotic colors, from radioactive green to one that cycled through various shades of violet.

Yes, he was daylight drinking. It wasn’t something he would ever admit to, but that conversation had driven him over the edge.

The Director poured himself a shot of a drink labeled “Gates of Hell” and promptly drank it.

“Fuaaa! That hits the spot.” he remarked joyfully, slamming the empty shot cup back down on the tray.

After leaning back into his chair, he started strategizing. “Right, one thing at a time. First the Katayama family.”

He pulled out his tablet and started studying their history.

————

After half an hour of looking into family ties and information that was publicly available, he found something that he considered “Interesting.”

“Cyan rank at the NWDA? Now that’s something. Toya Katayama…. If I remember right, this guy was good… Why didn’t I call him to the Elites?” He opened the program for the NWDA database and found him.

[

Name: Toya Katayama (Katayama Toya traditional spelling)

Date of entry: 23MT

Rank: This student has graduated

Photo: Unavailable - No Longer Enroled

Age: Unavailable - No Longer Enroled

Status: Graduated (Date of graduation: 28MT | Rank at time: Cyan)

Notes: Student graduated with honors on the 12 of September in the year 28 of the MT era.

]

“Sparse.” The director commented before holding up a red ID card to his tablet.

[Expel student? Yes | No]

He pressed yes, and a different menu with a red background came up.

[

SURVAILANCE MENU

Name: Toya Katayama

Date of entry: 23MT

Rank: GRADUATED

DcDB Photo: Error {DATABASE ACCESS DENIED/NO LONGER ENROLED}

Last available photo:

DcDB Age: Error {DATABASE ACCESS DENIED/NO LONGER ENROLED}

Age: 30 (Based on age on graduation of 23)

Official Status: GRADUATED (DATE: 28MT | RANK: CYAN)

Current Status: UNKOWN.

Notes: Accidentally caused the death of tournament duelist “Thunder Strike” (cause determined to be his opponent’s own negligence / Malicious intent). Hasn’t been seen in public for five years.

Additional investigation is necessary.

]

The Director raised an eyebrow. “REALLY SPARSE. God, I was dumb back then.”

Rising tensions between the Union and Protectorate had made the Director more paranoid, a fact easily proved by the surge in stored information about the academy’s students. Unfortunately, this was a relatively recent development, so it wouldn’t help him with this previous student.

Deciding this was a dead end, the Director moved on to other information, though, not before requesting an investigation into the whereabouts of Toya Katayama.

————

Unfortunately for Light Haswell, information about the Katayama family was suspiciously lacking.

“‘Crime family’ huh?” - He recounted Yuumi’s earlier words - “I guess this makes sense then. Still, this is taking it to the extreme.”

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He was referring to the fact anyone who had something to say about Yuumi’s proper family had suspiciously disappeared or fallen into comas they still hadn’t waken up from. This was a data anomaly, but technically not traceable.

“This presents a problem…” He reasoned.

The old families of Dragoon City made their fortunes centuries ago and their coffers were so deep it wouldn’t be an exaggeration, saying they’re set for the next few centuries. But those aren’t the problem, the problem were the ones that span 1 or 2 generations. The takeover of the academies hurt their revenue sources as the new government wouldn’t let them get away with as much as when they were in power.

The crimes committed by these “New” influential families in Dragoon City were numerous. From buying out politicians to straight up drug running. There wasn’t a single clean one, at least that’s what Light believed. But they typically stuck to intimidation, strategical assassinations and a hefty chuck of corruption to keep the authorities looking away.

However, the Katayama family didn’t seem to have any reservation about removing every possible lose-end, which made them infinitely more dangerous.

He was about to grab another shot, but someone calling out interrupted him.

“Honey… This isn’t healthy…” said a soft female voice.

Light looked up from the desk and found his “Assistant.”

“I know, love, but I have to do it…” he argued with a sigh, turning his eyes back to the now table-sized tablet.

The woman frowned before moving behind the desk where her husband sat, hunched over.

“This girl again?” She asked sharply. “I thought you said she was an orphan. Why are you looking into this… Pretty savage crime family?”

Light sighed, putting down the bottle he was holding, and explained. “Eh, I was suspicious she wasn’t an orphan from the start. Come on, it would be pretty difficult for someone to miss penta-summoning. Today she came up to me and explained the situation herself. She was disappeared by her family, pretty steep, but compared to what happens to non-family members, I’m guessing she was lucky.”

This made the woman recoil. “Christ, talk about unlucky. Anyway, I’ve made us dinner. And I don’t want to eat it alone... again.” - she moved behind Light and wrapped her arms around his torso in a tight hug, then she whispered in his ear - “You are coming with me wether you want to or not.”

Light shivered. “Lydia…”

Lydia giggled. “Lighty…”

…

…

They exchanged giggles and teasing kisses. In the end, the Director gave in.

“Alright, I guess I can put this off for tomorrow.” He said, followed by a sigh as he stood up.

“Yay!” His wife couldn’t help but tackle him and give him a kiss.

After the show of affection between the married couple, they moved to a hidden elevator present at one corner of Light’s office. He took the security of his family seriously. The elevator moved with the pair inside, going down the tower at great speed.

They both looked out from the glass elevator to the island, a beautiful scene with the streetlights on the now sparse streets of the Island and the sun disappearing on the horizon.

“I’m glad I could convince you to change this to glass… If only for this view…” commented Lydia.

Light sighed at his wife’s reaction. After all, he was against weakening their own safety just for luxury, but in the end, they compromised. “If I can see that smile every day, then it was worth it.” He commented, much the flatterer.

Lydia blushed bright red. “Why do you always know what to say?”

Light shook his head. “I don’t…”

…

“By the way, I received a message from our daughter yesterday.” said Lydia, to break the silence.

This made Light perk up immediately. “What did she say?”

“Fufu, she’s excited to live with her father next year.”

“Right… Is she still—”

“Yes, she’s still mad at you… And honestly, I would’ve been too.”

Light looked down at the floor with a deep frown on his face. “I have been a terrible father, haven’t I?”

Lydia quickly moved in to comfort him. “‘Terrible?’ Hardly, but you have been absent in her life for the longest time. Sending her to a boarding school at 10 was harsh…” she trailed off, looking out into the sunset.

This made Light grimace. He hadn’t seen his daughter since she started middle school… An unfortunate consequence of his job. He had also tried to convince her not to follow dueling, but the only thing he had to show for it was a light red mark on his face delivered by his wife.

Suddenly Lydia remembered something else. “Oh right. Her school is doing an event for future careers. She wants to go to the dueling one. I’m going to give her permission. Are you ok with it?”

Light raised an eyebrow. “Where’s that?”

“She’ll be going to a dueling military base next to the bord—”

“NO!” he shouted, interrupting his wife mid sentence.

An eerie silence followed, Lydia’s face stuck in shock.

…

…

Lydia, still shaken by her husband’s reaction, asked. “H-honey? W-why?”

It only took Light a second to realise what he just did. “I-I’m so sorry, love.” he moved in and embraced her in a tight hug.

“Light, you have to tell me what’s going on.” His wife demanded in a detached tone.

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