The usual; The city's alleyways.

Perhaps it was best to go with what worked for her in the past. She'd usually find something as she was walking around in the shadows of the city. Trouble and other conspiracies usually seem to find her this way too. It's been a long while since she's taken a walk like this too, and doing so was somewhat nostalgic, even if it's only been a year or so since the last incident. After a quick walk on the streets some distance away from Mikiya's apartment, she soon took a turn into an alleyway and began to delve deep into the neglected shadows of Mifune.

With the night sky over the city, the dim lights behind these buildings were all Shiki had to light up her path. Her boots echoed, the sound bouncing off the walls of the buildings all around her. Trash littered the cement ground beneath her, and occasionally she'd pass by vagrant or two, having made their home in a hastily-constructed home of garbage, or even using some of the dumpsters. Despite it has been quite a while, it seems the rumors of her have not gone away, as anyone who saw Shiki tended to look away, walk the other direction, or stop whatever they were doing, and get out of her way. She didn't mind it. It made it easier to walk at night, and have to avoid pointless fighting.

"Gnnh... damn it..!"

A guy stumbled in front of her, coming from an alley that led out to the streets. He seemed quite beaten and bruised up pretty bad, judging from how he was hunched over holding himself, along with his demeanor and pained voice. He also didn't seem to know how to watch himself, as he walked right into Shiki, bumping forward into the girl.

"Gah! Hey! Watch where you're going!"

"Not my fault. You should be watching too. Move aside." Shiki brushed past the guy, lightly shoving him to the side and walking ahead.

"D-damn it! You're just like any girl these days! Ignoring us guys and going for those foreign dudes!"

Shiki stopped mid-step, before her foot could make another step forward, twisting around and glaring at the man head-on. He must've felt the hostility, as she could feel the fear coming off him, as his throat moved, gulping, his feet instinctively moving back as Shiki slowly walked towards him.

"I'd like to know about those people.." Shiki asked coldly.

"My girlfriend ditched me for these guys. It only started off with her checking them out, but over time she just couldn't stop thinking about them. I guess her lust must've won out, cause she just let them smooch her. I tried to get them off, but they ended up making a mess out of me." The guy sighed, slumped over and rubbing the wounds. "I hate this. I keep hearing stories of guys losing their wives, daughters, and girlfriends, but I never thought it'd happen to me..."

"Mm." Shiki nodded. "Say... do you know anything going on that could be suspicious?"

"Suspicious? No.. There's not really anything too sneaky going on that I can think of.. I heard there were rumors of some girls being kidnapped and made into sex slaves and stuff, but I don't think that could really happen.."

"Mm. I see." Shiki patted him on the shoulder, as the guy looked up in surprise. "Thanks. I suppose it's not much, but I guess I can work off that. Bye."

"W-wait!" Shiki turned back, wondering what he had to say now, as the guy attempted to get up, although clutched his stomach immediately as the pain struck again. "You should see my friend, Tobo Sho. He lives at this address, his house is near a bent stop sign. He lost his daughter only a day ago, and she hasn't responded since. I think the worst may have happened, although he refuses to believe it, since she last said she was going with her friends."

"I see. I'll pay him a visit him. Thanks."

"Y...You're welcome. If you can... can you go beat up those guys who took my girlfriend? Those pricks deserve it!"