That was actually pretty relieving to hear--not that he'd ever thought Mike would leave him hanging like that, but Niikura knew he stood a greater chance of living if he went with someone else merely because he wouldn't be alone. All Akumetsu seemed to have this way of attracting death even when they didn't really want it at the moment, after all, and he didn't want to have to save Shiina only to emotionally destroy her.

"Right." He nodded. "It's obviously a ploy to get us to realize who's boss in these parts; I'm kinda glad it's us and not people who...can't really play this kind of game." People who would go unnamed but who again would be really easy to identify because Mike knew his priorities.

"So you're in? 'Cause the sooner we get started, the better, y'know."