2:21
There was a crashing sound behind Natsumi as she ran. Her legs burned, every step sending a thousand pin needles up her calf and thighs. Her heart was ready to burst through her chest, lungs heaving. She’d been on the track team in high school but that would have been a decade prior, she was surprised at just how out of shape she;d become. Her long blonde hair. continually getting caught in her mouth with every gasp she took.
The sounds of a megaphone boomed, bouncing off the street corners, the same message over and over again being repeated by different people. “Come with us, we'll lead you to safety with the protection of the Venator Society!"
“Wumo tou wakui, Venator Society no dolufo koa abaki kodo aut tado!”
“If you’re lost, come with us, we’ll lead you out of the danger! This is an active warzone in conflict with the Toumeikan Yakuza! Please help us evacuate you, if you’re injured call out and we’ll help you!”
“Deina kari ish tou suxiga, Wumo toa wakui! Wumo tou taoi kodo aut tado!”
Ducking into an alley way before one the Venator Society members could spot her she tried to catch her breath. Thick syrup like phlegm rising into her throat as her lungs breathed in cold burning air. The Venators, still yelling at both Edogo and Shinkai, walked right past her.
Reaching for her purse she pulled out her small handheld camera, hands shaking as she flicked the side tab open to check it’s battery life all the while trying to calm herself. She was a reporter, reportedly did this kind of thing.They stalked and investigated, crawled under yellow caution tape and hid behind bushes to hear the whispering of detectives. They (she) were the ones who told the people the truth. Before the “new” could ham it up with filler. Spin it into some long contriving narrative for clicks and views, paper sales and movie deals.
With another gulp of air she saw the batteries all four bars full, the memory card also cleared. She’d always carried a camera just in case, who knew when something would happen? It wasn’t anything fancy, a simple 240p single lens which was used for at most recording a couple seconds of footage. A politician and his mistress going into a love hotel, a lost dog or cat being found and returned to its crying owners. Watching a fire consume a building as fire fighters fought with their hoses. If she pushed it she could get maybe five minutes of footage- without audio. It would easily be cut in half if she wanted to enable the microphone.
Shaking her head as her breath calmed she hooked the loose blonde strands that lay across her face- plastered by sweat and swept them over her ear. She only had to record the most important parts so it would be enough, she could make do with that much time. She just had to record what she saw, the madness of it all. A man who looked as ordinary as possible having cast a ball of fire at a group of foreigners who wielded swords. Another person- this time a girl had punched the earth and from it came what looked like a shock wave of energy which pelted pompadour wearing yakuza who’d run at her with swinging metal bats.
It was incomprehensible, but she’d seen it. And she could only imagine what she hadn't seen. She had to record it, this was her breakthrough. Foreigners invading the country's capital, battling Yakuza with magical abilities? If she sent that to anyone with just her word she’d be the laughing stock of the entire industry. Her name black listed from every media source she’d have to spend her days writing about yokai sightings or other pulpish tabloids.
But if she had video- that would be undeniable! No one- no current technology would do what she saw. It was the thing studios dreamed about!
Reaching into her denim coat pockets she pulled out a small black beeper which flashed red with a single message.
“Coming.”
Smiling, she let out an evil giggle. If Yusuke was on his way with the van they could turn that chance for a little footage into a full movie. Just thinking about it made her nearly throw up from excitement.
But she couldn't just rely on him, no she had to make sure she got her own footage as well. Always have a back up just in case the first one gets broken or confiscated. She’d exposed a politician with that trick before. He thought she broke the SD CARD that had evidence of him cheating on it, when the real one was in her shoe! Just remembering it made her giggle once more. Her finger rubbed against the rubbery red record button softly, wanting to press it already.
“Hey we were calling for you!”
Natsumi whipped around right as she heard the voice, a man standing in the alleyway opening. One of Edo origin, his black hair spiked up by the goggles which covered his slanted blue eyes. “It’s dangerous here! We need to-”
Natsumi leapt forwards without thought, pushing the man with her shoulder as if a football player she charged into the street. Her lungs, not nearly as rested as she’d like, quickly began to burn again.
“What the hell, hey wai-”
BANG!
The sound of a gunshot rang out, making her ears hurt. She’d never heard a gunshot before in person. But she could tell that’s what the sound was because nothing else could be that loud and hollow.
But she didn’t turn around to check who'd been shot or why, she didn’t even look down to see if she’d been the one hit! She just kept running, running until she would find what she wanted to record.
Something magical.
2:29
“Another one down boss.” Satoji said to no one in particular. Spinning the pistol by its trigger around his finger he put it back into his waist band and ran a hand through his black buzzed hair. Letting out a sigh and putting a cigarette into his mouth. “They’re like roaches, you see one and there's more 'em around the corner.”
Laying there before him, with a hole the size of a fist in their chest was the corpse of a man. A Venator Society member whose goggles that he’d worn were covered by a smear of red blood.
Looking over his shoulder he saw the girl who the Venator had been running after flee around a corner. Her long blonde hair flowing behind her like a trail of dust. “Eh, one of the Geto will get her.” He shrugged before walking back the way he’d come. Being a Joshin of the Toumeikan he thought he’d be targeted far more than this. But it seemed more like everyone actively avoided him. Well not that he was one to complain about that. It means less work for him. If anything he’d rather be at home in bed watching old reruns of Yakuza flicks. They normally come on around this time anyways, he could remember always picking this time to visit his dad in the hospital before he died just to watch them. The one good thing with dementia is that you could watch a movie a hundred times and still get surprised on each watch.
Starting to whistle the ending credits from one of those movies he walked down the next street over. Killing people was his job, not a hobby he liked so he frowned when he saw another group of Venators and Yakuza clashing. “I’m thinking double and a half for the extra hours I’m putting in here. And then a bonus for each head.” He grinned. Though it was a hard expression to keep when he saw how bad the Yakuza were losing. It was annoying to have so many kids to deal with. Well Kobe is a quantity over quality guy. And he did call of the Toumeikan to Shibuchu for-
Sighing, Satoji shrugged. “Dunno, don’t care.”
BANG
BANG
BANG
Three shots rang out, each one slamming into the head of a Venator Society member, all three falling to the floor before the crowd of Yakuza who they’d just been giving the business to.
“Get the hell outta here you pricks before I knock your head off too!” Satoji yelled at the men, his eyes wrinkled. He saw them for what they were, mostly Geto with a few Kazu and Tanzaku, a single Tane. “If you can’t take care of yourselves then go find a Hikari to be your handler! I don’t have time to baby sit!” The Yakuza ran off before he even finished what he was saying, whimpering like dogs being chased with a spray bottle.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
“Tch, I doubt even those bastards would be able to do much though, this is gonna be a Joshin and Hachibuto job only isn’t it?”
Kurosawa Satoji had little knowledge of the Venator Society other than their general purpose. To stop people like him. To lock em up and throw em in the slammer, even throw away the key so they could never get out. “Like I’d ever let that happen.” He laughed, lighting another cigarette.
Walking over to a bus stop bench he sat down on its warm aluminum seat and folded one leg over the other. His trench coat flailing out behind him and high top boot clicking the food as he shook his leg. Blowing out thick wafts of smoke between each drag he sat there for a few moments just relaxing before-
[Cherry Bomb!]
There was an explosion, or at least Satoji assumed there had been. His ears ringing and eyes turned white he coughed painfully as he trolled on the ground. He reached for his waist band where his pistol laid yet before he could draw it a foot slammed down on his chest pinning him with a grunt.
“Gotcha bastard!” The man who pinned down Satoji grunted, grinding his knee into Satoji's sternum as Joshin's vision returned. There, kneeling down on him was a man of a faint red outline. Though he was kneeling, Satoji would guess he was probably about as tall as he himself was, being a little under 5’6. As his vision cleared more so too did the man's features.
Dressed head to toe in a mono colored red jump suit, his hair the same color as the chilli pepper which hung from the corner of his mouth as he chewed it. His coal black eyes shining down on Satoji. “The hell are you supposed to be?” He grunted out, trying to push against the man's knee as it bore down onto his chest.
“Tobasco Chille, rear captain of the Venator Societies Alpha Division, and the man who’s gonna lock you up” Chille said with a rather upbeat tone, though behind his voice there was a sense of urgency as if in a rush.
“Lock me up?” Satoji scoffed, brow wrinkled. “Nah, I’m good!” Slamming his hand to the road there was a sudden sound like that of gears shifting. The asphalt road opened up and the barrel of a cannon emerged, pointing straight up at chille.
BANG!
A chunk of lead the size of a basketball flew from the barrel at Chille who barely dodged by rolling to the side with a yelp.
Satoji rolling to his feet reached for the pistol at his waist one more time, yet before he could draw it there was another flash of lights as if fire flies had swarmed him and the sound of sizzling to accompany it.
[Cherry Bomb!]
Satoji's vision blurred again, going pale white while his ears rang out in pain. Pistol in hand he began to fire randomly in every direction, hoping one of the shots would land.
Chille hopped around as if a fire had been lit under him to avoid the bullets. Each would surely be near fatal if they landed. Throwing another red hot chille pepper into his mouth he ground it between his polaris. “Damnit, I’m gonna run out here if we keep playing these games!”
“Huh!? Can’t hear ya!” Satoji laughed, a vein bursting across his brow. The man stomped his boot on the asphalt and from it came more barrels. Each one firing towards Hille who gulped loudly. The rich red liquid lining his mouth seemed far less spicy then it was only a moment before. Conjured barrels and ammo!
Boom!
[Cherry Bomb!]
Hocking a loogie out towards the balls of lead as they shot at him it exploded into a spray of lights. There was a trade of sparks and explosions, the street itself was torn upwards as rubble fell and pieces of metal skidded across the rough terrain. Though it only lasted perhaps a second the road itself seemed to have suffered years of torment in that moment.
“Think I can hear again!” Satoji yelled out as the smoke cleared, his pinky finger nearly halfway up its length deep into his bleeding ear canal. Looking up he saw Tobasco Chille slumped against a building across the street. Blood dripped down his body which was covered in lacerations. “Rear captain huh?” He laughed with a wrinkled nose.
“Ya know…” Chille began as he stood up slowly, leaning against the brick to his rear for support. “I always thought my blood had a bit more flavor than this…”
“You’re still alive!” Satoji gaped, his jaw dropping the now mere bud of an unlit cigarette falling to the floor.
“But it looks like you’re just not spicy enough for me!” [Cherry Bomb!]
From his clutched hand Tobasco threw out chunks of hot lead and asphalt which flew at Satoji before exploding into a spray of sparks. His already burst ear drums erupting in pain, Satoji fell backwards to his rear, the hard ground sending a bolt of pain up his spine. The very hair of his brows being singed as well as his eye lashes. Gritting his teeth however he slammed his fist on the ground as hard as he could.
[Moving Fortress!]
“!?”
Chillie's eyes went wide as he saw the ground itself begin to give way and open up around Satoji. Before his very eyes the ground morphed from asphalt and stone into gears and metal belts which clanked together. Forming a crude machine much like a walking tank plastered together with uneven welding and scrap metal.
“W-wow, now that’s too hot!” Chille gulped, reaching into his pocket he pulled out another three peppers and shoved them into his mouth. Crunching them between his molars.
“Your spell, I don’t know how it works but let’s see you try to blow this up now, ya foreign bastard!” Satoji cackled from within the machine.
Chille looked up the mecha up and down, it stood perhaps twelve feet tall and as wide as a double door industrial fridge. Its two arms consisting of machine gun cannons and legs curved forwards with no joint. Painted black and green it looked like something from an old anime.
The spell of Chille, [Cherry Bomb] was the ability to turn objects into exploding bombs, the more dense and heavier the object the stronger the explosion. Though the caveat being it must be something he himself can lift, he can’t simply touch an 8 wheeler truck and have it explode. He’d have to lift it over head and chuck it at his opponent. Though the explosion on something like that might just knock him out if anything. Normally that alone, throwing chunks of rubble like rocks or metal would be enough to take care of his average foe. But he wasn’t fighting his average foe, he was fighting someone from the Toumeikan, a Joshin of it no less.
“But if something like that would scare me… wouldn’t my palette be too mild for a rear captain!?” Chille sneered. Reaching for his pocket he felt only four peppers left, a bead of sweat dripping down his brow. Not good. Shaking his head his spiky red hair bounded, if he only had four left he should end this quickly. When he ran out- “I’ll lose all the flavor and tolerance I’ve built up so far, now won’t I?”
“What the hell are you talking about you insane idiot!” Satoji screamed from inside the machine. “Go to hell already!” Unleashing the onslaught of bullets from the two barrel arms, each a different size, shape and form they whistled through the air. Spinning, rolling and undulating the hundreds of shots aimed at Chille who shoved all four remaining peppers into his mouth with a crunch. The sweet yet burning hot flavor filled his tongue with its thick red rich liquid like molasses as he smiled widely. His right hand forming a “6” while his left formed a “9” he put the two hand signs together to form a “69”.
[Rocket Road: Missipi Queen]
It was like time itself froze for a moment, sprouting up from the ground was an emerald green barrier which curled up into a dome like shape around the two men and the street.
A territory!? Satoshi wondered with wide eyes, the fresh cigarette in his mouth crumbling as he clenched down onto it.
Then it happened, like someone had shoved a million cherry bombs into his mouth, clothes and body before lighting the fuse he exploded. There were finite explosions, tiny explosions.So small they’d feel like nothing more than the wind itself alone, but when millions happened at once, hundreds to billions, every single particle of light exploding around you- it would be akin to being in the heart of an inter continental missile strike.
“AIEEEEEE!” Satoji screeched as his mech was ripped apart, black stinking tar like smoke bellowed from the machine which crumbled and Satoji fell from it. Body throbbing in burning pain as every piece of hair on his flesh was scorched bald. Yet even then they didn’t stop, they continued attacking him inside and out, he coughed up blood. Feeling his eyes roll into his head he tried to fight it, he tried to resist the urge to lose consciousness but- he lost.
“Wish I could join ya there.” Chille sighed from across the street as the barrier crumbled apart, Satoji no longer writhing. “Well not the being all fucked up part, but more being able to rest some ya know.” He frowned. Reaching into his back pocket he pulled out a paper seal which he flicked through the air, bursting into flames the paper vanished and a set of [Sealins Chains] appeared instead.
Then with a face like one who’d just witnessed the most foul thing in the world- almost as if he hadn't done it himself! Chille wrapped Satoji up in the sealing chains. “Come on man, tell me there’s a bit of flavor around her for me.” He whined, racing into his pocket he felt around, hoping and praying to have somehow missed a pepper. Or perhaps some kind god had given him one for his efforts. With a whimper he pulled his hand out from his pocket and licked his fingers. Hoping the bit of flavor of them would be enough to spice up his tongue once more. That rich flavor having already begun to fade.
RING
RING
The sound of the ward's intercoms came on, making Chille jump. His head flicking around and ears straining as if having to try and decipher if anything might have been said in that brief moment. The radio signals weren’t working before, did they manage to get them figured out?
This is Hokucho Hina, Joshin of Chiba Iwainu. All members of the Toumeikan ranked Hikari and under are hereby ordered to swarm one of the four exit points in the barrier push through. Attack it from the outside where it’s weak. This is an order by Susanori Kobe himself!”
To say Chille’s stomach dropped would be an understatement, it tanked down to the depths of the planet. “The barrier, shit I left them alone with only Kobnar!” Jumping to his feet and leaving Satoji behind Chille turned to run back towards the western entrance when-
CRACK!
It was a strange feeling, an impact to his head followed by warmness and a sense of relieved tension. Falling to the ground with a gasp he couldn’t focus his eyes on anything. They seemed to be spinning inside his skull.
“He’s a tough one.” A voice came from behind.
Chille could barely hear the voice nor did he think he could even lift his head up to turn it around. Putting his trembling hand up to his brow he wiped some of the blood on his fingers tip before putting into this tongue and let out a smile as it stung his tongue with spice. “Not bad.” He smiled.
The head of Tobasco Chille was caved open, popped like a grape with blood flying everywhere the man fell down without so much as a flail. The one who stood over him with a bamboo flute in hand and basket over his head was the Komuso Priest Kamotake Kyoso. To his left the head of the Toumeikan Yakuza, Susanori Kobe.
“Let’s go Kyoso, the next barrier entry isn’t too far from here.”
2:41 PM
[蔵原夏美: Kurohara Natsumi] - Store House Field and Summer Beauty
[忠吉勇助: Tadayoshi Yūsuke] - Loyal Fortune and Masculine Savior
[黒沢聡士: Kurosawa Satoji] “Black Swamp.” and “Wise Scholar”
[北鳥雛: Hokucho Hina] “North Bird” and “Chick” as in baby bird.
