Suny McSun, the most capable human agent from Mythpool. My relationship with her consisted of just one kiss. That's what you read, exchange of saliva. She was a substitute teacher for a few weeks while I was just a young apprentice. And she was nice and fun. Known for wielding the legendary Totsuka sword and also for her youthful beauty.
At the time, she was only twenty-two and used to live in a small apartment in Tokyo.
My first trip to Japan was with her. We weren't on a mission; I'd just won the trip in a contest that she herself promoted. The prize was a four days trip with Suny to anywhere in the world. I didn't choose any place in particular and she ended up deciding for me. She chose the homeland of her father, where already knew well and had a place to stay.
Suny McSun was the man to be beaten at Mythpool. She has all the qualities a mythological agent must have.
When she opened the door of her-already known by me-apartment, I didn't expect to be slapped so suddenly.
"She really knows you, douchebag."
"Why are you here?"
It was Suny asking. Her appearance hadn't changed a bit within that year away. Her black hair was still short, at the neck length. The dark eyes had the same lustrous shine as always.
"Did he molest you too?"
The bizarre question the hanyou suddenly did, made the agent divert her attention from my person. Suny glanced at the girl from head to toe.
"You ended up turning into a pedophile...Hey? What the hell…"
With all due respect to the opposite sex, but I had to grab her boobs. It was a necessary and strategic measure to push her inside the apartment and to keep her mind distracted long enough for me to be able to throw her on the couch. I just hadn't noticed she was half naked from the waist down and wasn't wearing a bra under the short jersey covering her torso.
Adding to that, the position she fell on the couch with her arms up, her blushed face and the sudden change of breath, I tell you that Your Humble Narrator almost gave in and…
"Do you want me to leave?"
Said Yuna, already entering the apartment and closing the door.
"You stay." I answered.
"Oh, so you really intend to use both of us as objects for your perverted disturbances, yeah?"
"No, of course not!"
"3K1, is that true?" Questioned Suny, as sitting on the couch.
"Absolutely not! I've never laid a finger on her!"
"My legs say otherwise."
"That was an accident."
I threw myself on the couch, giving up. My head landed on Suny's lap and her black eyes above me asked for an explanation.
"Well… I'm on a mission." I begin to say. "I've got to find Oni and the mother of the brat over here. We're probably going to find our targets in the same place where the Magatama jewel is, since director Tanaka said Yakuza is after it. Even though he was distorting information to manipulate me. But he said you're the only one who knows the true location so, here we are."
"..."
"Aren't you gonna say anything?"
"I need space."
I blinked twice quickly and lifted my torso before getting up from the couch. Suny got up too. She crossed her arms and started pacing around the upholstered furniture as she seemed to deeply analyze every word I said.
"What is she…"
I raised my hand to interrupt Yuna's question. The agent quit pacing almost immediately. She looked at me with a finger on her chin.
"To manipulate?" She finally said.
"What?"
"You said the director was trying to manipulate you. What do you mean?"
"He's from Yakuza. A specific group of Yakuza who's been wanting to put their hands on the jewel."
"I know the facts. I imagine he wanted you to get the jewel for him using your main mission as a disguise."
"Exactly... I think…"
"But I've dealt with him." Said the hanyou. "He'll no longer cause problems."
"And you are?"
"Yuna."
"Right. Pretty name."
"Yeah. I've got nothing against it."
"I can only imagine…"
"..."
"Anyway, you said you killed the director, is that correct?"
"I said I've dealt with him, but yeah, I killed him."
"For what reason?"
Honestly, I didn't like where that dialogue was heading.
"He got in my way. And shot me."
"Shot? For what I remember, the director had a great aim and you don't appear to be hurt."
"I agree, his aim was great, but the bullets were slow."
"Are you saying you dodged them?"
"Did I?"
"..."
"..."
"Are you two done?"
"Yes."
"Absolutely."
"Okay. Suny, I know it's weird I suddenly showed up like that, but I just need to know where the jewel is and then we get the hell out of here."
"No."
"Thank you so much, you're an angel. Now come on... Hey, wait…"
"I don't work for the Japanese Mythpool and I'm not in any kind of mission either. So, I won't do anything about the director's death, since it's not my department and I'm no avenger."
"He's from Yakuza, Suny. He's in the dark side of the force."
"It's not that I don't believe you, 3K1, but who says you're not lying? I'm not really sure you're not from Yakuza and want to take the jewel. it's my responsibility to protect the artifact."
Her black eyes held me in judgment as she spoke those words. I swallowed.
"Come on, douchebag, she won't say a thing."
"Seriously, I'm not going to tell you the location, give it up. However, I can tell you where the clues to those you're looking for are."
"We know that there's a replica in the Emperor's palace."
"It's not the replica I'm talking about. The clues Mythpool's created are to protect even more the original jewel. For those who know about the palace's replica, the fake clues lead them to a place where the jewel clearly is not. Most of the time, it makes hunters quit. If Yakuza knows about the original jewel it's likely they ended up in a fake network and are heading the wrong way."
"Great. If this is true, we'll meet with the youkais at that place…"
"And where would that be?" Yuna took the words out of my mouth.
"Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion Temple."
Perfect.
It seemed like the first part of the mission was over.
We left my former tutor's apartment and Yuna started wondering.
She came up with a strategy. Ok, it wasn't quite a strategy, she just thought of someone to help us. Time was our biggest enemy at that time and it came with Distance in hand. The Golden Pavilion Temple was just over three hours from Tokyo. We did not have that time to waste. We had to reach Kinkaku-ji before Oni and Yuki-onna.
So, Yuna had an idea.
She dragged me to the Terrace of a tall building and started to whistle from side to side. She seemed to be calling a puppy or trying to communicate with some sparrow.
"Where are you?" She murmured sometimes. "Show up…"
It was weird, but then I realized I was whistling too.
"What do you want, commoners?"
The voice was hoarse. It came from a blind spot for both me and the hanyou. We turned around following the sound of that arrogant phrase and faced the young guy who had spoken it. Scarlet eyes and spiky blond hair were the boy's strongest features. A black shirt, unbuttoned, showing off his thin worked out body, and jeans torn at the knee, which could've been the result of an ugly motorcycle accident.
"Tetsu …"
"So, it was you, Yuna? I hope it is something very important."
"I have the right to ask for someone's help from Elite at least once in a mission."
That dude was from the Elite. Based on the girl's information, he was more dangerous and maybe even more powerful than she was. At that moment, I wanted to smear my pants again. That young man, Tetsu, with porcupine hair, was one of AAA's most powerful killers, and his presence alone was already making me nervous.
"Hmph, You? Asking for help? You must be desperate, I figure. And who is this mutt over there?"
"What? Me?"
"And who else could it be, insect?"
"Hm... I'm…"
"A friend, you douchebag. He's with me. He's helping me."
Suddenly, the young man was gone. Moments later, five fingers wrapped around my right shoulder. Much closer to my ears, the hoarse voice said,
"You should choose your partners better."
A quick push made me stumble two steps forward.
"Tetsu, I need you to take us to Kinkaku-ji. You can do that with your teletransportation …"
"What?" I got involved. "Do you teletransport? Just like Goku?"
"Tsc. Who allowed you to speak to me?"
It felt like the pair of rubies devoured my soul. He then went back to watching the hanyou.
"You're the fastest way."
"..."
"Please."
"Tsc. Fine, fine! This time I'll take you, commoners. But I hope you won't disturb me anymore after that."
"Thanks."
"Come on, touch my shoulders."
With a thud, we disappeared from the building's terrace. An unknown force seemed to stretch my body infinitely through a colorful and psychedelic tunnel, running ahead like rays of light. It was like I'd become a trace of energy. A gigantic line of particles crossing the country, and with the same thud joined my body again. All of that in a millisecond.
We showed up in front of the temple in Kyoto and I felt the harsh difference in temperature right away. Within a few miles, everything was taken by the ice and snow. The golden lake around the temple was now a beautiful solid white plain. The nearby trees had their leaves bathed in more and more snowflakes.
"It looks like someone arrived earlier." Said the blonde dude mockingly.
"Does anyone have a coat?" Even knowing the answer, it doesn't hurt to try.
"Tsc."
Yuna reacted to some noise. A noise that became the sound of footsteps coming from inside the temple. It took no time to form two silhouettes presenting themselves as leaving the sacred place.
"Again, you place yourself in my path, daughter."
Yuki-onna gazed at her offspring as if she were a pile of waste.
By youkai's side, my target, Oni, stood as a private bodyguard for the Snow Woman. Which, giving some thought, was entirely true. That large man was no more than a mere security for her. Even though he was using the youkai.
Yuki-onna turned her eyes to me.
"Oh, are you not the young man who glances at me with lust?"
"M-me??"
"Yes."
Those blue eyes seemed to cast a spell on me. It was almost like a mermaid's singing. Yuna's eyes also had a similar effect, however, it was very weak compared to her mother's. For my safety or for the health of my body, I never exposed that thought out loud.
"I don't look at you like that …"
"Do not lie, mutt. I can smell it."
"And you are?" The youkai soon noticed the presence of Tetsu between me and Yuna.
"Tetsu. Tetsu Tetsuya."
There seemed to be some kind of respect from the blonde dude toward the Snow Woman. He didn't even react to the fact she was naked.
And then the hanyou took a step forward. Primarily, she appeared to aim her voracious blue eyes at her mother. However, looking carefully, she was clearly staring coldly at Oni. And in turn, the youkai responded in the same way. Both exchanging barbs with their eyes.
"Where's the jewel, douchebag?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, niece."
"Don't play dumb, all right? Yakuza want the jewel, don't they? If you have it, give it to me. The Association will upgrade me to the Elite if I take a valuable artifact like this, which was once AAA's target."
"Whoa, wait a minute." I began to speak. "Wasn't your mission different?"
"After joining Elite, I'll have plenty of time to end this old woman there. What'd you think, Tetsu?"
"I'm already in the Elite, I don't need that and I'm also lazy, plebeian. I just didn't get out 'cause I expect to see a lot of blood over here."
"Tsc, Whatever. Hand the jewelry over."
"I already said I know nothing about any jewelry!"
"Don't raise your voice to me. Do you want to lose the other arm, yeah?"
"Oh, you …"
"Oni, stop."
The phrase was uttered in a calm manner by Yuki-onna, reaching the youkai's ears like a royal decree.
"But, sister…"
"If you have any disagreement with this aberration, settle them in fair combat, and take the opportunity to extinguish her life."
And the girl gritted her teeth at her mother.
"Hmph, I accept that."
Turning her back at her supernatural relatives, she walked to the middle of the ice plain where once had been a beautiful golden lake. Then she turned again, giving Oni a defiant look.
"Come on, uncle! I didn't want to do that, but if it's to rub the victory on my mother's arrogant face, it's worth it."
"If what you want is recognition for your superiority, I admit it, niece. As you know, of all the youkais I'm the least powerful. But you, even with this flaw, are still the daughter of the second most powerful being among the youkai's. By the extent and control you have over your powers, you can end me with a single move."
"I know that. So, I'll limit some of my resources."
"Like what?"
"I won't freeze your body. I will not cool the oxygen. I will not handle icy air, nor will I use blows of freezing wind. I will not manipulate the ice around us, much less the snow. I will not create ice shields, ice barriers, ice spears, ice swords, or any other white weapon known by man. I'm also not going to create ice clones or freezing ice clones. I will not generate nitrogen, nor will I use nitrogen blows. My nitrogen ghosts are also out of the question. I will not freeze your blood. I will not freeze your central nervous system. I won't protect myself with ice cubes either. I'm not going to lower your body temperature or create ice cubes in your kidney. I'm also not going to freeze your sweat and cool the carbon you expel. And of course, I will not summon Yato up, the Dragon Below Zero."
"This will be interesting." Tetsu said, going to a spot where he could have better visibility. The youkai did the same and I joined their game.
"You can use all your skills, since you're missing an arm. But that doesn't mean I'm going to take it easy on you. Honestly, I don't intend to let you get out alive from this confrontation."
Finishing her speech, Yuna began to stretch her arms and legs and Oni walked to the middle of the ice as well.
"Under these conditions, my victory is certain. Are you sure about this, Yuna?"
"I should be the one asking."
Face to face, the man and the girl stared at each other, not even blinking. The distance between them shouldn't be more than fifty feet. They stood still. Inaudible breathing. Hearts rate stable.
"I Will maintain the ice steady for you, brother. I hope you two have a blast."
So, Oni proceeded. So did Yuna. Both disappeared from our sight at a surreal speed. In the next instant, sonic blasts broke out across the land like the explosion of several fireworks. It was all so fast that the clash seemed to be between two invisible beings.
"I don't understand anything. It's like trying to keep up with machine gun fire."
"They're using the adrenaline shock to move above the sound, commoner. They're just trying to end the fight as soon as possible."
So, the hanyou and the youkai reappeared, sliding on the ice as if pushed by each other. They wasted no time, launching themselves at each other again, their fists collided as firing their punches. The pressure over the knock's shock created cracks in the frozen lake, but the damage was soon fixed by the Snow Woman's will.
Both of them staggered backwards, but kept their feet steady, to not lose the combat's rhythm. It was Yuna first to attack this time. She hit the vacuum with the palm of her hand, firing a powerful blast of air at Oni, throwing him away.
"Tsc, it is humiliating…"
"Hmph, with an arm missing, this mutt won't be able to keep up with Yuna's dexterity."
That's when I realized, the daughter wanted to show her mother she didn't need the powers inherited from her to survive. Even though her physical advantages as a hanyou are at supernatural levels, Yuna was saying she could handle her problems with only her human half. Everything she'd demonstrated in that short combat was the result of hard training as a human girl.
Just as her mother neglected her, she found a way to pay back. This was raising Yuki-onna fury. She made it very clear when her seductive blue eyes became the entrance to the deepest hellhole.
"Looks like things will get hot in here. I don't regret paying attention to commoners like you. Congratulations."
On the frozen lake, Oni was in full combat shape. The hanyou's blow was merely to keep a certain safe distance. Even so, the Snow Woman didn't seem to put a drop of confidence in her youkai partner.
"Uncle, let's finish this before I start to sweat."
In response to Yuna's words, the man gritted his teeth and fired in attack. Wildly, he began to strike with his only arm, like a murderous machine, whose main function was to move the limb in random directions. As for the hanyou, she was only dodging it by moving her trunk and taking steps back and side. When Oni clenched his fist and delivered a right cross, the girl moved to the left, finding space in her defense. Yuna's sapphire eyes seemed to trace a bluish trail with her agility.
"It's over."
And to assure Tetsu's comment, the hanyou landed a violent punch to the youkai's solar plexus, making him practically bend over, unable to sketch words or grunts to express his pain.
"A-amazing."
The man fell to his knees, unconscious, and shortly after crashed into the ice.
"She could have killed him. A little more pressure and the mutt would've gone from this to a…"
"I ... I will not acknowledge it!"
Yuki-onna's roar was frightening even for the arrogant blonde guy. The temperature, which was already low-dropped even more in that place, and shortly after, snowflakes started to fall from the cloudy sky.
The youkai left the bleachers and entered the field. The firm footsteps on the ice led her toward her daughter, who faced the approaching mother in rage. It was a brave reaction. Even though the Snow Woman was beautiful, at that moment, the fire of anger emanating from her distorted her beauty into bizarre. The horns on her head were barely noticeable, thanks to her nakedness and mesmerizing eyes, now seemed to stand out, almost as if her body were part of the horns and not the other way around. Because of that, it was a brave attitude to stand face to face with a mother like this.
Then Yuki-onna ceased walking, a step away from Yuna.
"That hurt."
Another brilliant comment from Tetsu.
But this time, I had to agree. The youkai slapped her daughter's face hard, but Yuna reacted indifferently to that arm punishment. The head that tilted a little to the right was now pointing at Snow Woman again. Her blue eyes mirrored the other blue eyes.
"Why did you hit me, mom?"
"Do you really wish to know, freak? You, who are my only offspring, daughter of the greatest of my loves, have arrived to this Land of the Rising Sun as an imperfection of nature! How do you acquire me to love thee? How am I supposed to love a freak?"
At those harsh words from her mother, Yuna looked away. But not as if she was feeling guilty. In fact, the hanyou was not to blame for anything. Whatever defect she had, Yuna Nate was Yuki-onna's daughter, and she wanted to at least be respected by her own mother. That. That was it. The girl didn't want her mother's love, she just wanted respect. As looking away, she rolled her eyes in an arrogant expression.
"I'm proud of what I am, exhibitionist. If you want to be ashamed of someone, let it be of your brother who is kissing the canvas."
In a sudden movement the youkai's arm grabbed her daughter's neck. Pressing it with immense force, Yuna sobbed trying to get oxygen. The hanyou's body was lifted from the ground and hung from the maternal fingers surrounding her throat.
"Why doesn't she do anything? Use ice, give hadouken, I don't know."
"Isn't it obvious, commoner?"
"No, it doesn't make sense."
"Hmph, two things prevent the brat from triumphing against her mother. The first one is Yuna still hopes to earn Yuki-onna's respect. The second one is Yuna's powers have no effect on her mother. However, this doesn't apply to Yuki-onna. Snow Woman is not only hanging her daughter, she is doing something else."
The girl who was gasping like she was drowning out of water, suddenly started screaming. It was a howl of shrill ache and suffering. A sincere pain was echoing with those echoing shouts.
"If you are so self-satisfied, for what reason do you hide from the world?"
With that sentence, Yuki-onna raised her free hand to Yuna's beanie and abruptly removed it. And what was revealed to us? Like the Snow Woman's horns, a pair of wolf ears protruded from the young hanyou's head.
Still screaming in pain, the girl closed her eyes to contain tears of shame. To her, the wolf's ears being exposed was worse than being totally naked in a public square. And now, the screams were not just agony, there was a mixture of sadness and fury.
"Do something!"
"Put yourself in your place, mutt. What world do you think you live in? Pride and prejudice happens everywhere."
"It's not just about that! She will kill her!"
"..."
"You know what? I'll go there!"
And then, seized by a fearless impulse provided by the anger gradually emerging, Your Humble Narrator went out into the ice plain and reached his twin pistols. Keeping a distance, I thought was not too dangerous, aimed my weapons at Yuki-onna 's back.
"Stop that!"
The youkai glazed over her shoulder. She pressed harder on her daughter's neck, as if her fingers were biting her throat. Then Yuna fell asleep, like a machine disconnected from the power source. The Snow Woman dropped the girl's body, collapsing on the ice next to Oni. She finally turned to me.
"Why do you defend her? She is an imperfection."
"I don't care what is beautiful or ugly for youkais. In fact, for anyone! She's just a child, don't you see?! She just wants your respect! What's wrong with wolf ears, huh? Is it just because they are not as imposing as your horns?"
"Indeed. These ears are an offense to the love I felt for my deceased loved one. It is as if the gods said that my love was purely a lie."
"You know what? I don't care about your gods!"
The feeling of unloading my twin pistols on the youkai was liberating. The metal projectiles flew at the speed of sound against Yuki-onna's body. However, the bullets only hit the woman's skin, as if she were made of titanium. When the comb emptied and my anger weakened, Snow Woman's blue eyes began to seduce me again.
"It is certainly useless to shoot those metal flies in my flesh."
"Tsc...."
"You know, you own some things that resemble my beloved."
She started to approach me, but I kept myself paralyzed, no reaction. The youkai placed her hands on my shoulders, coming closer, looking like she was going to kiss me.
"Nicolas as well, did not see differences in people by appearance. He used to tell me to see the interior, son of Adam."
"And he was right."
"Well, I do not agree. Frankly, if others are imperfect, I do not mind, as long as they maintain their distance. But my offspring cannot be part of the scum. That I will not accept. I confess that a part of me was convinced of Yuna's death, as it was merely a way to deceive myself and let her live far away. Forgive me, handsome young man, but she cannot coexist with me."
My pistols fell to the ice. I blinked twice, diverting my attention from those beautiful blue eyes. My arms moved and my hands grabbed Yuki-onna's forearms, taking her hands off my shoulders.
"What is your issue? What type of selfishness is that?"
"Why don't you understand?"
The youkai tilted her head, showing that her doubt was real. She turned around and took three more steps to the center of the ice.
"You, children of Adam think unconsciously in the same manner. See what they called television. See the people that are stamped on the big towers, which you call buildings. You capitalize beauty products and create the model concept. The difference between you and us is that we do not hide with masks to maintain the appearance and pretend we follow laws. We are supernatural creatures and we decide everything by force."
"You may be right about some things you said, but it doesn't apply to everyone."
Yuki-onna said nothing in response. But she started to sniff the air, lifting her forearms close to her nose and continued to sniff.
"What are you doing, huh mutt? Forgot to take a shower, did you?"
Tetsu finally came to the ice plain.
"This smell ... it's mana ... " The youkai gazed at my hands. "Where did you put those hands?"
She asked, serious. She asked, very serious.
"I-I ... I don't know. What kind of question is that?"
"Do you know where the jewel is?"
"Jewel? Are you talking about Magatama? I don't know…"
"You lie to me, handsome young man. But it does not matter. I will follow the trail and I will find it."
"Hey, what do you mean?"
Yuki-onna did not answer me for the second time. Her body began to crumble into snow, spiraling up into the sky, following northeast like a swarm of albino bees. We stood there watching that strange phenomenon, on the golden lake, who felt the power of the Snow Woman on its skin.