Mena Kitsune, the hybrid, Youkai Queen's son. The one responsible for taking Yuna out of the wild and turning her into the dreaded Youkai Slayer. He was also known as the Dragon Slayer. It was his position at AAA Elite and the most respected of supernatural killers. Especially because killing dragons is much more praisable than the rest of superhuman beings. Dragons are very hard to kill, as well as very rare creatures to find. It's a heavy burden only someone with Mena's skill and experience could bear.
As matter of fact, the Dragon Slayer's work should be very similar to a Pokémon adventure. As if you were playing one of those modifications you find on the internet, where only dragon kind Pokémon at level eighty would be available.
It would be a very challenging change.
I would play.
But back to where we were.
Mena Kitsune was powerful. Considering how little I saw of his mother's competence, I was able to figure it out on our first eye-to-eye meeting. It was in a small classroom, where they tied me up to an uncomfortable chair.
"I expected Ulim to bring the head of some youkai," said the killer, "But an alive Mythpool agent must be worth something."
Mena was sitting on a desk in front of my gagged body. His hair was red, really red, which highlighted his pair of hazel eyes. He was wearing a white long-sleeved T-shirt, with sleeves a little longer than they should be, completely covering his hands; Black sweatpants and on his feet a pair of brown slippers.
"They're from a limited collection," He noted. "Don't keep staring if you don't want to become a pile of ashes."
Swallowing, I respected the killer's preferences and quickly ignored his shoes.
"Well, where do I start?" He scratched his thin beard. "Let's start with Yuna. What is your relationship with her?"
"I met her on winter break, when she was after her mother…"
"Hmm, so you helped her?"
"Yeah, in a way... I wasn't much of a help. To be honest, I guess our missions just ran across each other and we ended up getting involved."
"What kind of involvement? The kind that can put you in jail?"
"What? No. Definitely not. When I say involvement, I mean as companions. Coworkers."
"I can only imagine..." He examined me from head to toe, squinting, as if he silently judged me for a brief moment. "You don't look like you would do anything to harm her. You're apparently someone who's not very brave."
And he got it just right.
"Anyway, you're still suspicious. You're the one who called Yuna to assist you in your mission, weren't you?"
"Y-Yes."
"Why?"
"W-Well, she's the Youkai Slayer... I thought it would be the safest... I tried to combine the useful with the pleasant."
"And hurt Yuna after all." Mena said this in a very scolding way, which made me condoned away like a sorry child. "It wasn't a serious wound but it's a wound nonetheless, agent."
"I... how could I know?"
"Exactly. How could you know? You don't know Yuna. You also didn't know the enemy. You're practically an observer on your own mission. But I'll explain something about her, agent. When you get involved with Yuna things around you become about her. You turn into just one piece in her story. What started out as your operation, is now a Youkai Slayer mission. No matter how strong or beautiful she is by your perverted eyes, she is still a sixteen-year-old girl."
"I know. I know, I know, but... I…"
"You were reckless. That's the truth. If this were a mission for Yuna, AAA would have sent her with the necessary prior information."
"Sorry... I apologize." That's all I managed to say at first. "It's not like I don't care about her. Yuna saved my life…"
"And have you ever saved hers? "
Checkmate. The Dragon Slayer's words left me with my hands tied. They threw me against the wall and showed me my hypocrisy. I said I cared for her, she thought the same herself, but perhaps it was just an excuse from my brain for the enchanted effect she had on me.
No, no.
Beyond the emotional actions of my person, deep down in my ego I could feel something weird that really made me care about Yuna. Yet...
"No... I never saved her."
If we reflect about it, I put her at risk more than anything.
"Think about it," said Mena, ending the first topic.
One more thing; that was the most peaceful, philosophical and weird interrogation I had ever had.
"Now, let's talk about the shinigami, agent."
"Iron Brain?"
"Exactly. Apparently, he was taken by Tengu and forced to give the Kagami shield's location. He was probably tortured. Or my mother changed the reality to extract the information from him."
"How do you know that?"
"We have a Shinigami Killer here at AAA. He was on a mission searching for that same Death god and found him dead in a hideout in Kyoto. Ulim sniffed the shinigami, so it wasn't difficult and time-consuming to find him. After that, both notified us about the death of Iron Brain and then we made the connection with Yuna's behavior and disappearance."
"And just by that you found out about the youkai group and they were after the Kagami?"
"No. We only conclude that Yuna's sudden and unannounced departure could be associated with the shinigami death. Ulim sniffed and followed her. As he can move above the sound, it didn't take long for him to reach that abandoned school. I just didn't know that Tetsu had opened a private investigation."
Truth. The Untouchable Killer Tetsu Tetsuya was with us in that gym but was kidnapped by his own father. I didn't like him very much, but I couldn't help asking;
"Where is he?"
"We don't know yet. Ulim is after him with Eisuke."
"Eisuke?"
"Yes. It's the Shinigami Killer's name. Eisuke Etsuya."
"Hmm... I never heard of this one."
"He's not very active. He is also the only human in AAA Elite."
"Human? Just like me?"
"Not like you. He's helpful."
Rude. Insensitive. With that little boost of cheer, I was certainly ready to go on with my mission.
"But don't you worry. We'll surely find him. We have bigger problems at the moment."
Really. The Kagami was in the hands of those youkais.
"What do you imagine the shield can do?" I asked.
"Well... it's a shield."
"Yes, but... it's an artifact with a lot of magic. Don't you think the youkai are planning something dark?"
"Planning something? Like taking over the world?"
"Yeah, something like that."
"I highly doubt it. Most likely, youkai have particular goals that require the shield. At least, that's what I believe."
"Based on what?"
"Hmph," the killer crossed his arms. "It's impressive. How does a Mythpool agent start a mission without even knowing the targets? Quite frankly."
"But I know who they are…"
"No, you found out who they are, but you don't really know them. As far as we know the group seems to be formed by my mother, Tengu and Obake. Of the three I know two. My mom and Tetsu's dad. Since ancient times my mother has wanted to become the Empress of Japan, however, a youkai cannot take such a position and she understands that. If she was going to use the Kagami for something I suppose it would be to amplify her expertise and change reality on a very large scale."
Changing reality is the biggest mythological crime can be committed. The penalty for this offense is truly immeasurable.
"But," continued Mena, "I don't think my mother would be wasting her time on something so small." I mean, she really wants to be an empress, but she could do so without the Kagami. Tengu on the other hand, is another story. He hides a not-too-secrecy secret. That's what made Tetsu walk away from him. You know, Tetsu is someone very proud and arrogant, as you must know. So, it was quite shocking to him when his father announced he wanted to become human."
"What? What do you mean?"
"That's right, agent. You should've gathered more information about your targets. If we follow my theory, Tengu wants to use the Kagami to become human. While Tetsu is proud of his powers and abilities that allow him to act in the obnoxious way he does, his father wants to give that up to be a simple human. That's why Tetsu doesn't respect him."
"But is it possible for the Kagami to do that?"
"Clearly. That's why the shield, in fact, is a magic mirror. When you look in the mirror, you see a backwards world, don't you?"
"Y-Yes…"
"Well, the Kagami won't only show you a backwards world, but it also could invert the reality you're in. The shield can also repel any blow, regardless the strength, speed or size. To attack the Kagami is to fire upon yourself and lose. If handled correctly, it's even possible to control minds with the shield."
"So, could I become a youkai with the Kagami?"
"Probably. But I suppose you'd only become a helpful person. It would be your most logical reversal."
Once again, rudely, Mena hits my ego hard and smashes my self-esteem. And, since when does logic apply to this shield?
"What about Obake? Do you have any idea?"
"I don't know him. In fact, I've only heard about him."
"Hmm, I see."
"Well, without further ado, let's finish here," said the Dragon Slayer, stretching. "You can get up, agent. I know you want to see how Yuna is doing."
"Get up? But I'm tied up… Hey…" My gagged wrists and ankles suddenly were set free. That was so sudden I no longer found myself sitting on an uncomfortable chair, neither in a classroom.
I looked around. I was in a corridor, like a luxury hotel. Mena was gone. I was alone in front of a bedroom door with a poster saying; Watch out, winter ahead.
"I wonder why I guess this is Yuna's room?"
Just going in to find it out, that's my motto.
I reached for the handle and twisted it. It was unlocked. I pushed it slowly as in a Silent Hill game and spied through the crack. It seems to be safe, no monster ahead.
Finally, I walked in.
"Hey, Yuna…"
She didn't notice me entering her samurai nook. Her eyes were fixed on the monitor of her notebook while her right hand drifted her wireless mouse quite deftly.
I smoothly shut the door because I didn't want to distract her from whatever she was doing. Cleary she was fully focused. Her blue eyes moved from side to side, as if watching a quick and fierce game of ping pong.
Slowly, I got closer and...
"I always knew you were a little pervert but going inside a girl's room without knocking is a ballsy thing I didn't expect from you."
I froze.
She said that without taking her eyes off the monitor.
"You don't have to be afraid, douchebag. I just wanted to show that I'm fine."
In that case, all right. Honestly, when it comes to Yuna it was a great way to show her full mental state.
I got closer.
"What're you doing?" I asked.
"Searching websites to sell my body."
"What?! That's heavy! And you still haven't found it?!"
At my last question, the hanyou finally took her eyes off the screen. She aimed her pair of sapphires at me. Her aspect was of someone trying to understand the logic of some joke made.
"Your way of complimenting me is strange," she said, looking back to the monitor.
Well, she got what I meant, I think...
"What you meant was I have a very nice body so it would be easy to find a website to sell it." She said, as if listening to my speech.
"Yeah... that was it…"
"See, I got that right."
"Yes, you did... anyway, are you going to tell me what you're really doing?"
"I'm on the Deep Web."
"I already understood that. I was sure of that after you went through an organ sale page. But, what I want to know is what you are doing on the Deep Web. What're you searching for with such vehemence?"
"Clues. Recordings, notes, images. Anything that will get me closer to Obake's location."
"So, are you still on the mission?"
"No. Mena grounded me. I'm currently grounded. You are in a room of a grounded sixteen-year-old girl. And I'm barefoot. Doesn't that cheer you up in any way?"
"No... I don't have any kind of fetish with punishment... or feet…"
"For real?" Again, she took her eyes off the monitor and swiveled her chair so she could stretch her white legs. "But watch them. Aren't they cute?"
So, I did. They were like little French bread, cute and adorable. Until now, I had never seen them up close, especially attentively noticed them.
"Have you ever thought about foot modeling and dropping the murderer's life?"
"I can be a model of anything."
"Hmph, not a modesty one."
She swung the chair back and once again aimed her eyes against the screen of her notebook.
"Let's agree and disagree, douchebag. AH... I found it."
"You did? What did you find? Obake?"
"Not Obake, but their possible hiding spot."
What Yuna had on her LCD monitor was access to cameras from across a university campus in Kyoto. All corridors. Classrooms. Front door. Parking lot. Football field. And a baseball field.
"The baseball field," she said.
"What about it?"
"From what I studied while you were chatting with Mena, under this field there's an inoperative and restricted access warehouse. Not because the University willingly restricted it but because the path to it is inaccessible. Students say it's haunted. I don't disagree, douchebag. I guess that's the youkai's HQ."
"Well, Mena said Ulim found the shinigami in a hideout in Kyoto, but didn't specify. So, you may be right…"
"Yes, Yes. But Iron Brain was found in another hideout lower north of Kyoto. I know the location."
"Uh, so why don't we go straight to this one?"
Yuna sighed. She swung her chair around and observed me from the bottom up.
"Douchebag, think. It's their game. This hideout where Iron Brain was found operated as a scapegoat for the real hideout, which is just a little further north of the same city. It was a move to keep us away from that place. She pointed at the screen, still keeping her eyes on me.
"It might be, yes. But, if Tengu can teleport, why would they limit having two hiding places in the same city?"
"That's what he wants you to imagine. If we consider this, we'll never have a place to start searching. When you want to hide something, you should put it in the closest place possible. You'd not be able to find something under your nose without a mirror only with your eyes, even though it's extremely close to you. Therefore, they must be hidden in the same city where Iron Brain was found. Only the real HQ is under a college baseball field."
I'd forgotten the Youkai Slayer' strategic competence is mind-blowing.
"But how did you come up with that?"
"I was studying. The story doesn't just happen when you're on the scene. I started with the information I had; Kyoto and the woman who lived in the apartment where you found Tengu."
"Keep going."
"I found on the black market of organs the woman's origin. She was the mother of a student at the same college in Kyoto. From information I got by accessing archived conversations from students there, her daughter was dating an older guy with white hair and red eyes. She disappeared the day before yesterday, the day after you and Suny found Tengu. The daughter lived with her father in Kyoto, her mother had an apartment there. After all, it was just a matter of putting the pieces together and... I bet they're under this baseball field."
After finishing her reasoning worthy of a first-class detective, Yuna leaned back on her chair and swirled it around, staring at the ceiling.
"Do you think Tetsu is there?"
"No... probably not. Tengu knows about Ulim and his super nose as well as his great speed. He must've hidden Tetsu elsewhere to protect the real HQ. It also means Tengu isn't in the original hiding place, so Kitsune and Obake cannot escape easily anymore. It's the best time for me to end this baloney".
"But... you're grounded." I said, not to scold her, but it must've sounded that way.
"Douchebag, do you know what that means?"
"Yeah... shall we call the police?"
"No, you douchebag. It means it's time for me to act like a sixteen-year-old girl."
+++
At the end of the next day we left Okinawa, Yuna and I were at the university gates at north Kyoto. As the hanyou rightly said, she would act like a sixteen-year-old girl. At first, I didn't understand but after she told me to wait at the subway station in the late afternoon, I began to come up with my theories. Conclusion; She sneaked out. She took advantage of all her teenage hormones and in a total rebellious move, the girl jumped out of her bedroom window and met me at the station, as agreed.
Then, without further ado, we left towards Kyoto.
"Are you sure, Yuna? You came up with pretty convincing arguments, but…"
"But you're too afraid to break into a university late at night," she said. "How is a pervert like you uncomfortable doing what you like best?"
"I don't go around breaking into educational institutions, okay?!"
"So, you have an ice cream truck?"
"Of course not! I don't have this thing!"
"Yeah, yeah." Yuna took a few steps forward and scanned around her. "I don't wanna draw too much attention, so going in by the main gate isn't the way."
"We don't wanna draw attention at all and I agree, the main gate is not an option."
"Well" The hanyou glanced at me over her shoulder. "Since you're an expert, douchebag, have any ideas?"
"I'm not an expert! But yes, I have an idea."
"Oh" She turned to me. "Finally made use of your top head, huh."
"Let's stop making fun of me and focus on the mission." I pointed out the baseball field. "Isn't it easier to go straight through the baseball field?"
"Hmm... you're right, but the hiding place is a few feet under the lawn. The way to access it would be through an entrance in the men's locker room."
"Yes, but we can dig and access it from above and assault by surprise."
"It's not a good plan," she said, unkindly. "However, your stupid idea gave me a better one, not that it was too difficult."
"Okay, I've got it, mine was crap. And what's your big idea?"
"They already know we're here."
"What? What do you mean?"
As my brain searched for logic in Yuna's last speech, the reality around me began to unravel with a crimson glow. It's like the curtains of a theater slowly opened. What was revealed to me after those special effects was exactly the baseball field. I was standing in the middle of it, not knowing how and when I ended up there.
"Can't you get enough of these tricks, Fox?" Yuna was beside me. Her voice caught my eyes and eased my mental confusion.
At some point, probably since we got to the university's entrance, we're caught and manipulated by one of Kitsune's reality illusion, the Youkai Queen. She was further down at the hitter's base looking straight to Youkai Slayer at the pitcher base. Her orange eyes like fire spheres fought fiercely with the pair of sapphires on the hanyou's face, to decide which ones were the showiest.
"Child, did you come around to accept my request and come to join me?" Said the youkai.
"I pass. I'm not much of a team player, old lady."
"That's a shame," the youkai sighed. "You have so much potential. With you by my side it would be so much easier to carry out my personal projects. I wouldn't need any of the Three Treasures…"
"Speaking of which, I'd like you to give me back my belongings."
"You say as if the shield were really yours, child."
"The Kagami must be a heritage of humanity, as I'm half human, it's more mine than yours."
The girl's logic would make sense, but that's not how humanity's heritage works. Anyway, she wasn't serious. The hanyou was just making small talk. Then…
"I wish I could give you the shield, but I can't do that," said Kitsune. "However, my snow child, as the Youkai Queen, I like to be a fair sovereign. I am going to give you a chance to get it in the future."
"What are you talking about, Fox?"
"I'm just playing prophet, kid. Unfortunately, you're not yet ready to confront me. Even with this mystical flames proof uniform. But as I said, you have a lot of potential."
"Tsc. You even know about 23° Kyoto…"
"For now, stay with my champion. He had plans to take the Kagami from me and run away. He was a faithful member before that and his strength is really remarkable. I couldn't discard it. And thanks to my vast experience, I know the shield can control minds. That said, I hope you have fun with my roughest pawn.
Suddenly, the world around us darkened. As if all the lights went out, we were overwhelmed by darkness. The only visible thing to me was my own body and Yuna's, that was emitting glow like fireflies.
"More tricks," the hanyou muttered.
Just like our bodies, farther into the darkness a brilliant silhouette was formed. It was big and burly. It was certainly not human. And after this mysterious exhibition, the darkness dissipated with a fade revealing to us who was now at the hitter's base.
"Kappa," murmured Yuna.
A reptile youkai. A large bipedal turtle, half humanoid even, considering its muscular arms, legs and fingers on its feet and hands. The rest of its green body was covered by a brown shell and its reptilian head had eyes like those of a dragon.
"Douchebag, step aside."
Without thinking twice, I ran to the bench near the locker room door, but didn't sit down. I pulled out my gun and stood, prepared for anything Your Humble Narrator could be useful for.
My eyes were alert to the match about to begin.
The Youkai Slayer against the Super Mario Villain.
"So, what are you going to...?"
Cutting off the small talk, Kappa fired a ball of water at the girl, who was barely startled by the sudden strike. It's no secret or surprise to us that the hanyou had icy powers and clearly, a splash of water wouldn't have the least effect on the killer if launched from the front.
Yuna remained unshakable as a mountain on the pitcher base. And, as if by a divine will, the water sphere flowing in her direction, a few inches away from her angel face, gradually crumbled into snow, passing by the girl without a flake touching her body.
A magical and wintry scene that could only be provided by that ice mermaid.
"It was so stupid that I'm almost offended," she said. "You have no idea who you're facing, douchebag?"
It was a rhetorical question, to which Kappa answered with a snort.
"You don't speak?"
"..."
"Seriously?"
"..."
To that sequence of still silence, Yuna sighed, looked down, loosen her shoulders, and her guard. After that... pff... she started laughing.
Gracefully, like someone drunk with happiness she started giggling
"So... Yuna, are you okay?"
She ignored my question.
"Oh, I loved it." She said while laughing "For real... I loved it, Obake…"
"Obake? What do you mean?"
As if to confirm one of my theories, the reality around us once again began to fade with the infamous crimson glow. Kappa also started to evaporate with the reddish glow.
"I can't believe it." I murmured.
The reality revealed around us was now a catastrophic scenario. The university buildings were all on fire. All consumed by the orange glow of the fiercest element.
"Oh, oh." Yuna stopped her laugh with a groan. She turned back at the hitter's base, now empty. "You can show up, I've figured everything out."
"What?" Curious, I also addressed my gaze to the same base.
Nothing happened.
"Come on, Obake." The hanyou put her hands on her hips. "Let's get this over with. You killed Kitsune, didn't you?"
No one answered.
"Yes, you killed her." Continued Yuna. "That explains why I didn't smell her at that school in Okinawa and yet we're victims of a reality manipulation."
"What?" I was the one who most wanted explanations.
"I know you're hearing me, so here's my theory. Kitsune and Tengu arrived before me and the douchebag at Iron Brain's trade center, which means since we got there, we're already inside a reality altered by her. The location the shinigami gave us was fake. At that time, you're all already after the shield. Or rather, Tengu was. Kitsune stayed back at the shop to manipulate the reality of me and 3k1. Iron Brain was already dead and the location we took was part of Kitsune ambush plan for Mythpool. She knew we were together thanks to you and Tengu and she also knew I'd get information from the shinigami, also thanks to Tengu. When he got back with the Kagami you took it and used it to expand your powers. Just changing the appearance was very little, wasn't it? With the shield's magic, you're able to transform reality, standing on an equal footing with the Queen of Youkai. With the same shield, you must have controlled Tengu's mind, so killing Kitsune shouldn't have been complicated. In Okinawa, you used the plan to attract Mythpool to get closer to me and acted how you did... you took on the appearance of the only person I loved…"
She stopped to breathe, keeping her cool.
"So, say it, Obake, what do you want from me? What is the purpose of your game?"