"So, did you find any clue, Ulim?"
I got back at AAA in the last minutes of the day. It had been a little over forty-eight hours since Tengu disappeared with his son, Tetsu Tetsuya. My investigation began not too long after coming back with Yuna and the Okinawa agent. And since the beginning of my search…
"I couldn't find him, master. Forgive me."
My master was Mena Kitsune, the Dragon slayer. In the Association he was the most powerful of the assassins. Tetsu was in second place and he didn't get along with my master very well. It's not that they don't like each other, actually. They were mates, after all. They hardly ever launch on a mission together simply because almost none of those required both to gather forces.
Despite the Untouchable Killer not being very fond of my master, he still felt apprehensive about Tetsu's kidnapping. In my master's eyes, he was just a rebellious boy.
"No need to apologize, Ulim. You did a good job."
"Even though…"
"I'll do some studies before we search for him again. I'll talk to the boss and we'll call on an emergency situation if it's needed. For now, go rest, Ulim. Yuna is in her room, a little depressed. Why don't you hang out with her a little while? I bet it'll be good for both."
And there I went.
Obeying my master's command and also following his advice, my paws dragged me to the youkai slayer's coziness.
I just don't see the connection between the missy and rest.
"Canine coming in."
Since I couldn't knock on the door, I always announced my arrival with that line. It was our code. Since she hardly ever locked the door people used to knock and spy. Not out of spitefulness, I hope. In my case, being just a wolf, I'd notify my entrance and would barge in right after. And clearly Yuna has nothing to hide nor is ashamed to be caught walking out the bath, I believe she just hates to be taken by surprise.
And talking about shame...
"Hi, Ulim…"
As an inugami, different from a common canine's sight, I can see all colors normally. Barking this, the view of Yuna naked embracing an Iron Man dakimakura was processed with the highest quality by my eyeballs.
"Missy! What are you doing?!"
"Hugging my pillow…"
"Yes, but..." I pushed the door with my hind legs.
"Why did you close it? I'm not ashamed of my depressive state. In fact, the way I am must be eye candy for the one who's checking out."
The missy was lying face down on her bed, wrapping her arms around the dakimakura pressing her breasts and face against the superhero's printed image. And unsimilar the other deuteragonists in this series, I have no carnal desire for the Youkai slayer. After all, I'm a wolf, a pack leader.
Still, I cannot deny her body's symmetrical beauty. If it's not for her young face, it would be difficult to believe she was only sixteen years old.
"You're staring at my ass, you douchebag."
"What?"
"You're not gonna tell me you wanna tear a piece with your saber teeth."
Although she was saying shameless stuff as customary in her usual mood, the words came out of her mouth in a melancholy way. It sounded like she was being forced to utter those things.
"I surely don't desire to have any physical contact with you while you're naked."
"Great. If there's one thing, I hate in the world is zoophilia."
"What?! What were you thinking I was going to do?!"
"Nothing. It's not funny because you're a dog. If you're a man, even the most perverted person would be nervous and embarrassed by this situation. But with you, it's not funny at all."
"You should be grateful for that."
"Yes, that's true. But it would be hilarious to glare at you wagging your tail if I parted my legs just a little bit."
"Somebody must study you, missy. My instinct tells me there's still salvation."
She didn't reply. She twisted to the pillow and buried her face in it. And as a canine that I am, I'm very fond of Yuna and couldn't just ignore that sad condition of hers.
"Come on, missy, spill it out. Why are you so discouraged?"
She tilted her face slightly to me, lifting it up from the dakimakura.
"I'm grounded."
"I'm aware of that."
"No. I'm grounded for escaping grounding. A double punishment."
"Tsc, is that all? It's not enough to upset you, missy. I know your scent. Something happened, didn't it? The last time I witnessed you in a similar state of mind, you had just murdered your mother."
"When I killed my mother, I was much better than I am right now."
"And that's exactly what intrigues me."
"I... I don't know if..." As if she gave up the position she was in, still hugging the pillow, Yuna threw her legs off the mattress at the same time she lifted her torso. Now sitting on the bed's edge, she spread her legs, but the dakimakura clinging to her arms remained between her thighs, copying a real-life censure.
"If you need to say something, missy, you know I'm the best listener in this place."
"..."
"Missy...?"
It required me a little longer than usual to realize, but Yuna's eyes were watering. She hid her lips and nose behind the pillow and hugged the image of Iron Man tighter. Finally, the tears began to flow down her angelic face.
"Am I a monster...?"
"Monster? What do you mean?"
"I killed my father... I built up the courage for that…"
"Missy, no, your father passed away years ago."
"I know, but... it was identical to him…"
"Oh, I get it. You're talking about Obake, aren't you?"
And she nodded.
"So, you killed him? You definitely should be happy."
"It wasn't him I shot at... but my father's face…"
"Ah, yes... I understand. That... must have been... hard."
"Tsc, you don't understand. If you don't know what to say, just be quiet, you douchebag."
And so, with her forearm she wiped out the tears
"Sorry, missy."
"No problem, you at least listened to me. Contrary to your master who threw me here and didn't even look me in the face."
Regarding my master's actions I wasn't free to give my opinion. For someone in the shikigami category, my master was almost comparable to a divine existence and any comment would be interpreted as blasphemy. In such a delicate moment, the tactic was to always change the subject.
"You mentioned you shot, didn't you? Were you using a weapon... a fire gun?"
"Y-Yes. I snatched it from the little pervert. To save his life, by the way."
"Wait, are you telling me you reacted to save that agent?"
"Yeah…I did..."
"Okay, it can only be fever, I'll grab the proper medication."
"You douchebag, don't be a silly dog. He threw himself in front of me. I would never accept anyone to fight my battles for me, that's all."
"Well, knowing you, missy, I'm sure this is true. But aren't you forgetting to mention the fact you have a crush on him?"
"Having a...? What?! No! No, no, no, I don't have a crush on him. He's just a colleague."
"Admit it, Youkai slayer, you got attached to a human."
"I didn't get attached! I didn't get attached!" She began swinging her legs while shaking her head in denial. "I'm a mean girl! I don't get attached to anyone! I'll prove my evil to the world when I grow a mustache and organize a workers' Syndicate!"
"You don't have to say something so heavy!"
"Hmph," she puffed out her cheeks for a moment, putting an end to the subject.
"For now, I'll let it go, missy. But you should know that a little humanity will be good for you."
"Okay, okay." She ignored my advice. "Ulim, the screen blocked, could you move the mouse?"
"Hmm?" I glanced back over my body at Yuna's personal computer. "All right."
I turned around and my four paws budged me to the little missy's workshop. My muzzle slightly pushed the mouse. The image on the monitor shifted, displaying a web page. Or to be more specific, a Deep Web's page. A forum for terrorist information that was constantly being updated thanks to a programming code the missy herself had come up with.
"What is that?"
"The name is internet…"
"Yes, I'm aware. But I'm asking in relation to this terrorist forum."
"Oh, that. Well, I've been trying to find out Tengu's location, so…"
"Wait, were you imagining going after him too?"
"'Were' isn't the best word... " She scratched her nape, embarrassed.
"Missy, are you planning to run away again to seek that youkai?"
"Hey, I thought it was pretty obvious."
"Yuna, I can't allow you to do that. I'll warn my master…"
In response to my threat, Yuna with her divine will pointed her blue eyes at the door and it totally froze.
"Missy, what do you think you're doing?!"
"Pay attention to me, Ulim, Tetsu being kidnapped is my fault. If anyone must save him, it's me, the Hanyou agent!"
"You made that name up now!"
"Half human, half youkai, total agent." She uttered it in an indescribably dramatic way.
"No, missy, the mission is mine. I'll bring him back. You remain grounded, being a good exhibitionist girl."
"I'm going with you." She decided in a sudden change of mood, dropped the dakimakura on the bed and rose up, budging straight to her wardrobe.
"Missy, don't mess it up. How do you suggest leaving AAA with me? The cameras can catch and my master will stop you."
She put on white edge red panties, slid the undergarment down her thighs while raising her hips, emphasizing her perfect buttocks' curves. She innocently and confused glanced at me as if she wished to know what I was wondering about.
"What is it?"
"Do you really do these things fully aware of what you're doing?"
"So, you're really staring at me." She smiled. "I believe that not even a dog can't ignore my natural beauty."
"I just can't ignore the size of your ego, that's all."
Yuna continued to get dressed. She picked up a white edge red bra and dressed it in a way not as sensual as the previous piece. She adjusted her bra after putting it on then grabbed her breasts from underneath, making them bounce twice.
"Firm." She uttered, satisfied.
"Now that you're presentable, may you answer how you intend to escape this time?"
"Equally to all the other times."
"Oh, sure... hey, what do you mean with all the others?"
"I have a secret passage."
"What?!"
The missy grabbed another piece from her wardrobe and pulled it out. A long red basketball jersey. On the front you could read Tokyo in white and the number 23. She wore that uniform covering her body as a dress and then crouched down, collecting a red glove and a pair of white mid-high sneakers from the closet.
I saw her several times with that set of clothes, but while Yuna was putting on her sneakers something crossed my canine mind;
"Is your underwear supposed to match with the rest, missy?"
"What?" She blushed. "H-How did you notice?"
"You're all in red and white, I couldn't help but notice."
"It's just... In case I need to use 23° Tokyo in its spear shape, my underwear would harmonize with my glove and sneakers."
"Is this really necessary?"
"Of course, it is, you douchebag. It's gonna look really cool when they produce my action figures."
"Did you break the fourth wall to say that?!"
She put her glove on her left hand and graciously smiled at me in response.
"So, how am I?"
"Same way as usual."
"Great, it means I'm a babe. Now, Fleas Kingdom, let's check what my terrorist buddies are chatting about."
"I hate to say but it doesn't sound so wrong coming from you."
The missy settled in the chair and with a light stroke pushed herself a little further to the desk of her computer. Her fingers shifted to the keyboard and she started typing on that internet pit forum.
Propelled by curiosity, I laid my muzzle next to the monitor and noted all those screens and information being updated from time to time. And then, I noticed...
"Snowflake? Is that your fake name?"
"The cutest thing, isn't it?"
"Do they actually know you're real?"
"Of course, they do, sometimes I post some pictures wearing a bikini."
"You don't have a bikini, missy."
"Oops... so maybe I was naked?"
"What do you mean?!"
"I'm kidding Ulim." Her left hand came to my head and her fingers began to massage me. "I never show my face. At most, my little mouth. The idea was always to draw the attention of dirty men on the black market and with this hot body you scanned moments ago it's ridiculously easy. I signed up for a fake account, posted some photos and soon after people contacted me. The smartest ones only became my acquaintances, the disgusting imbeciles already set up dates with me."
"Did you go?"
"Absolutely. And there I killed them."
I have never felt so relieved in my entire dog life.
"I'm happy to acknowledge that my co-worker isn't a lunatic."
"Well, until a certain point…"
"Like what?!"
"You know. I have hybristophilia. Why do you think I dated Tetsu? Only someone with hybristophilia would care for that asshole."
"Have some manners, missy. Remember you're trying to escape just to save him. You know what they say, 'you shouldn't bite the hand that feeds you.'"
"Exactly. So, I'm gonna rescue him then rub on his face his dependence on me. You know what they say, whoever laughs last, laughs best."
Well, in the end, Yuna doesn't lose her essence. She usually mingles her gigantic ego in her personal relationships and also in her decisions coming from her sentimental side. For her, the Untouchable Killer's rescue was just a way of showing her independence and emphasizing her icy pride.
"There. Something interesting came up." The missy moved the mouse and did things my canine mind could not understand, despite being mystically improved.
The point is that she selected a sentence.
"There is an abandoned house which was originally on sale for a long time." She read it. "This is nothing too much. The tricky thing is since the end of the afternoon a presence popped up and disappeared, popped up and disappeared. I'm not sure what it is but it resembles a man. He may be one of Mythpool's executioners, so be careful. The residence is very close to the border between Saitama and Tokyo."
"Is it recent?" I asked.
"Yes, it's been two minutes. It can only be Tengu. The user is anonymous, so the information must be valid." She rose from the chair and stretched her arms. "It's our only clue."
"Missy, I comprehend you're committed and full of energy, but as I mentioned, the mission is mine. I'll ask my master for permission then leave to check out this place…"
"You douchebag, we certainly don't have time. If we follow the bureaucratic path, we won't be able to quickly get there."
"You really assume you're coming along with me... "
"Ulim, stop being a pain in the ass! If you don't want to join me, I'll go alone!"
"Good luck." And turned my back to stroll out the youkai slayer's personal room.
"Good luck to you as well, whenever you desire to eat those juicy pieces of white meat you love so much."
And so, the missy drew back my attention.
She was the one who imported those white meat pieces directly from the black market. One of our many secrets, since my master fed me with some weird bird seed tasting food. Considering she provided me decent food, her last speech meant...
"You wouldn't dare, Yuna Nate," I snarled.
"Look at that, you called me by my full name. Apparently, you felt threatened by what I said, Fleas Kingdom."
"You would never do that, would you, missy?"
"Wanna test how far my patience can go, my puppy?"
Although the sentence appeared somewhat affectionate, Yuna uttered in a tone as icy as her powers, along with her sapphires' pair staring at me defiantly.
Instinctively, I quit snarling and kept myself alert. Obviously, the missy didn't intend to attack me but my brain startled as if she were.
Finally, I surrendered to those dark blue eyes.
"Alright! What the hell! We'll go together but we'll only pay a quick visit. Meaning, if Tengu or Tetsu aren't there, we are coming back."
"Okay. You have my word of Girl scouts."
"You're not a Scout."
"Still, you may trust me, Ulim. Your dear kouhai would never disappoint you."
"Hmph, that already happened the moment I walked into this room."
+++
Before my paws pulled me out of the youkai slayer's nook, she told me to wait for her in the Association's garage. However, when I got there the missy was already lurking. The parking lot lights were out and the only camera had a frozen lens. The Yuna's scent came from a corner to the left side. And even though it was dark, I could easily visualize her young body in red.
She was gracefully sitting on a pile of boxes with nothing useful inside.
"Come on, missy. Soon they'll realize the camera's frozen lens."
"No, they won't."
"What you mean?"
"First I'll arrange a custom on you, douchebag."
"Ok... what style of customization...?"
Yuna didn't clarify my doubts at first, which made me somewhat worried. Then, she stepped down from the pile of boxes letting herself be carried away by gravity, then after dusting her uniform she strides to the other side of the garage keeping her gaze down seeking something.
My canine instincts weren't enjoying that.
Something unpleasant was coming.
"Here." The missy crouched and soon after raised her arm, clutching what apparently was a motorcycle headlight. "Hmm, where did I put the other one?" Still crouched, she tilted her body, while shaking her head from side to side.
That scene was supposed to be cute. She resembled a squirrel seeking for a nut. Although, with that lamp in one hand, I could only process that image like a gore psychological horror movie scene.
I was the victim of a feature film.
Yuna, the slaughterer.
I was sure of my analogy when the missy found another motorcycle headlight.
She stood up.
She came closer.
"What do you think you're going to do?"
"I'll put these neon lamps on you. So, when you run, the light trails will stain the air emulating Akira."
"You choose to put these things on me because you watched an animation of the eighties?!"
"Exactly. You're a very smart puppy, did you know that? Now, stay still, okay?"
To be honest, I considered fleeing and aborting the mission, but I guess having a pair of neon lamps attached to my thighs for one night wasn't really unbearable, considering that refusing it and aborting the mission would take away my meat for a very long time. Besides, if the missy's sources I judge being wrong are correct, that little trip would be a unique opportunity.
"All set." Yuna clapped her hands. "All I need is my improvised seat."
"What?! There is more?!"
"Of course, you douchebag. Do you imagine I'm gonna sit on your hard, strong, bare back?"
"You do that often."
"But this time is different, Ulim. It's a homemade seat, don't worry."
"That's what worries me the most."
And again, the missy began to inspect the garage corners in the darkness. She didn't have the trouble to crutch down this time. She only bent her torso and propped her hands on her knee. Until…
"I found it, I found it." She picked up the object, straightened her posture and turned to me. "See, isn't it cool?"
What was displayed before my canine eyes was, in short, a pillow attached to a belt. It resembled a ring. The belt formed a circle and the cushion was on top, like a jewel.
'Do I deserve it?' I questioned myself.
The missy placed her seat wrapping around my body equally to a watch around a wrist. Satisfied, she positioned her hands on her hips.
"The vehicle of my dreams."
"Vehicle?"
Ignoring my comment, she finally straddled my back.
"It's perfect. We can finally depart." In both of her hands, short blades of ice emerged with a blue glow, and in the next instant the twins were thrown against the steel ropes manipulating the garage door. As soon as they were cut off by weapons in the solid state of water, the exit fiercely opened up.
The noise echoed through the Association.
My point of no reverse.
That resounding sound hummed concerned our escape.
And in that situation, the only thing I could do was fire like lightning out of AAA.
+++
To avoid wasting time I took the liberty to fast forward the story, discarding the part where Yuna and I got lost in the path to our goal. In short of what happened, the missy forgot where exactly the abandoned residence was located and didn't even have the whim to establish some sort of route. As a result, we ended up driving around the city boundary until we finally arrived at the place.
A neighborhood a little far from civilization.
Funny that such a residence was still there, despite being abandoned.
Anyway, we weren't there to judge.
I jumped the wall surrounding the land and barged into the place.
Shortly after touching my paws in the yard, I sniffed the air to try to figure out what was proceeding in that abandoned house.
"Is it one of them?" Yuna questioned in a sullen tone.
"Neither the smell of Tetsu nor Tengu's."
"Tsc, that forum used to be more credible."
Well, your source isn't the one to blame. Besides, probably Tengu casted some kind of spell on him and Tetsu to outwit my keen sense of smell. Since I initiated this pursuit, I haven't been able to accurately track their scents and several times I've been made a fool of.
"It's a pretty sad story, indeed, Ulim. Nevertheless, in this small radius in which we're from the lonely residence, do you consider your nose would fail?"
"It's possible."
"Yeah... but if so, why are we still here and why are you so alert, Fleas Kingdom?"
"There's a quite weird smell coming from inside. It's strong, but I'm not able to compare it to anything. It's a whole new scent for me."
"Hmm, is it some new perfume, douchebag?"
"It's not an artificial fragrance, missy. It's a natural odor. At least I'm sure of that. it's refreshing, attractive and intimidating."
"Come on, isn't my smell you're sensing, huh?"
"No, missy, your scent is something sweeter and therapeutic, I would never confuse it."
"That was so cute, my puppy. How lovely! Who's Yuna's beautiful baby? Who's."
"Stop talking with such an embarrassing voice!"
And she gave in.
I reckon I raised my bark a bit.
What until now was a silent house shed its shyness and we began to hear footsteps coming from inside. It didn't take long for them to reach the wooden door.
As a result, my canines were unable to stay hidden in my mouth, then stood out among the rest of my teeth. On my back, the missy didn't put her guard down either. She raised an ice spear in one of her hands and prepared to fight.
So, then the door was opened, easily pushed sliding to the side.
"Hi, I…"
I'm not capable of correctly describing the moment Yuna hurled her spear at the presenting one sprouting from the residential gloom. What my canine eyes could recognize was the missy's attack wasn't as accurate as it used to be. In reality, it wasn't actually an assault to kill the miscreant, but a sudden move to delay and prevent any approach attempted by the rival side. Although… scratch the word sudden from the last sentence.
Fairly precise to catch a fly, the one at the abandoned house's entrance caught with one hand the flying weapon icy shaft, which would pass zooming his opposite shoulder.
"You guys aren't from the FBI, are you?"
We didn't reply.
The man's aspect in front of us was extremely common. At the same time somewhat peculiar. After all, for someone who catches one of the missy's spears so easily it's not expected to be an individual wearing sweat shorts and a striped shirt in gray and green.
"Tsc, who are you?" Finally, Yuna spills out her question.
"Unfortunately, young lady, before I tell who I am, I need to assure who you are." And he threw the spear aside. "I'm here in peace service and I believe it's unnecessary to get violent, don't you agree?"
"I don't usually let the obstacles ahead of me stay alive. I also don't appreciate this chat about 'assure' who I am. If you have any clue about my journey, you bet I am who you judge I am. In case this visual confirmation isn't enough, I'm not the one telling my name.
The missy pronounced it in a way that sounded like a true mythological legend invoked to the modern world to participate in a battle royal, at the price of which the winner is free to establish any wish to a holy chalice.
"Yeah... coming from your thoughts, young lady, I can only deduce you're the delivery girl for the pizza I ordered to this address a few minutes ago."
To that unpredictable answer, I felt Yuna's body relax on my back.
"Oh... yeah... I'm not a delivery girl, douchebag."
"It's a relief to hear it. I'd be quite shocked if my pizza arrived on top of a wolf."
"Pizzerias haven't yet adopted this type of fast delivery." I noted.
"Hey, don't be rude to my puppy, okay? And don't change subjects talking about pizza. If you don't tell me who you are there's no reason for me to keep you alive. I promise the next spear will be indefensible."
"In that regard, I guess I've made myself pretty clear. I need you to confirm who you are, so I may tell you who I am."
So, I barked.
Now I was the one losing patience.
Even so, the way Yuna dealt with specific situations was a little more physical than verbal. That way, I couldn't react when the missy hopped down from my back and fearless stomping, approached the mysterious feature.
"..."
Then she grabbed him by his shirt collar.
"Listen to me, you douchebag, especially today I'm…"
"Damn, it's really you... so pretty…"
"What?"
By that, the man pulled the rug under Yuna's speech. She released his collar and retreated two long steps before hugging her own breasts. Her irritated gaze became a sheath of revulsion.
"You're more gorgeous than the rumors implies, Crystal Knight."
"Knight...? Frankly, what kind of pedophile are you, huh?"
"Me? I'm not a pedophile. I'm a detective."
"I'm not convinced."
"Well, now that I settled who you are, my Knight, I don't have any reason to hide my identity."
"Hmph." The missy unclutched her chest and positioned her hands on her waist. "So, tell us little pervert, who are you, anyway?"