The shadows of the night rolled over their location while the police secured the area. A group of police investigators took the boxes of items as evidence and shoved them into their vehicles. If we had not obtained the book and the laptop prior, we may have been left with nothing.
The young girl was perhaps safe in a hospital now.
"You could have spirited her away without this big show," I said to Arahabaki as we lounged around, waiting for the humans to leave the kominka.
"That's naïve," he smirked. "There's a reason we choose not to reveal our presence to the public. Same reason as your kind for keeping it under wraps."
I mused at his words. "Gods would not elicit as much fear from the humans, like us. After all, all gods had revealed themselves in the past."
"Past. That's your key operational word. The early humans didn't understand the world well. They would be overjoyed at a greater power, choosing to nurture them, teach them. Modern humans now - most think they are the gods," he said.
"What about your followers, then?"
"I don't appear to them as myself. The age old foolproof idea is to pretend to be one of them," he replied.
"In this?" My finger pointed at his punk goth clothing.
Arahabaki rolled his eyes. In a blink, his reddish hair was black, short and combed back. His face was still the same. His punk goth wear and belt chain turned into a junior Shinto priest garment.
"My name is Abara Hakuto, nanori pronunciations of my known name can be fun. I am a part-time gonnegi ranked Shinto priest with…," he snapped his finger a certificate from a shrine appeared in his hand. "Online qualifications from Osaka and I did that on my own without my godly powers, unlike my driving licence. I serve myself but the humans don't know it."
No shit. Arahabaki must have been really bored to even take a human examination. I just whizzed my way into the driving license center, influenced all the humans present, and walked out with a driver's license.
For yōkai, who mingled among the human society, like myself, the tanuki yōkai entered our registration into the identification database of Japanese nationals. A necessary evil to get through the dastardly Japanese bureaucratic system of countless government departments, municipal offices and even ward offices.
"You could have done your own appeasement ceremony then," I pointed out.
"No can do, only the negi or the higher ranked guji Shinto priests who perform the complicated ceremonies," he laughed.
I looked at him, puzzled, "don't you have to serve the others in the shrine."
"Trust me when my roster is up, all the gods in my shrine try to influence the senior priest through their unseen ways, to get me to deal with my little shrine and not theirs." He had a malicious grin on his face.
I could imagine why the others rather not have him touching their shrines.
"What about the other gods? Do they also play Shinto priests?"
Arahabaki shrugged. "None of my business. Do I look like I am best buddies with most of those Yamato Gods? Mishakuji for sure, think I am nuts."
The noisy gravel from the road signaled the departure of one filled up van.
"Not long now." Arahabaki commented as his Shinto priest garments transformed into his usual punk goth look with the steel-toed boots to match.
***
The police had cleared out all computers, documents and even clothing, saved for some leftover usb connection wires and extension power cords. The kominka was almost empty except for the trapped yōkai energy．
"Funny," Daija muttered at a poster along the empty corridor
"What's so funny? It is just the four ancient corners of the constellation map. North, South, East, West and their four heavenly creature symbols, Genbu the old turtle, Suzaku that burnt out vermilion bird, Byakko that tired old white tiger and Seiryu, that snake of a dragon," Arahabaki commented as he continued on to the next room.
"Sheesh, I wondered if they offended him…," Daija mumbled as we followed him to the source of the trapped yōkai energy.
"Now this one is interesting, all the elemental symbols of water, fire, metal, wood, and earth. That isn't Japanese but Chinese…," Arahabaki studied the room.
"A trap? "
He did not say a word.
A momonofu, his rotund odd looking warrior, appeared in front of us, and flew into the room.
Our eyes widened in surprise as the entire room turned into a smoky haze and the momonofu disappeared from our view. In its place, a figure of a man walked out.
"Same guy," Daija nudged me.
Death said he was not exactly human. The physical shell is human.
"Let's make a deal," the man spoke up. "Arahabaki."
Arahabaki waved a finger and his momonofu returned. Those two know each other, I thought.
"Been a while since I have seen you."
"Yeah, ages," Arahabaki replied. "What's this with trapping our yōkai? The last few times, you know how Takamagahara dealt with you."
"Come on, their powers are waning as their followers dwindle down. Except for land guardians like you. Don't you hate how they persecuted you?" The man smiled with a certain malevolence radiating from his being.
"Your tactic works on humans, just not me," Arahabaki shrugged. "Tell you what, release our yōkai."
"Can't, they are my energy source like those two beside you," the man licked his lips. "Besides, you never opposed me. Why now?"
I didn't like the sound of it and neither did Daija, who clenched his fist. He was already in battle stance. Whatever this creature was, he had a familiar presence, which I could not seem to recall.
"Because you are opposing me now, simple," Arahabaki said. "Don't you have your own territory to corrupt instead of fooling around in Japan?"
"My kind spreads worldwide then and still spreading now…," the man replied. "Send my regards to Takamagahara."
"Oh no, you don't," Arahabaki yelled.
A reddish aura glowed in his fists. Before anyone could react, Arahabaki flung a fiery, bright orb at him, sending him crashing into the wall. The planks broke as he slid down to the ground.
"Not so flash when you are possessing a human."
Blood was running down the man's mouth. He coughed out more of the dark red viscous fluid onto the floor. His hand smeared it on a drawn symbol.
Arahabaki leaped forward. With one hand, he pinned the man's neck against what's left of the wall.
"I think Arahabaki has just destroyed the spell field," Daija pointed at the greenish yōkai energy which engulfed Arahabaki and the mysterious man.
"Should we?"
Another crash through the wall. Through the greenish energy fog, we could make out a large hole.
With a pang of regret, we could only watch as it drifted away. What's left of those captured ghosts and yōkai was a slurry beyond redemption. Not sealed, but destroyed.
"I don't think Arahabaki needs help," Daija ran out and peeped. "His wrath makes him powerful.."
My iPhone beeped through the ruckus. I took it out to look at the message.
[Hage: Just checked with the others. It's a big trouble. Will tell you more when you return.]
[Arahabaki is dealing with it. We have one.]
[Hage: Not that simple. They have a couple of leaders in a few locations. That guy you told me about - isn't the only one.]
Shit.
"Daija, this is only the start of our problems. The threat may be much bigger than a Momoji problem and we got to talk to that old witch."