I jogged home using my umbrella to block myself from the rain. I looked at my phone and sighed. "10% chance my ass, it's been raining all week.."
I stopped as I reached a Shrine. I heard the quiet grunts of someone and went toward the shrine. As I neared closer to the grunting, I noticed it was Karasu holding her shoulder. I walked toward her.
"Karasu." I said and held my umbrella over her head.
Karasu looked up and noticed it was me. She grunted and scooted back a bit. "Y-You! Why are you here? You're here to kill me? Well good luck because- ACHOO!!" Karasu said then sneezed.
"Come on, you're getting a cold." I said then grabbed her arm and hurried underneath the Shrine.
Karasu followed behind and once we were under the shrine, she sat down and sighed. "Why did you help me?"
"Do I need a reason to do a good thing?" I asked and watched the rain.
Karasu closed her eyes. "I guess not."
I looked down at Karasu. "What happened to you?"
"Why should I tell you?" Karasu asked.
I placed my hand in my pocket then looked out at the rain. "Because I want to help you."
Karasu opened her eyes and looked up at me. She scoffed and crossed her arms. "Help me? How? You can't help me. You haven't even told me your name."
"I'm Yoshida Asato. I can help you. If you will just give me the chance to do so, I can show you." I said.
"How will you help me?" Karasu asked.
"Let me take you on a date." I suggested.
"A date? What's that?" Karasu asked.
I smiled at her and held my hand out to her. "Allow me to show you."
------
"Come on Mae!~ Join us!~" Orimi said as she followed the dance routine on the TV with Rimuri.
Mae stared at the two and sighed. "Why?"
"Because the Human on TV looks like she's having fun!~" Rimuri said as she danced. Bip hopped on Rimuri's head, looking happy while Rimuri danced.
Fujin smiled at the two as he prepared lunch. He looked at the clock and sighed. "Yoshida has been gone for a while. Hopefully he wasn't caught by the rain."
"Don't worry!~ Big Brother has his umbrella so he will be fine!~" Orimi said as she danced and hummed to the song.
"Yep! My human is the toughest around!~" Rimuri said and followed the dance moves she saw on the TV.
------
Karasu hesitantly took my hand and stood up. She grunted as she held her shoulder. I noticed it and gently held her.
"Looks like the MHF got to you. I have some bandages in my bag." I said then reached inside my bag. I heard my earpiece beeping and pressed it.
"Yoshida run! The MHF are closing in on your location!" Himeko said.
"What?!" I asked then heard someone land. I grabbed Karasu and hid behind a statue and held my hand on her mouth.
Karasu blushed and stayed silent as she heard walking in the distance.
"Unit Y4530 to HQ. I have landed at the exact coordinates where Black Harpy was last seen." Yaseo said. "Conducting my search now."
"You need to find a way to escape. From where you are now...it's going to be hard. I'm going to try and find the best escape route for you now." Himeko said. "Hold tight."
I looked at Karasu as I held her in my arms then looked back and noticed Yaseo walking around. He searched nearly every inch of the location then walked straight toward the shrine itself.
"Come out, Monster! We have units surrounding your location!" Yaseo called out. "You will not escape death this time!"
Karasu closed her eyes and hoped he wouldn't come near the shrine. I grunted and thought of a plan. I placed Karasu against the statue and signalled for her to be quiet.
I walked from behind the statue and held my hands up. Yaseo looked at me and heard his earpiece beeping. He pressed the button.
"Yoshida. He's where the Monster Aura is located, but he isn't a Monster. That means he must be hiding her somewhere. Arrest him and interrogate him." Ochiyo said.
Yaseo nodded and walked toward me. "Turn around and place your hands behind your back."
I did as he instructed and waited. I felt him put me in handcuffs and closed my eyes. He pulled me over to a lamppost and sat me down.
"Where is she?" He asked.
"I don't know what you are talking about. I was just here paying my respects to the Gods and Goddesses." I said.
"Can't knock him for that, but keep pressuring him. He will soon break.." Ochiyo said.
"I know you're hiding her here! Our readings show that the Black Harpy is here! So tell us where she is!" Yaseo said then pointed his gun at my head.
"I'm telling you I don't know anything. Just because I happen to be in the same place as your readings doesn't mean I'm hiding her! Remember she's the same one who attacked me, why would I want to protect her?" I asked.
'He's playing the game of deception...I need to escape while he's buying time...but he went all this way to try and help me...' Karasu thought to herself as she watched silently.
"While that may be true, Ochiyo was telling me how you came to Kurosaki Outlook to save her. Who's to say you won't try again." Yaseo asked and glared. "If you tell us where she is, we'll let you go once we find her."
I closed my eyes and sighed. "She's behind the shrine."
'He lied!' Karasu thought to herself and looked surprised.
"Hmph...giving her up for your freedom. Smart choice." Yaseo said then walked off. "All units! Follow me to the back of the shrine!"
I opened my eyes and watched Yaseo and his units hurry to the back of the Shrine. Karasu peeked her head out then hurried over toward me then broke me out of the handcuffs with her fan. She helped me up.
"She isn't back here! She must've flown away while we were interrogating Yoshida. All units! Follow me!" Yaseo commanded.
"We have to hurry..!" Karasu said as she helped me up.
"Leave without me. I can't have you hurt again." I said then grunted as I heard the mechanical wings.
"Ahh so he lied so he could make a quick escape with her. Detain him and kill Karasu!" Ochiyo said.
Karasu noticed Yaseo flying toward us then summoned powerful winds to blow him away. She grabbed my hand and ran off, using the current of the wind to boost her speed.
"After them!" Yaseo bellowed.
"Yoshida! They are on a hot pursuit on your ass! I'm going to find a new escape route!" Himeko said in my earpiece.
Karasu panted as she ran away from the MHF Units. They began to fire energy bullets at us then she pushed me forward and turned around. She screeched and a powerful soundwave nullified the bullets.
"Commander Yaseo! She just nullified our bullets!" A unit yelled.
Yaseo flew past them and unsheathed his energy broadsword then slashed down at Karasu. Karasu summoned her katana then groaned as she was blown away. She was still weakened by her last encounter with them.
"Karasu! Just leave without me!" I yelled.
Karasu grunted and looked back at me with sorrow in her eyes then spread her winds and flew off.
I began to run off and follow the directions Himeko gave me to escape the MHF. Yaseo chased after Karasu while the other members chased after me. They began shooting at me, but missed their shots as I began to run faster.
"He's so fast!" A unit called out.
Nene flew toward me at high speeds. I looked back at her and noticed she was catching up. I took a sharp right then ran off. Nene came to a quick halt and flew after me.
"At the rate you're going, you'll be in Kurosawa! There's a park there you can hide in." Himeko said.
I nodded and kept running until I reached the park. I ran toward the sandbox and picked up sand and threw it at Nene. She groaned and covered her eyes then ran into a metal pole.
I heard a pained screech and noticed Karasu falling from the sky. I ran toward her and caught her then looked back.
"That's enough running!" Yaseo bellowed and pressed a button then a massive Mecha landed on the ground. It was a white mecha that wielded two giant guns, one in each hand.
"Unit White Shooter! Fire away at them!" Yaseo bellowed.
I grunted and began to run away with Karasu in my arms. "It's about time I get to see how you really work, Karasu! I'm busting my ass for you! In return you save my ass!"
Karasu heard the White Shooter fire lasers at us then her wings turned into steel and protected us, deflecting the lasers back at the Mecha. We heard a mechanical roar then White Shooter's eyes shined red. It began to fire a beam at us then caused an explosion.
"Are you crazy?! Are you trying to kill Yoshida?!" Ochiyo asked.
"He is a liability! We can not keep him alive for much longer!" Yaseo said.
The smoke cleared and he noticed we were nowhere to be found. Nene stood up slowly and looked at the smoke and her eyes widened.
"C-Commander! Did you kill him?!" Nene asked in shock.
"He's still alive. They managed to escape somehow." Ochiyo said. "I can't sense her Monster Aura."
"I'm going on the pursuit! I'm ending this now!" Yaseo bellowed and flew off.
------
Karasu and I panted as we sat inside of a building. I looked out the window to make sure no one followed us. I sighed and slid down the wall.
"How did you do that?" I asked.
"I made an illusion and teleported us elsewhere. I am a Tengu and we are capable of many abilities, more so Wind Manipulation." Karasu said.
"Can you explain your kind to me? I want to know more." I said.
Karasu sat beside me and looked at her legs. "There are 18 Types of Monster Energy. Abyss, Gale, Umbra, Photon, Pyro, Aqua, Terra, Fulgar, Echokine, Cryo, Chrono, Ourano, Chloro, Serqe, Twili, Sol, Noctu, and the last is Aether."
"You must have Gale Energy." I said.
Karasu nodded. "Yeah. Every monster has a specific type of energy they master in, but that doesn't mean that's the only thing they are good at. The Type of Monster we are allows for more advanced abilities."
"Yeah? You're a Tengu right? What all can you do?" I asked.
"I can Teleport, I can control the weather, I can use telepathy, I can make illusions, manipulate my wings...Uhm...I can use Unholy Elements surprisingly. I can do a lot as a Tengu." Karasu said.
"I see..." I said then closed my eyes.
Karasu stayed silent a bit and held her arms. "Thanks."
I looked at Karasu. "For?"
"Helping me escape...I was uncertain about you when news came out that you tamed Rimuri, the Abyssal Princess. I thought your plan was to use us for nefarious deeds, but...you turned out to be genuine. So in return I will allow you to tame me." Karasu said.
"Well to tame you, I kinda have to kiss you." I said.
"Kiss? What's that?" Karasu asked.
I blushed a bit and looked at her then made her look at me. "It's when you put your lips against mine."
"Can you show me?" Karasu asked and tilted her head.
I nodded then got closer to her. She watched me then we both heard an explosion on the roof. We looked at the roof and heard another explosion.
"Yoshida Asato! Come out with your hands up! It's time you give up that monster or give up your life!" Yaseo called out. "We have you surrounded!"
"Fuck...We need to get out of here.." I said then heard a third explosion and noticed Yaseo enter the building and land on the floor.
Yaseo pointed his broadsword at me. "It's over. You are a Level 3 Threat to the MHHQ. You have two options, surrender and be placed under house arrest or die with this monster."
I stood up and held my arms out at my sides. "I won't allow you to kill her! If you kill her, more damage will be done to Japan! If you let me tame her you'll have nothing to worry about!"
"Negotiations are out the window. I've given you your two options now choose." Yaseo said.
"I choose to protect Karasu." I said then glared at Yaseo.
"So be it." Yaseo said then dashed toward me. "You will die!"
Karasu pulled me behind her and summoned her katana and blocked the attack. "Run! Run Yoshida and don't stop until you're safe! They want me! You have to live!"
I looked at Karasu and grunted softly. "No...I won't allow another Rimuri situation to happen again! I refuse!" I yelled and my heart thumped. I grunted and fell onto one knee.
I panted and felt my blood rushing. I felt slight Monster Aura surrounding my heart and my eyes shined. "I won't let him kill you..!"
"Yaseo! I'm getting some readings...and it's coming from Yoshida!" Ochiyo said.
"Huh...so it's true, you are a Monster. No wonder you're trying so hard to protect these Monsters." Yaseo said then smirked. "All units! Destroy Yoshida!"
"Wait! I didn't say you could attack him! It's dangerous if you-"
All of Yaseo's Forces began to fire their bullets at me.
"Yoshida!" Karasu yelled and rushed toward me.
My heart thumped hard and my eyes shined. As I panted smoke came from my mouth. The bullets began to hit me, but I didn't feel a thing. My chest began to hurt and I began to stand up. I grunted then let out a roar and my Monster Aura surged powerfully around my body.
"No...NO! You have to retreat! Retreat now!" Ochiyo yelled.
I opened a void in front of me and the void turned the color red and I fired a powerful beam of Abyss Energy at Yaseo.
He kicked Karasu away and dodged the beam and looked at me surprised. "What the..."
------
Mae, Orimi, and Fujin heard their phones beeping and looked at it.
{Warning! Warning! Level ??? Threat has surfaced in Kurosawa! All citizens quickly retreat to a shelter! This is not a drill!}
"Kurosawa? That's like 20 minutes away from here! What's going on?!" Mae asked and turned on the news.
"A strange monster has awakened in Kurosawa Mall and is causing destruction! All citizens of Kurosawa are warned by the MHF to retreat to a shelter immediately!" The news reporter said.
"Wait...that looked like..my Abyss Energy!" Rimuri said in shock.
Everyone looked at Rimuri as she watched in awe. They looked back at the TV and hoped I was alright.
To Be Continued...