"Do all of you guys dress like that?"

Reimu spoke to fill the silence in the endless grey corridor. It felt like she'd been walking for hours, and there was still no sign of her destination. The ceiling lights flickered precariously, threatening to go out at any moment. All she could hear was the echoing of her footsteps on the steel floor, as well as those of the woman in front of her.

"What, the suit?" The woman who'd introduced herself as Mamizou answered the question with a shrug. Her formal attire - an office suit with skirt and pantyhose - was a far cry from the casual tone of her voice. "Yeah, it's kind of a company thing. Very serious and professional, y'see. Gives the job the gravitas it deserves." She made inverted commas with her fingers for the last two sentences.

"If it pisses you off that much, why not just ditch the job?"

"It's annoying, but the pay's pretty fantastic." Mamizou slumped her shoulders. "That and my other option is getting stuck behind bars for the rest of my life. Not a hard choice in the long run."

Reimu furrowed her brow. When she'd been contacted about a job interview, she'd been expecting a greasy-faced forty-something asking her where she wanted to be in ten years. She wondered if she still had a chance to turn tail and get out of here; she'd have done it, too, if it wasn't for the fact she was four months behind on rent.

"Which reminds me," she said. "You still haven't told me what company you're working for."

"We don't have a name." Mamizou adjusted her glasses. "Not a real one, anyway. That'd be paperwork, and we don't exist on any official records."

"So you're a government agency, then."

"Something like that." Mamizou smiled. "Tell me, miss Hakurei. How much do you know about youkai?"

Reimu folded her arms. "That's a bit irrelevant, isn't it?"

"You'd be surprised."

Reimu paused. The woman was talking nonsense, but she did it with a grin that oozed confidence. Either she was delusional, or she actually believed what she was talking about. Either way, it was probably a bad idea to piss her off.

"My parents read me a lot of folk tales," Reimu said, rubbing at the back of her head. "They run a small shrine on the edge of town, so they're really into that kind of stuff."

Mamizou nodded. "And what do you think about it, personally?"

"What do I think?" Reimu snorted. "It's bullshit, is what I think. I mean, it's the 21st century. All that superstition is for old fogies and kids who don't know better."

Mamizou stopped and spun around, her smirk coyer than usual. "Superstition, you call it?"

"Well, duh." Reimu paused, then caught the meaning behind Mamizou's grin. "...Wait, you're not saying-"

"I'm not going to say anything." Mamizou adjusted her glasses. "I'm going to prove it."

The woman clicked her fingers, and a cloud of smoke burst out from the floor at her feet. Reimu leaped backwards, shielding her eyes with an arm. The smoke dissipated within seconds, giving her a clear view of Mamizou again.

"...Oh, you are kidding me."

Reimu couldn't hold back her expletives. Mamizou gave her a dramatic bow, in the same outfit a before, but with two very distinct additions. First was the pair of raccoon ears that had popped up from under her ruffled brown hair, along with a large leaf on top of her head. Second was the huge striped tail swishing about behind her, almost as large as she was.

"Impressive, huh?" Mamizou smacked at her chest with a fist. "Bet you've never seen a tanuki in action until today-"

"Bullshit." Reimu shook her head and clenched her jaw. "Absolute bullshit."

Mamizou pouted. "Hey, at least let me finish bragging before you complain."

"You think I don't know what's going on here?" Reimu pointed a finger, her voice rising to an incredulous peak. "This is some sort of prank, isn't it? You're some sort of quick-change artist trying to trick me into thinking youkai are real. I don't know who put you up to this, but I'm not that stupid."

Mamizou wallowed in her misery, her tail drooping and wiping at the floor. Reimu paid her no mind, turning on her heels and making her way out. How had she let this woman trick her for even a second? She had a million better things to do with her day than listen to this.

"Not that stupid, you say?"

As Reimu walked away, Mamizou's voice took on a lower, darker tone. She was probably trying to guilt-trip Reimu into believing her. Well, she was wasting her time, because nothing was going to convince Reimu that-

"Whoa!"

A figure popped out of nowhere in front of Reimu, causing her to stumble to the floor. By the time the shrine maiden had regained her footing, the newcomer was strolling towards her with their hands in their pockets.

For a moment, Reimu thought she was looking into a mirror. The girl approaching her...that was her, wasn't it?

"You humans are such a peculiar bunch." The girl spoke with Mamizou's voice, all of its humour sucked out. "You're so convinced you can explain everything that you've become blind to the supernatural."

Reimu's throat went dry. The first trick she could write off as a fake, but this was uncanny. They'd copied every inch of her body to the letter, right up to the clothes she'd picked out today. There was no way anyone could have planned this out in advance. But then that meant-

"You tell yourselves that the monsters under your bed are just shadows. That demons and beasts are just stories meant to scare little children into behaving." The clone pulled a pair of glasses from its pocket, balancing them on its nose. "And that makes you the easiest prey you could imagine."

Reimu tiptoed backwards. Her face was gaunt, and her heart was racing. This was more than just a prank now. She was staring head-on at something no amount of science could explain. It took all her self-restraint not to simply faint on the spot.

"That's more like it." The clone vanished in another puff of smoke, and Mamizou was standing in her place when the dust cleared. "From the look on your face, I'm guessing I've made my point."

Reimu was dumbstruck. How was she supposed to respond to that? Every ounce of common sense in her said this had to be a trick somehow, but she simply couldn't explain it. And this woman's presence; no matter how you looked at it, this girl simply was not human.

"...Fine. I'll buy your story for now." Reimu grabbed at her chest as her pulse started to die down. "But you really didn't have to spook me like that."

"Are you kidding?" Mamizou stuck her tongue out. "That's the best part of my job. Seriously, you should've seen the look on your face. Pure gold, I tell you." With a casual shrug, the tanuki made her way back down the corridor. "Anyway, if you'll just follow me for a little while longer..."

It took Reimu a few seconds to decide on a course of action. The adrenaline roaring in her veins told her to run away, but clashing with that instinct was a morbid curiosity. She'd always wished her life could be more colourful, and maybe this was the change she was looking for. A terrifying change, maybe, but since when did she back away from something just because it was scary?

"Sure, I guess." Against her better judgement, Reimu began to match Mamizou's pace again. "Though is it cool if I ask you something?"

Mamizou nodded. "Go ahead."

"You're saying that youkai are real, and lots of them want to eat us." Reimu scratched at her head. "If that's true, why have I never heard about it until now?"

The tanuki grinned. "Because we're here to stop them before they start."

A few minutes later, the corridor finally came to an end. A large metal door confronted Reimu, with no sign of a knob or a keyhole. Beside it was a panel built into the wall, its monitor showing a picture of an eye.

"A retinal scanner?" she said. "If you're a tanuki, that seems kind of redundant."

"I'm the exception that proves the rule. Or however that saying goes." Mamizou leaned over, staring into the panel as she removed her glasses. A green light ran down her face before the machine gave a beep in confirmation, and the door slid open.

"Ladies first." The tanuki stepped aside, motioning to the doorway with a flourish. "Watch your step. It's a little busy in here."

Reimu had made all of two paces into the room before her jaw dropped. She stood at the foot of a massive command complex, dozens of monitors firing off numbers and symbols she couldn't comprehend. At the forefront of the display was a map of the world, centered around Japan with flashing red dots to mark points of interest. Women in suits barged past her, talking over each other about matters of the utmost importance. The floor was so crowded, in fact, that some people chose not to use it at all.

"Uh, question." Reimu pointed at a young girl flying through the air on silvery wings, carrying a large envelope under her arm. "What is she supposed to be?"

"Just your average fairy," Mamizou said, before leaning in to whisper in Reimu's ear. "They're not exactly smart enough for field work, so we just have them take care of the heavy lifting. Don't tell them that, though."

Reimu nodded. It was hardly the strangest sight in the room. Among the crowd of suits were creatures of every shape and size. She saw ears, tails, even the occasional horn. The agents spoke in several tongues, some of which she'd never heard before and some of which didn't even sound human. If she'd had any doubt left about Mamizou's legitimacy, it was long gone now.

"So what exactly are these people doing?" Reimu kept to the wall to keep the horde from overwhelming her. "Besides yelling, I mean."

"This is our control center," Mamizou said. "From here we can keep an eye on our agents all over the world, as well as rally our forces to take care of any incidents that may occur."

"Incidents?"

"I told you that there are still youkai who prey on you humans, right? When they make their presence known, that's what we call an incident."

Reimu nodded. "And what does 'taking care' of an incident usually involve?"

"That depends. On a good day, we just need to wipe a few memories and talk things out with the perp. If they don't play nice, we lock 'em up until they reconsider."

Reimu pondered for a moment. She'd mentioned this before, hadn't she?

"You said that you'd be behind bars if you didn't work this job," she said. "Does that mean that you-"

Mamizou laughed awkwardly. "I may not have come quietly, yeah. Took half a squadron to take me in. I'd have gotten away too if they hadn't brought in the big fur-face."

"Fur-face?" Reimu's face scrunched up. "Who the hell is that?"

"Don't worry." Mamizou smiled. "You'll be meeting her shortly."

After following the wall halfway around the room, Mamizou led Reimu up a staircase. At its peak was an office with glass walls, its occupant typing furiously at a computer. Nine golden fox tails stood to attention behind her, hopping up and down in time with her key presses. She was so enraptured by her work that she didn't even notice Mamizou letting herself in.

"Hey, boss!" the tanuki yelled, throwing the door behind Reimu for good measure. "I brought you the Hakurei kid."

The fox flinched at the sound of the slamming door, heavy creases forming along her brow. "How many times must I remind you to refer to me as Director Yakumo?"

"Iunno." Mamizou shrugged. "But since I'm still not gonna call you that, I guess you haven't told me off enough yet."

The director shot Mamizou a vicious glare, her golden eyes shining with untold power. Mamizou kept one hand in her pocket, refusing to budge an inch under the fox's pressure. These two clearly had a long and colourful past, Reimu thought to herself.

"Thank you for your work, Mamizou." The fox woman cleared her throat. "Now, if you'll kindly give me a chance to speak with the human in private?"

"Aye aye, ma'am." Mamizou turned to leave, but whispered in Reimu's ear one last time. "Don't try stroking her tails unless you want your head used as a bowling ball."

"I heard that, Mamizou."

"No idea what you're talking about, ma'am."

Mamizou raised one arm above her head, waving the director goodbye as she sauntered out of the office. Reimu let out a sigh as the atmosphere began to clear up, her shoulders slacking now the threat of a brawl had passed.

"I'd like to apologise on her behalf," the fox said. "Mamizou is an excellent agent, but her attitude is...questionable, shall we say."

"Seconded," Reimu replied. She had to admit she found a certain charm in the tanuki's casualness, but now was probably a bad time to say as much. She took a seat in front of the director's desk, hands squirming about on her lap. "So I assume you're the one in charge of this operation."

"I do have a superior I report to, but in practice I'm the one who gets things done." The woman reached into her breast pocket and pulled out a small badge. "Director Ran Yakumo. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Reimu Hakurei. The pleasure's all mine." Reimu tried her best to look forward and not let her eyes fall onto the woman's luscious tails. "So one quick question before we begin - what exactly am I doing here?"

Ran closed her eyes for a moment, and swept her hand across the empty desk. A folder popped into existence beneath it, and she pulled it open to the first page. Reimu's gut clenched as a photo of herself stared back at her.

"Reimu Hakurei. Nineteen years of age." Ran recited the biography with her eyes still closed. "A certified genius who graduated high school with an unparalleled GPA, only to crash out of college within six months." The fox shook her head. "I've read your file a dozen times, and I'm still mystified. How could a girl with so much talent be so unsuccessful?"

Reimu frowned. She was hoping this conversation wouldn't come up. "They wanted me to do a shitton of recommended reading. One of my rules in life is that if I don't care about something, I'm not gonna waste my time on it." She shrugged. "So I didn't. Simple as that."

The fox creased her brow again. "Glaring attitude issues. Just as your file suggested." She rolled her eyes briefly before continuing. "As for why I called you here, I'd like to discuss your actions on the night of the 23rd."

Reimu clung to the arms of her chair. "I've got no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't bother playing dumb." Ran turned the page to what looked like a police report. "You chased a mugger into a back alley and beat him senseless. We had a fairy flying overhead who saw the entire thing."

Reimu hissed. Even the cops hadn't found out about that incident. Just who the hell were these people?

"I don't regret it, if that's what you want to ask me." She leaned back in the chair and folded her arms. "If you rob an old lady at three in the morning, it's only fair you lose a tooth or two. That asshole got what he deserved."

"That 'asshole' was also a highly dangerous youkai." Ran visibly winced on the word 'asshole', but pushed on regardless. "Based on the difference in physique alone, he should have pounded you into mulch."

Reimu almost fell out of her chair. "Seriously? That sack of shit was a youkai?"

"One we'd been trying to apprehend for some time." The fox gave Reimu a slight nod. "Many thanks for that, by the way. You saved us a good deal of trouble."

"...Sorry, I think I'm missing something." Reimu blinked rapidly. "You're telling me I beat the stuffing out of some supernatural being? How the hell did I do that?"

"Frankly, that's what I want to know." Ran cradled her fingers and placed her head upon them. "I suspect it has to do with your bloodline. The Hakurei family has been blessed by the gods for centuries, but it's been generations since they produced an heir this potent."

Reimu wasn't sure what she was hearing. Was this woman telling her she was some kind of monster-slaying prodigy? She grabbed at her temples, pinching to keep her brain from seeping out of her ears. She had come here for a job interview, not to have her world rocked three times over.

"You never answered my question," she said. "What do you want from me?"

"Exactly what I told you," Ran replied. "I'm here to offer you a position in our organisation."

Reimu raised a cautious eyebrow. "What sort of position?"

"I'm sure Mamizou has told you that we deal with youkai who threaten human society. Sometimes, a simple discussion is enough to make them reconsider. But in drastic cases, we have to convince them through...less peaceful means."

Ran smacked a fist into her palm. "To that end, we have a team of enforcers. Specially trained to combat and capture the supernatural, they're one of the most elite fighting forces on the planet." She pointed straight at Reimu. "And I'd like to recruit you as their newest member."

"...Huh." Reimu paused for a moment. "I didn't think you guys hired humans to work for you."

"It's rare, but not unheard of. Humans join our ranks perhaps once a century. That alone should tell you how much of a privilege this position is."

Reimu narrowed her eyes. "And if I refuse?"

"Then you'll forget this meeting ever happened." Ran's voice took on a new ominous edge. "We'll wipe your memory and never make contact with you again. You'll never get to explore your powers, and you'll go back to your boring, predictable life." The fox shrugged. "But if that's what you want, I suppose I can't stop you."

Reimu felt her stomach churn. This woman knew exactly what made her tick. "That's dirty."

"I prefer the word 'persuasive'." Ran outstretched her hand. "So, do we have a deal?"

The young shrine maiden stared at the hand in front of her, weighing up everything that the gesture entailed. This would be a dangerous line of work, undoubtedly. There was a good chance it'd end with her in a body bag. It would throw out any semblance of routine in her life, and fly in the face of every piece of advice she'd ever been given about her career.

And yet she wanted it anyway. She wanted to see how deep this hole of monsters and spirits would take her. She wanted to find out just how strong she really was, especially if she could use that power for good as well. And maybe she was a jerk for thinking it, but getting paid to beat down scumbags seemed like a pretty good job to her.

"You drive a hard bargain, boss." Reimu smiled before accepting the fox's handshake. "But I think I like the sound of what you're offering."

"An excellent choice." Ran's grip was gentle, but authoritative. "In that case, your first order of business will be to visit the company tailor."

"Tailor?" Reimu tilted her head. "Why are you sending me to a tailor?"

Ran smirked. "To get you fitted for your suit, of course."

We are the shadows you see in the corner of your eye.

By day, we walk among you. We are never seen, but always felt. We are the faces you can't recall in the crowd, the strangers brushing against your shoulder. We are nowhere, and yet we are everywhere.

By night, we take up the sword to protect you. We strike down foes you never knew existed, enemies you have relegated to the realm of fairytales. Our presence is always needed, but never praised. When you wake up in the morning, it is because we defended you from the creatures of the night.

We are magic. We are mystery. We are everything you fear. We will risk our lives to save you from your predators - without you even realising we were there.

We are the Maidens in Black. And we are the oil that keeps the gears of the world in motion.