A/N: Hello everyone! So, this is my contribution to the One Piece Halloween Fic Project on Tumblr. I took a different approach on the theme, so even if it has the supernatural genre, it's not really Halloween-ish. This was supposed to be a one-shot, but I saw I wasn't gonna finish in time and decided to split it into chapters. It's also getting bigger than intended, but oh well.
The story happens sometime during the Meiji Era in Japan (1868 - 1912). You don't have to know much about that period, only that Japan opened to foreigners and started changing from its feudal form to a modern one. Also, in case you know the mythical Japanese creatures that'll appear, I'm only following some things from the legends while adapting others.
The cover image was a joint effort of me and my friend. She drew him based on a picture I showed her, and I added some small details of the clothes and colored it. The quality of the picture isn't very good, but I tried XP
This story is dedicated to lunarshores, who is an amazing person and even betared the chapter too. Thanks a lot! It's a super late birthday gift, but it's here now! :D
Important words:
Kitsune – They are a type of yokai, or spiritual entity, though they aren't ghosts. Fundamentally, they're like regular foxes who possess superior intelligence, long life, and magical powers. It's said that the higher the number of tails a Kitsune has, the older and more powerful it is.
Hakamashita – Hakamashita means "under hakama". Basically, it's a kimono that's cut shorter and with a slit in the back, so that it will fit comfortably under a hakama.
Hakama – There are different types of hakama, but in this story I'll only use one. It's a large trouser that's tied at the waist and falls approximately to the ankles. They are worn over a hakamashita.
Obi – It's a sash that was (and is) used with traditional Japanese clothes to hold them. It stays a bit above the hips, and it differs in style and size depending on if it's for young or old women/men. Men's are much simpler, being many times only a plain ribbon. Women's have many designs and are bigger.
Geta – It's a type of old Japanese footwear. It's a kind of sandal with an elevated wooden base held onto the foot with a fabric thong to hold the foot.
It was already getting dark when Ace finally sat on the branch of his newest favorite tree. As usual, he rested his body against the tree trunk and crossed his arms behind his head, getting in a comfortable position.
He looked around scanning his surroundings, taking time to thoroughly analyze the still busy roads. The main one, which crossed the forest, was often used by the residents of the closest city to reach houses on the outskirts, some shops and the temple; the second road, a small dirt one, was a shortcut that lead to the edge of the city. Both were crucial to Ace for tonight, and it was of utmost importance that he kept part of them in his sight for now.
It's gonna take a while today. Ace sighed mentally when the flow of people didn't seem to be decreasing after a while. Expected, since it's Saturday, but I might lose my chance to catch my prey like this…
Without nothing else to do but look at people walking and talking, Ace soon got bored. He needed something to distract him from the sense of restlessness that had been with him for a while now. If he didn't act calm, his strategy wouldn't work, and it could take even longer to reach his goal.
Feeling his obi slid down a bit from his hips, Ace turned his eyes to it with a frown. Just like the other nights he did this, he had to make sure he was looking good enough, or his plan could backfire, so this wouldn't do. Sighing, he started fiddling with it so it'd stay tied tightly and hold his hakama. At least, it's a distraction. He though absently while switching his attention to his hakamashita in a search of any possible holes.
Nodding to himself when he finally deemed his clothes were fine, his eyes went back to the main road. A few other people were still there, but no one else seemed to be coming; it was time to start.
Ace extended one arm and opened his hand, watching with a fond smile the fire that started to grow from the tips of his fingers. The familiar soft sound and light the flames created, always brought tranquility to Ace and made this be one of his favorite parts in his routine. His hand made a cupping motion, and the fire followed, molding into the form of a ball.
Ace dropped it and watched as the fireball floated in front of him. Repeating the action, he soon had many others surrounding him with light and warmth. Good thing I'm high enough or somebody would be bound to notice this.
He pointed to his left and observed as his creations seemingly disappeared from sight. A tiny flicker of light coming from down the road, away from the direction the last few people were heading, showed the fireballs were in their positions.
Ace chuckled while he closed his eyes; it was amusing how this technique always worked with humans. They had created a name for it – he thought it was something like Will-o'-the-Wisp – in an attempt to avoid it, but many travelers still mistook them for city lights. He wasn't going to complain since it made his job of leading them towards him easier, but it didn't make their stupidity seem any less contemptible.
Regardless of how little Ace thought humans used their brains, he needed one to appear soon. He was growing hungrier each minute, and if he had to wait much longer, he was sure he'd leave it for another day and go looking for some fire that was not his own to eat.
A sudden disturbance coming from one of his fireballs made Ace's eyes snap open. He felt it waver and disappear, signaling exactly what he wanted: someone had passed by it.
Smirking, Ace jumped off the branch and fell on the ground with a soft thud. He brushed a non-existent dust from his clothes and got a small basket with cloth and fruits from where it rested by the tree trunk. Walking though the familiar forest was easy for him and soon he found himself by the main road.
Ace's fireballs were always directed to a road nearby, where they'd attract someone and lead them to the main one where he waited. After that, their job was done, and it was time for Ace to put on his act.
He felt another one of his fireballs disappear, signaling the person was already on the right road, just like planned. Putting a serene smile on his face, he started to walk in the direction his target was coming from while humming a song; it was time to start.
Soon, the figure of a person, who Ace identified as a traveler by his clothes, appeared lit by the last one of his fire creations. It soon flickered out as well and left only the bright moonlight to illuminate the place. As expected, it didn't look like the man had noticed the missing light, only increasing Ace's exasperation with humans' foolishness.
As they drew nearer, the human seemed to see he wasn't alone and went a bit to the side. Ace, however, kept going on his way and used the opportunity to analyze his target. He had to avoid scrunching his nose; Kitsunes loved beautiful beings and, unfortunately, this man wasn't one. It could have been worse, he knew, but seeing such an oily black hair held in a ponytail coupled with the sweaty face of the traveler didn't help. That's what he was going to have to endure if he wanted to make his plan to work faster.
The man suddenly stopped altogether, and his mouth opened in surprise. Ace tried not to roll his eyes; there was the typical human reaction. Kitsunes tended to take great care of their appearances, and Ace's experience showed that, for some reason, most humans always found them extremely attractive. It didn't matter if his target liked others of his gender or not; he would end up interested in Ace, whose strategy would progress smoothly.
The traveler blinked his eyes a couple of times before shaking his head. He looked around as if disoriented before making sure his bag was securely attached to his shoulders. Nodding to himself, he resumed walking, this time watching Ace with a thoughtful expression.
Meanwhile, Ace kept approaching and pretending he didn't care about the traveler one bit. His mouth turned slightly upwards when he reached a small distance from his target; time to begin.
He pretended to stumble and let his basket fall, some of the fruit scattering on the ground. He cursed softly and kneeled to gather them, only to suddenly get another pair of hands helping him.
"Do you need help with these?" The traveler asked though he was already holding an apple and putting it in its place.
"Oh, don't worry, I can do it. I wouldn't want to bother you." Ace looked apologetically at the man.
"It's not a bother." From so close, there was no hiding the satisfaction that showed on the man's face.
"If that's the case, then I'll accept your help. Thank you." Ace suppressed the urge to snort and smiled sweetly instead.
Soon, all the fruit was gathered up, and they rose. Ace bowed slightly as a show of gratitude, but before he could leave, the traveler put a hand on his shoulder.
"If you don't mind, could you help me in exchange? I'm heading for a place to stay at in the closest city, but I think I got lost on the way." His eyes traveled across Ace's body in a subtle way, and since Ace was already used to that, he easily noticed the action.
Someone's feeling confident, huh...
"You're lucky. There's a city close to here. I could show you the way to an inn, but I need to leave this basket at home…"
"I'm in no hurry, actually." By now, the man's voice held a barely concealed desire. It was no wonder, though; Ace knew by experience that travelers tended to be the most eager ones of his targets, probably because of their long time away from a companion who'd satiate their needs.
Ace bit his lip with a feigned thoughtful expression and then widened his eyes a bit, as if in sudden comprehension. The man tensed before a confused look appeared on his face at Ace's small smirk.
"Well then, if you want… you can come with me, and after that I'll take you there."
The traveler's mouth opened slightly in surprise, as if he couldn't believe what he heard. Of course you're not that lucky. I just so happen to want the same as you. Ace resisted the urge to say.
"I don't think I'll find the way alone in this darkness, so I'll accept your offer. Thank you." The man tried to straighten his clothes and flashed a charming smile.
Ace turned around, so the man wouldn't see him rolling his eyes, and started walking towards the dirt path, a more secluded way that'd give them enough privacy. It won't take much longer now.
He only had to stretch once, move his hips a bit more than necessary, and smirk at the traveler over his shoulder to get the reaction he had been waiting for. His basket fell again on the ground as Ace's back hit the closest tree, but this time no one stopped to gather the fallen fruit.
The wandering hands were rough and needy, but nothing that Ace hadn't been expecting. He let the man take the lead, all the while trying to control the restlessness that grew with each step closer to his goal; it wasn't the time to get distracted.
Ace let a smirk fall on his face and licked his lips, knowing the human would mistake the meaning of the action. What he wanted now was right there; he could feel it crawling under the man's skin, a vivid life force only humans possessed.
And if the only way to get such a delicious meal and make his plan go forward was through sex with an unkempt human, then so be it.
"People at the city are getting restless, you know. Another sick-looking person arrived only to die shortly after."
It was with those words that Ace's friend greeted him that afternoon. Ace only snorted and lied down on the grass with his arms behind his head. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of the afternoon's sunlight on his face for a second before answering.
"You say it as if it was a bad thing, Nami."
"It is, but I guess it does help you in a way." Ace opened his eyes just in time to see Nami rolling her eyes. She sat down on a rock, took off her geta with a satisfied sigh and started to comb her long red hair with her fingers, fluffy ears suddenly appearing on top of her head.
Ace heard Nami start talking about something, but he was too sleepy to pay attention. The comfortable warmth the sun provided helped his muscles relax, and he felt himself closing his eyes again.
That was when a pebble hit him on his head.
"Hey, what was that for?!" Ace glared at Nami.
"You weren't paying attention to what I was saying, so I figured that'd wake you up." She shrugged. "Now, can you pay attention?"
Grumbling under his breath, Ace threw the small rock away. "What do you want?"
"Did you have anything to do with it?"
"With what?"
"With those sudden cases of people dying with a mysterious sickness." Understanding appeared on Ace's face, and he hesitated for a second, not knowing what he should say. At his silence, Nami groaned before glaring at him. "I can't believe you! You did it again?! I thought I had convinced you to stop for at least one city! It's not like the trail will be lost!"
"Who said it was me?" A sudden strong wind started blowing around them, making Ace immediately sit up with his hands raised. "Okay, okay! It was me! No need to get angry."
"I have every right to get angry!" Nami huffed crossing her arms; nonetheless, the wind calmed. "That's dangerous for you and for our kind, Ace! We have to go forward with caution! Until now, it's going as you want and the rumor of people suddenly dying is spreading, but what if the humans' superstitious side suddenly decides it's not a sickness, but a creature that's doing it? You know how people believe those mythical tales."
"Well, then they wouldn't be wrong. Plus, it would help me too."
"Ace!"
"What?" When he saw her looking at him with her hands on her hips, he sighed and crossed his legs, getting into a more comfortable position. He knew where this conversation was going to, and he didn't like it. "What do you expect me to do, Nami? You know I don't like the idea of staying still."
The annoyance that was on Nami's face disappeared, leaving an exasperated expression. "Yeah, I do, but it doesn't mean I approve of your means. Are you sure this is the best way to do it? We've been traveling together for a while now, and nothing has happened."
"And yet, you're reprimanding me."
"That's not the point."
Ace passed a hand through his hair, and averted his gaze; he tried to ignore the frustration bubbling inside of him. "I don't know, but it's the only thing I can think of. Only searching didn't work, so maybe bringing attention through rumors to the place I'm at will. The signs are easy to recognize."
"Which makes it even easier for unwanted people and trouble to come too."
"Then I'll deal with whatever comes. I'm prepared, so it'll be fine." Ace pinched the bridge of his nose. "It has to work sometime, Nami."
A hand touched his shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. Ace turned and saw Nami looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "Alright, alright. You're too stubborn for me to change your mind. I might not approve of the way you're doing this, but it doesn't mean it can't work – even with all the danger. I'm still keeping an ear out for any kind of positive information, so if there's any sign it's working, I'll know it." Her grip tightened painfully. "Now, if you could only not risk our disguise so much, I'd appreciate it a lot…"
"Right, I'll be careful!" Ace winced: Nami was much stronger than she seemed to be. When she released him, he quickly got to a safe distance from her.
Nami rolled her eyes. "You better be, especially if you find him."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Ace smirked, eyes gaining a ferocious glint. "I know perfectly well how to deal with him when we meet."
"Just don't underestimate him. You did it last time and got in this situation."
A shadow passed over Ace's eye as flash of a bloodstained ground crossed his mind. He shook his head and forced a cheeky grin, trying to pull the memory away. "Nah, it's okay. I've got it this time. And I promise to lay low and not get another human for a few days, then."
"Oh, that's so kind of you." Nami put a hand over her heart sarcastically. She got up and stretched. "Really, you succubus Kitsunes are just impossible."
"What can I do if the humans' life force is delicious?" Ace shrugged before lying down again. "It's helping me now, and it's also a fun way to get food, so why not?"
"I can't really argue with that, but you could at least leave them alive. They're more amusing like that."
"Hey, I don't kill them! It's not my fault they're too weak to recover! And you're only saying that because you like their money."
"Oh, shush!" Nami rolled her eyes, making Ace chuckle at her lack of arguments. She took a pouch from behind her obi and smiled devilishly while waving it proudly, a jingling sound accompanying it. "But it's true that I like it! You can do so many things with it! And it's easy to get it, since humans are always so distracted."
"It's more like you're the one too good at pickpocketing." Ace eyed the pouch curiously. "How much did you get this time?"
"Enough for a bath in the hot spring of the next city, so don't even think about touching it." She glared at him before releasing the object. Ace's eyes accompanied it as a soft wind appeared and carried it until it was on the ground near Nami's geta. When he looked back at her, she was watching him critically. "Good, you already took a bath. I don't want a stinking Kitsune near my things. I'll go to the river now, so I'm counting on you to take care of them."
"As you wish, ma'am."
Ace's only answer was a warning look before the woman in front of him disappeared, leaving a bunch of clothes in a pile on the ground. He looked to the side just in time to see a red fox with two tails running towards the river with such elegance it seemed to be barely touching the ground.
Ace shook his head amused. "It's during these times that I think being a wind Kitsune must be nice. Oh well, I'm still happy with my fire."
And with that, he went back to enjoying the afternoon sunlight, all the while trying to ignore what Nami's words reminded him of. He wouldn't let his insecurities gain strength now, after so many weeks. His plan would succeed, or he'd find that man; there was no doubt in that.
The bustling sounds of the city surrounded Ace as he strolled through the streets. His eyes watched everything around him lazily, never stopping on anything for too long. He sighed in boredom and sidestepped a distracted woman who almost bumped into him.
Isn't there anything interesting to do in this city? Ace grumbled in his mind, annoyed.
He was having a bad day. First, he woke up almost at dawn with a storm going on. It caught him by surprise, so he ended up soaked before he reached a safe covered place. It also didn't help that a dry Nami smugly stated that she had warned him it was coming.
After that, he wasn't able to go back to sleep, so he used the time to dry his clothes with his fire – which took longer than he wanted because he almost burned them.
Next, when it was morning, and he was going to the city with Nami's reminder of his promise, he somehow made a bird's nest fall on the ground. That resulted in an angry bird pecking him incessantly until he finished fixing it.
By the time he arrived at the city, his humor was already ruined. Now he only wanted to find something to distract himself with, though he hadn't had luck finding anything so far.
Today's gonna be great. Ace sighed.
He was just about to make a turn to another street when a meow caught his attention. He looked to his left and there, at his feet and close to an alley, was a stray cat.
"Oh, hello." Ace raised an eyebrow, curious. He knew most animals didn't talk like mythical creatures, but he still felt some could understand him.
The cat meowed again, sat down and stared at Ace's face. Its tail was swaying slowly, but otherwise it didn't seem to want to move anytime soon.
Ace crouched and moved his hand close to the cat, who looked at it for an instant before its eyes went back to Ace's face.
"You want something, don't you?" He whispered; no need for anyone around to hear him talking with an animal who supposedly couldn't understand him. He moved his hand to the cat's head and pet it after there was no sign of hostility. The purring that came right after wasn't surprising and made Ace smile.
"It's okay, you can tell me what it is." He looked around, but no one seemed to be paying attention to him. When his eyes went back to the cat, it was staring at him again. Ace moved his hand back and nodded.
As if it had only been waiting a further confirmation, it suddenly got up and started crossing the street, not caring about the people who had to sidestep it in the last moment. Ace shook his head with an amused smile; that was why he liked cats. They did what they wanted whenever they wished.
He decided to follow it – though being more careful with those around him - and soon found himself stopping close to another alley. The cat had entered it and, from his place still at the street, Ace could see it had company.
So, it has a family, huh?
Three kittens were looking at him with curiosity from their place next to a few empty cardboard boxes. It wasn't difficult to connect they were the offspring of the cat he followed, since they all had black fur coupled with a few gray spots over their faces.
Ace entered the alley, which people seemed to avoid, and crouched near them. If their mother –he thought it was a female, at least – had brought him here, then it must have felt Ace was safe enough to trust. It was probably because he was a mythical creature and closer to the animal than a human was, so it'd have a bigger chance of getting help.
Or maybe not. Ace added mentally while he saw it interact with the kittens, soft meows sounding now and then. I'm not even sure it's possible for it to have thought all that. Maybe it was just instinct? Or something…
The cat turned back to him and meowed before sitting. The kittens did the same, but also had such an expectant look in their eyes that made Ace hesitate. What do they want, anyway?
As if it had heard Ace's thought, the cat lowered its head and nudged with its nose something white resting on the ground. Upon a closer look, Ace noticed it was pointed and most likely hard. It almost seemed like a…
Broken fishbone? Ace frowned. Yeah, that seems to be it. But what-
Sudden understanding appeared on his face. Of course, it wanted food. It should have been obvious, since it was stray and had three kittens to take care of.
"I think I can get you some fish, don't worry." Ace smiled before rising up. At least he had found something to do.
With one last look at the cat that promised he'd be back soon, he went to the street. Turning to the opposite way he had been going to, Ace started walking with a facade of leisure. His eyes went back to analyzing everything around him, this time searching for a good place with fish.
Just as he expected, he found one quickly. In front of a shop, there was a man beside a selling stall where many different types of fish were displayed. However, what made it the perfect place to get the fish was how the man seemed to be in a serious discussion with the woman at the other side of the stall – a frustrated client, probably. Some people had stopped to watch the scene unfold, as the man got impatient and tried to shoo the woman away.
Seeing that as the right time, Ace got closer to the stall and snatched three fish, hiding them inside one sleeve of his hakamashita. To his luck, he was wearing one made of a dark hue of blue; otherwise wet spots would have given him away quickly.
Nami isn't the only one good at this. Ace thought almost proudly. He had had a lot of practice in the past, after all.
Turning away from the stall, Ace made his way back to the alley, being careful to see if anyone had noticed what he did and was following him. He saw no one who seemed to care much about him, so he entered the alley.
What he saw almost made him let the fishes slid out of their hidden place. There, crouched beside the cat and the kittens, was a man. A blond man.
Now, Ace knew that there were humans with different characteristics besides the plain black hair and eyes – he had chosen his freckles and gray eyes when he created his human appearance because of that - but he had never seen one with blond hair that was wearing normal Japanese clothes.
Really, he seemed just like another man with a black hakamashita and a dark gray hakama. Only, he had a strange blond hair and a weird hairstyle to top it off.
Oh, and there was the fact that he was right next to the cat and the kittens, and they didn't seem to mind his presence.
Ace frowned and cleared his throat. The reaction was immediate; the cat meowed happily while the man turned. Ace, once again, almost dropped the fishes.
He has freaking blue eyes?! How much weirder can he get? Maybe he's some immigrant's son that somehow grew up here? It's not impossible, since things have changed in Japan…
"Who are you?" Ace asked approaching them. "And what are you doing with the cats?"
The man raised an eyebrow, but otherwise his bored expression didn't seem to change. "I was petting them, yoi." He said in a nonchalant voice – and was that a verbal tic? - before turning to one kitten who had been nudging his hand with its nose.
Ace frowned, noticing how the man ignored his first question. "How did you find them? This isn't an alley people would use to cross to the other street."
"I could ask you the same." The man kept his eyes on the kitten while he scratched behind one of its ears. "I haven't seen you here before."
"I only discovered them today when I followed the mother cat here." When the blond looked at him with a frown, Ace quickly added. "Hey, it looked like it wanted something, so I came to see what it was!"
"If you say so..."
"It's true!" Ace huffed annoyed. Why was he explaining himself to a human, to begin with? "I even got them some food because they looked hungry!"
At that, the man's expression finally changed, showing a bit of surprise. "You actually stopped to get food for stray cats?"
"Why shouldn't I?" Ace crouched next to the mother cat and let the three fish slide out of his sleeve. At once, the three small animals attacked the fresh food. Their mother shot at him what Ace thought was a grateful look, before joining the kittens in eating.
"It's not something most people would do, yoi." The man shrugged.
"Yeah, that's true." Ace knew very well how only a few humans cared about others that not themselves or their own. Of course, it also happened when it came to mythical creatures, though there was much less indifference between them. "But I saw no reason for me not to help. It was probably having difficulty getting food for the kittens today."
Ace saw, with the corner of his eye, the blond nodding. "This city isn't very generous with stray animals. From what I've seen so far, the sellers are really careful with their food, and the trash cans are usually well closed."
"You're not from here?"
"No, I'm only staying here for a while." The man didn't offer any further explanation, only kept looking at the cats with an unreadable expression. "Thanks for bringing them food. I still had to go get something for them today, so it'd be a while before they ate."
"Heh… You're welcome, I guess." Ace rolled his eyes mentally: what a strange person he had found.
It was then that something clicked in Ace's mind. He just said he's only staying here for a while, didn't he? Ace had to hold back a smirk. That means he's a traveler. Just my luck!
Ace knew he had promised Nami he'd lay low for a few days, but that didn't mean he couldn't choose a new target in the meanwhile. He had been thinking about that lonely widow woman that lived close to the edge of the city, but this one was much better. Travelers were always more interesting, and this one was even more. After all, it wasn't every day that he found a human with such different eye and hair color.
"Hey," Ace began, putting a small curious smile on his face. "I didn't get your na-"
Loud barking noises reached Ace's ears, making him snap his mouth shut in reflex. A shiver ran down his spine and his eyes widened. Shit!
Ace's hands flew to his head just in time to hide his furry ears from view. He pressed them against his head and under strands of his hair, hoping immensely the man hadn't seen anything. Damn those dogs. Did they have to fucking appear now?
Now that his control over his human form had wavered – he thoroughly cursed his slight fear of dogs. Couldn't they just disappear and let Ace live happy? -, he wouldn't be getting control over his it back soon.
A nervous chuckle left Ace's mouth when the man looked at him confused. "I-I'll be going now. It was nice meeting you." He started inching towards the opposite alley entrance he had come from. "So… I'll see you around! Bye!"
He had to hold himself not to run, but soon he was out on the street, getting farther and farther away from the mysterious blond man.
Only when he had his back against the wall of a house and was certain nobody was close to even getting on that secluded street, did he let his hands fall from his head. He sighed and slid until he was sitting.
Well… It could have been worse. If my tails had appeared, then I wouldn't have had any chance of hiding them…
Ace crossed his arms while his furry ears stirred, alert in case someone got close. He found it ridiculous how he lost control over his transformation when scared or startled. At least, there wasn't much that could do that to him, but dogs were still too common in cities.
"There's no way I can go back there now. Maybe if I find that man another day, I can still take him." Ace paused before rolling his eyes. "But that's gonna be difficult. He must think I'm weird, and he didn't show any obvious signs he found me attractive for some reason. Oh well, what a pity. He'd have made interesting prey."
He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He had to relax for a while before being able to make his ears 'disappear' and put the human ones at the sides of his head.
Ace didn't know how long he stayed like that, only listening to the sounds of the city with the sun warming him. Sooner than he thought, his control was restored, and he did the necessary changes easily. A slight tingling on top of his head was the only sign of what he had done, and he rose with a satisfied smile.
I need to find something else to do for the rest of the day. Ace thought absently while he went back to a busy street. It didn't take long before he was back to his state earlier that morning: bored and with no set path.
He stopped by a fruit stand and pretended to look at them with interest. Maybe he could buy one and try to think of something to do with it.
"Hey, did you hear the news from the next city?" Ace heard the man next to him say to a woman.
"No, did something happen?"
"I guess you could say that. Do you remember that famous exorcist we've heard about? The one who wears clothes with something written on the back?"
Ace stiffened and his attention focused on the conversation. An exorcist with a writing on his back. He knew who that man was. He had searched a lot about the existing exorcists in Japan, and the only one who had that characteristic was him.
"Of course! What about him?"
"Apparently, he's in the next city doing some kind of job. And, I head there's a chance he's going to come here next!"
"Really?! That's great! But… Do you think he'd only come if there was something happening here?"
"I have no idea. Even if that ends up being the case, it's gonna be okay! I've heard he's really good at his job."
"I hope he's nice, but I've heard some rumors say he's somewhat bad-tempered."
"How strange. I heard the opposite…"
The rest of the conversation went unheard for Ace; he had gotten what he wanted.
A fierce smile grew on his face. He didn't know if his plan had anything to do with it, but if that man was close then everything was fine. Ace only had to make sure he'd hear about the rumor he was creating, and for that he would have to increase his number of prey.
Ace scanned the fruit in front of him with a satisfied smile he couldn't contain. Picking a random one, he turned to the seller. "Excuse me, sir. How much is this?"
Restlessness was bubbling again inside him, but this time he was fine with it. At least, now he knew he was definitely close to getting what he wanted.
