Prologue – Manning trenches
Izumi Rolling-Pebble sat herself down opposite Ciran Far-Traveller in the guestroom of Cherry Blossom Shrine. She had just returned from her shift to patrol the bawn, and the fur of her white pelt was still wet from the early morning rain. Peach Twig Meadow had seemed so peaceful, and if it had been up to her she would be on guard duty continuously. The steam gradually rising from the four cups of Matcha tea, on the little bamboo table in front of her, added to the tranquil admosphere of the room, though. It was an admosphere she enjoyed very much. Her packmate, Takeo Slicer-of-Bamboo, who had been patrolling in his human Form, was coughing. He sat next to her, wrapped in a blanket and taking little gulps from his tea in order to stay warm. Unlike the Warder, Izumi preferred to stay in her Crinos Form. In an odd way it felt much more comfortable than her human or wolf form did. She would only shapeshift to either, if a situation forced her to. Since she hardly ever left the bawn, that did not happen often.
This morning Ciran had summoned her and Takeo to the Shrine for a meeting of the Elders. A casual meeting with Ciran was nothing out of the ordinary, but today's gathering had something formal. There seemed to be a feel of urgency to it, since even Fumio Heals-with-Vigor was present. The old Theurge had spend his entire life studying spirits in order to design fetish equipment for the Peaceful voice of Zypher sept. He hardly ever left the Umbra. Only Ryota Higoshi could not be present, since the Keeper of the Land had recently been send on an assignment with his pack. During the meeting the patrols would be carried out by three novice guardians, together with the spirits that lived around the caern. These were some Jade-spirits, Wind-spirits and one or two Jagglings (Aralin).
"Thank you all for coming, my dear friends. The reason for me to call this meeting are signs of an upcoming threat. The past few weeks some minor incidents have been drawing my attention. At first I thought they were just that, incidents, but after my talk with Fumio, among others, I suspect they are related.", Ciran said, while reaching for his teacup. Izumi glanced at Fumio, who sat on the floor in his breed form. The wolf made a small nod with his muzzle, and released a short yelp, as if supporting Ciran's prior statement. "What are the incidents you talk about, and what makes you think they are connected?", she asked, turning her attention back to Ciran.
"Recently there has been a great increase in the number of security incidents at the major caerns in Japan. Minions of the Wyrm are activelly spying on us. Especially the past few days the number of Banes probing the perimeter of our own caern is disturbing.", Ciran answered her. "True! We have had some minor confrontations with Banes yesterday and two days ago. But when I and the guardians on duty engaged them, they disappeared without a fight. This happens every other month, and doesn't seem an escalation to me!", Takeo said, while glancing from Ciran to her. The Warder was a proud warrior, but his auspice was sometimes his weakness as well as his strenght. The Ahroun focussed too much on the physical defence of his caern and sept, and usually missed the bigger picture. That was the reason why she was packleader of the Peach Twig Meadow pack, and not Takeo.
"You mentioned the security of more caerns was probed? Have you spoken with the Elders of the Council in Kyoto? And what other signs or incidents have occured?", Izumi asked. There were four major caerns, owned by Stargazer septs, left in Japan. On the main island of Honshu, the Mount Fuji caern was situated near Mount Fuji, while the Rising Splendor caern could be found in Kyoto. On the island of Kyushu, Aso caern lay near Mount Aso. Their own caern, Cherry Blossom Shrine, was located in Hokkaido, near Mount Asahidake.
Ciran put his teacup back on the little bamboo table, and his eyes showed worry. "All of the caerns have been probed. Secondly, we have had some trouble activating Moon bridges from this caern. Aso caern seems to have a similar problem now, and can only be reached through conventional travel. If this trend continues, our septs will not be able to aid eachother quickly, if needed. Thirdly, rumors have reached us about the Yama Kings appearing in the Middle Kingdom. The information is not from first hand accounts, but the sources that provided us with it, are reliable. The Elders in Kyoto worry about the signs as much as we do. They are recalling all packs currently on quests or missions, to return to their septs. This has not happened for quite a few years. Not on this scale. Not in my lifetime."
Takeo's face looked grim. She noticed the Ahroun finger his bamboo staff, laying on the floor at his side. The Fetish weapon was like a limb to him, and he never abandonned it. "If the Yama Kings are able to leave their hells and enter our world in person, than the situation is grave indeed. The powers they wield could destroy entire septs at once. It would take multiple battle hardened packs to face even one of them in battle." Izumi noticed Ciran close his eyes. "Ciran, what is it? I know you well enough to feel there is more to this than you just told us!"
The Elderly Ragabash opened his eyes again, and she noticed clear sadness in his eyes. Takeo had noticed it too, and frowned at her. But Fumio didn't seem surprised at all. The Garou in wolf form just stared at Ciran, as if waiting for his explanation. "Ciran, please share with us what you know. We cannot have secrets between the Elders, not when our caern might be in possible danger."
When Ciran opened his mouth, the words felt like tears streaming across her soul. "I saw the Apocalypse in Fumio's future, yesterday. I read his future with his permission, and I told him what I saw. He knows. Just now I have seen it in your future too...", he said, his voice almost like a whisper. "I have seen all three of you die!"
Daniella Black stared at the blurry photo image Ainesh Goshal had just opened on his computerscreen. She leaned across the Glasswalker's shoulder to get a closer look, and frowned. Ainesh nodded. "This is the only photo in our database resembling the woman you have described to us. It was recently taken by Gadget during a surveillance operation in Shinjuku ward. There is no information in her file, except for the bad quality photo. That is a pretty significant fact, since we have rather detailed information on merely any Kuei-jin or Kin-jin located in Tokyo. This one is either just passing through our city, or she doesn't want to be found!", he said, while pointing at the figure on the screen.
Daniella lifted her right hand, and moved the fingers through her dark blond hair. She tried to recall the appearance of the woman in white from their 'meeting' at Goro Shobo's base, and tried to match it with the bad quality photo image. No doubt in her mind that the woman on the image must be the same person. "Norio told me she wore some kind of brouche on her suit? Orange and black? Isn't that the mark of Pentex?", she asked. Ainesh nodded thoughtfully, and his fingers went back to his keyboard. Daniella smiled as she watched him type. The movement of his fingertips was so fluent and fast, and even though his eyes never left the screen, he did not make one mistake. It was almost as if the keys were the pelt of a sweet little puppy he was tenderly petting. She had noticed this before during the time she had spend with Billy Jiang back in Paris. Glasswalkers and their affinity with technology was something that fascinated her.
"I am sure she is Kuei-jin! I saw her decapitate Goro Shobo's schoolgirl with Blood Shintai. I have been hunting the undead long enough to recognize the gifts they use. There must be more information on her, Ainesh.", Norio said. Daniella glanced at the grey-haired Stargazer. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, his back against the wall, studying the blade of a sword he had recovered at Goro Shobo's lair. His thoughts seemed to be somewhere else ever since early this morning.
After the showdown Norio, Miyoko and Shinobu had returned alive and victorious. The Kuei-jin Oyabun and his minion Daisuke had both been killed, as well as their yakuza guard. According to Shinobu their business was finished here, and she had urged Miyoko and her to return to Cherry Blossom Shrine to join up there with Fang Yin. Norio had a very different opinion. He had argued that this hunt wasn't finished until they had found the woman in white. He emphasized that he felt she must be an even bigger threat to the city and Gaia than Goro Shobo. But Miyoko, who seemed to have a bone to pick with the grey-haired Stargazer, had refused to stay any longer. The Ahroun and the Theurge had left early this morning, after thanking the Glasswalkers for their help and hospitality.
Daniella had decided to stay in Tokyo a little while longer. She planned to help Norio find the woman in white. He could hardly manage that on his own. The last time he had tried, Eri managed to capture him, and one of the schoolgirls' minions had severely wounded Daniella. He surely would need her help to best this new Kuei-jin. Moreover she needed to teach the grey-haired Stargazer some respect for women and some manners too.
It had not been easy to convince Miyoko and Shinobu to leave her behind. The former had argued that if she truly wanted to be part of the Silver Lotus Pack, she had better start to put the pack before her own interests. The latter had expressed her concern of the fact that the Black Furie could not speak Japanese and might have trouble travelling on her own. Daniella had promised to catch up with them at the Shrine as soon as she had completely recovered from her injury. Norio had surprised everyone by promising to accompany her back to Cherry Blossom Shrine, when he had finished his hunt. That was significant, since, according to what Miyoko had told them, Quickblade never left Tokyo. That sudden change in the man's stubborn and ignorant character amused her, and she smiled to herself, while turning her attention back to Ainesh.
"I recently hacked a database of the Pentex Corporation to acquire a list of their personnel as a favour to one of our 'customers'. I was just browsing through an interactive list with names and positions, and found this file. She might be the one we are looking for?", the Glasswalker said, while gesturing at the screen. Daniella glanced at the small photo of an asian woman with a white skin and long, silver-black hair. She read the personal info out loud. "Name: Kimiko Hinaru, Position: Executive, Boardmember, Assigned with following duties: intelligence and special operations, Location: Pentex Headquarters Tokyo…" "Norio, come and take a look. This must be her!"
"This must be who? Who are you chasing this time, Quickblade?" Daniella was startled by the sudden unfamiliar voice, and glanced in the direction it had come from. A slender woman stood in the doorway, smiling at Norio. She had Asian features, wore a hooded drawstring jacket, a wool miniskirt, leggings, and a beanie hat on her head. Daniella estimated her to be in her thirties, although it was hard for her to tell, since Asian people generally looked younger than Caucasians. When the woman took off her hat, the Black Furie noticed her short haircut. The woman carried a long cloth vessel on her back, her right hand holding its cloth string that spanned across her chest.
"Yamei! I thought you were in China? What a pleasant surprise.", Norio said, his face answering her smile with his own. The Black Furie couldn't help frowning at both their smiles. They seemed to hold a bit more than just friendship. She felt angry with herself, as she realized she might actually be jealous?! She clenched her fists, and pushed the anger away. Norio seemed to have noticed some change in her behaviour, and turned to her. "Daniella, please meet Yamei Sunbeam, an old friend of mine!", he said, while showing her a smile that resembled a grin. She forced a smile of her own, and shook the woman's hand. She would surely find out what the actual connection between the newcomer and the grey-haired Stargazer was! Darn, this woman was pretty.
Yamei entered the room and walked toward Ainesh to shake his hand. Then she bend through her knees to embrace Gadget. The two GlassWalkers seemed to know her well. Everyone seemed to know eachother here. God, she felt so much like a foreigner in this city! She turned her attention to a tall man, who had entered the room behind Yamei. The woman rose and introduced him to Norio and her. "This is my friend, Ming Claw-of-Emeishan. We have been partners on a recent hunt, and he decided to accompany me to Tokyo." Daniella nodded toward the Khan, who made a polite bow in return. Another Deamon eater and a Weretiger. This promised to be interesting.
Eri bit her teeth, when the tiny needles of the cutting instrument reëntered the flesh of her bare back, causing a short, but intense pain. After hours of silently undergoing the horimono treatment, she couldn't help releasing a yelp. The tattoo master glanced at her and apologized, his eyes showing fear. The man knew who or what she was, as did the other men and women in the room. She shook her head in response, and urged him to continue working on his masterpiece.
She glanced at the row of men to her left, who sat on their knees patiently, waiting for her orders. Most of them had a bare upperbody, showing off their beautiful tattoos. They kept their eyes on the floor, scared of her powers, but she knew that inside they yearned to look at her. They had seen her march into their headquarters in her schoolgirl uniform. It had taken her less than a minute to entice their Oyabun to serve her unconditionally, and no weapon had been used in the process. A Shikome could steal the heart of any man, and Eri used this new power to her advantage. It caused some trouble with women, though! The body of a female member of this yakuza family lay on the floor just in front of her. She had had to kill the woman to set an example to the others.
Eri turned her attention to her right, where her minions were standing in attention. Three survivors of Goro Shobo's former yakuza gumi were keeping their eyes on the other men and women in the room. Two girls in schoolgirl uniform were walking back and forth, pouring the Oyabun and herself some tea. The three yakuza were completely loyal to her, since they saw her as the only surviving leader of Shobo's faction. The schoolgirls had been her personal militia when she was still a mortal, and followed her without any trouble now that she was Kuei-jin. They seemed to be immune to the rage and aversion other women had against a Shikome. She smiled to herself. It would have been a real waste if she had to kill all those young girls. They would form the backbone of her new organization, as spies, enticers, prostitutes and assassins.
While emptying her teacup, Eri glanced past the Oyabun sitting opposite her, and noticed Susumu entering the room. The girl, dressed in Gothloli style, had been following her around as if she was a celebrity, even before she became Kuei-jin. The girl was fanatic and Eri used her to spy, gather information, and lead the schoolgirl militia as her deputy. Susumu came over straight away, and sat herself down right next to her. The girl glanced and grinned at the Oyabun, who frowned at the insult of this teenager, but finally yielded. He knew he was no longer in charge. Eri slid a hand across her bare breasts, which caused a stir in the row of yakuza to her left. So they had been watching her?! She smiled oncemore, and turned to her deputy.
"What news do you bring, Susumu?" The girl showed a satisfied smile, and started her incoherent monologue. Eri enjoyed the fact that Susumu still addressed her in the same blunt and naïve way as before her death. Others, whether yakuza or schoolgirl, made deep respectful bows now, and avoided her glance out of fear or shame. "The woman in white is working for an organization called Pentex. Have you heard of it? One of the girls has an affair with an employee of that company. The man is 46, for goodness sake! But she says he buys her a lot of expensive things. Anyways, he will try and provide us with the white woman's schedule." "That is excellent! And what about the Deamon Eater, Norio Tsuda? Did you find him yet?" Again Susumu's face shone with pride, as she continued. "Yes, I managed to find him too! One of the girls spotted him in Shinjuku. He seems to eat lunch at the same foodstall virtually everyday. You can just go there to pick him up tomorrow, if ya like? I could take you there myself!"
Eri closed her eyes and threw her head back, carressing herself with both arms. She thought about the grey-haired Garou, and couldn't wait to meet him again. Suddenly she rose to her feet, causing the tattoo master to curse and the row of yakuza to gloat at her naked body. Let them have their moment of joy. Before long they would die for her, fighting the forces of her enemies. She would continue to entice the leaders of other gumi into serving her, thereby creating one powerful yakuza organization. She would use that powerbase to fullfill the task her Master, Emma-o, had charged her with. She would deliver Tokyo to the Yama King, and reap the rewards of unlimited power he had promised her.
Kimiko Hinaru rose from her seat when Hideki Anzai entered the boardroom. She had summoned the man, who was the leader of Pentex First Team #17, better known by its nickname Shinjuku Ken. It was a name feared by friend and foe throughout Japan. Anzai approached the oval metal-and-glass table in the middle of the room, halted just in front of it, and made a respectful bow toward her. Kimiko nodded in response and gestured towards the seat opposite her. "Please sit down, mister Anzai." The man did as she had asked him, and looked at her with his arms folded on the table, waiting patiently for her to give him an assignment.
Kimiko was fond of Anzai. He was calm and polite, and never interrupted her. Moreover he had a splendid record of service to the Corporation. First Team Shinjuku Ken had never failed to complete an assignment. Anzai stood for results, and that was accactly what Kimiko needed at the moment. The Tokyo operation wasn't progressing according to plan. The news about the unexpected assassination of Goro Shobo was very unfortunate. The Kuei-jin Oyabun had been an important component of the operation, and time to find a suitable replacement was running out. Moreover, the Silent Fangs of Ananasa had not delivered. The members of the Silver Lotus Pack were still alive. She had no choice but to send a First Team to clean up after the assassin clan, and take out the Garou once and for all.
"I have an assignment for your Team, Anzai. It involves the assassination of a pack of Garou. The priority of this mission is critical, and failure is not an option!", Kimiko said, while removing a small encrypted flash-drive from her laptop. She placed it on the glass tabletop, and slid it toward Anzai. The man intercepted it with his left hand, but his eyes never left Kimiko's. "You will find all the information you need on that drive, including a small history of their confrontations with the corporation. Do not take them lightly. They have overcome other First Teams and everything else we've send after them!" The man stayed utterly calm, while he put the flash-drive savely away in his inner pocket. "Me and my Team will not disappoint you, miss Hinaru. The next time we meet, I will bring you their heads."
Kimiko nodded, and Anzai rose to take his leave. He made another bow toward her, turned and left the boardroom. When the door closed behind him, Kimiko walked to one end of the table that held a glass plate with a snow white and a pitch black sake set. She took one of the cups and filled it with sake from the white flask. After emptying the cup, she took out her mobile phone and dialed the number of Takashi Osamu. The Executive director was on his way to an important business client. She needed to inform him about her change of tactics, before she took the next step. Moreover, she felt like talking to him. In her position she had many enemies and few people she could trust. Takashi came closest to a friend, and even she needed one. "Kimiko, how are you? Any news on the killers of Goro Shobo yet? I am still in the car, almost at the meeting..."
Then Kimiko noticed the sudden darkness in the boardroom. She glanced up at the lamps on the ceiling, and her eyes widened when she realized they were still on. A shiver went through her spine. When she turned she saw the silent figure of a man sitting in her seat. She frowned at first, wondering how the stranger had been able to enter the heavily secured boardroom, without her knowledge. The middle-aged man, dressed in a grey suit, stared across the screen of her white Laptop, his glance almost nailing itself into her brain. She raised her left hand and rubbed her head, trying to break free from his demanding eyes, but she could not. The man's hands, seemingly made of gleaming metal were calmly resting on the glass tabletop. Utter fear took hold of Kimiko, and her right hand, in which she held her mobile phone, started trembling heavily. She vaguely heard Takashi's voice calling her name, wondering why she wasn't answering him anymore. She pressed the button to end the call, and put the phone away in the inner pocket of her skirtsuit. The one thing she had feared the most and had tried to avoid, had just happened. This man could only be her Master, Mikaboshi. Even if she did not recognize the appearance he had taken, the signs of his presence were crystal clear.
"Kimiko, of all my minions you are the brightest. You are nearly unmatched in both strategy and tactics. Moreover, you are extremely determined and loyal to me. That's why I originally chose you to direct my Tokyo operation.", the Yama King said. The man's metal fingertips started tapping rhythmically against the glass. "However, recent events have forced me to reconsider, and so today I came to the Middle Kingdom in person to set certain things right!", he continued. Kimiko, unable to restrain herself any longer, burst into tears and ran around the table to fall to her knees at her Master's feet. She never cried for anyone, let alone prostrating herself, but she had been to Mikaboshi's hell, ...had seen it's horror. An eternity of suffering in that forsaken place would break anyone! "Please spare me, great Lord of the Wicked City! Some plans have been delayed, but I promise you that the operation will take place according to schedule."
The Yama King seemed to frown at her, but then a cold grin formed on his lips, almost hidden by the twilight. "I did not come here to punish or replace you, my dear Kuei-jin. I have confidence in your abilities. But the Tokyo operation is entering a new fase, the final fase. The other Yama Kings and our Wyrm cousins in the West are stirring like never before. The Apocalypse is about to start, and it is time to man the trenches!". Kimiko closed her eyes, when the cold metal of his hands slid across her face to wipe away her tears. "I will give you free hand in Japan as my general. Name the assets you need, any assets, and I will supply you with them now. Lo and behold, if your efforts are succesful and you bring Japan under my undisputed rule, your reward will be excellent. I will allow you to reign the Middle Kingdom in my name. Any of my servants will be answering to you!"
Kimiko looked up into the eyes of her Master, her hands still clenching to the jacket of his suit. Her eyes shone with new hope and determination. Mikaboshi still had faith in her, and was giving her a second chance! She would embrace that chance, and she might even use it to her own advantage! "I want Lolly Belle here! She could lead the attacks against Gaia's caerns in Hokkaido, Kyushu and Honshu, and ensure victory. Moreover I need an army for such an operation. I cannot send my First Team's or Assassin contacts, since I need them in the capital to deal with the remaining Hengeyokai opposition and forces of the other Yama Kings."
The Yama King was right about her. She understood the stategy and tactics of the Underworld better than anyone else. That quality made her extremely useful to Mikaboshi. Her Master was in a fierce competition with the other major Yama Kings to become the Demon Emperor. If Japan would fall to him, it would increase his power drastically, and the rest of the Middle Kingdom would follow soon after. The Tokyo operation was initially a preparation for the Apocalypse, by corrupting the Japanese capital.
The reward her Master offered, was enormous, but she herself had to deal with competition too. Lolly Belle was more or less like her, an Akuma in Mikaboshi's service. However, the young Kuei-jin was her biggest rival, and they had tried to secretly oust eachother multiple times. During the Apocalypse, the best way to keep an eye on the Black Witch, was to keep her close. And she knew all to well that Lolly Belle would hate to serve under her. It took her an effort to hide a grin from her Master, and she bit her tongue to make it disappear.
"Lolly Belle is on an errand in China at the moment, but I will recall her immediatelly. Use her as you see fit. I will provide you with a detachment of Bakemono and Banes from the Wicked City, large enough to swallow Gaia's weak opposition.", Mikaboshi answered her. Kimiko bowed even lower, and touched her head to the floor, thanking her Master. The white tiles of marmer felt cold against her forehead, but the opportunity she had been given filled her with a burning vigor. "What about the Executive Director of Pentex Tokyo? Is he still fit to play his part in the Tokyo operation, or should I take him with me to the Wicked City?" Kimiko's eyes widened, and she swallowed. "Osamu is doing his part extremely well, great Lord! I have him in complete control. There is no need to replace him.", she stuttered. She realized she needed Takashi now more than ever. She needed that mortal man, her only true friend, to keep her feet on the ground.
Mikaboshi gave her a few more instructions about the details of his plan. He urged her to be vigilant, and to anticipate attacks of other Yama Kings. They surely would choose their own champions to try and direct the outcome of the Apocalypse in their favor. Then her Master rose from her boardseat, the cold metal fingertips of his artificial arms carressing the sides of her face, forcing her eyes to meet his. "I will be closely watching your efforts from Yomi, Kimiko. Do not fail me. If you do, your suffering in my Hell will be truly legendary!" Her breath cought and icy chills ripped through her body as she saw a vision of that suffering in the eyes of the Yama King. Then he disappeared, as did the the abnormal darkness in the boardroom. Kimiko lay her head on the floortiles, weeping, saliva streaming from the corner of her mouth. After a minute she braced herself, rose, and took out a white handkerchief to clean herself up. Return to Yomi was no option. She would rather kill herself.