It was almost mid-night. The mall was deserted. Most of it was still under-construction. In the depths was a huge moth-like figure, twice the size of an average human and took up almost the entire width of the hallway. A large cocoon dangled from the unfinished walls in the corner. Sedative fumes seeped from the moth as it looked after the cocoon. The fumes covered the entire floor looking like green mist.
Soon, thought the moth. Very soon, its prey would be ripe and ready to be eaten. It would grow bigger and stronger and it would soon be feared throughout Kyoto. Hagoromo Gitsune's Hyakki Yakou had busied itself in reviving its master, and rogue yokai like this moth had settled in, trying to make a place for themselves in the city.
The major problem with this particular moth yokai was that it continuously gave off sleeping gas, so its prey would barely have a chance to fight back or escape. Those onmyouji had put up a good fight but in the end one of them had been marked with the moth's homing spell, which would cause the target to fall unconscious when the moth wished it to. They thought they'd exterminated the yokai but it was sly and it had let one of its children be slain instead and escaped. The onmyouji had fallen for the trap and the one marked by the moth was brought back to the mall. Now it could enjoy the meal in peace. Its cocoon was now steadily turning into a shade of deep pink, the same colour as its wings. It was time.
BOOM! A loud explosion rang through the building and the floor wobbled. A shadow moved through the darkness and came to a stop in front of the cocoon.
"So, this is where you were keeping Mamiru eh? I'm going to have you give him back. Heck, weren't you supposed to be dead already?" said a young human looking at the moth with contempt. A soft buzzing sound was emanating from elsewhere in the building and the boy looked around, trying to locate the source of the disturbance.
"Whatever you're planning, it's not going to work!" he exclaimed and charged. Pulling out a shikigami, he said, "Garou! Devour!" The shikigami shot out, multiplying as it zoomed towards the moth. The yokai screeched and flew upwards and the buzzing grew louder and a swarm of smaller moths burst into the hall, shielding their parent. Several met their end. The rest zoomed around, creating chaos and trying to confuse the onmyouji.
"Heh. Can't you tell, there's more. Right above you!" he said and dived low. As the moth shot downwards fooled by his words, he said, "Gengen, run!"
The moth jerked uncomfortably and fell to the ground. The cocoon was now glowing pink and that was when Ryuuji noticed it. "Mamiru!" he yelled, but he was too far away.
"The moth yokai," said a familiar voice from the shadows. He'd heard the voice before, just this evening. "It's a creature which preys on humans by maturing them in a cocoon. Then, it can decide whether to make it a part of itself and increase its own strength or turn it into these smaller moths which do as their master bids."
Silver flashed in the distance and there was commotion as the colour of fire illuminated the area for a fraction of a second. The moths dropped dead. The cat-like yokai sauntered over to the cocoon and with another flash of steel claws, she slit it open and several things spilled onto the floor, covered in a green fluid.
"Yuck," commented the newcomer, but did not seem disgusted at all. Now all light had disappeared as the moths along with their neon wings had died.
"This one is yours I believe," she said, tossing over a slime-coloured body using her extra long tail. "If you purify it with holy-water, it'll be fine."
"You again, yokai!" asked Ryuuji, taking a battle stance.
"That's right, Onmyouji-san. What's your name?"
"Who the hell cares? I'm going to exterminate you right here, right now! Go, Garou!" he said, and his shikigami turned to face the cat-yokai but she was no longer there.
"Tsk, tsk. This is poor thanks and very bad manners, I must say. You people never change. I just saved your friend here you know. A second longer and you wouldn't be able to call him human."
Ryuuji turned to face the source of the voice and found golden cat-eyes glittering from the broken ceiling. She stood high above and her smile was mischievous.
"All yokai are evil. I don't care why you did that just now. So, shut your trap. Shikigami blending, gyougen!"
Another explosion rang through the building and the air filled with floating flowers. But the cat-yokai was nowhere to be seen. Her presence couldn't even be felt.
"You're not going to fight but run and hide? That's low, but it can't be helped since you're a measly yokai!"
"Run and hide?" came a voice from right next to him. He turned suddenly, jumping back. But there was only empty space. He still couldn't feel the yokai's presence.
"If you can't even catch your prey, how will you ever defeat them?" The voice was solid now and it came from near the remains of the cocoon. A burning smell filled the air and the bodies from the cocoon, along with Mamiru's caught a shimmering purple fire.
"Garou, devour!" Ryuuji shouted and his shikigami hurried towards the yokai but it was not fast enough.
Something was happening. The slime was melting away, and a flame-like haze hung in the air. Soon, the greenish mist disappeared, along with the moth yokai. Mamiru stirred and muttered, "Ryuu..ji..?" He was on the verge of unconsciousness.
"That one will be sleeping for a bit," said the cat yokai, picking up one of the bodies and turning away. "They'll be fine soon enough though." Smoke filled the air, like the time from the old lady's house and the yokai vanished into thin air. Ryuuji tried to make out what was going on but the darkness made it difficult to see.
"Bye bye, Ryuuji. Let's see if you onmyouji can catch me next time," the voice said softly, but it was taunting and playful. The smoke vanished with her and Ryuuji stood fuming. Who the hell do you think you are, calling me casually by my name, you wicked yokai?
He realised there was something in that smoke which made him hold his breath and he did not like this one bit. Mamiru seemed to have some trouble breathing also, but soon he fell asleep, still lying on the ground.
Ryuuji knelt next to him and checked his pulse. It was normal. Mamiru seemed to be fine, if a little green in the face. Again, this cat yokai had saved a human. Maybe she had some sort of agenda. She had also taken one of the bodies with her.
"Next time, I'll catch you for sure, no matter how fast you are," he muttered angrily and stiffened as he heard a soft laugh in the distance. When he looked around there was no one there. He hoisted Mamiru up and carried him back home.
