Isshin was hoping that his shift watching the black wearing brat would be quiet, just like the previous time, though hopefully without discovering that they ran out of food upon returning home, again.

When the strange men came he felt the spirits go uneasy, just before rebelling, and acting against him. Then the group attacked.

They used Ofudas and other props, and actually had them work. He only got two of them out and another down because they were surprised by him going Crinos on them (the name of his people for the form of nine feet of fur, claw and muscle, half man half beast-the classic Hollywood monstrous werewolf).

Would have been more if the leader weren't clearly a league above his cronies. Though what are they? This wasn't what I agreed to when I took tonight's watch.

Not that he would have disagreed, Kirito was a friend and ally to their pack in Aincrad, and their pack leader must have seen something very special in him to call him an honorary pack member, even if in private.

Wouldn't the bosses in Garou Nation Proper have constipation if they were to ever learn that?

And how that other guy in Chinese robe and a sword made of coins, of all things, kept parrying his claws?

He dodged another lightning bolt from the strange gun the leader had, and was about to charge at him-only to find himself at another location, the guy with the sword made of coins striking, again. Only for the werewolf to dodge fast and get only a deep cut at his shoulder. But the marks left by that sword seemed to refuse to heal. And slowly, he was tiring.

How do they keep up? They seem human, but don't fall into Delirium, and they messed up the spirits all over the place. Not to mention their strength and speed is not normal either.

He slapped one of them away with all of his strength, only for that opponent to rise soon after and try punching him back. It had enough force have left a bruise next day, maybe, but still Isshin had his opening and went for a head-butt.

Four down.

Forced Teleported again, his frustration growing, he parried the coin sword with his claws, and got nearly flesh-fried when the zap-gun actually hit and electrocuted him.

He fell, and only stumbling as he rose saved him from decapitation. As he heard the discharge precluding another shot of the lightning gun, something whizzed past, and the electricity struck an object between the shooter and the wolf.

A presence jumped into the fray! It exuded majesty, a feeling of absolute authority and power, as it revealed itself to be grand, larger than life and… a little girl?

Still at that moment he was just glad to have reinforcements, the attack caught him by surprise and he didn't have time to call Ryotaro or the others.

A quick whiff of her scent made him reconsider as it showed him she was a leech under her hood, as she blocked the coin sword with a claw weapon, and cut through a pouch on its wielder's belt, and a third hit cutting at his throat, missing flesh but severing the fancy amulet that was revealed under the clothes from the neck.

Fourth and fifth cuts went through sleeves, and sixth through the chest, cutting through this time, and leaving two torn parts of paper.

All that was performed in less than two seconds, just before she was teleported. Only to appear in front of the leader, and too far to attack, as she was soon hit by the lightning. Having felt the sting of such a hit, the werewolf couldn't help but twitch his ears and grimace in sympathetic pain, but he failed to see the result of the attack, as he was too busy using the slight temporary lull to go for the two who stayed back, one of them probably the Teleporter, and the other likely a tank guarding him. He didn't see the invisible wall he ended up slamming into, though now up close one did seem to stretch hands forward, like a mime miming a wall.

After rising, he attacked it with his claws, to meet and unyielding resistance.

Soon he found himself surrounded by invisible walls all around him. Said walls started getting closer and closer to him. Shrinking in on him, and closing faster and faster.

Isshin started clawing at the walls more and more desperately.

I WILL hurt you, you Marceau wannabe, you-

The thought of the werewolf was interrupted, as just as the walls were about to squish him, he found himself a few feet away, just avoiding being splattered by blood and gore.

At his side was the leech girl, her hand on the hip of the now nearly shirtless teleporter, some ripped ofudas and talismans on the ground.

"Yes, you're welcome." The bloodsucker had the gull to snark at him! And with such an annoying nasal voice.

The werewolf shifted into Homid form- his human appearance, and asked the hated Wyrmspawn in front of him angrily.

"Who are you?"

"Aren't you one of Klein's? Didn't he tell you? I'm another caring friend of Kii-bou. You aren't the only ones to want to help the Black Swordsman, I watched over him too."

"And where were you, that you only got here now, oh Paragon of parasitic virtue?" he sneered.

"Yes, you're Fuurinkazan-I can tell by the bad humor. You even react like Klein.

As for my delay-little red riding hood here had to deal with the wise guy who thought himself a sniper and was on his way to climb a high point before shooting you with a really big gun. No need to have the hunter shoot the wolf this time around."

No way am I telling you that he was an actual Mage, a real one, rather than those two bit sorcerers. That information you don't have enough money to buy, and I wouldn't have told to a werewolf even if you had.

"What are these guys anyway? How come they were almost as fast and strong as me, and still seemed human?"

"Thousand Col, and I tell you!"

His eyes bulged at the statement, before alighting in anger as he snarled at her.

"Tell me now, you Wyrmspawn! Or aren't you here to help Kirito too? Maybe you were the enemy and sent them in the first place?"

"Tis was just a joke-sa, calm down. They had those talismans on them that made them stronger, faster and more durable, as well as less likely to be frightened by supernatural forces. It made them almost as physically capable as you. That's why it took me so long-I was cutting at the talismans. As for who sent them, we are about to learn."

Having said that, she turned to the Teleporter, and looking him in the eye, asked him in a commanding tone, her voice filled with power that made the hair on Isshin's neck stand.

"Who sent you, and why?"

He was surprised when the man answered in a calm, monotone tone, surprised even more at the contents of that answer.

Author Notes: I planed to have scene of the next day, and a flashback to the battle, but decided to try a combat scene-this is a weakness of mine as a writer, and only through practice would i improve. it ended up much longer than i expected, and took the entire chapter. what do you think?

after-battle events, and debrief next chapter.

If you like it please review.