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Chapter 40: The only Easy Day was Yesterday

Baraqiel surprised me. And not in a positive or negative way. It was just a massive surprise that left me majorly perplexed over what I was supposed to do here- actually, it would be best to define the context with 'us' since I wasn't alone for this job. Vali looked particularly annoyed himself, while Raynare was reading a magazine about the place we were meant to be approaching any moment now.

When the Cadre brought up the details of the mission, I was stunned by a couple of elements. Tokyo wasn't a normal place I would have imagined it being. Sure, there were small known communities of magicians, seal-masters and Yokai, but those were minimal compared to our current destination. Anima City was a small settlement located by one of the major islands near the capital bay. It was created with the purpose of housing a kind of people that wasn't tied neither to Yokai nor to magic itself. At least, not enough to be recognized by either community. Beastmen, as defined by common media, were creatures that were quite humans when it came to biology, but their major difference was tied to the fact they were anthropomorphic animals that were more close to humans than anything like those. I was baffled by the fact this was a concrete connection with BNA but… why the fuck did it tied with us, I wasn't sure about. Sure, Grigori had that 'soft spot' for outcasts of society, but there shouldn't have been a reason for us to be sent there to help 'find two missing girls' in the heart of this non-magical society.

Sadly for my confusion, there was logic. And it was something tied to the fact Anima City harbored Yokai, some of which had strong ties with Grigori and were among the high officials of their government. There had been trade deals and understandings between Anima City's government and Azazel, which meant that in case there was a risk that entailed the discovery of proper magic through a non-magical situation, we were to intervene to protect our interests but also those of the government that was allowing us to operate in their territory. Right now it was confirmed that someone else from the magical factions was operating and causing trouble, being somehow implied in the kidnapping of those two girls we were looking for, which meant another reason to investigate, see if it was Khaos Brigade's doing or not and then find a solution to the matter that would benefit all those sided against this troublesome party. Not the finest explanation, but definitely something that sated the most of the queries concerning this absurd development. But I had my own remonstrance when it came to 'entering' the zone of operation we were now assigned to.

Never I would have imagined that our way into our newest mission would have been something so… clunky. And not magical. The helicopter that we were boarding was registered as one that was holding tourists that wanted to check the 'beautiful bay of Tokyo'. The problem itself wasn't the excuse used to motivate this choice, with the reason being that the island itself had magical interference when it came to spells that stretched beyond its natural boundaries. Within it, all spells worked, but those that worked to allow transportation and communication weren't considered viable due to the divine curse that had been left in those islands. There wasn't a major explanation beyond Baraqiel bringing up a 'bet between Japanese gods going bad' and causing this issue.

Before leaving, Baraqiel left us with a simple paper with the incantation needed to enable or disable a specific magical transformation meant to turn us into Beastmen during our time in Anima City. A good cover to avoid getting detected by the few anti-human militia that had formed within the borders of the community. We also had magical communicators in case things got nasty, this last precaution tied to the reason why we were sent. The base of operation we were reaching had been relaying messages rarely, and all those were static.

There were two possible circumstances that could explain what we were currently facing: Either there was a malfunction to the communication array due to the frequent storms and the garrison didn't have the equipment to repair the damage to ultimately restore connections with the groups in the mainland, or something more sinister was unfolding in that supposedly friendly zone.

I was mostly calm when it came to handle this mission, with the main task being to recover the two missing girls, which were Nazuna Hiwatashi and Michiru Kagemori but roughly three to four years younger than in canon, and then get them safely escorted to the Mayor of Anima City, which would then make sure that they were sheltered and protected until the big baddy was dealt with. Technically speaking, I could recall some info about the series itself, but considering how younger these two were and how unpredictable the timeline can get with this kind of alterations, I took what I remembered with caution and an active chance of this being incredibly wrong.

We were going to be out for the task for four days, with an eventual extension to a full week if the situation was as dire as Grigori's worst scenario on the matter. Sona already knew what was going on, Kunou was going to stay with the Hyoudou family while I was out and Baraqiel was going to keep a closer watch on Ingvild considering the 'free time' he got out of this. I felt confident things were going to start smoothly due to how calm the burly man had been when he instructed us with the final warnings, yet the feeling that something was going to go wrong felt… incredible. And then I was confirmed that shit was about to hit the fan when the pilot assigned to us noticed something in his display. Red lights started to lit the small section we were sitting by and I tensed up when I realized what the problem was. I could see it from the mirror right beside my seat and- yep, it was bad.

I could see multiple missiles approaching us and coming from what I could pinpoint being… the very base we were meant to approach. Ugly predicament, and I knew the chopper didn't have flares to deflect even a couple of the various issues aimed at us. Staying into the helicopter now meant getting set to get killed by the unexpected attack.

"Stand up, we're leaving," I barked, getting the attention and the compliance of the rest of the team as I could tell that the situation was really bad from the foul words being uttered by the pilot. Quite the bad omen, I thought quietly as I turned at the nearest door and slammed it open, with wind suddenly hitting us with a cold breeze before we jumped out of the vehicle. More cussing, the pilot seemed to understand the implication of my decision as he made a little prayer and braced for his demise. I jumped first, followed by Sogyoku and Kurenai.

Just moments after Raynare jumped off last from our previous transportation vehicle, the helicopter was shredded by numerous explosions that ripped into the metal and killed the pilot at once. There wasn't much that could have been done to save the man considering the time-limited window of opportunity we had in that moment. Glancing down, I grimaced at the fact we were still several meters away from the coast and below us we had the tumultuous sea that was just preparing as a death trap for the three of us if we didn't reach the coast as quickly as possible. Just as we avoided this first attempt at our lives, more missiles surged towards us, forcing me to try and take a role into stopping the approach of so many dangerous explosives as possible by employing small-powered magic blasts to intercept those before they got too close to us. The main idea to safely get out of there was to let Vali pick us up and get us out of that hellish predicament by flying down and away from the range of the incoming missiles. Despite the simplicity of the plan, the issue presented itself in the form of the raging wind that was influencing the speed and trajectory of my fall.

I was falling faster compared to the others and Vali could do so much to move through the troubled air situation without getting himself and Raynare hit by the missiles trying to kill us, with the girl having been the lucky one to be fished out first because she was the closest to the young man's reach. I was expecting him to eventually catch me so we could get out of the heated predicament but… the situation grew a little more chaotic when the ones gunning us down started to employ… magical spells themselves. I was shocked when I suddenly saw numerous magic-driven explosions erupt mid-air, trying to catch us but failing as the natural magic in this section of the island just made long-range spells unable to get clear shots. Still, the blasts further drove me apart from the rest and I decided to take a hasty choice considering how shitty the situation was devolving into.

"Sougyoku, retreat with Kurenai, they know that we're trying to regroup," I muttered through the magical seal I had in my mask, activating it so Vali understood the situation. "We shall regroup later on, but for now it's best to go for different landings."

At first there was silence, and I worried that the seals weren't working for the same reasons we weren't getting destroyed by the magical Anti-Air fire we were currently being subjected to, but I was relieved when a single word made it through.

"Understood," Vali replied with a solid voice, no static or issues tied to the magical connection as he suddenly veered away with Kurenai while I shifted my attention to my next issue for the time being.

How am I supposed to land in these conditions?

There was no way I could glide with this wind, not when I was falling so fast and the distance to the coast was daunting. I knew that I was going to get the cold welcome of Tokyo's bay by swimming in those waters, but I knew that this fall was still going to kill me regardless of the fact the water was below me. I had to do something about it, and the smartest way to deal with this was to slow down my fall. There were so many things a magician of my ability could do, and one in particular stood out from the others. And that was making a parachute with magic and shadows. The one my body was casting at the moment over the sea allowed me to create a large construct of the same dimensions over my head. It was going to be a draining feat even though it wasn't actually a genuine spell as it constituted as standard shadow-manipulation extended to absurd degree. It was all tied to the training I got over this kind of style, which wasn't a lot to consider myself a master, but well enough to pull this kind of stunt if I focused well enough. The plan half-succeeded as I managed to accomplish this feat, but a little slower than I wanted it to be. In fact, the delay of the fall was actually delayed because of it and I ended up gliding for a while to acquire further delay to prevent slamming onto 'solid' water.

Good news is that I managed to calmly get to the waters near the shore with minimal issues, beyond the fact that the water was fucking freezing and I was feeling all of that on my legs and lower body. A chilling experience for sure, but one that allowed me to keep awake and aware of all kinds of trouble that could still come to me. I might have landed well away from the origin of that unexpected trouble, but that didn't mean I was completely safe with the chances of some patrols being dispatched to hunt us down. Drenched and wet, the plan at the moment was to get in a temporary hideout, switch to my cover and get in contact with the others.

To do that, I first had to leave the shore and get into one of the shady alleys of the city, perhaps one that lacked hobos and other scum that could find shelter in these dangerous places. A really fitting way to begin an important mission, I grimly thought as I swiftly bolted off my current position and right towards the first visible buildings in the horizon. It wasn't going to be an easy first step into the operation, but definitely better than trying to fight my way through any possible threat being harbored on the base we have lost to someone with missile AA installations and actual magicians. Knowing our chances, we just got Khaos Brigade tailing us and tending traps all over the island as we were speaking. And knowing my luck, there was a good chance either Rizevim or Ophis might make an appearance in the near future due to my presence and Vali's. Not the best scenario, far from it.

Sighing and cursing under my breath, I prepared for quite the first day back at the job the funniest way possible. And that was running around aimlessly across a city which I had just a map about and no relevant landmarks that I knew about. I was freezing up, I really needed to change into better clothes to replace the wet ones, and I could tell that the more I remained in open sight, the higher were the chances of cops unaware of the current situation joining the chase to find out why there were masked figures infiltrating the city in broad daylight. A vacation-like trip, that's how Azazel described it in the dossiers he asked Baraqiel to give us. I could sense the same warm welcome many other countries busy with inner wars right with that visit, really awing to say the least. Eventually, my little wandering culminated in me finding the ideal spot where to wait for a while and change to my cover through the spell that Baraqiel gave us for this situation. I was modestly surprised and given quite some ideas…

Yet right now, I really wouldn't have minded getting buried by the paperwork while enjoying the benefits of being in a warmer and safer place back home...

I had to say that my first impression of Anima City might have been strongly influenced by the presence of troubling elements trying to murder me and my team at our entry point. The city might have slums and richer districts that highlighted the severe economic differences that were going to be heavy problems in the long-term process of finalizing this place as the final community for Beastmen in Japan, but it still had its good points. Like the fact I found a nice ice cream parlor in the slums which seemed to mostly have kids as the big majority of customers. And for good reasons. The place was just selling delicious stuff and it offered some seats in the open which I used as a means to contact the others. The communication seal on the mask was active at the moment as I laid the cover on the table as I was well away from any possible eavesdroppers in the area.

"Rich area? How are you two faring for the time being?" I inquired as I just finished listening to Vali's account of the situation he shared with Raynare. They managed to land and proceed deeper into Anima City before taking a break and waiting for me to call for them. I was surprised by the patience, but I was convinced his decision to move more into the inland section of the island was focused on being in a better position to do many things I could give him order of. It was a crafty decision, but I had yet to think of what to do with our current situation.

"The situation is stable, but we'll have to relocate soon. I believe some people have grown wary of the fact we are wearing masks and showing no signs of fur or other details common in Beastmen," Raynare pointed out with a tired tone, clearly worried about their situation turning bad once again.

"Then switch already to your cover. I've already done that and mixed well with the locals," I rebuked flatly, narrowing my eyes at the mask. "Right now, I doubt we can bail from the island, so it would be best to make the life of those trying to either capture or kill us very difficult."

"You already changed?" Vali asked with a hint of surprise and I hummed.

"Yep. Black-furred kitsune," I replied curtly, feeling irritated at thinking how much 'relevant' this form was for someone like me. My dark fur, my new pair of ears sprouting by the upper section of my head, I had frigging tails early on that I managed by luck to hide away through the very unique skill I was going to exploit for the sake of not getting caught. Because yes, Kitsune and foxes weren't the same thing for Beastmen, with the former having the ability to cast illusions on themselves and alter their appearances at will when needed. It was nice to have as a temporary ability while I used that form but… I knew the rest of the city, or the ones that had the decency to go to school and study the various types of Beastmen, were also aware of this too. So not much of a good advantage if I failed to abuse it accordingly. "I would suggest changing now, take the covers as special agents under Mayor Rose. Our first order of the day is to look around while in our covers, get accustomed to our surroundings and start investigating the whereabouts of the two girls?"

"What about contacting Grigori? Shouldn't we be trying to re-establish contact with Azazel, or even check this woman, Mayor Rose-"

"We can't trust her. Not when she provided no information about a takeover of one of our bases. Considering the equipment moved there, I doubt this was doing in absolute quiet," Vali argued and I nodded.

"And I think someone from Grigori is actually spying for our foes for this specific circumstance," I added with a sigh. "Due to how unpredictable this option is, the best way we can spend our time right now is to find out where the girls are and regroup to plan out new ways out."

"We will change soon and start to search for Kagemori and Hiwatashi," The holder of the White Dragon confirmed and I smiled at the mask.

"Good. I'll be moving soon myself. Once I'm done with this ice cream."

There was a brief silence at that last comment, and I prepared to deactivate the communication seal once I got the reaction I needed. Call it being childish, or maybe trying to tease them a little bit on how luck worked in crazy ways even when I was handed the crappiest hand possible.

"You're eating ice cream-" And the seals went off with Raynare's confused half-question. Grinning eye-to-eye, I finished my little break from the serious aspect of work and went to finally patrol the area I was in.

The slums were a good place to try and find both Michiru and Nazuna if I had to be honest. From what I could remember from the sparse memories I had of BNA, Nazuna's cult – the one she was used as a figurehead of it, that is – was supposedly known to operate in this area of the city due to how easy it was to recruit people with the revelation of the 'Second Ginrou' called 'Déesse Louve'. The Ginrou was actually a legit entity that really existed, but considering the power scales of this universe, its relevance was slightly above me as of right now due to its general divine capacity. It was considered a myth of a Beastman with the duty of saving all Beastmen in times of need. Sadly, 'Déesse Louve' was just the illusion adopted by Nazuna at the command of the one owning the cult I might end up having to dispose of as harshly as possible for two reasons: 1) It was a cult of fanatics, and I wasn't leaving the chance of those coming to bite my ass in the future and 2) The man leading it was dubbed by the same VA as Dio Brando. I might love Jojo, but I can't allow someone with that same voice to exist on this planet with how finicky fate really could be at times with these elements.

Michiru… could be around. She was definitely going to linger a lot in the area, but not necessarily sticking by one spot where I could find her. I was sure the two had been in Anima City for a few months now, so I knew that the girl could have moved to another area to avoid trouble with those thugs living in the area. Something I would have to be really careful too considering that I was entering these zones as 'Special Agent Hekishoku', which translated in Thuggish as 'Cop with an extra title'. My wandering further elevated the degree of decay that this part of the city was going through, and it further explained why anyone would believe the BS sprouted by some megalomaniac cultist with high ambitions, higher levels of insanity, and a hate bone for the government. My little patrol eventually concluded with me stopping by the corner as I spotted something interesting.

"Rejoice! For 'Déesse Louve' has decided to visit Anima City and put an end to the despair of misery caused by those that prey on the weak for the sake of greed!" Bootleg Dio- I mean, Boris Cliff exclaimed with utter zeal and glee. "Feast your eyes upon her power, gaze at her beauty and feel blessed by this divine circumstance."

And here she was, one of the targets for this mission. Nazuna's fake Ginrou form was perhaps one of the most unique aspects of her abilities compared to Michiru's own brand of insanity. Both could, due to their human-beastman hybridization make use of alterations to their bodies to mirror the strength of Gorillas, the speed of Cheetahs, or even wings when needed. But since the pinkette was a kitsune, her transformations were also better-formed and easier for her to use when needed. From a quick look over the scene, I could tell that the reason why this 'intervention' was happening didn't seem tied to the canon reasoning. I could remember getting close to being burned, but I couldn't see anyone in that kind of predicament. Rather, I could see some old looking Beastman lying on the ground and having just been saved by a beating by some bastards with guns. The attacking group was running but I could see them leave… and I could also see how the cult was doing anything to help the poor elder that was still struggling on the ground. I expected someone there to do anything to help the guy, but no one moved, either because the cultists were keeping formation or because the rest of the crowd was more stunned by the majestic being rather than being concerned with the main element that was tied to the original situation that required said being's intervention.

I didn't stay put, knowing I could help the old boar myself, so I approached the scene, carefully swimming through the mass of people blocking the way to the first line where the situation was unfolding and eventually I managed to get close enough to crouch down and help the elder for good. He spared me a surprised look when I arrived, surprised that after so long someone was actually caring for his situation, but he seemed more relieved and happier when I offered him a vial and asked me to drink it. He thought it was some painkiller, either that or water. But soon he seemed to catch on the fact it was more than just that. Despite his wounds having been healed, the old boar still needed some assistance to be brought up. He thanked me quietly, nodding his head in a humble display which I returned with a silent smile. As the man went back into the crowd and moved through it to leave the zone, I noticed that my intervention hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Would you look at that? A young man decided to interfere with the divine powers of Déesse Louve. A true display of disrespect towards the Second Ginrou."

I turned around, facing Dio-wannabe and the 'scary Ginrou' with a flat look. Was he really trying to go that route? Really? I felt annoyed if I had to genuinely comment on my current state of mind. Not only did he have the face to come out and say that I 'interrupted' the fake deity's saving powers but that I was also being disrespectful by helping an old man in need?

How about 'fuck you'?

"Oh really?" I inquired calmly. "Do tell me more, what does my little impertinence amount to?"

"Feigning ignorance will not save you from divine retribution," Boris sharply replied. "In fact, you should repent before-"

Before he could finish that sentence, I heard Nazuna growling, and I stared at her with a serious look. At my lack of reaction at that ultimatum, the girl's altered face sported surprise and confusion.

"I'll be honest. To all of you. I dislike frauds. With a passion," I commented dryly. "But I hate even more those that exploit minors by lying to them, falsifying the real role they have within the group they are part of and making them become part of a system whose main purpose is to trick poor people out of their money."

"L-Ludicrous!"

"It's ludicrous that a blatant scam like this one would be allowed to continue for this long, and even more that you would believe that nobody would have questioned the creepy act of coaxing a young girl into taking part to this kind of heinous deeds, Cliff-san," I interjected fiercely before turning to the still-turned Nazuna. "Hiwatashi Nazuna, I'm Agent Hekishoku. I'm part of a task force whose main purpose is to make sure you and your friend, Kagemori-san, are brought to a safe shelter and provided for your needs. Your disappearance has been noticed."

Her eyes widened and… her transformation faltered as she reverted to her humanoid self. "W-What?"

Just as she said that query, she was suddenly pulled back by those holding her cloak as they forced the dress on her and… started to run away.

"Everyone leaves! He is an agent of-"

"I've been sent to handle a kidnapping, and I'm surprise it's happening before the people's eyes right now," I sharply interjected, my words striking true to the crowd of poor people which reacted to the entire predicament by advancing forward and ending up engaging with most of the cult in that moment, with the two running members managing to elude that sudden assault. Sadly, I wasn't planning to let this go and swiftly rushed through the small space between the cultists and the crowd, punching away a couple of bastards trying to hold me back and delay my chase. I wasn't in the mood to spend too much time there and I jumped over the brawl before rushing up in pursuit of the escaping duo through the alleys they were taking. The chase eventually concluded thanks to a dead end they ended up taking, ending their chances of running away and forcing them to attack me. Sadly, that would easily prove to be quite a mistaken approach as I easily managed to get through these weak pig beastmen with ease. They slumped on the ground as I carefully stopped them by knocking them out at once. With their defeat, there was just… Nazuna. And I realized how young the girl really was compared to what I expected her to be.

The robe barely held well over her petite frame, but she managed to hold herself quite well to not display anything scandalous. Her red eyes wide open as she studied my approach with a tense but quiet attitude. I was careful enough to not make any sudden movement and eventually I had to crouch down and address her with a smile. "Apologies for… the little shaky rescue."

"D-Do you mean it? You're here to save me and Michiru-chan?"

I slowly nodded. "My group has been dispatched to handle the operation since previous squads have… encountered problems. Someone was actively preventing this to happen for a few months."

"Oh," Nazuna muttered quietly, her ears flattening a little bit in the sad but still cute manner. "And… what now?"

"Well, first I would have to find you some clothes. And get you something to eat. I doubt you had eaten for a while now," I truthfully listed out, quickly gaining her protesting self regarding the 'unneeded things' when said moment was abruptly interrupted by her belly groaning and asking for food. She blushed and I held back a chuckle by merely snorting at the amusing development. "Then I'll bring you to a safehouse. The rest of the squad is busy trying to find out where your friend is and-"

"And?"

That push seemed odd. "You would have to remain with us until we're done with the recovery and have a safe way to bring you to the Mayor. She is the one that hired us for the task."

"The… mayor? Is she the one that wants to save us?"

"That's the case, yes. Now, we can talk some more once we are in a… more stable situation, okay?" I replied and offered that hint of kindness, something that she answered with a shy nod as I went to calmly pick her up in a bridal carry. She didn't make a fuss about it, but she blushed a tiny bit at the matter due to how awkward it seemed. Her robe was really thin and I didn't blame her for feeling quite ashamed by this matter. Without saying anything, we left the dead end and trailed back to the ice cream parlor knowing that there I could buy her something sweet and fast to eat.

Securing Lil' Nazuna? Check. Getting her some proper clothes and some good food? Work in progress.

AN

Oh my! A new chibi! And she is a kitsune! There is a pattern, let me tell ya. I smell a conspiracy! I smell lies and betrayal! And Michiru! Michiru is the odd one here!

But yes, I just took elements from BNA (Brand New Animal) and I'm creating a new story out of it. Feel free to bail due to 'feeling upset' or wait and see how this is actually good for a unique mission about friendship, surrogate brothers-sisters, and a little hint of beam-battles!

Lastly, this is chapter 40! And we're so close to 2k followers (just 100~ left, come on!)! Thank y'all for the love and support! Let's goooooo~~!

P.S. Guess which animals are Vali and Raynare. Maybe it's simple, maybe it's crazier… YOU DECIDE! EPIC RAP BA- No wait, wrong place. But hey this is a theory! A ga- Enough, I'm going insane here! … Yep, I will get my cup of tea and nap now. Bye~! xD

Current Milestone: 1861 Followers.

Next Milestone: 1916 Followers.

REVIEW Q&A!

Davidab931: Because Serafall's original eye color was blue but animators for the early seasons got this wrong. Same for Grayfia with her eyes being canonically red but being shown gray in early seasons. The animation team changed and so they adapted the newer seasons with the appropriate details.

DIOchu: Because magecraft is fairly weaker compared to normal magic. He can pull the same stuff without having magic circuits and he will do something about it soon. Something… epic!