A/N: Sorry about the long wait, everyone. Been distracted by a lot of things recently, mainly WoW Classic... Anyway, I'm back with the latest chapter of MON - Squad Bravo!
Also, in regards to Handling my Homestay's Libido, I'm honestly thinking about dropping that story for several reasons. Firstly, I'm struggling to come up with any good ideas, and secondly, I want to focus purely on this story, seeing as it's my longest-running story and my favourite of the two. I'm sorry for those who enjoyed Callum's and Cerys's little story but I have no drive to write anything for it at this time.
With that update out of the way, I hope you enjoy the new chapter! Leave a follow and favourite if you haven't and feel free to drop a review or any suggestions for the story. Thank you very much for reading and I'll see you next time!
There is a unique charm to onsen towns. The calm and peaceful atmosphere, the friendly locals and the constant source of warmth from the hot springs themselves. There was also a plethora of footbaths scattered throughout the town which was an enjoyable bonus for any visitors to the town, especially if you're hard-working special forces personnel looking for any opportunity to relax. Yuuto and Lala, along with Kasumi, Raia and Doppel were currently enjoying the pleasures of one of these steaming pools of bliss. Though relaxed as they were, this didn't stop the members of MON from their usual antics.
The hybrid of the group let out a sigh of satisfaction as his feet soaked in the steaming water. "Man, nothing beats chilling out on a warm summer's day as you soak your worries away. I'd honestly consider moving to an onsen town if the cost of living wasn't so expensive."
"Aye, though tae bask in such pleasure with ye, even fer such a short time is worth every moment o' it." The young reaper sat next to him added as she leaned against her boyfriend and rested her head against his shoulder with a content smile on her face.
Kasumi, who was sat on the other side of her squad captain also had a content smile on her face as she enjoyed the feeling of the warm water around her feet. "It certainly is rather enjoyable, especially in good company."
"Yeah, I'm just glad that we're far enough away from our onsen to be able to enjoy the nice sunny weather too." The mummy of the group added as she let her bare legs soak in the water, the wrappings that were normally wrapped around them now wrapped into two balls behind her only connected to her by her waist.
"Tell me about it, my hair can only keep a girl so warm." The doppelganger complained out loud with her hair currently wrapped neatly around her chest and nether regions.
"Well, maybe you should wear actual clothing once in a while," Yuuto replied with a smirk, much to Doppel's annoyance. He then cleared his throat as to get the attention of the rest of his co-workers. "anyway, while we're out here I wanted to go check out the Shinto shrine that's nearby."
The blonde's suggestion immediately grabbed the attention of the shinobi of the group. "That sounds like an excellent idea. Do you know which deity presides over it?"
"From what I heard from Yukio; it's dedicated to Inari-sama. The shrine itself is a little way outside of the onsen district."
"Inari-sama?" Raia questioned.
"Yes, Inari Okami is the Shinto god of foxes, fertility, rice, tea and sake-" Kasumi started to explain before Yuuto decided to interject.
"He represents general prosperity and worldly success." He quickly explained, which earned a pout from the empusa.
"F-F-Fertility?" Lala asked in an embarrassed tone as her cheeks went bright red. "M-Me Love, I did nay have any idea that we wish tae further our bond so quickly…" She added as she glanced away from him and tried desperately to hide her rapidly reddening face behind her scarf.
"Oh, what's this, Romeo?" Doppel teased with a smirk on her face. "Have you and Juliet been having some fun while no one's been looking?"
"If you and Lala were that eager, you should've just got yourselves a room," Raia added in a teasing tone with a smirk of her own.
"Hey, we haven't even gotten that far yet!" The blonde protested.
Kasumi's cheeks went bright red as she glanced up at the hybrid. "…Such shameful behaviour, Senpai…" She said in an embarrassed tone.
"You're the one that brought up fertility, remember?" Yuuto asked her in an annoyed tone before he got his feet out of the footbath and dried them off. "Anyway, let's get going already."
Lala let a warm smile cross her lips as she and the other MON agents did the same. "As ye wish, me Love."
As the group were about to take their leave, Kasumi spoke up. "I'll be back in a moment; I wish to procure something quickly."
"Like what?" The hybrid questioned.
"Fried tofu."
"Didn't realise you were a fan of fried tofu," Raia stated.
"It isn't for me, it's an offering for Inari-sama." The empusa replied in all seriousness.
"I see, ye seek tae tame the deity's wrath through offerings," Lala interjected before she struck one of her chuunibyou poses. "then I too shall assist ye in this task."
Yuuto was about to say that gods weren't real as far as he knew, but he decided against it seeing that Kasumi seemed to take Shintoism rather seriously, plus, he didn't know Raia's and Doppel's stances on such things. He wisely kept his mouth shut as his girlfriend and the shinobi went off to get their offerings for Inari-sama. Someone was going to be well-fed tonight.
The group soon found themselves at the edge of the hot spring district as they started making their way towards the shrine, which was hidden in a wooded area at the edge of the town. Kasumi and Lala had their offerings prepared for Inari-sama in hand, both eager to make their way to the shrine grounds. The rest of the group just kept to themselves as the two women discussed on the topic of the Shinto gods.
"That many?" The young reaper questioned with a puzzled look on her face. "The pantheon must be in a constant state o' influx."
"Indeed, there are many deities that don't get nearly as much reverence as some of the more prominent gods of the religion." The shinobi replied. "Thankfully, Inari-sama is one of the more popular figures due to what he represents."
"Then we must do what it takes tae keep us in his good graces then," Lala responded with a bit of chuunibyou flare.
"Those two seem to be enjoying themselves a great deal." Raia idly commented.
"Almost makes you want to tease them a little," Doppel added with a mischievous grin.
"Behave, will you?" Yuuto said to her in a stern tone. "I'd rather we didn't start anything at a Shinto shrine if I can help it."
"Oh, don't be such a downer, Romeo. I'm just trying to have a bit of fun is all."
He wouldn't have minded so much, but he knew that if the doppelganger was left to her own devices, she'd end up causing trouble not just for them but also for the people around them. "Well, as long as your 'fun' avoids getting bystanders involved then I don't have a problem."
"Can't make any promises~" She replied in a sing-song tone before she moved to catch up with Kasumi and Lala to join in on their conversation, leaving the hybrid to let out an exasperated sigh.
"It's like trying to look after a damn teenager with her sometimes." He complained to himself in a defeated tone.
"You seem to be able to handle her rather well at least," Raia interjected as a warm smile crossed her lips. "I'd say you'd even make great father material someday."
"Raia, Lala and I haven't been dating for that long and we haven't even moved in together yet. Having kids is the last thing on my mind right now."
"Have you told Lala that?" The mummy teased.
Yuuto's cheeks went bright red at her question and he glanced away from her in embarrassment. "Well, that's a discussion for me and her to have at some point, but that's for another time."
"She seems to have a lot of expectations from you, Medjay. Don't go letting her down now." Raia replied as she teasingly prodded his cheek, earning an annoyed groan from the devil hybrid.
Before she could tease him anymore, the group soon found themselves outside the entrance to the shrine. They were greeted with the sight of a large torii gate, which had two statues of inari on pedestals on either side of it. Beyond that was the shrine grounds themselves which was on the smaller side, consisting of the shrine itself and a few amenities, as well as what they presumed was the priest's small home.
"These are well-made statues. Inari-sama would be impressed." Kasumi commented.
"Apart from that, the place looks dingy and quiet as hell," Doppel added with a hint of disappointment as she pouted to herself.
"Don't be rude, Doppel." The blonde scolded her. "I'm sure the priest and the mikos working here are doing the best they can to keep the place looking as nice as it is."
"You say that but what's the point if we're the only ones here?" Raia added as she scanned the area.
Lala struck one of her poses as she went full chuunibyou once more. "Regardless, Inari-sama still requires our offerings, so let us make haste before he sets his full wrath upon us."
"Babe, I'm pretty sure Inari-sama is more of a benevolent god than the 'I shall smite thee down' type," Yuuto commented as he quirked an eyebrow at her.
"Best we nay chance it." She replied as she and Kasumi made their way to the shrine itself.
The hybrid sighed to himself, feeling he was playing babysitter for his girlfriend and co-workers, which prompted a chuckle from the doppelganger and a supportive back pat from the mummy next to him. As the dullahan and empusa reached the shrine to make their offering, he noticed a miko cleaning around the shrine itself. The girl was slender and had short lavender hair and fair skin. Normally this wouldn't have warranted much interest if not for the fact that she had six crimson pupil-less eyes, as well as six indigo spider legs and a large indigo abdomen sticking out from the back of her miko outfit, which was made up of a red hakama, white kosode robes and a pair of wooden sandals. He also noted that her forearms were covered in the same indigo carapace as her spider legs and abdomen. Though he has never met one in person, he recognised the girl as a jorogumo, which was a more humanoid variant of arachne which were exclusive to Asia.
As Lala and Kasumi neared the shrine, the jorogumo miko took notice of the pair and bowed to them. "Welcome to our shrine. Is there anything I can help you with?" She asked as she gave them a friendly smile.
The young reaper took on one of her varies chuunibyou poses as she locked eyes with the miko. "Aye, we have come tae make our offering tae Inari-sama." She told her as she held up a bag filled with fried tofu.
"My apologies," The shinobi interjected as she bowed back at the miko. "but this is the first time my friend here has come to make an offering. If it isn't a bother, I would like to ask you to show her through what she needs to do."
The jorogumo smiled back at the pair. "I'd be happy to help." She replied as she put her brush to one side and started making her way up the steps towards the alter. "If you would follow me, please."
The pair of MON agents nodded and followed the miko to the alter. As they reached the alter the jorogumo started to explain to Lala the common practice of making an offering in Japan. She stepped to one side as the dullahan and empusa placed the offerings by the alter before they rang the bell, clapped their hands twice and dipped their heads in prayer for a moment.
As they were doing this the miko spoke up. "I should warn you though, we've had sightings of yokai here recently, so take care on your way back from the shrine." She said to them in a worried tone.
"A yokai?" Kasumi asked. "What kind?"
"Some sort of brutish hitotsume kozo, it's quite large and very dangerous."
The young reaper entered her reaper persona and placed a hand over her face as she locked eyes with the miko. "Do nay fret, such a beast is nay a threat tae us."
As she said that they heard a loud thud behind them as a large shadow loomed over them. They turned around to see a large bulky being with very long white hair trailing from its large greyish-blue bulbous head which had one large singular eye, a ginormous black horn protruding from its forehead and a large mouth filled with large pointy fangs and a huge tongue hanging out from it. It also had large clawed hands sticking out from a set of worn Japanese robes it was wearing. The yokai snarled at the three women as it breathed heavily.
Before either Kasumi or Lala could act, the jorogumo picked up a nearby Buddhist's monk staff and stepped in front of the pair as she pointed the staff at the beast. "Stand back, vile yokai! Your kind is not permitted on such holy ground!" She shouted dramatically.
The creature just let out a guttural laugh at the miko's threat. "Puny mortal," It started in a deep bellowing tone. "what hope do you stand against a being such as I?"
The miko was steadfast as she held her ground. "It doesn't matter, I cannot allow you to corrupt this sacred place!"
"She does nay stand alone, wretched creature," Lala spoke up as she manifested Crescent Shadow into being. "ye will have tae deal with me also."
"This yokai will not be a problem for the three of us," Kasumi added as she stepped forward and raised her sickles ready for a fight.
"N-N-N-No, you two! This beast can only be harmed by the holy powers of a Buddhist priest!" The jorogumo shouted with a stutter.
The yokai let out another guttural laugh. "Fools! I will crush your bodies and devour your souAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
The creature was cut off as it was now screaming in agony. It was currently being shocked by a vast amount of chaotic energy. It was then lifted off the ground as the girls now saw Yuuto in his devil mode pick up the beast with ease. With a yell, the hybrid threw the yokai over his shoulder and away from the shrine. It landed with a loud thud and a grunt of pain in front of Raia and Doppel.
"Raia, Doppel, now!" The blonde commanded.
Without hesitation, the mummy and doppelganger shot out their wrappings and hair respectfully at the hitotsume and restrained it so the creature wouldn't be able to move. It was still convulsing from the shock it received from the blonde hybrid. Yuuto, Lala and Kasumi quickly made their way to the beast with the miko close on their heels.
"The hell is that thing?" Yuuto questioned as he took a closer look at the creature.
"We were told it was a hitotsume kozo, Senpai," Kasumi answered as she stood to his side.
"Well whatever it is, it looks dangerous," Raia interjected as she stared down at the beast. "We should probably call this one in."
Doppel hummed to herself as she looked the hitotsume over, though for some reason she had a nagging doubt in the back of her mind. "I don't know, something seems off about it."
"Please wait!" The jorogumo shouted as she stood herself between the hybrid and the creature, flailing her arms and spider legs in a panic. "This isn't what it looks like, she's not dangerous at all!"
The blonde looked quizzically at the miko. "But it tried to attack-"
Before he could continue the hitotsume went up in a puff of smoke, initially shocking the MON agents. As they looked down the smoke cleared, now revealing a small woman with blue eyes and short blonde hair with long bangs, wearing a flashy miko outfit. What stood out about her was the fact that she had very canine features, having a small button nose and large cropped ears covered in blonde fur and white at the tips. Her skin was also covered in short blonde fur, not to mention the nine large fluffy fox tails sticking out from behind her. She currently had a dizzy look on her face as chaotic energy still sparked across her fur.
Yuuto merely looked down at the girl with a look of confusion on his face along with the other members of MON, apart from Doppel who had a knowing smirk on her face.
"See, she's harmless, so please don't hurt her!" The jorogumo pleaded to the hybrid.
His expression soon shifted to one of shock, the realization of what he had done now hitting him. "Oh, crap…"
The group had taken the young miko into the priest's home and she soon recovered from her ordeal. It turned out that the fox girl was a kyubi by the name of Ils Nineta. She and her jorogumo friend, Kuruwa, were both students in the exchange program. The MON agents soon learned that they were putting on an act to try and spread the word about the shrine in an attempt to attract more attention to the place, though it hadn't worked out as well as they hoped. Now they were all knelt, drinking herbal tea and eating inarizushi, which the blonde miko was currently stuffing her face with.
Yuuto still felt remorseful for hurting her and despite how well she appeared to be right now, he wished to make amends. "Ils, I'm sorry about what happened earlier. I just saw my friends in danger and I jumped into action without thinking."
Ils, for her part, was swallowing down her treat before giving him a bright smile. "Don't worry about it, sonny. Honestly, I would've been surprised if you hadn't done anything to help them. Though I hadn't anticipated the whole 'getting shocked' thing you did."
"I must apologise for me Love's actions," Lala interjected in her usual chuunibyou flare whilst sat next to her boyfriend. "he has a habit o' playing the hero without considering the consequences o' his actions."
"Indeed, Senpai has good intentions but he sometimes goes a little overboard," Kasumi added from the other side of the hybrid.
"Weren't you two about ready to hack at Ils when she first showed up?" He asked the pair in an annoyed tone.
Both the young reaper and the shinobi flinched at his question as their cheeks went red. They were too embarrassed to respond to his remark.
"Hey, it's alright." The kyubi spoke up to break the awkward situation. "I'm sure they both meant well. It's not every day that a massive yokai shows up to try and eat someone." She added as she rubbed the back of her head with a wide smile on her face.
"To be fair, Ils, maybe we shouldn't have scared our guests like that." Kuruwa chided her before turning her attention back to the MON agents. "We're sorry about our little act of ours, we were only trying to attract some attention to the shrine." She said as she dipped her head apologetically at them, though as she raised her head her cheeks had gone bright red as she locked eyes with the hybrid of the group. "Though, it's nice to know that people are willing to stand up for me." She said in a more embarrassed tone, despite the smile that crossed her lips.
Doppel couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she glanced over at her blonde co-worker. "Geez, Romeo. You always have to be such a charmer, don't you?" She asked him in a teasing tone.
Yuuto shot her a look of annoyance in return as he subconsciously triggered his devil mode. "I'm not it the mood for this right now." He replied as his voice became distorted.
"All that aside though, what you two were doing would've had a better chance of scaring people away as opposed to garnering any attention to the shrine." Raia chimed in as she pointed out the flaw in their plan.
The two mikos flinched at her remark, now realising what they had done might've damaged the shrine's reputation as the kyubi's cheeks started to go red with embarrassment. "But what else are we supposed to do?" The kyubi spoke up. "This shrine isn't like the ones near the big cities, we don't get many visitors apart from the odd passer-by like you guys. Our host says it isn't a problem, but you've seen how run down this place is getting. I'm just worried that we won't have a home if this keeps up." She added with a forlorn look on her face as her ears pressed against the top of her head.
"Ils…" Kuruwa said in a concerned tone as she looked at her fellow miko with worry.
After a moment, a look of determination appeared on her face before she went up in a small puff of smoke, catching the MON agents off guard. When it cleared, they saw that the kyubi was now slightly larger than she was before, her form more curvaceous and her flat chest replaced with large G cup breasts. "But with my skills, I'm sure the shrine will be as popular as ever!" She yelled with confidence and a bright smile on her face as her cropped ears shot up once more. "I mean it's not like you see shapeshifting every day!"
"…Well, I guess you seem good at it…" Yuuto answered as politely as he could, but he wasn't exactly impressed by what she did.
"…Yeah, I'm sure you can do some impressive stuff with it…" Raia added in much the same tone as her captain.
Lala and Kasumi merely nodded in agreement with their statements.
Ils stared wide-eyed at the group, surprised by their lack of reaction. "What's with the lacklustre response?! I mean by the love of Kami-sama, how often do you see a shapeshifter?!" She shouted in disbelief.
Doppel chuckled to herself, earning the miko's attention. "Sorry to burst your bubble," She started as she used her hair to give herself a more mature form, making herself bigger and more curvaceous. "but these guys are pretty much used to it by now." She said as she gave the kyubi a smug look.
Ils stared at the doppelganger in amazement before she rushed to her side. "Oh, my Kami! You can shapeshift too!" She yelled as she sat next to her.
"Guilty as charged," Doppel replied as she grinned and winked at the miko.
The kyubi then had an idea pop into her head as a look of excitement crossed her face. "That's it! With two shapeshifters around, we could put on an awesome transforming hero show!"
The hybrid of the group quirked an eyebrow at her "We?"
"Yeah!" Ils replied excitedly. "With your help, we've got enough people to put on an awesome show!" She then looked over at both Lala and Kasumi. "We could even do the show around a magical girl team, people eat that stuff right up!"
"A magical girl team?" The empusa questioned as she tilted her head to one side.
The young reaper smirked to herself as she struck one of her chuunibyou poses. "She speaks o' a union o' magically talented young women, all destined tae fight against the evils o' this world. It would be something akin tae the Sailor Scouts." She explained.
"Oh," Kasumi replied with a look of understanding. "that does sound quite fun." She continued with a small smile curling onto her lips.
"Yeah, it'll be a blast," Ils said before turning her attention towards the only man in the room. "and what's a good magical girl show without a good villain. With that demon possession thing you got going there, you'd make the perfect bad guy." She added with a huge grin on her face.
"I guess you have a point," He answered as chaotic energy continued to spark around him. "but I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with acting out on stage…"
"Cut the crap, Romeo." The doppelganger spoke up. "From what I remember you got into your Imitazioni act big time. I'm sure you'll enjoy this role even more." She added with a smug grin.
"Wait, you have acting experience?!" The kyubi exclaimed in surprise. "That's exactly what this show needs!"
"Now hold on a second," The hybrid said in an embarrassed tone.
"To be fair, Medjay, you do kind of owe her after shocking her earlier, remember?" Raia interjected with a smirk on her face.
"Senpai, we should help her. They could lose the shrine if we don't." Kasumi added.
"Me Love, we canna abandon these maidens tae this horrible fate. Please, let us aid them on this quest tae save their home." Lala pleaded as she gave him doe-eyes, along with Kasumi who was now giving him the same look.
"I don't want to force you, but you'd be doing us a huge favour," Kuruwa added as she was also giving him puppy dog eyes with all three pairs of her eyes.
"Damn it, it's always the puppy dog eyes with these girls!" Yuuto thought to himself in annoyance, though he couldn't resist the looks they were giving him and he eventually relented with a defeated sigh. "Fine, I'll help…" He said as he returned to his base form.
Ils shot up to her feet and gave him a massive grin at his answer. "That's great!" She exclaimed excitedly. "Thank you all so much! I promise we'll put on the best magical girl show ever!" She then sat herself down and began to make preparations for the show. "Alright. Lala, Kasumi, Doppel. I'll need you three to help me with the magical girl roles."
"Sounds like fun, I'm in," Doppel answered confidently.
"It would be me pleasure tae assist ye in this task." The dullahan said while striking another chuunibyou pose.
"I would be glad to help." The empusa added as the stood up and sat with the other girls.
"I can make costumes and help with tight wire work if we need it." The jorogumo said with a smile on her face.
"That would be amazing, Kuruwa." The kyubi then focused her attention toward the hybrid and the mummy in the room. "Sonny, Raia. I think you two would make a great villain couple in the show. I also have a few friends that would make great minions for you."
Raia let a smirk cross her lips as she sat next to her squad captain and prodded a finger against his cheek. "You hear that, Medjay? Let's do our best to be the best evil couple we can be." She said to him in a sultry, yet teasing tone.
"Oh, joy. The anticipation is killing me…" Yuuto replied sarcastically, not enjoying the fact that he'd been dragged into this situation.
It would probably take all his willpower to make it through what was about to come.
It had been a few days since the run-in with Ils and Kuruwa and the shrine grounds were hardly recognizable. Lines of food stalls lined the footpath towards the shrine itself, mascots were handing out balloons for the kids, and there was also the large stage set up at the far end of the shrine grounds. There were numerous rows of chairs set up in front of the stage and they were filling up quickly. There were many family groups eager to see the show, along with some magical girl fanatics eager to see the performers in their cute outfits. Seated on the front row were Ms Smith, Kestria, Blare, Zombina, Manako and Tio. Yuuto and the others had told them what they had been dragged into and the small group were eager to see how well their co-workers would perform.
"Man, this is gonna be a blast!" The redhead exclaimed. "I can't wait to see what Beesh and the others have been working on!"
"Yeah, I'm just wondering what kind of get-up they've got Stud dressed up in for the show." The hellhound added before she started to scarf down her inarizushi. "Damn, shis ish good stuff." She said with her mouth full.
"Geez, what did Hotshot do to get them caught up in this mess?" The raptor harpy asked nobody in particular with a smirk on her face.
"I'm not sure, but it's nice to see that they're using their free time for a good cause." The government agent answered as she relaxed into her seat. "At the very least this should be entertaining."
"Well, I'm sure they've worked hard the last few days to help with the show, so let's give them our support," Manako added with a look of determination and a smile on her face.
"Yeah, give it your best, everyone!" The ogress of the group shouted as she shot up from her seat and started waving a couple of large glow sticks over her head.
"Tio, where did you even get those?" The monoeye asked as she quirked an eyebrow at her.
"They were selling them at one of the stands."
It was then that Manako noticed a group of men standing to the other side of Tionishia dressed in robes and waving fans and glow sticks, chanting at the stage with all their might. It seemed that the lovable ogress had gotten caught up in the excitement and had unwittingly joined them in their chanting.
"Hah, you go, Tio!" Zombina exclaimed at the top of her lungs.
*Sigh* "This is all too embarrassing…" The monoeye muttered to her herself as she hung her head to hide her face.
Thankfully they didn't have to wait long as a human girl with short-styled black hair and green eyes walked onto the stage wearing a stylish miko outfit. A good chunk of the audience clapped and hollered in applause as she made her way to the centre of the stage, waving at them as she did so. The group of men in robes started chanting with gusto with Tio joining in.
"Greetings, everyone! I'm Miku, and welcome to the Magical Miko Monster Maidens show!" The woman on stage shouted joyfully to the audience. "I'm so glad that so many of you came all this way to see me and my friends here at our shrine!"
She received more whoops and cheers from the audience, especially from the robed men and a certain ogress.
"Now, before we start the show proper, I'd like to ask a couple of audience members to come to join me on stage to meet the team in person!" Miku scanned the audience until she spotted a pair of kids near the front row, one a young human girl with black hair tied into a ponytail and brown eyes and the other a young sea-folk boy with red hair and red eyes, who also had webbed hands and red fin-like ears. "Perfect, the two little ones near the front!" She shouted as she pointed in their general direction. "Come on up!"
The two kids were surprised by being singled out. The young girl looked up at her parents for their permission. "It's okay," Her mother said to her. "You two go have fun."
The kids beamed up at her before the girl grabbed her friend by the hand and started dragging him towards the stage. "Come on, let's go." She shouted excitedly.
"Coming!" The boy replied with equal enthusiasm.
As they made their way towards the centre of the stage, the miko girl crouched down so she was at eye level with the adorable pair. "Hey there, what are your names?" She asked in a sweet tone.
"I'm Natsumi!" The girl exclaimed before gesturing a hand towards the sea-folk boy. "And this is my friend, Nerio!"
"Hey!" The boy said with a massive grin on his face.
"That's some cool names there!" Miku shouted before she stood up and gestured a hand towards the pair. "Give it up for Natsumi and Nerio!"
The audience clapped and cheered at the kids as Natsumi and Nerio waved back at them.
"Great! Now, would you like to meet me my friends, the Magical Miko Monster Maidens?!"
"Yes, please!" The kids exclaimed excitedly.
"Just what I like to hear! Now, all we need to do is chant our team name and they'll be here in no time!"
"I WOULDN'T COUNT ON IT!" A distorted bellowing voice shouted from above them.
The miko, the kids and the audience looked up towards the top of the stage as they saw a pair of figures descending from the rafters. The first figure was Yuuto in his devil mode wearing a large black robe with a hood over his head, large black gloves with red trimmings on the cuffs, a pair of black boots and a black pointed eye mask with a red outline. Next to him was Raia who was wearing a large black robe with a large golden collar, as well as large gloves and a pair of boots with golden trimmings. She was also holding a golden staff with a large ankh on top. The hybrid was letting out a maniacal laugh as he descended towards the stage while the mummy had a smug look on her face.
"Oh no!" Miku exclaimed in a worried tone. "It's Lord Mundus and Lady Nephthys of the Chaos Brigade!"
Just then, three men came onto the stage wearing white martial arts robes and red leggings as well as white cloth masks with the kanji for 'minion' written on them. Minion's One and Two were of average build, while Minion Three was rather large and muscular in comparison. The three minions surround Miku as well as Natsumi and Nerio, with Minion One and Two on either side of the group and Minion Three right behind them.
"Stay close, kids!" The miko exclaimed as she stood them in front of her. "These guys are trouble!"
"Hah! Trouble doesn't even begin to describe what the Chaos Brigade is capable of!" Lord Mundus shouted proudly as he and Lady Nephthys stood centre stage. "Nephthys, be a dear and restrain our hostages, would you?"
"As you so desire, my lord." She replied before she shot several wrappings towards the miko and the kids and lightly wrapped them around their arms and torso. "Please do try not to struggle, little ones," She said to the three captives. "it'll only get worse if you do."
"Hey, let us go!" Nerio shouted.
"Yeah, this isn't fair!" Natsumi added.
"Nerio, Natsumi, it'll be fine," Miku said to them. "I'm sure my friends will be here soon."
With a victorious grin on his face, Yuuto made his way to the front of the stage and looked over the audience. "People of this town, I am Lord Mundus of the Chaos Brigade! I have come here today to subjugate you and this onsen town into my domain! World domination is a difficult task and we require some R&R!" He shouted before turning his attention towards the three minions. "Isn't that right, lackeys?"
"Sir, yes sir!" They shouted in unison with a stand to attention and salute.
Raia then stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Such an excellent idea, my lord. You have no idea how dried out my skin is with all this conquest." She said to him in an affectionate tone.
"Don't worry, my pet! Soon we will be able to conquer the world from the comforts of this town's hot springs!" He exclaimed before the pair started laughing maniacally with the three minions flexing around the captives.
"I have to say, Bishie-kun and Raia certainly are enjoying themselves up there, maybe a little too much though," Kuroko commented from the audience.
"I'll say, they're hamming it up right now," Kestria added with a smirk on her face as she was filming the show on her phone.
"Hey, you leave those kids alone!" Zombina yelled as she stood to her feet.
"Yeah, pick on someone your own size!" Blare joined in as she did the same.
Tio and the robed men next to her were chanting 'Let them go!' repeatedly while waving their fans and glow sticks above their head. Many audience members were also letting out jeers at the dark lord currently taking centre stage.
Manako currently had her face buried in her hands trying her best to hide her reddening face as she let out a groan of embarrassment. "Do you three have to draw attention to us? I can't take much more of this…"
"You won't get away with this, Mundus!" Miku shouted in protest. "The other Magical Miko Monster Maidens will put a stop to your wicked plan!"
Yuuto looked behind him to give the miko a sinister grin. "That's Lord Mundus to you."
With that, Raia tightened her wrappings ever so slightly and going along with the act Miku winced in pain.
"Miku!" Both Natsumi and Nerio exclaimed in concern.
"Don't worry about me," She replied with a pained expression. "as long as you two aren't hurt, that's all that matters to me."
"Hey, devil dork!" Zombina shouted from the audience with a massive grin on her face. "I'd like to see you try and act tough in a real fight!"
"Yeah, you think you're some real hotshot picking on women and little kids!" Blare added with an equally massive grin, trying her best to throw her captain off his act.
"You really shouldn't be so rude, Yuuto is trying to concentrate on the show," Manako said to them in a disapproving tone.
"Take it easy, Manachi. We're just having a bit of fun messing with Beesh." The redhead of the group replied in a playful tone.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Kes warned the pair with a smug look on her face.
"Stud's too busy with his show, he can't do anything to us." The hellhound responded in an all too confident tone, though she and the zombie would soon eat those words.
The hybrid on stage was trying his best not to be thrown off by Zombina's and Blare's heckling, though he was starting to lose his patience with them. Soon an idea popped into his head as he locked eyes with them and gave the pair a sinister grin. "Nephthys, it seems we have a couple of upstarts in the front row. It seems they'll need disciplining."
The mummy was caught off at first as he went off-script, though she soon had a sinister grin of her own as she caught on to his plan. "With pleasure, my lord."
Before either the zombie and hellhound could react, Raia shot out a couple of wrapping towards the troublesome pair, wrapping them tightly around their arms and torsos as they elicited yelps of surprise. They were quickly yanked onto the stage as Manako let out a surprised yelp of her own at their sudden departure from their seats.
"See, I told you," Kestria said out loud in a smug tone.
They were soon placed next to Miku and the kids on stage as Yuuto kept his gaze on them. Zombina and Blare tried to shout in protest but Raia soon wrapped more wrappings around their mouths to silence them.
"Very interesting," Yuuto spoke up in a sinister tone. "once we have control of this onsen town, I could do with having my own personal handmaidens."
Their eyes shot wide open and the tried to yell in protest despite being unable to.
"Hah, this is all too easy!" He said before letting out another maniacal laugh.
"Listen, everyone!" The miko shouted to the audience. "We need to call in the Magical Miko Monster Maidens if we're going to put a stop to the Chaos Brigade's plan!" She then looked down at Natsumi and Nerio. "You think you guys can do that?" She asked with a friendly smile.
"Yeah, of course, we can!" Natsumi exclaimed.
"You can count on us!" Nerio added excitedly.
"Okay, now on the count of three!" She shouted before taking a deep breath. "One! Two! Three!"
"MAGICAL MIKO MONSTER MAIDENS!" Miku, the kids and the majority of the audience shouted in unison.
"Ahahahaha! Cry for help all you want; it'll do you no good!" The hybrid yelled overconfidently.
After a moment a large puff of smoke went off on the stage just to the left of him. "STOP RIGHT THERE, CHAOS BRIGADE!" A trio of voices shouted from within the plume of smoke.
Yuuto slowly sauntered his way to the opposite side of the stage as he kept his gaze towards where the voices came from. "So, you finally show yourselves."
As the smoke began to clear, the outlines of three women in fancy miko outfits could be seen. "In brightest day and darkest night!" Lala shouted from the smoke.
"We come to bare the holy light!" Kasumi added.
Ils, who was in her mature form was the next to speak up. "We're here to protect what's just and right!"
"And with that mission, we stand and fight!" They shouted in unison as the smoke fully cleared before striking a team pose with Ils in the middle, Kasumi to her left and Lala to her right. "MAGICAL MIKO MONSTER MAIDENS!"
The audience was in an uproar at their arrival with whoops and cheers of praise.
"Wow, it's them!" Nerio exclaimed.
"They're so beautiful!" Natsumi added.
"Akane, Haruhi, Chizuru! You're all here!" Miku exclaimed in joy.
"How nice of you to join us!" The hybrid exclaimed. "I was hoping to obtain more handmaidens to serve under me!"
"That's enough of your tyranny, Mundus!" Ils, who was playing Akane responded as she pointed a finger at him. "We will not let either you or the Chaos Brigade do as you wish with this town!"
Yuuto scowled at the trio as the chaos energy around him intensified. "That's Lord Mundus to you, whelps, and I will not have you interfering with my plans any further."
"My lord, allow me to deal with them, personally. I will make quick work of these weaklings." Raia said as she stepped forward and extended several of her wrappings.
"Not just yet, my pet. I wish to entertain my guests first." He said with a sinister grin as he and the mummy took a step back before turning his attention towards his minions. "Lackeys! Deal with these girls quickly for the glory of the Chaos Brigade!"
"Yes, Sir!" They exclaimed with a salute before they stepped forward to face off against the miko team.
Akane, Haruhi and Chizuru all took on fighting stances as they turned to face the minions. As they did so the minions charged forwards and the mock fight between the two groups started as the audience cheered for the mikos. Minion One threw a fist at Akane but she dodged to the side and delivered a mock punch to the side of his head, knocking him to the ground. Minion Two swung a mock kick at Lala, who was playing Chizuru, but she blocked it before landing a mock kick to the man's stomach, also knocking him to the ground. The muscular form of Minion Three loomed over Kasumi, who was playing Haruhi, but before he could grab her, she stepped in and thrust her closed sickles into the man's abdomen. He stepped back in mock pain as he wrapped his arms around his stomach.
The minions couldn't take anymore and proceeded to run off stage. "RUN AWAY!" They yelled in unison.
"Cowards, the lot of you!" Yuuto shouted in annoyance. "Don't expect any mercy from Nephthys later!"
"Yer forces have shattered before us," Lala spoke up as she took on a defensive stance. "surrender now and seek repentance fer yer crimes."
"We do not wish to harm you if at all possible," Kasumi added as she did the same.
The hybrid just merely laughed at their statements. "Harm me?! You girls must be delusional to think you can harm the great Lord Mundus!"
"Chizuru, Haruhi. I don't think this guy's going to listen to reason." The kyubi spoke up as she took up position in the centre of the group and also took on a defensive stance.
Yuuto smirked to himself as he took a step back and looked towards Raia. "Nephthys, wear these whelps down for me, will you?"
"With pleasure." She answered with a smile before she stepped forward and focused her attention towards the mikos, now giving them a sadistic grin. "Now suffer under the wrath of your superiors!" She then extended six lengths of wrappings and sent them flying towards the miko team. "Sovereign Blitzkrieg!"
The girls raised their arms in guard against the attacks as the wrappings started to whip at their arms lightly. They had pained expressions on their faces as they pretended to struggle against the onslaught of attacks.
"Hahaha! Yes, show me how much pain you're in! Show me how weak you truly are!" The mummy shouted with a sinister look on her face.
"That's enough, Nephthys." The hybrid interjected, causing her to retract the wrappings she was using to attack the girls. "I wish to finish them off personally."
Raia gave him a dejected look before stepping back to watch over the hostages. "As you wish, but I was just starting to enjoy myself there…"
"You'll have plenty of time for that once I bring them to heel." He replied as he gave the mikos a sinister grin. "Now I will show you the true meaning of suffering!" He then raised his right hand with his palm open and pointed it towards the girls. After a moment he discharged a torrent of chaos energy towards them, though he stopped the cascade just in front of them. "Chaotic Rule!"
On cue, the mikos dropped to their knees and screamed all loud as they could, pretending to be harmed by the attack.
"Akane! Haruhi! Chizuru!" Miku yelled in distress whilst still being bound by Raia's wrappings.
"AHAHAHAHAHA! SURRENDER NOW OR WRITHE IN ETERNAL AGONY!" Yuuto shouted with a maniacal laugh.
Lala grunted in pain at the onslaught. "Such power, it seeks tae destroy us."
"I can't take much more of this," Kasumi added as she winced in pain.
"Don't give up now, girls!" Ils shouted out loud. "We can still count on Miku to stop them!"
The Miko in question looked back at her friends as her eyes widened in surprise. "What?! You can't be serious!"
"Cease doubting yerself, Miku. Ye know ye have the power tae stand against the evils o' this world!" Lala said as she groaned in pain.
"Please, Miku. You're the only one who can put a stop to this!" Kasumi added.
"Come on, Miku! You're as much of a Magical Miko Monster Maiden as the rest of us! You just have to believe in yourself!" Ils pleaded to her.
Miku glanced away from them as she hung her head in shame. "I…I can't control this power as I am now…" She said in a dejected tone.
"Alright, if you can't believe in yourself, then we'll believe in you!" Ils then turned her attention to the audience. "Everyone, we need your help to cheer for Miku! Let her know that you believe in her too!"
At that, the majority of the audience started to chant Miku's name repeatedly to spur her on. Tio and the robed men on the front row made great efforts to make themselves heard over the rest of the crowd.
"You can do it, Miku!" Natsumi exclaimed to her. "We believe in you!"
"Yeah, show the Chaos Brigade who's boss!" Nerio shouted enthusiastically.
Zombina and Blare, who were still tied and gagged nodded frantically at the miko if only to get themselves freed sooner.
"…You guys…" She muttered as she fought to hold back her tears, but she soon recomposed herself as she looked towards the audience with a determined look on her face. "Alright! I'll give it everything I've got!"
With that, she lowered her head once more as she started to chant to herself. Her hair started to turn white and slowly began to unravel from her form with her skin now tanned. The long strands of hair started to push against the wrappings that bound her as the kids looked on in amazement.
Feeling the strain on her wrapping, Raia looked towards the bound miko with a surprised look on her face. "What is she doing?!" She exclaimed in shock.
The miko then looked up, revealing her now golden eyes with black sclera as she let out a roar. On cue, the mummy retracted all her wrappings from around the hostages.
Yuuto halted his attack on the other mikos as he took a step back and looked at Miku in shock. "What in the blazes is going on here?!"
Doppel, now in her default form but still wearing the fancy miko outfit from before stepped towards the front of the stage before she locked eyes with the villains and pointed at them with a smirk on her face. "MAGICAL MIKO MONSTER MAIDEN MIKU, READY TO FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT!" She exclaimed proudly.
The audience went into a frenzy of whoops and cheers at her declaration. Soon after the other mikos stood to their feet and made their way to her.
"Way to go, Miku! I knew you could do it!" Ils shouted enthusiastically.
"Though she seems to ask differently in this new form of hers." Kasumi pointed out.
"Tis only the natural balance between the dark and the light," Lala added.
"Thanks, girls, but we still have a dark lord and lady to deal with here." The doppelganger replied as she took on a fighting stance and faced the two villains once more.
"Right!" The other three mikos shouted in unison as they did the same, now standing behind Miku.
As this was going on, Zombina, Blare and the kids on stage with them stood up and looked on at the spectacle in awe.
"Damn, looks like things are about to go down." The zombie commented as she started to make her way to the far end of the stage the mikos were standing.
The hellhound made her way behind the kids and placed her large padded hands on their backs. "Come on, you two. We should probably stand back a bit so the girls can take down the bad guys." She said to them with a massive grin on her face.
Natsumi and Nerio nodded at her suggestion. "Right!" They replied as they were guided to where Zombina had stood herself.
Yuuto let out a short yell of frustration at the situation presented to him. "Curse you maidens! You will regret defying my rule!" He shouted as he outstretched an open palm coursing with chaotic energy towards them.
"Yes, my lord! Show these lesser beings the true might of the Chaos Brigade." Raia exclaimed to encourage her master.
"Alright girls! Time to show these guys why you don't mess with the Magical Miko Monster Maidens!" Doppel shouted as she stood at the front of the group.
"Right!" The others replied as they stood behind the doppelganger and placed their hands on her back.
With that, Doppel coiled her hair into the shape of an enormous fist as she raised and pulled back her right arm with her fist clenched, the fist made of hair now mimicking the movements of her hand. She then swung her clenched fist forwards as the fist of hair was sent hurtling towards the two villains.
"MAGICAL MIKO DIVINE FIST!" The mikos shouted in unison.
As they saw the haired fist heading towards them with some speed, Raia formed a large shield out of her wrappings in front of her and Yuuto in an attempt to block the attack. The fist collided with the barrier as the two objects struggled to overpower the other. Unbeknownst to the audience, two thin strands of spider silk shot from the backstage nearest the villains and stuck themselves on Yuuto's and Raia's backs.
"NO! THIS ISN'T HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO END!" The dark lord exclaimed defiantly.
With one last yell, the mikos put all their effort into their team attack and eventually the haired fist broke through the barrier of wrappings. As soon as it collided with the leaders of the Chaos Brigade, the two were yanked backwards by the spider silk attached to them with some force, sending them flying off backstage with surprised yelps. The crowd cheered in applause at the miko team's victory over the forces of evil.
"They did it!" Natsumi and Nerio exclaimed with wide smiles on their faces as Zombina and Blare let out cheers of their own behind them.
With the villains now gone, the miko team reformed themselves so that they were now facing the audience. "Well, that should about wrap things up," Doppel announced with a smirk on her lips.
"Yeah, you were amazing out there, Miku!" Ils exclaimed from behind her.
"It's good that your training has paid off so well." Kasumi praised her from her left.
"Aye, yer powers are certainly something tae behold," Lala added in chuunibyou fashion to her right as she struck a pose.
"Thanks, girls, but I couldn't have done it without your support," She said to her friends before turning her attention back to the audience. "and I couldn't have done it without your love and support either! Thanks, everyone!" She exclaimed with a smile and a wave, earning an uproar of cheers in response. "Now, I think it's about time that we gave these good people our best send-off."
"Right!" The other mikos shouted in response before they all got into position for their team pose.
"In brightest day and darkest night!" Lala started.
"We come to bare the holy light!" Kasumi joined in.
"We're here to protect what's just and right!" Ils shouted enthusiastically.
"And with that mission, we stand and fight!" Doppel finished off proudly.
"MAGICAL MIKO MONSTER MAIDENS!"
The audience started to chant their names as they continued to applaud the girls on their performance. Back backstage though, Kuruwa looked on in amazement whilst hanging from the rafters. "Wow, they did such a good job out there." She muttered to herself.
The jorogumo was shaken from her trance as she heard a groan of pain from below her. She looked down to see Yuuto currently lying flat on his back with Raia lying on top of him with a dazed look on her face, her mammaries currently smothering the hybrid's face.
"Oh, no!" Kuruwa exclaimed in shock as she lowered herself to the stage floor to check on the pair. "Sorry, I must've pulled you too hard! Are you two alright!" She added as she started to wave her arms and spider legs frantically.
The mummy soon recomposed herself enough to look up at the miko. "Don't worry about it, I don't feel pain anyway." She then looked down to see her squad captain under her with his face buried in her cleavage. She couldn't help but give him a seductive look. "Now, what do with have here? Enjoying yourself, Medjay?" She asked in a sultry tone.
Yuuto responded by placing his hands on her shoulders to lift her slightly, enough so he could breathe comfortably again. "Why does this crap keep happening to me?" He complained to himself.
Raia propped herself on her arms, yet she refused to get off of him. "Don't say that. You know you enjoy getting all this attention from us." She replied in a teasing, yet sultry tone as she started to draw circles on his cheek with her finger.
The hybrid merely lay his head flat on the ground as he looked up at the rafters and let out a huff of annoyance. "I came on vacation to get away from this sort of thing…"
Near the back row of the audience, a liminal woman was observing the show with great interest. She had long white hair tied into a ponytail and tanned skin, her eyes had white irises with slit pupils surrounded by black sclera and she also possessed a pair of albino white bat-like wings protruding from her back, a pure white slender spade-tipped tail and a pair of albino white horns sticking from the sides of her head and cresting around the crown of her head with the tips nearly meeting at the centre of her forehead. She was wearing a white tank top and a dark green hoodie on top, both of which with holes in the back for her wings to stick through, as well as short denim jeans and a pair of white trainers. Sitting either side of her was a pair of tan-skinned men with similar devil-like features, both wearing black leather jackets, blue jeans and a pair of black boots.
As the rest of the crowd was cheering and clapping in applause, one of the devil men leaned towards the devil woman to whisper into her ear. "My lady, we should make a move. It's dangerous for you to stay out in the open for too long." He said in a cautious tone.
With a defeated sigh the devil woman stood to her feet. "If we must, and here I was hoping to enjoy the atmosphere a while longer." She complained in response. "Though it is nice to know that the rumours about House Diablo are true."
"And which one would that be?" The other devil male asked as both men also stood to their feet.
"It seems that Baal Diablo does have at least one half-breed spawn on the surface, though I'd never imagined that this son of his was able to tap into the powers of Chaos with such ease." She answered with a smirk on her lips. "It'll be interesting to see what he's truly capable of."
With that, the small group of elder devils started to make their leave but as they were heading to leave the shrine grounds, they were stopped from doing so as a human woman came jogging from the front row to speak with them. "Lady Satan! Do you have a moment?!" She shouted to get her attention.
The devil woman stopped in place as she turned around to face the human in question. "Ah, Ms Smith. It is good to see you again." She said in a polite tone. "And what do we owe the pleasure?"
Kuroko took a moment to catch her breath. "I noticed that you and your group were making your leave. Would you not prefer to have my team help escort you back to the inn?"
Lady Satan shook her head in response. "I appreciate the offer but that won't be necessary at this time. I believe that I'll better blend into the crowd in a small group."
"As you wish," Ms Smith said as she brushed one of her bangs behind her ear. "but remember the arrangement your grandfather has with us. MON task force will be on standby as requested."
"Very well, let us hope they'll be up to the task, especially that devil boy of yours."
"I wouldn't worry about Captain Kazama, he's one of our most capable agents," Kuroko responded with a smug look on her face.
The devil woman nodded back at the government agent. "I'll take your word for it. Now if you'll excuse me, I and my associates will be making our way back to Sno Ball Inn."
"Of course, Lady Satan. We'll see you back there." The human said with a wave as the group of devils made their leave.
Just as they were passing through the torii gate, the she-devil turned her head to glance back at the stage the show had taken place on. She couldn't seem to get her mind off the devil half-breed, strutting across the stage with confidence showing off his chaotic powers for all to see.
She looked away once more as she passed through the gate with a slight blush forming on her cheeks. "I look forward to meeting you in person, Dagon Diablo." She thought to herself as a smile crept onto her lips.
Unbeknownst to Yuuto, he and MON would soon find themselves caught up the political struggles of the Demonic Realms.