[DISCLAIMER: A fun little horror adventure using Hololive characters – but merely a work of fiction.
Okay, so we get some Pekorone (love Peko's humor) and BotanxLamy and then Suisei and Miko at the end. I actually wrote an alien language for this story. I hope it's okay. It's kind of similar to Gaelic… but not quite.
We find out a little more about what's behind all of the creatures and the opening of Hell Realm. There are touches of Resident Evil, Touhou stuff, and other works of fiction. By the way, the mythos continues with HololiveEN and what's about to develop in the Lonely Dr. Watson Amelia… story. Maybe a bit of Lovecraftian influence – not sure.]
Chapter Eight
Korone watched the door, listening to the sound of something further in the tunnels. She sensed creatures and wondered what was going on after she'd been part of Pekora's experiment. She was both thankful and yet scared. She had no idea what she had become. The unknown was always the scariest part of living.
Pekora woke with a start, Korone standing over here.
"Oh hey," her eyes were wide, her heart beating a mile a minute. "You… okay – Peko?"
Her voice was that of a scared bunny and it made the doggo laugh. "Did I scare you?"
"No… why would you think that?"
"Yeah sure. I'm not going to attack you Chairman."
"I told you – call me Pekora." The bunny girl leapt out of her sleeping position, swinging her legs to the side of the small cot, sitting up. "Can we run some tests?"
"Sure sure."
"You're a very agreeable person. Is that the doggo nature?"
"Not sure, but it's not like I have much of a choice. I'm as curious as you are about the findings."
Korone walked over to another room for Pekora to run tests. She'd basically check vitals, run physical tests, and then have her sit while she ran the blood through another centrifuge and look over samples of skin, blood and various other body fluids necessary.
She was continuously mixing, looking through her microscope and then combining ingredients.
The doggo watched everything closely, listening to Pekora speak. She realized she would repeat, "peko, peko, peko," whenever she was thinking. The bunny girl impressed her, if she was being honest. She made her own business successful within only a year and a half. She was a self-made millionaire. And then when she spoke over the owner of MoonaTech she would look a certain way.
"Did you fall in love with Dr. Hoshinova?"
"What?" Pekora laughed nervously, "that's silly – Peko."
"Hm, if you say. Okayu says you can't help your heart's choosing."
Pekora kept laughing in her distinctive cadence. "She's a worthy employee – a find that was a surprise."
"Love is always a surprise."
"Let's change the subject – Peko." Pekora finished up, removing her gloves. "What about you and Okayu? Why do you love that shifty cat so much?"
"Because she never changes when it comes to me. She's my comfort and…" Korone smiled in thought, "I've never met anyone else like her and she makes me feel warm inside and smile. I miss her."
"Don't cry – Peko."
"Okay, but I want to cry a little."
"Okay, just a little, but emotions make me uncomfortable – Peko. So, don't go on and on – we have work to do."
The two laughed, and continued talking over life as they waited for test results. Korone could see why Pekora was a friend of Okayu. But then, her girlfriend was the kind of person who befriended anyone she met. That was another reason she loved her.
"I think I've made the serum." Pekora placed multiple tubes of the serum into an egg carton like case, locking it closed.
She kept one small tube out, holding it up. "This will be the first of a vaccine that I hope will help. It could reverse the effects of this disease. Since we'll be facing a possible hoard, I'm going to test this…" Pekora paused for effect and to think over the next words that would pass from her mouth. "… on myself."
"Wait a minute," Korone held to the smaller rabbit-girl's shoulder. "You can't do that."
"Why not?"
"It's… I don't want to be stuck here alone. That, and I'd hate for you to die cause… I'm getting used to you."
Pekora laughed again. "Everybody falls in love with me – but, I don't have time."
Korone rolled her eyes.
"But seriously, if I get bitten it's the end of me. I'd rather die than become something other than myself." Pekora laughed uncomfortably. "Not saying I want to die, but my mind is my soul, and if I lose that… well then, why live?"
Korone grinned. "You know… you're right."
Pekora looked up in question.
"You are a lot like Okayu."
"HA HA HA," Pekora laughed, as she gathered supplies beside her on a table to give herself a shot. She laughed both because she didn't see the similarity, but also because she was scared.
She sat down wiping some alcohol at the inside of her arm, then grabbed a new syringe, and pulled from the elixir. She tapped at the contents, releasing any air bubbles, and then took a heavy breath.
"Here goes. This will either make me immune from their bite… or kill me. You'll know soon."
Korone watched on, holding to Pekora's shoulder in comfort. The rabbit-girl found the doggo both unusually kind and interesting.
She shot the needle into the inside of her arm, lowering her head. Almost a minute passed, as she held to the table with her head lowered.
"Peko? You okay?"
The chairman felt odd, but knew it wasn't death she was feeling. She held to the table, breathing in and out slowly. There was no adverse reaction from what she could tell. She finally lifted her head, her brow lowered. "Peko?" She asked, "You are calling me Peko?"
"Well… it's shorter."
"I said you could call me by my first name, but let's not go overboard - Peko. I'm still a Chairman."
"Yes ma'am." Korone saluted flippantly.
"Eh, doggo's…" Pekora laughed, repeating, "Peko, peko, peko." And then, "I'm okay."
Korone sighed in relief. Pekora stood, but nearly fell, and the doggo grabbed around her, helping her to sit back down.
"Just light-headed."
"You sure?"
"Yes, common reaction." Pekora suddenly took on a serious tone. "Koro-chan, listen carefully. There is a way up you can take if anything happens to me – not saying it will, but just in case. There should always be at least two or three back up plans."
Korone nodded quickly, paying attention.
Pekora had begun to actually like the doggo. She pulled a card from her top pocket. "This will get you through any door." She then instructed her how to leave through the back elevator. "You just take this and run. You'll be fine. Find Okayu and make sure, if anything happens to me promise you'll stop them from continuing with this experiment, close their gate to the Hell Realm at the center of MoonaTech… and watch over Miko for me."
"Miko? From the shrine?"
"You ask a lot about love and choices and I don't bother with love – Peko. It's time consuming. I bother with life and probably the worthiest one I want to see live and continue is Miko, my friend since childhood. Okay? That is all and don't read more into it – Peko."
"Uh-huh." Korone realized this bunny was lying to herself. "I'm going to take the chainsaw, but it might be cumbersome."
"I'm going to grab the crossbow."
"Cool. Don't forget to wear the Kevlar."
"I won't – Peko. I'm all about preservation."
They both walked over to the room with weapons.
Korone was thankful the military garb Pekora gave her had so many pockets. She looked like an action hero. Pekora, also looking like a fellow SWAT member. It made them both laugh, while looking over how they looked.
"Wowowowow," Korone barked. "All set, boss!"
Pekora winked, standing behind the doggo. "All set."
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The truck had pulled over at the back of MoonaTech. Once stopped Lamy held Okayu's hand, still healing, feeling worn out like she had never felt with a healing.
"Is she going to be okay?" Botan watched. "Why is she still unconscious? She just had a scratch."
"Her fast metabolism has made the poison move quickly. She's in such good shape this poison loves her. It's a feline trait, and…"
"Like me?"
Her wife nodded, wanting to cry. "I've never been like this after healing. Whatever is enhancing these creatures is powerful. I don't have anything left inside. I need to rest for a few hours, and I'm not sure she has that much time."
"Poor kid." She held around her wife's shoulders, as she cried. "I know this kills you inside not being able to help." Botan wiped at her tears. "Your empathy is your best quality. But I know you'll be able to heal her. We'll keep positive, right?"
Lamy sniffed up tears. "Right."
The rainstorm and thunder continued outside the truck. The lightening in bursts showing the forest they were tucked into and that's when they could see the dark creatures in the distance.
"Sweetheart, those things are going to be here soon. I'm going to carry her inside. This truck isn't the best defense if we're surrounded."
Lamy nodded. "Let's go then."
Botan drove right beside the back of the facility, then left the truck. She shot the lock on the large metal doors at the back of the facility, busting them open with the crowbar. She opened the door.
Lamy then held it open, as Botan ran back to pull Okayu out of the truck, carrying the smaller cat-girl inside.
They slammed the doors closed behind, Botan shoving the crowbar at the metal handles to keep it closed. They walked through another set of doors, opening and then locking them behind.
The place was dark and quiet. They slowly walked to a room to the right and found a table, laying Okayu down.
Lamy nearly fell over, she'd been trying so hard to heal.
"Rest, okay?" Botan helped Lamy to sitting, and then placed her weapons on the table, looking over where they were at. "I don't even know where to begin. I hope Miko called Danchou and Flare and warned them by now. We're going to need back up."
"What do you think happened? Why are those things there? That can't possibly be Joseph's Village."
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out… and stop it." Botan felt at Okayu's brow. "You hang in there. If you die here, I'll be really upset with you."
Her eyes actually fluttered and Lamy glanced to her wife.
"I knew this cat was a strong one."
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Chairman Hoschimachi Suisei pulled up to the Shrine, looking out to the clouded sky. Those things were called back to MoonaTech before she arrived, since she didn't want to have to face them.
She walked up the steps, a thin and stylish cane in hand, and to the shrine entrance, walking through. It was empty.
She pulled out a special device, round and with alien writings. It looked like a stop watch, black with golden hands, and 24 small numbers in an otherworldly language.
"Priestess, where are you?" She whispered.
"I'm not a priestess; I'm a Shrine maiden and guardian of the gods."
Sakura Miko walked out from the temple, dressed in her usual flowered kimono, a staff with golden rings dangling around the top that would make a jingling sound when she struck it at the ground. The timbre was of light windchimes.
"How much did it cost to sell your soul?" Miko asked, laughing.
"These are the true gods and what you do here is futile and silly in the grand scheme of things. These are the ancient gods brought her long ago by them."
"They're aliens who have no idea about this world, and were locked up long ago for good reason. They only want death and destruction of the world. They need to go back. What they've unleashed was never supposed to be allowed here. That's why it was trapped in the first place."
"They have a power unlike anything I've seen. Thanks to your childhood friend now we can make a better being."
"Pekora created it without realizing."
"But she did. Something this world of weakness and disease needs."
"Let me guess - they promised to give you that same power." Sakura Miko struck at the ground, the windchime sound surrounding them. "Money, and power, and strength isn't everything Chairman."
With each tap to the ground she was building a resonance of protection.
"You have the luxury to think that. I was just a poor little child who was laughed at all through school and I fought for everything I have. You have no idea what it is to struggle."
"Just because my family was wealthy doesn't mean I don't understand struggles. It made me realize I had to leave and learn what it was to struggle."
"Guilt complex guardian. Both pathetic and admirable."
Suisei sneered at the shrine maiden, looking down at her strange watch. "This is the right spot. I'll offer you a hefty amount to simply leave. It's the best choice. This is just a piece of land. Or else… you could leave with nothing."
"This place was decided by the gods and you have no right to dig here, and then bring more of those things up. They need to stay where they are. We bound them for a reason."
Suisei smiled, slowly pulling a sword from her cane, its sheath.
"I'll tell you what – we can duel for it. I promise if you win, I will leave."
Miko stood back in her fighting stance, her staff ready to use. Her bright green eyes were intense as she felt empowered by the gods.
Suisei thrust her sword downward and forward, it being swept aside by Miko's staff. The rain began another downpour, as they fought. The thunder and lightning building.
Suisei's sword thrusts were quick, but Miko understood defense, sweeping each strike aside, her foot placement in small triangular motions. The technique was a mix of Tai chi chuan and her own variation from watching action films. There was a reason she was called, Elite Miko.
But Suisei had something Miko didn't have – an otherworldly ability to find weak spots in her opponent. It's what she had developed in the Demon Realm and with her left eye she saw shapes and lines.
As the rain fell, the mud made it slightly more difficult to move, as Suisei continued to push Miko back to the openness of the shrine grounds.
The fight was back and forth, parlay and dodge.
Rain swept up with their swings in arc and splashing around the area.
Suisei smiled, thankful for a worthy opponent.
"You're pretty good."
"You're not good enough."
"Really? You haven't seen my true power."
Caught off guard, Suisei saw her opening and sliced across Miko's right arm. She laughed, "there is always a weak spot."
Miko fell back, losing the grip on her staff.
Suisei catching her off balance, kicked the staff to the ground and then with the hilt hit Miko across the face, knocking her to the ground and off balance.
Suisei was suddenly over her, straddling like an animal about to strike downward, but Miko rolled to the side, here left hand searched at the ground, finding her staff, swinging it toward the attacker.
Suisei grabbed it in an instant, as they both struggled with the staff between them.
Miko realized she was amazingly faster than she thought she'd be. She had underestimated the strength of the demons, and said a quick prayer under her breath.
A gust of wind and rain, followed by the strike of thunder, and then lightening hit to the tree at the side.
A branch flew off and toward Suisei enough to get her to move off the shrine maiden.
Miko took the time to grab her staff, using it to help her move, the wind and rain attacking at Suisei to give her time.
She made her way toward the tunnel the other three had left earlier, holding her bloodied arm.
Suisei didn't follow, instead sat on the ground laughing.
"You're only prolonging the inevitable!" She kept laughing. "They're coming and soon they'll overrun Holios. And you and your false gods will be able to do nothing." She stood up, brushing off the mud. "I wanted to give you a chance – this is your decision."
Suisei was met by her chauffeur. She spoke in a strange language, "Wcah cbehn kideel lbehtcahr. Wcah tee gee tee MoonaTech."
"Ycah sideer." He bowed his head in reverence, then lowered to the ground on his hands and knees.
Suisei sliced across his neck, removing the head in an instant. "Sorry, but a sacrifice was needed. Your blood was well spent."
The headless body lie on the ground, the rain and mud mixing with his blood.
Suisei pulled out her strange watch, looking over the time. She grinned slowly and then walked back to her car. There was another driver.
Miko made her way to the tunnel where she'd sent Botan, Lamy and Okayu. There was what looked like a manhole cover. She lifted it slowly, made her way to the ladder, and then closed it over her head. She needed to climb down.
Nobody knew of these underground tunnels but the maiden of the shrine. There was more to Holios than anyone had known, but her Sensei had taught her well.
She had lost a lot of blood and fell for the last few feet to the ground. She sat there for a moment, leaning against the wall, holding to her arm. She realized the sword Suisei swung was laced with the demon poison.
She sat, allowing her healing ability to work through her body, waiting to move, quietly beneath the shrine.
[END NOTE: Thank you for reading. Next chapter some Korone Doggo power and possibly Moona and Iofi.]