Three worlds intertwine
Here is the next chapter of my crossover story.
Chapter nine: A Day Within the City part 1
Two weeks have gone by since Nariko had talked with the youkai, she had dubbed Kagejuu. In those days, the young she-wolf had been helping out around the temple. Like doing choirs or learning how to cook. She also made sure to keep the box that she had found in the storage house hidden from Ushio. Along with keeping her meeting with Kagejuu a secret in the process. Yet despite those two things, Nariko had grown used to living in the Fugen'In temple. She also had to admit that living in the temple wasn't so bad. But during the last few days, Nariko had been growing a little restless. Sure, she had the whole grounds to walk around, but Nariko was starting to feel a little claustrophobic within the temple. She wanted to get out and wander around either in the city, or the forest that surround the Fugen'In temple. Yet the young she-wolf knew that she couldn't do that. Not while she was still unable to shift out of her beastman form.
We find Nariko laying on a thick branch in one of the trees of the temple grounds. She was wearing a white short sleeved shirt, blue shorts and the bandana that Mayuko had given her. It was a sunny afternoon, and the weather was at a comfortable temperature for Nariko to relax outside for a while. Yet she wasn't completely relaxed as a frown of displeasure was imprinted on her face. Nariko was staring up at the leaves that hung above her head as they gave her shade from the rays of sunlight. The she-wolf gazed up at the branches and leaves for a moment before letting out a sigh.
"You know, you constantly sighing all the time is starting to get on my nerves." Spoke a deep male voice.
Nariko lazily sat up and watched as Kagejuu manifested himself in front of her. He sat upon the same branch the she-wolf was occupying as he gazed at her with his narrowed white eyes.
Nariko frowned at the shadowy beast before her: "Well sorry for annoying you. If I could, I would go somewhere else to let out my sighs of frustration. But unfortunately, my choices of where I should do it is minimal."
"Well, aren't you snarky." Kagejuu grumbled as he frowned at her in displeasure. "What's wrong? Got up on the wrong side of the bed today or something?"
"No," replied Nariko as she let her left leg hang down from the branch. "I've just been getting a little restless for the last two weeks. Being in this temple is okay and all, but I'm starting to feel trapped here."
"No surprise there," said Kagejuu with huff. "Anyone would go stir-crazy by just staying in one place for too long. Especially when it comes to living under the same roof as Ushio. Hell, they would probably reach their breaking point with that brat being an idiot all the time."
Nariko couldn't help chuckling in amusement at Kagejuu's statement. She was inclined to agree with youkai, though only slightly when it comes to Ushio's antics. Once in a while, Nariko would feel a little annoyed with Ushio whenever he acted like an idiot around her. Yet despite that, she saw him as someone who always tries his hardest to help. Along with fixing some of the things he messed up on. Like last week, he awkwardly apologized to Nariko for what he had said to her two weeks ago. Nariko still held a slight resentment for Ushio calling her a helpless girl. But she was willing to forgive him, as long as he doesn't underestimate her in the near future.
Nariko then looked back at Kagejuu again: "So how did you deal with it? Being around Ushio I mean."
"Most of the time, he and I would wind up fighting each other," replied Kagejuu with a shrug. "Other times, I just left the temple to look for other things to do while he was asleep. Or hang around with Mayuko, who in turn would give me ham-barkers whenever I drop by her house to visit her."
Nariko let out a light hum before leaning back against the trunk of the tree: "You're pretty lucky then."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" questioned Kagejuu suspiciously.
"You got to come and go from the temple whenever you liked," explained Nariko with a light frown. "On top of that, you can turn yourself invisible. So, you were pretty much able to fly around without anyone noticing you. If I had those abilities, then it would make wandering around the city a lot easier. Not to mention keeping myself off the radar from those guys who are hunting me."
"Yeah, well it's not exactly as easy as you think." Kagejuu grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest. "True, there are some humans who can't see me. But when it comes to kids. They can pretty much see me even when I do turn myself invisible."
Nariko smiled at the youkai: "I'm guessing children are more in tuned to the supernatural world at a younger age. Thought I guess when they get older, they wind up losing that heightened sense."
"Many of them do. But that can't be said for the few who still keep their second sight," said Kagejuu with a huff. "Those who do keep it wind up using that ability to their advantage. Especially when it comes to hunting down demons and monsters."
"Yeah, that's rough." Nariko spoke with a nod of agreement.
Kagejuu let out a snort as he looked away from the she-wolf. Nariko quietly chuckled at the youkai's action as she brought her hands up and cupped them behind her head. She had to admit that talking to Kagejuu wasn't too bad. In the beginning, Nariko would mostly ignore the youkai's presence so as not to alert Ushio and Sumako. Yet when she was alone, either during the day or in her room at night, Kagejuu would start up conversations that were either serious or just plain silly. At first, Nariko was cautious around the youkai. But overtime, the she-wolf slowly grew more comfortable around Kagejuu as she talked with him. It was during those days that Nariko began to realize that despite Kagejuu being youkai, he wasn't such a bad person to have a conversation with.
'I guess he was a little lonely without having anyone to talk to for a while.' Nariko thought quietly to herself. 'Not that I can blame him. After all, it was pretty lonely for me too ever since...'
Nariko paused in her thoughts as memories of how Nazuna had abandoned her played out within her mind. The thought of that back stabber, who Nariko once thought of as a friend, made the she-wolf bare her teeth. It was accompanied by a deep growl that slowly rose up within her throat. Kagejuu turned to look at Nariko when he heard her growl and saw that the she-wolf held an angry expression upon her face. But he knew that her anger wasn't directed at him.
"You thinkin' about that bitch again?" asked Kagejuu.
Nariko stopped her growling after hearing the youkai speak to her. She then took in a deep calming breath before answering Kagejuu's question.
"Yeah . . . sorry, I didn't mean to growl like that."
The youkai only stared at her with his unblinking white eyes. Once in a while, Nariko would get flashbacks to the time she had been trapped within the lab. Along with Nazuna abandoning her in the process. It was still a sore subject for the young she-wolf.
"Oh, knock it off," grumbled Kagejuu with a frown.
The youkai lightly flicked Nariko on the forehead, which caused the young she-wolf to let out a grunt of surprise.
"Apologizing for being angry is just stupid," continued Kagejuu as he once again crossed his arms again. "If you're angry, then just take your rage out on something."
Nariko rubbed at her forehead for a moment before giving the youkai a flat look: "And how am I supposed to do that? In case you've forgotten, the temple doesn't have many rocks or trees that I can punch or kick at. I also don't want to wreck anything that might be important to the temple either."
"That's not my problem," grumbled Kagejuu as he turned his head away from Nariko. "I told you what you should do. Now it's up to you to figure out how you should do it."
Nariko puffed out her cheeks as she gave the youkai a glare. Then a thought crossed the wolf girl's mind and she decided to speak it.
"Hey, Kagejuu . . . demons are able to shapeshift into humans, right?"
Kagejuu gave Nariko a side glance before he answered her question: "Some of us do, yeah. What about it?"
"Well . . . when you shapeshift, how exactly do you do it?" asked Nariko curious. "I mean, do you just kind of do it. Or do you have to think about the form you want to change into?"
Kagejuu's eyes widened slightly in surprise before frowning as he thought over Nariko's question. After a moment, he finally answered the wolf girl's question.
"We pretty much just do it. But for me, whenever it comes down to changing into either a human or other things, I have to concentrate pretty hard. And even then, it takes a lot of energy to change my form."
Nariko glanced off to the side with a light frown appearing on her face: "I see . . . so that's how shapeshifting works for your kind."
"Yeah," spoke Kagejuu as he gave Nariko a suspicious look. "Why do you ask?"
Nariko glanced up at him as a sheepish expression appeared on her face: "Well . . . even though I've become a beastmen, and I've met only one of them a long time ago, I haven't really seen one shapeshift back and forth from their beast form to their human form. And when it came to Nazuna's transformation ability, I haven't been able to ask her on how she had been able to do it. Because we were always separated from each other whenever we were forced to do those stupid training sessions that the scientists had us go through."
Kagejuu's eyes widened slightly as realization came over him: "Wait a minute. Are you saying that you have no idea how to shapeshift into your human form?"
Nariko flinched slightly before she glanced off to the side with an embarrassed expression upon her face. She then slowly nodded her head 'yes' in answer to Kagejuu's question. A moment later, Kagejuu burst out laughing before getting right in her face.
"I can't believe it. You, a former human now turned beastmen, can't shapeshift?"
"Oh, shut up!" shouted Nariko angrily as she glared at Kagejuu. "I've been trying! But no matter what I do, I just can't seem to figure out how to change back!"
"Which makes it even more hilarious!" Kagejuu exclaimed with a smirk. "I guess you pretty much are a newbie when it comes to not knowing how to shapeshift!"
"And you're an annoying old monster that likes to hide himself in the shadows!" exclaimed Nariko.
Kagejuu's smirk changed into a snarl as he glared: "You'd better not be saying what I think you're saying, you little runt!"
"I don't need to say it if you already know what I'm going to say, you annoying idiot." Nariko sneered as she glared back at the youkai in front of her.
A deep growl rose up from Kagejuu's throat at what Nariko had just said: "Why you little..."
"You wanna fight!?" snarled Nariko.
It soon became a glaring contest between Nariko and Kagejuu as they growled angrily at each other. But their growling and glaring contest was interrupted when a familiar female voice called out Nariko's name.
"Nariko, are you here?"
Nariko and Kagejuu turned to look towards the entrance gate of the temple. They saw Mayuko and Asako standing at the entrance as the two girls looked around the courtyard for Nariko. Mayuko was wearing a white, buttoned up, short sleeved shirt and a long white skirt with a pink rimming around the bottom edge. Hanging from Mayuko's left shoulder was a pink, long strap purse. As for Asako, she was wearing a jean jacket over a green, short sleeved shirt and jean shorts. Asako also had a purse hanging from her shoulder, but unlike Mayuko's, her purse was a light blue.
"Looks like Mayuko and Asako came over to visit today," said Nariko.
"Yeah, which is lucky for you." Kagejuu grumbled as he glared at Nariko. "Otherwise, I would have had the chance to beat you black and blue for calling me an idiot."
Nariko huffed in disinterest: "Whatever. I'll see you later hothead."
Kagejuu only growled in irritation as Nariko jumped off the branch and landed on her feet below the tree.
'Annoying little runt.' Kagejuu thought quietly to himself. 'If she weren't so furry, I would consider putting her on my list of people to eat.'
The youkai watched as Nariko walked over to Mayuko and Asako. His frown then slowly turned into a smile of amusement as a light chuckle rumbled up from his chest.
'Still . . . that kid's got spunk. She'd probably be on equal grounds with Ushio when it comes to stubbornness.'
Kagejuu watched as Nariko led Mayuko and Asako towards the house before disappearing. The scene then changes to Nariko opening the front door of the house.
"Hey Ushio! Mayuko and Asako are here!" called Nariko as she walked into the house.
Mayuko and Asako followed Nariko through the front door before taking off their shoes. Nariko frowned when she didn't hear an answer back from inside the house.
"Is Ushio not home?" asked Mayuko curiously.
"No, he's home," replied Nariko as she turned to look at the two older girls. "But I get the feeling that he's busy. He hadn't gotten around to doing his homework last night. He was supposed to finish it yesterday."
"I'm guessing he was busy with painting another portrait again?" guessed Asako with a smirk.
"Yeah," answered Nariko as she led the two girls towards the living room. "Though what he's painting I have no clue. I only got to see the start of it. And even then, I couldn't tell what it was."
"No surprise there," said Asako when they entered the living room. "You'd figure that he'd would get better at drawing after all these years."
"Well, I guess Ushio just has a unique art style," said Mayuko with a smile.
"If you say so," spoke Nariko as they sat down at the chabudai table. "So, what brought you two over to the temple today?"
"We came over to ask Ushio if he wanted to come shopping with us." Mayuko replied as she set her purse down on the floor beside her. "It's such a nice day. And we'd thought that he would like to join us."
"That, and we'd need him to carry around some of the stuff that we might buy at the stores." Asako added with a chuckle.
"Oh, is that so." Nariko said as a playful smile appeared on her face as she leaned against the table. "Or is there another reason that you wanted him to go shopping with you?"
A blush appeared on Asako's face at what Nariko had said and she quickly became fluster.
"N-no, that's the only reason!" exclaimed Asako as she waved her arms about. "We just want him to come along so that he can carry our stuff!"
Nariko chuckled before sitting back up straight: "Alright, if that's what you want to keep telling yourself. But he is your boyfriend after all. Shouldn't he be the one asking you out on a date?"
"Will you just drop it already!" shouted Asako.
Mayuko and Nariko laughed as Asako turned away with a huff. Mayuko then turned to look at Nariko with a smile.
"Well since Ushio is busy. Why don't you come with us Nariko?" offered Mayuko.
Nariko's smile dropped as she glanced at Mayuko in surprise. Asako caught onto what Mayuko was saying and smiled as she also turned her attention onto the she-wolf.
"Yeah, you should totally come. After all, I'm sure that you're pretty much fed up with hanging around the temple all the time. We can also help you out with finding new clothing for you."
Nariko stared at the two older girls for a moment before looking down at her lap. A sad expression slowly appearing on the wolf girl's face.
"I'm . . . not sure if I can go with you two." Nariko replied in a soft voice.
"Why not?" asked Mayuko as a confused expression appeared on her face.
"Is it because Ushio told you can't leave the temple?" questioned Asako as an angry expression appeared on her face. "If he did then..."
"No," interrupted Nariko with a shake of her head. "That's not it."
"Then, what is it?" asked Mayuko again a concern laced her voice.
Nariko didn't reply. Instead, she stood up from the floor and headed over to a small mirror, which sat on the one of the tall drawers. Nariko came to stand in front of the mirror as she stared at her reflection. It reflected the young wolf girl's sad expression upon its smooth surface. After a moment or so of silence, Nariko finally spoke in a depressed voice.
"It's just . . . I can't leave the temple looking like this."
Nariko then turned her eyes downwards to gaze at the floor. As she did, memories of her old life back in her hometown appeared within her mind's eye. The images of her once being a normal human girl. Interacting with the children at the orphanage, walking around the town. And most importantly . . . hanging out with Michiru. Those memories of her life were precious, yet painful as the she-wolf felt her heart being torn apart inside her chest. Nariko gritted her teeth and clenched her right hand into a tight fist.
"If only I could change back to who I was before," voiced Nariko quietly to herself.
Then, just as she said those words, small sparks of electricity began to zap around her body. Mayuko and Asako sat staring at Nariko in astonishment. Mayuko was the first one to speak.
"Nariko?"
The young she-wolf blinked as she came back to reality after hearing Mayuko's voice. She then turned to look at the two girls and displayed a forced smile upon her face.
"Sorry," spoke Nariko apologetically. "I was just lost in thought for..."
Nariko stopped when she saw Mayuko and Asako staring at her with amazed expressions on their faces. The young she-wolf frowned as she gazed at the two girls in confusion.
"Um . . . what's wrong?" asked Nariko curiously.
After a moment, Asako was the first one to speak.
"Whoa . . . is that what you really look like as a human Nariko?"
The young she-wolf blinked as she gave Asako a puzzled look: "What do you mean?"
"Look in the mirror," answered Mayuko as she pointed at the said object.
Nariko frowned at what Mayuko had just said before doing so. And as she did, Nariko couldn't believe at what she saw looking back at her. Instead of seeing the usual wolf face that she had come to grow used to, Nariko was staring into the face of a sixteen-year-old human girl.
The girl had fair skin and unusual seafoam blue hair that grew down to her shoulders, with white high lights in the bangs. Yet the girl had the same-colored eyes as Nariko. Nariko stared at her reflection in shock before she lifted up her hands. As she did, she saw that she wasn't looking down at fur covered paw/hands, but regular human hands. Nariko's eyes widened slightly as she stared down at them.
"N-no way." Nariko quietly voiced to herself.
Asako and Mayuko stared at Nariko for a moment before Mayuko spoke in a soft voice.
"Nariko?"
Nariko then surprised the two older girls by rushing over to them. Asako leaned back slightly when Nariko crouched in front of her.
"Asako, I want you to pinch me." Nariko said as she pointed at herself with a serious expression upon her face.
Asako looked at Nariko in confusion: "Huh?"
"I want you to pinch me," repeated Nariko. "As hard as you can."
Asako frowned before she did what Nariko asked. The older girl reached up with both hands and pinched both of Nariko's cheeks as hard as she could. Nariko let out a yelp of pain and flopped down onto her behind after Asako let go of her cheeks. The young teen groaned in pain as she gently rubbed her cheeks for a moment. She then stood up and walked back over to the mirror. Nariko stared at her reflection again, and she still saw the face of the human girl staring back at her.
"It's not a dream . . ." voiced Nariko as a smile slowly appeared on her face. "It's not a dream. I've really changed back into my human form."
Nariko stared at her reflection for a moment before Mayuko spoke: "Nariko, were you unable to change into your human form this entire time?"
Nariko's smile disappeared at what Mayuko had just said. She then quickly turned around to face Asako and Mayuko, with a sheepish expression upon her face.
"Um...yeah," replied Nariko as she scratched as her left cheek in embarrassment. "After being kept in the human's lab and being forced to stay in my beastman form for so long, I had forgotten how to change back. So, this is a really big surprise for me as well."
"I see," said Mayuko as a smile appeared on her face. "I'm glad that your able to change into your human form now."
"Y-yeah," replied Nariko as she smiled back.
Asako also smiled before she spoke: "Well, now that that's taken care of. We can go out shopping together."
Nariko blinked as she looked at Asako in puzzlement, while Mayuko nodded her head in agreement.
The scene changes to outside as Asako walked out the front door. She dragged Nariko out of the house by the wrist, while Mayuko followed close behind them. Nariko stumbled behind Asako for a moment before digging her bare heels into the ground.
"Wait a moment!" shouted Nariko as she pulled her wrist out from Asako's grasp. "I'm still not sure that it's such a good idea for me to leave the temple."
"Oh, come on!" exclaimed Asako's as she stood in front of Nariko with her hands on her hips. "What are you so afraid of?"
Nariko stiffened before looking down with a frown appearing on her face: "W-well...you remember those people that I told you about, right?"
Asako frowned for a moment before realization appeared on her face. Mayuko also remember what Nariko had told them. She then slowly walked up to Nariko and placed a comforting hand on the teen's shoulders. Nariko looked up at Mayuko and saw the older girl smiling at her.
"Don't worry," spoke Mayuko in a gentle voice. "I'm sure those men won't be able to recognize you now that you've changed into your human form."
"Mayuko's right," chimed in Asako as an encouraging smile appeared on her face. "And we'll also make sure that we stay in public places as well. That way, those men won't be able to make any move to grab you."
Nariko still felt a little unsure but gave Asako a smile none the less.
"W-well, if you put it that way then I guess it'll be okay." Nariko said in a small voice.
"Alright," said Asako before she turned and started walking again. "Then let's get going!"
Mayuko chuckled as she followed after her friend. Nariko took a hesitant step forward before pausing. She frowned slightly as she gazed at the temple's entrance as fear gripped at her heart. The young teen was still unsure about venturing out into the city with Asako and Mayuko. Yet the desire to leave the temple was stronger than her fear. Could she really do this? Could she really step out into the world and walk among people again? The thought of being out in the world again was tempting. Yet the doubt still lingered inside Nariko's soul. The young she-wolf raised her right hand up and tightly gripped the front part of her shirt.
'I don't think I can do this.' Nariko thought silently to herself.
Nariko was then brought out of her thoughts when she felt something gently land on her shoulders. The teen blinked in confusion before looking up and her eyes widened in surprise. Perched on her shoulders was Kagejuu, who was looking straight ahead with an unreadable expression upon his face.
"Kagejuu?" Nariko started in a soft voice.
"I'll come along with you." Kagejuu said in a gruff voice before he glared down at Nariko. "But don't think it's because I like you or anything. I'm only going with you so that you don't wind up getting Mayuko into trouble. She's my dessert got it?"
Nariko blinked at the youkai before a smile appeared on her face: "If you want to come along then I'm not stopping you. I just hope you don't wind up being bored on our little shopping trip."
Kagejuu only huffed as he rested his arms on top of Nariko's head as she ran after Asako and Mayuko. The teen caught up with the older girls and they began to walk down the street together. The two human girls unaware that they had a youkai accompanying them on their shopping trip.
We soon find the trio riding on the train. Nariko was sitting beside Mayuko as she gazed out the window of the train with a look of wonder on her face. She watched as all of the buildings changed from small houses to larger buildings. Nariko stared wide eyed at how fast the scene flew by in front of her. Mayuko smiled as she watched Nariko while Asako, who had been reading a book during the train ride, lifted her head up and raised an eyebrow as she gazed at Nariko curiously.
"You see something interesting out there?" asked Asako curiously.
Nariko blinked as she came out of her daze. She then turned to look at Asako with a sheepish smile.
"No, not really," replied Nariko.
Asako frowned slightly before Mayuko spoke with a soft smile on her face: "I'm guessing that this is your first-time riding on a train, right?"
A blush appeared on Nariko's face as she gently scratched the side of her right cheek: "Yeah, you could say that. You see, back in my hometown, the caretakers of the orphanage only took us out to the park. We've never really went anywhere on trains or other transportations. So being on this train is pretty amazing."
"Yeah, it is pretty cool to be on the train for the first time," said Asako as she smiled at Nariko. "And we're pretty lucky that we got on when it wasn't too busy."
"Tell me about it," spoke Mayuko with a smile. "I'm guessing we got on at the right time before the rush hour started."
A thoughtful expression appeared on Nariko's face: "That's the one thing that I've heard about the cities here in Japan. Are they always such a busy place where people rush about all the time?"
"Well...yeah, they mostly are busy," replied Asako with a shrug. "But they can also be fun to visit too."
Nariko thought over what Asako said had said to her. She then blinking when Kagejuu, who was sitting just next to her on the ground, let out a huff. The youkai had arms crossed over his chest with a sour expression showing on his face.
"Yeah right," grumble Kagejuu with a pouted. "That city is nothing but a pain in the ass. Too many humans wearing strange smelling chemicals and metals on their bodies. Just thinking about those things makes me sick to my stomach."
Nariko mental rolled her eyes in amusement at what Kagejuu had said: 'I guess there are some places that even youkai don't like to visit.'
"So, what are we going to do when we get to the city?" asked Nariko curiously.
"I'm glad you asked," spoke Asako with a smile as she shut her book. "The first thing that we're going to do is help you shop for some new clothes. Along with some shoes for your feet."
Nariko blinked before glancing down at the shirt and shorts she was wearing. She also looked down at her bare feet and blushed in embarrassment. Nariko then glanced up to look at some of the people who were in the train cart with them. Luckily nobody was looking at them. The teen ducked her head slightly as she gave Asako and Mayuko a side glance.
"Has anyone noticed that I'm not wearing sandals or shoes on my feet?" asked Nariko in a low voice.
"No," replied Mayuko with a reassuring smile. "Though people don't really take the time to look down at people's feet."
"Yeah, they're mostly focused on their smartphones these days." Asako added with a chuckle.
"Except for Ushio," said Kagejuu which caused Nariko to give him a side glance. "All he does is mope around the temple all the time. And even when he goes to that collage place, the brat is always staring out the window with this stupid distracted look on his face."
Nariko frowned as she thought over what Kagejuu just said. Just then the intercom suddenly came on to announce the name of next station.
"Arriving. Shibuya Station. All passengers, please exit out through the doors on your right."
"This is our stop." Asako said as she closed her book and placed it inside her purse. "Let's get ready to get off."
"Right," echoed Nariko and Mayuko.
Nariko side glanced towards Kagejuu and saw that he had a distracted look on his face. She slowly slid her right foot across the floor and gently nudged Kagejuu's paw/foot. The youkai blinked and looked at Nariko before the teen whispered in a voice that only he could hear.
"Our next stop is coming up Kagejuu."
The youkai only gave her a huff, but Nariko knew that he understood and would be ready to depart with her, Mayuko and Asako. The girls then stood up and grabbed onto the loops that hung above them. A minute later, the train stopped and opened for those who wanted to depart from the train. The trio, along with a few other passengers, soon stepped out of train and onto the platform. Kagejuu stalked along close beside Nariko before jumping onto her shoulders again. Nariko, slightly surprised by the action, was impressed by how light he felt when riding on her shoulders.
'I'm guessing that's one of his powers,' thought Nariko quietly to herself.
The trio, plus the youkai, made their way off the train plat form and made their way to the entranced of the train station. They all stopped near a billboard near the train station's entrance and began to talk for a bit.
"So which store should we go to first Asako?" asked Mayuko curiously.
Asako thought for a moment before speaking: "Definitely shoes. And I know the best shoe store just close to this train station."
"Hopefully it's not a fancy shoe store," said Nariko.
"No. It's a sports store," replied Asako in reassurance. "I can tell that you're not the type of girl who's interested in wearing fancy stuff. Nor the cosmetic type of person either."
"No really," said Nariko before lowering her voice slightly so nobody but Mayuko and Asako could hear. "Also, I don't think I could stand wearing perfume all the time."
"Because of how sensitive your nose it?" guessed Mayuko with a chuckle.
"Yeah," replied Nariko with a nod.
"Which makes you an easy target for other monsters who want to eat you." Kagejuu spoke with a smirk on his face. "I might not find you appetizing, but other youkai might."
Nariko ignored him until Asako and Mayuko turned to walk away. Once they had their backs turned, Nariko took the chance to lift up her right hand and pinch one of the toes of Kagejuu's foot/paw. The youkai let out a yelp of both surprise and pain before glaring down at Nariko.
"Why you little..." growled Kagejuu.
"Will you please behave?" spoke Nariko with a frown. "I don't want to cause a scene here in front of all these people."
Kagejuu huffed as the smirk once again appeared on his face: "Whatever runt. Nobody can see me like you can."
"Yet they can see me just fine," whispered Nariko as she began to follow after Asako and Mayuko. "Which is a real problem if I suddenly lost control of myself. I don't want to wind up changing into my beast form when I'm around public places."
"And I should care about that why?" mocked Kagejuu.
Nariko glared up at him before sighing: "I guess a monster like you wouldn't care about anything, except for when your next meal will be."
"Exactly," said Kagejuu.
Nariko shook her head in exasperation. She had almost caught up with Mayuko and Asako when a little child suddenly came running out of nowhere. Nariko quickly stopped, but not before the child bumped into her leg. The child let out a grunt as they fell onto the ground. Nariko blinked as she stared down at the child in surprise.
The child was a young boy with short black hair and tan skin. He was wearing a baggy grey shirt, blue shorts and white sneakers. From what Nariko could see, the boy looked to be around eight or nine years old. She also noticed that the boy's clothes were ragged and that he had a few dirt marks on his face.
Nariko quickly knelt down to the boy's height: "Hey, are you okay?"
The boy shook his head before he turned to glare up at Nariko. He was about to open his mouth to say something when a male voice suddenly shouted from ten feet away from them.
"Stop that kid! Don't let him get away!"
Nariko and the boy turned to see an adult-teen running towards them. He was wearing a grey muscle shirt underneath a leather black vest, blue jeans with tears in the knees and black combat boots. His orange dyed hair was cut and gelled into a spike style, while his eyes were hidden behind black sunglasses. He was also holding a metal pipe in his hands.
Nariko tensed when she saw the weapon that the man held in his hands. She had come across a few anti-beastmen groups who would do anything to kill beastmen. Even going so low as to killing beastmen who weren't able to fight back, which also included beast-children. The boy, who had been sitting on the ground, quickly stood up and ran past Nariko. But as he did, Nariko was taken by surprise when her nose caught a strange scent on the boy. She watched as the child ran deeper into the crowd. Nariko then turned to look at the adult-teen when he shouted again.
"Get back here you little shit!"
A determined expression then appeared on Nariko's face. She quickly stuck out her right leg and tripped the man in the process. The man let out a yelp before falling face first upon the concrete street.
"Whoops," said Nariko casually as she stood up from the floor. "My bad. I guess I was a bit slow in pulling my foot out of the way."
The man let out a groan before he lifted his head and turned to glare at Nariko over his shoulder.
"You did that on purpose!" exclaimed the adult-teen.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Nariko said in a calm voice with an innocent expression on her face.
"Don't play dumb!" shouted the man as he stood up and glared down at Nariko. "You deliberately stuck your leg out to trip me!"
The man stood at least a foot taller than Nariko, but the teen was hardly fazed by this. Compared to this guy, Nariko had encountered a giant monster snake, and a youkai that stood taller than any human. So, this man's size was nothing compared to the two demons that she had met. Nariko's innocent expression changed into a glower as she gazed defiantly up at the adult-teen before her.
"Yeah, so what if I did?" questioned Nariko.
"If you did. Then let's just say that you will regret getting in my way." The adult-teen replied in a threatening voice.
Nariko responded to the man's threat by narrowing her eyes at him. She was tempted to let out a growl but knew that it will only cause the adult-teen to be suspicious of her. The two continued to glared at each other, neither one backing down, before Asako's voiced called out to Nariko.
"Nariko!"
The blue-haired girl turned to look behind her and saw Asako running up to her, with Mayuko following right behind her. Asako was the first one to run up to Nariko's side. The young adult frowned as she stared at the teen in confusion.
"Just what the heck are you doing?" questioned Asako.
Nariko opened her mouth to reply, but the adult man spoke up as he glared at Asako.
"Is this girl with you?" asked the man.
Asako turned to stare at the man before speaking in a voice that held no fear.
"Yes, she's with me." Asako replied in a casual voice. "She's actually my cousin that I'm supposed to show around town."
Nariko blinked as she stared at Asako in surprise. Mayuko then spoke as she gave the man a polite smile.
"That's right. She's born in a village that's far to the west. So, this is her first time in the city."
"Whatever," grumbled the man before he pointed a finger at Asako. "Just tell your incompetent cousin to keep out of my way next time."
"I will," replied Asako before politely bowing. "Once again, I'm really sorry about what she did."
Mayuko also bowed towards the man as well. Nariko, though hesitating for a moment, swallowed her pride and bowed her head towards the man. Asako and Mayuko then began lead Nariko away from the man. Yet as they did, the girls were unaware of the adult man glaring at them. More specifically at Nariko. The man felt an intense anger towards the blue-haired girl.
"*Tsk* how naive," muttered the man with a sneer. "As if I'll forgive someone for making me lose my prey. That girl is going to pay for that little stunt."
The man then knelt down to pick up the metal pipe up from the ground. Yet just as his hand touched the pipe, the man thought he saw four orange streaks flash over the weapon's metal surface. For a moment everything was still. The man then continued to pick the pipe up. What happened next shocked him to his core. The metal pipe slid apart within his grasp as five pieces fell to the ground with a clang. The man cringed as he stared down at the fives metal cylinders. He then stiffened as he felt an intense aura of bloodlust behind him. He was about to turn around when he suddenly felt the back of his pants being ripped apart. The man quickly looked down to see that the seat of his pants had been torn off. Thus, showing the back of his undershorts, which had the images of hearts on it. A few of the people who had witnessed what happened, stared at the man with surprised looks upon their faces. But their surprise was soon replaced by laughter when they saw the young adult's underpants. A dark blush appeared on the man's face as he quickly brought his hands around to cover his backside.
"Nice underwear man!" exclaimed a sixteen-year-old boy. "Did your mom buy those for you?"
"S-shut up!" shouted the adult-teen angrily.
The people within the train station continued to laugh and point at the adult-teen. Another was also laughing as he smirked down at the human's misfortune. Kagejuu, who had sat himself on top of a lamp post, chuckled quietly to himself as he glared down at the adult-teen in amusement.
"Be lucky that I'm letting you off easy this time human." Kagejuu said quietly to himself. "Otherwise, you'd be lying dead on the ground right now."
Kagejuu then turned, leapt off the lamp post and flew after the female trio.
Nariko, Mayuko and Asako were walking side by said with each other as they headed towards the shoe store. As they walked, Asako was the first one to speak up.
"What were you thinking, Nariko? You nearly would've gotten yourself into trouble if we hadn't stepped in at the last minute."
"I'm sorry," voice Nariko as she gave Asako a look of apology. "It's just that . . . that guy was chasing a young boy back at the train station."
"Maybe that boy had stolen something from that man," suggested Mayuko.
Nariko stopped in her tracks, which caused Asako and Mayuko to stop as well as they turned to look at Nariko in confusion. As they did, the duo saw the serious expression upon the young teen's face.
"No . . . I don't think that was the case." Nariko said in a low voice. "For one thing; why would a man like him chase after a kid with a metal pipe held in his hands?"
Asako and Mayuko blinked in surprise at what Nariko had said before looking at each other in concern. They then turned back to Nariko as the younger teen motioned for them to come closer. When Asako and Mayuko were close enough to Nariko, the young teen spoke in a softer voice so that nobody else could hear them.
"Also, even though I've changed back into my human form, I still have my strong sense of smell. So, when the kid ran past me, I got a good whiff of his scent, and I was surprised by what I discovered."
"And what did you discover?" asked Asako with a raised eyebrow.
Nariko paused and quickly looked around to make sure that nobody was listening in on them. Once she was sure that they were in the clear, Nariko spoke again in the same low voice.
"That boy didn't have a human smell on him."
The two older teens' eyes widened in surprise before Nariko continued on with her explanation.
"He had the scent of some kind of wildcat on him."
"A wildcat?" asked Mayuko curiously.
Asako looked confused for a moment before realization appeared on her face.
"Wait a minute. Are you saying that that boy could have been..."
"Yeah," said Nariko with a nod of her head. "He was a beast-child."
"What's a beast-child doing here in the city by himself?" asked Mayuko curiously with a worried expression on her face.
"Well, from what I saw of his clothing, I'm guessing the boy was an orphan." Nariko replied with a sad expression on her face.
After hearing that, Asako and Mayuko looked at each other in concern. They then turned to look at Nariko again.
"We should probably go look for him," suggested Asako.
"No," replied Nariko with a shake of her head. "We should just leave him be and continue on with the rest of our shopping trip."
Mayuko stared at Nariko in surprise: "But..."
Nariko interrupted Mayuko before she could say anything.
"Listen, Mayuko. Humans have been discriminating beastmen for a long time now. So, if it comes down to it a beastman will probably refuse help of any kind from humans. Especially if said humans had killed their friends or family members."
Mayuko and Asako gazed at Nariko in surprise before giving each other a sad glance. Nariko then proceeded to walk forward again as the two older teens reluctantly followed behind her. Yet, as they walked down the street, they were unaware of a small figure watching them from within the shadows of a nearby alleyway. The figure slowly peaked out to reveal themselves to be the same boy that had bumped into Nariko earlier at the train station. He watched the trio from a safe distance before he quietly began to follow them.
To be continued