Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
Chapter 5: Seeking the Solace
Yugo hated this useless feeling plaguing him. No matter what he tried to do, nothing seemed to want to go his way. He had just got off the phone with one of his subordinates, who had detailed an operation helping people who had been trapped in a grocery store when the roof collapsed, just another casualty of the tremors. Their rescue attempts were hampered when a violent Zoanthrope turned up on the scene, and it had been a group effort to take them down. A few of the team had taken injuries as a result.
He couldn't risk members of the W.O.C. in such unpredictable situations despite their willingness to do what they could. He put out the order for them to make practical decisions over which scenes they attended, as they were already overstretched. If public services could handle some of the problems, they were to focus only on isolated incidents where help was less available.
After sleeping on the couch in his office overnight, he'd risen early and resumed his search for Nagi. It was during the afternoon he'd randomly encountered his long time family friend, Alan Gado, U.N. commissioner and former mercenary. They sat down together at one of the few cafes left open in the city, sharing information and stories. Officially, Gado was in the country making an assessment on the current situation. Unofficially, he was looking for his daughter, Shina. She had gone MIA in Tokyo after being dispatched by a government backed team to investigate a possible source of the issue.
"Sorry, Gado, I've not seen her anywhere," Yugo said forlornly, knowing his friend was deeply concerned his adopted daughter.
"I know she's tough and can take care of herself, but this whole situation gives me a bad feeling," Gado said. "Anything could have happened to her with all these violent episodes occurring."
"Yeah, these aren't good times," Yugo said after taking a sip of coffee. "A couple of days ago Kohryu suddenly appeared and attacked me, Kenji and Alice. It seems even robots aren't immune to the violence... but then again, he might just be a psychopath. Kenji and I came out of it with a few scratches, though Alice took a bit of a knock – hurt her ankle and wrist. It's all thanks to Kenji really that Kohryu finally retreated. He really tore into that bag of bolts. I don't think we'll be seeing him again for a long time."
Gado sighed. "It's always an endless battle. We Zoanthropes maybe predisposed to fighting, but we are also inclined to live peaceful and normal lives. Though, it constantly seems like the fates are against us. I really don't want to see all our hard work go to waste. I hope when this incident is over we are able to patch things over and bring back some sense of stability."
"I really want to believe that we can beat whatever is doing this," Yugo said firmly. "We've faced down worse. But... you know... sometimes I wonder if we're just overconfident."
"Like you said, we've faced worse. We'll see this through."
"Do I have to write a speech when it's all said and done?" Yugo said, somewhat cringing at the thought. "I hate public speaking. I don't even know how I'd explain this whole mess. I mean, we didn't say much after the XGC thing."
"You can leave the speeches to me," Gado said with a slight smirk. "You just be there to offer the hand of friendship where needed."
Yugo gave a nod and finished his coffee. "Well, we can't sit around here all day. We've got people to find."
"You never did say who you were searching for."
"Just a girl."
Gado grinned. "Chasing girls at a time like this, Yugo. What would Alice say?"
"It's not like that!" Yugo responded, aghast. "Though speaking of Alice," he quickly said, changing the subject, "she hasn't seen Uriko since yesterday. She thinks she's run after some stupid puppy. You haven't seen her around have you?"
Gado shook his head. "I've not seen her at all."
Yugo's shoulders slumped. "Damn it. I promised Mitsuko and Alice I'd track her down and drag her home. They're going to have my head if I don't find her." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why the hell is she so airheaded? Can't she see that there are much more serious problems happening around her? Kenji did offer to go out and look for her, but I told him to stay with Alice. I don't want her left on her own while she's injured."
"Uriko is Uriko. I'm sure you'll find her eventually. Though I think you may have to consider moving your people to one of the shrines that are taking in civilians while this nightmare is going on. Who knows how long it will be before the W.O.C. building becomes a greater target for violence. And not just from Zoanthropes, but from human discord as well."
"I have considered it, but W.O.C. HQ is safe for now. I don't want to cause problems by having to move all operations elsewhere. Besides, one problem at a time. If I can find who I'm looking for and nab Uriko at the same time, I've got a few less things to worry about."
"So who exactly is it you a searching for? Do you think they are connected to the problems?"
"I don't know... I got some strange reports that I just need to follow up." Yugo rubbed his forehead tiredly, his brain already overtaxed from the mountains of problems he had to cope with. "I think something has happened to her. I found a guy – who turned out to be the 'Black Shadow' we kept hearing about – who got into a fight with her and he was a little worse for wear. He said he'd fought a strange Zoanthrope. But, it doesn't make sense. Nagi isn't a Zoanthrope... but I know it was her scent."
"Could someone have done something to her? Well, for a start, it couldn't have been Busuzima. He's still languishing in jail from what I last heard. Maybe a new group has set up operation?"
"I can't say. I just have a feeling this incident may have something to do with it… but... I don't know." Yugo's thoughts drifted. How could Nagi just suddenly change from human to Zoanthrope without a single plausible explanation? What was the cause? He needed to find her. He needed to find out what was truly going on.
"Not much further now," Uriko said in a singsong voice.
They'd been walking for hours, within which they'd dealt with a spell of rain, which hadn't been especially enjoyable when they were trudging up mud paths, but that had since cleared up, the grey fading as the afternoon sun turned the skies an orange-gold. But then came a thick heat that had quickly washed over them, which was incredibly sticky and uncomfortable in the wake of such a cool breeze. Nagi was glad that she was wearing such a minimal outfit so her skin could breathe, otherwise she would have been sweltering.
They had traipsed a very lonely path out of the city, not encountering anyone on the way, before they'd diverted off-road to follow a forested trail. The track was not straight forward to navigate. The terrain was uneven and littered with obstacles – large rocks and thick fallen tree branches the most common foes. The slopes were rather unforgiving in their angle of climb and the paths narrow, which had them walking single file most of the way, following the twist and turns into the dense vegetation. Eventually, they reached a fairly smooth and flat piece of track, which they were both grateful for and they followed it around, getting a good clear view of the mountains in the distance. If they weren't so focused on their trek, they may have taken more time to admire the beautiful view.
"It's close now," Uriko promised, pushing aside overgrown grass that had suddenly appeared to skirt the side of the path.
Nagi took note that the sun was starting to set. She was both nervous and agitated, in some ways regretting bringing Uriko along, but she was the guide after all, having dutifully led them all the way on their journey, not holding her up once. But she really was rather an annoyance. After introductions, the girl had never shut up, blithering on about her life like an open book. While it might have been 'cutesy' at first, her patience had since worn down to the bare nerves. Currently, Uriko was mostly muttering to herself about the shrine location, which was less of a pain to deal with, but not by much. With the light fading, it was becoming more difficult to see where they were going, and Nagi had to begrudgingly rely completely on Uriko to get them to their destination.
The cat-girl didn't seem all that concerned whether it was getting dark. Besides, her night vision was really quite good – far better than Nagi's anyway.
'The Spurious' felt her senses crackle. She had a distant feeling of the 'White Zoanthrope'. She bristled slightly, rubbing her arms as they prickled with goose bumps. He'd been here at some point. She was definitely on the right trail.
Just then, the top of the shrine came into sight, glowing under the last of the evening light. It could all be over tonight, and she could go home, hopefully free of these strange powers.
Uriko came to a dead stop. Nagi slammed on the breaks so she didn't walk straight into the back of her.
"Warn me when you're going to do that!" Nagi scolded.
Uriko ignored her, her focus on the vegetation. Her head craned as she leaned forward, looking between a thick growth of trees. "It's got to be around here somewhere," the young teen said aloud, slowly walking to the right-hand side of the road, following a long section of greenery.
"What are you looking for?" Nagi asked with inquisitiveness.
Uriko still ignored her, only for the fact her concentration was so ardently on what she was doing. Her sleeved hand dug through a tall patch of grass, pushing passed thick branches, trying to carefully peel back the hedgerow. Nagi walked up beside her, observing her actions silently, not sure whether to curious or annoyed.
Then, Uriko abruptly stopped again, though this time she let out a triumphant cheer, ripping down a thick hanging of leaves to reveal a secret path.
"Found it!" Uriko hollered with a smirk.
"Is this a way to the shrine?"
"Uh huh! It's a shortcut! My master showed it to me. You'll be walking for days if you follow the other path all the way round!"
"Fantastic, let's go," Nagi said, heading through first, relieved they were making progress.
Uriko bounded through after her. "Do I get a treat? You have snacks, right?"
"You'll get a fat lip if you don't be quiet for at least a minute…"
After a short time, the pair finally reached the lower gantry that led up to the shrine gardens, which was filled with many rare and beautiful flowers. The shrine itself loomed down on them like a giant. Nagi was in awe of the beautiful piece of ancient architecture. Everything from the high pillars to the roof tiles were well preserved for their age. She could smell incense burning – a scent similar to roses and honeysuckle. It was inviting.
They followed the well kempt pathway up to the immaculate estate, bathed in a soft glow by the many small torches lit around the vicinity. The flames danced and crackled like a gathering of majestic fireflies.
"Isn't it great!" Uriko exclaimed, admiring the oak entranceway.
The pair had just started towards the large porch area when Nagi abruptly stopped, her skin prickling as if sensing an invisible electric current floating through the air. She rubbed her skin furiously, the sensation uncomfortable.
"Do you feel that?" Nagi asked Uriko.
"That's shrine magic!" Uriko remarked with a smile. "My master says that it's a special place and they sometimes create things called wards to protect the shrine from bad things."
"Well, we're not here to offer violent intentions, unless we have to fight to defend the place from any evil that shouldn't be here." Nagi moved on, the sharp feeling against her skin dissipating after a few seconds. Uriko followed at her heels, a skip in her step.
For the first time in two days, Nagi felt at peace. There was no sense of violence here. It was a place almost detached from the rest of the world, living harmoniously outside of the chaos.
Upon entering the building, they could see an inner garden with benches and a small pond filled with koi carp. Though Uriko seemed tempted to go stare at the fish swimming around, she didn't allow the cat part of herself to take over. Instead, she followed Nagi as she started to climb a deep set of stairs, rising further into the depths of the building.
They didn't encounter anyone until they reached the second floor, when a shrine maiden stopped to regard them and bowed respectfully before scuttling off. They could sense there were other people here, but they were scattered throughout the many rooms in the place, keeping a low profile it seemed. They could only assume that many were traumatised after the violent events in the city and were there to enjoy peaceful seclusion.
Within the glowing confines of the shrine, Nagi felt safe, but she dared not relax. Despite the place guarding against 'bad things' as Uriko had said, the scent of the 'White Zoanthrope' lingered there, the trail going further up into the shrine. In fact, it went right to the top.
Up and up they went, making their way from stairwell to stairwell. They passed a young boy a further few floors up, carrying a basket of food. He gave them a weary glance, trying not to make eye contact as he hurried away.
Before long, they had reached the top, the sound of the wind humming in an open room. Nagi's legs were burning from all the walking she'd done that day, and she was glad to finally see the end of the stairs.
Her stomach slightly knotted then when she realised she could be seconds away from her opponent. She hoped her body was ready to face him.
No turning back now...
Nagi took a deep breath, stepping onto the upper landing cautiously. A short corridor appeared to lead out into the open room. She picked up her pace, not caring how loud her footfalls echoed. She strode fearlessly, holding her breath as she stepped out into the room, ready to fight...
… Only to have the trail of the 'White Zoanthrope' evaporate into thin air.
He wasn't there.
Instead, she came face to face with another man, whom had turned around as she stomped into the room. The man before her was a tall Chinese gentleman, athletically built with skin softly tanned. He was dressed in a traditional style of robes from his homeland. His dark hair was about waist length and bound down his back with ties. The eyes behind the round, frame glasses were calm as he regarded her presence. Though he may have appeared tranquil, the power of his beast was fierce and indomitable.
He's a powerful Zoanthrope. He doesn't seem effected by the violence... I wonder who he-
"MASTER LONG!"
The high, excited voice made both Nagi and Long jump. The strange air between the two disappeared as the young Japanese girl literally flew across the room, leaping into the man's arms for a big hug. It took him off guard, though he didn't seem to falter as he caught her easily.
Nagi just stood dumbfounded.
"MASTER! I'VE MISSED YOU!" Uriko squeaked with excitement.
"It is good to see you again, Uriko," the tiger Zoanthrope said warmly. He managed to pry the girl away from him gently, not wholly comfortable in the tight embrace. He wasn't particularly comfortable with physical greetings in general, but with Uriko he had learned to deal with her overly exuberant behaviour.
"Wow! I've got so much to tell you! You should visit more us often, then you wouldn't miss out on all the juicy gossip," Uriko blabbered on. "Maybe when all the violence stops Momma will make you tea and sweets..." She paused in her excited ramble, her expression and tone suddenly becoming sombre. "It's so sad everything has gone so crazy. I know I shouldn't have left my sister, but I didn't want the little puppy to get lost or hurt. I'm so stupid. I bet everyone is so angry with me…"
Long put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I am sure they will only be worried about you. But you are a survivor, something I am sure they will keep in their minds and hearts."
Uriko smiled. "Thanks, Master."
Nagi cleared her throat behind them. Uriko turned to look at her, then made an 'oh!' sound, slightly embarrassed she hadn't done a proper introduction already. "Sorry about that. This is my teacher, Master Long. Master, this is Nagi. I met her earlier when I lost the puppy. She was heading this way so I thought I'd come along too to see if anyone I knew was here. And you are, Master Long! So it was worth it!"
Long nodded at the new comer. "I am glad the two of you managed to make it here unharmed."
"We were very careful," Nagi assured, somewhat at ease now she knew who he was.
The Kenpo master gazed thoughtfully at Nagi, sensing something strange about her. It was a unique aura he felt floating around her. There was something about her Zoanthrope power that was different to anything he'd felt before. It intrigued him greatly.
Uriko grabbed his attention with her high-spirited voice. "I'm so glad you're not affected by the violence, Master Long. It made me sad that anyone can be influenced and made to do horrible things."
"Yes, it worries me that this violent influence can take over anyone," he said with concern. "How easily a mind can be corrupted and a body used like an inane puppet. I felt uncertain about what might happen if I exposed myself to this tainted air for too long. I brought myself here so not to relapse into some unforgivable behaviour akin to my past."
"So you chose to run and hide," Nagi said with disappointment. "So many people are still out there risking themselves to protect people in trouble despite what could happen to them. And yet you're here, sitting around letting others do all the work. How very cowardly of you."
Long's expression hardened. "I assure you, I am no coward. I have fought many battles in the past, but even I know my own boundaries. And what good would it do for me to fight? It would only add to what violence there already is."
"Trying is better than hiding. You could be using your powers to help people instead of wallowing in fear."
He turned away. "These powers have caused nothing but trouble to me. I could only foresee further pain being brought forth if I completely lost control of myself. Instead of fighting out there, I have offered my assistance here, where terrified people have come to seek sanctuary. I wish to protect this place and the people within it." He glanced over his shoulder. "You must learn that the problems will not be solved with mere fighting alone. In fact, it will only add to the chaos."
Nagi shook her head with disbelief. "You're just making excuses."
Uriko stepped forward. "My master is brave and strong I'll have you know! He has a big caring heart! You should listen to him! He's smart enough to know what he's talking about!"
Nagi addressed the girl without looking at her. "If he's so smart, why is he just sitting here and not actually helping to find an answer to the greater issue?"
"You think I have not been considering the origins of this pandemonium?" Long said, turning back. "I have meditated for hours on such thoughts, but something is telling me that the answers are not meant for me. Destiny is at play here, and whoever has been chosen to bring an end to the violence will be the one to find out the truth of the situation."
Nagi opened her mouth to snap out some venomous retort, but paused, contemplating his words. Maybe he was right. Maybe destiny was at play here. She was getting a sneaking suspicion that she was playing a big part in the scheme of things. Her encounter with the girl Mana, Gaia, 'The White Zoanthrope'...
She took a deep breath, rubbing her tired temples. "Whatever... You've made your choice, but I'm not simply going to sit around and wait for someone else to solve the problem. I have something I have to do." She turned on her heel. "The person I'm looking for isn't here, so I'm not going to waste anymore time by hanging around here."
"Who are you looking for?" Long inquired.
"It doesn't matter, he's been and gone. And it's time for me to go too. Uriko is safe here with you now, so I don't have to worry about her." Nagi would have walked away, but she found she couldn't take another step. A hand had locked around her arm. She turned sharply to glare at Long, who'd covered the distance without her even noticing.
"I cannot let you go," he said.
Nagi gaped. "What? You can't…" She growled in frustration. "Take your hand off me."
"It is late now, and much too dangerous for you to be travelling these paths alone. I would feel responsible if I let you go now," he said softly, trying to dissuade her plans.
"Did you even hear me?" She said lowly. "I said take your hand off me."
"No."
Her eyes flared with anger, but no matter how much she tried to yank her arm free, the strength behind his grip held her in place. This was the strength of a man who'd spent years training in his art; even so, she remained defiant in the face of his power. She wasn't going to let this man dictate to her what she could or couldn't do.
She spun, launching her free hand at him in a tightly balled fist, aiming for his face. His reacted quickly, tilting his head to the side as her punch whiffed. He grabbed onto the attacking limb by the upper arm, pulling her into a stumble, after which he deftly twisted her around and kicked her legs out from under her. She hit the wooden floor hard when he released her.
Nagi groaned, grabbing the back of her head which had made a dull thud against the floor. Her heart might have been telling her to get up and pound this man into oblivion, but her body was already done, exhausted from the days travels. She just lay there, staring up at Long with a stiff grimace.
"You are fatigued. You should rest," he simply said, indifferent to her annoyance.
"Bastard," she mumbled.
"So, will you tell me who you are looking for?" He asked again, ignoring her insult.
She sighed. "The 'White Zoanthrope'."
Long was thoughtful. "Something about the name seems familiar. I am sure we can discuss this more when you have rested. I may be able to help you."
"Are you okay?" Uriko asked her, leaning passed her master.
"I'm alright," Nagi huffed, slowly sitting up.
"It's okay to take a time out, you know," Uriko assured. "You'll feel so much better in the morning!"
"Fine, I'll stay," she relented.
"There is available accommodation here that will suit your needs," Long told the pair. "And they will provide you with a change of clothes if needed."
"Wow, a sleep over in a shrine! Even better than a display window!" Uriko said, stretching her arms behind her head.
Nagi took her backpack off her back, hoping she hadn't crushed anything of value. She didn't need seven years of bad luck if she'd broken her makeup mirror.
"Is there any food? Boy I'm starving!" Uriko chirped up, holding her grumbling stomach.
Food sounded good to Nagi, though part of her just wanted to go bed as quickly as she could so she could leave as soon as she was fully rested.