Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

A/N: This chapter had a few edits to alter the settings somewhat while retaining the original elements of the scenes so they fit more with the Bloody Roar 4 story setting.

Chapter 9: Violent Souls

Alice raised her hand out from beneath her umbrella. Though the skies didn't look promising, the rain had now stopped, leaving only a cool breeze gusting through the streets. She shivered nervously as she walked on. There was such a gloomy atmosphere lingering in the air.

Somewhere out there was Uriko, and Alice wasn't sure where to look anymore. She had exhausted all her leads; even so, she wasn't about to give up. She just needed to know the young girl was okay. To hear her chirpy voice again would be a huge blessing. It would cut through her fear and uncertainty in an instant.

The streets were mostly quiet, with only a few people coming and going, most in a hurried pace. She noted that many passed each other, averting their gazes, seemingly looking like they wanted to put up invisible barriers to protect themselves from other strangers. It was heart wrenching for the former nurse to see. This part of town usually had a vibrant community spirit. Now, the unity had been shattered for the fear of anyone turning on them because of violent impulses.

They shouldn't be so afraid. Not all of us are a threat. It's the cause they should be concerned about rather than the effect.

She wondered how Kenji was getting along. They had split up to cover the area quicker, reuniting to report any findings at intervals. Their next meet up point was outside a family owned ramen shop that many of the W.O.C. workers frequented.

She was about to carry on towards a crossing when a row of trash cans crashed over just off to her right. She jumped, turning to an alley to her right, her eyes searching through the shadows for the cause for the commotion. To her relief, she spied a small kitten prowling timidly there, having most likely scared itself when it knocked over the numerous cans. Its little yellow eyes beamed at her when it noticed her unthreatening presence and mewled softly.

Alice blew out a sigh, a hand clutched to her chest. She could feel her heart racing at a marathon pace. Having finally calmed herself, she put down her umbrella and stepped into the alley, kneeling down carefully, offering her hand to the little kitten.

"Hello, sweetie. Come this way, I won't hurt you."

The kitten approached with expected caution albeit belying curiosity through its innocent eyes. It had a beautiful tortoise-shell patterning across its back and stark white dainty paws. Alice noticed that it was limping slightly, clearly favouring its back leg.

"You poor thing," Alice sympathised. "The violence has got to you too, huh?"

She gently petted the kitten behind its ears, which quickly earned her a satisfied purr. Alice couldn't help but smile softly, feeling comforted by this little creature, willing to accept her touch without fear. She admired the innocent kitten, battling along alone with an injury, and still willing to accept love despite the tolls of the violence corrupted world.

How sad it must be to have nobody to turn to… she thought, tears suddenly glistening in her eyes. Her thoughts instantly drifted to her sister. Uriko… She so desperately wanted to see her again.

The kitten's ears suddenly pricked up with alarm, fear in its eyes. It darted away hurriedly, despite its injury, heading for a fence towards the end of the alley, squeezing itself through a gap.

"Hey wai-!" Her own ears caught the sound of boots scuffling on the pavement and she turned sharply.

Surprised, she was only mere yards away from Shina. The French woman was clearly in a state, her clothes torn, her skin marred with welts. She was half hunched over, breathing heavily, the sound ragged.

Alice stepped towards the woman. "Shina?" Her companion shuddered, trying to look up, but the task seemed almost too difficult.

"Al-Al-Alice…" Shina struggled, her voice rough. Her hand was reaching out, shaking tremendously.

"What's wrong?" The former nurse asked, just about to reach out to touch her when Shina cried out, her hand snapping to her head, raking through her tangled hair.

"I… can't… NO!" She threw her head by, her screams unnatural; broken.

"Shina?" Alice's voice trailed off, fear taking over. Her friend finally looked at her, eyes sharp, the colour shifting from blue to gold. Her fingers curled up like claws.

Suddenly, Shina charged at her, screaming with primal rage. Alice gasped in shock, backing up and tripping on the uneven concrete. She fell away from the woman's slashing hands trying to grab her. A twinge in her ankle reminded her of her previous injuries, and she knew she wasn't up to full strength to handle what was coming. She scooted backwards quickly, trying to put some distance between them.

Shina leapt at her, trying to pin her down. In a physical fight, Alice was no match for Shina in terms of strength. Speed was the rabbit Zoanthrope's ally, but this was something she was lacking at the moment.

Strong fingers dug into Alice's soft, pale flesh as Shina tried to drag her back towards her. Alice kicked at her, trying to prevent this from happening. If she let Shina have her way, she'd be mauled.

She's gone mad! She'll tear me to piece!

Having been pulled under Shina's body with a violent tug, Alice quickly struck back, driving a knee straight into the other woman's gut. The wind was knocked out of Shina's lungs and she hesitated, her grip becoming lax, allowing for Alice to push her away so she could get back to her feet and scramble away. From the corner of her eye, she could see Shina staggering up like a drunkard, eyes filled with unbridled rage. They were the eyes of a beast, not a human.

The malevolence was almost palpable, flowing off the leopard Zoanthrope in waves. She had been completely swallowed by her insanity.

"Shina, stop!" Alice implored, but the words fell on deaf ears. Shina tried to tackle her again, though this time, Alice was prepared. As Shina lunged, Alice used her back to flip up and over her. While she landed gracefully, the blonde woman staggered, tripped and fell, only her elbows keeping her face from smashing into the ground.

"Shina, come to your senses!" Alice shouted. Her answer was met with guttural growl. Shina's tanned face turned to glare at her as she rose to her feet.

Not sure what to do next, Alice decided to try a new tactic, even if her gut twisted at the thought. With a quick step, she sprang at her friend and slapped her right across the face. Shina's head snapped to the side, and she stood frozen. Alice bit her lip.

"Snap out of it!" Alice begged with a wavering breath, close to weeping.

Shina's face slowly turned back to look at Alice's, even more pissed off than before.

"I-I'm sorry," Alice whispered, quiet enough that it looked like she was mouthing the words instead. "I don't know what to do." She backed up, watching Shina's shoulders rise and fall with her heavy breaths.

The leopard Zoanthrope was gearing up for something, and Alice was quick to realise what that was when she saw her pull her arm back, her hand clenching into a tight fist.

"SHINA NO!"

The fist launched. Alice went rigid, heart skipping a beat. But no impact came. Just a flash of light, so quick that if she'd blinked she'd have missed it. Kenji's visage appeared before her and he suddenly grabbed her, pulling her against him, absorbing them both in another flash. She barely had a chance to say his name before the word was sucked from her mouth.

Shina punched thin air, just where Alice had been standing. She'd disappeared without a trace. It staggered the confused woman, her brain not correlating what had just happened. She let out an enraged scream as she turned in all directions, trying to find her opponent. Until…

"FIRE!"

… She met a fist right to the temple. Shina was smashed back through the fence and lay collapsed in the rubble around her. The noises that had invaded her mind scattered, the sinister laughter washed away by the sounds of the city.

"Fa-ther…" She whispered, before falling into unconsciousness.

Gado cracked his knuckles as he came to stand over his daughter. He closed his eye, a sigh escaping his lips. "I'm sorry I had to do that, but you needed to cool down." Turning, he looked up over to a third storey window ledge across the way from the alley. Sat there were both Kenji and Alice, the latter clearly in a state of shock.

"You're safe now," Kenji said to her, snapping her out of her daze.

"Gado…" Alice's eyes had stuck on the lion Zoanthrope stood in the alley. She couldn't believe he was actually there.

"I met him near the boulevard," Kenji told her. "He warned me about Shina and her possible condition…"

"Thank you, Kenji," Alice said, touching the teen's hand shakily. "Thank you so much."

The ninja smiled. "Anytime." He took hold of her carefully as he leapt from the ledge. He landed gracefully, setting her down carefully beside him on terra firma.

Now carrying Shina's limp form, Gado emerged from the alley and approached his companions. "Where's Yugo?" The elder man queried.

"Off doing some business of his own," Kenji informed him. "He's trying to figure out the cause of the violence."

"There is much to learn from this violence," a soft voice cut into the conversation.

All eyes were suddenly on a blue haired girl, standing in the middle of the street.

Mana bowed politely. "I'm sorry to intrude, but I believe I can help you."

"You can?" Alice was taken back by the mature tone of the child.

"You are in search of a certain cat Zoanthrope, is that right?" Mana said softly. "Uriko, I believe."

"Yes! How did you know?" Alice questioned with surprise.

Mana smiled. "I heard you call her name some time before now. I know you are desperate to locate her whereabouts. I can help you. Please go to the 'Shrine of Solace'. She is currently residing there." She bowed to them. "Many questions will have clear answers soon enough. Go, your friend awaits you."

"Who are you and what do you know about the violence?" Gado asked abruptly.

"I have very little time to explain, but the cause is something that needs to be handled by a powerful Zoanthrope." She hesitated abruptly as something caught her ear. More danger close by. "Forgive me, I must go. There is still much to do. I apologise for my rudeness. Please go to the shrine." And with that, the girl rushed away, almost fading into the wind.

"HEY WAIT!" Alice called after her.

"The 'Shrine of Solace'…" Kenji said, repeating Mana's words.

"I guess we should go there. Like she said, questions will have clear answers soon," Gado said, looking down at his comatose daughter.

"Uriko," Alice said with a hopeful voice. This revelation had brought some relief to her. "Don't worry," she muttered to herself. "We're coming. Just you hold on!"

"STOP HER!"

"G'ah!" A bottle narrowly missed Nagi's head as she dodged down another small passageway, escaping the trailing group of irate humans. A part of her now wished she'd just stayed at the shrine.

Shits getting worse…

Maybe it was just her luck that she'd happened upon a group of protesting humans, decrying the efforts of the political powers who were failing to quell the violence. Despite their desire for peace, they were quite ready to commit violence themselves, and all it took was a verbal disagreement between a few of them and some passers-by before all hell broke loose and Nagi was caught in the crossfire while trying to calm things down. And now, she was running from the baying mob. She thanked whatever heavenly body existed for her speed to get out of dodge. Luckily, she had managed to shake them off her tail.

Nagi panted, her calves burning from the burst of exertion. She noticed she'd come to a dead stop alongside a factory. She looked up, seeing the door close to her had a broken handle, meaning she could access the building. At least she could hide out there until things cooled down.

The moment she stepped through the door, she almost fell flat on her face. The floor was like an ice rink. The cooling system has malfunctioned in almost a spectacular way, turning the place into a deep freezer.

She grabbed onto an icy rail for support as she carefully skidded around the outer rim of the factory production line. The equipment overhead was still in operation, boxes being moved around from one section to another. There were signs all around her which indicated it was a meat processing facility. Cold temperatures were needed, but definitely not this cold.

"Invader…" A voice whispered shrilly, making Nagi jump.

She turned to see a dishevelled young woman standing near one of the machines, leaning against it with wide, wild eyes staring at her. She was quietly laughing to herself.

Nagi knew this was another Zoanthrope, and clearly, they had been driven mad by the violence.

If I'm not being chased by pissed off humans, I'm dealing with mind-fucked Zoanthropes…

"You shouldn't be here… this is my home…" the woman kept muttering over and over, starting to approach her.

"Stay back," Nagi ordered, voice even. She didn't want to hurt the woman if she could help it, but she had a sneaking suspicion she might have to use force.

"My home… my home…" Her blood-shot eye was twitching manically. With viper speed, her hand slashed out at Nagi.

The Spurious caught her wrist. "Sit down." And she pushed the woman back, who slipped and banged her head against a metal stanchion. She made little effort to get herself up from the ground, breathlessly laughing to herself as she wavered in and out of consciousness.

It was then Nagi noticed others emerging from the depths of the factory, filled with insanity, eyes wide and delirious, staring at her with venom. This woman hadn't been alone in her 'home'.

Shit… She wasn't willing to take on hordes of crazy Zoanthropes in this ice box. She took off, skidding around the packaging floor, keeping distance between herself and the other Zoanthropes homing in on her. She made her way down a step of steps and over to the far wall, pushing her way through the plastic flaps fronting an entranceway as she skidded into a small corridor, banging straight into a door in front of her. She swore under her breath and grabbed the handle, pushing her way through into another passage, which separated the main production floor from the offices. She slammed the door behind her and looked for something to keep it shut.

"Ah ha!" There were a number of fold up chairs leaning against the wall, seemingly abandoned because they were slightly damaged. She grabbed one and jammed it under the handle, pretty much locking it in place. Though how long that would hold, she couldn't guess.

There were two small rooms lining the hall and a large metal exiting door at the opposite end. She found them all to be locked up tight. She made an exasperated noise, her glance just happening to cast down momentarily and she suddenly stopped, staring at the floor.

There was another alternative at her disposal.

A metal hatchway. Was there a basement, or did this lead straight into the sewers?

She cringed at the latter thought, but as her other options were non-existent, beggars couldn't be choosers. She dropped her bag and dug her fingers into the top of the hatch, pulling with all her might, popping the cover clean off. The smell was pretty ripe.

Yep, definitely the sewers… She re-shouldered her bag, trying not to gag. She jolted when she heard banging on the other side of the door, voices muttering incoherently at her, promising her a world of hurt. Not wanting to wait to find out what would happen if they could through, she slid herself down through the opening, feet coming to rest on a ladder imbedded in a section of wall and she began to descend, remembering to pull the hatch back in place over her.

Her feet came to rest in ankle-deep filthy water. She didn't think there could be anything more depressing than wading through excrement and food waste. Though, she could think of a few movies that came pretty close.

The banging above her was muffled but no less threatening. If they did break through soon, they might not immediately figure out where she'd gone in their manic haze; but Zoanthropes had good noses, and even through the vile smell of sewage, they would probably track her down in no time. More incentive to keep moving.

Up ahead of her, there was soft light, and she decided to follow the path towards it. The light came from wall-mounted lamps inserted at intervals, casting a yellow hue into the murky tunnels. She kept following the way straight on for quite a stretch, wondering if she was just going to end up completely lost. Even so, she felt something tingle in her spine. It was a signal about the 'White Zoanthrope'. It was laying a faint trail out before her. Filled with determination, she followed it.

The sewer began to expand out into a larger hub, the light becoming more subdued. She couldn't help but note how creepy every looked, her eyes straining to make out certain objects around her.

How far have I walked? She wondered, glancing around her with a shiver of uncertainty.

A small light flicked on directly in front of her.

"Boo."

Nagi let out a shrill scream. The sound echoed throughout a significant portion of the sewer network.

The face that stared at her certainly seemed like it belonged in a sewer. She stepped back, recoiling with disgust as the man burst out laughing at her reaction, soaking it up.

Nagi's fear quickly turned to anger and she clocked the man upside the head.

"OUCH! That was uncalled for! No sense of humour, I tell ya!" And the strange man trotted off, giggling to himself.

"Wait a second!" Nagi called out, following the 'dancing' light as the guy swayed away in a merry scamper. Trailing him, she found herself in another section of the sewers, this time thankfully bathed in more opulent light. A large fan was thrumming away on the far wall as it spun air into the large sewer network.

She finally got a clearer view of the man who'd scared her, and it just reaffirmed what a strange looking figure he was. He scratched at a mop of green hair crowning his head as he sat down on a rusty pipe, rummaging through a knapsack he'd apparently left there. He seemed like he could have possibly been reaching middle-age, not that she could guess ages well, and was dressed like some kind of hippy-punk, his attire drooping on his gangly frame.

He was a Zoanthrope. She could sense that quite clearly now that she wasn't trying to quell her heartrate.

He turned to smile widely at her, the grin almost reaching ear to ear.

"Welcome to my luxury home away from home," he said, waving his hand across his surroundings. "Sorry, I didn't tidy up. I didn't know I would have company."

"What the hell are you doing in the sewers?"

"I should be asking you that question, little lady! Don't tell me you're partial to a casual stroll amongst the toilet water and used condoms?"

"Has anyone ever mentioned that you're a bit of a freak?" Nagi said, clearly unimpressed.

He huffed, turning his nose up. "What bad manners! Such a rude girl, talking to your elder like that. I'll have you know I'm not a freak! I am a genius! The great Hajime Busuzima stands before you! Um, wait, SITS before you!"

Nagi gave him a blank stare. "O..kay..."

Busuzima put his hands on his hips. "Clearly schools today aren't teaching you kids to be respectable citizens. Do you always walk into peoples' homes without permission?"

Nagi rolled her eyes. "Right, whatever you say. I won't be staying. I'm just looking for a way out."

Busuzima jumped up, shuffling over to her, poking his finger towards her chest. "You won't stay? How sad, and I was just putting the kettle on, too. Green tea, my dear?" He burst out laughing. Nagi knew he was referring to the colour of the water at their feet. She inwardly cringed with revulsion.

"I'll leave you to your tea for one," she muttered, turning away. "I'll find my own way out."

"No, no, I insist you stay," he urged, clasping her arm. She looked at him, giving him the 'get your dirty hand off me' stare, but he wasn't deterred. "Oh, you'd be an interesting guest," he went on. "I feel something quite remarkable about you." He drew her closer. "How exciting! A new toy to play with."

Nagi's face drained of colour at the thought of what this guy might want to do to her. She was just about to stamp on his foot when he suddenly sank back away from her, eyes wide with fear.

His focus was not on her.

She felt her back go rigid. What the hell was behind her?

There was a hiss and a shudder crept up her spine and she slowly turned to see what was there.

The light glimmered off the blue shell of a humanoid bug stood a few paces behind her. It was covered in tattered clothes, barely hiding its strange frame. Its eyes glowed stark yellow, clearly quite ireful.

"Busuzima…" It hissed out.

Busuzima began laughing erratically. "My, my, more guests! And it's my old pal Stun as well! How you doing old buddy, old pal? That neck biting still a bit of a fetish of yours? Well, if you're in the mood, I've got someone who could offer a bit of flesh to you." He pushed Nagi hard, who stumbled against Stun, who didn't even react. "Oh! I just remembered, I need to get me more buy spray! Gotta go! Bye-bye!"

And like a shot, he grabbed his things and ran away, screaming like a girl as he dove into one of the tunnels close by.

Nagi jolted back away from this Stun character, staring nervously at him. He stared right back impassively. Though he made no effort to attack, she still felt uneasy in his presence.

"So… it's pretty busy down in the sewers today…" She said off-hand, not sure how else to react.

He hissed lowly and took a step forward, to which she backed up a step, nearly falling over a pipe behind her.

"Do I scare you?" He asked, his voice humming like a buzzing bee.

"Is that a trick question?"

His eyes slightly narrowed. "You do not understand the pain I suffer in this body. I was once a human being, until Busuzima got his filthy hands on me."

Nagi made an almost silent 'ah' sound and looked away, allowing herself to relax somewhat. "He does seem like the kind of guy to do some pretty weird shit." Now she'd wished she'd broken his hand when he'd touched her arm.

"I will not be this way for much longer, I hope," his voice hummed, calling her attention back to him. "A friend is assisting me to find a power that can break this curse and restore my former body."

"I see…" She understood where he was coming from completely. "… And you believe there is a possibility it could work?"

"I only live to believe that a chance exists," he said, his voice belying some sadness.

She nodded. She wanted to be human again, too. "Don't lose faith. You might get your wish." She looked down, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I hope I get mine as well."

He acknowledged her words with a simple nod.

She glanced about, rubbing her arm in an awkward gesture. "So… do you know if there is a way out of here?"

He pointed over her shoulder. "Follow this path into the north tunnel. There is a ladder on the left-side wall. It will lead back up topside."

"Thank you," she said with some relief. "And… good luck." With that, she hurried off.