Woot reviews!
Fervour: Thanks! It was tucked into her hat.
CallMeJack: Haha yay fem!Raidou! I've seen it done a lot for other fandoms (I think...by that I guess I mean Naruto, hahaha!) which was why I was scared of publishing this at first, but I really wanted to try and see how a girl Raidou would act. Still, I hope I'm being (somehow, anyhow) faithful to the Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th figure, because he's one of my favorite game protagonists considering he's a silent character. I agree about needing more Devil Summoner fics! Most people I know don't even bother with the game because of the lack of voice acting, unlike in the Persona games :(
Thanks a ton for reviewing! I really appreciate it! Now I know someone's reading this, heheh.
Previously on Sparks...
It was all Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th could do not to scream. It was an insect – black and silver and snapping its teeth at her, and large and twitchy and it had wings. Translucent, hideous wings that made the most disgusting whirring sounds when they flapped together, and it was right in her face. Kotone could handle being ostracized from her classmates in school for her constant absences, demons, soulless armies, the dark, Dr. Victor's creepy laboratory, and math, but this was too much. Now that was a grasshopper…
Sparks
Chapter 3: Still a Child
"Stand your ground, Kotone!" Gouto ordered sternly, knowing the fear in her frozen knees. It wasn't so much fear as disgust crawling up her spine, but it unnerved her nonetheless, he knew. He had learned that the hard way, once, when they were investigating and he'd been distracted by a butterfly. She summoned Hiruko with a gasp foreign to a Raidou Kuzunoha as soon as she laid eyes on it, and the demon eagerly gobbled up the poor thing. This had been reported to the Yatagarasu, and he was sure she was given training to get her accustomed to the creatures, but even the clan hadn't expected a hulking insect to be part of Raidou's next mission.
"It's so big, ho!" Jack Frost gasped, covering his mouth dramatically. "Do we free-heeze it?"
Beside the demon, Narumi held on to his hat. "Yikes… Do we shoot it?"
"No," said Kotone, clearing her throat and keeping her voice solid, somehow. "I…can take care of this. Protect the boss, Jack Frost."
The insect shrieked and stabbed at Kotone's feet with one of its steel arms, barely missing as the summoner jumped backward. She bumped into Narumi, whom Jack Frost dragged away with Gouto at once. Jiromaru – it didn't matter if it had a name, Kotone promised herself, because she was going to destroy this thing at once – leapt into the air, disappearing somewhere above the veil of the black webs.
"Where did it go?" Narumi yelled.
"Keep moving!" If there was anything she learned in previous battles, it was that moving targets were the worst. It must have been true even for bugs, because Jiromaru chose to dive down at her as soon as Narumi and the others ran off. She rolled away right before it found her. The ground shook as the insect made impact, nearly knocking Kotone down, but she caught herself and skidded back on her shoes instead. They repeated this a few times, with Jiromaru attacking and Kotone dodging, without any notable results.
"Kotone, finish this!" Gouto ordered.
"I can't land a hit," she replied, though part of her knew it was because she didn't want even just her precious blade – that dangerous extension of herself – touching something so dirty and gross as an insect. But Gouto was right. Hiruko was too small to eat this one… And suddenly she remembered her much younger days, when an older cousin caught sight of an ant and brought out a magnifying glass…
She brought out a tube. "Pyro Jack, Agidyne to the wings!"
The pumpkin-headed devil had little time to greet his brother, setting to hovering fast over this new enemy. Holding his lamp to his face, he huffed, and puffed – and blew a flurry of flames down at Jiromaru, who cried out in pain. Raidou felt herself drained of energy, hardly accustomed to commanding such a powerful spell anymore, but was glad to see Jiromaru's wings crisp and curling up with the flames. Though tiny, Pyro Jack rushed at the insect while it was weak, sending ounces of magnetite to his summoner.
Raidou stood back, breathing in the energizing flow of green orbs phasing into her, and braced herself as soon as she returned Pyro Jack to his tube. "Stab it," she chanted. "Plunge your blade right into its heart…"
And she would have done it, too, had Jiromaru not suddenly cried and flown away with the little wings it had left.
Narumi was dumbfounded enough to drop Raidou's gun. The masked men were just as shocked, sputtering out in confusion.
"Y-Yew beat up Jiromaru? Y-yew not the fresh-faced kid yew look like, are yew? No one who can beat Jiromaru is…"
"A-All right," said the other one, pulling himself together. "Desperate times call for desperate measures. Hang on to yer hat, kid. Once ah unleash this thing, then yer really in for it – and yew'll have nothing to blame but yer own damn luck!"
"Enough about this luck," said Gouto impatiently, having hissed at Narumi for dropping the gun on his head. "Kotone—huh…?"
One of the men had removed the red box from his waist and was holding it in the devil summoner's direction. There was something golden, shining and floating towards her—Raidou staggered, feeling naked and empty for a quarter of a second, and then the shining object disappeared into the red box.
Gouto glanced from the men to Kotone and back. "Wh-What did they do…?"
Narumi repeated the question unknowingly to the men themselves, but his question went unanswered.
"We can leave 'er be, now," they agreed. "She's done for, anyway. We better report back to our leader."
They disappeared with another wave, sending the world around them shaking. Again Kotone felt as if she were crying, her eyes growing blurry, but this time she managed to recover and regain her sight. It was noon now, judging by the sun's placement in the sky. They were back on the Mannen-Cho rooftops.
"Looks like we're back to square one," Gouto sighed, slumping slightly. "They sure gave us a run-around. C'mon, you two. Let's pick up the search for Tatsumi here."
Narumi was on his posterior with a hand still firm on his hat. He shook his head and groaned. "What did you say, Gouto?"
"We should resume our search for Tatsumi. After some lunch," replied Kotone, offering him a hand, but he refused it and sat for a while longer.
"Yeah, great…" Narumi groped his shoulders and back quizzically. "Where did Jack Frost go?"
"I'm still here, ho!" Jack Frost cheered, pouncing on the detective's knees, but Narumi could no longer sense him. "Aww…"
"You can't see him anymore, boss," said Raidou. "We are out of the Fukorutsubo."
"Oh." Narumi looked almost disappointed. And just as he was starting to get used to the little guy, too. "Well, how about some lunch?"
Gouto's stomach rumbled. "That doesn't sound like such a bad idea…"
"Hee hee hee heee…"
Raidou and Gouto stiffened. The summoner returned Jack Frost.
Gouto was on his toes. "Kotone, this presence…!"
Even Narumi could sense the dread that swallowed his earlier relief. He glanced at Raidou from the corner of his eye. "A friend of yours returning from a family reunion, perhaps?"
"None of my friends laugh that way," she said to Narumi though he hadn't heard a thing, and nodded at Gouto. "Be careful. There's a demon nearby."
"Not a demon! Biiiiiiiiiiiinbou!" said a high-pitched voice behind Raidou. There was an upside-down man hanging from a cloud, swinging himself left and right. Hail showered from his oily hair as he whipped himself forward and backward, his robes old and dirty. Kotone wrinkled her nose at his days old stench, but he was much better than an insect.
"Greetings!" said the man with a shrill voice, swishing about. "I am Biiiiiinbou! Binbou-gami!"
"What is that smell?" Narumi covered his nose and mouth. "Raidou…?"
"This isn't just a demon – it's a Fiend!" Gouto exclaimed. "But what is it doing here…?"
"Careful, boss," Raidou repeated. "This is no ordinary demon. Stay with Gouto. He'll guide you to safety."
"What…?" Narumi looked around, though Binbou-gami was already swinging right in front of him. "On second thought, seeing demons might not be such a bad thing…"
"Come on, Narumi," said Gouto, pawing at his shoes. They backed into a more stable part of the roof.
"Hey, don't ignore me!" Binbou-gami cried out, his high-pitched whining grating heavily on Kotone's ears. "Well, I'll forgive you for now…because you're such an unlucky girl. I rather like unlucky people…You know, I'm so pleased to have found you!"
As he spoke, Raidou pondered if beheading him or simply running her sword through his stomach would be best.
"Hohoho…" Binbou-gami giggled girlishly, opening his arms to her. "You shall warm me up, for I am so cooooooold!"
Raidou reached for a tube. "Pyro Jack?"
"Ko-ho-ne!" Pyro Jack appeared with a flash of green light, his throat raspy compared to Jack Frost's sweet tone and Hiruko's airy voice. "Another hee-enemy already, ho?"
"Binbou-gami," she informed him, avoiding the hail falling from the Fiend's hair. "I'm not sure about his weakness, but he is asking me to warm him up. I thought you might do the trick."
"I def-hee-nitely would!" Pyro Jack said proudly. "But what if it hee-drains my flames, Ko-ho-ne?"
"Enough chatter!" Binbou-gami wailed. With a forward swing, he knocked Raidou off the roof.
"Raidou!" Narumi ran forward to grab her hand, but found she was floating in mid-air. Gouto clawed at him, forcing him to back down, and the detective realized it must have been Aeros keeping her safe.
"Thank you," said Raidou, sending the elemental back to his tube. She turned to Binbou-gami. "Now… Pyro Jack, Agidyne!"
Pyro Jack blew a burst of flames at the Fiend, laughing triumphantly at the sound of fire rushing through the air, only to find that Binbou-gami had disappeared. "Wha…?"
"Warm me uuuup!" Binbou-gami cried, appearing behind him, and swished in his direction. Like a swatted fly, Pyro Jack was sent hurtling through the air with a pained cry. Raidou pulled him back into his tube before he could unwillingly disappear from her sight.
"I want youuuu to warm me up," Binbou-gami continued, opening his arms again. "Not your friends! Come ooooon! Since we're both so unlucky, let's share our misfortune till one of us is dead!"
Raidou drew her sword. "If that is your wish."
"Oh, such a noble summoner!" Binbou-gami giggled, and beckoned to her with a flick of his fingers. "Come on, I'm so cooooold!"
Raidou ran at him and thrust her blade forward. He disappeared.
Realizing he would play his trick on Pyro Jack on her, she whirled, slashing her sword, but slipped.
Narumi and Gouto turned to each other. "A banana peel?"
"Impossible…" Raidou got up and threw the banana peel down the roof. She rushed at Binbou-gami again, only to slip on another peel and fall to her knees.
"You're so unlucky," Binbou-gami said, clapping his hands. "I just love it! Your attacks have all the strength of a slap with a wet noodle! Heeheeee!"
"This isn't looking good," Gouto frowned. "Fiends are nothing to sneeze at, but fighting one can't be this hopeless… Narumi, shoot him while Kotone isn't in range!"
Narumi continued to watch Raidou run around, slashing at nothing, with bated breath.
Gouto groaned. Of all the times to be a cat…
He and Kotone seemed to be of the same mind, however. "Boss, my gun, please!"
"Right!" Narumi obeyed, tossing it to her, but Binbou-gami got to her before she could catch it.
"Don't warm him up, warm meeeee!" He swung again, this time with such force that Raidou flew off the roof. The devil summoner hit her head on the neighboring roof with a thud. The world spun. She struggled to regain her equilibrium, but found herself slipping off the edge, settling for another world filled with black…
"Raidou!" Narumi leapt onto the other roof a little too late. He peered off the edge. There was no one at the bottom, just Raidou's cape caught on a hook in the wall. "Her cape…she's…gone?"
"How unlucky!" Binbou-gami cried, hovering above Narumi without his knowledge. "All I wanted was to be waaaaarm…"
Gouto's hairs stood up at the proximity of one so powerful as a Fiend. He pawed at Narumi's hand. "We need to get out of here, post-haste…"
"You'll warm me up next time! Heeheeheee!" the Fiend cackled, taking one last look at the ground, and disappeared.
Gouto slumped against Narumi's kneeling figure on the roof. They were confused, tired, hungry, and where was Raidou?
Light. Like a sudden camera flash. Flash, flash, flash… Like a thousand camera flashes.
Kotone felt the hard ground under her hat, back, and knees. It was very uncomfortable sleeping this way. She always lay on her side with a pillow between her knees. And she never slept with her cousin's uniform on, no matter how tired she was. She had never even slept with her own uniform on.
"Mother…" she called out, her throat dry. "Water…"
The flashes subsided, leaving the sound of noisy crickets in its wake. Kotone covered her ears until that noise subsided, too, but a high-pitched yeeee seemed to be stuck in her skull. Ignoring it, she regained the use of her limbs and propped herself up.
The world around was like a blazing storm, with red and orange and blinding white swirling dangerously around the platform she'd been sitting on, only there was no sound, no rushing of air, only that high-pitched sound and then nothing. Below her, orange lines swirled the ground, and all around spheres of gold and yellow hovered dangerously, smaller circles covering each of them like eyes ever watching.
Kotone stood and began to walk, the events of – she wasn't sure how long ago – replaying in her mind in a sudden rush that made her head spin. Did Binbou-gami do this? She felt cold and realized her cape was gone, and the ground was rippling with air she couldn't feel. There was a presence behind her—she thought of drawing her sword, only to realize that that had disappeared, too.
She was wearing a mask. Rather, the presence behind her had turned out to be herself in a mask she barely recognized. She was sure she'd seen it somewhere before, striped asparagus and myrtle green and circles within circles embedded within, with red lines for upturned eyes and a mouth perpetually turned downward. She thought of watermelons. This couldn't be her 'self' from the parallel dimension; she was a he, there, and much more composed than she was. (Handsome, too, she would not deny.) Unsurely, Kotone offered her masked self a hint of a smile.
Like ripples of water from a still lake, the world seemed to pulse as the masked Kotone began to speak, swiftly. "You who play the role of Raidou and witness this spectacle, worry not. I am here to become your salvation. The day of misfortune that is close at hand – if you have seen this spectacle, then woe betide you. However, you, like so many others, must become a living witness. There will come a day when this world is overcome by misfortune. You will bear witness to this."
Kotone's almost-smile faded. This other self certainly carried her voice, but that couldn't ever be something she would say.
The masked other continued before she could reply. "But this world's future beyond that day of misfortune…Please…" She came closer, almost as if to hold Kotone's hand, but she didn't. "I wish for you to refrain from despairing. Think of this mask's 'sorrowful' face as the combined wishes of the people. Your determination to be Raidou is already a beacon of hope. Your actions are hope… Kotone."
The storm blazed on. A flash of white, and then black again.
Kotone shifted, trying to rid herself of the dizzy sensation. She felt the soft ground under her head, back, and calves. Still no pillow between her knees, but she was lying on her back this time; it was acceptable. Yet it didn't matter, with the words of the masked other still ringing in her mind.
Your actions are hope…Kotone.
Kotone felt warm and realized her cape was draped over her body, and that the ground under her was actually Narumi's maroon couch in the agency. She opened her eyes and came face to face with a woman, grey-eyed with a piquant nose. The woman's hair was flat and just a little longer than hers.
"You're awake!" the woman exclaimed, the unsure line of her lips widening into a smile. She turned away, standing, and disappeared from Kotone's hazy line of vision. "Narumi! Kotone's…"
"...Oh?" Footsteps pounded into the room. Narumi came into view, and the woman, too, with pink puffed sleeves and a relieved expression. Narumi gave her the half-irritated, half-amused grin again. "You had me going there, Raidou. Even Gouto was worried. Wouldn't stop pawing at me…"
Gouto pounced onto her stomach out of nowhere, looking her in the eye and making sure she was all right. He was heavier than she remembered. "Please, he was more worried. Without me, I'm sure he'd have gone off like a moron again like he did last year after our disappearance from Waden One. Anyway… you suddenly vanished," he said, a rare gentle tone in his voice. She'd only ever heard it once, right before she thought he died. "When Binbou-gami threw you across the roofs, you slipped, but you were gone before you fell."
Raidou nodded. Her throat was no longer dry. "And Binbou-gami…?"
"He went off somewhere. A lone stroke of luck in a whole heap of misfortune."
"I found Narumi and the kitty looking lost at Mannen-Cho," said the woman after Gouto finished meowing. "We returned to the agency after hours of searching for you, but there you were, just lying on the doorsteps. Narumi carried you up here."
Raidou nodded and sat up. "Thanks, boss," she said to Narumi, who shrugged, and looked back to the woman. "And thank you for finding them."
The woman placed her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at the summoner with a pout. "Say, Kotone, that look on your face isn't one of those Who is this dame? looks, is it?"
Kotone blinked.
The woman gasped, holding a hand to her heart. "H-holy cats, you haven't…forgotten about me, have you?"
Finally, her pout and her nose and eyes registered in Kotone's mind. It was no wonder the woman looked so strange; she was lacking her bonnet. "How could I forget?" Kotone saved, with a small chuckle from Narumi. "Miss Asakura. It's such a pleasure to see you again."
The woman cheered and hugged her. "I knew it! How could anyone forget a face like Kichou Asakura's?"
Kotone caught a small smile on Narumi's lips. They met eyes, she imitating his oddly cheery smile, at which his own faded and he cleared his throat. "I think everything's dandy now, Tae. You were in the middle of something, right?"
Miss Tae Asakura huffed at Kotone's boss. "Got wax in your ears, Narumi? I know I've told you before that it's Kichou Asakura. While I'm on the beat, it's Kichou, got it? Kichou Asakura, the Daily Capital's best woman!" She scoffed even louder at Narumi's distinct upturn of eyes. "But you're right; I've got work to do. I need to figure out where I'm going with this article by tonight..." She approached the door, taking her hat and keys from the rack. "See you around, Kotone. You too, Gouto. And…Narumi too."
"Take care, Miss Asakura," Kotone called out, before Tae shot Narumi one last look and disappeared.
Narumi crossed his arms. "Forgetting for a sec that she left me, who's only the agency's founder, for last…" He pulled out a seat from the coffee table and sat before Kotone. "What happened out there, Raidou? You're the last person I expect to find passed out in front of the office."
Raidou recalled her masked other's words. As a whole, they made no sense. That her actions were hope – it may have been hubris, but Raidou was not completely surprised by such a statement. She was, after all, the protector of the Capital. It was her duty to defend it from impending doom, from any disaster that might befall it. The only wonder was that it came from a masked version of herself, in a platform surrounded by a fiery storm, and that she had no idea what would bring about this day of misfortune. Was it the vision she saw once in that corridor, of the mountains of corpses and that great mushroom cloud in the sky? No…it was too early.
"I have no clue as to why I passed out," she said, honestly. "What occurred after is…I know too little. I can't explain it yet."
Narumi gnawed on his lower lip, as he was wont to do when he was thinking hard. "I guess it's about time for the Narumi Detective Agency's first Investigational Meeting in a while, huh, Raidou?"
Houses blurred past, and buildings, and telephone wires. There was no countryside view, not in the Capital, though the river below was nice to see. Kotone wondered if it would stay that clean forever. The train ride was quick compared to the boring trip to Shinoda. There was an old woman to her right talking about how kids had it easier these days, with all the trains and the telephones to convenience them, and across her there was a noisy family of seven with children screaming about and asking how much further it would be.
Gouto breathed a sigh of relief when they left the train. He was all for modernization and convenience (maybe someday they could create artificial opposable thumbs), but the noise in that cramped train was giving him a headache.
The Investigational Meeting had concluded with the decision to speak with Akane. Her father, Tasuke Narita, had his residence in the deeper parts of Kasumidai, a little ways past the army headquarters. Narumi and Kotone agreed that only she would pay Akane a call. A visit from a detective would no doubt set the councilman off, after all, and they didn't want to admit to having taken a case from his daughter until after they'd solved it if they could help it. (Then again, there was still the matter of discovering why there was no evidence of Tasuke Narita ever having a child.) Indeed, they decided sending a girl in a boy's uniform with a schoolcap and a cape hiding a sword and a gun, alone with only a cat for company, would be much less conspicuous.
The Narita residence was a sizable mansion, with about three floors if Raidou's guess was right. The butler must have seen her coming in from the window, because he opened the door right as she stepped on the wide front porch.
"Good afternoon," he said, giving her a once-over. He seemed dissatisfied with her appearance and settled with a disdainful expression. "Do you have some business here? There is no one on the guest sheet."
"Good afternoon." Raidou subtly peeked inside, past the butler's head. There was a long vestibule from the door to the next room, and a path to the right the wall blocked. It was all brown inside, dreary, with yellow-orange lamps and expensive antiques that made the place look like an aging photograph. The dark realm was livelier. "I'm looking for Miss Akane Narita…?"
The butler narrowed his eyes at her and the cat at her feet. "Who might you be?"
"A friend."
"Come in." When they were inside, he stopped and pointed to her spot directly in between the door and the room. That hallway to the right led to a larger area with grand stairs, but she could see nothing past it. "…Wait here, please." The butler disappeared into what Kotone thought to be a drawing room.
"That wasn't suspicious," Gouto remarked when they were alone, which wasn't for long. The butler returned soon with an older, taller gentleman with a mustache and glasses. Behind the stern shine of his spectacles, Raidou saw a distant expression.
"This is the student, sir," said the butler, motioning to Raidou. He didn't even acknowledge Gouto.
"Good afternoon, sir," said Raidou, bowing to the man as he pushed his glasses further into the bridge of his nose. With the way he so authoritatively stared her down from head to toe, this was clearly Councilman Narita.
The councilman didn't acknowledge it. "Not only have you come to the house of Tasuke Narita with a sword tucked beneath your cape, dressed as a young man… You're dropping Akane's name. And that, child, I cannot ignore."
Neither Raidou nor Gouto flinched, a product of intense Kuzunoha clan training, though they wondered how the councilman knew of the blade under her cape. Or that she was a girl. He must have detected the subtle shing of the blade as she moved, and the lightness in her voice. Kotone said, allowing her voice to take its natural pitch, "My father believes that even a woman must have the means to protect herself."
Councilman Narita brushed that off with a wave of his hand. "And how do you know Akane…?"
Raidou pursed her lips, brewing up a lie in her thoughts.
"You will answer me, girl. Don't think there's anything you can hide from a man in my position."
"We met in the Capital," said Raidou, automatically. All she'd needed was some time to finish the story in her mind. "Miss Narita paid us a call. I'm only returning the courtesy." It wasn't a lie.
Councilman Narita frowned at her, knowing very well that the child before him was hiding something the way she hid that sword under her cape. He was about to speak when familiar gentle footsteps entered his home.
"I'm home…" Akane. "Huh…?" She recognized the cape. "K-Koto—Raidou? Why are you…?"
Her 'father' – Kotone still wasn't sure of it all – crossed his arms. "Your timing is either impeccable or unbelievably poor. Explain yourself, Akane."
Akane's eyes fell to the floor. Kotone refrained from sighing. When she was a child, she'd done the exact same thing when caught red handed, before her father taught her how to lie. Akane was going to tell the truth.
And she did. After a long explanation about the Narumi Detective Agency, the Councilman gave Akane a reproving look.
"I thought I warned you not to leave Kasumidai."
"I'm sorry," said Akane, looking away shamefully. She was everything Raidou Kuzunoha the 13th had taught his daughter not to be. Submissive, meek, gentle… "I…I'll take care not to in the future."
The Councilman seemed to accept it, as he turned to the summoner absentmindedly. "Raidou, was it?"
Raidou nodded.
"I've been embarrassed in front of you here, but don't press your luck. Do you understand the principles of the strong and the weak in society? Who is stronger: you or me?"
Kotone couldn't help but appraise the councilman, despite Narumi's desire to impress him and earn more money for coffee beans. Even with his suit, she could tell he was no ordinary politician, but she was young, sprightly, and a trained Kuzunoha warrior. With a flick of her sword, even society's hierarchies wouldn't matter. This she knew. Gouto had once told her that she was his finest descendant; that she, despite having only been a young girl of sixteen, had done his name proud. This she believed. Looking Narita in the eye, she replied, "…I am."
Akane and the butler looked taken aback, while Gouto continued to watch silently. Narita quirked an eyebrow. "You think knowing one of my secrets places you above me? You dare to look down on me…?"
"It isn't a matter of looking down on you," replied Kotone. By secret, did he mean the fact that he had a daughter? "Despite the modern turn of society, the traditional ways to measure strength still exist. You are no weakling. But I…" She felt almost embarrassed to say it before a woman so innocent as Akane, but she was certain of her words: "I am stronger."
Narita scoffed. "All very brash and heroic, to be sure. But you have a lot to learn about the world."
Kotone would have liked to return that scoff, to tell him of the events of the past year, how she and Shouhei Narumi and Gouto and one of her friends saved his world from a hateful little 'god,' his machines, and another of Gouto's descendants, and how she had witnessed the horrible future that would befall the world a century from this time. It wasn't a burden she cherished, knowing the future, but she thought it deserved her more than a simple dismissal because of her youth.
She kept her mouth shut, however, for Narumi's sake, and the councilman continued. "Now, then. Playing detective is a cute hobby for the young…but allow me to warn you, Raidou, that it's important to know when to quit." Kotone did not break eye contact, though Akane, watching the exchange, bowed her head and tinkered with one of her curls in shame. "I'll leave the more complicated business to the two of you. Excuse me."
Raidou bowed for the sake of courtesy as he left. Akane clenched a dainty hand around her skirt. "I'm so sorry, Kotone. You came all the way here, and…"
"It's all right, Miss Narita," she replied. "It is you we came to see, after all, no matter the trouble."
"Oh…is something the matter?"
"We've been moving along our investigation, and we've come upon a lead," said Raidou. "We hear there has been a man fraternizing with outsiders who seem to know Dahn; it's set off the local yakuza who manage the gambling parlor in Mannen-Cho, because he seems to have gotten almost frighteningly lucky after meeting with them. The man's name is Goro Tatsumi—does his name sound familiar?"
Akane searched her mind for anything that came close to the name, but came up with nothing. "No…The name doesn't ring a bell. But the outsiders you say he's been associating with…" She stiffened. "Did I hear you right to say he got lucky after meeting them? It…It can't be…"
Kotone and Gouto glanced at each other quizzically. Akane caught it, and before Raidou could ask, said, "O-Oh, it's nothing. I didn't mean to alarm you…"
"Any information you might have would be a great help, Miss Narita," said Raidou. "If you know anything about these outsiders…I've seen them, actually. Masked men wielding katanas and red…cases strapped to their waists. To be honest, they attacked us in Mannen-Cho. Does such a description ring a bell?"
"Um…"
Gouto blinked. "I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing – that she breaks so easily."
Raidou gave him a shrug that said let us use it to our advantage for now. "Yes, Miss Narita?"
Akane sighed in defeat. "Anything I tell you about these masked men…I'd like you to keep it a secret from Father…"
"Of course, Miss Narita."
"About those masked men…well…um, never mind. As long as you're safe."
Gouto observed Akane's curl-twirling and inability to make eye contact. "There's something she doesn't want us to know about the relationship between Dahn and the masked men, isn't there? I wonder what this dame is really up to…"
Raidou shrugged. Akane hardly looked like she meant to bring harm to anyone else. Then again, the Raidou from the future had tricked her that way, too, when he possessed Kaya. Although perhaps she should have gotten a clue when Kaya cut those silky strands of hers and had that crazed look in her eyes whenever she spoke. Kotone could only see shame in Akane's eyes, though…
"Miss Narita…what are you hiding?"
Akane closed her eyes as if she were ailing. Kotone almost pitied her, but she couldn't quite feel for the older woman if she wasn't sure that she was truly innocent. "I wish I could tell you more, but…I can't just yet. I'm sorry." There was an urgent look in her eyes, as if she needed Raidou – and even Gouto, since she glanced down at him for a moment – to believe her. "Really, I am! But I…!"
"It's all right, Miss Narita," said Raidou, backing away by an inch. "If you really can't tell us…"
"Thank you…Thank you for understanding," said Akane, so gratefully one would think Raidou had saved her life. "But please, Kotone. Find Dahn…I have nowhere else to turn but you."
Gouto snorted. "Well, when she puts it that way…"
"We will, Miss Narita," said Kotone, offering a small smile. "I'm sorry to intrude any more than I have, but may I please use your bathroom?"
"Oh, of course," said Akane, her tone much lighter. The heavy burden of being interrogated was finally lifted. "It's down that hall—right before the stairs."
"Thank you." Raidou bowed again and moved swiftly to the grand stairs, where she wouldn't be seen.
"What are you planning?" Gouto asked.
Kotone reached for a tube. "Akane needn't say a thing for us to know what's in her mind. Lilim–!"
"Ah—Miss Kuzunoha?" The butler was standing right behind her. Gouto whirled, erasing all traces of guilt from his feline face. Raidou did the same. "Mistress Akane has asked me to take care of anything you might need. Is there anything else?"
"No thank you," said Raidou, hiding the tube behind her back. "Is Miss Narita still there?"
"I'm afraid she's joined her father in the drawing room," said the butler. "In that light, I apologize for the trouble Master Tasuke has caused you. You see, guests asking after Mistress Akane are…" There was an expectant silence, and then he cleared his throat. "I really shouldn't say anything more on that subject. In any case, I see you are truly a friend to Mistress Akane."
Raidou gave no reply and nodded instead. "If Miss Narita is gone now…I should be leaving." There was no use staying if Lilim had no mind to read. The demon could always enter the drawing room on her own, but…never mind.
The butler bowed, ever obeisant. "Have a safe trip, Miss Kuzunoha."
The ride home to Tsukudo-Cho was much quieter. Although it was a short trip, Gouto fell asleep on Kotone's lap and woke only at the opening rumble of the train doors. There was no Dahn walking by the Ushigome-gaeri bridge this time, Kotone checked; only a child running around frantically with a bulky handkerchief in his hands. She avoided him as he darted past her.
"Kid looks familiar," said Gouto, yawning as he watched him go. "Didn't we see him in…somewhere…? Oh yes, Mannen-Cho…"
"He's the boy who hangs around one of Satake's men…Osamu, wasn't it? His son, if I remember correctly."
"I think so, or he'd have no other reason to hang around him," Gouto laughed. His protégée could put things so oddly sometimes.
The boy was sitting on the front porch steps of the Narumi Detective Agency when they arrived, his face covered by his hands and the busboy cap he wore. At the sight of Kotone's shadow looming over him, he jumped and grabbed her arm. "Miss! Hey! You!"
Kotone had little experience with children. All her mostly male cousins were older than her, and though they grew up together, they each had different mindsets now. She couldn't remember how she'd ever dealt with them before. And usually she left negotiating with demon children to a surprisingly motherly Leanan Sidhe. Kotone grabbed his fingers and tried as gently as she could to pry them off her. "You are Osamu's son?"
"Yeah!" the boy nodded vigorously. "Kenta Kogure, from Mannen-Cho! I really need your help!"
"With what?"
"See, thing is… My dad…" the boy's face scrunched up. He was trying not to cry. "He disappeared from Mannen-Cho."
"He may just be on business with Satake," said Kotone, thoughtfully. "The man likes to speak with his people personally."
"If he was just meeting with Mr. Satake, he woulda told me!" the boy shook his head. "No, my dad's missing. You're a detective, right, lady? You gotta find my dad…please! I…" Kenta's nose was becoming red, his eyes misty. "I'll even give you my croquette! You can split it with your kitty cat, okay?"
Kenta took her hand again and closed her fingers in on the bulky handkerchief he carried before running off with a hitch-breathed goodbye. Inside the blue cloth was a slightly burnt orange croquette.
"It's just your garden variety croquette, but you can feel Kenta's love for his dad in it." Gouto licked his teeth. "Osamu…there was that caper where you disappeared from Mannen-Cho, too. Might wanna keep in mind that he's gone missing from the same place."
The two entered the agency when Kotone hid the croquette in her pocket. The boss would have whined about having a piece of it, after all, and Gouto had had a feeling that she should save it for later, no matter how hungry they were. Narumi had only packed Kotone a sandwich before sending her off to Kasumidai. Speaking of which, the agency's founder was on the phone when they entered, leaning into his chair with his legs crossed under the table.
"Huh? Well, speak of the devil…" he muttered upon seeing his assistant and her cat, but quickly returned to his conversation. "Nothing, just talking to myself. I'll send Raidou to look into it. What? Because, uh…I'm busy. At the usual place, then? Okay, got it…" He paused for a few seconds before nodding. "Bye."
When he put the phone down, he gave the two a slight wave. "Welcome back, Raidou. Gouto. How'd it go? You get to talk to Akane?"
"We did. But we had an unfortunate run in with her father the councilman, first…" Kotone plopped down on the couch. "He wasn't too happy to see us. He even thought to call me weak and told me to quit playing detective."
Narumi leaned his lips against his fist thoughtfully. "Interesting…so Narita flipped his lid when he learned you were in touch with Akane, who, for her part, was hiding the fact that you were attacked by masked men from Narita…" he frowned. "Something smells. This is getting a bit shady for a simple manhunt."
"Gouto and I agree, boss. Just now, before we entered the office…the son of one of Satake's men approached me. He says his father has disappeared from Mannen-Cho without so much as a warning. Gouto suspects there is a connection between the masked men and my own disappearance from Mannen-Cho earlier."
"Hmm… Are you thinking of looking into it?"
"Yes. Kenta…" Kotone thought of the tempting croquette in her pocket. "His son seemed very broken up about it. And it seems an odd enough case, don't you think, boss?"
Narumi nodded. "All right. Before you do, though, Tae called. Apparently, she's doing some research of her own in Mannen-Cho. She's already wise to Tatsumi."
"She may have something on Kenta's father," said Gouto.
"Given what you've told me," Narumi continued, "I'll look into Akane some more…which leaves the other half of our case to you. Tae's got the scoop on Tatsumi—I told her you'd go hear her out."
Gouto let out a 'hmmmmm'. "I don't know why he'd send us. I was sure he'd have wanted to go himself…"
Narumi glanced down at the cat. "What?"
Confused by her mentor's words, Kotone failed to twist them around as well as she might have. "He doesn't know why you leave the traveling to us without any pocket money."
Narumi snorted. "Don't give me that! A little Jack Frost just happened to tell me about that secret stash you keep with Lilim."
Kotone shrugged. It was worth a try. "Fine. We will visit Miss Asakura."
Narumi grinned, relieved that the teenage devil summoner he'd saved the world with once still couldn't get one up over him. He still had it. "You know her usual haunt, right? The Shin Sekai soda joint in Ginza-Cho? Tae'll be waiting for you there in her spot."
Gouto pursed his cat lips. "Her spot? He visits her often, then?"
Kotone quirked an eyebrow at the cat. "Why is that relevant?"
Gouto chuckled, patting her foot with a shake of his head. "You're really still a child…"
The storefront was hidden along a street away from the main road. It was dark, almost like an alley, tall buildings rented out by shops shielding them from sunlight. The soda joint itself had such a cool ambiance that Kotone had the urge to sleep as soon as she entered. Only the smell of cigarettes combating the sweet scent of wine woke her.
"I missed this place, too," said the devil summoner, a dreamy look on her face.
"I expected you would," Gouto grinned. "Breaking a wine bottle over that lecherous android's head must have felt really good."
"It did," said Kotone, reminiscing gladly as she approached the main bar. "It's one of my best memories of the Capital."
The owner of Shin Sekai also worked as its bartender. He made tangy fruit shakes for Kotone and Gouto, since the former was too young and they agreed that it would be best for the latter not to drink. He'd recognized the devil summoner's silhouette through his blue tinted shades by the glass doors. Only one child wore such a hat around the Capital.
"Miss Kuzunoha," he said when she reached his countertop, "How nice to see you in the Capital again. On another mission?" He smiled at Kotone's affirmation. "We've received several new requests pertaining specifically to devil summoners. Shall I forward the case files to the Narumi Detective Agency?"
"Please do. By the way… Has my boss been here of late?"
The owner fixed his red suit and his black bowtie with a pleased upturn of the lips. "Why, yes. He sits with Miss Asakura, more often than not."
"Hmm…You were right, Gouto." Kotone set Gouto on the stool before her and pat his head gently. Something in his eyes reflected the bartender's, like they knew something she didn't. "Why do you smile that way?"
Gouto shook his head, and the owner cleared his throat. "If there is nothing else…Miss Asakura is on the far end of the bar. She phoned Mr. Narumi earlier, and said she was expecting you."
Kotone thanked him and approached Tae, who was flipping past the pages of a crumpled notebook. "Hi, Kotone. I got the skinny from Narumi," she said, before Raidou could tap her shoulder. Sometimes Kotone wondered if Tae had Lilim's psychic powers. Or it could have been woman's intuition, as the older lady would so vehemently insist. "So you had some questions, huh? I'll answer whatever I can. But wait—age before beauty. I get the first questions. What happened earlier today, when you disappeared in Mannen-Cho?"
It wouldn't hurt to tell Tae, Raidou supposed. She and Narumi were becoming quite a pair of close friends, so it was likely that her boss trusted the reporter. "We were following him for a client and found him in Mannen-Cho. Just as we cornered him, two masked men came to his rescue and confronted us. Tatsumi managed to escape, and…the confrontation didn't end very well."
"What? That's the first I've heard of these masked men!" Tae triumphantly pumped a fist in the air. "What a lucky break! Thanks to you, I've got a juicy scoop!"
"You…didn't hear it from me, of course." Her boss liked a little obscurity, so he could have time for his coffee without having to answer the phone all the time. Then again, there was a time when he had her answering phone calls…
"Of course," said Tae, too happy about her discovery to protest. "Well, I guess it's my turn to blab now. Here's what I've learned about Tatsumi: ever since he started his hot streak at the gambling parlor, people have started hanging around him. Some are run-of-the-mill gamblers trying to piggyback off Tatsumi's luck to make a quick buck…and some are Kantou Haguro-gumi thugs, secretly angry with the guy for winning so much money." Tae sat up, a thought finding its place at the forefront of her mind. "By the way, I heard about you and that yakuza boss…"
Gouto groaned. Raidou shook her head. "That was nothing. Please continue."
"Okay…" Tae shrugged. She couldn't make a scoop out of it, anyway; that mob boss would kill her. "Well, it didn't matter who they were. They've all disappeared, and it all links back to Tatsumi… The locals are saying they were spirited away. I was assigned to cover the story."
Gouto would have stroked his whiskers if he knew it wouldn't disturb Tae. "Multiple disappearances leading back to Tatsumi…Hmm…"
"So…" Tae quirked an eyebrow at Gouto turning his back on her and fiddling with something on his chest. She figured he was licking himself, and that it was a personal task only Kotone was allowed to watch. He was really just writing on his notebook. "Is there anything else you want to know?"
"Could you elaborate about this…spirited away business, Miss Asakura?"
Tae brightened up and nodded proudly. "You've got a reporter's ear, Kotone! I just mentioned that in passing… Well, I guess I can share. It might have something to do with the masked men. It's just a rumor, but the Mannen-Cho police might make this 'spiriting away' for kidnappings. They say Tatsumi's been involved in smuggling, and he was fencing the stuff in Mannen-Cho. That's what I sweet-talked out of the officers."
"Sweet-talked?" Kotone repeated. "Using your feminine charm? I thought it was against your principles?"
Tae seemed to think about it for a moment before giving the question a dismissive wave. "I got my answers, didn't I?" Lilim had thought so, too. "Now here's my take on it: whoever's backing Tatsumi's smuggling operation is removing anyone who gets too close to him. Catch my drift? The organization behind his scheme is…"
"The masked men," Raidou finished. "They told me to stay away from him."
"But what could Tatsumi be smuggling?" Gouto pondered, having finished his writing.
Tae nodded at the girl. "Exactly. It's nice having these back-and-forths with you, Kotone. It's not often I can do it with another woman."
"Always a pleasure," said Raidou, who muttered to Gouto, "Osamu?"
"He must have been spirited away, too," said the cat.
"Did you say something?" asked Tae.
"Uh—no." Raidou stared at the tip of Tae's bonnet. "Is there anything else you can tell us, Miss Asakura?"
"Oh! Yeah. Apparently, our Tatsumi's gone missing, too."
"Good riddance," Gouto grumbled.
"Funny how it happened right as the bulls were looking to question him," Tae continued. "Convenient, huh? Either Tatsumi's very lucky, or the police aren't. I haven't heard of anyone spotting Tatsumi leaving Mannen-Cho, either."
"I see…" Gouto jumped off the stool beside Tae, a signal that they should leave. Raidou bowed to her. "Thank you for your time, Miss Asakura."
"Sure thing, Kotone," Tae smiled, flipping her notebook open again. "Oh, say hi to Narumi, okay?"
Kotone blinked. "But you were on the phone with him not more than an hour ago."
"I know. Just say hi."
An odd request, but she wouldn't mind fulfilling it. Bidding Tae farewell for the day, Kotone and Gouto exited the soda joint.
"You know, Gouto, Miss Asakura can make the most peculiar req…" Kotone stopped. There was a presence behind her, familiar but much stronger, pulsing with energy and power. She turned around.
It was the foreigner, the blond young man with the nice nose and the bright eyes. Raidou hadn't sensed this much energy from him in the Tamonten Shrine. He smiled at her, that bag of his still in his left hand. "We meet again."
Kotone nodded. "Hello, um…"
Lus…i…uis…f…
A thought that was not hers echoed in her mind. A name that was not familiar came out of her mouth. "Louis?"
The foreigner pretended to think about it. "That will do."
Kotone shook her head, regaining her own thoughts and her own speech. "Louis."
"Yes. I wasn't expecting to meet you here, Kotone. Perhaps this is a 'spark' as well."
Raidou instinctively reached for her sword. "How do you know my name?"
"But it's fortunate that I did," Louis continued, his voice suddenly soothing. Kotone relaxed and let her hands fall back beside her waist. "There was something I wished to discuss with you."
"Your leading me to Satake, you mean?"
"No…" Louis looked down at her with semi-closed eyes. It would have looked pompous from another, but it seemed only natural to him. That and he'd actually answered one of her questions. "A man boasting of his good fortune has been targeted by a Fiend."
"Tatsumi," said Raidou and Gouto in unison.
They were right, but the foreigner didn't acknowledge it. "It is the one you know as Binbou-gami, the Fiend of disaster. This boastful man is in Mannen-Cho, unseen by the human eye. This is because he is in the Dark Realm…"
"You know of the Dark Realm." Raidou didn't bother phrasing it as a question anymore. It was only an expression of some surprise.
Louis nodded, however. "He doesn't know that his voluntary entrance to the Dark Realm will 'spark' the end of his luck." Raidou rolled her shoulders back. "You are pleased by this." When she dropped her slight smirk, the foreigner chuckled. "Hmm. If this man in Dark Mannen-Cho means anything to you…then let my words be a spark for your actions."
With that, he disappeared into Shin Sekai.
"Funny guy. Between him and Akane, we've sure been meeting our share of strange customers." Gouto scribbled something on his notebook. "And how is he connected to the Dark Realm? He didn't seem so powerful before…"
"I can't say…" Kotone wondered what such an enigma could want in a soda joint. "In any case, Goro Tatsumi awaits us in Dark Mannen-Cho. I wonder how he even ended up there."
"So do I. Are we going to Shinoda?"
The sun was nearly setting. Her stomach was rumbling. A decision was made. "No. Let's hope he can survive a night in the Dark Realm. In any case…he won't be able to tell the difference."
Gouto imitated her pace towards the train station. "Not something I would have done in my prime, but now…" he chuckled. "I agree."
"We're home," announced Kotone, hanging her key on the rack after locking the office door. Rubbing her aching forehead (she'd somehow walked into the door while opening it), she knew this was going to become a routine – she and Gouto buying dinner, Narumi lounging around somewhere in the agency. Or maybe not lounging around, as tonight he was trying to fit a whole bunch of folders into a tiny shelf beside his desk. "Boss…?"
Narumi glanced up with an impatient expression. It softened when he saw his assistant and the cat, but intensified again soon after. "Raidou, Gouto. Care to explain all these case files?"
The Shin Sekai's owner worked fast. Gouto said this, and Kotone translated: "Working on these case files will earn us more dinner. Shouldn't we be glad?"
"Dinner?" Narumi dropped the folders on his desk and suddenly went off to the kitchen. Seconds later, the table was set. "Dinner sounds great."
Gouto grinned and hopped on the table. "Bring on the food, Kotone!" She obeyed, and they set to eating as soon as she put the takeout down.
"Boss, I met a boy today," Raidou said when she was almost done. Narumi felt like it was the introduction to a confession, from a teenage daughter to her father. That was, before he remembered that this was Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th. She knew every weakness of every demon order, but she probably still thought kisses were thimbles and thimbles were kisses. "Actually, I'd already met him yesterday, in the Tamonten Shrine. He seemed harmless…but he informed me that Tatsumi is in the Dark Realm, being targeted by the Fiend that attacked us this noon."
"Huh." Narumi swallowed his food, looking at the ceiling as if that would give him answers. "I got nothing on Akane yet. You think you can trust this kid?"
Raidou shrugged. "It is our only lead. And Miss Asakura said that Tatsumi had disappeared without a trace. That no one saw him leave Mannen-Cho."
"Mmhmm. You'll be traipsing around the Dark Realm tomorrow, then.'
"Yes. By the way, boss," said Kotone, gulping her water down voraciously, "Miss Asakura said hi."
Narumi stopped slicing his food. "She did?"
"Yes. Is that important?"
Narumi's eyebrows furrowed. He bowed his head to the point that Kotone could only see his hair. "Well…"
"Is something wrong, boss?" Why was it so relevant?
"Uh—no." Still only hair. "Could you get me more water, Raidou?"
"But your glass is still—"
"Water, please."
Kotone shrugged and took his glass before entering the kitchen. She stayed there for all of ten seconds, pretending to fill an already full glass, before returning to the coffee table and returning it to him. "Here you go, boss."
Narumi had already recovered, and smiled as he took a sip of his water. It still looked full. "Thanks, Raidou."
Gouto was laughing.
Narumi frowned. He definitely recognized that kind of meowing, and the wide, almost creepy smile on the cat's face. "You think that's funny, huh, Gouto?"
Kotone glanced at her mentor. "I don't understand."
"You…haha…you don't have to!" said Gouto, now clutching his stomach and lying on his side on the table.
Kotone pushed herself away from the table. "Boss, were you…possessed? Did the soul transfer to Gouto?"
Narumi turned only a little pink. "What do you mean was I possessed?"
"Oh…possessed…hahahaha!" Gouto continued to howl in laughter. "Who would have thought? Narumi…haha… madly…ha…can't even own up to…"
"He's not possessed," Narumi said, his lips forming a line. He had a very good idea of what the cat was saying to Kotone even without her translations. "It's only a case of extreme immaturity."
Kotone stood, shaking her head. "Whatever it is, it doesn't seem to be all that funny."
Narumi's eyes widened. "What is he telling you?"
"Nothing that makes sense," replied the devil summoner, approaching the door across the kitchen. "I'll be in my room if you need me, boss. Please bring Gouto up when he's done…some milk should do him in. Good night."
"Good nigh…hey, why am I left to take care of him? H-hey…"
Kotone was already gone. Narumi wasn't laughing.
Orange melted away with violet in the sky and in the air all around. It was always dusk in the Dark Realm—or maybe it was dawn, but neither Gouto nor Kotone had ever been the technical type. There was a constant breeze of colors, a spectrum compared to the greys of the realm, evidence of the thinning barrier to the Netherworld.
Goro Tatsumi was by the river when Raidou popped into Dark Mannen-Cho. He saw her as soon as she arrived.
"Y-You…!" He stood back. "You're that student. What're you doing here…?"
"That buttery voice…!" Gouto hissed. "That sickly sweet tone…just thinking of it makes my fur stand up—Goro Tatsumi!"
"Indeed," said Raidou, drawing her sword. "Tatsumi, you will return with us to the Capital."
Goro Tatsumi laughed and shook his head. "Today's just not your day… Y'see, eventually, this whole place will be—nah, it already is my kingdom. And a king is free to walk freely throughout his kingdom without being pestered, kid!"
"Free to walk freely?" Gouto scoffed. "This guy is low class."
Raidou lowered her sword. "No one can rule over the Dark Realm. It is only an in between world, a barrier within a barrier. Decades from now, it will be lost to hordes of demons. You are delusional."
"Wh-What?" Tatsumi waved his hands as if batting her words away. "I'll show you delusional!"
A horde of Frost order Preta flanked Tatsumi on every side, their stomachs hanging low and their eyes white with a different gleam.
"Ah, see?" Tatsumi cackled. "Whenever I need 'em, they always come to my side! Anyone who tries to stand against me in my kingdom gets fed to the Pretas! I mean, the Preta Forms!"
"Is Tatsumi saying he brought these 'Preta Forms' together with his luck?" asked Gouto.
"I don't know," replied Raidou, "but there is something odd about the glow of their eyes. And they are quiet; still. Most Pretas fill the air with incessant laughter."
"You're right. Do you think…"
"This's what you get for following me around, kid! Preta Forms! Get 'er!" Tatsumi shouted, then turned around and disappeared behind the houses.
"Tatsumi's getting away," Gouto pointed out.
"I will make short work of them, not to worry," said Raidou, and intended to keep her promise. She pulled out her gun and stunned each Preta before immobilizing them with a slash at their legs. Their magnetite followed her and Gouto as they gave Tatsumi chase.
"There is a Fiend hunting you," Raidou called out. "Return to the human world or face its full wrath here!"
"No way! I can take on anything in my kingdom!" Tatsumi took a sharp turn that sent Gouto sliding on his paws. "First the Kanto Haguro-gumi, and now you! Mannen-Cho's overcrowded with peasants! Go home before I lose my patience with you!"
Gouto snarled as he caught up with Raidou again. "Using banana peels was one thing, but calling out demons? This guy's lucky streak isn't funny anymore. After him! We have to ask him about Dahn, and we can't leave demonic powers in the hands of one lucky schmuck!"
Tatsumi stopped to catch his breath at the clearing with the well. Leaning against his knees, he grinned at Raidou. "H…Hah! So stubborn," he breathed, "I'll admit, I'm honored you're so obsessed with me…but it's useless, kid." Half a dozen more demons circled him. "I've got the Preta Forms on my side!"
"How does a gambler like you gain such awesome powers?" asked Raidou, feigning wonder. Under her cape, she began to reload her revolver. "Is it really just your luck?"
"Since you're such a fan, I'll tell you," said Tatsumi, true to Louis' description of his arrogance. "I've drained the people of Mannen Cho's luck, and now they serve me as my Preta Forms! All the ones getting 'spirited away'…that's the measure of my power!"
"So Osamu and the rest of the gamblers and the Kanto Haguro-gumi who've disappeared are the Preta Forms!" Gouto realized, though he had already suspected it. "The only way to release them is to defeat Tatsumi!"
"But that would mean killing him," Raidou murmured. "Or asking him to lift his spell nicely."
"What are you mumbling to yourself?" Tatsumi frowned. "I'm still talking here! You see, anyone who irritates me… the regulars at the gambling parlor, the Kanto Haguro-gumi…all of them! I drained their luck and sent them to the Dark Realm! Now the Preta Forms are my obedient minions, and I'm their king!"
"Strange twist of fate that it all turned out to be Tatsumi," Gouto said. "We have to make him listen to reason, though I doubt a mooncalf like him would understand…"
"And now," Tatsumi continued, calming down a little before running off again. "it's time to say farewell, for good. Get her, Preta Forms!"
"Immobilize them like you did earlier," Gouto said to his descendant. "Remember, you can't kill them. They're humans!"
"I did considerable damage to the Preta Forms by the river; do you think they'll sustain those wounds in human form if we're able to release them from their demon forms?" asked Raidou, watching the Preta forms preparing to rush at her.
"We'll have to find a way to rescue them before we worry about that," Gouto replied. "For now, just do as you did and keep them alive."
Raidou raised her gun and shot each Preta Form that neared her. There was only one left, and he was holding his arms over his head cowardly. "Wait, wait!" he cried, holding his arms out defensively.
Gouto quirked an eyebrow.
The Preta glanced up when he could no longer hear gunshots. "Do you…have food on you? You smell gooooooooood. I eat, and I eat, and still I hunger," he explained, his yellow earrings jingling. "Do you have any food? Food for me…? Maybe you don't care if a stranger like me starves! You don't care if I go hungry, do you?" he gasped.
The Preta kind were always so bold. It was fun to pick demons' minds sometimes, understand why they were. But this wasn't the time, and this wasn't even truly a demon. Perhaps giving him what he desired would make him disappear faster, without having to kill him. Raidou reached into her pocket and tossed the handkerchief to the Preta. "For your silence, a croquette."
"Oh…!" the Preta stared at the croquette before holding it to his cheek. "Is this a croquette? I love these! How lucky! I…I remember sharing these…with my son…" he stared up at the summoner with a furrow of his brow ridges, an action completely unknown to a Preta. "Huh? My son…? Did I just say something about my son?"
Gouto and Raidou exchanged glances. "Osamu?"
I know it's totally out of character for Narumi to come along on investigations, but I thought it would be more interesting with the boss around. It was fun thinking of his reaction to a Nezha, too.
Next chapter quote sneak peek time!
"You! Foooooouuuuuund yooouuu!"
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