Chapter 62 Wei versus Kouga: Final Round

Behind the service counter, Wei opened the door to the dimly lit employee only area of the gambling parlor where, conveniently, a shelf of video monitors with a self-explanatory user interface immediately presented itself. A file cabinet marked for keeping track of financial records and a few personal trinkets such as family pictures and a pair of baoding balls were also present.

Pressing the rewind button on the digital recorder, Wei waited as the time stamp reversed itself to reveal the past. The interior cameras revealed various Japanese getting their money fleeced from them, drinking themselves under the table, shooting up with heroin somewhere on the premises, and engaging in various sexual acts with prostitutes in private rooms.

A Yakuza operation no doubt, Wei concluded, as the light from the screens painted his face a ghostly green. Wei actually had a certain amount of fondness for the Yakuza he had met in Nanking. Or their tattoos at any rate. I should collect some more of their skins sometime.

While the interior cameras might make for entertaining viewing of Japanese vices, Wei had other priorities. Locating the screens with an exterior view, he waited patiently.

The images flickered by and it appeared that several hours had passed since the city had been cleared. At the 2:30 pm mark, the recording began to look distorted and light seemed to be filling the screen. Wei didn't pause it there, but went further back by a few minutes to before the disturbance.


Kouga scented the air, trying to locate his prey. In his zeal, Kouga had flung the lower pieces of Wei a considerable distance and that had made his search somewhat difficult. He did not berate himself though. Self-recrimination was not part of his nature. Whatever feelings of frustration Kouga had would be taken out on his prey.


After reviewing the crucial minutes of the tape three times, Wei could safely say he had no idea what the hell was going on. The tape proceeded normally up to 2:27 pm, at which point the mystery began to take shape. The image on the monitor became wavy, as though reality suddenly began to melt. It was no optical illusion on the monitor either, judging from the terrified expressions of the Exxon's patrons. They stood stock still, trying to make sense of the suddenly contorting reality. Several of them began looking around for a safe direction to retreat, but whatever it was surrounded them on all sides.

Light from an unseen source or perhaps from everywhere began to fill the screen, blotting out everything else. When the light waned enough to where Wei could see the scene again, all the Japanese were gone.

Wei turned his attention to another camera, which had a semi-descent view of the street. Cars were still present on the street and were in fact idling, judging from the vibrations of the vehicle frames. Suddenly and without any visible cause, the vehicles shut off as one. The next moment all the cars lifted off the ground simultaneously and shot up out of view.

Wei did his best to remain calm.


Kouga knew his prey was near. The scene was obscured by other powerful smells though. The sweet smell of antifreeze, the tempting smell of discarded food, the heavy smell of methane dominating all others. Nostrils flared and inhaled rich scents that set the primitive mind ablaze with distraction and caused him to drool. Determinedly though, he sorted the scents out and sought the one belonging to his prey.


Wei had become aware of the presence of his hunter through the security feeds. He considered his situation carefully as the beast stepped onto the gas station's tarmac, apparently still scenting for him. Although not fully recovered, Wei was better prepared to fight and normally would have gained great satisfaction from killing the wolf youkai, except now Kouga was only an irritant and a distraction from something much larger, which could pose a threat to his home.

"Can't be helped," Wei said to no one in particular as he started for the exit. "Might as well get this over with."

A thought occurred to him though and caused him to pause. Although Japan was generally considered to be a low crime country, the Yakuza were well known for smuggling in guns from America through Guam and an establishment like this was likely to have some around. The proprietor was likely a mid-level manager for the regional boss and might have seen fit to arm himself. Kneeling beneath the service counter, Wei spied what he hoped for.


Outside, Wei's movements had not gone unnoticed. Kouga spotted Wei as his head bobbed under the counter and came up again. Animal bloodlust ignited his veins and raced through his heart.


Wei felt more than he heard the low savage growl of his enemy as it charged forward with claws outstretched in anticipation of having to bash through the metal and glass doors to get to him. However, the automatic doors reacted just fast enough to slide apart for admittance, leaving the beast off balance as it plunged through.

Wei actually laughed at the expression of shock and concern written on the canine features as he leveled his weapon and opened fire.

The sound of thunder filled the air as the newly acquired Glock spent its fury and spat round after round into Kouga's pelt, turning it slick and black.

It wasn't enough.

Even as Wei fired rounds six and seven, his target exploded into motion. Leaping over an aisle of slot machines and then into a drink serving area, the hairy beast took temporary and improbable refuge behind a squat blue and white slurpee machine. A metal groan filled the air and a second later the cheery snowman icon fell to the ground as the machine was lifted from its base and hurled at Wei with a roar of pain and defiance. Not wanting the recordings in the next room damaged, Wei jumped on the counter and pulling a pivot on his right hand, landed a kick in the center of the snowman logo causing it to collapse inwards and the structure of the metal to deform in a U-shape around Wei's leg. Freezing coke and strawberry ice coated Wei in a syrupy mess as the contents of the machine sprayed out.

Wei was not particularly surprised as he caught sight of a brown blur and a glint of claws on his side reaching for him. The pistol thundered once more, but the brown and pink slush cascades made it difficult to tell if he had scored a hit. Regardless of whether he had or not, the beast certainly did not retreat.

A blur of fractured images filled the seconds between the fall of 600 pounds of metal, plastic, and icy slush to the ground and Kouga's attack.

Jaws white and gleaming entered Wei's view.

The pistol swung around and centered its aim on the canine skull.

A flinch and a twist.

Thunder filled the air.

A spray of red.

The jarring crash of the slurpee maker against the ground almost drowned out the sound of Wei ripping the service counter off, as time renewed its normal flow and Wei rammed Kouga through the automatic doors with it. The hit Wei had scored off of the youkai prince was only a glancing blow to the side of the skull that left him dazed, but provided enough time for Wei to smash him against the side of a Honda civic parked outside. The vehicle rocked back and its side caved in under the pressure, as Wei pressed forward.

Kouga was not helpless though and recovered speedily. His claws ripped the countertop apart, sending its wood and fiberglass components spraying out. It proved to be a poor choice of actions though, as Wei was unintentionally gifted with two dagger-like shards of wood which were immediately plunged into the abdomen of his adversary.

Claws swiped furiously at him in response, but it was clear to Wei that the wounds inflicted and the resulting blood loss were taking their toll as he dodged aside. Ripping the driver side door off the Civic, Wei proceeded to smash in the canine features of his stalker. Blow after blow rained down on the beast and blood splattered over Wei's face, covering the syrup from earlier. Without knowing when he had picked it up, Wei found himself holding the twisted remains of the Civic above him, trying to bring it down in a crushing blow on his enemy, but unable to do so.

An invisible force was holding it in place above him.