The next day was one Botan was anticipating. Sure, Alder seemed to be having a lot going on that he wasn't being honest about, but he seemed genuine in wanting to help Botan. Doing this with someone else was going to be far more enjoyable and fruitful anyway. He'd also be able to ask the type of simple questions that a stranger would judge Botan for not knowing about this world. He went to meet Alder at the appointed spot a little ahead of schedule, but was stopped by a few guards. It was the same ones that had been worried about Botan the day prior.

"Ah, Evergreen. I'm glad we caught you. Prince Raucar wanted to see you as soon as possible."

"Huh, he just returned from a long trip late last night and he's already up? …Or had yet to sleep. Either way, he's taking time to talk to me when his father will die soon. I should respect that." Botan thought for a moment.

"Understood. I'll go there immediately." Botan replied, turning to follow the guard.

Before long Botan was brought to the throne room. The room seemed brighter than the last time he had entered the room. That made sense considering the room was empty before. With the light to reveal more of the room to him, Botan's opinion of the castle improved quite a bit. He'd never noticed how polished the stone walls were. That they were made from many different colored rocks to make artwork within the walls themselves. That the ceiling of the room was twice as high as he thought it would be, explaining the odd chilling breeze he was feeling.

There was a young man sitting in a chair in front of the throne. He had a dozen knights lining the walls on either side of him. Botan could tell this was the prince, his hair was as dark as the king's.

"He isn't sitting on the throne that's right behind him? I guess it's because he isn't the king. Hmm. Well, whether out of respect for his father or respect for the law, those small things really matter. That's commendable." Botan thought as he saw the arrangement of the room and the people in it.

"This is the Evergreen, Botan Nakaya." The guard that guided Botan to the room announced.

The man stood to greet him. He was a bit taller than himself, and had broader shoulders. The weird thing to Botan was that even though the prince was tall, he wore boots and gloves that still seemed too big for him. The most noticeable part of his wardrobe was that he wore a large monster's pelt at his back. It made him look intimidating, or at least that was probably the intent of such a large fashion statement. The prince had pitch black hair and yellow eyes, same as his father.

The man moved forward, positioning himself just before the stairs, offering a hand to Botan. He instinctively took his hand and shook it in greeting the prince, their positions placed Botan much lower than the prince.

"Those clothes don't really fit him well… And they seem to be far too flashy. It's like he's trying to telegraph that he's tough. But I learned in my previous world that confidence is quiet… Maybe it's because he's about to become king?" Botan thought after eyeing the prince.

"It's good to have met you, Evergreen. I am the crowned prince of Mosden, Raucar Mosden. I only heard of the successful summoning when I returned home last night. I'm sorry I could not speak with you earlier." The man spoke strongly, straining his voice.

Botan again felt like something was going on that he knew little about, but tried just being straightforward with the prince.

"It's fine. Tia and the others said you were attending some super important meeting at the time. The one that decided to summon me when the hourglasses began counting down." Botan did his best waving away those concerns.

He noticed the prince flinching at Tia's name for some reason. His teeth clearly clinched and he drew in a low quick breath as her name was said.

"Speaking of… how much time do we have?" The prince asked, concern and anxiety poorly hid behind a tough demeanor.

Botan looked at the countdown briefly. "Just over 15 days." He replied.

The prince brought a hand to his chin, clearly worried. "We'll need to prioritize helping your growth to ensure your success in defending Mosden from the wave of catastrophe. I'm sorry we've not yet provided you with any allies or training. I understand that it must be frustrating. That changes immediately. I will personally select the 5 best fighters in Mosden and do everything in my power to provide you with whatever you need." The prince told Botan, trying to sound thoughtful.

He thought the prince was worried, so he tried putting him at ease. "Things haven't been that bad… and even then, you don't need to worry about me running off to another country until after the wave."

The prince grimaced. "As I said, I know your stay here hasn't been the best so far but-"

"Don't misunderstand. Even once I leave, I plan to return. It's just that I need to register to their hourglasses and gather unique resources from them as well. As I told your father, Mosden saved my life by summoning me. So I'll help however I can." Botan interrupted with clarification.

The prince quieted a moment. His father had mentioned something to that effect, but didn't know how much stock to put in that, given they hadn't provided him any help outside of some coin.

"I see… Forgive me then. Would you be willing to make due with three party members?" The prince asked. "We need every hand we can right now." He added.

"Two more party members would be great. Would these two extra party members be ready soon? We were hoping to leave on an excursion as soon as this meeting is over."

"Two? We?" The prince seemed lost.

"...uh, what?" Botan stood there for a moment, confused, before clarifying. "Oh, I thought Alder was included in the three offered."

The prince's fists tightened. "...Why would he?" He asked.

"Huh? Because he joined my party last night and he said he was given leave and wanted to help me with his time off." Botan told him, confused.

The prince wanted to laugh. "Huh, leave. I see. Instead of Alder, I'll get the five best fighters we hav-"

"You just said, you'd prefer to give me three. Why raise it back to five? So that I won't party with Alder?" Botan asked.

"...Yes." Raucar eventually answered, knowing he had revealed too much.

"Why?" Botan asked further, curious about the unexpected prejudice towards Alder. The prince didn't respond simply choosing to stare at him, mouth unmoving.

"..." The two stayed in silence. After about 10 seconds, Botan sighed.

He shifted on his feet, getting ready to move. He wasn't going to waste his time waiting for answers all day. "If you can't answer that, then when could the three other party members join us?"

"They could join as early as midday." The prince answered, eager for the change in subject.

"Too late. Alder said the trip we have planned should only take two days, but that we'd make it four to explore some nearby areas."

"...Why would you prefer Alder over 5 of Mosden's greatest?" The prince asked with a bit of temper to his voice.

"Oh, he's getting mad. Time to backtrack!'" Botan became a little more aware of himself.

"Well, no offense, but I assume the 5 greatest fighters in Mosden are all members of the Ivory Company. I learned how they leave you with few talented options. Plus, Tia is worried about Alder, so I want him to come along. And lastly, Alder is supposed to be a great dancer and I need training." Botan listed his reasons, trying to keep an even and friendly tone as to not let his nervousness show.

"Please rethink the Ivory Company." The prince's face went to pure worry, a stark contrast from the way the prince had presented himself up until now. There was a real panic in his eyes, if for but a moment.

"I'm not considering the Ivory Company at all. I've made up my mind to help Mosden after speaking to Tia and the king, the day I arrived. I'm just pointing it out. I've read their contract… not a fan.." Botan clarified.

"I see." The prince sighed. "You are a frustrating one." He said with more honesty than he had up until now.

"Huh?" Botan was caught off guard.

"I'd thought that I'd have to offer you everything to not get sucked in by the Ivory company, yet you already refuse them. Yet you deny my offers, while still promising to help Mosden. All while partying with that b-… with Alder." The prince corrected himself.

"..." Botan gave him a look and said nothing.

"Sorry. Father is dying and I'm expected to fill his shoes. Yet I read you and the situation completely wrong. Even being denied by you several times in the course of only a few minutes… It's frustrating to see how poorly I measure up right now." The prince admitted, letting the mask slip some.

Seeing this, Botan felt more comfortable. "I guess I'm not acting in a typical manner. Sorry about that. Anything else?" Botan half turned.

"No."

Botan went to leave, but stopped a moment."...How's the king doing?" He asked.

The prince's face changed to a half-grief stricken, half-anger filled smile, his eyes radiating sadness and worry."He's worse than when I left… I don't think he'll last another month." All the guards in the room seemed to be saddened at that news, faltering in their stances.

"When I return, I'd like to speak with him again, if possible." Botan requested.

"Of course… but he won't be of much help." The prince replied.

"I know, but if I can make major changes and if the king is as well-suited a ruler as people say, he might have some guidance for me. Something I'd hate to miss out on." Botan illuminated.

The prince thought for a moment. "Of course. I can't force him to wake, but I'll inform you when he's next able to speak once you return."

"Thanks, Raucar." The flower hero said with a wave, turning to leave.

Once the doors were closed, Baobab walked out from a side room with a smug smile plastered on his face. "This was what I was telling you, prince. The Evergreen seems very reliable, if a bit too sentimental." He commented.

Without Botan there, the prince was now shaking with rage, all semblances of his mask having been erased. "That sneaky bastard. How quickly he acts. I finally throw his ass out of the castle and he manages to worm his way into the Evergreen's party in mere hours!?" The prince threw his chair violently.

The castle staff stared, uninterested. This didn't seem to be all that surprising to them.

Baobab was unfazed by the anger he was witnessing. "Consider the upsides. Alder is an excellent dancer and has a keen mind. He'll be of help to the Evergreen." He pointed out, a calming smile still firmly on his face.

Would the prince consider this?

"Don't compliment that bastard… How did Alder party with him so quickly? This must be a plot of his. He might have been planning this the whole time." The prince's irritation quickly shifted to inquiring.

Baobab replied promptly, and kindly. "Please consider the ration answers before the irrational. Alder likely returned to his home right after what you did last night. Tia has been giving dancing lessons to the Evergreen. So they likely just met there." Baobab stated.

Raucar looked more angry now, but did what he could to control his temper. "Why have you allowed the Evergreen to meet with Tia regularly?" He asked, barely managing to not shout.

A knight had picked the prince's chair up and placed it softly back where it was before, just in front of the throne.

Baobab nodded to the knight in acknowledgement before responding. "Because she's the best dancer in Mosden, and as a point of correction to young Botan's earlier remark, she's very easily within the 5 strongest of our modest kingdom." Baobab responded.

Baobab was attentive and wore a smile on his face, but it was clear by his unfocused eyes that he had no interest in this conversation.

"Stop pouring praise on that whore." The prince spat.

"No." Baobab said with the same even and ever patient tone he'd been using.

"Excuse me?" The prince was livid, his rage increasing by the minute, evident by his shaking fist which were clenched tight enough for Baobab to see the veins in them.

"I said 'no'. She's a major asset to Mosden and fiercely loyal. That goes for your… for her son as well. And frankly speaking, I don't appreciate the manner you are speaking about my colleague and comrade." Baobab added.

"I'm your next king! Do you delight in pissing me off!?" Raucar accused in anger.

Baobab's smile fell in one clean motion. In an instant it was one of disgust. "Of course not. Nothing about you has been delightful in months." The remark immediately caused the prince's rage to pause for a split second, being replaced by one of shock, followed by sadness. Not willing to watch the prince act like a drunkard, he left the room before Raucar could respond.

Botan lacked enough information to know what the hell was going on around him. That wasn't exactly new. He'd been bumbling his way around an entirely different world for days, but this wasn't just about a lack of information. Botan was out of his depth. He didn't understand the the weird political stuff. If he had to explain it… It felt different than with the Ivory Company. He wasn't entirely at the center of whatever political mess was going on here, unlike everyone trying to get him on their side. In that situation, he was a prize others were fighting over. That wasn't a great feeling, but it meant he had some control of the situation.

This though? It wasn't about him. It was about Alder, and Tia… and the this meant he couldn't really get what was going on or have any real ability to change things, this gave him the enviable position of being able to just ignore it. And there was a strong urge to abuse that privilege, if only to escape this confusion.

Soon after leaving the castle he got his supplies and headed to the northern gate. When he arrived, Alder was waiting for him. His eye seemed to have no signs of the injury from last night. Upon seeing Botan approach, he waved at him. Botan waved to greet his new party member in return. "Sorry about leaving so early." He spoke first.

"Don't worry about it. It's a smart decision. It'll take us most of the day to get there if we are stopping to fight monsters and such. Best to leave now. The Mosden wilderness at night is not something I'd feel comfortable with you dealing with at this point." Alder answered.

That made it sound like Alder himself would be fine. Botan didn't like the idea of having someone that was a higher level than him babysitting him. He'd gain levels quickly, but his ability to actually fight left much to be desired yet. He decided to just say as much.

"You may find it easy to handle yourself, but try not to overindulge me. My pride is still wounded from those damned beetles beating my ass. Without skills, I'm still very below average. I need to improve." He told Alder as they passed out of the city gates, heading north.

Alder seemed amused. "I'd like to think I'll be as thorough a teacher as my mother. I won't baby you. Though, if you did pass the second test, fighting should get easier." Alder assured him.

"Why is that?" Botan asked automatically.

Alder then went on to explain what he should do next instead of trying to pass test three. He explained that just as one would be able to start off the path of the spin to reach the branch of a magic infused kick, like Botan had the night before, there were numerous forks in the road for that path. More importantly, there were other paths. Other starting positions, of which Alder said there were more than three dozens options for humans in this world, with most people being able to use about half of the human options, restricted by size. However, many people do not learn more than three. Alder himself had a fair bit of mastery over a dozen.

As for why that'd make fighting easier, "It's like this, As you learn to sense the correct movements and read the way you should move, you can begin to rely on it to guide you through a fight in some ways. It's not a clear guide, more like showing vague suggestions, but my mother believes that following those paths is among the best teachers you could find." Alder explained.

"Huh. 'Among the best'? So she still believes that some teachers would prove equally useful?" Botan asked, his hands now comfortably behind his head as the two young men slipped into an easy walking pace.

Alder found himself also relaxing, his brain easing into the two things that were important right now, the conversation and the road. "I mean, I told you shape matters, right? Well, if you're holding a weapon, your shape is different." Alder began.

Botan turned to face Alder with an exaggerated blink, having not considered that.

Upon seeing the change in him, Alder continued. "Yeah. There are different paths gained and lost when you are holding a weapon. And yes, the type of weapon matters."

Botan thought a moment before asking a few more questions and Alder did his best to answer them. What did this conversation boil down to?

Did all swords have the same options? Mostly, but larger, longer, and curved swords had their own slight differences.

What about spears and staves? Polearms mostly shared the same options, with the added benefit of having the greatest number of added options of any weapon.

Then Botan asked a question that Alder wanted to demonstrate instead of just explain.

"So what about elemental magic? Fireballs and lightning bolts, and that kind of thing? That's like the most basic magic, right?" Botan asked.

Alder stopped. "No. Elemental magic is considered intermediate in terms of complexity. Other than dancers, people do not tend to graduate from that point. When we get into a fight, I will show you what to expect." He voiced calm, and confident.

Botan noticed the immediate shift in tone of his companion. Alder seemed worried in his first meeting, and very upset last night. Away from the city, just speaking about dancing, the young man seemed very confident and comfortable. Botan initially thought that Alder's personality wouldn't mesh well with his own. He was glad he was wrong, as Alder was proving more and more reliable as time passed.

After a few more minutes, they saw a monster. One that Botan knew well, the [Psuedo-pede]. This one seemed far stronger than the one he fought before. The Beetles were individually larger, but more importantly, the number of beetles was just over 10. That made it more than twice the size as the last one.

Alder took a step forward. "Let me show you an elemental spell, yeah?"

Botan crossed his arms. "Alright, tough guy. You just want to show off?"

"Hey, hey. This is educational." Alder argued.

Botan went to say something else, but Alder's expression changed. He lowered himself about a foot with his knees bent, then slid back just a bit.

[Backdraft] Alder said in an even tone, a small ring of embers began to form at his feet.

Botan wished there was something more. "That's not much of a spell-"

Alder then slid his feet forward again, touching the edge of the formed ring with his shoe as he thrust his right arm forward in an open palm. His left arm maintained a grip on his right arm, holding it steady.

[Launching Palm]! The embers died around Alder as all the heat, smoke and light focused into Alder's palm then shot outward. Firing off a ball of fiery energy that quickly reached its destination. It killed the first monster on impact, then exploded, dealing with three more.

In less than three seconds, Alder had finished off four foes.

That got Botan thinking. "I was worried that magic being triggered by motions meant that they'd be slow, but…"

"Damn. Way to sell me on the idea. My turn." Botan was now more excited to try.

"Wait, what?" That caught Alder off guard.

"My turn. You gotta shoot a spell. I want to try." Botan insisted.

"Heh. The first spell was intermediate and it's a two spell process." Alder said, not seeing how Botan could possibly cast the spell this soon.

"Just watch." Botan bent down, as Alder did.

Botan paused. He felt it, this was one of the starting paths he was told about. He could try to repeat what Alder did, reading the paths to make sure he did so, but… He felt something else. He felt a different path that felt more… right for him. Instead of sliding back and dragging the ground aggressively, like Alder did, Botan shifted his weight, gliding back gracefully, almost as if his feet were just not touching the ground.

[Updraft] Botan said, not knowing how he knew to call it that.

A small circle of wind swirled around him, just as the embers did with Alder. Alder was beside himself seeing Botan cast a spell for the first time. Unfortunately, they were both too focused on the spell, and not the target. The group of monsters had moved closer and reached out grabbing Botan by the head with its vice-like pincers.

Alder thought the creature was going to crush Botan's head like a grape and went to act, but-

"Dammit. Took too long." Botan complained casually as the monster tossed him to the ground. Botan sighed and picked himself up, dusting himself off. "Welp. It took too long. Maybe next time?" He said, still casual.

Alder just stared at him a moment with a blank silly face for a moment. "What the hell was that?" He eventually managed to ask.

"Oh, I guess I'm more naturally inclined to wind?" Botan questioned it himself.

"Not that! How are you alive!? It grabbed you by the skull!" Alder was clearly flustered.

"Dude, I told you. They just toss you on the ground." Botan told him matter-of-factly.

"Dude. No they do not." Alder replied in a mocking version of Botan's matter-of-factly tone.

Botan adopted the same blank silly expression as Alder before holding his arms out and jumping at the monster without fear. "Observe."

"No! Stop that! You could… could…" Alder stopped himself watching as the disappointment mounted.

Botan was caught by those same violent pincers, then thrown to the ground unceremoniously yet again.

"Told you." Was all Botan said.

"That… That doesn't make any sense?" Alder's brain had stopped working.

"But you saw it, twice." Botan pointed out the obvious.

Alder tried arguing. "Yes, but-"

"Make it thrice." Botan jumped at the monster again. And again was tossed to the ground.

"...I…I don't know what to believe anymore." Alder said in a tired tone.

"When was the last time you fought these things yourself? They just toss you bro." Botan was sure he was right.

Alder thought for a moment and stepped forward. He went to raise his arms, but stopped and jumped away. The monster snapped to attention and attempted to impale Alder with its pincers in a quick efficient manner it hadn't done until now.

[Spin]! Botan saw this and came in to strike the second from the lead body, killing it. The front one fell, but before the remaining body could pick it up, Alder came down with a magic infused stomp. Killing the bug in a most appropriate manner.

"See? That's how this monster normally acts." Alder said in a complaining tone. Though it was more annoyance in actually trying what Botan said.

Botan rubbed his head in embarrassment. "Yeah, sorry. I guess they are taking it easy on me."

Alder let it go. "It's fine. I'll distract it, you try that spell again."

"Shouldn't we just finish it off?" Botan asked.

Alder was already walking back towards the monster. "No. You need to learn to cast faster if you're going to want to use spells in real scenarios." Alder explained.

"Fine, fine. One wind blast coming right up." Botan said casually.

As Alder engaged the five remaining beetles, Botan readied himself again. He'd finish the spell this time, and do it faster. He took the lowered stand and glided backwards, setting up the whirlwind.

[Updraft] he said as he finished.

"Now…" Botan gilded forward a bit, doing his best to both mimic Alder as well as read the path of movement he needed to take. [Launching Pa-] Botan must have done something wrong, because the wind he gathered escaped in all directions, throwing him into the air a few feet and falling on his ass.

A moment later, Alder walked over. "I dealt with them…"

"That right…?" Botan laid there, embarrassed.

"Yup…" Alder stood there, staring down at him,

"..." A moment of uncomfortable silence passed.

"Don't be so sour. I'd feel far less proud of my own achievements as a dancer if you mastered chaining spells this quickly. You'll get it, sooner than most." Alder finished offering a hand.

Botan took it and was pulled back to his feet. "Yeah, I get it. I gotta work for it. I just hate being thrown on my ass." Botan replied.

"If so, why'd you gleefully let those monsters toss you? Three times?" Alder asked, a small smirk forming.

Botan pat the dirt off of him while replying. "There are fewer joys in life than being proven right in real time. Okay?"

"Heh, agreed." Alder answered.

From there, Botan absorbed the monsters. He had absorbed these monsters before, but now that he knew that absorbing dissected parts meant he'd unlock new forms. He explained this to Alder.

[Companion Beetle Pincer Flower unlocked]

[Companion Beetle Carapace Flower unlocked]

"Nice."

He then checked if the carapace he just absorbed could be used to help bloom his [Grass Blade], but no.

[Cultivation Menu]

[Subject: Grass Blade]

[Necessary material for Cultivation are as followed]

[10 different types of grass] [2 completed]

[5 whetstones]

[3 different monster carapaces] [1 completed]

He'd need more different bugs to complete that. More importantly. "While we travel, I need samples of different grasses. And I need five whetstones." He told Alder.

Botan didn't know anything about plants. Sad to say as the holy flower hero. He couldn't really tell the difference between types of grass, but Alder could.

Over the course of the next 10 hours they fought well over a dozen monster encounters. Botan dissected and absorbed them all, happy that a few had some of that [Malmetal] he was searching for. He unlocked many new forms, which was always nice. Though, none of them were that great.

In that time, Alder managed to identify 5 more types of grass for Botan to absorb. They found the whetstones when they stopped at a section of the road that went over a small creek, something rare with Mosden's geography.

Botan was very grateful for Alder. Not for the help locating items, or even the extra help in battle. He was grateful for not being alone. Botan was the type of person quick to ask a question, while Alder was the type of person that made it his business to know answers. Probably from his training to be an advisor. Either way, it meant there was very little dead air between the pair. They were talking the whole way, which they both preferred.

They had been walking uphill for a fair bit, following the road down a valley and now over the opposing hill. The environment had been very pleasant. Unlike the swamps, rainforests, and other wild areas, he was now experiencing rolling hills of most open fields. This was probably the nicest area in Mosden. Which meant more humans, which in turn meant less monsters. This area was also probably safe for Botan to travel alone, not that he'd need to.

They crested the hill and could now see the village. Botan was expecting a huge wall around them to keep monsters out, but that wasn't the case. The village had a lot of farm land, which was probably why it couldn't be walled in. The village and farms were surrounded by a trench no deeper than two feet with a very short wall atop it. Botan almost didn't see the point, even small kids could climb that.

"But maybe it's not meant to stop monsters. Maybe it's meant to tell them to fuck off? Or at least slow them down if they enter the town." Botan thought.

He saw two wooden lookout stanchions and a stone tower. Even from this distance he could see an archer at each location. So the trench was probably meant to help them line up a shot.

The last thing he noticed was the biggest, as well as the reason they were there. The monster range. A large fenced in field with several cool looking monsters sprinkled in around there. Botan couldn't wait to see what kind of monsters a monster expert would choose to raise.

.

Churri Nakaya, The Tokyo Exorcist

.

It had been a few weeks since her brother was stolen from her and Churri went to war with a force beyond her understanding. The first battle was finally over. The victory, hers. She'd destroyed every single moving truck without a driver in all of Tokyo. Completely trouncing some sort of alien or ghost… or alien ghost, should have been enough of an accomplishment on its own. However, her victories cause yet more victories.

Churri sat in a room holding a strange baseball bat. One made of special wood, tied with a Shimenawa sacred rope near the handle. The bat had two kanji burned into it.

殺悪

Which meant 'Kill Evil'.

She was drawn from her thoughts by a man running down the hallway to the room she was staying in.

"Oi, Boss. Those guys are back again. They're mad about us going into their turf in Ikebukuro." The man said as he opened the door.

This man was part of a gang. Her gang. After seeing just how powerful she was, the local gangs recruited her. They'd do anything to get a powerhouse like her on their side. She demanded to be their leader and to use them to track down supernatural happenings around Tokyo.

They laughed at her. All of the leadership of that gang was now working under her, or in the hospital. When police asked what did this to them, the men simply responded. "We got hit by a truck." Which wasn't entirely wrong, considering her weapon at the time was a truck bumper.

She sighed heavily and looked up to the man. The man was 26 years old and well built, a mean looking scar across his face. Yet, he didn't look that tough right now. "I told them I was following a lead based on the famous ghost stories in that area. What don't they understand?"

"Um, well… They said you were…" The man hesitated.

"Spit it out." She said, annoyed

"They said you were full of shit and looking to invade them soon. Listen, there are 20 men outside and some of them have been to jail. So maybe if you explain to them tha-"

She stood up and threw the bat comfortably over her shoulder. "You don't need 20 guys to send a message." She said, leading them man out of the room and outside their hideout

Sure enough, her much weaker thugs were practically cowering at the men before them. They were tough, real tough. They had plenty of scars, but theirs were from real fights. They had well built bodies, expensive clothes, and tattoos all over.

Churri walked up to them in a huff, not intimidated at all. "I just got this place cleaned up and you make my men piss themselves. How am I supposed to run a respectable establishment like this?"

The men found her tough act pretty damned entertaining. A few men couldn't hold in their laughter. The one representing them wasn't the laughing sort though. "Oi. Don't talk to me like that, you little bitch. Shouldn't you be in school? Keep this shit up and you'll end up one of the girls we rent on the weekends when you're older." The man warned.

Churri had a vein going now. The man was a genius at pissing her off. Something caught her eye however, so she changed tactics.

"Ah. I misunderstood you. So you are a customer? That's great! We have plenty of supplies, fresh in. Would you like to start right now?" She asked with a smile.

The man was understandably confused. He looked up at the building she exited. It was a small, rundown, old shop. The only thing somewhat updated on it was a sign.

The sign read. "Exorcist Shop. Owner: Churri Nakaya."

The man surprised even his own men with a small laugh, something he never does. Now they were worried.

"Let me ask, why would you think I'd need an exorcist? Because I'm about to unleash a demon?" The man threatened.

Churri smiled and pointed to the tattoo he had on his left arm. "That's a Yokai, right? And not some friendly one either. I can't think of any other reason for a man with the imagery of a yokai to approach an exorcist." She answered smugly.

It was now his turn to pop a vein in anger. "You talk'n shit about my tat!?" The man took a swing.

Churri met his fist with her own. She had just broken two of his fingers and dislocated his shoulder. He staggered back before ultimately falling off the sidewalk into the street.

"Shit!" He screamed out.

"Sorry. Your other arm is the one with the problem." Churri told him, pulling back her bat.

"W-Wait!" The man pleaded.

Churri swung the bat down, breaking the man's arm in several places.

"Banish, evil spirit!" She yelled.

He screamed out in pain, but she ignored them just as she ignored his earlier plea. She hit his arm, again and again. The other tough looking men there were now confused how some little girl had just beat the brakes off of their boss so easily. Some were in shock, some couldn't believe what was happening, and some thought he was joking and was about to get up. All stood there and watched.

After the 8th swing, his bone was sticking out in a few places. It made a few people sick. Churri then pulled out a small bag. "Here. I'll now exorcise that yokai for you." She pulled a fist full of salt out of the bag and poured it on the man's open wounds.

The screams got too loud, a few of his men snapped out of it and ran to stop her.

"Stop!" the first yelled

"Leave the boss alone!" Another screamed.

Churri then surprised them all. "You want more than the bat?" Churri dropped the bat and grabbed the streetlight next to her.

"...You're fucking joking…" One said in disbelief.

She tore the streetlight out of the ground and swung it at the approaching men. They were thrown into the building across the street. More of Churri's strength was revealed, the boss and the remaining men lost the will to fight.

"W-What the hell are you!?" The boss screamed.

She turned back towards the downed man, sparks from the torn streetlight caused lights and shadow to dance across her face. "I am Churri Nakaya, The Tokyo Exorcist. I'm going to flush all the evil out of Tokyo until I find my brother. To do that, I need to travel all over Tokyo. This isn't a turf war. If it was, I'd already own Ikebukuro." She told the man.

She realized she went too far. As she always did. Handing the streetlight to her gang. Six men struggled to place it back where it came from with great difficulty. "Remove that tattoo or never show your face in front of me again. Get out of here. We got a séance in an hour." She told them.

The boss thought for a moment. "You actually believe that shit?"

She was used to the doubt by now. "Of course. I fought 50 trucks that tried to run me over. None of them had a driver." She told him.

The man remembered that on the news. It lined up right before Churri took over this gang. "...You're actually serious… We're leaving." The boss said, doing an admirable job of picking himself up while being as injured as he was.

"You accepted that faster than most. Or am I just too crazy?" She asked, not really caring about his opinion. She just thought he might be a problem in the future and knowing how he thinks could help.

The man shook his head. "Nah, you're too strong. Whatever you want to fight… has to be a lot scarier than me. We'll ignore you traveling into and out of Ikebukuro… Just don't walk over us… please." He asked. Being forced to ask was a full defeat by any measure.

But Churri won so often that she was graceful in victory. "Of course. I'd rather not fight humans when much worse is out there." She said ominously.

The Ikebukuro gang left, later they'd join Churri's gang, as many others would. Some to hide behind her strength, some because they really believed her. Lucky for them, she'd make believers out of all of them when the next time a world attempted to summon her.

.

[Author's Notes]

Okay, more politics and hints. More mystery that some of you might have figured out.

Also Botan has a party member and they bond on their way.

Also Churri is taking over the Yakuza to fight against supernatural forces… She's a whole unit.

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