04/13/2012, Student Council Clubroom, After School.
While Makoto and Irumi were training, inside the student council clubroom Sona was busy reading the latest news of the supernatural world. The Sitri reads through the summary of the latest match of the rating game championship, which just started it's second phase, between the dragon king became devil, Tannin and the current champion of the rating games, Diehauser Belial. The match ended with the predictable win of the Emperor after an intense fight with the dragon.
"Sona there is a letter for you. It's from Mr. Kegawa" says Tsubaki who just entered the room, an envelope in hand. "Who is Mr. Kegawa?" asks a girl with reddish hair, Tomoe Meguri, Sona's knight. "I've never heard of him too" says Momo who was sitting behind one of the large desks present in the room. "He's a yokai living in Kuoh Town" briefly answers Sona carefully opening the envelope and taking out the letter.
"A yokai? Don't they dislike us devils?" asks the perplexed Tomoe. "Usually they do, but Mr. Kegawa is an old acquaintance of Lord Sitri. He helped me and Sona a lot when she received the role of ruling this town together with Gremory" answers Tsubaki noticing Sona was too focused on reading the message.
'Young Sitri, I did some research about the oni that attacked Kuoh Town on the tenth of this month. I'm displeased saying that I didn't find much that could locate the attackers, however I know Kuoh Town isn't the only place in Japan controlled by some of the christian factions that has been assaulted by yokais, and specifically onis. If you need anything just visit me by my shop here in town'
"What does the letter say Sona?" asks the Sitri's queen with an hint of unusual interest. Sona sighs and puts down the paper. "Tsubaki could you go and pay Kegawa a visit. I unfortunately have still much to do. I hope he doesn't mind if I send you in my place". Tsubaki nods her head. "Bring Tomoe with you" adds Sona before Tsubaki can leave. "Why me President?" asks confused the knight, seh doesn't even know this Kegawa and she didn't even meet a yokai before.
"Kegawa is a swordsmen addict, he has always asked me to bring my first knight to him so he could test them. Take it like a learning experience" says Sona wanting Tomoe to learn as much as possible from the yokai. "Also it's good for you starting to make experience with talking to other faction members". Momo raises her hand. "Shouldn't I go too President if that is the case?" she asks. Sona looks at her bishop in thought. "True, but have you finished your work for today?" Momo nods in confirmation. "Ok then you can go". Momo smiles and follows Tsubaki curious of meeting the yokai.
"Senpai where does this Mr. Kegawa live?" asks Tomoe while the three girls are walking outside Kuoh's Academy. "And why don't we just go there by teleport?" asks Momo annoyed by having to walk if they can just use a spell. "Mr. Kegawa likes to do things the old way. He doesn't like teleportation spell or even communication ones if that's the case, that's why he wrote a letter. We are heading to the antiques store where he lives" answers Tsubaki.
"You mean that old store near the shrine?" asks Tomoe, already knowing an antique store in town, however she knew the owner is a human. 'The owner seemed human... oh right yokais are experts in disguise' thinks Tomoe. Tsubaki leads the knight and the bishop towards the store.
04/13/2012, Kuoh's Antique Store, Afternoon.
A golden chime connected to the top of a door tolls, warning that a customer just entered the shop. Ryoji just entered the 'Whisper in the Breeze' an odd antique shop in the shrine district of the city. After Makoto said he had the Music Club meeting to attend, Ryoji decided to pay back a visit to the antique shop he saw the first time he went to the shrine, the same day he met Momo. Ryoj fakes a look inside the store seeking for the owner.
"Oh Young Mochizuki, what a pleasure to see you again. You decided to visit this old geezer again? Ah you flatter me" chuckles an hoarse voice belonging to a man with gray hair and eyes wearing a traditional orange kimono, probably near his 70s. The shop is dimly lit by many candles which give off an atmosphere full of history, thanks to the many vintage objects displayed too.
"Sir Kegawa! Don't say thing like that you are still young inside and that's what matters!" jokes Ryoji giving the man a gentle pat on his back bent from the old age. "A young man saying things like this... ah, what a world we live in Mochizuki!" the man holds his back and sits on a wool pillow on the ground to rest his old limbs. "Don't be shy, sit down with me" says Kegawa taking another pillow for Ryoji to sit. "Thanks" politely accepts Ryoji, sitting next to the disguised yokai.
"What can you tell a bored man like me?" asks Kegawa with a smirk while offering some mochi to Ryoji. "Feel free to eat as many as you want. I made them myself". Ryoji gladly accepts, but he hides a sorrowful look knowing why Kegawa is so kind with him, even if he's doing it subconsciously. 'Poor man, he wishes to die...' thinks Ryoji, he already asked around the district. Chomei Kegawa was a lonely man of few words. Anchored in the past and distrustful of the future, few could take out of him a lively discussion. The only people he talked to, apart from Ryoji himself, were his sporadic customers and the owner of a fruit seller down the road in front of the Whisper in the Breeze where Kegawa usually went to buy his favorite blueberries. Ryoji feels inside the man a lone and regretful voice calling for him. 'I'm sorry sir, I'm not a reaper' says Ryoji to himself while munching the sweets the man offered him.
"You have many talents sir, you are a pastry chef too!' says Ryoji wanting to lift up the morale of the discussion. "I have more secrets than you can imagine young man" replies Kegawa with a smirk. 'For example I'm not human...' imagines to say the man in his head. 'If I didn't mess up things with Lord Nurarihyon I wouldn't be here trying to comforting myself with a human kid. Stupid Chomei. Stupid' says Kegawa to himself.
Ryoji laughs after hearing Kegawa's answer. "I don't doubt it" he says infecting the old man with his laughter. "You are an odd one Mochizuki, coming here to cheer up someone like me" sighs Kegawa shaking his head at the thought. "Don't say it sir, and I didn't have anything else to do" responds Ryoji.
"It's that the case?" asks Kegawa looking at the boy sitting next to him
Before Ryoji can answer the sound of the chime is heard once again. "It seems I have customers Mochizuki, thanks for passing by" says Kegawa as he slowly stands up holding his back.
"This place is... plentiful" comments Tomoe as she, Momo and Tsubaki enter the shop. While the bishop and the knight look at the many items displayed Tsubaki heads to the back of the shop hoping to find Kegawa.
Instead of finding the yokai she finds Ryoji who was going for the exit. "Hi Shinra" he says. The queen looks surprised by seeing Mochizuki, but doesn't mind it as she has a task to complete. "Hello Mochizuki, do you know where the owner is?" asks Tsubaki. "I'm here" comes the rough voice of Kegawa who has just arrived following Ryoji. "Good afternoon Mr. Kegawa" says Tsubaki bowing her head in respect. The old man nods at the devil before looking again at Ryoji. "Have a nice evening Mochizuki" says Kegawa. "Goodbye" replies Ryoji heading towards the exit.
"Senpai? Hello!" says Momo as she sees Ryoji opening the door to exit the shop. "You are here too? This place is becoming frequented" jokes Ryoji. "I better go I leave you to your shopping" laughs Ryoji as he exits the shop. Momo waves her hand as Ryoji leaves and goes back looking around the shop.
"Mr. Kegawa, Lady Sona asked us to speak with you about what you have found out on the recent oni attacks against the town" says Tsubaki looking at the old man. Kegawa nods his head, but before answering he takes a look at Tomoe. "Ehy you! Girl with twin tails close my shop!" he shouts at Tomoe who is taken by surprise as she was looking at a collection of paintings depicting famous japanese places. "M-me?" asks Tomoe pointing at herself. "Yes you, go and close the shop" groans annoyed Kegawa. The knight do as he said and turns the sign on the door, making the 'closed' face of it to look outside. Tomoe turns the key inside the lock and goes back where Tsubaki and the yokai are.
"Now we can talk" says Kegawa as soon as he sees Tomoe closing the shop. He pulls out a cherry leaf from his pocket and blows on it. The leaf dissolves in a pink cloud of smoke that completely envelopes the man. "What is happening?" asks curious Momo who just finished snooping around the shop. When the cloud vanishes instead of an old man there is a gray furred tanuki with purple eyes and two white large spots of white around his eyes. His kimono adjusts to his current size, the yokai slowly stretches his limbs, sore after the sudden change in appearance. "Good" grunts Kegawa clearing his voice after the transformation.
Tomoe and Momo look at the tanuki with a stupefied gaze. "What's your problem?" asks annoyed the old yokai. "Never seen a yokai in your life?". the girls shake their heads. "Argh I should have imagined it, now sit down we have much to talk about" says the tanuki.
Tsubaki does as Kegawa says and sits down in front of him. "My king is sorry for not being able to talk with you in person" says Tsubaki not wanting any misunderstanding with their only source of information. "It's fine, at least Sitri's daughter is fine enough" Kegawa looks at Momo and Tomoe. "Are you her knights?" he asks. "I am Mr. Kegawa, sir" gulps Tomoe as she notices the tanuki's expression change when he mentions the potential knights members of Sona's peerage. "Very good, I'll deal with you later". Kegawa's answer preoccupies Tomoe.
"Young Shinra, from the remnants of the oni's body I could only find weapons with the stain of Yomi. My guess is that he stole it. However when you said his name I instantly recognized it. Kazan Ishikagawa was once a general in the Kanto's yokai army" says Kegawa gritting his sharp teeth, old memories replaying in his mind.
"Why did he attack us then?" asks Tomoe, not understanding the reasons why a general should aim a city controlled by another faction not at war. "If you don't interrupt me maybe I can tell you why. Youngsters these days, too hasty for their own good" snorts the tanuki.
"It happened almost 30 years ago, when Kazan Ishikagawa betrayed Lord Nurarihyon. The leader of the Kanto yokai faction. He tried to steal the Yomi no Kagami, an artifact made from the first obsidian formed by Fuji's very first eruction. That day we discovered Kazan Ishikagawa was a cultist of Izanami which cult is severely prohibited by the Shinto Gods themselves" explains Kegawa, irritation and remorse in his voice. The tanuki takes a bottle of saké and pours a little bit into a bowl drinking it to relief the tension caused by those memories.
"We were able to stop him from making a massacre, but not without a cost" says Kegawa. "The death of Kazan Ishikagawa was never confirmed and the artifact disappeared, but there has been no sights of him since then. At least until now".
Tsubaki nods at the yokai's explanation. "Thanks for telling us" she says seeing the conflict in Kegawa's eyes. "Senpai why don't we contact the yokais? We have a common enemy now, no?" proposes Tomoe making Kegawa laugh off her question. "Lord Nurarihyon decided to dismiss this matter long ago, moreover we haven't any proof to show that he was indeed Kazan Ishikagawa. He could have been a fanatic of some sort" he says. "Do you think he was?" asks Tsubaki. "No. No yokai in Kanto is fool enough to disguise himself as the greatest betrayer of modern Japan" tells Kegawa denying the possibility of a fake.
"Wait there is the body, isn't it enough of a proof?" points out Momo. "It disappeared, dissolved in darkness. Devoured by Yomi I fear" answers Kegawa a bit annoyed by the girl's insistence. "What do you suggest we do Mr. Kegawa?" Tsubaki dislikes not being able to investigate this matter further, but they don't have any power outside Kuoh Town, taking this matter outside of the city could ignite unwanted tensions between the devil race and the japanese factions. The queen at least hopes Kegawa has a plan to find even the least significant piece of information.
"We prepare for another attack. In case Ishikagawa's affiliates strike us again for a third time" this is Kegawa's plan. Simple? Yes, but they don't have other alternatives. "I understand" nods Tsubaki hearing Kegawa's plan, if you could call it a plan.
A strange smile appears on the tanuki's muzzle. "We could start with you, I'm sure Sitri's daughter agrees if she sent you here with Shinra" whispers the tanuki while he looks at Tomoe.
"Yes, it was Lady Sona's idea to bring her with me" confirms Tsubaki shocking Tomoe. "Senpai?" she says looking at the queen of their peerage. "Don't worry girl, I can be a good teacher when I want to" Kegawa's answer doesn't reassure Tomoe at all. "Mr. Kegawa is right, he helped me with my training with the naginata too. I'm sure you will improve a lot" says Tsubaki, this time calming down Tomoe. "Oh really?" she asks. "What does 'really' mean girl?" grunts annoyed Kegawa. "Sorry sir!" apologizes Tomoe, understanding what she said could be misunderstood.
"What about me?" asks Momo. "If you can use healing magic you'll make your friend here a great favor" says Kegawa. Momo nods her head unsecure about what Kegawa means. The tanuki stands up. "I'll take two swords, you two wait for me outside. We are going to a nice training spot" says Kegawa heading towards the back of the shop.
"I hope you two don't annoy Mr. Kegawa too much" says Tsubaki with a subtle smile. "Wait senpai, what should I expect?" asks Tomoe a bit worried. "I was serious when I said he's a good teacher, but it will be hard. Very hard" seriously says Tsubaki. Her answer both encourages and preoccupies Tomoe. "Don't worry Tomoe I'll be there too!" says Momo smiling chhering up her friend. "Yeah you are right!" answers happily Tomoe ready for what has to come.
04/13/2012, Occult Research Club, Late Afternoon.
"Damn Satan!" shouts a frustrated Rias who just slammed her hand on her desk making a pot to fall and shatter in pieces. The nervous heiress sits down on her armchair letting out another sigh full of annoyance and frustration. "P-president? Are you okay?" asks the worried voice of Koneko, carefully opening the club door and taking a look inside. Rias looks at her rook with a sorrowful look. "I'm sorry Koneko, I didn't want to shout" she apologizes. The other looks at her king, unsure on what to say.
"Rias? What happened I heard something breaking" comes the voice of Akeno who just appeared behind Koneko. She opens the door and looks at Rias, her face telling everything. "Rias, are you ok?" asks Akeno getting closer to the red-haired. Rias shakes her head. "No..." she answers biting her lip. Akeno nods her head and gently hugs Rias. "Do you want to talk about it?". Akeno holds Rias while Koneko looks from the door, not knowing what she can do to help her so she decides to stay there, just in case.
"You already know it Akeno" replies Rias taking a deep breath. The two girls look at each other. "My father decided to anticipate the marriage..." says Rias after some seconds of indecision. "What? When? Why?" Akeno looks at Rias full of worry. She thought that maybe Riser Phenex did something to cause the current state of Rias, but this is worse... they should have time until they graduate. This way they couldn't even hope to resolve things by a Rating Game due to their age.
Rias looks at her queen. "Father said it is for the sake of our race and the stability of the Underworld so he and Lord Phenex agreed on anticipating the marriage on the 30th of this month..." Rias words make both Akeno and Koneko to pale. "This month? What!?" shouts Akeno not believing what she just heard. Rias looks at Akeno with a bitter smile. "Maybe father is right... maybe I'm just being selfish" whispers the red-haired. Akeno slaps her king trying to make her to reason. "What are you saying!?" shouts the girl. "What about your dream? Your freedom?" says Akeno on the verge of tears.
"B-but what can we do?" stutters to say Rias hopeless. "We will find a way" tries to reassure Akeno. "Yes" softly says Koneko with a smile hoping to calm down Rias. Rias looks at them and stops crying. "You are right" she nods calming down.
04/13/2012, Kuoh Forest, Late Afternoon.
'It hurts... it hurts so much...' a figure is dragging itself through the forest surrounding Kuoh Town. His arm twisted in an unnatural way, trails of a dark substance swirling around it like a parasite, while blood covers his entire body. "Followers of Izanami be damned..." curses the lion-like humanoid gritting his teeth trying to not faint for the pain, struggling to move on.
The yokai, a shisa, has a beige colored fur and a long red mane, now dirtied by blood and mud, that surrounds his head and little brown eyes who fight to remain open. His overall height is a bit shorter than an average japanese man and he is desperately trying to reach civilization in search of help. "I underestimated the... fuck" grunts in pain the lion-dog yokai breathing for air. "I... need to... inform Lord Nurarihyon. Don't give up Tosen. Not now. Never" he uses all his remained strenght to make another step, then another. Each one requiring more energy than the former. Each one more tiring, each one requiring more mental fortitude. "I see you... Shinigami" with his last breath he looks in front of himself as a figure emerges from the trees.
Ryoji was taking a stroll around Kuoh Town after exiting Kegawa's shop. He was peacefully enjoying the setting sun when he felt a chill down his spine. 'A shadow?' immediately thinks Death. 'It's not a strong presence like Shadow Azazel... it is a lesser one'. Ryoji starts running towards the direction he felt the shadow not having enough time to contact Makoto. He had to resolve this alone.
Kegawa and Tomoe were sparring in the center of a clearing in the woods. The tanuki was relentlessly aiming his sword at Tomoe's not wanting to hit her, but rather test her defence. The poor girl has been forced to block Kegawa's slashes for almost an hour without a second of break. "Come on Sitri knight. If you can't even resist innocent attacks like this for five or six hours it's pointless continuing" says Kegawa not slowing down.
While the two are fighting, Momo is watching them bored. 'If they keep doing this thirty for more minutes I'm out' she thinks. She thought Kegawa's training regime was a different type of hell, not this type of hell. 'Poor Tomoe, this tanuki will tire out her soul while exhausting mine out of boredom' a sigh escapes Momo's lips as another death sound is heard from the clash of the bamboo swords. 'I wonder if senpai Tsubaki did the same training regiment' wonders Momo while playing with a stick she found around.
After many more interminable, boring and exhausting minutes of wood swords bouncing against each other the bishop hears a noise coming from the forest. "Uh" she turns her back to gaze at the trees, she sees nothing and doesn't hear anything else. "I'm starting to hallucinate... unbelievable" says Momo as she stands up wanting to stretch her limbs and take a walk. She takes another look to Tomoe and Kegawa, noticing that they are too focused to see her leaving. So Momo decided to silently take some steps towards the forest, sneaky and slow they will not notice her leaving.
"Kegawa, sir... Is this really necessary? I'm starting to not feel my arms" asks a tired Tomoe struggling to even speak. "Good. It means that you are building your lungs, you can't go far without some resistance" replies Chomei, uncaring of Tomoe's protests. The knight wants to complain, but Kegawa's reasoning makes completely sense and she hates it. The training resumes without them noticing the now gone Momo.
Momo lets out a sigh of relief when she manages to escape from that torture. "Finally!" she spreads her arms yawning enjoying the fresh air of the forest. The bishop decides to walk around the woods and return to Tomoe and Kegawa only after a relaxing walk surrounded by the nature.
Ryoji is running through the forest, his mind trying to understand how Nyarlathotep has already found a way to 'make' lesser shadows. Creating Shadow Selves is what Nyarlathotep does, but being able to produce lesser ones... was something Nyx could do or the entirity of the Collective Unconscious. Something only a god or an entire species could achieve. Ryoji understands what happened. Nyarlathotep was able to make a Shadow Self of one of this world's gods as if it was the second option Nyarlathotep would already be on par with Nyx.
Ryoji stops immediately as he sees a figure fallen on the ground. "Shinigami..." mutters the shisa yokai in front of him. Ryoji looks at the shisa's arm. 'Remnants of a shadow... he has been attacked' thinks the Master of Tartarus as he crouches near the yokai. "Breathe slowly, I'm here" says in a reassuring tone Ryoji. The yokai is already fainted when Ryoji is removing filaments of darkness around the his arm.
"I'll bring you to the Velvet Room" says Ryoji holding the fainted yokai. However, as Ryoji is about to open a newly spawned door to the Velvet Room he hears a sound from behind. Immediately he turns back, eight coffins wings appearing behind him, his eyes turning a dark shade of blue and curse magic appearing on his hand. "Eig-" before Ryoji finishes to cast his spell he hears the scream of a girl.
"Senpai it's me!" shouts Momo raising her arms. "Sorry..." apologizes ashamed Ryoji, not knowing what to say. 'I was about to cast an eigaon without thinking' sighs the boy in his mind. Momo looks at the yokai Ryoji's holding. "Does he need help?" she asks getting closer to the fainted shisa. "Yes" as Ryoji says this Momo casts an healing magic circle. "It should help" says the girl smiling, still a bit shocked by what just happened.
Back with Kegawa and Tomoe, the former suddenly stopped attacking the knight who immediately fell on the ground exhausted and breathing desperately for hair. "What was that?" asks the tanuki, his fur standing as he felt an immense surge of power. "W-what?" tries to vocalize the tired knight. "Stay here" says Kegawa running towards the direction of the power. "Yes... thanks" mutters Tomoe laying on the ground still catching her breath. 'What's gotten into him?' thinks the girl, but she doesn't pay it too much attention her only thought being wanting to rest. "It's really an hell... senpai" she says remembering Tsubaki's words. 'I never thought the ground could feel so soft' she thinks feeling a bit drowsy.
Kegawa runs through the forest avoiding the trees. 'That power... I'm too old for things like this' thinks the tanuki as he arrives on the scene seeing the Sitri's bishop and... Mochizuki who were tending to the wounds of a shisa, wait he recognizes that yokai... he's... "Tosen!?" shouts Kegawa at the sight of the fainted humanoid.
Ryoji turns back to see the tanuki. "Ehm... Sir Kegawa?" asks Ryoji feeling the same cry for death from the yokai as the one from the old man. Kegawa hurries near the shisa. "Tosen, it's me. Chomei Kegawa!" he shouts. "Sir, please he's fine. Momo just finished healing most of his wounds" tells Ryoji holdong the tanuki.
Only now Kegawa understands that Mochizuki recognized him even in his true form. "Young man? Wh-How can you recognize me?" asks the tanuki frowning. Momo rolls her eyes. 'I bet if he was someone else he would have shouted at him non-stop requiring an explanation' thinks the girl.
"It's a feeling" answers Ryoji smiling. "Do you know him sir?" asks then Ryoji changing subject. "Y-yes. He was my apprentice many years ago" answers the tanuki, a melancholic look in his eyes. "Let's bring me to my shop... and thanks for helping him, Mochizuki, girl" says the tanuki. 'Pfft he doesn't even remember my name' snorts Momo. "Wait, where is Tomoe?" she asks not seeing her around. "I left her resting. I must admit she behaved well" admits Kegawa as he holds Tosen.
04/13/2012, Whisper in the Breeze, Evening.
Ryoji followed Kegawa, back in his human form, to lay Tosen down to rest. Death decided it was better for the shisa to stay with the tanuki so that when he'll wake up he will be gretted by a familiar face. Momo and Tomoe depart after they arrived at the shop, saying they will report back to Sona hoping she could find a better place for Tosen to stay.
Kegawa looks at the sleeping form of his former apprentice. "He's gonna be fine" reassures Ryoji. "Mochizuki... are you a shinigami?" asks Kegawa shocking the black-haired boy. "What makes you say so?" asks Ryoji not catching well what Kegawa really means by that. "You are not denying it" sighs the old man. "I know I've been acting different, not like an ass... with you. I immediately knew something was off, but I just ignored it and told myself it was just paranoia. I think I wanted... I want to die. Are you here to take my soul?" asks the tanuki with reverence. He has never met a god, but Lord Nurarihyon has always told his soldiers about the god protector of the Kanto yokai faction, Bishamonten. "Please sir, don't say that. I'm not the Shinigami you think I am" replies Ryoji waving his hands to deny what Kegawa just said.
"It's a bit complicated I promise to tell you everything, but now isn't the time. Good evening sir" says Ryoji, still bowing his head in respect earning a frown from the old man. He then leaves the shop heading to the Velvet Room.
04/13/2012, Velvet Room, Evening.
Inside the Velvet Room Makoto and Elizabeth are talking about their days. "The Magician asked you to train her? That's good" smiles Elizabeth, clearly hiding something which does not go unnoticed by Makoto. "Liz what are you plotting?" asks the boy. "Nothing Makoto" before the messiah can inquire further Ryoji enters the Velvet Room.
"Makoto! Attendant, we have to talk. I found the traces of a lesser shadow" says Ryoji immediately sitting around the table where wildcard and attendant were speaking. "A lesser shadow?" asks confused Makoto. "Like the ones born from the Collective Unconscious?" Ryoji nods his head. "I fear Nyarlathotep created the Shadow Self of one of the gods inhabiting this world" tells Ryoji. "Oh, I thought about that possibility too" says Elizabeth.
'A god becoming a shadow? Then it can't be considered a god in the first place' immediately says Odin as soon as he hears this. 'I completely agree. Shadows are inelegant. The exact opposite of us gods, especially me' comments Apollo.
"Which god?" asks Makoto. Ryoji shakes his head, not knowing the answer. "Izanami" says Elizabeth. "What makes you tell that?" inquires the Universe. "It's quite simple. I asked Serafall to tell me every bit of information regarding the many pantheons of this world. When she explained the japanese one I found in Izanami a clear potential target for Nyarlathotep" explains Elizabeth.
"In the Grigori HQ I heard about a group of rogues they called them here in Japan. Could it be connected?" hypothesizes Makoto. Elizabeth nods her head. "We could speak with the person I found with shadow's wounds" proposes Ryoji. "Yeah, let's do it" decides Makoto.