“This way!” Iris shouted, her ears twitching. Kevin had her acting as their point, as her sensitive ears could pick up sounds better than his or the yama ubas’ could.
They turned into an alley. Large buildings towered over them on either side. Trash littered the ground. They were nearly past the 3/4 point when a door on their left side burst open and several yōkai that he didn’t recognize ran out.
Kevin didn’t hesitate.
Jumping onto the wall, Kevin briefly ran along its surface. He then used his remaining traction to push off the wall into a spin kick that struck the first yōkai in the face.
Crack!
The loud snapping of his foot meeting someone’s face echoed down the alley. Kevin didn’t allow himself to stop there. Using the muscles in his leg, he shoved himself off the yōkai as it thudded to the ground like a broken doll. He spun around again just as the second yōkai came out from behind the door.
Snap!
Kevin had the minor satisfaction of watching that yōkai’s face cave after meeting his foot. Blood gushed from the now flat nose, clearly broken. Despite this, it remained upright, which caused him to bring his other foot to bear, slamming the appendage into the underside of its chin. Such was the force of his kick that it caused the yōkai to be launched off its feet, flipping and spinning like a drunken acrobat. When its back hit the ground with a dull thud, it didn’t get back up.
Phoebe rushed forward, moving past him, her club spinning in her left hand. She used it like a bat to launch a quick uppercut that sent one of the other yōkai flying. Afterward, she spun about 180 degrees, launching out her left foot in a snap kick. As the yōkai descended from its impromptu flight, her foot caught it in the stomach, launching it backward where it skidded along the ground for several yards before rolling to a stop.
She wasn’t the only one who entered the fight after Kevin. Polydora’s spear spun around in a blurring motion, moving so fast only flickers could be seen. Cuts appeared on the yōkai who’d been locked in her sights. Blood spurted from dozens of wounds. It wasn’t long before the ground became painted with carmine. When at last her attacks stopped, the world seemed to hang still, until the yōkai fell backwards, crumpling to the ground.
One of the yōkai that managed to escape Kevin’s initial assault, snuck past Phoebe and Polydora, seemingly intent on running away.
“Extension.”
Two long, furry tails smacked him away like a fly swatter smacking an annoying bug. The yōkai was sent flying straight into a wall, which cracked from the force. It then slowly peeled off, its body hitting the ground face-first.
With the yōkai who had tried surprising them defeated, the group ran to the other end of the alley. Pressing his back against the wall, Kevin carefully peeked out from around the corner, searching the vicinity for signs of any other yōkai.
“It looks like the coast is clear.” He turned to the vixen next to him. “Iris?”
“I don’t know,” she confessed. “The amount of people in this city makes it impossible for me to know if anyone is after us.”
“Guess we’re going in blind then.” Kevin took a deep breath. “Are all of you ready?” He received several nods. “Then let’s go.”
The group moved as one, ducking out of the alley and quickly racing across the street. They did their best to stay off the main roads, instead sticking to side streets and the like in the hopes that it would help them avoid detection. There were a few close calls, and several times they found themselves getting into minor scuffles with yōkai, but all of them were weaker yōkai and dealt with easily enough.
“I’m surprised there are so many low-level yōkai here,” Kevin commented after they decided to stop in another alley. He and the others were hiding behind a large dumpster that reeked like sulfur and month-old unwashed socks. He tried ignoring the acrid scent, even as it burned his nose and made him feel like vomiting.
“Why are you surprised?” Phoebe asked.
“Well, China is the Bodhisattva’s territory, right?” Kevin said. “I kind of assumed that meant only kitsune would live here.”
“Just because this territory belongs to the Bodhisattva does not mean that other yōkai won’t make their homes here,” Phoebe said. “Most yōkai will accept other yōkai into their territory, provided the yōkai seeking to live there swears their allegiance to the yōkai whose territory they’re entering.”
While the knowledge was useful, it also made Kevin frown.
“So these people work for the Bodhisattva?”
“It is a very high possibility,” Phoebe said. “I cannot see a man of the Bodhisattva’s stature allowing yōkai who have not allied themselves to him to enter his territory.”
“Does that mean he knows we’re here?” Iris asked the question that Kevin had been about to give voice to.
Phoebe nodded. “Possibly.”
“Great.” Iris and Kevin shared a grimace.
***
Kevin wondered if he’d have done things any differently if he had been born a seer.
Probably not, he concluded.
After taking nearly an hour to get from one side of the city to the other, Kevin realized that it would soon be morning. He could already see the sun peeking out from over the buildings—what buildings weren’t too tall for him to see over. Colors mixed in the sky, light pink streaks appearing across a lighter shade of velvet.
“We’re almost out of the city,” Phoebe said as they ran, the sound of their footsteps echoing along with them.
Indeed, she was correct. Several dozen yards before them was the road that would take them out of the city. It stood out starkly against the desert landscape, a long line of black that stretched beyond the event horizon. He didn’t know what they would do after leaving the city, but honestly, anything was better than being attacked by random yōkai.
Kevin’s instincts warned him of impending danger seconds before the attack came. It allowed him just enough time to grab Iris, who appeared unaware of the danger, and drag her down to the ground.
Giant conical-shaped purple flames spewed overhead like water from a fire hydrant. The heat seared into Kevin’s back. He gritted his teeth and protected Iris with his body, doing everything humanly possible to ignore the pain, to push it aside until the flames had passed.
A loud explosion rocked the area. Kevin squeezed his eyes shut as several fragments from what could only be a wall pelted him. Each impact jarred his bones. Pain lanced through his body. There was little doubt in his mind that he would have some massive bruises in a few hours.
The fire eventually stopped. The raging blaze ceased. Cold air stung Kevin’s naked back. He could feel the burns being aggravated by the sudden change of temperature. Fortunately, his skin didn’t feel too bad, which meant they were only first and maybe a few second-degree burns.
“It seems I missed, meow.”
Kevin almost groaned at the familiar voice. What the heck was this guy doing here?
Kevin stood up, helping Iris to her feet at the same time. Phoebe, Polydora, Menippe, Thoe, and Euryale had also avoided the powerful fire attack. Knowing that his friends were safe filled him with relief, and also allowed him to focus the entirety of his attention on their opponent.
Kağan looked no different now than he did when they first met. His fur remained the color of midnight. His yellow eyes glowed with the brilliance of two moons. His muscular frame was still covered by those gods-awful spandex pants and that ridiculously hideous pink shirt. Nothing had changed. Standing behind the man, the three akaname brothers shook in fear. Whether that fear was because of Kağan or him, Kevin didn’t know.
“What are you doing here?” Kevin tried not to reveal how nervous he was. He and Iris had barely escaped this man last time, and the kasha surely wouldn’t fall for the same tricks this time.
Calm down, Kevin. You and Iris aren’t alone in this. You’re with Phoebe and the others now, too. They can help.
“What am I doing here, meow?”
Kağan actually appeared puzzled. His head tilted, a sign of his cat’s curiosity. Kevin saw his branched tail flick behind him. “I believe my reason for being here should be more than obvious, meow. I came to get revenge on you and the fox for humiliating me several days ago. Thanks to meow, I have lost a lot of respect within my city, and I aim to reclaim it.”
“I guess that first illusion I put you under wasn’t enough to teach you a lesson,” Iris stated with a confidence that Kevin knew she didn’t feel. “I wonder what I should make you see this time? If Boku no Pico wasn’t enough, then perhaps I should give you a taste of the ultimate yaoi experience. How about, um, uh…”
“You don’t know any yaoi anime, do you?” Kevin sighed.
Iris frowned at him. “Of course not. Do you think I’m the kind of vixen who watches that stuff? The only reason I even know about Boku no Pico is because it’s surprisingly mainstream.”
Kevin didn’t know if “mainstream” was the word he would have used, but he didn’t feel like arguing.
“Whatever.”
“Don’t ignore meow!”
Kağan sent another stream of hellish flames at them. Kevin and Iris dodged, splitting apart and allowing the flames to pass between them. As it struck a wall behind them, detonating in a fierce explosion that emitted heat at their backs, Kevin unlocked his case and pulled out his guns.
Lights flared. Thunder emitted from the nozzles. A hailstorm of bullets blitzed for him, but flames erupted between them before the bullets could reach Kağan. The bullets smashed harmlessly into the hellish flames. Miniature explosions caused the fire to flicker, to waver, but not to disperse. It remained strong, protecting Kağan from Kevin’s gunfire.
“Ha!” Barking laughter escaped from lips that were peeled back in a feral smile. “Do you really think such a straightforward attack would work on me, meow? You should already know how futile—GRAAA!”
Kağan fell to a knee as Polydora’s spear penetrated his leg. His face then met Phoebe’s club, which clobbered him hard enough that his head snapped back with an audible crack! seconds before a scream tore from his mouth as Thoe's kunai found its mark in his shoulder. Before Kağan even had time to bring his head back down, Menippe appeared above him, hammering her own club into his face. His head slammed into the ground. Blood spurted from his nose and a puddle formed underneath his head. Kevin concluded that it had been cracked open when it struck the pavement.
Following the brutal tag team assault, Kağan tried to get up, but he didn’t get very far. He barely even sat halfway up before a pair of boots smashed into his face, further breaking it. Abrasions appeared in the ground, which dented and cracked around Kağan’s head, once more buried into the concrete. Euryale leapt off his face, which now reminded Kevin of those times when an anvil was dropped on Wile E. Coyote’s face.
“D-damn you…. Meow…”
Kağan growled as he struggled to sit up, only to stop when he felt the barrel of a gun pressing into his forehead. His eyes flickered up to stare into Kevin’s own irises. Kevin didn’t know what the cat saw there, but from the fear radiating from his eyes, the young man concluded that it must have been frightening.
“Let’s see you dodge this,” Kevin said, seconds before his gun emitted a brief, yet brilliant flash of light.
***
Four days wasn’t a very long time, especially to a kitsune, or any yōkai, really. As creatures who lived for centuries, sometimes even entire millennia, four days wasn’t even a blink for them.
Which was why Kotohime found herself surprised by how slowly these past four days had taken. They seemed to have dragged on forever.
That was not to say that she hadn’t been kept busy. During those four days, Kotohime had traveled across Europe, meeting with Pnév̱ma-denka’s many sons. Her job had been very simple: weed out dissenters and have those who remained loyal gather the various kitsune under their command. While the Pnév̱ma Clan itself was actually quite small, numbering maybe in the fifties, the amount of kitsune under their banner was legion.
They would need that legion in the days to come.
The door to her small hotel room opened. Kotohime lifted her head to see Abercio enter the room. She remembered how he’d tried to convince her to share a room with him. She also remembered how she had shot him down faster than Lilian could say “Beloved.”
“Abercio,” she greeted before going back to her previous task: polishing her katana. With most of the tasks given to her by the matriarch complete, all she could do now was make sure her weapon remained in pristine condition and wait.
“I have some news that I believe you’ll want to hear.”
Seeing the smile on Abercio’s face made her both curious and irritated. She would not let him know this, however, as remaining calm and collected was expected of a vassal of the Pnév̱ma Clan.
“And that is?”
“Supposedly, there was a terrorist attack in Kashgar about an hour ago.”
Kotohime raised an eyebrow. “Supposedly?”
Abercio’s smile widened into a grin. “I’ve managed to implant a few informants in China, one for each city, and they have informed me that there was no terrorist attack. According to them, a battle between a kasha and a group of people took place there sometime last night.”
Kotohime finally gave Abercio her full attention. “A kasha, you say?”
Kasha were one of the stronger nekomata races. Two-tailed cats that worked for the Shinigami, the God of Death himself. Their powers to control hellfire and their ability to use spirit techniques made them truly fierce opponents. Depending on their age, kasha could easily become powerful enough to contend with even the strongest kitsune, minus maybe a Kyūbi.
“Yep.” Abercio nodded. “A kasha apparently went and picked a fight with a group of teenagers, two of which match the description of Kevin Swift and Iris Pnév̱ma.”
Alarm appeared on Kotohime’s face, mirroring the fear that suddenly clutched her heart.
“Kevin-sama and Iris-sama fought against a kasha?!”
“Don’t worry.” Abercio raised his hands in a calming gesture. “They won.”
Kotohime froze. “They did?”
“They did.” Abercio nodded.
The sigh of relief that escaped her lips felt like it was taking all of her worries with it. Kotohime nearly slumped on the spot. She was sitting seiza, so she didn’t, as doing so would have been very uncomfortable, but the temptation to slouch was there.
“I am pleased to hear that.” A tiny smile caused her lips to curl upwards. “It sounds like Kevin-sama and Iris-sama have gotten stronger during their journey.”
“If you say so.” Abercio shrugged. Unlike her, he knew nothing of Kevin and very little about Iris, so naturally, he didn’t have anything to base her words on.
“Did your informant say which way they were heading?”
“Southeast to Qinghai.”
Also known as Tsinghai, Qhingai was a province of China located in the northwest of the country, but still south of Kashgar. Located on the Tibetan Plateau, Qhingai was separated by a series of mountain ranges. While a good deal of the surrounding area was agricultural in nature, there were a number of large cities. It was also home to the Saint’s Chariot, the large floating landmass upon which the Citadel of Light, home of the Bodhisattva, resided.
“At least we know they’re heading in the right direction.” Kotohime slowly sheathed her katana and stood up. “You mentioned that Kevin-sama and Iris-sama were traveling in a group.”
“Yeah.” Abercio nodded once. “It seems five more girls have joined their group. My informant has tentatively identified them as yama uba.”
“Ara, yama uba, you say?”
Yama uba were a type of lower-level yōkai. While not the weakest on the yōkai hierarchy, they lacked the power necessary to compete with the true monsters: inu, tengu, oni, ryu, and of course, kitsune. Still, they were said to have amazing reflexes and a natural talent for combat. If Kevin and Iris had
, indeed, managed to befriend a group of yama uba, then it could only be a good thing.
“If they are nearing Saint’s Chariot, then it means we must mobilize our forces,” Kotohime declared, her excitement barely able to be contained. These past few days had been horrible on her. With Lilian-sama kidnapped and Kevin-sama off to rescue her with Iris-sama, she’d been stuck in a rut. Her mind was consumed with the desire to aid Kevin-sama in his quest, yet the matriarch had made her travel around Europe gathering the Pnév̱ma Clan’s family and allies.
“It is.” Abercio’s words disrupted Kotohime’s thoughts. “I’ve already sent word to our forces. They should be ready to move out by the end of the day.”
“Good.”
“By the way…” Something about Aberioc’s voice caused Kotohime to look up. The admittedly handsome kitsune looked dubious. “You never did tell me how those brats are going to break through the barrier surrounding Saint’s Chariot, much less how they plan on getting to it.”
“I didn’t, did I?”
Abercio’s face became flat. “No, you didn’t.”
In response to his words, Kotohime gave him a smile, one that contained a sliver of uncertainty and worry.
“That is because I do not know the answer to that question myself.”
***
Immediately after making their escape from Kashgar, Kevin and the others had walked along the national road; a curving, twisting thing that had more turns than a pretzel. They had eventually managed to hitch a ride when a car drove past them, a large van that apparently belonged to some not-so-nice people. They’d tried kidnapping the girls, probably to sell them on the slave market, which Kevin heard was a problem in the east.
After thoroughly beating the crap out of them, Kevin had Iris enchant them into driving their group to the Ta’er Monastery, a temple which, according to Delphine, contained a gateway that would allow them to get onto Saint’s Chariot.
As he sat in the back of the van with everyone else, his left hand absentmindedly clutched the necklace that Delphine had given him mere hours before he and Iris had left on their journey.
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