FSE

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Sanjin Obakimura hated going to headquarters. Every time he had to travel, he felt it was specifically designed to irritate all of his homespun islander sensibilities. Not that he minded the city, there was a local flavour to it he enjoyed despite how long it took him to get used to the accent, the food and the stronger radiation. But now he had to put on a mask, and not the one from his glory days.

"We have arrived, Obakimura-san."

In the back of a limousine stretched long with a tall roof to accommodate most kaiju, Sanjin pulled on his tie and straightened out his beige suit, lines cut into the waist to allow his amphibious wings to breathe out under his sleeves. The door opened for him as he shuffled out, the yak chauffeur bowing with his horns shaven blunt, whilst dressed in a pea-green suit.

"I shall await your return, Obakimura-san."

"Thank you Hakura-san," he bowed in turn.

Sprawling before them were the grounds of the Toho Clan headquarters, the central basis of all their operations across the length of Tokyo. A grand pagoda of black lacquered roofs rose to the sky with majestic grounds, lanterns lining up the great stone courtyard that stretched into gardens of running ponds, cherry blossom trees and those little wooden poles that go "donk" when water ran through them.

Other cars were lined up behind him, all limousines as their owners stood in the grounds as the sky threatened them rain and the first chill of autumn. Kappas, tengu, sharks and reptilians all in various coloured suits with various imperfections that allowed spikes, wings and fins to push through pre-made holes. All of them he recognised as patriarchs and matriarchs of the other families.

The oaken doors of the pagoda opened and a fox servant led them in. Inside was a lush crimson carpet that spread across the splendid foyer, bannisters of mahogany leading up to the second floor as all the guests waited outside another set of doors before a bell would chime to allow them in.

"Welcome, my dear friends."

An elder's voice spoke from inside.

"I apologise for bringing you all here so suddenly. Please, be seated."

In the hall of rose carpet with a marvellous chandelier lighting up the room, there lied seventeen chairs in two rows of eight, with the last directly facing the visitors from the other end of the meeting room. Sitting in that lone chair, was Kin Shisahara, the Fourth Chair of the Toho Clan in a powerful black suit, wrapped around the hairy body of a kaiju with the face of a reptilian lion. Long sandy-furred ears hung either side of his sallow complexion that always showed a slight snarl from the upturn of his teeth, his claws beckoning them to sit down as they filled up the seats. Only one seat remained empty, the name "Danzaki" reserved upon it.

"Firstly," began Shisahara, "to save ourselves time we shall go over the minutes of our previous meeting, just so we make this meeting like our usual times. We'll go alphabetically, Akayama-san please begin."

"Thank you," a red cow in a gorgeous sapphire suit bowed from her seat, "Hannyajuku's had an upshot of twelve-percent thanks to the Parique Boutique festival, we made an exceptional turn of profit and found investors from France."

"Excellent. Byakkamoto-san, how is Ittangaya?"

"Not so well," a white tiger in a tan suit shook his head, "things have stalled between the printers' union and their companies, that following the university campus fire has put a drain on resources during the strike."

"I've already relegated a surplus to you," the lion sneered, "I'm sorry I cannot offer more without overinundating you."

"I was not going to ask Shisa-sama, I still have half of it left to use accordingly."

"Good. Now, Chin-san, what's new in Akatebara?"

The meeting went on as Varan waited for his turn, rubbing his hands and staring at his thick shoes. He never liked wearing them, even though he had his own fitted like every kaiju in the senior ranks, they never felt comfortable. He kept wanting to pull at his collar for how it suffocated him, before he took a deep breath when his name was spoken.

"You might have noticed that I skipped over Obakimura," said Shisa looking towards him, "that is because he is the reason for our meeting this day and I wanted him to share his vital news uninterrupted. Obakimura, you have the floor."

He stood up from his seat, walking amongst his peers as various creatures stared at him as he began.

"Two days ago...my secretary Naomi Tsuchimura was found murdered."

A rippling of shock came flitting across the room.

"Her head was found in a gift basket at a hostess club, along with a calling card and her Toho Clan badge with it. We believe thuh Host has returned, or at the very least a mimic."

The murmurs became gasps as Shisahara nodded severely whilst Varan continued.

"I brought you all here only to warn you that, should any of you come to Kaijurocho, there's a killer on thuh streets, and whilst I don't think they're targeting us specifically, they clearly don't care about our standing in this city."

"This is terrible," the cow shook her head, "I hoped that bastard was dead."

"Do we know it's the Host for real?" asked a heron in a pale suit.

"I don't know for sure," said Varan shaking his head, "but I'm leaving it to thuh police, this murder don't just concern our clan but all of Kaijurocho."

"You're not gonna make an example?!" shouted a cockerel in a red suit. "The Toho Clan should not stand for this offence-"

"And it will not." Shisahara raised a finger pointing to him. "Rest assured Itsumi-san, I do not intend to stand by for any of our members to be killed, this was simply a meeting to warn you all when approaching Kaijurocho until the matter has been resolved."

"And if the cops never catch this prick, then what?!" the rooster stood up with talons in the carpet. "What if it's not the Host but someone with a vengeance, targeting us?!"

"That remains to be seen, do not make suppositions without evidence."

"If I had some murderer running around in MY streets, I'd have my soldiers out there hunting them day and night!"

"An' then half of your asswipes get broken in by thuh cops," Varan turned towards him with a sneer, "thuh government only tolerate us cuz they can't catch our asses out in thuh streets, but if you wanna make a laughing stock of thuh Toho Clan go fuckin' right ahead-"

"SHUT UP, YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT HOW THESE STREETS WORK!"

"Oh whysat?! Go on, say it, say whut you think about me!"

"Is this what it's come to?" A shark in a yellow suit lit up a cigarette. "The crown jewel of Tokyo in the hands of a bumpkin who'd rather let the government's lapdogs protect his business."

"That is not what I'm doing," Varan groaned clenching his fists, "I'm keepin' my head down so I can focus my family on our business!"

"What I'm hearing is you're a coward who got rattled." The smoke breathed out her gills. "You think this is the first time the Toho Clan have been targeted? Are you going to wait until another of our clan is dead, it could even be one of our own doing the killing."

"And if it is the Host you got no chance!" shouted Itsumi breathing fire from his beak. "I knew you were the wrong choice for Kaijurocho, that bastard killed how many last year and you did NOTHING!"

"You think I'm thuh wrong choice?" said Sanjing spread his arms showing leathery wings. "Take one step closer and I'll show you who's thuh wrong choice."

" Enough."

Kin stepped out of his chair and intercepted before the two could meet.

"Obakimur, as much as I respect your restraint on this matter, there must come a time that we show face."

"Is that so?" Varan squinted. "Whut you reckon Shisa-sama?"

"I believe that you should administer one of your own lieutenants to pursue the Host, and at the very least halt their murderous advance. Would that satisfy you, Itsumi-san?"

"It'd be SOMETHING," the rooster shrugged sitting back down, "glad someone's got the balls to run that bastard in."

"Then it is so," said the Fourth Chair bowing, "this meeting is adjourned, thank you for your time."

The patriarchs and matriarchs left, except for Varan who was motioned by Shisahara to stay as they walked off together to his office. A prestigious private room with velour carpet and black sofas on either side of a glass coffee table, a lush cherrywood desk dominated the room from the back wall. Above it hung the emblem of the Toho Clan, a black circle of simple kanji along with a calligraphy banner, a samurai sword in its case, and several old photographs with newspaper clippings enframed.

"I apologise for overruling you," said the lion-beast, "Itsumi can be insufferable, it was the only way to shut him up."

"Is fine," the winged reptile shrugged, "I know he's been wantin' Kaijurocho fer years, still mighty pissed about you handing me that place."

"I trust you more than anyone, Sanjin-kun. You have never fallen short of my expectations."

They sat down on opposite sofas, the smile from Shisahara showing a different light as his tail slinked beside him. It was a warm smile that only Sanjin had seen.

"How are you?" Shisa asked.

"Doin' fine," shrugged Varan again, "my boys just all a-frazzle about you know whut."

"And Obara-kun? Is he settling in well?"

"Oh yeah he's a champ, you seen that website he cooked up?"

"I have, it looks marvellous! Almost looks legit."

"By all accounts it is," Sanjin smirked shaking his head, "Kaijurocho should be having an upshot soon, more creatures tend to come out in autumn when it's less hot."

"Will you manage in the cold?"

"Long as I don' have to wear this fuckin' suit, seriously how you manage to walk around in this shit?!"

"My family's always had that build for it," Kin stood up walking to the desk, "would you like some tea?"

"Hell yeah, gimme sum o' that black chai."

"Kono-san?" the Fourth Chair pressed a button on an intercom. "Two black chai teas please, take your time."

"Yes Shisa-sama."

"Now, let's talk business." He sat back down on the couch. "First off, I am deeply sorry for the loss of Tsuchimura-san. Second, how are you planning the funeral?"

"Well," Varan rubbed his fingers, "considerin' her family know nuthin' about her job," we were thinkin' of having a regular civvie ceremony, just us an' her husband, then we can have a more private one back at the office."

"That would be best, so you want nothing from me?"

"Nah it's good, I got it sorted. So whut about this Host, whut's yer plan fer that?"

"Well."

He raised his hand as the door opened, a long-nosed bird striding into the room with a tray of cups carried in her wings.

"Thank you Kono-san."

She bowed with gangly legs and stepped out again as the two males clinked their drinks.

"To Tsuchimura."

They drank the first sip in remembrance to her, Sanjin briefly recalling her spirit in a moment of peace. A moment of silence passed before Shisahara spoke again.

"You remember our plan that we first set up eight years ago?"

"Yeah?" Varan scratched his wing. "The one about...him?"

"I think it's time for us to prove it." The Fourth Chair leaned forwards with a pensive grin. "I think the time is now, to prove what this city can be...starting with him."

Back in Kaijurocho, Sano was trying to lose himself in the arcade down on Nagamichi Street, a smaller cosier counterpart to its larger cousin at Theater Square. Sitting at the Virtua Fighter machine as he plowed through his opponents, his eyes stared dead into the polygonal screen as challengers would come and go taking seats from around him.

"This is really bad," said Obara shaking his head.

"Sure is," Kiryu sighed, "best we can do is be there for him."

"I can't imagine what he saw...just awful."

"Just treat him normal like you do everyday, he just needs to ride it out."

"You think they'll ever catch the killer?" Gonkuro asked lowered his voice and ears.

"I hope so, for everyone's sake."

They stood to attention seeing Anguirou lift himself from his seat, his eyes sunken and his horn losing that lustrous sheen it normally had. Even the spikes down his back seemed more dull and flaccid by the minute.

"How'd it go?" asked the junior.

"Ehh, dunno," Sano rubbed his face, "fuck I'm tired."

"You want me to take over your duties today?" Kiryu asked.

"Nah, I need to get out there, let's go."

Heading back out onto Nagamichi Street, they stepped out from the smaller arcade that was the size of a corner-shop nestled between a burger joint and a pawn shop, as the three walked round to the different stores to check on their businesses. Walking into the cafe Pronto, they were greeted by the baboon manager.

"Hey there Kiryu-san!"

"Hima-san," he nodded as his friends sat, "I'll take two oolong, you two want anything?"

"Uhhh some orange juice thanks!" Obara grinned. "Can I get the wifi code too?"

"Sure."

The primate wandered off as Kiryu slumped down at the table with his friends. Sano said nothing, his face flat on the wood as Obara checked his phone. A few minutes passed as the clattering of cups and a mild hubbub drowned their thoughts before Hima returned putting down their drinks with a wifi code on a napkin.

"How's things?" Kiryu asked her. "Need any help?"

"Nope," she shrugged, "it's all good here, weirdly quiet for the summer."

"No news better than bad news, right?"

"Well, I mean, yeah but did you hear what happened in that club las-"

"We know." He cut her off with a gesture. "Sorry, we'd rather not talk about it."

"Uhh ma'am?" Gonkuro raised his hand. "Your wifi's taking a long time to connect."

"Ugh, I'm sorry," the baboon palmed her face, "the modem's been acting up a lot, I haven't had time to get a specialist in-"

"Could I take a look? I mean, I know IT stuff and I help fix a lot of my friend's modems."

"Well...I mean you're Toho so, sure, follow me."

She walked him to the back rooms as Kiryu drank his tea. He offered the other glass to Sano who looked up glibly.

"It'll help."

"Mmmthanks." He raised his head and took a sip.

"You got any tournaments coming up?"

"Nah, season's over 'til December."

"Hmm." Kiryu shook his head. "Lot of time to sharpen your skills, I'll be your training dummy...that's your cue, to say I'm already a dummy."

"Heh, heheh," the spikeback forced a chuckle, "yeah, your Bryant sucks, you should try McWild, he fits your style more."

"Yeah, you think so?"

"Oh yeah he got some mean throws, if you learn how to throw in VF, you'll make a scary bastard."

"Hmhm, can I scare you?"

"You can try." His smile returned briefly as he drank. "When you can beat my Peng Chan, then I'll be scared."

"I've beaten you before, won't be too hard."

"Oh yeah, yeah before you have, but now...I'm at my PEAK."

He clapped his face with a sudden breath and threw a few punches making Kiryu smile before the manager returned.

"I don't know how I can thank you!" Hima-san gasped. "That modem's running like a dream!"

"Oh it's fine," Obara waved, "they just didn't set it up right, now it shouldn't chug so much on the traffic."

"This kid's a real whiz, you know that Kiryu-san?"

"He sure is," the big lizard bumped fists with his junior, "alright, finish your drinks then we'll head out."

After paying they left to their other businesses, taking a small meal or a drink in each place to make sure the service was good as they roamed in a zigzagging fashion, between bugs in suits and mammals in tracksuits along the avenue as Sano looked back to Obara still glued to his screen.

"Kid, you taking that phone to a hotel or what?"

"OH, s-sorry," he stammered looking up, "I was just checking the news, you hear about the Eight-Point Space Program?"

"No?" Kiryu shrugged.

"That big robotics company, Eight-Point Industries, they're finally moving into space stuff!"

"Huh...wonder what space is like?"

"Well it's really cold, and empty but I really like the idea of us living on other planets, that'd be cool!"

"What sorta space stuff they doing?" Sano rubbed his spikes.

"Terraforming," said the youth looking back at his phone, "astromining stuff too, get some G-rads for resources."

"Space mining huh...I guess that's pretty neat-oh shit."

Sano pulled out his phone as Kiryu suddenly realised how last-decade his was.

"Aww fuck," Anguirou sighed, "Basu-chan wants me."

"That's good isn't it?" Kiryu squinted. "Thought she was your fave girl."

"Yeah but she probably wants to talk about...that."

"Oh. You want some backup?"

"N-nah, nah it'd be weird, I should go anyway, she needs a shoulder. I'll uh, see you guys later alright?"

"Later Sano, call me when you're done, okay?"

They waved each other off as Anguirou headed down the street, Obara flapping his ears with a sad look.

"You think he's going to be okay?" he asked.

"I hope so," Kiryu nodded, "talking about it with someone might help and it's with Basu-chan so-"

"Yeah. So, where we off to next?"

"I'm not sure, just waiting for Varan-san to get back, anyplace you want to go?"

"Could we check out the pawn shop?" he pointed over east. "I think I saw something in there the other day I wanna see."

"Sure."

The pawn shop was a hidden little gem in the backstreets of the city, nestled between a series of twisting alleys that stretched between the Don Quijote store to the south, and the Airenas Temple to the north. A speckled cat stood at the counter of the small pokey wooden store, filled with knick-knacks from cheaply-made katanas to old sports almanacs.

"Afternoon!" the feline bowed. "Looking for something?"

"Yeah, um," Obara scritched his ear, "I saw something here yesterday, do you still have the Park Symphony: Live in Nanjing CD?"

"Ohhh I sure do, a KayJee fan are you?"

"Sorta, I did see she was on the cover."

"Terrible thing that happened to her, such talent she had. Let me just get it for you."

It took the clerk less than a minute to find the CD, plucking it out and selling it to Obara who slipped it into his fanny pack and thanked the feline before taking his leave.

"I thought you weren't a fan," said Kiryu as they left.

"No but maybe a friend of mine wants it," Gonkuro shrugged, "this looked pretty rare, I don't remember KayJee ever collabing with orchestras."

"Some artists do, I've heard one or two do that."

"Well either way somebody'll like it, might as well listen to it when I get home-"

"M-MMMMPH, MMMPH!"

"Sh-shut up, fuckin' bitch!"

Kiryu put a finger to his lips as they heard the sounds of a struggle, hushed whispers from a snarling tone north of their location as he walked slowly into a narrow alley next to the pawn shop. A dark-shelled long-bodied crustacean with hairy beard and six bristly arms, two of which were much larger than the other two; and a white cuttlefish with thick red eyes and four noodly hands currently grabbing someone with a large sack over their heads, the voice of a lady screaming inside as they tied rope around her.

"MMMMPH, MMMMMMPH!"

"Shut the FUCK up, you wanna make it worse?!"

"MMMM-MMMPH, MMM-MMMMMPH!"

"The longer you say no the more it'll hurt," snarled the lobster, "so you better start listening!"

"Yeah," muttered the squid, "why dontcha take a vow of silence an' shut yer fucking beak!?"

"You getting this?" muttered Kiryu watching.

"Sure am," said Obara holding up his phone, "you're stopping them right?"

"Of course, just be ready to back me up."

"Right, go get 'em Kiryu-san!"

With a march up the alley the Toho senior grabbed the long rubbery head of the squid and suddenly slammed him into the wall before backfisting the crab in his tiny mouth, causing them to drop the sack as Kiryu quickly pulled their victim free.

"GO, NOW!"

"Th-thank you, THANK YOU!"

He recognised her from Shoji's temple, a pale heron with robes of flowing orange trailing behind her as she ran off to safety. He turned back towards the two thugs, their red jackets sleek with the symbol of three crowns on their back.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" the squid shot up first with a piercing stare. "WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?!"

"You think you can just kidnap someone and not get a fist through your head?" said Kiryu smacking his lips. "I don't know who you punks are, but I'll soon find out."

"Oh yeah?!" The lobster waltzed up with his pincer arms that he shoved Kiryu back with. "Well maybe I oughta pluck yer FUCKIN' EYES OUT HUH?!"

"Heh. Cute." He cracked his knuckles. "Alright, how about this, if I beat both your asses, I get to talk with your boss."

"HAH, are you for real?!" the squid chortled balling up his four arms. "Alright, fine, you die either way, either from us or Kamoebara-san!"

"Oh, wow I haven't even started, thanks for the early prize."

"GUH, SH-SHUT UP, YOU'RE DEAD!"

Putting up their dukes as they stepped out into a wider alley, the crustacean came first with his much larger pincers the size of baseball bats that came swinging for Kiryu's head. He blocked the first strike and ducked the second to drive his fist into the crab's bunched-up face, a cluster of mandibles and thin eyes that caused him to shriek from the punch before the squid wrapped his arms around Kiryu's limbs and wrenched him back.

With two tentacles binding him he slammed the other two into Gojirama's back, digging into his kidneys before the punk shrieked from a savage burn crawling up behind him. Kiryu turned the moment he was freed to slam his foot in a side kick straight into the cephalopod's squishy belly, staggering him back towards Obara who had snuck up behind and after burning his back, pounded the thug's head with two swift boxing punches.

"GA-AAARGH! WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!"

"TOHO CLAN, THAT'S WHO!" Obara shouted cracking his voice.

"FUCKIN' BRAT, YOU WANT SOME OF THIS?!"

Grabbing a bottle from the ground the octopus snatched it in his moist tentacled fist and cracked it in Obara's face, causing him to flinch back with a yelp and stagger before the punk grabbed him by the throat and arm to crunch the bottle's base into his face. Gonkuro blocked fast with his ears closing over his eyes, the hard leather protecting him briefly before he pulled the squid in close and quickly pummelled his stomach more in panic than actual force.

The thug managed to resist his frantic blows to smash the bottle against Obara's horn and send glass shards flying over his ears, pulling the sharp jagged weapon back getting ready to stab for the junior's stomach. The moment he felt and heard the bottle break, Obara quickly grabbed the squid's head and slammed in his eye to make him yell with a stinging pain, following with a fiery burp that roasted his face in a brief shock to give Obara time to grab at the tentacle holding the bottle.

"L-LET, GO!"

"F-FUCKIN' PUNKASS BITCH I'LL MAKE YOU BLEED-YA-OWWW!"

In a desperate move Obara crunched his jaws on the armed tentacle, causing the octopus to drop his bottle before another limb wrapped round Gonkuro's neck and throttled him hard with a suffocating choke. Gasping startled screams he threw himself back against the cephalopod and crushed his back against both sides of the alley, stumbling to try and loosen the grip and wrestle himself away before he pulled out his phone jangling in his pocket.

"SMILE!"

"A-AAAARGH!"

With a two button-press he flashed the camera of his phone to blind the punk, the squid rubbing his eyes as he relaxed his grip and gave Obara time to wriggle out to land a wild haymaker that, while definitely hurt the octopus enough to send him falling, would also hurt Obara when he threw out his shoulder in such a hard swing that he fell on top of the squid.

Meanwhile Kiryu took on the crab by himself, whose giant clawed mitts combined with his more regular-sized limbs gave him enough trouble to keep blocking against. Focusing on the bigger meatier claws Kiryu slammed his fists into both larger arms and took the blows to his body from the smaller hands punching at his waist, gritting his teeth before he crunched his skull into the crustacean's face.

"F-FUUUCK!" the lobster shrieked pulling his eyestalks back. "Y-YOU FUCKING SHITHEAD I'LL BREAK YOUR FACE!"

With a lunging rush he charged up his claw for a mighty swing, striking from above in a hammerfist as Kiryu grabbed a trashcan lid from nearby and blocked him deftly with a leaden crunch. By now a small crowd had gathered from Nagamichi Street, staring at the dark-scaled lizard shielding himself against the heavy crushing blows of the crustacean, along with the young horned beast trying to punch off a thuggish squid further down the lane.

The trashcan lid started to break after the seventh blow, the lobster roaring with karate-chops of his giant claws until the eighth strike cleaved the cheap metal in half. Kiryu smiled stepping back as he clutched both halves of the lid, stepping forwards with a sudden slash as he tore through the lobster's jacket and shredded across his softer belly.

"A-AAAARGH! THASSIT, NOW YOU'RE DEAD!"

Leaping high with both claws raised above, the thug-crustacean slammed his heavy arms down for Kiryu's head but what he didn't expect was Kiryu to jump straight up towards him. With both halves of the trashcan lid he slammed one into each claw and followed with a hard driving knee into the crab's stomach, a choking spittle of bubbling forth escaping his mouth in a dry heave as he stumbled back against the alley wall, before Kiryu raised his arms to slam the lid halves down on both sides of the punk's face with a shuddering CLANG through his head. Staggering with the world blurring before him, his eyestalks trembled like cymbals as Kiryu grabbed the trashcan itself, and slammed it down on top of the crab's body.

"M-MMMM, MMMMMPH!"

"There," Kiryu thumped the side of the can, "right where you belong, now you know how that lady feels."

"G-GUUUUH, F-FUCK IT STINKS!"

"Like I said, where you belong, OBARA GET BACK!"

Pushing himself off the squid, Gonkuro stepped away to watch Kiryu slam the trashcan down on its side and kick it down the alley, bouncing like a rubber ball with the lobster screaming inside.

"AAAaaaaAAAAaaaaAAAAAaaaaAAAAAAGH!"

With a crunching clang he slammed straight into the octopus, the canned crab crushing his companion flat when they both fell out of the alley and onto Pink Street, much to the shock of passersby.

"Done," Kiryu clapped the dust from his hands, "you okay Obara-kun?"

"Y-YEAH!" the youth staggered shaking all over. "I-i knocked him right in the eyes!"

"Heheh, good. Keep an eye on garbage boy while I talk to his friend."

Whilst Gonkuro kept a handle on the crab-dumpster by keeping his foot on him, Kiryu pulled up the white squid by two of his tentacles and snarled:

"Who are you working for?"

His response was a thick wad of spit, a cooling gel that smeared down Kiryu's cheek.

"Do you really need four arms, or should I just take two of them now?"

"I got...nothin' to say to some Toho fu-A-AAAARRGH!"

Kiryu twisted the arms with both hands in a wrangling burn.

"Who, do you work for?"

"F-FUH, AAAGH!"

"I already know your boss is called Kamoebara, what clan is your family with?"

"N-nobody, GUH!"

"So some common street gang can afford embroidered jackets that good? There's at least four of you I know with that crown emblem."

"H-heh...you'll get what's coming to you, Toho boy, all of you!"

"Ohh?"

"You wanna meet my patriarch?! Fine...I'll call him, what's your name bitch?"

"Hm. Kiryu." He dragged the squid up on his tentacle-feet. "Gojirama Kiryu. Tell him I have words for anyone who tries to threaten the Airenas Temple."

"Gladly." The squid shoved him back. "GANIMURA, LET'S GO!"

"WHUH?!" The crab-trashcan shot up like a rocket. "B-BRO, WHERE ARE YA?!"

"ARE YOU DEAF, THIS WAY!"

"W-WAIT, GEZO-SAN DON'T LEAVE ME!"

Watching the two stagger off like drunkards, creatures stood bemused and shocked at the walking dumpster bashing into the walls with constant shouts and panicked clangs before the octopus grabbed him and dragged him north up the street.

"Should I upload this?" Obara gestured to his phone.

"Show it to Varan-san first," said Kiryu swishing his tail, "whoever these thugs are, we need to teach them these streets belong to us."

"R-right...h-hohhh jeez."

"Hey," he patted the junior's head, "you did good, you held him off."

"I-i thought he was gonna kill me, h-he had a broken glass bottle an-"

"Any fight you walk away from, is a good fight. Varan-san taught you well."

"He s-sure did...thanks, Kiryu-san."

Heading back west to Nagamichi Street, the crowd had dispersed slightly worried about the two victors of the fight, but deciding not to get involved in the end as they walked back to Tenkaiju Street.

"Hold on." Kiryu stopped outside the Poppo mart. "I need to do something."

"Oh you want a drink?" Obara nodded. "I'll have one too."

They both walked inside as the junior went to the soft drinks, Kiryu grinning at the familiar clerk who flapped his little webbed ears.

"Hello Kiryu-san!"

"Hey...McCartin-san, right?"

"Y-yes, yes sir!"

"Here's what I owe you," he handed over some yen, "thank you again for before."

"Is okay," McCartin pocketed it, "are you okay?"

"I am, thank you."

"Black Claw Sake?"

"No, not today thanks, I just wanted to pay you back...could do with some Fat Man cigarettes though, can I have those?"

"Yes sir!"

McCartin reached back to the tobacco section and grabbed Kiryu's favourite brand, just as Obara arrived with two cans of soda.

"You like cola Kiryu-san?" he asked.

"Not really, but I am thirsty so I should get something."

"There's some Baidu Tea on sale, half-price!"

"Oooh, perfect."

Whilst he went to look for drinks, Gonkuro smiled at Gordon after noticing the foreign name on his badge.

"Nice name!"

"Ah, thank you," he bowed.

"//You...lived, here, long?//"

McCartin blinked with surprise at Obara's stuttering English, before he nodded with a bigger smile and replied in turn.

"//Aye, three years I studied here.//"

"//Great! Do you...like, Japan?//"

"//I do! It's so different here, everything's enormous but also really packed and tiny, feel like sardines in a tin!//"

"//Where, are you, from?//"

"//Ireland,//" Gordon bowed, "//do you know it?//"

"//No, sorry,//" Obara shook his head, "//you...study, what?//"

"//Ocean conservation, at McNess University.//"

"//OH, McNess, very good, Irish like you!//"

"//Ahahaha, no, no no,//" he waved his finger, "//McNess is Scottish, not Irish.//"

"//O-oh, sorry,//" Gonkuro bowed with shameful ears, "//my fault.//"

"//It's okay, I know our names are similar.//"

"Alright," Kiryu put down a six-pack of bottled ice tea, "don't worry, I do have money this time."

"Hahaha, is okay sir," McCartin slipped back into halting Japanese, "sixteen-hundred yen, please."

"You practicing your English Obara-kun?" he smirked as he paid.

"I mean, I had to try," the junior shrugged, "hope I sounded okay."

"Your English good," Gordon gave a thumbs up, "keep trying, I am too!"

"Thank you! Have a good day!"

"Goodbye! See you soon Kiryu-san!"

"See you around McCartin-san," Kiryu bowed as he left.

"Wow I've never met a beast before," said Gonkuro as they walked down the street, "he sounds a lot different to the ones I see on Ghoultube."

"What were you two talking about?" he drank one of the bottles.

"Oh just, where he was from, what he studied, you ever hear of Ireland, that's where he's from."

"Hmm, nope, my geography's pretty bad outside Japan."

"Hahah, mine too."

As they walked down Tenkaiju Street, back to the glorious crimson gate, they saw a limousine pull up as Kiryu sighed with relief seeing who stepped out.

"Thanks again," Varan-san gave his chauffeur a tip, "take care Hakura-san."

"Thank you, Obakimura-san."

The yak drove off past the rickshaw taxis as the old spiked wandered up to his subordinates. Obara waved at him in turn as he beckoned them inside the office

"How did it go?" Kiryu asked offering a bottle.

"Welp," Varan chugged down a quart of iced tea, "Itsumi-san was squawking off as usual, Samemura called me a coward an' I still fuckin' hate this suit."

"Wha-no way!!" Gonkuro stomped his foot. "Y-you're not a coward, you're the coolest guy I know, y-you took on the Dread Lord Dragarr without any elixirs!"

"Heh, thanks Obara-kun." He rubbed the youth's head as he went upstairs. "Either way they know about thuh Host now, an' I'm about to make preps for thuh funeral."

"You want help with the schedule? I could write up an itinerary."

"Yeah you do that, thanks. Kiryu I need you fer a bit, an' where's Sano?"

"He's with Basu-chan," Gojirama followed him, "she was upset about the murder, so I think they needed to console each other."

"Mmmm...guess that's good."

"OH, before you go!" Obara pulled out his phone. "We stopped two thugs kidnapping a priestess!"

"Whut?!"

"Yeah look!"

He showed him the clip he captured of the crab and squid bundling the heron into a sack. Varan shook his head rubbing his spikes with a deep sigh.

"Fuck's sake, first a murder now we got kidnappings, whut in thuh gotdamn hell is Kaijurocho coming to?"

"I'm just glad we could stop them," Obara put his phone away, "they looked like part of some gang."

"Do you recognise them?" asked Kiryu.

"Nah," Varan shook his head, "I'll ask around though, you keep your eyes peeled too if they gonna be trouble."

"I've arranged a meeting with their patriarch, they're definitely a rival clan so I can find out more once they call me back."

"Heh...good shit," he patted Kiryu's shoulder with a grin, "I knew I made thuh right choice pickin' you as Lieutenant."

"Thank you sir," he bowed.

"Alrigh', Obara-kun you sort out that funeral stuff fer me, I left thuh details on Kiryu's desk but if you wanna take over then be my guest."

"I will Varan-san," the youth saluted, "you can count on me!"

"I know I can."

With a heavy sigh Sanjin lumbered up the stairs to his personal quarters with Kiryu following. The first thing he did was rip off his suit, throwing the beige coat down and yanking the tie off as his lieutenant closed the door behind.

"I didn't wanna get us involved," the senior started, "but Shisa-han said we gotta show face."

"So...we are hunting the Host?" Kiryu asked.

"Afraid so. Hopefully thuh police catch 'em before we do but, after thuh shitstorm Itsumi made, it's time fer action."

He kicked off his shoes and pulled down his pants until they hung off his tail, sitting down on the tatami mat wearing only his vest and underpants.

"You'll have to excuse my dressin' down, it helps me think more clearly, like one o' them monks who sit under waterfalls."

"Is that something you do in a videogame too?" Kiryu chuckled.

"Don' smart-mouth me boy," he chugged more of the tea, "anyways, you won't be laughin' long, cuz guess who's gonna be huntin' fer thuh Host."

He patted the cushion beside him as Kiryu joined in drinking up his bottle.

"Shisa-han an' I, we debated a good while about who should be dealin' with this. You're my most trusted soldier, you know all thuh creatures best, you got a way with words an' also yer fists."

"You think...I can catch a serial killer that escaped the law for fourteen months?" Kiryu squinted.

"If any of us can, it's you Kiryu-san. I don't wanna do it, it's thuh cops who oughta put killers behind bars an' it's our job to stabilise business, pushing out other gangs an' keep thuh city running. That said, a serial killer's a real dampener on our business acumen."

Sanjin finished the whole bottle before crunching it with his headspike.

"Find this killer, an' bring that sunuvabitch to justice. If you can drag them out before thuh cops, then even better."

"And if they won't go quietly?"

"Do whut you have to. Death is too good fer them, you need any backup you call me."

"I will. I'll start tomorrow, Varan-san."

With the rest of the day going by smoothly, Kiryu clocked off his usual time and headed back home after night had fallen. Through the blinding neon maze of the city he found a taxi and went back to his apartment, his simple belongings comforting him as he washed and dried his white suit and red shirt before going to bed, staring up at the ceiling and making a mental checklist for tomorrow.

He fell asleep halfway through his list, awakening hours later to the sounds of the landlord crowing at dawn much to the frustration of night shift workers. After morning broke with its slanting rays through his window, Kiryu showered and dressed himself back in his typical clothes before taking the bus back to the central city, feeling briefly out of place among the spiders and snakes in high school clothes sitting at the bus stop.

Alright, he pondered, need to start searching for clues...firstly, where would the police have not looked all those months?

The bus that arrived was so long it required a bender in the middle, almost like a train with a centipede driver at the front and the roof as tall as a double decker despite being only one floor just to accommodate the much larger kaiju with several different sizes of seats to match various creatures. Every chair also had a back hole for tails, with kaiju complaining occasionally when someone's appendage rubbed or tickled another's knee.

Stepping off at the Hotel District, Kiryu straightened his collar and headed south towards Theater Square. The sight of the arcade suddenly made him remember to check on Anguirou as he pulled out his phone.

Goji - Morning. You okay?

Angy - yeh, sorry, musta missed you at the office last night

Goji - How's Basu-chan? Is she alright?

Angy - yeh, just needed someone to talk to

Goji - Did it help?

Angy - honestly? yeh, it did.

Goji - Good, if you need anything, you can always call me.

Angy - thanks bro. wut u up to?

Goji - Surveillance for Varan-san, but I'll be available all day.

Angy - cool, stay safe alright?

Goji - I will, you too.

For the next half-hour, Kiryu walked around the perimeter of Kaijurocho, heading along West Shachifuku Street in the northwest, then all the way down past Theater Square back to Tenkaiju Street to briefly pop in and tell his boss that he arrived. Sanjin of course was sleeping in, so he left a message at his desk and went back out to the southern taxi ranks along all of Showa Street. He asked all of them if they had seen her that night, but it was fruitless since whilst some of them did know Tsuchimura by her description, none of them recalled her from the night of her disappearance due to all of them being day-time workers. So he would walk in a full circle, up Zennyo Avenue and onto East Shachifuku Street, heading all the way back west to his original starting point until he was accosted by a horrendous familiar stench.

"OH, HEY, KIRYU-SAN!"

Oh no.

He turned with a dread that his nostrils alerted to first. The wide-eyed slug was back under the awning of the Millennium Tower's rear, but this time he was garbed in a giant Western toilet bowl that wrapped round his body.

"I thought it was you," Royama waved, "good morning!"

"Nnngh, good morning," Kiryu clenched his nose shut, "I uh, see you're trying a new costume."

"Yep, and you were right, the kids love it! I got a lot of looks from them and their parents on the way to school!"

"Ohh I'm sure you did, is your campaign going well?"

"You bet it is-ow!" Hideo jumped causing the lid to slam on his head. "I was worried we'd need a dire way outs but we managed to make progress, creatures are noticing, they're talking about it, we were even trending for a wee while!"

"That's good!" Kiryu tightened his lips. "I'm...glad to hear you're making waves."

"Ohoh yeah, soon we'll be making a splashback!" said the sewer-kaiju pumping his fist. "Even the cops took notice of us, had one come by the other day asking about the old section we don't use anymore!"

"Wait, what, the police?"

"Yeah, I was surprised too! But I knew they'd listen to me one day, I've told the mayor's office a dozen times that we didn't NEED a whole new section for Kaijuro Hills, all you're doing is pissing your money up a tree!"

"What did the police talk about?" Gojirama asked.

"Largely about Section DF," said Royama rubbing his rim, "it's this old section of the sewers that got abandoned since the new apartments on the Hills, now it's just sitting there, unflushed, turgid with fluoride and homeless folks, I mean not that I mind they're using it if it keeps them safe-"

"The homeless live down there too?"

"Well...no one else is using that section, like I said I don't mind, it's just such a shame that a good section of plumbing's not gone to shit!"

"Heh, right...where is this section exactly?"

"Riiiight, here." Hideo pointed downwards and further to the east. "It's mostly under Little Asia, but we're actually pretty close to it!"

"Huh...that's interesting." Kiryu nodded rubbing his chin. "You really do know a lot about this city Royama-san."

"Haha, thanks, my parents always said I was a real shit-stirrer, glad to see it finally paying off! Actually, since you helped me out with your advice before, could I ask for your help again sometime?"

"With what?" he grimaced by instinct.

"Well, you know this city in and out too, you're not wet behind the ass I can tell, could I call on you in future to help me with the campaign, just you know, send out some flyers, put up posters? I can't really ask many of my workers to do it since we're all hands on the poop deck down at the plant."

Should I help him, Gojirama rubbed his neck in thought. He's been really helpful, and if this info pays off I do owe him one...plus, if he's helping out the city, I should at least make an effort if it benefits everyone.

"Alright," he nodded with a reluctant grin, "you call on me when you need me, but only for your campaign since I'm usually very busy."

"Oh of course-ow!" Hideo bowed bonking his head with the lid. "If I'm not out here, I'm knee-deep in my work so I don't even have much time to call anyone!"

"Alright." Kiryu gave his number to Royama. "You still use that slogan about cleaning chutes?"

"Oh yeah, and guess what the kids love it! Hashtag-clean-your-chute, my junior assistant recommended it, and all the kids who passed me were shouting it out, that's why we're trending!"

"Seriously?" Kiryu blinked. "Jeez, I don't get kids today."

"Me neither, but whatever works-ow dammit," Hideo shrugged as the lid bonked him again. "I'll call you when I'll need you, thank you again Kiryu-san!"

With a thumbs up as he departed, a gasp of relief came from Kiryu when he was allowed to exhale, shuddering with a slight cough before he pondered to himself again.

Alright, back to business. If the homeless are using the tunnels, they might have seen the Host. None of them would talk to the cops, so that must be something they're missing. Now, I just need to find some of them.

His first guess for where they would be was right back at the Hotel District where he caught the bus. Along the north of the batting centre was Park Avenue, a long lonely street beneath the great Kaijuro Hills, luscious apartments where at the foot of its walls laid mountains of trash dumped by various companies, bags of spilling out their refuse in wretched plastic slime.

It was unfortunately the perfect place for the bereft and miserable to be found, sodden wretched creatures digging through bags of refuse, cairns of clutter filled with plastic slime that oozed out across the pavement. The great unwashed peeked out from their motheaten coats, the poor and tired moths eating their own coats in desperation with their wings torn and feebly flapping.

"Excuse me."

Kiryu approached a small tent under which the ragged few sat.

"I was wondering if you could help me."

"Ehh?" a kappa wearing a cardboard hat sneered at him. "You wan' directions or whut?"

"No, well...yes. Do any of you know where I can get into Section DF?"

"Why?" a tarantula with four limbs clacked her jaws at him. "You a cop or sumthin'?"

"Naw naw lookit the badge," a bear thinner than Kiryu pointed at him, "see he got wun o' them uh, clan pins."

"Yes, I'm Toho," he bowed, "my name's Gojirama Kiryu, I'm searching for someone."

"To rescue or kill?"

"Neither. There's a serial killer in Kaijurocho, and my patriarch's tasked me to hunt them down."

"You talkin' about the Host?"

The kappa stood up with shivering legs and walked towards him.

"You don't think, we don't know about that fucker runnin' back an' forth? Why you suddenly give a shit about them now, when yer clan didn't do SHIT back f-fourteen months?"

"We wanted to leave it to the police," Kiryu crossed his arms, "it was their job to catch murderers, not ours."

"So why you givin' a shit NOW?!"

"Because they killed my friend."

The homeless kappa smiled, leaning back with arms spread as water sloshed out of his head.

"Lookit that. Fuckin' yakuza only give a shit when one o' their own gets hit! Never mind how many of US got FUCKIN' GANKED!"

"The Host attacked you too?" Kiryu gasped.

"YEAH, NOT THAT YOU FUCKIN' CARE, YOU ONLY GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YERSELVES WITH YER FANCY FUCKIN' SUITS AN-U-URRH...u-urrrgh."

In his bile and bluster the kappa had thrown his head too far causing the bowl of water in his head to empty, shutting down his thoughts as he fell back against one of the cushions of trash before the bear crawled over with a pitcher of dirty water.

"Sorry about that," he filled the kappa's head with rancid brown, "when he gets uppity he tends to uh, overheat."

"I'm sorry," Gojirama nodded, "for us not helping you before, we didn't realise the Host was targeting you."

"Ehh, it's fine, we never asked fer help anyway so why would you come?"

"Still not right, and I assume the police never knew either-"

"Pfft," the spider shrugged rubbing her remaining arms, "why the fuck would they care about us, every thing we do is a crime, including tryin' to live."

"Why don't we make a trade then? I get you something to help through the night, you point me the right way to Section DF."

"What you plan on doing to this Host if you find 'em?"

"I'll give them what they deserve." Kiryu crunched his fist into his hand. "Drag them into daylight for the police to put in jail, and if not...I'll send them down the river."

"Good. Tell you what." The spider cricked her neck. "Get us some bento lunches, some blankets and shochu, one for each of us. We'll tell you how to get to DF."

"Done." He offered his hand and gently shook hers. "I'll be back in thirty, see you soon."

After taking enough out the ATM, Kiryu rushed down all the way to Don Quijote in the south and grabbed everything after a small wait. Three bundled thick blankets, three extra large bento boxes and three bottles of shochu. It was a dent to his budget, but their information was more precious to him as he hurried back with the goods and gave each of them a bag with their own separate goods. In return the spider gave Kiryu a small note written down with instructions.

Go to Little Asia, and tell them "geum-yoilkkaji oli ne mali".

"Ehh?" the kappa woke up pulling down his hat. "Whuh happen?"

"Oh uh Toho boy here felt bad about you gettin' worked up," the bear pointed to their prize, "so he went an' bought sumthin' fer each of us."

"Whu-...s-seriously?"

"Yep," Kiryu nodded catching on, "I'm sorry about us not helping you, or listening to your problems. You're as much creatures of this city as we are."

"W-well...uh, thanks? That's...mighty kind of ya."

He was more stunned than anything, the hairy-beaked kaiju taking his bag and pulling the blanket over himself.

"Awwww damn this feels so warm!" the kappa whimpered. "Hawww jeez I'm gonna sleep good tonight."

"I hope it helps," Kiryu said offering his card, "if you need more help, or you see any trouble, leave a note at this address."

"You serious?" the bear blinked. "Wow, that's...you really wanna help us still?"

"Yes. Like your friend said, it's not right you were left out in the cold, and no one helped you when the Host was around before."

"Damn straight," the kappa nodded dripping water from his hat, "sorry fer shoutin' at you before, yer alright I guess."

"Take care."

He headed off to the east, following Park Avenue to the end before crossing south over to East Shachifuku and past the Kanrai restaurant before turning towards the cluster of apartment blocks a short distance from the Millennium Tower. Crumpled like cardboard with filthy walls and windows covered by corkwood, he stared towards the goat guard at the entrance of its alley and braced himself.

"Hey."

The watcher tried to stop him with a piercing stare.

"Geum...yo-ilka-ji...oli ne, mali."

The bouncer blinked with her head rearing back in surprise. Looking both sides of the street for any followers, she stepped aside and beckoned Kiryu in. The moment he stepped inside, an air of violence would seethe upon his head.