FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

After his first day in the Eight Wonders, Gen returned home with some of his wounds patched up and grinning the whole way back, having to restrain himself when creatures gave him looks on the bus before he reached Issincho. Night had started to fall, the warm orange hues turning to a deep pink as the lights of the city flickered on in a myriad of gold like fireflies over the stream.

"Mei-chan!" he opened the door to their apartment. "Dude holy shit, holy SHIT!"

"Oh hey howsit goin-OH SHIT!"

Meiji rushed over immediately and checked his wounds, grabbing his friend's arms and patting over his head.

"Are you alright, shit what happen, who the fuck beat you up?!"

"Hey-ey-ey chill," Gen batted him away, "I just went to the Eight Wonders remember?"

"Yeah but, you're hurt!"

"I can still walk dude it's not that bad, just my face hurts a lot."

"Aww..." Meiji kissed his face, "you want your favourite takeaway?"

"Yeah, you offering?"

The bird grinned as he lumbered through and sat on the bed, whilst the bug rang up their favourite place that he had the pamphlet of in his drawer. Thirty-five minutes later they were sharing a pizza, watching a bad movie involving a prince of space who battled a bird-like race from some distant planet trying to take over Earth.

"So I was doing the ol' sickle storm," Gen gestured rolling his hands, "and then the fucker starts doing the same thing with HIS bat!"

"Woah for real?!" Meiji gasped chewing a slice. "Mmmm, didn't know you could do a bat like a nunchuk."

"Seriously it was kinda rad, so anyway I started blasting, just bopped him in the face and ripped the bat out his hands like 'what, come on bitch', so he was like 'alright, we doing this' and then he starts boxing?!"

"Hahaha, oh damn just went bare-handed?!"

"Yeah," Gen took another slice to chomp, "so I thought hey, he wanna do that, sure, I put away my sickles and we just fucking GO, like fist against fist, and I beat his ass pretty good but, well...he beat my ass even harder."

"Awww." Meiji rubbed his friend. "Sorry you didn't win-"

"What no, I still got through! I just didn't jump up to the big leagues but they still put me on the rookie leagues."

"Oh cool! So, wait, you're not mad about getting your ass beat?"

"Yanno, it's kinda weird." Ganbe rubbed his head. "I like...I kinda liked getting my ass kicked by this Zilla guy cuz it was...like, because he was not hating on me or something, and the crowd still loved me, they were chanting my name and shit even after I lost to him, then Zilla-san told me that, it's not about winning or losing, it's about just...the fight, you know?"

"Aaaah." The beetle nodded sagely. "I getcha, s'like being in the little leagues, you just wanna have fun, not win anything big."

"RIGHT?! Is that kinda weird? I just don't wanna sound like a trophy-cuck."

"Naaah bro it's cool, I'm happy you having fun in this fight club, hell makes me wanna come too!"

"Weeell," Gen rubbed his arm with a heavy sigh, "I'm not there for fun, I do got a mission to go to."

"Well, yeah but...if you had to go undercover at the batting centre, doesn't stop me from going there."

"Ehhh, I mean...alright hey, if you wanna come in, you gotta prove yourself in Ameritown."

"Yeah?" Meiji scarfed down another pizza slice. "Who ya call up for that?"

"This lady called Clover-san, she's American but basically, you gotta fight her, no killing, no deep wounds or shit, just gotta prove you're strong enough."

"Ooooh...yo that sounds kinda fun, hey, wouldn't it be funny if you an' me end up fighting each other?"

"Hahahaha, aw no I don't wanna fight you Mei-chan!"

"Why, cuz you'd lose?" Meiji elbowed him.

"Oh I'd kick your ass, that's why I don't wanna!"

"Nah you can't."

"The fuck I can!" Gen tightened his fist.

"Dude, if I couldn't kick your ass, they wouldn't make me your handler."

"Th-that's different, I know all your moves now!"

"Nah you don't." Meiji smiled. "You never seen me at my full power."

"Oh yeah?" Ganbe brought out two beer bottles and handed one to his friend. "Alright...you end up in Eight Wonders, and we ever square off, you show me your full power."

"Awhawww no dude," the beetle shook his head, "Don't make promises you can't take."

"Hey you've fucked my ass plenty times, what's worse than that?"

"You said you liked it when I fuck your ass!"

"Hahahaha, I do Mei-chan but, come on..." the bird put a hand on Meiji's lap, "you don't think I'm strong enough to take what you give?"

"Mmmm. Alright." The bug cracked the bottle open with his horn. "You want it, you got it bro."

"Hellll yeah!"

They clinked bottles together and drank up still watching the movie, finishing their pizza and taking an early night as Meiji spooned his friend. He was always the big spoon, which suited both of them just fine as the night soon faded from their window, the dawn creeping over the horizon to gently caress their faces. As the morning grew, a deep golden line burned through Gen's face. With arms still hurting he dragged himself towards the shower, Meiji joining him as they washed each other down.

Much to Garonba's surprise, Ganbe was much less flighty than usual during their intimate moments, less twitching and awkward starts during their rub-and-hug session. They stepped out the apartment in their usual clothes with a spring in their step, a clear beautiful day as they noticed the homeless camp was abuzz with activity. Kiyo the serpent had gathered round her usual cohorts, the tiger, the bald otter and the kappa with muddy water in his head.

"Alright," asked the imp, "run that by me again?"

"Go under the bridge," said Kiyo, "tell them the roses need watering, that's all."

"O-oh, just that?"

"Yep, nothing else."

"Hey guys!" Meiji waved to them in passing. "Wassup?"

"Nothing," Kiyo waved back, "you boys alright?"

"Sure am! Hey where's Dorama, that guy we fished out the river?"

"He's grabbing stuff for us, that old coot's a real bargain you found, he been helping us everywhere."

"Yeah?" Gen nodded. "Well that's cool, glad he's helping you out, so what is this you all doi-"

"Mm-mm," the serpent shook her head, "that's on a need-to-know basis."

"Alright, whatever see ya."

He walked off slightly insulted but not caring enough to dig deeper. His friend however was more curious, looking back as they headed down the street.

"What you think they up to?" asked Garonba.

"I don't care," Ganbe shrugged.

"Arentcha curious, what if they're planning a heist?"

"Then that's pretty rad and I hope we get to hear about it on the news."

"Uhhh...why'd you wanna hear that isn't stuff reported on the news when creatures find out?"

"Well, yeah," the bird squinted, "that's how news work."

"But if you do a crime," the beetle stopped tapping his chin, "and it gets on the news, that means you got found out, right?"

"Nooo you only get found out if they KNOW it's you," Gen waved a finger.

"Yeah but what if they NEVER find out the crime, wouldn't that be the best kinda crime, something no one ever knows that you did it?"

"E-ehh, never mind let's change the subject-HEY look!"

With a shiver up his spine, Gen marched towards the southwest end of the Commercial District to where the statue of Morag stood defending the river. Standing in front with an equally-defiant look, was a long-haired pup with an eyepatch, striped shirt and pants.

"Eyyy, Gutblade!"

"STAY BACK YA SCUM!" she swung out her two plastic swords.

"Eyyyy woah woah it's me, Marbul!" Garonba tapped his chest. "Remember, me an' Deadeye we met at the park?"

"OH, r-right!" the dog smiled for a second before she kept up her guard. "Whatcha doin' round here ya swashbucklers?!"

"Just passing through," Gen shrugged, "saw you guarding the statue, where's your friends?"

"They're coming, so don't get any ideas or I'll gut ya!"

"Nah nah, don't worry, I promised right? The treasure was yours if you ever find it."

"Yar," she grinned swishing her blade, "what you both up to then?"

"We just woke up," Garonba rubbed his neck, "gonna grab some food before we do stuff."

"Mmmm...wh-what kinda food?"

"Ooooh yanno I'm really in the mood for pot stickers, something Chinese maybe with the little crackers and the dipping sauce."

"Oh shit that sounds good right now," Gen licked his beak, "you wanna go to Zou Tian?"

"Naaah what about that Feng Wu place?"

"Oh that's not real Chinese dude, come on."

"What it so is!" cried Meiji.

"It's in Chinatown bro, none of that shit's Chinese."

"Then whysit called Chinatown?!"

"Cuz it's fake China," Gen threw his hand, "you know Gihei just props all that stuff up to draw in tourists, it's all fake as shit-"

"N-nnnnrrrgh!"

They stopped at the sound of a stomach growling as they looked towards Gutblade, the small pup clutching her tummy with a burbling of empty noises.

"S-sorry," she blushed, "I haven't eaten today."

"For real?" Ganbe shook his head. "Why not?"

"I-i have to protect the treasure, 'til my friends get here, gotta keep it safe!"

"But you can't just starve yourself," Meiji sighed, "then you'll pass out, and then nobody'll be guarding the treasure."

"I can't leeeeeave," the young pirate whimpered, "they were s'posed to be here now."

"Ugh, alright you want breakfast?" The bird crossed his arms. "I can grab you something from the store up the road."

"R-really?!" Gutblade gasped wagging her tail. "Um, c-can I have a bento lunch please, maybe a medium?"

"Yeah sure, got nothing else to do, one bento coming up."

"Th-thank youuuu!"

She bowed politely as they went to the Poppo store nearby, heading past the homeless camp to reach the southern edge of Ameritown and enter the minimart where a thin tanuki greeted them amidst rows of brightly-coloured boxes. They grabbed one medium-sized box as they took a leisurely stroll back down, but not before the cold rasp of Death came from behind.

"Ganbe-san."

"WHU-GUH, F-F-FUH!"

He sputtered in a sudden turn and launched a fist in surprise before it was immediately blocked by two arms with a third pushing at his throat. Meiji grabbed the bento box that flew out of Gen's hand as Maung stood before them with a courteous grin.

"I apologise for scaring you, my aahpaw."

He disentangled his limbs from Gen, two of the spider's arms still cradled in their slings as Gen bowed profusely.

"S-sorry, so sorry, p-please don't hurt me I am SO sorry i-i totally didn't-"

"No no," Khoumad waved his hand, "it is fine, it's good to see you are so alert. I came to check on your progress concerning your mission."

"Oh, it's going great! I got in pretty easy and I even got myself in Saureno's team!"

"Yeah he came back looking great!" Meiji added. "He got his ass kicked, but he still got in the rookie leagues-"

"Fuckin' SHUT UP dude!" Gen slapped his head. "Didn't have to tell him that!"

"What just saying you did great, you took it like a champ!"

"I'm impressed Ganbe," said Khoumad with a wider grin, "Gihei-sama will be most happy to hear your progress."

"I mean, I'm...still working towards that," Gen rubbed his neck, "getting alone with him and all, I-i mean it's gonna take a while you know-"

"I do not expect your mission to be fulfilled by the end of this week, fear not. I will not tell Gihei yet, so as to keep his expectations low."

"Thank you," Ganbe bowed again, "how are your arms Maung-san?"

"They are healing," Khoumad looked over his limbs, "though it has made some tasks difficult."

"You win anything good at mahjong?" asked Meiji looking him over.

"I try not to make it a habit." His eyes twitched towards the beetle. "I wanted to speak to you Garonba, concerning your forge."

"Oh yeah, sure!"

"Where did you learn such crafting? The blades that Kamoebara commissioned were of exceptional value."

"My granpa taught me," Meiji smiled with a bounce, "he set up the forge and everything."

"He was a blacksmith?"

"Yeah, my mom passed away so he brought me in, taught me everything he knew."

"Then I wish to pay tribute," said Maung bowing to him, "could I ask for a commission of your work?"

"Awww shit yeah!"

"M-mei-chan!" Gen gripped his hand. "Are you suuuuure you're not too busy-"

"NOPE!" Meiji pumped his fist. "I'd totally make you a cool knife, or sword, even an axe, whatever you want!"

"Thank you Garonba," the tarantula clasped four of his hands, "I will contact you at a later date. Take care, both of you."

"Later Maung-san!"

They watched Khoumad leave with his coat billowing in the morning breeze. Once he had gone down another street, Gen shivered next to his friend.

"What the fuck Mei-chan, why you wanna make stuff for him?!"

"What he's a potential customer!" Meiji shrugged.

"You know what he DOES with those blades?!"

"Uh yeah, I'm not an idiot dude."

"You think the sun's being pulled by a fucking chariot!" Ganbe snapped pointing at the sky.

"I'm just saying it COULD be a thing!"

"Ugh...Mei-chan, could you..." the bird gulped shaking his head, "n-no, no it's nothing, let's just get this damn lunch back to the kid."

Heading back to the Morag statue, they saw Gutblade still waiting beside it underneath a streetlight, opposite the carpark with its thin-slated upper roof where rickshaws and automobiles sat. However she was not alone, when four girls in school uniforms and gaudy cellphone straps came waltzing up the street, an ox, a rabbit, a cat and a cow.

"Hey, Kumen-kun."

"Ugh," the dog rolled her eye, "what do you want?"

"You been hiding away from us?" the brown ox snorted. "What you think you're too good for us?"

"I told you before I don't like you! You pushed me down in school yesterday!"

"Cuz you were looking at us funny, you gotta learn to respect the higher grades."

"Yeah we saw you hanging with Karasami," the white rabbit pulled her own ears, "what's a fifth-grader like you doing talking to her?"

"She's my friend!" Gutblade stomped her foot.

"She can't be your friend, you're a default!"

"Yeah," the cat sneered showing her fangs, "don't even have a new phone, that one you got's even older than you, is that your dad's phone Kumen-kun?"

"It's mine," the dog poked her tongue at her, "you're just jealous that it's better than yours."

"Can you even use it properly with that stupid eyepatch?" said the hare rubbing her foot. "Aren't you a little old to be playing pirates?"

"Well you LOOK old."

"WHAT?!"

"You better take that back," the black cow pushed the puppy back, "unless you want a black eye to match your patch."

"Or you gonna slice us up with your fake widdle swords?" the cat waved her paw.

"Your face is all fake," Gutblade tightened her lip, "I bet if you fell on your face, it'd look like, like, like a bag of flour just went PFFFT!"

"Sh-SHUT UP you dumb BITCH!"

The kitten lashed out as Gutblade quickly parried with her sword, plastic as it was it made a good defence against the hissing feline who was slapped across the face by the cutlass. The rabbit tried to grab the dog's shoulder but she was deflected in turn by the other sword that jabbed her nose and caused her to recoil with a squeak of fright, before the cow and the ox grappled her arms and pulled off her eyepatch.

"N-NOOO!"

"Wha-...oh, shit."

"She...she's only got..."

Gutblade wrenched herself free and grabbed her patch, quickly putting it back on and stumbling up against the statue with her swords out and ready. But all the girls did was smile, and start laughing together to point at her face.

"Ohoh gods, you're a FREAK!" cackled the rabbit.

"I didn't think you NEEDED that patch," the cow chortled, "I thought you were just STUPID!"

"SH-SHUT UP!" the pup whimpered. "I'LL, I-I'll gut you!"

"Oh yeah, I just gotta stand on your blind side!" the cat skipped over to her left. "OOP, can't see me, OOP can't see me!"

"S-STOP IIIIT!"

"Whatever, bitchclops," the ox rolled her eyes and motioned the girls to follow, "come on let's go before she starts crying."

"Yeah," the cat waved her off, "she'll only need the ONE tissue!"

"I'll SEE YOU around," cried the rabbit, "cuz you sure as hell won't, HAH!"

Their foul words stung further and deeper into the puppy's heart, a sobbing fit rising from her throat as she slumped against the feet of Morag's statue and clutched her face. Gen looked to his friend with an awkward vibe and stepped up towards the girl.

"Hey, uh...I got your lunch."

"I dun wannit."

"Seriously? I spent sixteen-hundred yen on this."

She hiccuped with tiny yelps in her throat.

"Listen, I don't get the big deal, I've always had one eye and it's never bothered me-"

"Gen."

Meiji gave him a look and had him step back as the beetle sat down beside her.

"I always thought you looked the coolest with that eyepatch."

"It, it's mine," Gutblade whimpered, "from the hospital."

"Wow," the beetle nodded, "you musta been in a scary fight, that makes you a real pirate."

"I'm not a pirate," she sighed, "it...I-i wasn't in a fight."

"Come on you must've, you're such a badass how else didya get it?"

"My mom hit me." She hugged her knees. "Threw glass...in my eye."

Garonba's face clenched as he sucked through his mandibles. Gen softly cringed as Meiji looked up bashfully towards him, the bird taking a deep breath as he put down the bento lunch beside her and leaned against the statue.

"You still live with your mom?" he asked first.

"N-no," she shook her head, "my aunts took me away."

"Are they nice to you?"

"Yeah, they're great they...they're really nice."

"They get you cool stuff, got your own room?"

"Mmhmm."

"Damn...you're real lucky." Gen sighed kicking a pebble. "I never had no one to take me away from my shitty family, ran away when I was like sixteen."

"Really?" the pup looked up through her tears.

"No one gave a shit about me," he walked along the road, "always treated me like I was some trash who was never gonna be anybody, even my teachers gave me shit back where I lived. So why would you give a shit about what some dumb fake-ass bitches say about you?"

He looked back to the girl.

"You got two aunts who look after you, you got two best friends who'd go all out with you doing shit like, digging up crap at the park cuz it's fun, and they don't judge you for what happened to you cuz it wasn't your damn fault."

"I...I-i don't know," the young pirate hugged herself, "mom was...she's supposed to be my mom but she...sh-she said she wanted a boy she...she said things."

"Well then she's not your mom," Gen sneered, "she don't deserve to be your mom, your aunt's a better mom than she coulda been, a mom's someone who looks after you, not beat the shit outta you."

"He's right Gutblade," Meiji nodded, "it sounds like you traded out one mean mom for two rad cool moms."

"But I'm still a freak," the dog squinted her eye shut, "all the girls look at me, none of the boys wanna talk with me."

"Why's that matter? You don't need like dozens o' friends, you got two best friends who are worth a billion."

"Are you...are you my friends too?"

"Sure!" the beetle gave a thumbs up. "We're pirates right, honor among thieves an' all that."

"Yeah sure," Gen tapped his wide red pupil, "and if those bitches come back to bother you, I'll scare 'em off with my deadeye."

"Heehee, y-yeah...alright." She nodded taking her lunch from him. "Th-thank you, Deadeye, Marbul."

"GUTBLAAAADE!"

The voice of a mole cricket came barging from down the street, the young Dirtblade accompanied by Nevar the crow rushing over with their striped matching togs.

"You alright?!" cried the bug with his sword.

"Are these two bothering you?!" shouted the raven twirling a spear.

"N-no, no!" the pup stood up. "They, M-marbul and Deadeye, they got me lunch, cuz I got hungry waiting for you."

"Oh...s-sorry," Nevar strapped her spear to her back, "I'm sorry we were late, my mother needed help."

"It's okay! I'm glad you're here, I-i kept the treasure safe!"

"Yeah the treasure!" Dirtblade went on his knees in front of the statue. "This is where the map said it'd be!"

"There's a street light here," the raven nodded, "this feels right."

"GREAT!" Meiji clapped his hands. "You guys dig it up, we'll keep watch over there."

"Fucking dammit," muttered Gen palming his face, "alriiight, might as well since we're here."

The pirates burrowed into the dirt with paws, claws and talons, scattering the earth behind as Gen and Meiji stood separate on both streets to guard them. corner as the children tunnelled down at least two feet beneath the statue. For a moment they almost feared this was a ruse, digging down two feet with Nevar glowering upon Dirtblade with increasing "I told you so" energy. Then they stopped. Gutblade's paw scratched against something hard, long and made of steel as the children grabbed all at once and pulled it free from the earth.

"WE GOT IT, WE GOT IT!"

"Wait WHAT?!" Gen blustered looking back.

"T-TREASURE, IT'S REALLY HERE!"

"OOOOH!" Meiji trampled his feet. "I knew there was treasure, I TOLD you there was treasure but ohhhh no, you said I was a dumbass and this was stupid-"

"SHUT YER ASS!" he shoved his friend back. "What's inside?!"

"Yeah come on come on let's see!"

Out of the dirt came a box with a clasp on its front, locked sturdily by an old latch that Gen tore off with his sickle. They opened the box with bated breath, and much to their surprise...they found another piece of paper.

"Wha-...what?!" Ganbe cried. "What the HELL IS THIS?!"

"A clue!" gasped Dirtblade. "A clue, it's another map!"

"There's a SECOND MAP?!"

"Well, yeah, you can't just have one map, then anyone would find it here."

"He's right Gen-chan," Meiji tapped his head, "it's like when you log in to your bank, you got that ATM, you got like a password and a pin number an-"

"Okay fine whatever," the bird waved his hands, "what's it say?"

"Hmmm," Nevar squinted at the paper, "the map looks the same as the last one but there's different writing on the back."

The sailor's gaze points you next

To a fire burning steel and hex

"To a...what?" Gen shook his head.

"Well the sailor's this, right?" Nevar pointed to the statue. "She's staring all the way down there."

"But there's nothing down there with fire," Gutblade scratched her head.

"My forge is there," Meiji pointed to himself, "that's got fire in it."

"Wait, YOU own the forge?!"

"Hell yeah I sure do!"

"WOW!" Gutblade gasped. "That's so cool, c-can you make actual weapons, like REAL swords?!"

"Hahah sure but uhhh, don't ask me to make you any."

"Awww, why not?!"

"Because you'll cut your head off," the crow batted him, "can we look in your forge for the treasure, sir?"

"Sure!"

"Mei-chan!" Ganbe pulled him back. "Don't bring kids into your damn forge!"

"What, it's fiiiine!" the beetle shrugged. "I'm an adult, I'm supervising!"

"I don't think you count as an adult mentally," he jabbed Meiji's skull.

"Well it's my forge and I say kids can come in and look around, you can't stop me, Deadeye."

"GUH-BUH-YOU, BUH, AAAARGH!"

The bird gave up throwing his hands, as the children followed Meiji down to the old forge at the corner of the Commercial District. He headed in first to make sure everything was turned off, and any open flames were contained before inviting the trio in to the large open space. A glass-blowing oven, several desks filled with dangerous implements, bent and crooked poles leaning against the walls, a fire-hardened anvil and a smelting pit filled the room.

"Wooooow," the mole cricket gasped, "this place is SO, COOOOL!"

"Heh, thanks," Meiji nodded, "now don't touch anything, pretty much everything here can kill you."

"Really?" the puppy looked over a table covered in knives. "What if you made swords that didn't cut?"

"That's not a sword then," the raven shook her head, "that's just a...block."

"She's right," Garonba chuckled, "gotta have an edge if you want a sword, your swords are pretty good anyways, I saw you fight off those bitches harassing you-"

"Wait, who was harassing you?!" Nevar turned back to the dog.

"J-just, Zoe and the girls," Gutblade muttered rubbing her arm, "they were jealous cuz they saw me talking to you."

"Ugh! Jackie why didn't you tell me?!"

"I-i don't, they're, I didn't wanna get you in trouble Suke-"

"Jackie, they're losers and they're fake, you are MY friend, and if anyone is picking on you, you come to me."

"Yeah same here!" Dirtblade patted her arm. "We're the Deadly Trio and we stick together!"

"Heh...yeah," the puppy blushed, "thanks Kou."

They spread out across the room as Meiji took two of the kids whilst Gen went with Gutblade. They searched the walls and the fireplace carefully, as well as under the equipment to find anything that gave a clue. At one point Gen looked into the old office where Meiji kept his records, a shelf dedicated to customer records from the Jinuchu as the bird noticed a surprising number of origami cranes strewn across the place.

"HEY, Mei-chan you got a lotta shit here!"

"OH, sorry," the beetle giggled looking back, "I started making a buncha friends for Terry."

"Who's Terry?" asked the pup looking round the shelves.

"My crane on the desk, then I made Tina, Tetsuo, Tarzan, Tamitha-"

"Tamitha's not a real name!" Gen shouted.

"Yeah it is, don't be rude!"

"Who names their kid Tamitha?"

"My dad's friend's sister's called Tamitha!" said the mole cricket in the corner. "She's from Germany!"

"I meant, here!" Gen stumbled back. "No one calls their kid here-okay whatever screw it, you found anything yet?!"

"OVER HERE!"

The voice of Nevar cried from the back of the furnace, her clawed fingers digging into a small brick that came loose at the bottom of the structure as Meiji quickly helped her.

"Huh?!" Meiji bent down to help. "Hey, this part's hollow!"

"Is that weird?" asked Nevar.

"Yeah, cuz that's not where the vent is, this is a whole other hollow space."

"There's something inside!"

Inside the dirt beneath the stone furnace, they dug out a small package wrapped in fire-hardened paper, carefully unfolding it to find an incredibly detailed map. One that was almost a perfect replica of Issincho as the back of it read:

Under the full moon

You will find my treasures true

Between red and blue

Their shadows cross over me

Beneath purple dreams

"Woah." Ganbe shook his head. "Alright that's definitely not a kid's map."

"This is really old," gasped Dirtblade, "like, seriously this might be older than you guys!"

"I'm almost thirty you shit!"

"Right," Gutblade nodded, "you're old!"

"I-i'm not old!" whimpered Meiji. "I was playing the Sega Neptune when I was your age!"

"Whut's a Neptune, issat like a NeoGeoByte?"

"Wha-no!"

"Wait, what's this?"

Nevar pulled up the object the map had been wrapped around. A small box, inside of which was a ring of silver with an odd corkscrewed head.

"That ain't no ring I ever seen," Meiji muttered.

"Issit treasure?!" gasped the cricket clapping his hands. "I-it looks real shiny!"

"Why would there be a map round it if this was the treasure?" the raven cocked her head.

"It looks like a key," Gen raised his brow, "I mean, it looks dumb to wear on your finger and it's all pointy, so maybe it fits someplace."

"Heeey yer right!" Meiji patted him. "So uh...where's this red and blue place?"

"I dunno," the puppy shrugged, "but it's really exciting yeah?!"

"Oh it totally is but uh...this one says we can only find it under a full moon."

"Welp," Ganbe shrugged, "that means no one else is gonna get it so uh, who's keeping the map and shit?"

"Mmmm..."

Dirtblade motioned his friends over as they huddled up together, whispering secretive as they looked up occasionally towards the adults who stood tapping their feet. When the children were done conferring, the mole cricket stepped up to them and asked:

"Can you keep this safe for us?"

"Wait, what?" Gen sneered.

"We did find it in your forge," said the crow nodding, "you could have taken the treasure at the statue, if you really wanted to, but you didn't."

"And you're both really nice," said the pupper grinning, "you got me food, and made me feel better when I was sad."

"Well yanno, you're good kids," shrugged Garonba, "you really want me to look after the map?"

"Mmhmm! Is that okay, Marbul?"

"Sure, no prob! I'll protect it with my life, that's a Garonba promise, right here in the forge!"

"Thanks mister!" said Dirtblade bowing. "We gotta get home and think up a plan!"

"And find out when a full moon is," said Nevar stroking her chin, "and where this red and blue meet, that could be anyplace."

"We'll keep our eye out," Meiji tapped his head, "if we find any more clues, we'll let you know first, promise."

"Alright, great work team!" the mole cricket high-foured his friends. "Wanna go to Geiger King?"

"YEAH, I'm suuuuper hungry!" squeaked Gutblade rubbing her tummy.

"You just had a bento lunch!"

"I-i'm still hungry though!"

"Alright, later!"

"See ya round kids!"

Meiji waved them off as they left the forge, a smile growing across his mandibles as Gen smirked a little bit to himself. Wandering the town in the early afternoon, they found little trouble other than the odd punk who tried to square up and was easily beaten down by their combined strength.

Wandering up Iyazaki Road, where sure enough they saw the Trio enjoying themselves at the Geiger King down the end of the lane, the two ducked into a small cafe to relax with some hot milk, some shortcake, and a few sandwiches.

"Heh, heheh," Gen snickered.

"Whut?" Meiji looked up with a milk moustache.

"You got a little something there."

"Where, like here?"

"No, just, lemme get it."

He licked his finger and wiped across Meiji's mandibles to clear the milk off. Garonba then immediately sucked the digit into his mouth to make Gen pull back.

"D-dude, come on not here!" his face turned red.

"Awww but you look cute when you blush-"

"F-fucking, NO, Meiji!"

"Heehehehee!" the beetle nibbled on a biscotti. "So uh when you go back to the circuit?"

"Was thinking tomorrow, damn that place is fun, you got no idea."

"You think I could come?"

"I'll ask but, remember I'm on a mission, just gotta play it right."

"Agreed."

A voice suddenly made him cringe without even turning his head. The smell of Gengo Tagasuki alerted him with his vile smoke from his particular brand, the cockroach sitting down beside him with his loud orange suit.

"So I hear you got into Eight Wonders," he muttered lowering his voice, "nice work kid."

"Uh, thanks," Gen shuffled in his seat, "you need anything, Tagasuki-san?"

"Yeah uh, there's been a li'l change in command, you gotta keep me updated on anything you find down there."

"What, why?" Meiji looked to him.

"Because I'm your fucking patriarch, did you forget?"

"N-no, sir. OOH, actually remember you asked us to keep an eye on them Mu punks!? I saw two of 'em get beat up!"

"Really?" Tagasuki sneered. "Where?"

"Just outside Ameritown, they were gonna throw some firebombs but then this cool superhero called Jet Jaguar came, an' they totally wrecked-"

"Mei-chan!" Gen snarled shaking his head before looking to Gengo. "He's just modest you know, he don't like to admit the good work he does in dealing with them vashers-"

"Riiight right," the roach leaned back with a hard look, "well long as you keep me updated on finding that deed-"

"Wait, you know about that?!"

"Well, c-course I know," he slapped Gen sharply, "I just said I'm your fucking boss, why wouldn't I know?!"

"A-agh, jeez fine sir!"

They caught a few looks from the other patrons, but Gengo stared back with such a sharp withering stare that they immediately turned away before he stood up.

"Drop me a note at the parlour when you got something new."

"Yes sir," Gen bowed, "I'll keep you posted."

With a smile he snapped his fingers and headed out the cafe, leaving his minions to sit sad and solemn before they finished up their food and left. To shake off their blues they spent the rest of the day in the arcade in Chinatown, not going back to the zombie shooter but instead losing themselves in Sega Rally Championship EX Millennium, which now had anti-gravity tracks for mind-bending fun. The sun soon settle,d and they returned back home beneath the sky that drifted from a hot cyan to a cool misty orange, chilling to more bad movies and takeaway meals.

The next morning, Ganbe took the bus back to the dockyards, arriving at the Letchi Island warehouse where Ebisu sat on an old crate, the tall thorny crustacean in a foreman's jacket chugging a quart of beer as he leered towards his workers who kept stacking and moving supplies. The sky was dark and thick with the corming storm, a soft rumbling in the distance as the lobster twitched his feelers.

"Hey," he nodded up to Gen, "you here fer Junior again?"

"Yeah is he around?" the bird asked.

"He's off drivin' deliveries, but Clover-kun's coming round soon to take you wherever the fuck you guys go."

"Thanks," he bowed, "howsit going, Raito-san?"

"Well." The lobster drank the last of his beer bottle. "The dipshits in Okinawa delayed my produce fer a week, then it finally gets here and it's the wrong fucking order, so now I gotta send that shit BACK, costing my fuckin' money an' my fuckin' fuel to the fuckin' suppliers because some FUCKWAD can't read!"

"Damn that sucks, a whole week?!"

"Whatever, I wanna say I got no time to chat, but I gotta fuckin' wait fer this fuckin' bitch from Okinawa to fuckin' come over an' fix their mistake!"

He crunched the bottle in his huge claw with a slow creak before it suddenly shattered from the pressure, shards falling at his feet as Gen shifted uncomfortably.

"You want another beer?" he asked.

"That would help," Ebisu nodded, "if yer buyin' that is."

"I got nothing else to do until Clover-san arrives so-"

"Yeah, you look a deadbeat...sorry," the crustacean shook his feelers, "I'm angry, anyways yeah grab me a drink, I appreciate it."

On the main road some distance from the actual docks, Gen found a convenience store where he bought a six-pack of the same brand that Ebisu drank. Taking a leisurely stroll back to the Letchi Island warehouse, he watched the sky turning darker as the rumbling roar of trucks came to and fro across the road. When he returned to the lobster still sat on his crate, a goat came running up to his boss.

"Raito-san! Message for ya!"

Gen recognised him from the Eight Wonders, minus the labcoat and blunted axe as he handed over a red envelope that Raito snatched immediately.

"...who sent this?"

"I-i, well um-"

"Fletcher."

He grabbed the goat's shoulder with his claw.

"Who...gave you this letter?"

"Uh, h-he said it was...Uwashima?"

"...hm." He patted Fletcher's cheek. "Alright, thanks now get outta here."

"Yes Raito-san."

With a bow he headed off as Gen looked weirdly at Ebisu, who opened his letter and read through it briefly with a deep sigh.

"Something wrong?" the bird asked walking up. "I got you a six-pack."

"Oh, thanks," Raito took a bottle, "only needed one."

"Well it was on sale, so uh," he put down the beers, "friend of yours in trouble?"

"Ehhh...sorta," the lobster put the his letter in his pocket, "you mind doing another favour?"

"Uhh, sure?"

"Go to dock twenty-one, if anyone there's waitin', tell 'em the bamboo's never coming back, an' if they don't like it, tell 'em to fuckin' grow up."

"Is this...like some shipment screw-up or-"

"Yeah sure," Ebisu rolled his eyes, "go there, repeat what I said, come back an' tell me what they say."

"Why not your workers?" Gen asked.

"Cuz they're all fuckin' busy, and you're not, so git."

Rolling his eye Gen went through the dockyards once again, lightning flashing across the clouds hitting conductors that were placed on higher buildings to keep the residents safe, whilst kaiju with electrical-based powers savoured the storm and waltzed in the open air with everyone else keeping a two-mile radius. Tracing down the numbers of each dock, he found 21 where a lone tall individual stood in a red coat.

"Are you with Raito-san?" asked the stranger.

"Uhhh, yeah," Gen nodded, "he sent me to tell you that...the bamboo's never coming back, and if you don't like it, you can...grow up."

"Hm. So his cowardice runs deep."

The crimson coat turned revealing his face to be that of a whale, ghostly white with lines resembling bones tattooed on his skin.

"Tell him this. The bamboo always grows strongest in the storm, and should he refuse again...they shall turn red with his blood."

"Uhhh...okaaay?"

He said nothing more turning back to the sea, the whale calmly staring towards the horizon as Ganbe quickly took his leave back to Ebisu. A scowl crossed his expression at being made a messenger, taking a deep breath to compose himself when he headed back to the crustacean and found Lisa had arrived already to speak with him.

"Bu-Fong Market called and confirmed," said Clover with a checklist in hand, "Kitsumoto Foods need more G-6 aaand Gangan Street sent over the money."

"Alright, some good news finally." Ebisu looked towards Gen returning. "So what'd they say?"

"There was some guy in a red cloak," said the bird rubbing his neck, "he said the bamboo grows strongest in the storm and, if you refuse again, it'll turn red with-"

"My blood, yeah." Ebisu waved his claw. "Alright thanks kid, you were a big help, take a bottle for yerself."

"Oh, thanks." He grabbed one of the beers. "I mean I did pay for it so."

"You ready to go, Ganbe?" Lisa motioned him over. "Wanna get you signed up before the tourney starts."

"Have fun in your li'l playpen," Ebisu snickered.

Heading off to the old Cooper-Jackson warehouse, Clover led Ganbe towards the old lift and down to the underground.

"So I got a friend," said Ganbe, "he's a real pro with weapons and I wanted to ask if he could come-"

"If he can kick my ass he's in," said Lisa tapping her foot, "that's the rules, that and no killing."

"Oh he wouldn't kill a fly, dude's super nice he's my best friend!"

"I'll take yer word for it. How you doing down here?"

"Great, it's awesome!" Gen pumped his fists. "I never felt so alive in ages, even when I got my ass kicked it felt good!"

"Hah, that's what I wanna hear," she patted him with her huge white hand, "alright, now that you're officially in the rookie leagues, you'll get put in a bracket, they're randomly sorted each tournament and we even got a blind guy who picks the names out in a locked room so nobody can mess with it."

"Wait, a locked room?" Gen scritched his neck. "That's kinda mean isn't it, what does he live there?"

"No you dipshit we don't LOCK him in there, he just draws the tourneys he's got his own place!"

"O-oh, right hah, damn you all take this stuff seriously for just a fight club."

"We have our standards," Lisa puffed her cheeks, "we don't want it to be as bad as it was the first time this place was set up."

The elevator stopped at the bottom floor and they headed into the Eight Wonders, stepping inside the arena of beautiful violence where two creatures duked it out in a vicious brawl. A large centipede of fiery hands wearing a karate gi took on a large white reptile covered in shards of crystal, with long claws, a thick jagged mane and a sharp jewelled beard.

Gen stopped in his walk to watch the unusual beast take on the centipede, pounding the insect's tiny face with large clawed fists before headbutting him with his crystal-covered head to stun the opponent. With a hard swipe of his tail, he knocked down all of the centipede's legs and landed on top to start hammering into the bug's face.

"Alright, here we are," Lisa stopped outside the Team Saurus quarters, "I got my match coming up so I'll leave ya here."

"You're in the elites right?" Gen nodded.

"Oh yeah, I mean you know I was holding back first time we met."

"Uhh, y-yeah, yeah course I did!"

"Well." She loomed over him with a cruel smile. "Hope you get to see me at my full power one day, Gen-kun."

"Heh...heh, I-i can't wait."

They waved each other off as the bird entered his dorm, beasts playing shogi whilst monsters and kaiju hung out in front of the TV watching soccer matches with aplomb and pumping fists. Sitting down at his bunk, Ganbe took a moment to himself and savoured the rich atmosphere of cackling creatures and the sound of distant fighting.

"Hey, fresh meat."

"Huh?"

He looked up towards a thick hunchbacked reptile with a small rectangular head.

"Was wondering when they'd get someone to replace Luzek-san."

"Uhh, Luzek-san?"

"Oh right, I'm Orga, nice to meetcha."

"Uhh, Ganbe, same to you."

He shook her hand and smiled. With bumpy striped warts on her skin and two gigantic hands with three fingers each, she looked rather poorly with uneven shoulders as her hand wrapped entirely around his making him feel incredibly inadequate. Her sports bra and aerobic shorts were stretched to their limits, her jaw unhinged in a fearsome smile with large thin flaps resembling bat wings causing her cheeks to stretch out.

"Who's this Luzek?" asked Gen.

"The guy you're replacing," said Orga with a shrug, "don't tell his brother that, I don't think he'd appreciate it."

"I'm not here to replace anyone, I just walked in."

"Hey-ey don't worry dude I'm just joshing, anyways welcome to Team Saurus, saw your fight against Junior, you held up pretty good!"

"Hah, thanks," Ganbe rubbed his neck, "this is all kinda new to me but I'm pretty excited."

"Don't worry about the first match-OOP!" she waved her hand and knocked down a lizardman. "Sorry Greg! But yeah don't worry about not getting far, you just gotta put on a good show."

"How long you been here?"

"Ehhh, about two years."

"So you and the other team aren't like, at each other's throats?"

"Naaaah," she shrugged, "it's all good fun, just beat the shit out of each other, honestly it don't matter who wins or loses except for the audience."

"There's not like any rigging going on right?" Gen looked around him. "No kickbacks or dives?"

"Fuck no!" Orga scoffed slapping the wall behind her. "We don't need none o' that, Kings-san's got lotsa dough from his ol' career back in the ring."

"So he was a pro? What about Saureno?"

"He was here before King-san, then the old ape brought back this whole place to be a lot less well, seedy. This place used to be called Bed of Gehenna, but then it got changed to Eight Wonders in honour of King-san."

"Why?"

"Cuz that's what he was called in the ring, the Eighth Wonder," Orga smiled rubbing her head, "changing the name was Saureno-san's idea, kind of a small thank-you to King-san...heard the ape didn't like it though, but everyone else did so it stayed."

"So if it's all clean then why is it underground?" asked Gen tapping his foot.

"I mean it's always been that way, and well...some of us can't afford to be seen."

The sound of crackling shards could be heard as they saw the crystal lizard from before, his gem-studded beard coated in someone else's blood, eyes of piercing yellow leering across the room.

"Heyyyy Luzek-san!" Orga approached him. "How goes the match?!"

"I won," he snarled pushing her back, "you didn't watch?"

"I was meeting the new guy, look, this is Gen Ganbe!"

"Hey," the bird waved to him, "cool fight out there, you kicked some ass."

"Hm."

He marched over to Gen with a burning sneer in his eyes, every step causing a shudder of crystals to ring throughout his body.

"That, was my brother's bed," he said in a thick Czech accent.

"Yeah?" The bird raised his brow. "Where's he at?"

"He's dead."

"Oh..." Gen clicked his beak awkwardly, "uh, s-sorry, I didn't know this was your brother's bed I just-"

"Don't disappoint us."

He walked off back to his bed and slumped into his hardened pillows, made of a specially-resistant fiber that his spikes couldn't puncture through as Orga grinned bashfully.

"Dooon't worry about him, he's kinda prickly but once ya get to know him, he's a real sweet guy!"

"Yeaaah I'm sure," Ganbe pulled at his jacket, "What's the deal with his brother?"

"I dunno all the details and I'm not gonna guess, Luzek-san's scary when he gets mad."

"That WASN'T him mad?!"

"Naaah just more fatigued, with a touch of ennui I think, that's why I don't eat an hour before I go swimming-"

"GEN GANBE?!"

"Aw shit yer up buddy-WHOOP!"

The hunchback slammed her giant mitt on the bed, causing Gen to launch with a start before she tried to grab him and sent him flying spreadeagle to the wall with a backhanded fist.

"GAH-AAAAGH, SHIT! WHAT THE HELL?!"

"SORRY, sorry, dunno my own strength haha!" she backed up wringing her huge hands. "I'll be watching Ganbe, you go get 'em!"

"Thanks."

He rolled his eye and headed into the ring. The swell of the crowd brought a spark in his vision as he stepped up towards his first real opponent, an orangutan who practiced judo with thick hairy arms beneath his white dojo clothes. Ducking and dodging between his limbs that lashed out to strike him, Gen twisted his scythes between the ape's knuckles and forced him to submit with a rapid-fire knee to the stomach.

The second opponent gave him a run for his money, a lioness with the body of a crocodile and the legs of a swan, who practiced muay thai and pelted Ganbe with lightning-fast kicks that dazzled his senses. While they weren't powerful kicks, the speed of her feet was enough to cause Gen to stumble before he found his bearings and locked her webbed foot with a twist of the sickle to trap her, knocking her face-down into the ring.

Things were going well as he climbed up the ranks, pacing himself as he found his rhythm in taking down foes with his fiendish blades and twisting chain to trap, hook and disorient his opponents. After finishing the preliminaries, Ganbe stepped back to his dorm and slumped on the bed as fighters were given a chance to rest for the next stage of the tourney.

It was then he saw the door of Saureno's office barely open, as he stepped close making a vague path towards the water cooler that was laced with fresh polonium. Inside he saw the crystalline Luzek speaking in hushed tones towards his employer.

"Found anything?" Luzek asked.

"Not yet," Saureno shook his head, "I'm sorry, but it's best you stay here."

"I care not my fate. I want my brother's killer."

"I know, I've asked King-san as well to keep his eyes open."

"He was murdered, it was NOT an accident!"

"I know Krystalf, I'm not ruling it out, there's plenty others round here who can't see the light of day."

"Does King-san know about the deed?" asked the crystal-beast tapping his knee.

"No," Goro shook his head, "no one but you and me. You contact Biyante-sama?"

"Their message will come. The government MUST pay, they ruined me, and them and my brother because we spoke out against-"

"What are you planning then? Gonna firebomb their office, what's that gonna get you huh? I know it hurts, but you have to be patient, I got my feelers out, they will find who killed your brother, but for now you cannot be seen topside."

"I am NOT a coward!" Krystalf thumped the table. "My brother was a hero, he wanted to stop the cold death, not scurry around like a coward."

"And shouting your head off at me won't do shit." Saureno stood up to tower over him. "You're not hiding, you're just waiting for your moment, think of it like that."

"...fine."

He walked out as Ganbe quickly backed off into a corner. A smile crept over his beak as he looked towards Luzek with a curious glint.

"Cold death...wait...wasn't that...where have I heard that before-NNGH!"

A mantis flashed in his mind with gasping screams through his memory. The sound of a bell, the light started to blink as he crushed the paper cup in his hand. Water spilled down his fingers with a cold shock, the taste of blood stinging through his beak.

"N-no, NO!" He tossed the cup away and leaned against the wall. "F-fuck...fuck this. Just...just go out and fight, don't think too hard on this shit."

Gen braced himself until his arms shook, ribs clenching hard beneath his jacket as he marched back into the arena and faced the next bracket, his eye trailing briefly to Krystalf in his bed.

High above the world in the Millennium Tower, a dragon of golden hue gazed upon the city from the safety of his grand window. His sharp purple suit glistened in the light of dusk, his face burning bronze as he stood in an elaborate office, a magnificent desk sitting upon a gorgeous carpet of persian tales, where demons flew through the skies and creatures fled beneath a wondrous garden of deep rich colours.

A bookshelf spanned across the entire wall behind the desk in locked cabinets, with two globes of night and day at each corner. Opposite the window was a grand arch that led to his bedroom, a king-size bed of four-postered set with curtains of satin, surrounded by paintings of cold lifeless cities with not a single soul to be seen.

"There." The voice from his desk called to him. "Your finances are cleared."

"Excellent." Doi turned sweeping his hand. "What news have you?"

"King Financial remains in the top five, BCS was fined four-hundred-million for misleading international clients, and AlterMate has been successfully outsourced to Russia."

"And the MewView administration?"

"Fifty stores closed, six-hundred jobs lost, but the pre-pack arrangements have all been made. You have earned one-point-six-billion yen back from this."

"Excellent," Doi rubbed his hands, "a little less clutter in Tokyo, and a nice little nest egg for yours truly. Right, now, shall we partake in our fair little city, dear brother?"

"As you wish, Doi."

From the desk came Rai, another gold dragon with soft emerald suit and wavy horns that marked him distinct from his brother, along with the soft whiter eyes of red pupils against Doi's black sclera and equally-scarlet pupils. They walked through the latticed patio door set inside the window itself, opening out onto a veranda hundreds of feet above Tokyo itself, a lush garden in the sky sprawling out before them with typical pleasing plants, ferns, yucca, hydrangeas.

But the most central feature of this sky-garden, surrounded by wooden borders in a large lower pit, was a perfect 1/200 scale model of Tokyo itself. It was the purest work of art, the crowning jewel in Doi's collection of works and one he had personally commissioned from the finest artisans of Japan.

There was Shibaya crossing, the giant asphalt square now barely the size of Doi's foot; there stood the Sanseiji Temple, at the long end of Nagamise-dori where 90 separate individual stores had crafts in microture within; there lied the great Enko Castle, that stood for almost a thousand years now quite literally a model pagoda; and of course there was the Tokyo Tower, that shining beacon of red and white that, while not the tallest building in Tokyo, was the most prominent reaching up to Doi's knee.

"Magnificent," he sighed spreading his arms, "I never tire of such perfection...of course, it COULD be better."

"I have the plans here," Rai brought out a city map and unfurled it, "you suggested our future headquarters be-"

"The castle yes," his brother pointed at the historical building, "if we are to take control of this city, why not restore the old castle to its former glory?"

"What of the tower we stand in now?"

"That can be our prime financial sector, but our true office shall be Enko once our plan is in motion."

"And the new office you wanted there?" Rai pointed to another sector.

"It's closer to the government building," Doi traced a line, "saves us a little walk to the lobby wouldn't you think?"

"And what of Lot Zero?"

He pointed last to a large building on the outskirts of Tokyo, a business complex that was left unnamed for some reason.

"The structure still remains," the jade-suited dragon said, "will you want to do anything with it?"

"Ohoh, I know exactly what I want," Doi swished his tail, "a lovely plain, an open spot with rolling hills, would serve perfectly well as a resort, condominiums, private security...an excellent golf course."

"You wish to restructure a scientific institute into a sports centre?"

"AND the condominiums, as I said," Doi tapped his chin, "once we have that accursed deed we can open the vault, then transport our prize for our grand exhibition and start the new age of Japan, with a king that befits it after the government has fallen."

"Are your agents in place?" Rai tapped his own chin mimicking his brother.

"Once the project has started, I shall spread the reports online and our investors shall pull out of the government, all their contracts will crumble in hah, hhhahahah, 'outrage', sorry I'm just very proud of myself for this, and the cabinet shall capitulate easily without their money flow. Whatever government comes next, we shall fully control from the very start."

"Just as our country established in Kankoran a century ago."

"Yes, exactly!" Doi wringed his hands. "A perfect example."

"I still question the resort," Rai nodded, ", would it not be more prudent to use the facility to develop new medicines after we have obtained the project?"

"OH, honestly Rai!" the purple suit spread his arms with a huff. "Do you not have ANY imagination, where would we get the money? Medicine is very expensive dear brother, it's not a good business model, the whole purpose is not to have returning customers, why else do you think I have not invested in it?!"

"The recent administration of MewView should cover it-"

"That is NOT my job. If kaiju want a better health service they would vote for the government that gives it, I am simply here to conduct business and manage the flow of finance."

"As you wish." The green suit nodded looking at the map. "What will you do with the MewView building?"

"I think it would make a great expansion to our Plectrum Developments office."

"I agree, the extra space would allow more staff."

"Plus it'll be a shorter distance from this office, much easier to check on them and make sure they're moving the money."

"The Kankoran government complied with your tax haven?"

"Ohohoh Rai, Kankoran IS a tax haven," Doi patted his brother's cheek, "everyone's doing it nowadays."

"Incorrect," Rai shook his head, "only seventeen percent of all Japanese companies are trading money through unregistered accounts in Kankoran."

"And how many of those companies are in the top twenty?"

"All of them."

"Exactly!" Doi straightened his brother's tie. "See, the system works, it brings jobs to those poor Koreans, I stimulate their economy, as well as ours in all the right places. Now, Imagawa!"

He looked over to the edge of the model city as Rai restraightened his tie, a black moth gently brushing down the residential districts.

"Imagawa." Doi crossed his arms. "Imagawa!"

The moth did not respond, clipping away at the smaller trees until Rai spoke.

"Ojha-san."

"Yes?" He looked up. "I am almost finished, Rai-sama, permit me a moment."

With cold ruby eyes of compounded hexagons, Ojha carefully snipped off the miniature branches with a magnifying glass in one arm and a pair of tweezers in the other. A third arm dusted down an apartment to his left, whilst a fourth carefully refitted the mast to the top of a radio station. Once he was satisfied with two precise clips, he stood up showing his face with short golden horns stretching across his scalp.

Battram Ojha looked like a creature in mourning, consumed by a wrath that lurked behind his eyes like pools of blood beneath flames of war. His antennae twitched as he stepped back from the city model, his arms carrying four implements that he put into a small bag at his waist. A black sari covered his form with creeping strands of fire, dark and voluminous painting a massacre unseen as he bowed to the jade-suited dragon.

"How may I help you, Rai-sama?"

"My brother wished to ask you something," Rai gestured to Doi.

"THANK you." The violet suit gritted his teeth. "I was curious to ask, the Airenas Temple, what purpose does it actually serve?"

"It is a sacred place," said Ojha stepping closer , "founded in 723 AD by Benzaiten, descendant of the great Sarasvati-"

"Yes yes yes that's lovely but what is it ACTUALLY for?"

"It is a sacred place." The moth hissed with venom. "Despite the failings of its High Priestess capitulating to the degenerates of this city."

"Does it have any actual property value?" asked Doi, tensing his fist. "The place is something of an...eyesore in the cityscape and I was wondering if it would rather look better in-"

The moth suddenly launched himself across the cityscape, his sari transformed into dark majestic wings where savage flames streaked across the black surface. He landed in front of Doi with a shuddering gasp of wind that made the buildings shudder and the model trees shake.

"I serve Rai-sama, not you," he snarled. "The temple stays, regardless of your selfish desires."

"...do you think you can speak like that to me?"

The dragon slitted his eyes with a flash of deep crimson.

"Rai is my brother, that means you ALSO serve me-"

"I serve only him," Ojha rasped, "I am not your secretary, nor am I your minion."

"Oh. Is that so?"

Doi gripped the moth's shoulder with his left hand, a spark suddenly trembling through his fingers that shot through Battram with a burning scream. His body shook with twitching eyes, his head violently jerking as his arms fell limp in spasms of anguish. The dragon in purple simply stood with his grip tightening, volts of fury ripping through Ojha's body as his wings began crackling at the edges for a solid four seconds of intense agony. His heart felt like his ribs were strangling it before Doi would stop, and throw the moth onto the floor behind him.

"I will accept my brother's wish to have you here," said the indigo suit rubbing his wrist, "but I shall never tolerate such insolence in MY organisation. Rai may be your master, but I am your king, and you shall respect me as such, you god-fearing simpleton."

With a shudder Battram tried to pull himself up, before Rai offered his hand and helped lift him onto his feet.

"You may leave those plans with me," said Doi to his brother, "I wish to bask in my effervescence a little while longer before bed."

"As you wish," the emerald suit placed down his plans, "I shall see you tomorrow, Doi."

"Yes...good night, Rai."

Stepping back inside, Rai escorted his acolyte into the 107th floor of the Millennium Tower, across Doi's office and through the grand circular hall that led to five separate rooms. Following a green carpet, they entered Rai's personal quarters that resembled a modest traditional Japanese garden, built inside the room with a stone floor, bamboo plants of luscious jade, flowing water that ran in a perpetual cycle, and that long wooden thing that goes "donk" when the water filled up one end.

Beyond this rectangular garden was his own bedroom, a simple bed with a side area where two mats sat beside a table, soft paper lanterns giving the room a much cosier glow. Rai placed Battram onto the bed, a gasping hiss coming from the moth's bitter-shaped mandibles.

"Thank you for the work on the model city," said Rai bowing, "your eye for detail remains exceptional."

"Th-thank you...Rai-sama," he gasped wincing, "apologies, I embarrassed you with my-"

"You did not embarrass me. You were answering his question concerning the temple, of which he does not understand its sentimental historical value."

"Yes...nnngh. I know he is your brother, but his greed sickens me when he can use his wealth for better pursuits."

"Such as?"

"Cleansing the city."

He balled his fists until his arms turned stiff with veins.

"That puerile strip of diseased harlots who dare profane beneath the gods, that false oasis where the sound of silver seduces the weak and pitiful...and Shoji-sama, bless her simple heart, would let them join our order and sully our CLOTH!"

"I see." The dragon nodded. "What is your greater concern, the fact that less spiritual creatures are joining the temple, or the fact this city is occupied with vices appealing to lust and greed?"

"I-...hmph." The insect shook through his wings. "For now, the fact she permits such soulless peasants to be given the same grace as our own acolytes, is nothing short of blasphemous."

"That would be the more immediate problem, I agree, Ojha-san. I shall consult with my brother concerning our future plans to reform the city, without the gambling parlours and brothels. In return, I wish to put a task to you. I want you to convince Shoji-sama that your position is correct."

"I tried before." The moth pointed upwards. "She would rather send a filthy vagrant to Svargam, one who gambled his soul like a wretch, than stand beside her own Brahmana."

"Even so, you should temper your words." Rai tapped his fingers. "I shall debate against you over the next few weeks to help assist you, you must convince me that you are correct. Once I feel you have made your points clear and concise, with logic instead of malice, I shall have you debate with her and bring her to our understanding."

"Very well," said Ojha taking a deep breath. "May I ask, Rai-sama, why do you wish to obtain the Airenas Temple?"

"Because the city's ordinance laws would never permit it to be removed. But in our reshaping of Tokyo, Doi will want changes, so this is a compromise I shall offer him. Compliance is preferable to conflict, in return I shall force his hand to rid Kaijurocho of its gambling and prostitution...or at the very least, make it less public."

"Yes..." Ojha grinned, "I shall hone my tongue against you, and have Shoji-sama see the error of her ways."

"I await your challenge," said Rai with a bow, "our conquest of the city is inevitable. The only uncertainty, is when that shall be."