FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A week had passed after Sano had ended his former gang, as Kiryu sat in his office staring at the clock as if trying to move the hands with his mind. He was alone in the place, Sano having taken a day off to recover from his wounds and Danzaki tending to his own family. All of the reports had been filed, leaving him with nothing to do as he pulled out his phone and trickled through his contacts briefly.

Ugh, Kiryu rolled his eyes, even when he's not here, Sa-Rhee-kun is a nuisance. I could have gone home, or had another date with McCartin. But I need to get this done, if I can earn the trust of Little Asia, it'll help everyone in the city.

"KIRYU!"

The door burst open as Obara barged into the room.

"K-KIRYU-SAN, HELP!"

"Obara, what?!" Goji shook his head. "What's wrong?!"

"I-i need your help, one of my friends, they, th-they played the game!"

"What? What game?"

"The Ghost of Solomon!" Gonkuro staggered over to Kiryu's desk. "It's a...uuuugh my friend was so stupid, he got dared to play this game, and if you can't finish it in a week, you die at 6:17pm, on the dot!"

"That...is the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Kiryu snorted crossing his arms, "Obara, I thought you were smarter than this."

"But, Kiryu-san!"

"Is this one of those internet rumours?"

"N-no?!" Obara flopped his ears. "Well, yes, kinda, b-but my friend played it last week, and I haven't heard from him in six hours!"

"He's probably busy."

"BUT I PLAYED IT TOO!" The junior slammed his hands on the desk. "Me and my friend, we played it together for a dare, on different days!"

"HEY!"

The voice of Obakimura came from the stairs as the old kaiju lumbered into view.

"Thuh hell'sh going on, shoutin' yer head off at all hoursh gotdammit."

"V-varan-san!" Gonkuro bowed then saluted. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to wake you-"

"Well I'm up now, with a damn headache whush thish about shum kinda dare?"

"Obara-kun thinks some game is cursed," Kiryu turned to his boss, "says if he doesn't finish it in a week, he dies."

"Aw fer fuck'sh shake," the elder lumbered with a dizzying stagger, "Obara-kun, you ain't never heard o' chain lettersh?"

"I-i know!" the youth gasped clutching his face. "I just, I'm calling my friend, and I can't reach him, wh-what if he DID die!?"

"You don't got no other friendsh?"

"Are you slurring?" Gojirama leaned to his boss.

"Am I? Wh-whutever, Obara-kun you got any other friendsh to check up on him?"

"No he lives out in Honshu, I dunno what to do, I'm worried about him and, I-i think, what if, what if it's my fault, what if it-"

"Gon-chan!"

Varan grabbed the junior's ears and pressed his fingers against Gonkuro's cheeks.

"Take a breath. Deep, shlow, breath."

"H-hhh, okay, o-okay but-"

"Talk to me. Where you at?"

"I-i...I'm in our office...Kiryu-san's looking at me-"

"Whut time ish it?"

"It...it's almost noon."

"Now...do you honeshtly believe, that shum vidyagame hash thuh power to kill you, by shum curshe?"

"...I-i...um," Obara blushed with shameful breath, "it...it does sound kinda stupid."

"Thash righ'. Shee?" The elder grinned stepping back. "Yer friend'sh prob'ly bushy, shtuff goesh on in Honshu all thuh time, I should know bein' from Okinawa."

"He's right," Kiryu nodded stretching his legs, "this Ghost of Solomon game is just that, a videogame."

"Wait, that'sh thuh cursed game?" Varan shook his head. "Well that'sh even better, I played it lasht week when you left it here!"

"Wh-what, you did?!" Obara gasped clutching his face.

"An' I'm fit ash a fiddle, hell if it'sh been a week, I shoulda been done in yeshterday righ'?"

"Right...yeah, you're right!" the junior grinned.

"Now uh, whush on the agenda today, I gotta-unngh...oh, sh-shit."

The patriarch grabbed the table and suddenly shivered through his body.

"V-vuh, Varan-san?!"

"Nnngh, u-uh...Gonji?"

He looked towards Obara with soft fearful eyes.

"G-gonji...no...Gonji don't leave me...f-fuck."

Sanjin crumpled falling to the floor, causing Kiryu to rush over and check him whilst the junior stumbled back.

"HEY, VARAN-SAN!"

"OH NO, THE CURSE!" Obara screamed. "IT'S KILLING HIM!"

"CALL AN AMBULANCE, NOW!"

Obara quickly dialled as Kiryu rolled his boss on his side, then checked his breathing and heart-rate with the correct procedure. Ten minutes passed as the whining din of an ambulance came to the door, a rickshaw painted white with a siren on top and a beetle in green clothes who helped carry Obakimura out on a stretcher.

"He just collapsed," said Kiryu, "I think he had a stroke."

"Any symptoms?" asked the medic. "Anything weird or out of place?"

"He was playing this game," Obara stammered, "a-and then, and then-"

"He came downstairs complaining of a headache," Goji cut him off, "also he was dizzy, and slurring his words a lot, then he just fell all of a sudden."

"Alright," the medic lifted the patient into the vehicle, "is there a number I can call to keep you updated?"

"My mobile, here." Kiryu offered his number.

"Alright, don't worry," the beetle wrote it down, "your boss is in safe hands, I'll contact you shortly."

"Thank you sir."

The ambulance drove off as Kiryu sighed rubbing his head, standing in front of their office below the Kaijurocho gate. Obara was thumping his tail beside him, flapping his ears with a desperate whimpering.

"Hey, calm down."

"H-HOW?!" Gonkuro shrieked. "V-varan-san got killed by the GAME, AND I'M NEXT!"

"ENOUGH!" Goji grabbed his shoulders. "Get a grip, he just had a stroke!"

"Wh-what?! Are you sure?!"

"He had a headache, he was dizzy, and he was slurring his words, those are all signs of a stroke."

"But...b-but...ohh jeez i-is he gonna be alright?"

"I'm sure he will be," Kiryu nodded, "they have drugs to deal with that, stuff that dissolves clots in the brain."

"R-right...you're right," Obara pulled his ears, "gods I'm an idiot but...I-i still can't stop thinking about that game."

"Let that be a lesson not to get wrapped up in internet dares."

"Yes Kiryu-san...um...can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Could you...find out the truth?" Obara rubbed his hands. "About the cursed game?"

"What did I just say?" Goji huffed.

"B-but, you could find out, you're smart and strong Kiryu-san!"

"Flattery's not getting you anywhere-"

"The developer's here in Kaijurocho, th-they have an office! I-i only bought the game with my friends to support them, but-"

"You want me to check if this game's actually cursed?" Goji straightened his back.

"I-i would go myself, but," Gonkuro's head swivelled to the office, "but I...Iiiii should be in the office, yeah, someone's gotta be here when you and Varan-san are out, also Sano-san where is he?"

"He's at home sleeping off his bruises. If I go check out this game company, will you drop this curse nonsense?"

"Yes, I promise, Kiryu-san." Obara pulled out his phone to text him. "There, I sent you where the office is."

"I still have your test phone by the way," Kiryu checked his old one, "you want it back?"

"No no, you keep it, I might need more help testing the Paw Patrol app."

"Alright." He patted the junior's ears. "Go inside, do your chores, I'll keep you posted on Varan-san."

"Thank you, Kiryu-san. Sorry about the game and uhhh...yeah."

Stepping back inside, Obara sighed with drooping ears as Kiryu headed up the street, seeing the address was somewhere on North Zennyo Avenue as he walked east along Taihei Boulevard and skirted round the Airenas Temple onto Pink Street. Pulling out his phone he looked up details of "The Ghost of Solomon", an odd 2D sidescrolling game where the player dug up treasures on various planets, whilst being chased by some horrifying creature of a red bloated body with sunken face and a long hanging jaw.

Jeez, Kiryu winced, that's pretty scary for a videogame...I can see why a rumour like that would spread. I think I remember Varan-san telling me that time a few creatures died having heart attacks in the first arcades.

At the corner where the Shangri-La stood, Gojirama stopped noticing large tire tracks that skidded hard to the east. A lion with a scorpion's tail was taking pictures, wearing a blue turban with fastidious beard as well as some slacks and suspenders.

"What happened?" Kiryu asked.

"There was a kidnapping!" the photographer said. "Two days ago cops raided a brothel on Pink Street, then a lady got grabbed in a van that shot out the city!"

"What?! That's terrible, you know who was behind it?"

"No idea, reports are scarce, normally word spreads through Pink Street, but I've found nothing."

"Anyone hurt?"

"Mostly thugs," the manticore shrugged, "a few cops as well but nothing life-threatening, are you Toho?"

"Yes," he offered his hand, "Gojirama Kiryu, Obakimura Family."

"Mateen Al-Khorim, QBC News," the reporter shook back, "I don't suppose you know anything about what went down on Pink Street two days back?"

"Nope," Kiryu shrugged, "sorry."

"Damn. This isn't really my story anyway, I was supposed to be covering some cursed videogame."

"A cursed...videogame?"

"I know, kids these days with their playground rumours, back when I was young it was all chain e-mails, you remember those?"

"No," Goji shook his head, "was this game called the Ghost of Solomon?"

"Yes!" the manticore clapped. "You know of it?"

"A friend of mine was telling me about it, I was actually investigating it myself since their business is up here."

"Really? Why's a Toho member checking out curses?"

"Because kids these days," Kiryu shrugged, "one of my juniors can't focus and the boss is out on business so, might as well."

"Can I ask your help with the story then? I just want it over with so I can focus on this kidnapping, it's much more important but my boss insists we need a new desk for the 'youth buzz."

"I don't mind helping but...your news station from the Middle East, Qareen Broadcasting, right?"

"Yes it is!" the lion grinned. "I'm surprised you know us, you watch Middle Eastern news?"

"My patriarch does, he always watches world news so I've seen your channel a few times. I'm just surprised QBC have a branch in Tokyo and would bother with a silly story like this."

"Hahah, every major news channel has a Tokyo branch, QBC, AigaNews, STV, they're all around here ever since Genshiro Kuribayante built the miniature atomic battery."

"Huh," the yakuza crossed his arms, "I never realised that was such a world-changing event."

"Believe me it was," Al-Khorim swished his scorpion tail, "that made Japan one of the richest countries in the world, so naturally everyone wants a piece of the action."

"Well, if you want to help me debunk a stupid myth, you're more than welcome Al-Khorim-san."

"Thank you, Kiryu-san!"

They walked up towards the address on North Zennyo, checking along the rows and headed up a twisting flight of stairs.

"How long you been working here?" Kiryu asked.

"About twenty years," said Al-Khorim, "they wanted fresh faces in Tokyo to establish the branch, so I put my head into learning Japanese."

"It's paid off well, your Japanese is better than most of the thugs I meet on the street."

"Hahahaha, thank you," the manticore bowed, "it took a long time, I didn't go out in the field until my fifth year, I was stuck in the office most of the time doing translations to the home site. The hardest part was the writing, Japanese is so different to Arabic it still trips me up, I'm much better speaking it than writing it."

"I've heard that often," Gojirama nodded still ascending, "are other alphabets that different to kanji?"

"Well it's not just the kanji, you have katakana and hiragana, not many languages have more than one alphabet."

"Ahhh, right I forget that. So what do you do now?"

"Mostly...clickbait," said Mateen cringing.

"What's that, is that about fishing?"

"Nooo no, they're pointless little stories with crazy headlines designed to lure more traffic to the site, hence they 'bait' more 'clicks', it's an American term."

"Is that like those stories about what celebrities are wearing nowadays?"

"Sort of, I hate it but it's what the boss wants. I want to do real stories about crimes, like kidnappings or, no offence, what yakuza like you tend to do."

"I understand," Kiryu smiled, "it's your duty to inform, if we commit any wrongdoings that harm the public at large, then we deserve that."

They stopped outside of a door in a pale corridor, a sharp logo of the gaming company symbolised by a creepy wooden mask as Kiryu knocked first. A scrabbling sound from inside made them worry before the door opened to reveal an owl in a long T-shirt.

"Uhhh, y-yes?"

"Mateen Al-Khorim, QBC News," the lion showed his badge, "I came to ask about the rumours concerning the Ghost of Solomon game, and how those who cannot finish it in a week die."

"Well, ahahah, th-that's a terrible thing," the bird rubbed his neck, "I-i, wish I could tell you how it goes-"

"You developed it," Kiryu squinted, "don't you work here?"

"Yes, um, I'm the CEO, and the head writer, and main programmer."

"We need to know the truth, is this game actually cursed, or is this some sort of myth?"

"O-of course it's cursed!" the programmer clutched his chest. "Not like I meant to, I found this old motherboard in an antique shop, it was from a PS/55 DOS which is super rare so I HAD to implement it in our work. But then...it started changing the game code, doing t-terrible things. We had a QA tester, Nestor...he was the first to die, then we had this other guy, Ben, h-he just drowned in a bath!"

"Which antique shop was this?" asked Mateen pulling out his phone. "Was it specialised in electronics?"

"N-no, it was um, an old one out west, I forget the name, we were just driving around for ages."

"You have a car?"

"Yeah it's um, a Monsterati."

"So a game designer, in a company of only five creatures, can drive around in a Monsterati, even though I've seen you the entirety of this week on a bike you park outside your office?"

"What?!" The owl flinched pulling back. "Wh-why were you watching me on my bike?!"

"I wasn't." The manticore grinned. "But I thought you had a car."

"UH...sh-SHIT!"

"Alright." Kiryu slammed his fist against the doorjamb. "Tell me the truth about your game."

"UH...u-u-uh-"

"One of my associates is having a very bad time because of your game, so tell me the truth-"

"IT IS CURSED, I SWEAR!" the owl flapped his wings. "I-i warned everyone I could, i-if your friend can't finish the game in a week, that's his problem not mine!"

"It's about to be YOUR problem if you don't fess up, now."

The bird saw Kiryu's lapel pin and his eyes widened even further. Panic throttled his voice as he suddenly dove for the stairway behind Kiryu, shoving the manticore to the ground in his haste.

"OW, WHAT ARE YOU-"

"D-DON'T HURT ME, OH GODS PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!"

"HEY, GET BACK HERE!"

Pulling up the reporter, Gojirama took flight after the programmer with Al-Khorim hurrying behind who kept his camera at the ready. With focused aim he took shots of the owl leaping on his bike from the nearby racks and pedalling hard up north to Shachifuku Street. Kiryu pursued on foot, with pounding steps thundering hard behind the gamer, who looked back behind with a trembling fear and pedalled even faster.

"STOP!" Kiryu shouted. "JUST TELL ME ABOUT THE GAME!"

"NO, P-PLEASE!" the owl cried. "PLEASE DON'T ICE ME, I DIDN'T MEAN IT!"

"I JUST WANT TO TALK!"

"HEY WAIT FOR ME!"

Mateen kept taking shots with his practiced lens, running behind whilst keeping out of everyone's way. Kaiju turned their heads at the sight of the owl screaming with panic as he tried to pedal faster. But Gojirama didn't stop, the manticore snapping pictures of his charging form somehow managing to keep up with the bike.

Creatures would stop and watch wondering if any should help, the gap closing between Kiryu and the programmer who kept looking back with increasing fear whilst dodging the occasional car that rolled along the street. Kiryu swerved his way between bumpers, honking beeps calling his way as the owl coasted ahead onto a clear stretch of road.

"S-STOP FOLLOWING ME!" he shouted.

"TELL ME ABOUT THE GAME!" Kiryu roared.

"WHY DO YOU CARE?! YOU JUST GOTTA GIT GUD IF YOU DON'T WANNA DIE!"

"I DON'T CARE, STOP MAKING UP LIES AND SCARING CREATURES!"

"I FINISHED IT TWICE!" boasted the owl. "I'M ON MY THIRD RUN, AND I'M ABOUT TO FINISH IT TONIGHT!"

At this exact moment, something rumbled deep under the streets of Kaijurocho. Kiryu felt a shuddering under his feet as he slowed down, stepping back when he noticed a part of the road started to bulge slightly. The reporter saw it too, as more and more creatures gasped with an instinct that caused all of them to start pulling back. Except for the owl, who suddenly ramped on a bump before he was blasted into the sky.

"HOLY FUCK!"

"GET DOWN, GET DOWN!"

The street exploded with a deafening crack, a violent plume erupting with water drenching the windows on both sides of the street. Cars stopped with a sudden screech as creatures cowered running into shops and alleys to escape the terrible blast. Shards of gravel and steel pipe went flying through the air, along with one owl and his bike who went careening through the sky, knocked unconscious by a stray chunk that clipped his head.

Running past the geyser, Kiryu dived towards the falling body of the programmer who came tumbling from the air, grabbing him mid-tackle as they rolled across the street, showered in fragments with sewer water drenching his suit. The road was soon flooded by several inches, creatures jumping on walls and benches to keep their feet dry with moths and avians flapping up to sit on the roofs and watch the carnage.

"//Woah.//" The manticore gasped in Arabic. "//This...this is...this is definitely more than clickbait now, at least.//"

He kept taking pictures, his eye never leaving the shutter as he snapped every frame of the explosion, the owl flying high and the saurian that caught him. Ambulances would arrive along with police sealing off the area, as well as construction workers and the sewer maintenance crew. Kiryu sat to the side on the pavement, propping up the unconscious owl who was soon checked by a lobster medic.

"You know you saved his life right?" said the crustacean. "A fall from that high could have killed him."

"I'm trying not to think that," said Gojirama, "is he going to be alright?"

"Yeah, he'll come round in a bit, just got knocked in the head from debris."

"This is the second kaiju who's fallen unconscious on me today."

"Hah, wow really?" the lobster shook his head.

"All because of a stupid game."

"Wait, what game?"

"Nothing," Kiryu rolled his eyes, "I'll stay here to keep an eye on him."

"Thanks."

The medic went to check on others as Goji looked upon the scene of destruction, a giant gaping hole torn through the road as water kept spraying upwards for the next half-hour, until the maintenance crew could switch it off. Amongst the workers in their mint-green outfits, Kiryu spotted Hideo Royama from his black-haired gooey head with haunting red eyes, along with a surprisingly familiar-looking moth of white fuzzy head, with orange wings tinted in jade.

"This is real bad boss," said the moth.

"I told them this would happen," Hideo shook his head, "I told them for months, about the fatberg and LOOK what happens!"

"We just gotta fix it, we can sort politics later-"

"THIS ISN'T ABOUT POLITICS!" Royama snapped waving a sludgy hand. "This is about creatures' LIVES, their dignity apparently not worth our taxes!"

"Boss, come on don't do this now." The winged youth patted his back. "Let's just get the damage under control."

As the workers started to delve into the depths of the road, moles and beetles tearing through with hardened gloves, Gojirama saw the reporter heading towards him with a wave.

"Are you alright?!" gasped Mateen. "That...th-that was incredible!"

"Yeah it sure was," Kiryu shook his head, "bet this must make a hell of a story."

"Haha, I mean...I won't lie, this is amazing, and your heroics were the cherry on top!"

"Glad I could help, you tell your boss?"

"I've been texting him the past half-hour! I sent him a few pics, the good stuff's on my camera but I managed to hook him in! That said, I can't believe this all spun out from a cursed videogame."

"Nnnnghhh," the owl stirred awake, "wha...what happened?"

"You alright?" asked Kiryu. "You're lucky to be alive."

"What the...what?! Holy SHIT what happened to the road?!"

"A pipe exploded," said Al-Khorim bending down, "the sewer workers are checking it now, you went flying through the air and Kiryu-san here saved you."

"You...y-you did?" the bird looked up at the wet-suited kaiju. "I...I don't know what to say."

"Why did you run?" the saurian leaned close. "I wasn't there to hurt you, I just wanted to know the truth behind this curse."

"It...o-ohhh gods I didn't wanna get in trouble about all this."

"It's not real...is it?"

"N-...no," the owl shook his head, "I made the whole thing up."

"Really?!" gasped the reporter. "But why?"

"I-i wanted my game to do well, me and my friends worked really hard so I thought...I thought, if I made up a rumour about it being cursed, you know, give it some infamy, then creatures would wanna play it!"

"So I see," Kiryu snorted, "you shouldn't make up lies like that, you know creatures out there are gullible enough to believe."

"It's just a li'l viral marketing, I didn't mean to hurt anyone!"

"You should have faith in other creatures who want to play your game because they enjoy it, not trick them into some childish dare."

"I-i knooow," the programmer rubbed his sleeves, "but it was doing so well, we got twice the profit back!"

"And now it's time to put it to rest," said Goji wagging his finger, "I know you meant no harm making a creepy story, but trying to sell it as real just to push your product, is going to get creatures hurt."

"Y-yeah...yeah, you're right. I'll make a post online to clear it all up."

"Glad to hear," the manticore dusted his hands, "much as I need to get a story, I'd rather more creatures don't get hurt."

Kiryu pulled out his phone whilst the reporter kept taking shots and corroborating accounts. The owl sat beside him also on his phone, updating his game's site with a message debunking the myth that he soon spread on social media.

Goji - I have good news.

Bara-GO - is varan-san ok??????

Goji - I've talked to the game developer. He said there's no curse.

Bara-GO - wha?? serious??!

Goji - Check his site.

Bara-GO - um kay??[/i[

Bara-GO - omg kiryu-san!!!!!1! they made the whole thing up?????

Goji - Exactly, there's nothing to worry about. There is no curse.

Bara-GO - thank you so much, i'm so sorry about the trouble!!

Goji - It's fine, I'll let you know when I hear from Varan-san.

"Alright," the owl stood up with a heave, "I should uh, get back to the office, sorry again."

"Take care," Kiryu nodded, "I hope your next game goes well."

"Hah, I hope so too, see how much of me gets eaten alive tonight."

With a bashful smile he shuffled off back down the street, whilst Kiryu stayed on the scene to help with the locals despite some unsavoury looks from the police. He kept out of their way, shooing civilians from the blast site as Royama soon caught sight of him.

"Kiryu-san! Ohh it's so good to see you!"

"Royama-san," he bowed, "how bad is it?"

"The words 'shit creek' have never been more appropriate than now, and the paddle store's all out of business."

"It's not that bad boss," said the moth beside him, "we just have to close off the street, what's our plan?"

"We have to split it," Hideo shook his slimy head, "there's no way around it."

"We can't use epoxy lining?"

"No, the gap is too wide, it costs more as well which, you know, we would have the money for if the mayor wasn't pissing it up the wall."

"Anything I can do?" Kiryu asked.

"If you got hands to spare," Hideo nodded, "you can take a brush and help Shoji-kun clear off the debris, there's going to be a lot of shit here and I want this street clean as a porcelain throne."

"No problem, this is your field so I'll follow your orders."

"Thank you, I appreciate it, Kiryu-san."

With a brush, Kiryu joined the young moth in sweeping up debris, pushing shards of rock and gravel with pipe fragments hidden beneath and piling them up safely away from the public.

"Leonardo Shoji, right?" the Toho member grinned. "I saw your mother a while back."

"Yeah, she talks to me about you," said Leo grinning, "howsit going Kiryu-san?"

"Good good, well, apart from this catastrophe."

"I'm just glad nobody got hurt, but this is really souring Royama-san's mood."

"Well of course, it means more work."

"Oh no, he loves the work!" the moth flapped his wings to sweep farther. "It's the fact we're on a tight budget, he's getting more and more stressed because we can't get more funding."

"I remember him saying that," Kiryu brushed backwards to form a pile, "you think with more money this could have been stopped?"

"Basically," Shoji nodded, "there's this awful thing underground called the fatberg, and we're trying to chip away at it whilst ALSO keeping on top of things, we don't have the money to hire more workers or get better equipment, and it's causing a lot of pressure buildup in other places so..."

He gestured to the pipe burst in the street, construction workers pulling out the remnants of the broken beam.

"That's three blocks of creatures without any water, for a week if they're lucky."

"And if they're not?" Kiryu looked back.

"A month."

"Damn...is there something my clan can do to help?"

"We're not allowed to take money from you," Leo shook his head, "we're a public service after all."

"We have materials, we can donate them for free."

"That would help! But what we really need are funds from a legal source, no offence Kiryu-san."

"None taken," Goji waved his hand, "your mother always said you were a straight-shooter."

"Heh, got me into trouble more than most," said Shoji rubbing his head, "at least high school's almost over and I'm off to college."

"I heard, congratulations."

"Yeah..." the moth kept sweeping up debris, "hoping kaiju'll be a lot less teasing about my name when you have other beasts and creatures."

"They make fun of your name?"

"Oh don't get me wrong, I don't hate my name. Just when you're the only kid in school called Leonardo, everyone jumps on it. The number of times I found a pizza box in my desk, or they talk-a like thees in a bad accent every time I speak up in class."

"That's awful," Kiryu sneered brushing away, "teens are the worst."

"Can confirm, yep. You'd think they'd more make fun of the fact I don't have a dad, but nope, it's always the name."

"I've had to deal with that, kids in other schools badmouthing absent parents, but eventually you realise every family is different and in some cases-"

"Uh, Kiryu-san?" The moth raised a hand. "My mom's the High Priestess, I'm good on happy family discussions. I don't really care who my dad was, mom raised me good and everyone at the temple's real nice. I know she had a life before me and, whether it was some fling with a guy overseas or a long relationship they had to break off, that's not who I am. I'm my own kaiju, with my own life, just as she had hers."

"Is that why you don't want to be part of the temple?" Kiryu asked cocking his head.

"You know, maybe it is," the young Shoji nodded, "and my mom's fine with that."

"Glad to hear. She's very lucky to have a son like you."

"Just...don't tell my mom about the pizza boxes, I don't want her to cause a scene at my graduation."

"Your secret's safe with me, Shoji-kun."

With a smile to each other they finished up cleaning the debris, the street now cleared as best they could whilst Hideo and the construction crew worked on tearing out the ruined pipe. Traffic was diverted by the police, cars and rickshaws headed off to Park Boulevard to bypass the massive crack.

An hour after they had finished cleaning, a black sedan rolled up towards the scene along with several news vans much to the surprise of the workers. A lavish pink cricket stepped from the car, wearing a powder-blue suit as she strolled up to them and shook each of their hands.

"Is that...the councillor?" Kiryu sneered.

"Yeah it is," Shoji nodded, "Mirei Somatowa, councillor for Kaijurocho, I did a project on her in school."

"What is she doing here?"

"A photo op."

Hideo snorted waltzing up beside them.

"They're starting councillor elections soon, typical. She's going to shake my hand and tell them I did a good job and then pretend to commit money to us, it's all bogwash."

"Royama-san please," the moth patted him, "let's just get back to work."

"I'm not good with politicians," Kiryu stepped away, "I'll keep clearing up the place."

The Toho member backed out upon seeing Mirei approach with two bodyguards, a gaggle of reporters following after with Al-Khorim somewhere amongst them. Her pale face gleamed in the sun with the glossy sheen of three layers too much of make-up.

"Royama-san?" she bowed and shook his hand with a glove. "No doubt you recognise me, I came down as soon as I could."

"I see," Hideo tightened his grip, "glad to see your response was fast, Somatowa."

"Well it's very important I keep up to date with all that's going on in our fair district."

She smiled every time a camera flashed.

"I do hope you can get this street up and running for our dear citizens, but I know you will as our finest custodians in all of Tokyo."

"Soma-san, SOMA-SAN!" a reporter shoved his phone through. "A few comments, what will your office do about it?"

"Well of course we keep our services well-funded," she nodded looking to him, "unfortunate accidents such as this are few and far between, thanks to our loyal workers such as Royama-san."

"I'm...flattered," Hideo bowed stiffly.

"How much funding is given to this?" asked another reporter. "Will this impact businesses in the Tower?"

"Absolutely not," Mirei waved her glove, "the Millennium Tower remains the pinnacle of Kaijurocho, its very stature brings wealth to all of our workers-"

"How much?"

Royama clenched his fists as she turned to face him.

"You didn't answer, how much funding will my department get?"

"Ohoho surely you know!"

"My mind's a little swamped with this incident, so I would appreciate if you ran the numbers for me, Somatawa-san."

"Of course of course," she patted his shoulder, "all the hardest work goes to you, I'm just simply the numbers lady, I believe it was four-hundred-million?"

"Forty."

He walked up to the reporters who reeled back from his stench.

"It was FORTY, million yen you gave us, you missed a zero."

"Ahaha, really?" the cricket simpered waving her hand. "Oh dear, seems like all our minds are a little swamped by today-"

"What about six months ago? And nine months, and last year, when I asked your office, BEGGED and pleaded your office to allocate funds to our infrastructure?"

"Well, sir, I was just about to explain that those funds are still in remit and will be processed soon."

"Really?" Hideo crossed his sleeves. "Because Kaijuro Hills got refurbished last month, that cost a hundred-and-twenty-million, and they requested that in a week."

"I understand," the councillor clasped her bladed hands, "I hear you, I see you, I understand you are frustrated by the pace of things. Trust me, I want to support our infrastructure, it's the most important thing in Tokyo."

"Not as important as furnishing walls for fancy diplomats, if you want to waste that kind of money you should just flush it down the toilet, except you CAN'T now, because my department doesn't have the funds, that we requested TWO YEARS AGO, and now this entire street is without water for weeks!"

"Sir, please."

She tightened her grin as her oni guards stepped before him.

"I respect your work immensely, not many kaiju would do what you do-"

"Ma'am, don't." He pointed at the giant crack. "I've sent your office letters for months, warning about this EXACT PROBLEM that would happen.-"

"And it's a very regrettable thing it did, and I shall ensure you receive your funding immedia-"

"Does the word 'immediate' mean six months from now, or never? Because I've worked with shit for long enough to know when someone's giving me it."

The reporters started laughing with shocked surprise, Somatowa gasping somewhat offended before she corrected her smile with a chortle.

"AHOHohohoho, ohhh the good kaiju of our city have such a wicked humour. I'll ensure that, when I am re-elected, I will speed full-force the funding required-"

"Just like you promised the last election, I remember," Hideo rolled his red eyes, "you know, I actually should be thanking you Somatawa."

"Oh, well, thank you!" she clapped her hands gasping relieved. "I'm glad you remember my promises-"

"I've realised that if you want a jobby flushed right, you have to shove it through yourself. So I'm going to run against you!"

"Wh-what?!"

"Wait, WHAT?!" Shoji gasped.

"Is he...serious?" Kiryu muttered.

"HAH, hahaha!" Mirei shook her head. "Ohhh that classic Kaijurocho humour, oh you gave me quite a scare!"

"I'm serious." Hideo smacked his fists with a wet thud. "I've been campaigning for months that we should give a hoot and clean our chutes, but now I realise, I need to do more than that if we're going to save this city!"

"Good, good for you, and I-"

"LISTEN UP!" Hideo turned to the reporters. "My name is Hideo Royama, and I'm tired of politicians who can't be bothered to help clean up our shit! So I will, cuz that's what I've always done, for all of you in this city!"

"W-well, sir that's very colourful but this is not-"

"Are you all tired of councillors wasting our funds on lavish hotels and poo-pooing plans to renovate our streets?! There's cracks down Zennyo, there's pipes rotting away in Shachifuku, but the ONE place everything's all clean and lemony-fresh, is the place where all your Olympic athletes and ambassadors are staying!"

"A-and we're proud of our service!" Mirei sparked up bristling her neck. "Kaijurocho is a welcoming city for all creatures home and abroad!"

"And those creatures who come here, but can't afford to stay there, have to lump it with us!"

Hideo pumped his fists up high as reporters started snapping pics.

"I'm not just doing this for folks who live here, but ones who come here, and expect the finest sewer service! You don't need lavish lavs, you just need proper potties! So I promise you now, I'll run against Somatowa, because I give a hoot and I WILL clean our chutes!"

"Ohhhh gods," Leonardo whimpered clutching his face, "I can't believe he's done this."

"I never thought he'd have it in him," Kiryu shook his head, "but...I wish him the best."

"Wh-what?! NO, Kiryu-san he needs to focus on our work, I thought your clan hated government stuff!"

"I do, but he has the right to run, and I trust Royama-san over Somatowa frankly."

"But we already have enough work as it is!"

"He doesn't have a criminal record and he's a registered legal-age citizen, you can't stop him."

The reporters barraged Hideo with questions and photos, before their time was up and they raced back to their vans leaving the councillor and her guards looking frostily at the sewer kaiju.

"Quite a little show you made there," she grinned forcefully, "you're rather well informed for someone of your occupation."

"What can I say?" Royama shrugged. "I deal with shit everywhere I go, whether it's down here, or from the government."

"You don't honestly believe you can run against me, do you? Me, the one who's pushing for the next Olympics to be in Kaijurocho?"

"Oh yeah, six-hundred-thousand athletes, staff and spectators, swarming down here and using our fragile facilities, how many more pipes you think'll burst if you don't get us funding!?"

"I DO get you funding, it is just taking time-"

"Time is what we DON'T have Somatowa!" the gooey worker snapped. "The clock's running out, you keep delaying things for your own selfish needs, we're going to be trapped in a LITERAL shitstorm!"

"That's your job, not mine." She waved walking off with facetious grin. "Hope to see you in the elections, I hope you have a suit!"

"OH YOU WILL!" he shook his slimy fist. "Ohohhhh you will Somatowa, I'll take your seat cuz I am DONE taking your shit!"

As she departed, Kiryu walked up with the young Shoji watching the councillor's sedan head off down the lane.

"What are you DOING Royama-san?!" gasped Leo.

"I'm grabbing life by the ballcock!" said Hideo. "We need to revive our efforts, change the campaign to getting me elected."

"That's almost two months away, nobody's gonna vote for someone who just pops up!"

"We have to try dammit!"

"I agree," Kiryu nodded, "I'll help out with some materials I can donate from my company."

"Oh, thank you Kiryu-san!" the sewer boss bowed. "Can I count on your support as well?"

"Unfortunately, my organisation doesn't vote."

"Oh, right, you're from the Toho Clan."

Kiryu and Shoji looked stunned at the red-eyed gooey face.

"What, you think I have shit for brains?!" Royama bonked his sludgy head. "I've lived here long enough to know a Toho pin when I see one, but I know you do good work for the community."

"Hm, right," Kiryu nodded, "I can't take part in government issues, it's part of our creed, but I will help you as a public custodian with materials."

"That's good enough for me, I'll take any help I legally can. Now come on Shoji-kun!"

Hideo wrapped his slimy arm around Leo's wings.

"We've got a hoot to give and a campaign to run!"

"U-uhhh, yes Royama-san!" the moth waved back. "I'll see you around Kiryu-san!"

"Take care," Kiryu waved back.

"Wow, this story keeps getting better and better!"

He turned to see Al-Khorim still on the scene as the workers left.

"A fake curse about a videogame, an exciting chase, a sewer pipe explosion and now the head of Kaijurocho Waste Management is running against the councillor! Do you have stories like this every day, Kiryu-san!?"

"No, I-..." Kiryu raised a finger and then slowly put it back down, "actually, yes, weirdly."

"Hahah, wow, you're quite the magnet for news then! I want to thank you for helping me, please take my card."

The manticore offered such as Kiryu exchanged with his.

"If you ever have need for a reporter on the scene, just call me anytime."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Gojirama, "thank you, Al-Khorim-san."

"Take care, Kiryu-san!"

They bowed and took their leave, the reporter racing back to his office whilst the yakuza took time to sit down and take a breather. He pulled out a cigarette before he started to sniff something weird about him, then took a whiff from his damp suit.

"NNRRRGH!" he cringed hard. "Right, sewer water...I should go home and get changed, can't really fight Sa-Rhee-kun when I stink like this."

In the darkening light of a cold autumn eve, Yong-ga Sa-Rhee waited in the parking lot next to Kanrai, a short walk from the entrance to Little Asia and in full view of the tenements. He watched the passing crowd, wearing his purple shirt that buttoned up the back between his stegosaur spikes, his eyes burning amber behind his rhino horn as he chewed on a white stick poking out from his teeth.

It was a medium-sized lot he stood in, a black slab of rectangles half-hidden behind large advertisements showing a boy band of pretty effeminate wolves, with sparkling manes and enchanting voices. Yong-ga pulled out his phone, briefly checking the time as he pulled the stick from his mouth, a red lollipop sprouting free that he rolled his tongue across.

"Hey."

He looked up and saw the yakuza in his white suit, a ghost beneath the creeping twilight.

"Not late am I?" Kiryu asked.

"For ass beating? Nah."

Sa-Rhee crunched the lollipop between his teeth and swallowed the bits of candy, sucking the white stick clean before he flicked it aside.

"I been waiting to fuck you up for weeks."

"Sorry, I already have a boyfriend," Goji smiled.

"Wha-sh-SHUT UP, you know I meant!"

"I know, I was joking, gods you're really wound up about this."

"This no joke!" Yong-ga waved his hand. "We fight hard, if I win, you fuck off."

"And if I win, you talk to your uncle." Kiryu tapped his foot. "Every time I want to talk with Little Asia I have to go through you, you're almost like the gatekeeper more than the actual guards."

"I second to the boss, no one but uncle Byul-ga tell me what to do. We fight 'til one of us down, whoever can't get back up, loses."

"Backyard wrestling rules huh? Alright, sounds good to me-oh, hold up."

"Ehh?!"

"Sorry, I got a call."

His phone suddenly beeped as Yong-ga looked at him oddly, the saurian in the white suit not keeping his eyes off him.

"Yes this is Kiryu. How is he? ......ohhh, that's good to hear, when can he leave? Really, now? That's great! I'll have someone pick him up, thank you."

He ended the call and dialled another number, Sa-Rhee growing more impatient with a snort.

"Hakura-san? Yes, Varan-san's recovered, could you pick him up from the hospital soon as you can? ...really?! Wow, no wonder you're our chauffeur, I appreciate that thank you. No...nothing new about her, I'll keep you updated. Alright, see you back at the office, take care Hakura-san."

Kiryu put his phone away at last.

"Sorry about that," he sighed relieved, "friend of mine was in hospital."

"Oh...uhh, kay?" Yong-ga shrugged feeling off-balance. "What happen?"

"He had a stroke, but he's fine. They got it in time, he's just old."

"Ah, well uh...good, that he okay?! So we fighting or what?!"

"We are, don't worry." Gojirama rolled his sleeves. "I promised I would fight you, and I don't break promises."

"Good." The stegosaur tried to crick his neck. "I not hold back this time."

"Oh, of course not," the yakuza rolled his eyes, "you were just taking it easy first time we met."

"Can't fight you proper in a small kitchen. Out here..."

He reached to the buttons on his spikes.

"I fight like a demon."

Clipping them off with a practiced tug, he swept off his shirt and draped it upon a parking ticket machine, showing a pattern on the back that resembled a flowering sun with six petals indented. But then Kiryu saw his opponent's back when he turned, covered in deep black scars before Yong-ga turned to face him.

"You taking your suit off or what?"

"You sure about this?" Kiryu asked. "Once my suit comes off, I don't hold back either."

"Good." Sa-Rhee grinned. "I want it. I want you. All you got, all you GIVE, so when I break you, I break you at your hardest."

"Hm. Alright."

Gojirama gripped the shoulder of his suit and suddenly swept it off in a flourish that startled his opponent. Some of the creatures who walked on the streets noticed this, and immediately turned away either blushing at the muscular males, or stiffening their walk to leave as fast as they could from the impending fight.

Kiryu's body was taut and rippling, an ocean of dark scales with strong hefty pectorals supporting his chest. Yong-ga was slender, wily, a bending tree in a storm much like his tail which snapped back and forth, more versatile than Kiryu's large thick appendage swinging low behind his legs.

"Remember," Goji said, "you asked for this."

"Oh I did," Yong-ga snapped his fingers, "I prove to you I'm stronger. Nothing beat Little Asia, not Toho, not ANYBODY!"

"Alright then." He brought up his fists into a fighting stance. "Show me what you got, Yong-ga Sa-Rhee!"

"//TIME TO DIE, KIRYUUUUUU!//"

With a savage scream, Yong-ga lunged with a wild fist to trick Kiryu into ducking so his face would meet the stego's knee, the saurian blocking with his hand and punching hard into Sa-Rhee's waist. The chef tightened his stomach to take the hit and snap-kicked Kiryu in the jaw as the yakuza blocked again with his arm, stepping back to keep his distance.

Sa-Rhee came fast with a turning kick as Kiryu ducked underneath, before the Korean snapped his leg back the other way with a heel to the jaw. Still balanced on one leg, Yong-ga leapt forwards with a hard torpedo kick to Goji's head making him stagger, before rushing in to headlock the kaiju and hammer his face with several punches.

Kiryu swung up his arm to reach Yong-ga's head, grabbing the stego's horn and throwing his own body forwards to launch his opponent even farther and break free from his grip. Waiting for Sa-Rhee to roll back up, Kiryu taunted him with beckoning fingers as the younger kaiju shrieked with thundering charge.

"Not bad." Kiryu taunted with beckoning fingers. "We starting now or what?"

"//YOU JAPANESE FUCK!//" Sa-Rhee rolled back up and came charging.

"HEY!" Kiryu dodged a thrusting kick. "What'd I tell you about insulting me in Korean?!"

"//SHUT THE FUCK UP, TOHO BOY!//"

His arrogance was punished when Kiryu ducked under another sweeping kick, Yong-ga spinning his body like a whirlwind before thrusting out a second hard boot to the face that Kiryu blocked with one arm, then threw his leg up high with an uppercut. The stegosaur shrieked from his sudden lift, hopping back to regain his balance in a taekwondo stance by stomping his upright foot down, and turning his body to throw his other leg behind him in a horse kick straight into Kiryu's stomach.

The Toho lieutenant stumbled clutching himself, sucking a deep breath before he rolled out of the path of Yong-ga's brutal axe kick, the chef swinging his leg high above Gojirama's head to come crushing down in the gravel. When Sa-Rhee came in close for a sudden knee strike, Kiryu slammed one fist against the thigh to recoil it upwards into Yong-ga's face, a parrying blow that stunned the stego with a bruised chin.

Gojirama started pounding him with four hard punches, battering him left and right before swinging a giant kick for Yong-ga's face. But the Korean had steeled himself through the punches, clenching his face to take the blows and dodging Kiryu's kick to counter with his own, a powerful turning swing to the back of Goji's head. The yakuza fell head-first into the gravel, crunching his snout hard with blood bursting from his nostrils.

"HHHAHAHAHAHAA, WHAT'S WRONG TOHO BOY?!" Yong-ga taunted snapping fingers. "You no think I was watching you fight, watch you all over this fucking city beating up thugs?!"

Sa-Rhee kicked Kiryu's side to roll him on his back, before slamming his knees down on top of the saurian's chest and mounting Kiryu with a sneer.

"I know how you fight, I watch you every week! I practice in my home, waiting to fight you, I KNOW ALL YOUR MOVES!"

"Heh...that so?" Kiryu cracked his jaw with a smile. "So you're not as stupid as you look, only as stupid as you talk."

"SHUT UP, JJOKBARI!" Yong-ga shouted spitting on Kiryu's face. "I make you learn who strongest in Tokyo is!"

"You sure about that?" the yakuza smiled leaning closer. "If you're so strong how come you keep looking up at me?"

"I no look up at you!" Sa-Rhee shoved his snout closer to Kiryu. "I look DOWN on you, you nothing to me, NOTHING! You are shit under my foot!"

"Then stop holding back and FIGHT ME!"

"RRAAAAAAARRRGH!"

Pulling back his fist, he slammed down into the asphalt when Kiryu swerved his head, knowing Sa-Rhee would do exactly that as the saurian shoved his leg between Yong-ga's thighs to launch him head over heels. Grabbing the stegosaur's tail mid-flight, Kiryu pulled himself up and swung Sa-Rhee hard to crunch him against the side of a car.

With a groaning headache, Yong-ga came in for another strike, Kiryu blocking a kick to his side with a fist before he grabbed Yong-ga's leg and pulled him close for a sudden headbutt. Stars blinded the stegosaur before his throat was grabbed, and he was hurled against the sharp-angled side of a parking meter with a cry as he clutched his back on the ground.

"What's that you said?" Kiryu smirked with bloody grin. "About being the strongest in Tokyo?"

"//A-AAAARGH! NNNNRGH, fucking WAE-GU!//"

"Stop whining and get up," Goji thumbed his snout, "I thought you weren't holding back."

"OH, YOU WANT ME NOT HOLD BACK?!" Yong-ga stepped up with a heave of his back. "ALRIGHT, YOU FUCKING DIE! HRAAAAAAARGH!"

With a blasting fury from his throat, Yong-ga Sa-Rhee unleashed a powerful flame that Kiryu dodged, lighting up the lot like fireworks as more passersby kept a wider berth from the increasing battle amidst sounds of panic. Lunging towards his foe, Sa-Rhee feinted high with a punch before sweeping a low kick to the back of Kiryu's leg, causing him to stumble when the stego blasted a thick plume of fire for his head.

Goji fell on his back, letting his legs drop to avoid the fire before kicking Yong-ga's knees. The stego shuddered with a cough of smoke as Kiryu rolled to his side, swinging his large tail to bash against Sa-Rhee's waist and knock him down in turn. The yakuza stepped up to curbstomp the younger's face, crushing his foot into Sa-Rhee's cheek with his other foot stamping twice on the stego's chest as he shrieked with coughing flames.

Sa-Rhee countered with his own tail, the large appendage more flexible and resembling a bloated python when it wrapped round Gojirama's tail and wrenched him off his body. Throwing himself upright with the pull of momentum, Yong-ga charged with a thrust-kick to Kiryu's chest, then followed with a powerful scissor-kick bashing twice into the yakuza's jaw that sent him reeling back.

"DONE YET?!" shouted Sa-Rhee with a grin. "You still standing?!"

"Heh, of course," Kiryu rubbed his bleeding jaw, "I didn't become lieutenant of the Obakimura Family by being a pushover."

"Heh...no, you're not." The stegosaur shook his legs feeling the wind ruffle through his slacks. "You're real fun, I'd hate to kill you."

"You're not bad yourself," the saurian put up his fists, "I'd hate to die."

Cackling with welted bruises across his face and chest, Yong-ga blasted a shrieking fire that Kiryu struggled to dodge out its path, burning one of his arms with a scorching creep of flames that he put out by rolling through the gravel. Sa-Rhee lunged with a flying kick as Kiryu countered with a headbutt to the gut, grabbing the stego's leg to try and flip him judo-style.

But to the yakuza's surprise, Yong-ga twisted his grappled leg in a hard spin of his entire body to strike Kiryu with his other foot. Goji released him as he staggered from the stunning blow, before he met a fireball to the face that blasted from Sa-Rhee's throat, raw burning flames sparking off his cheeks and singing his eyes.

Kiryu stumbled with a roar, clutching himself and trying to scour the embers away whilst Sa-Rhee came from behind. He struck the back of Kiryu's head with a fearsome kick, launching Gojirama forwards in a hard stumble as the Toho member grabbed the side of a car to steady himself.

The stego blasted another fireball that Kiryu dodged, the flames crackling over the car and burning off the paint with dark flecks as the yakuza came rushing close. Yong-ga managed to block Kiryu's wild kick with his own, clashing their legs in mid-strike before they pulled back as Sa-Rhee lunged with another thrusting boot that Goji swerved past, and countered with a ferocious haymaker to the face.

Staggering hard, the Korean shook his head with a dizzying gasp, snorting plumes of smoke from his tongue as an idea came to him with a toothy grin. Belching a hard flame, Yong-ga set his slacks on fire, almost resembling a demon who danced an infernal waltz.

"YOU READY TO DIE NOW, JJOKBARI?!"

"Like hell I will," Kiryu sneered pulling back. "I don't waste my time dying, especially not against little brats like you."

"_ I'LL SHOW YOU LITTLE! _"

Spinning his body fast with a double kick, Sa-Rhee's legs became pale blurs of light as Gojirama dodged best he could trying not to touch the flaming legs. The stegosaur screamed with rising fury as he kicked in a Z-pattern, once across Kiryu's face, then slamming his foot down and swiping for the legs with burning limb.

Gojirama took the first hit to the face, feeling the raw sting of flames caress his cheek before he jumped over the second kick and drove down his fist from above to crack hard into Sa-Rhee's face. When he tried to grab the stego's neck, he was immediately countered by a burning knee driving up into his arm, groaning with a heave from Yong-ga's thrust kick to the stomach.

Staggering and bent over, Kiryu watched Sa-Rhee swing-kick for his head to knock him to the ground, the yakuza slamming his hands into the gravel to push himself up immediately and grab Yong-ga by the waist. Shoving him back in a running tackle, he lifted the Korean high before grabbing his head to slam onto his knee and kick out one of the stego's legs to send him crumpling to the dirt.

Pouncing forwards to stand upright, Sa-Rhee punched Kiryu once before scissor-kicking hard as the saurian immediately dodged the rising flames to crunch his fist into Yong-ga's back. The stegosaur shrieked with a staggering pain, jumping back before he clenched his feet and started to spin his body towards Kiryu. With small ferocious hops, he turned faster and faster, kicking outwards to gain momentum before he suddenly launched himself high above like a burning helicopter.

"//_I'LL BURN YOU TO HEEEEEELL! _//"

His fury became a cyclone, spinning his legs in a tornado kick that left trails of amber in his wake. His foot came down upon Kiryu's head like a blazing comet of vengeance, a powerful strike from above that Goji blocked barely with both his arms crossed before his face. His shoes slid back across the asphalt from Yong-ga Sa-Rhee's weight, coming down with such force that Kiryu felt the scar of the flames seep into his flesh, and start eating through his arms.

It was that very moment that Kiryu felt the heat burn inside him. The fires peeled back his scales, his muscles burning hot as his heart beat slower and the world drifted out of focus. He saw nothing but Sa-Rhee's face, scowling with rage behind his flaming leg that pushed against Kiryu's arms. The Toho lieutenant sneered with his jaws opening wide as his throat expanded, his bare naked chest glinting with sharp neon through the many cuts and bruises.

"_Nnnnngh, nnnnnNNNRRAAAA- SKRRRREEEOOOOONK! _"

The next thing Yong-ga saw was a piercing beam of azure, a powerful burst of nuclear breath that was far greater than his own. The first pain he felt was in his chest from the searing atomic heat. The second pain he felt, was his back crunching into the wall after flying 37 feet, launching across the car park before falling onto his face.

Gojirama clutched himself with a trembling heave, his throat burning with soft flickering wisps that drifted between his teeth. His chest and head were dented black and purple, watching Yong-ga Sa-Rhee flames extinguish from his slacks, the stegosaur struggling to look up with a broken face, a blackened eye and several ribs cracked in places.

"//F-f-fuck...f-fucking...what happened?//"

"I told you," Kiryu snarled, "the suit comes off...I don't hold back."

"//F-f-fucking...fuck. FUUUUUCK!//" He slammed his fists in the dirt. "//I WAS WINNING! I FUCKING HAD YOU, YOU FUCKING JJOKBARIIII!//"

"Stop. Whining."

Kiryu dragged himself with a wince as he clenched his teeth.

"You should be glad you put up a good fight. Not many in the world ever pushed me that far."

"THE FUCK YOU SAYING?!"

"You gave me a hell of a beating that most kaiju on the streets can't even reach. You were a worthy opponent...now you honour our deal."

He offered his hand to Sa-Rhee who snorted hard, struggling to hold back his tears of defeat as he shoved himself up against the side of a car. He didn't take Kiryu's hand, feeling the blood dry off his face from the sheer heat of the blast leaving burnt trails.

"I was going to beat you," said Yong-ga gritting his teeth, "I would beat you, show uncle I wasn't...weak."

"But you're not." Kiryu sat beside him. "You took on a Toho lieutenant, I'd say that's pretty damn good."

"So what, I didn't BEAT you!"

"You think that's all it takes to be strong? To beat down as many as you can?"

"That's what you do!" Sa-Rhee jabbed at him. "You beat up everybody, every punk, every thug and me!"

"That's not why I'm strong," Kiryu shook his head, "I didn't get to become Toho by beating up every punk I meet. You know how I got in?"

"I don't fucking care-"

"By not giving up." Kiryu put his hand against Sa-Rhee's chest. "I went to their office, every day, for a month and got beaten down every single time. They told me to stop wasting their time and get out, but I refused. I kept coming back, the patriarch beat me up saying if I couldn't stand against him, then I couldn't stand with him. It took me a month before I finally managed to beat him, just enough...that he brought me inside, and said I was now part of the family."

"Why you Toho anyway?" Yong-ga sneered.

"Because I had no one. No one except my closest friend, my brother, but I wanted to be part of something. I wanted to be somewhere that creatures could rely on me, that I could do something to make things better. I'm not a scientist, not a scholar, I know more about breaking bodies than fixing them, so I had to put my fists somewhere that would help others more than hurt."

"You just a thug," the stegosaur smiled with a wince, "like me...heh. That what I am to you?"

"No," Kiryu shook his head, "I know you're not just some thug. You're a guardian of your community, and I respect what your heart is trying to do even if you're a bigoted obnoxious ass, whose head is too thick to learn that the first three times."

"Pffft, fourth time the charm eh?!"

"Hmhmhm...I don't want to be your enemy, Sa-Rhee-kun. That's why I agreed to fight you when you asked, because you wanted me to prove I was worthy of your trust."

"Ehh..." Sa-Rhee shrugged rubbing his neck, "you just piss me off, I wanted to show uncle nothing could beat me."

"Except when he does...right?"

The stegosaur blinked looking suddenly nervous, rubbing his arm and pulling away as Kiryu nodded.

"I know it's not my place, but-"

"You right it's not." Yong-ga pushed further away. "You really think I'm strong?"

"You've kept Little Asia safe all these years." Goji nodded. "I know your uncle is the boss, and he's clearly earned that through his strength and the years he's put in. But I think you can do better than him."

"Better? Nah, uncle always better, kicks everyone's ass, keeps everyone in line, all the kids love him-"

"I disagree."

Gojirama stood up with a stretching wince.

"Do you know why the Toho exist at all? We exist as an alternative, for those the government has failed. Those like you. I'm sorry we never helped you before, but we can only help those who want to be helped. I won't interfere with Little Asia, none of us will. But I want Kaijurocho to be safe, for all of its creatures."

He offered his hand once again to Yong-ga Sa-Rhee.

"I can't make you become someone better. But I can stop you from becoming worse. If you want to keep fighting me to prove yourself stronger, then I'll do that. But I want to help your community, starting with those like Jeon-kun."

Sa-Rhee looked at him, scowling again with a deep breath as he stared down at his hands. The night had fallen by the end of their fight, the lights of the city burning across the street in violent shards of yellow and pink.

"Alright." He gripped Goji's hand. "I promised. You say you help us...you help us. But you fuck us over...I kill you."

"Agreed." Kiryu pulled him up on his feet. "We'll get started tomorrow, maybe sometime this week?"

"Sure, I call you."

"Yeah, let me give you my number." Kiryu gave him his contact. "I'm usually free around noon but you can call me anytime after 10am."

"Cool, thanks." Sa-Rhee nodded as he limped off. "See ya round, Kiryu."

"Goodnight, Sa-Rhee-kun."

With a sigh of relief Goji headed off to the west, gasping as he rubbed his cheek feeling the burn still on his scales.

Bastard really didn't care about breaking the Serizawa laws...hope we don't get into trouble, I'll have to ask Varan-san for some dampening tablets to hide my nuclear breath.

As if summoning his name, Kiryu's phone rang as he stopped beside the Millennium Tower. Sanjin was calling, much to his surprise as he picked up.

"Varan-san, are you alright?"

"Kiryu, where you at?!" his boss shouted.

"I'm at the Tower, are you back already?"

"Yeah I'm at the office, get down here now, you're gonna wanna see this."

He hung up quick leaving Kiryu bewildered, the saurian hoofing it back to Tenkaiju Street where he found an odd commotion gatheriing around the gate. The road was blocked wall to wall with kaiju that gasped and muttered pointing up towards a strange shape hanging off the gate.

"Kiryu!"

Sanjin beckoned him over, standing outside the office doors with a bandaged head beside a very worried Obara clutching himself.

"K-kiryu, oh sh-SHIT Kiryu-san!"

"What's happening?" asked Goji. "What's with the crowd?"

"Th-the...h-he...h-h-hanging from the gate."

"You oughta look fer yourself," Sanjin motioned him, "I'm alright, don't worry, the doc gave me sum anti-clotting pills, turns out I had a li'l stroke."

"Just as I thought," Kiryu nodded, "glad you're alright."

"Yeah but...seriously," the patriarch nodded to the gate, "we got a real problem, go look an' see."

The saurian turned towards the crowd, walking through the bugs and mammals trembling with murmurs of fear as his eyes grew wide. A body hung from the gate by a length of rope, his chest split open wide with a deep scarlet ridge, his eyes sunken with red veins crackling around the pupils and his tongue bloated to fill his beak.

"It...it's...Kamoebara."

Kiryu gasped recognising that hard shell with its stony back, dark mysterious burns covering the length of his naked body. Droplets of crimson filled a puddle beneath the gate, amongst the horrified shudders and calls being made to the police. But what frightened them all the most, and made Kiryu tighten his fists, was the metal plate hanging off the corpse's neck with a message engraved.

K I R Y U

L A S T W A R N I N G

J I N U C H U