FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

On the second day of Sogra McCartin's arrival, Kiryu stood outside the hotel with Roberto Danzaki in tow, beneath a bleak silver sky. In his pale suit, he looked dull next to his friend with dazzling purple waistcoat and glorious crimson wings.

"You do something with your scales?" Danzaki looked to him.

"Yeah," Kiryu rubbed his glistening cheek, "got some new polisher, how do I look?"

"Like the sexiest fucker around," the pterosaur winked, "gonna impress your novio good when you come strolling in with his mama."

"I just hope she likes me, I wasn't expecting to meet his mother this early in the relationship."

"Ahhh you've dealt with worse," Danzaki slapped his back, "and I've seen you try worse, trust me."

"How's Little Asia?" Kiryu asked. "Sa-Rhee-san giving you problems?"

"Oh nah it's great, he loves Americans, couldn't stop talking to them while they were fixing up the place!"

"Wait, he speaks English?"

"Ahhh a bit, he's a lot friendlier to me when I don't speak Japanese that's for sure, so it's all going great!"

"What are you doing first?" Kiryu leaned back against the wall.

"Just some structural maintenance," Roberto nodded, "fix up all the old roofs and whatever's leaking, then once we got it all settled, we can start on the rooftop pitch."

The doors to the hotel opened as out stepped Sogra McCartin, wearing a cute sunhat with flowers, a muumuu dress of baby blue and a handbag cradled in one arm whilst her bare feet thumped down the steps. Kiryu had almost forgotten how exact she looked to his boyfriend, apart from the darker eyes and thicker body, as well as the loose flap of skin from her neck.

"//Mrs. McCartin?//" Roberto bowed in English. "//My name's Roberto Danzaki, I'm a friend of Mr. Kiryu, he asked me to help translate whilst your son's not around.//"

"//Ohhh he did, did he?//" she snorted. "//No one speak Gaeilge round here?//"

"//I'm sorry ma'am, no one in our company's skilled enough to master your beautiful language.//"

"//...whut?//"

"//Course the only thing more beautiful than the Irish tongue, is the wonderful young lady in front of me, that's about my age I would guess.//"

His smile grew with that Danzaki charm, a gleam in his eye as Kiryu gave him a side-eye of disbelief. The look McCartin gave was almost derisive, a smirk crawling across her warted features as she swaggered up to Roberto and patted him on the cheek, before grabbing him by the beak and pulling him close.

"//How many trollops fall for that line?//"

"//E-eh?!//"

"//There are three kinds of males who don't understand me. Young males, old males, and middle-aged males.//"

"//What about feisty boys?//" Danzaki muttered through his beak.

"//I don't play with boys. Last boy I messed with is buried at sea.//"

"//Oh, was he a sailor?//"

"//No. He was my husband.//"

Her smile grew with a sudden wickedness that startled Danzaki, pulling back with a fright as she showed off her wedding ring. She headed south, as Kiryu gave a long smirk towards his friend who sneered with a jabbing finger.

"Not ONE word, pendejo."

Goji said nothing, putting up his hands with a small chuckle as they led her down Theater Avenue. Past the Stega arcade, where droves of gamers were lining up to get inside before the rain would hit, Kiryu and Roberto guided her towards the Poppo on Tenkaiju Street, the dazzling lights of neon and the blare of pachinko parlours making her cringe with a seething look.

"Hello, welcome-OH!" Gordon waved switching to Gaeilge. "//Morning mum!//"

"//Is it?!//" she responded equally Irish. "//Looks feckin' awful, just like back home.//"

"//I know, it's great!//" he clapped his hands. "//You brought the weather with you, just like I wanted!//"

"//HEH, heheh, I always do.//"

She looked round the store full of brightly-coloured things, wandering towards the drinks section as she grabbed a six-pack of beer and thunked it on the counter.

"//Nice place ya got here.//"

"//Thanks,//" Gordon grinned, "//you sleep well?//"

"//Like a log, the beds're too soft.//"

"//How are they TOO soft?//"

"//I overslept, anyways how much're the drinks?//"

"McCartin-san," Kiryu offered his wallet, "may I purchase on behalf-"

"//Ey-ey, put yer money away,//" she slapped him back, "//I brought me own, I'm not invalid.//"

"//Mum,//" her son hissed, "//don't be rude.//"

"//I'm not, I'm paying me own way Gordo, there.//"

The mother slapped down a few yen bills as he gave her change.

"//Anything you wanna check out first?//" he asked her.

"//Anywhere that's not them feckin' atrocities I had to walk past,//" she nodded to outside, "//that Stega nonsense place, whut is that?//"

"//That's the arcade mum, you know, for videogames?//"

"//Issat like one o' them computer games, yer Neobees an' such?//"

"//NeoGeo, yes, that's, nobody calls them computer games.//"

"//I do!//" she spread her arms.

"//Yeah but you're not a gamer!//" he shook his head.

"//Course not, I married yer father didn't I?!//"

"//Whuh, NO, I meant someone who plays games oh my GOD mum!//"

"//Pffft I'm just ribbin' ya lad,//" she snorted with a grin, "//anyways, I don't like them Stegas, all them parlours an' shite.//"

"//I thought you liked gambling!//" Gordon squinted his head.

"//Only in the pub with friends, not grappling with machines in a house full o' mirrors where there's no windows to tell whut's the time, you know who else does that?!//"

"//God mum please-//"

"//That's right, the circus, and THAT'S why you don't trust 'em!//"

"Are you getting any of this?" Kiryu asked in the back.

"Not a thing," Danzaki shrugged, "I didn't even know Ireland HAD its own language until last week."

"Do you know when Shisahara's coming back?"

"Why, this about the body at the gate?"

"Yes," Goji sighed, "I know we need to do something about Jinuchu, but I don't know how much of the clan I want to involve if it's just me that they want."

"Well," Roberto took some candy from the shelf, "I say, if they only want you, you're probably just going to tell Varan-san, and then deal with it yourself."

"Is that wise?"

"No, but that's what you're gonna do."

The pterosaur grinned as Kiryu gave a bashful look, prompting Danzaki to rub his back.

"I know you're the kinda guy to do things on your own, because you don't want your amigos to get hurt. You're going to give us a speech about how it's your battle, you're trying to avoid an all-out war-"

"Am I really that predictable?"

"After knowing you for twenty-four years, yeah. Just promise me one thing, whatever you decide to do."

Roberto stepped in front with a severe look.

"Tell me what you're about to do, alright? Whatever goes down, I just wanna have the chance to be able to fly over, and check on you."

"Are you sure?" Kiryu grimaced.

"You're my oath-brother, Gojirama. Of course I'm sure. Besides I'm the surveillance master, I can spy on you doing any dumb shit from miles high without anyone catching. Just promise you'll tell me first before you do anything."

"Alright. I will."

"//That's why I let you go to Japan!//" Sogra jabbed at her son. "//They got no circuses here, too serious to be whimsical bastards!//"

"//MUM, DON'T SAY THAT!//"

"//Not like them lot in London! Feckin' sassenachs, they invented whimsy!//"

"Uh heyyyy I'll just have these," Roberto slid himself between them, "we should probably get out of your way."

"I'll take some smokes while we're here," Kiryu added, "my usual, two packs."

"Okay Kiryu!"

Gordon spun round to grab two packs of Fat Mans, handing them over to Kiryu who took McCartin's hand, and gave him a firm squeeze that made the student shiver hotly. His face beamed with delight as Gojirama smiled warmly, holding each other's hands a little too long until Sogra coughed rather pointedly.

"UH, s-sorry," the young McCartin blushed, "that'll be-"

"I got it," Kiryu handed him change then gave a carton to Sogra, "for you, McCartin-san."

"//Aww, thank ya very much!//" she smiled and pocketed them. "//How'd you like the Balors I gave ya?//"

"Good!" Kiryu nodded as Roberto translated. "They taste oddly natural, like charcoal or burning wood."

"//Aye, s'good stuff, reminds me of a nice hot stove on a cold winter's eve. Anyways, I'll get out your way, see ya after work.//"

"//Bye mum,//" he hugged her with a smooch across the counter, "//stick close to Kiryu alright, he'll protect you.//"

"//Gordo, if you can manage out here, I think I'll be fine.//"

She gave him a tighter squeeze before leaving, Goji and Roberto following after as they took Sogra towards Nagamichi Street to show her the most popular places. They went to the Pronto café to enjoy a light brunch, then took her to the Don Quijote megastore where she was partly bedazzled by the garish lights and colourful displays.

Down to the underground mall, they found a few clothing stores catching her eye as she wandered into one place and tried to hide her delight at the lovely Japanese patterns. Sogra was encouraged to grab a fashionable kimono, with flaming patterns in a dark velvet hue that resembled oil set alight on the water.

"//Daaamn Mrs. McCartin,//" Roberto whistled in English, "//looking the finest lady this side of Tokyo.//"

"//Whut's yer aim flyboy?//" she snorted at him. "//I'm too old to ride, get it out yer head.//"

"//UH, n-no I'm just saying you look fabulous!//"

"//Hm.//" She smiled swishing it around her. "//Does feel nice and airy, the poker club back home'll be jealous, especially that Mary, feckin' cow.//"

"You play poker?" Kiryu asked with Danzaki translating.

"//Aye, do you?//"

"I haven't played it in a while, mostly holdem rules."

"//We play draws back home, but I've done a fair bit o' holdem in my day.//"

"Would you like to play some cards, at one of the clubs?"

"//Nah,//" she waved her hand, "//don't like playing with strangers, more fun with friends.//"

"I agree," Kiryu nodded, "I hope one day we can play a game together."

"Aye...maybe one day."

A courteous smile came from Sogra as they walked back up to street level. Heading north to the Millennium Tower, the grand skyscraper loomed above with clouds reflecting in its glass edifice.

"//Thyos...the feck is that?//"

"//The Millennium Tower,//" Roberto answered, "//they built it back in the '80s, all the big companies round here use it as their base.//"

"//Looks feckin' awful,//" she took out a Balor cigarette, "//towers like that are an affront to God.//"

"//You're a religious beast, ma'am?//"

"//Only in that I know our limits, oh thanks.//"

Kiryu stepped forwards with a lighter to help her smoke.

"//I know the story of Babel well enough to know what happens to those who profane Heaven. Bad things come to kings who claim to be gods.//"

"//I remember that story,//" Roberto nodded crossing his wings, "//not Icthyan myself but mis abuelos were.//"

"//Ahh, did you go to church?//"

"//Nope.//"

"//Good, me neither.//"

Sogra nodded with a knowing wink, as she walked past the Tower and along its eastern street. A tavern named Bantam attracted her with its faux-Irish motif as she scoffed, but still went inside to find its charming wood panels and stone walls to be completely nothing like her home pub.

"Welcome," an iguana bartender greeted them, "how can I serve you?"

"You want a drink McCartin-san?" Kiryu asked.

"//You've got any Laphroaig?//" she walked up to the counter.

"//We do,//" said the iguana in English.

"//OH, well thassa surprise, I'll take that.//"

"//Yes ma'am.//"

He brought out a bottle of 30-year-old Scottish whisky, pouring a shot glass as she took a gulp with a deep breath. The sharp taste of smoke, brine and peat swivelled round her tongue like liquid fire, as she rattled her neck causing her wattle to shiver.

"//HOOO! Fuck, that takes me back.//"

"I've been trying to get into whisky," said Kiryu sitting beside her.

"Same here," Roberto added repeating in English, "I'm more of a wine guy myself, especially chianti."

"//Fancy lad like you?//" she rolled her eyes. "//Aye, that don't surprise me.//"

"//What's that supposed to mean?!//"

Suddenly Kiryu's phone beeped, along with Roberto's as their smartphones opened up the Paw Patrol app to see a frantic message splayed across. VANDALISM, SHOWA STREET, TENKO HOLDINGS.

"Hey, sorry but," Goji stood up, "something's going down-"

"Yeah I got it too," Danzaki nodded, "you want some help with that or-"

"No, stay with McCartin, I'll handle this." He bowed as the pterosaur translated. "Apologies, McCartin-san, I have an urgent matter to attend to."

"//Ahh, they're running the whip on you aye?//" she raised her glass. "//Chin up, don't let the bastards get you down.//"

"I'll be back soon."

He headed out quick as the beast ordered more whisky, Roberto slipping in closer with a devious smile.

"//Soooo Mrs. McCartin, you got a real taste for drinks?//"

"//I'm something of a terror in the pub,//" she leered at him. "//How 'bout you wineboy, think you can handle a whisky?//"

"//Well, I've been around more bars than you so I think I'm pretty good at handling the sauce.//"

"//Oh you do, do ya?//" Sogra grinned drumming her claws. "//How 'bout a wee wager? You pick any drink in this place, and I'll drink you under the table.//"

"//Wow, really?//" Danzaki spread his wings. "//I'm not saying no, just wondering why.//"

"//You seem awful eager to get in my good graces, best way to do that is drinking me to the bottom.//"

"//...alright!//" He snapped her fingers. "//Barkeep, gimme one Lafroyg, let's see who lasts!//"

"//Hhhheh, now yer talkin',//" she rubbed her hands, "//whoever starts falling off their seat loses.//"

"//Deal!//"

Heading off towards Showa Street, Gojirama followed the sounds of a small fracas where a few onlookers had gathered, all of them with smartphones out as they muttered to each other.

"What the fuck's happening?"

"I dunno, I got pinged on the app."

"Soooo who's gonna call the cops?"

"Fuck no, this is Toho property right? They should handle it."

"So why are we even here?!"

"Well, when I got on Paw Patrol I went to a place where a burglary was happening, and snapped a shot of the bastard, got them arrested the next day!"

"Sooooo we just get a shot of the thug as they're leaving?"

"Scuse me."

Kiryu budged up through the crowd and slipped inside, the kaijus ready with their phones and waiting for the perp to make their escape. Inside Tenko Holdings, he found desks had been overturned, a few workers shoved on the floor and a familiar-looking gecko grabbing on to a very expensive-looking printer the size of a cooler.

"K-KIRYU-SAN, KIRYU-SAN!"

"What happened?!" he walked over. "Are you alright Yamamori?!"

"TH-thug, THUG in my office, M-MY ACCOUNT, MY PRINTER!"

"Alright, stay here, I'll take care of him."

The gecko saluted as Goji stepped inside the junior manager's office to find a long-headed kaiju in a tan suit ripping open the drawers. He suddenly looked up, a black hooked face with rows of tiny teeth framing his curled beak like a vulture.

"Who the FUCK ARE YOU?!" he snapped.

"The caretaker of Tenko Holdings," Kiryu cracked his knuckles, "you have two seconds to leave before I put you in the hospital."

"You." The stranger's claws scraped on the desk. "Are you yakuza?"

"Yes."

"I got one question for you, and you better listen fucking good. Where, is my WIFE?!"

"Your...wife?"

"WHERE THE FUCK IS MY WIFE?!" He slammed his fists on the desk. "WHERE IS SHE?!"

"I don't know who you are," Kiryu shrugged, "and I don't know about your wife, but you can't just storm into some office starting trouble-"

"DON'T FUCKING LIE TO MEEEE!"

He ripped a drawer out of the desk and hurled it at Gojirama, the Toho member bashing it out the air as he walked forwards ready to fight. The hookbill lunged over the desk with surprising agility, his thin body like a whip as he latched onto Goji's shoulders and started hammering his face with frantic blows.

Kiryu blocked the thrid punch before grabbing the thug's throat, tossing him out through the door and into the main office floor where he crunched against a desk.

"Last warning," said the lieutenant, "get out of here now, and I'll let you keep your legs."

"FUCK YOU!" The stranger pushed himself up. "WHERE'S MY WIFE, I KNOW YOU YAKUZA FUCKS TOOK HER!"

"I don't KNOW, who are you?!"

"MUTOKAMI, YOU GEDDIT NOW?!" the husband tapped his head. "You tell me where she is, or I GUT YOUR FUCKING EYES!"

"I told you before, I don't know where she is!"

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Grabbing a pair of scissors from the desk, Mutokami lunged as Kiryu dodged with an elbow strike to the stranger's stomach, the foe staggering slightly as he slashed Goji's face with a grazing blow near his eye. The yakuza headbutted him hard and booted his gut to knock him back, the hookbeak charging again when Kiryu rushed harder to slam his fist through the thug's jaw, and grab his neck to slam him on the desk.

Mutokami tried to stab Kiryu with the scissors, but the saurian swerved to grab the closed blades and rip it from his hand. The hookbill grabbed for a deskphone to bash Goji's face with the receiver, before wrapping the cord round his throat to strangle him tight.

"N-NO, LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Yamamori rushed in with a surprise attack, but he was immediately punched back by the stranger as he shrieked clutching his face. It was a brief distraction to give Kiryu time to rip the cord from his throat, and bludgeon the phone on Mutokami's face until the thug pulled up his feet to kick Kiryu away. Putting up his fists, the stranger came swinging and dodged Kiryu's punch to slam his gut with a kidney blow that slightly winded him.

Goji countered the next punch that came for his eye, driving his elbow into Mutokami's fist as he yelled from the crunch, before meeting a hard punch to the skull. Staggering back, the husband grabbed the shiny new printer trying to lift it with a heave as Yamamori came flying with a frenzy of fists that more annoyed the thug than anything.

"NO, NOT THE PRINTER!"

The punk grabbed the gecko and shoved him back against the wall, until Goji grabbed the stranger's arms and dragged him from the machine to slam him against another desk. Mutokami yanked out a drawer to smash into Kiryu's knee and make him wince, the hookbilled thug punching him twice then grabbing Goji's head to throw him to the ground, before ripping out the drawer to slam down on the yakuza's face.

Blocking with his arms, Kiryu swung his tail to knock the fiend down then rolled back up and grabbing the thug's sleeve. Swinging him towards the front door, he dropkicked him hard to slam Mutokami through the doorframe which swung violent open onto the street. The crowd pulled back in fright when the strager stumbled against the bike racks near the subway entrance.

"IF YOU WON'T TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!" he screamed. "I'LL BREAK YOUR FUCKING SKULL!"

Grabbing one of the bikes to lift it high, the husband waited for Kiryu who came running. Grabbing a hole puncher from a nearby desk, Goji visualised an angry chicken in a bowling alley, hurling it towards Mutokami's legs like a curling iron as it cracked against his foot the moment he tried to swing his bike.

The tan-suited kaiju staggered with a shriek as he swung the bicycle in a hard sweep to try and regain his balance, but Kiryu drove his foot straight into the thug's chest to crunch him against the side of the subway entrance. The bike went flying above their heads as Gojirama snatched it from up high, and slammed it down on Mutokami's skull with a resounding crash.

"Had enough?" the Toho member wiped his snout. "I'll let you walk away with just a fracture."

"Y-you...FUCKING PRICK!" the thug pulled himself up. "You better sleep with one eye open cuz I'll find you, I'll make your clan PAY for what you did!"

"I told you before, I don't know any Mutokami! Look, if someone's been kidnapped, I can help, but you can't just accuse random kaiju without evidence!"

"I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU YAKUZA!" he snapped. "YOU CAN'T HIDE HER FROM ME, YOU FUCKING JINUCHU PRICK!"

"WAIT!"

The hookbill hobbled off clutching his leg, Kiryu trying to grab his arm but the stranger shoved him back with his elbow.

"Did you just say Jinuchu?"

"YEAH, SO WHAT?!" Mutokami spat. "You scared I know who you are?!"

"More confused than anything, I'm not Jinuchu."

"Wha-...what?!"

Kiryu pulled out his wallet to produce the clan badge he had within.

"Toho. Not Jinuchu."

"...f-fuck." The hookbill clutched his head. "F-fuck, FUCKING GODDAMMIT!"

"Hey, listen!" Goji put up his hands. "I don't know what happened to your wife, but if Jinuchu are involved then I can help-"

"FUCK YOU!" Mutokami spat. "I will find Jira-chan, no matter what it takes, and if I find out that you were behind it, I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

"WAIT, PLEASE!"

Shoving past the crowd who kept taking pictures of him fleeing, Mutokami ran down the street and disappeared as Kiryu sighed straightening out his sleeves.

"Apologies for the scene," he bowed to the public, "please, do not worry, Toho Clan is here to keep you safe, I assure you."

They shrugged and wandered off feeling entertained for the day, as Gojirama headed back inside Tenko Holdings.

"Everyone alright?" he asked.

"Y-yes," Yamamori sighed, "thank gods my new printer is safe."

"I'm...glad to hear." Kiryu looked to the other workers putting up their desks. "Did you have Paw Patrol?"

"Yeah," a clerk lizard shuffled papers, "Yamamori-san doesn't do apps."

"I-i just don't trust them harvesting my data," the gecko shivered rubbing his hands, "I always turn off cookies and have six adblockers!"

"And still he goes down the entire list of vendors turning off every one."

"I CARE about our company's safety!"

"You took TWO HOURS!" shouted the lizard.

"THERE WERE FOUR-HUNDRED VENDORS!" screamed Yamamori.

"We'll cover the damages," said Kiryu interrupting, "are all the documents safe?"

"Yeah no worries," the clerk sat at her desk, "we were actually worried about the new printer most, that was really expensive."

"Who was that thug?!" the gecko clutched the wall. "He kept screaming about his wife, I don't get it!"

"I don't know either," Goji shook his head, "I need to head back, but you do have my number right?"

"I-i...I do?" the junior manager pulled out his phone. "OH, ohh jeez I-i did, oh gosh I'm so sorry I didn't call!"

"It's fine," Kiryu patted his shoulder, "call me if anything happens, no matter what time it is, I'll come right down."

"Okay, thank you again!"

Stepping out and heading back up Nagamichi, Gojirama returned to the Bantam tavern expecting Sogra McCartin to be drumming her fingers at the counter. Instead he found only Danzaki, mumbling with his head slumped on the bar next to a half-empty glass.

"Wha-...Danzaki?!"

"Ehh?!" Roberto leered up. "Awwww Goji-chan eyyyy mi carnaaaal!"

"Where's McCartin-san?"

"Ahhhh, sh-she wen' to thuh bathroom, HOO! Yer madre-in-law, she really drank me under table, I wuz all NO MAS NO MAS!"

"Actually," the bartender iguana bowed, "she took her leave a few minutes back."

"What?!" Kiryu gasped. "Danzaki-san, why?!"

"Whuh you eckshpect me to do mi guey?!" Roberto flapped pathetically. "Can't fly when ahm drunk, need a dezhignated flyer, that ain't you!"

"Ugh. Bartender, did you see where she went?"

"Along Taihei Boulevard," the barkeep pointed, "she headed west to the end of the street."

"Alright, she probably went to see her son, I'll go find her."

"Ahm juszht gonna, szhiddere a bit," Roberto scritched his beak, "til I find my legszh."

"Yeah you do that, what were you thinking doing a drinking game with our guest?!"

"SZHE OFFERED!" he shouted. "Waszhn't gonna szhay no to a szhenora!"

"I was away for like ten minutes, how did...never mind, I'll chew you out when you're sober."

Heading back out west along Taihei Boulevard, Kiryu asked the locals in passing if they had seen McCartin in her velvet kimono and oversized hat. At the very least she would be easy to recognise, as he wandered over to the Poppo and peeked through the windows. Gordon was sweeping the floor so he did not notice him, but unfortunately his mother was not there.

"Damn it, where could she be?" he muttered. "Alright, let's think...where would an older lady visit?"

Then he caught a scent on the breeze. A strong woody scent like burning a fire in the forest, that he knew was her brand of cigarettes as he followed south along Tenkaiju Street. The smell led him to a passage that circled around the Bar Serena, a place Kiryu had never been to himself despite being next door to his office. Then he heard her voice rattling from the dark.

"//Whut feckin' nonsense is this?!//"

"Lady, read my lips! HAND. OVER. THE BAG."

"Oh no."

Kiryu rushed down the alley to see Sogra McCartin being stared down by three thugs. A mandrill, a tiger and a kitsune accosted her at the back of an old stairwell.

"Listen lady," the fox sneered twitching his tails, "we don't have all day, just hand over the bag, and we don't gotta be nasty."

"//Boys.//" She puffed on her cigarette. "//I don't have time fer this.//"

"GIVE ME, THE BAG, YOU OLD BITCH!" snapped the baboon.

"//I don't need to understand you lads to know that this is a hold-up.//"

"Maybe we should just do charades," the tiger rolled his eyes.

"Or we just take the damn bag and shove her down," scoffed the monkey.

"We really gonna break an old lady's hip for some cash?! I mean I don't mind stealing but I'm not ready to escalate to assault."

"We're not gonna kill her!" the fox slapped his friend's arm. "We're just getting a little physical, a lady dresses up like this she must have cash to blow!"

"Okay well I'm not gonna handle her, I'll keep watch, you take it."

"Whatever you fucking pussy-"

"HEY, dude that's offensive!"

"SHUT UP! YOU!" the baboon thrust his finger at Sogra. "GIVE ME, THE FUCKING BAG, OR I BEAT YOUR DAMN FACE!"

"//Alright, you want me bag?//" She taunted him with beckoning hand. "//You'll have to come an' take it from me you wee fecker.//"

"ARE YOU MOCKING ME?!"

"I'm pretty sure she is," said the tiger stepping back, "I'm not feeling this now bro-"

"NOBODY MAKES FUN OF ME YOU OLD COW!"

The moment the ape lunged with his fist, Sogra McCartin flipped the cigarette off her lip and spat it into the baboon's eye. The punk screeched with a howling gasp as he clutched his face, the old beast jumping high with a brutal punch from the heavens that slammed on the monkey's head, and sent him straight to hell on the tarmac.

"Oh, SHIT!"

The tiger stammered trying to run before he bumped into Kiryu. The kaiju put one finger upon the trembling cat's head then pointed out the alley.

"Leave, now. Find a better friend, or else."

"Y-YES SIR, S-SORRY, SORRY PLEASEDON'TKILLME!"

He stumbled out of his way and disappeared onto the street, Goji looking towards the monkey still concussed on the floor whilst the kitsune tried to swing at her. The older beast dodged with a sudden punch to the waist, swerving like a boxer as the fox heaved with a gasping roar, and tried to kick her in his fury. Sogra blocked his leg with a slam of her arm, shoving him back before he came running to try and tackle her.

"JUST GIMME YOUR FUCKING BAG!"

"//You want it, CATCH!//"

She suddenly threw her handbag at his face, surprising the would-be thief as he stumbled in his charge and skidded to a halt trying to clutch it. In his stagger he took his eyes off McCartin, who bent down near a trash pile under the stairs and grabbed a solid brick that she swung in her fist. The robber shrieked a second too late when Sogra clubbed his face, crunching cinderblock as blood spilt from his head and he rolled across the alley.

"NNNGH!" The baboon staggered onto his feet. "Y-you...F-FUCKING WHORE, I'LL KILL YOU!"

From his pocket he pulled out a switchblade, brandishing it with a shriek as Sogra simply smiled juggling the brick in her hand.

"//Awww, that's cute. You think I'm frightened of yer wee shiv?//"

"S-STOP MOCKING ME YOU BITCH, YOU WANNA DIE?!"

"//Rock beats scissors you wee fuck but yer welcome to try.//"

"GAAAAAAARGH!"

With a frenzied charge he lunged with his knife, the savage ape blocked by Sogra's brick that scraped on his dagger before she crushed his hand with the block, causing him to scream and drop his knife. With a crippling pain in his fingers he clutched his hand, watching Sogra pick up his knife and grab him by the throat to slam against the wall.

"//Listen here you little prick.//"

"A-AAAGH!"

"//I don't care if you don't understand me, but if you thought you could come at me waving a knife, you were fucked from the start.//"

"ALRIGHT, A-ALRIGHT YOU CAN KEEP THE BAG!"

"//If we were back home, I'd kill you right here.//" She pressed the knife close to his eye. "//There's a lotta bodies buried out at sea...some of 'em I knew.//"

"BRO, I GOT THE BAG!"

"//Huh?!//"

She turned to see the fox shaking her handbag victoriously as the mandrill saw his chance, throwing McCartin aside when her guard was down and trying to run off with his partner in crime. One of them was struck in the back of the head, Kiryu grabbing his own brick to hurl and knock out the kitsune. But Sogra took aim towards the baboon with the knife.

"Wait, NO!"

Kiryu cried out too late as she threw her blade, whirling death through the air as it pierced the monkey's shoulder, causing him to fall and shriek with a stagger against the wall. He turned just in time to see the old beast charge him with a grab-and-slam, crushing his face in the dirt.

"//NO ONE...pushes Sogra McCartin.//"

She yanked the blade free from the ape's shoulder, taking her bag and dropping the knife into a sewer drain to safely dispose of it. The two thugs eventually got up and left, whimpering with empty hands and too many bruises to look back out of fear.

"//You, alright?//" Kiryu asked in halting English.

"//Ach it's fine,//" Sogra dusted her hands, "//sorry for dumping yer pal, got bored an' wanted to see Gordo, then the wee feckers tried to rob me.//"

"//That...that punch.//" He mimicked the cigarette spit and the flying hook. "//How?!//"

"//Oh, you liked that?//" She grinned pulling out another cig. "//I can teach ya if you like.//"

"//Show me, please.//" Kiryu brought out his own.

The Irish mother demonstrated through a brief game of charades, puckering her lips and flipping the bottom in such a way that Kiryu struggled to perfect until the tenth try. Once he managed to flick his smoke successfully into a bin, Sogra patted his back, as they exchanged cigarettes once again and headed back up the road to see Gordon.

"//Gordo!//" she called.

"//AH, mum!//" the young McCartin stammered clutching his broom. "//You alright?//"

"//Ach just drank half a bottle of Laphroaig, hell of a good day so far.//"

"//But, you just bought a six-pack.//"

"//Aye,//" she pulled up her bag with the clink of drinks, "//that's a special treat fer later.//"

"//How did you fit six cans in your handbag?//"

"//That's whut the police asked me once.//"

"//What?!//"

"//Hhhehehe I'm joking,//" she waved him off, "//had to ditch that Roberto so now it's just me an' yer lad.//"

"If you're asking where Danzaki is," Kiryu thumbed behind him, "he's off nursing a hangover after your mother drank him under the table."

"//What?!//" Gordon gasped shaking his head. "//MUM, don't do drinking games!//"

"//Whut, I can't have fun now?//" Sogra rolled her eyes. "//Thyos, Gordo if you can't handle a drink now and again, you're never keeping this boyfriend around.//"

"//That's not the point, this isn't about me!//"

"//Is that why you couldn't date Eamonn back home?//"

"//DON'T BRING UP EAMONN!//" Gordon shouted almost snorting with laughter. "//He was a f-feckin' eejit!//"

"//Aye, so why ya laughing?//" she grinned nodding.

"//B-because I keep remembering why I dumped him s-STOP it mum-gahahaha!//"

"//So if you can piss about with a boy back home, there's nothing wrong with me pissing about here, that right Kiryu?//"

She nudged his waist as he was put on the spot, torn between his boyfriend and the mother who both looked at him with the same severe grin. At that point Kiryu's phone rang and he gave a sigh of relief before checking his text.

"Ahh, Danzaki needs my help to walk him back, apologies I have to leave you two-"

"That's okay!" Gordon walked over to him. "Come back for talk, okay?"

"I will."

He smooched Gordon's head, the student blushing with earfins wagging as his mother's face softened. He walked back up the street, with Sogra turning to her son and smiling at him.

"//He's a lot fitter than Eamonn, I'll give him that.//"

"//Oh my god mum p-please!//" the young McCartin giggled.

"//It wasn't funny Gordo, they had to replace the phone box, we couldn't contact the outside world fer two weeks!//"

"//I-i know but khhhahahaha, y-you were laughing too!//"

"//Aye I was, but it wasn't funny.//"

After Goji took Roberto back to his office to recuperate, he returned to the McCartins as they talked amongst each other. When night would fall, Gordon would come off work as Sogra talked with him and his boyfriend about life back in Ireland, her son's studies in Japan, and a brief overview of how Kiryu met him. Once it became dark, they headed back to the hotel and she kissed her son goodnight, with a handshake to Kiryu before the two lovers walked down the road.

"What you think of mother?" Gordon asked.

"She's great," Kiryu smiled, "she has a fighter's spirit, very confident, I see where you get it from."

"R-really? Fight spirit?"

"She's a tough lady. I like tough ladies."

"She like you too," he grinned wagging his fins, "thank you, Kiryu. She looked lovely in kimono! OH, that remind me!"

He brought out a pamphlet showing a tourist attraction that Kiryu vaguely recognised. A 19th-century Japanese town fully recreated with a grand pagoda, old traditional houses and various kaiju wearing hakama robes.

"Jidaigaiden," Kiryu cocked his head, "huh...haven't been there in ages."

"You've been?!" gasped Gordon.

"Yeah, the Fourth Chair's actually a patron of this park, we even get the employee discount as Toho members."

"Wow!" Gordon rocked on his heels. "Very lucky! I-i always want to go, I love Japan history. I thought, good place to take mother, be fun, want to come?!"

"Sure!" Kiryu grinned taking his hand. "I'd love to go there with you, we can even get the discount, just don't mention the Toho thing."

"I won't! Thank you for not telling mother."

"It's fine. I'm honoured to hear how much you want to learn about Japan."

"Is very lovely...but you, loveliest of all."

Gojirama stuttered with a gentle blush, feeling Gordon squeeze his hand before the beast hugged him happily. They parted ways back to their separate homes, Kiryu straightening his sleeves with a growing smile into the night.

The next day, the street was abuzz with news from Little Asia about a potential renovation. No one had expected any work to be done on the hovels, but a strong crew of winged American monsters were given permission to fly over and start planning out the schematics. Roberto was on hand, after nursing his hangover but in accordance to Sa-Rhee's request, all Japanese were kept out of Little Asia, with Danzaki as an exception.

The first thing they did was measure the size of the rooftops, finding the largest one that was most accessible before they put up safety barriers, and checked the stability of the stairways. Some of the walkways were crumbling and badly rusted, the workers sharing notes and flying between alleys to flap beside buildings and jot down structural weak points.

On this same day, Kiryu was playing soccer in the parking lot that Yong-ga had fought him in. The chef was captaining one team of children in red strips, Gojirama wearing blue with his own team as they squared off on the asphalt. Kiryu took on the role of defender, whilst Sa-Rhee the younger played attacker amongst all the little ones who were passing the ball back and forth.

"JEON, HERE!"

Kiryu waved to the little kirin, the young scaly foal passing his golden ball as the grown kaiju quickly swerved past a few of the red team. Yong-ga however was vicious, sliding on the gravel to knock the ball out from Kiryu's legs and almost trip him up, the stegosaur cackling as he raced towards the goal at the other end.

"SA-RHEE, SA-RHEE I'M OPEN!"

From the other side was Gonkuro Obara, also in red as he waved to Yong-ga who passed the ball quick to him. The youngster went towards a bear cub goalkeeping between two piles of sweaters, as she stared down Gonkuro who lifted his foot back, and booted it in the corner where the child could barely reach.

"GOOOOOOOOOOAL!"

"//YEAAAAH, GET DUNKED IDIOTS!//"

Yong-ga put his shirt over his head and did a small victory run, the red team giggling with cheer as Obara tried not to get too excited. Kiryu chuckled and brought the blues around him for a little pep talk.

"Alright, listen up, you're doing great."

"Kiryu-saaaan!" whimpered a fox cub. "We're gonna loooose!"

"Hey, it doesn't matter, we're having fun right? But that said, we want to show them what we're made of."

"Right!" Jeon pumped his fist. "What's the plan?!"

"Han-kun, you go to the red car, the moment you see anyone come your way, you strike. Tsao, Park, I want you centre with me, we'll make a wall together. Jeon, you get directly behind me, anyone who gets past, tackle them, then take the ball straight to the end, get past Sa-Rhee, then shoot it without thinking."

"Okay!" he saluted.

"Strike hard, strike fast, let's do this!"

They put their their hands together with an "OOORA!" and went back to their positions, bracing themselves for Yong-ga's assault as the stegosaur cracked his knuckles. The red team came charging, Sa-Rhee switching the ball between his feet and passing it to a sprightly young phoenix, who swerved past Goji and bumped straight into Jeon.

The scaled foal rushed him immediately, tackling hard to steal the ball and swerving round the other reds with a surprising speed. Pounding hooves clattered on the gravel as he saw Yong-ga bearing down with a wicked grin. The boy dodged his charge with a daring spin, booting the ball between Sa-Rhee's legs and with a furious kick, slammed the ball to the back of the goal past the red butterfl goalie.

"YES, GOOOOAAAAAL!"

"//AUUUUGH, SHIT!//"

Yong-ga kicked the dirt but shook it off, the time soon running out two minutes later at an equal score of 2-2. Kiryu lifted up Jeon on his shoulder and touted him round the lot, the other blues chanting his name whilst Sa-Rhee patted his team members and led them back towards Little Asia.

"That was a goal for the ages," Kiryu said.

"You still not win," Sa-Rhee snorted.

"You didn't win either!" Jeon poked his tongue. "What matters is we didn't lose!"

"Exactly," Goji patted his head, "long as you gave it everything you got, there's no shame in winning or losing."

"Pah, that loser's talk," Yong-ga jabbed the saurian.

"Don't be mean," Obara simpered beside him, "we had fun right, that's what's important!"

"Ehhh, I guess...not play soccer in a while, was good fun, but next time I beat you!"

"You mean, WE'LL beat you!" the junior wrapped his arm round Yong-ga's shoulders. "You better be ready next match, Kiryu-san!"

"Me and Jeon-kun'll be waiting," said Gojirama pumping his fist, "right li'l guy?"

"YEAH!" the boy brofisted him back. "We're not gonna lose, we'll be champions!"

"Awesome," Gonkuro patted Yong-ga's arm, "you wanna head to the music store now?"

"Yeah sure," Sa-Rhee patted him back, "they got futurefunk there too?"

"Oh they totally do, you HAVE to hear this guy called MegaWire, they do crazy stuff, later Kiryu-san!"

"Have a good day."

The Toho lieutenant smiled, waving them off as he escorted Jeon back to the entrance of Little Asia.

"Thanks for the game!" the boy waved back to him.

"You're welcome," he nodded, "I always love a good match, see you around."

"G'bye Kiryu-san!"

"Take care, Jeon-kun."

Heading off into the slum, the boy bounced his golden ball between his arms as Kiryu sighed giving a polite nod to the guard, the goat giving a thumbs up and a smile in return. Feeling thirsty all of a sudden, Gojirama looked to the guard and gestured if she wanted a drink.

"Hot coffee." She nodded.

"Got it."

He walked off to a vending machine, getting a coffee can and an iced tea for himself as he went back to the caprine and handed over her drink.

"Thank you."

"No prob."

They took a gentle sip, savouring the cool autumn breeze as the goat sighed with a hot cloud of breath from her coffee.

"EYYY carnal!"

The voice of Roberto came swooping from above, the red-winged pteranodon skidding to a halt and straightening out his purple waistcoat.

"Good news bro, we're on schedule for the new soccer pitch!"

"Great!" Kiryu patted him. "How's your head?"

"Ehhh, getting there, sorry again about yesterday."

"It's fine, McCartin-san had a good time either way, so what else you have to do?"

"Well," Roberto stretched his wings, "we got some structural damage so we might as well nip that in the bud. One of my workers checked with Sa-Rhee-san and she's keeping referrals to check we're not disturbing anything."

"Glad to hear," Kiryu nodded, "thanks again for all this."

"De nada," Danzaki waved with a grin, "I'm footing the bill so we got no limit, frankly it's gonna be pretty easy to just fix it up, mostly standard renovations we can get done in a week."

"So it won't take up too much time?"

"I got all the time in the world mi guey, thanks to being a patriarch, this is nothing. Besides it's like you said, making connections with the Koreans'll help us out."

"Still not letting in the Japanese." Gojirama rubbed his neck looking at the heights. "Maybe one day, but I want to respect their boundaries."

"You got in though," Roberto pulled out a small inhaler, "the boss in there must like you for something."

"That was an exception because I knew the-...wait, are you vaping?"

"Yeah?" Danzaki sucked on the tip. "Cannabis, just trying something new, got tired of cigarettes."

"I thought it was only for medical use."

"Well yeah, that's processed different, this is just the regular kind that's pretty much the same as smoking. Wanna try?"

"...sure."

Kiryu took an experimental puff, the taste of cannabis smoke swirling in his cheeks as he slightly grimaced, before the hot taste of molten strawberry filled his nostrils.

"Nnnngh," he blew out a colourful smoke, "that tastes...ugh, weird."

"Yeah, ni modo," Danzaki took back the vape, "so what you doing later?"

"Well," Goji coughed again, "I'm heading out with McCartin-san to this place called Jidaigaiden, he wants to give his mother the whole Japan experience."

"Hahaaaah, awww shit that place is corny, but a good kinda corny, family-friendly."

"McCartin-san always wanted to go, might as well be now, I haven't been there in a while myself."

"Remember Sano-kun almost got kicked out cuz he tried to ride an umbrella down the river?"

"YOU dared him," Kiryu jabbed his friend, "it was entirely your fault, you know he can't resist taking dares."

"Awww but c'mon Goji-chan, when he like, geeeently put his foot out on the umbrella and then BLUP, he sank like a damn stone!"

"Thank gods Shisa-sama took us all on that life-saving course, if he didn't know how to swim-"

"Goji, bro...come on," Roberto spread his arms, "you really think I'd betray my best friends into doing something they'd never be able to do?"

"Well...no, of course not," the saurian chuckled, "he didn't stop bitching about you for weeks, but at least he got revenge on you when your suit 'disappeared' for two weeks and you had to wear that raincoat for the softball game."

"Wait, WHAT?!" the pterosaur gasped. "I KNEW someone stole it, I thought I was going crazy!"

"You deserved it Danzaki, you mess with the Sano, you get the spikes."

"I'll spike him the next softball game that puta madre, NO ONE TOUCHES MY SUIT!"

A cellphone rang off that the guard flipped open to check, a look of surprise on her face as she pointed to Kiryu then handed over the phone to him.

"Kiryu-san, howsit going?"

"Good, thanks," Goji nodded, "you need something Sa-Rhee-san?"

"Yeah, I got a spare seat at the table and too much bibimbap to eat, mind helping me with that?"

"Oh...sure, I'll come in but, is that alright with your folks?"

"It is if I say it is now hurry up, your egg's getting cold."

The phone clicked off as Kiryu handed it back to the goat.

"I'll keep working upstairs," Roberto pointed to the sky, "hasta luego."

"Sure, see you later."

Danzaki flew back to the air as Gojirama walked inside of Little Asia once again. Surprisingly he felt more timid and uncertain than he had the last two times he was here, trying to look respectful and bowing to every resident who all smiled at him with a nod and a wave. Jeon could be heard kicking his ball against the street wall, his mother sitting nearby as Kiryu bowed to her deepest.

"Oh! Kiryu-san," the scaled equine bowed in return, "are you...visit?"

"Yes, Sa-Rhee-san asked me to, sorry."

"No no, is okay!" She took his hand with a soft squeeze. "Thank you, for all you help, with Jeon."

"Glad I could help," he smiled, "do you need anything?"

"I fine, thank you. Jeon always talk about you."

"Yeah, he's a great kid, and plays good on the pitch!"

"I no play soccer, all big question to me," she rolled her hand across her snout, "wish I could, but his father, he always close to him."

"I'm sorry." Kiryu rubbed her hand. "I hope the new soccer pitch can at least give Jeon some happiness."

"It do. Thank you." She squeezed his hand a little tighter. "Jeon need...no, never mind."

"No, tell me, it's fine."

"I glad, you here...for Jeon. He...need...father-like, in life. I know you not, but...you help him a lot."

"I try to," Goji nodded, "I'll come round when I can, whilst renovations are going on. I have to go, Sa-Rhee-san's waiting."

"Yes," she nodded, "goodbye Kiryu, next time, I make you food!"

"I'd be honoured, ma'am."

He stepped back with another bow and headed up towards the restaurant. A few workers were steaming things up in Yong-ga's kitchen, serving the locals with Korean delights as Kiryu saw Byul-ga Sa-Rhee waiting for him. The large bull in his yellow shirt and pants beckoned him upstairs as they wandered through the pokey little halls and tight corridors up to his personal quarters.

With an old TV, a few unmarked DVDs and some third-hand furniture cluttering the place, it reminded Kiryu of a student's lodgings after a raucous college party as his mind briefly wandered back to Gordon. Sa-Rhee sat down at the table with two bowls of steaming bibimbap full of rice, egg, ham and a few vegetables scattered between.

"Thank you for the lunch," said Kiryu sitting opposite.

"Something good for the soccer champs," Byul-ga started wolfing down his food, "Jeon wouldn't shut up about you."

"Yeah, his mother said the same. How are they doing?"

"Good! Jeon's looking a lot happier these days, not been like that since his dad was around."

"I'm glad I could help," Kiryu shovelled rice down his gullet, "mmmph, this is really good, what's the secret?"

"Ask Yong-ga," the bull shrugged, "he's a real whizz in the kitchen, even with his ammonia allergy."

"Oh, that sounds bad-wait, what uses ammonia in the kitchen?"

"Oh lotsa things," Sa-Rhee tapped his fingers, "you got cheese, salami, peanut butter, mayo, onions, ketchup-"

"Wait, onions?" Gojirama reeled back. "Wow, that sucks, onions are delicious, especially in meat cutlets."

"He just gotta remember which plate is which, small amounts just cause him to start itching a lot but, we manage."

"I'm surprised you still let me come up here."

"Like I said," Sa-Rhee pointed his chopsticks, "the folks are okay with you, as long as I am."

They kept eating with the sound of clinking bowls in silence, the drumming sound of hammers and drills from above as construction began with crumpling wood and folded sheets.

"I'll admit," said the bull, "the fact the first thing you thought of was a soccer pitch for the li'l ones, is not something I expected in a yakuza."

"I mostly did it for Jeon," Kiryu admitted, "if it helps the rest of the kids too then all the better."

"Yeah, I can tell...he's a good kid, a lot like his dad, when he was younger."

"Really?" the saurian finished his rice. "You knew his father when young?"

"He was about seven years younger than me, when we left Okinawa."

"Huh...you lived in Okinawa? My patriarch's from there."

"Wow small world," Sa-Rhee rolled his eyes, "I was born in Korea, but my family emigrated, and things were good for a while until the Tokyo Olympics. Guess how that went."

"Ahh." Kiryu shifted uncomfortable. "That...that must have been hard, I can't imagine what you had to go through."

"My house firebombed for starters, that's how I went in the orphanage."

"How old were you?"

"About eleven," Byul-ga poured a glass of sikye. "Then I met Kama-kun a couple years later."

"Kama-kun?" Goji offered his glass.

"Jeon-kun's dad," the bull filled him up, "he never told you?"

"No. I try not to ask because, well...I know he passed away so I didn't want to upset him."

"Thank you," the minotaur took a sip, "I can tell you care about him, your whole attitude changes around him."

"I just know how tough it can be when you're on your own. I was raised in an orphanage too, never knew my own family."

"Am I supposed to feel bad?"

"No, if anything I think your pain is worse," Kiryu drank softly, "not knowing my parents means I never knew what I lost, but you...you have known what you've lost. I'm sorry that it happened to you, and I'm ashamed that my country did that to your family."

"Heh...well, shit." Byul-ga smiled pinching his snout. "That's uh...that's kind of you to say, I appreciate it."

"What was Jeon's father like?" Goji took another sip. "I've always been curious, he sounded like a great guy from what he told me."

"Oh he sure was, strong-minded, old-school in a weird way, even when I first met him he always had a...like, an old soul about him."

"How old were you two?"

"About thirteen, he was six. Weird friendship I know but hey, they don't separate ages much in an orphanage."

"I know what you mean," Kiryu nodded, "all the five-year-olds mashed together with the twelve-year-olds, always cramping your style."

"Gods," Byul-ga palmed his face, "all the li'l shits wanna talk about race cars, but you're reading shonen and they're too dumb to read."

"HAH, hahaha, oh that's so true, I remember me and Danzaki-san started reading manga, and all the little ones kept annoying us pointing at all the weird faces."

"Didya tell them it was just the style?"

"Yes, many times," Kiryu rolled his eyes, "this is what happens when you grow up without TV."

"Hhheheheheheh, yeaaah that's maybe why I liked Kama-kun so much, he wasn't like that."

Flicking open his lighter, Sa-Rhee pulled out a cigarette before offering one to Kiryu, both of them lighting up as they took a moment to breathe it in and calm their senses.

"How did you end up being friends with Kama-kun?" asked Goji.

"He found a manga I'd been wanting for a while," Byul-ga shook his head, "his Japanese wasn't very good, so I taught him along with the classes we got. We stayed close even after I left at eighteen."

"You didn't get adopted?"

"Nah, turns out not a lotta Japanese want a Korean kid back in the '80s."

"I'm sorry to hear," Goji took a deeper puff, "did Kama-kun find a home?"

"No, that's another reason we bonded."

"Why? Isn't Kama a Japanese name?"

"Well...it was the name he took, when he came to Tokyo. Kama Kurasawa."

Kiryu's eyes widened as he almost dropped his cig, catching it from his jaw as he leaned forwards.

"Kama...Kurasawa?"

"Yeah, I know," Byul-ga waved through the smoke, "his wife kept her maiden name, same with his son, but he operated outside of Little Asia. He brought the money in with his job, looked and spoke Japanese, you'd be surprised how easy it is to fool you guys with a name like that."

"Was this Kama Kurasawa...a mantis?"

"Yeah, he was. How'd you know?!"

"That...that was the body I found. Last month in the sewers."

Sa-Rhee clenched his teeth and slowly bit into his cigarette, grinding the filter to a smear across his lips as his fists turned to white knuckles.

"You. You were the one who found him?"

"Yes," Kiryu nodded, "I had no idea he was your friend, the police wouldn't let me tell anyone-"

"HE WAS UNDER MY HOME!?"

He slammed his fists through the table.

"MY FRIEND, MY DEAREST FRIEND, WHO WENT MISSING THREE MONTHS AGO, WAS DEAD UNDER MY FEET THE WHOLE _ FUCKING TIME?! _"

"I'm sorry!" Goji put up his hands. "If I had known who he was, I would have told you!"

"Oh, you going to give me a big condolence speech, 'at least the Host is behind bars' yeah cuz THAT IS HORSESHIT!"

"I know, the Host didn't kill him."

"DAMN RIGHT THE HOST DIDN'T KILL HIM, I MADE SURE HE WAS-...wait. What?"

Byul-ga Sa-Rhee stepped back somewhat puzzled.

"You...you know who killed him?"

"I have a pretty good guess," Kiryu nodded, "do you know who the Jinuchu Clan are?"

"Somewhat." The bull sat back down. "They...they were behind that kidnapping at the temple, right?"

"After I found Kurasawa's body, the boss of the Jinuchu threatened me for meddling with his affairs, explicitly mentioning the body I found. I don't know why they killed your friend-"

"But I do. Gods." Byul-ga put his head in his hands. "They really did kill him. Just like he said they would."

"Wait," Kiryu shook his head, "Kurasawa knew he was being hunted?"

"Yeah. You said the Jinuchu threatened you too?"

"Last week, one of their subordinates was hung in front of my office. A warning specifically against me."

"...alright." Sa-Rhee rubbed his hands. "After all the work you put in here, helping my nephew and being in Jinuchu's sights...I'll tell you what Kama-kun found. Go to Jeon, tell him 'Hydrakion dropped the ball'. He has what you're searching for."

"Really?" Goji stood up gently. "Did his father leave something-"

"Get it from Jeon, and come back here, I'll explain when you get it."

Stepping out of the restaurant, the Toho member walked down to street level where Jeon was still kicking about against the wall. The locals were drinking coffee, chatting away to each other and raising their cans to Kiryu who nodded back.

"Jeon-kun."

"OH, Kiryu-san!" the boy kept bouncing the ball on his knees. "I beat my record, for keepy-uppy!"

"Wow, really? You got past fifty?"

"YEP, fiftyyyy-eight!"

"That's great, you're on your way to the professionals! I need to ask your help."

"Yah?!" Jeon stopped the ball under his foot. "Watcha need, Kiryu-san?"

"Well...Hydrakion dropped the ball."

The child's face suddenly changed. In a single glance, Jeon had aged by four years with a severe look and a tightened grimace.

"You...you knew my dad?"

"Sa-Rhee-san and I were talking," Kiryu nodded, "he told me about your father and...the creatures who threatened him, are now also threatening me."

"But...why?"

"Because I was the one who found him. I didn't know who he was, until just now. But the ones who hurt him, are now angry at me because I found him."

"I...okay."

He looked down at his golden ball, gently rubbing the surface with a deep sigh before handing it to Kiryu. Jeon's mother looked on from her chair, somewhat confused along with the saurian.

"Your...your ball?"

"Dad said...if anyone said that to me, I give them my ball. They'd be a good friend."

"Really? But, why?"

"That's what dad told me, so, here ya go."

"But this is...no, Jeon I couldn't, this is all you have-"

"I'm not GIVING you it!" he snorted. "I'm getting it back, just...Sa-Rhee-san knows what to do."

"...alright." Goji took the ball carefully. "I'll bring it back. Thank you, Jeon-kun."

With a smile the young foal sat down beside his mother, who asked in Korean what he was up to but he simply responded with that usual "I'm not telling" air of confidence that all children had when they were six or seven. Kiryu went back upstairs to the restaurant where Sa-Rhee was waiting, the smell of cheap cigarette smoke filling his quarters in a soft fog of rememberance.

"Is this it?" he offered the soccer ball.

"Yep," Byul-ga took it from him, "gimme that."

"He wants it back, I'm not sure what you're planning-"

"Don't worry." The minotaur pulled out a knife. "I'm not breaking that li'l guy's heart."

"Wait, NO!"

He stabbed through the ball with surgical precision, cutting a near-invisible line and slowly pulling it apart like a melon, the sound of air escaping as Kiryu stood horrified at the dissection. Then he saw something inside the dual layers of faux-leather and PVC, four small rectangles taped on each internal side of the ball that kept it balanced with equal weight. Two of them were soft weights, but the other two that Byul-ga removed was a notebook, and an old handheld vinyl tape recorder with the record button torn off.

"What is...what's this?" Kiryu shook his head.

Sa-Rhee clicked play on the tape, the recorder whirring inside as the small vinyl disc spun softly to itself. Two male voices could be heard after some scrabbling sounds and the brief rumbling of trucks, one more astute and the other clearly older.

"Thank you for coming...Daija-san, you said?"

"Correct," the elder said, "my position requires I use an alias."

"Not a problem," replied the elegant voice. "I must admit, I'm rather curious as to how you learned of my intentions with R.O.S.E."

"I have some old threads, some feelers I put out in hopes of regaining a position, which is where you can help me, Doi-san."

"Ohh?" Doi's voice crept with a grin. "And how would I do that?"

"I am close friends with the Empire of Mu, officially not any more, but they are my eyes and ears on the street and they heard one of your companies had privatised the R.O.S.E facility."

"You have me at a disadvantage, Daija-san. Perhaps you know why the rights to that facility are so difficult to obtain, even marked down as Lot Zero which is rather unusual."

"Because of its great secret lying underneath." Daija walked with light footsteps. "You know of it I assume?"

"Yes," Doi murmured, "Project Cold Death, but the vault curiously cannot be opened."

"Not unless you have the deed, which itself contains an encryption key devised by Genshiro Kuribayante. After he died, he passed it on to his child, Ukyo, who disappeared along with a pair of foreigners called Luzek."

"And, do you perhaps know where this key is, perchance?"

"Yes," the stranger chuckled, "rather fortunate, I have learned from my Empire brethren that the Luzeks are here in Yokohama."

"Really?!" gasped Doi. "How fortuitous! Perhaps I could make use of your little network and take over duties on your behalf."

"I was just about to say," the elder kept walking, "I would appreciate the load off my shoulders with my other regular duties. But entertain me for a moment, if you will Doi-san. Why would you, a modest CEO, want such a dangerous weapon in your capacity?"

"What else would we use a weapon? I'm sure you have your thoughts on Kankoran and well, all of Korea rather."

"That they're tainting this country and Kankoran is nothing but a drain on our resources?"

"I don't share your motivations, but I believe our end goals are the same in terms of economics. Reforging Japan to become the greatest nation in the world, pure and unsullied in its riches to the heavens."

"So the project shall be completed? Ohhh, how I have long waited for this day, to prove the strength of our nation."

"Then it's settled?" Doi's smile crept through his voice. "You give me access to your eyes and ears, I obtain the deed, and you take control of R.O.S.E. What of Kuribayante?"

"I have not found them yet," said Daija, "they are much more crafty than I expected, but rest assured if you find the Luzeks they are surely not far behind-"

"HEY, WHO'S THERE?!"

"Sh-shit, SHIT!"

A scrabbling sound could be heard as Kurasawa bolted, the barking of thugs and the shuffling of feet coming through along with Doi and his cohort shouting faint in the distance.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck OH FUCK!"

"STOP HIM, STOP THAT THIEF!"

The roar of steel cranes and the horns of ships filled their ears as Kiryu imagined Kurasawa's moments. Frightened for his life, dodging between the struts and containers with an army of villains chasing him, he heard the sound of a bus, the doors closing behind and his breath shuddering with a deep sob.

"F-f-fuck...fuck...it was him...G-garien from the bar, they're after me...hohhh fuck, fuck I gotta leave, I can't stay here, hoh f-fuck...shit."

The tape clicked off at last. Kiryu sat back astonished, shaking his head and about to ask more until Byul-ga handed him the notebook.

"Read the last entry."

Gojirama did so, opening the small leather book as he read the last will and testament.

My name is Kama Kurasawa. If you are reading this, then I am already dead by the hand of the Jinuchu Clan. I was a journalist for K-O Sports, doing a story about Yokohama soccer teams and through one or two leads, I discovered rumours about sex trafficking in Issincho.

Whatever field I write in, if there's an injustice I learn, then I have to expose it, whether it's fixing tables or the abuse of creatures. I searched around Issincho, and the name of Crown Industries popped up too many times to brush off as coincidence. After piecing together local information, I found their warehouse at last. But what I found there was an even greater threat to the country.

There is a tape recorder with this message. I've torn off the record button and sealed the case to make sure it can't be overwritten. What you just heard from it, was Doi Ighorashi, the head of King Financial, planning to use some kind of weapon against Korea, a "Cold Death" that is buried under the R.O.S.E facility.

I don't know who Daija is. I didn't have enough time to gather info on him, but he's collaborating with the Empire of Mu, a vasher organisation, to obtain this weapon for Doi. He has some previous connection to R.O.S.E, but I've yet to find this out as I'm writing this on the Issincho train to Kaijurocho.

Whoever finds this message, don't go to the police. This tape is not enough evidence to stop them, and Doi Ighorashi with his great power and wealth, can quash any investigation against him. Whoever you are, my son, my beloved little assistant, has trusted you enough to give you my last words, my final plea.

Find Ukyo Kuribayante. Find the Luzek brothers, for only those three know the truth, and have the key to the vault that contains the Cold Death. When this train reaches Kaijurocho, I know I will die, because the one Jinuchu sent to hunt me down...just walked past me in the aisle.

I have seen my death in his red gleaming eye, the one-eyed demon named Garien. Don't let them find the deed to Lot Zero, not just for the sake of Korea, or Japan, but the world itself. I beg you, whoever you are, do not let them bring the Cold Death to this world, whatever that may be.

-- Kama Kurasawa