FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Sitting at his desk during a quiet lunch break, Gonkuro Obara spun in his chair a few times before glancing at the computer. Compiling data was a soul withering experience, as he flapped his lips then pulled out his phone to check on his friends. On the Eris messenger app, his small circle of favourites were hanging out in his regular channel the bat-eared kaiju leaned back with a smile.

Bara-GO - what's good guys?

_ Pluchard17 - ey Bar, shit got real in pingpong_

_ Bara-GO - wait, ping pong?_

_ Ghastlane - bro you didn't hear?!? Kaijurocho won, KAIJUROCHO PINGPOING CHAMPIONS ^.=.^/_

_ Pluchard17 - this happened like last week lmao he still goin off about it_

_ Ghastlane - did i not tell you?! o.=.o oh right, my internet was out, okay so, there's this local team in Kaijurocho called the Go-Wraths, and they just TORE through everyone in the tournament, THEY EVEN TOOK DOWN ZEN!_

_ Ghastlane - like, SIX TIMES CHAMPION ZEN!_

_ Bara-GO - wow, that's awesome!!!! i didn't realise you were so hype into ping pong_

_ Ghastlane - look, i started watching that shit two years ago when I got the norovirus, and I got sucked in deep, i'm sorry it just hits different now_

_ Bara-GO - oh hey no, i'm not judging!! it's cute you're into it ghast, i'm glad our local team won, that sounds great!_

_ Ghastlane - i'll send ya the vid if you want, shit was nuts, i watched it live on tv and my dad was like "finally, you get into sports and it's the one they have inside a room where they jerk their hands" like damn <.=.<_

_ Bara-GO - HAHAHAHA omg your dad's awesome_

_ Pluchard17 - how many creets ya think got into ping-poing cuz they were too lazy to change the channel_

_ Ghastlane - i wasn't lazy, i was fuckin dying bro_

_ Pluchard17 - ye i know just ribbing, were the go-wraths new team?_

_ Ghastlane - yeah, real amateurs but they kicked ASS! specially that zura-san @.=.@ damn he got all that hair AND muscle, chef kiss_

_ Bara-GO - you and your hair fetish dude, this is why they don't let you into the barbers_

_ Pluchard17 - "caramaba, i hate when there's a lot of hair on the floor", says ghastlane never_

_ Bara-GO - PFFFT plus please!!_

_ Ghastlane - i just got a type!! i love big furry guys, i get cold easy at night, just be nice to cuddle up to a dude who keeps you warm_

_ Bara-GO - i getcha, that's sweet actually_

_ Pluchard17 - or yanno.....get a plushie....with a hot water bottle inside_

_ Ghastlane - wait you can get those??_

_ Min-Max - Hey uh, guys? Can I run something by you?_

_ Bara-GO - hey max!! you alright, i haven't seen you in a bit_

_ Min-Max - So uh...I did a bit of a deep dive and I need to talk to someone_

_ Ghastlane - wait, what happen?_

_ Min-Max - It's...it's about KayJee. I don't think her death was an accident._

_ Ghastlane - dude come on not this again_

_ Bara-GO - i thought you were gonna drop this nooooo_

_ Min-Max - Hey I'm upset too! But I found a pattern!_

_ Bara-GO - you were ranting about this last week too, i really thought you dropped this_

_ Pluchard17 - yea u need to buy a new corkboard soon lmao_

_ Min-Max - NO, LISTEN! I'm not crazy, I didn't wanna believe it either but I been checking a lotta sources, and she wasn't sick!_

_ Ghastlane - dude <.=.< wtf_

_ Pluchard17 - doctor max here with the hot take and internet degree_

_ Bara-GO - max, please stop. i like you, but you've been getting kinda obsessed, life just happens, move on like the rest of us_

_ Min-Max - Can you at least hear me out before you jump down my throat?!_

_ Pluchard17 - woa this aint that kinda chat brah_

_ Min-Max - KayJee was fighting Japanese companies who kept pushing out smaller local groups, using her concerts to speak out and raise funds for locals. Last month, a hospital explodes in Pyongyang from a gas leak that no one knows how, and a Japanese company just happen to swoop in and rebuild it for "charity"._

2 years ago, GamaYoung, a chartered accounts company were funding local Korean businesses to help buy back property from Japan. The CEO set fire to the building with all 80 workers inside, including himself, and the company collapsed when their documents were destroyed.

_ Ghastlane - dude i don't wanna wait what the fuck_

_ Min-Max - 5 years ago, Governor Song wins a landslide victory in Pyongyang, on a platform to push Japanese businesses out of Kankoran politics. He got a 90% approval rating, highest in Korean history. In one year, he lost a kid, his wife and mom die in a plane crash, and he kills himself._

_ Pluchard17 - did you just have all that shit at the ready lmao_

_ Min-Max - Over 10 years, big names and companies who all just happen to be fighting Japanese companies out of Kankoran, are all killed in horrible accidents. Do any of you think that KayJee wasn't targeted by SOMEONE?_

_ Dendendoo - uhh, how the fuck's a hospital fighting corporate?_

_ Ghastlane - fuck no, get outta here with that snoutbook shit_

_ Pluchard17 - o shit denden risen from the lurk now its serious_

_ Bara-GO - max, delete this, please. i don't want our channel to be some kind of conspiracy base._

_ Pluchard17 - yea, s'not funny bro_

_ Min-Max - SOMEONE KILLED HER! I KNOW IT, IT CAN'T BE A COINCIDENCE, SOMEONE IS DOING ALL THIS, THE DATES LINE UP!_

_ Dendendoo - a lot of shit happens in ten years, you can make any theory fit, remember that dude who went off about the great wall of china being a secret tunnel for the xilians because, and I quote, "it matches the natural contours of the great Mars canyon"?_

_ Min-Max - but that was garbage, THIS is real!_

_ Bara-GO - okay, i'm ending this. i don't want this discussion here, max, if you want to share it with others outside the chat, i can't stop you, but i don't want it here ever again. last warning, if ANYONE brings it up, or starts sharing conspiracy shit in chat, i'm banning you, got it?_

_ Min-Max - fine. sorry. anyone wants more, they can pm me._

_ Pluchard17 - you think don quijote sells like corkboards in bulk_

Putting his phone down, Obara rubbed his horn with regrets, looking back at the computer when the compiling finished at last. Today he was checking over the website of Toho's fronts, making sure all the links were up. The English translation still needed work, a stack of papers that Danzaki had given him nearby to translate all the words properly. It was mind-numbing and tedious, but it was better than arguing in Eris.

His hands shook from the frustration, trying to forget Max's rants but losing too much focus that he decided to turn off the chat, and walk through the city to clear his head. November always made his ears whistle with the cold breeze as the afternoon was packed, creatures wandering between shops to sample the new hot drinks.

In his blue hoodie with various pins of fandoms, the smell of chunky stew lured him over to the beef bowl restaurant at the north end of Tenkaiju, slurping up a medium and taking his time to savour the bustle. Sometimes his phone would beep, as he checked on the Paw Patrol app seeing much to his delight that incidents were being resolved.

"Damn, today's real busy!" He swiped into the debug menu. "Let's see...tracking logistics and...woah, response rate's gone up!? That's awesome, I gotta tell Kevin!"

Paying up before he left, Gonkuro took a small trip to the bowling alley, an advertisement for the gym in the building's basement fluttering in the breeze as he briefly flexed his arms. He blushed at how stringy he was, but the sound of pins clattering down the lanes called to him like a siren.

"Ahhh...it'd be better than the arcade, I been staring at a screen all day."

Stepping inside the well-varnished building, the walls pale with colourful lines dancing towards the polished lanes ending at pinheaded troops, Obara got himself a light 8-pounder and a set of bowling shoes. His first rolls were not impressive, knocking down six out of ten and missing them entirely the second.

He was about to feel frustrated again when he turned and saw a family of three winged gargoyles with burning red eyes, brown skin and huge overgrown teeth. The father and adult daughter were in bowling shirts, whilst the mother sat in her blouse on the plush seats.

"I'm DOING this dad, you can't stop me!"

"No daughter of mine's gonna be a bowler!" the father shook his wing. "That's not the way we raised you!"

"Oh so you get to do it, but not me?" she picked up a ball. "Yeah real cool of you, I'm going first."

"The hell you are!" he snatched the ball off her. "You're here to watch your father practice, not upstage him!"

"What, you afraid I'm better than you?!"

"No female has EVER beaten me, or ever will, now sit DOWN!"

"Fuck you dad, I'm gonna be the best bowler in this damn city and YOU CAN'T STOP ME!"

"You don't even like bowling Kedama!"

"YES I DO, IF YOU CARED ABOUT ME YOU'D KNOW THAT!"

He scowled with burning eyes, looking severe as he could whilst furiously rubbing off his bowling ball with a towel between his legs that to Obara made a very funny picture. A smirk widened his lips as he took a picture, the daughter taking another ball much to her father's upset. His form was perfect, the long arm of his wing stretching out as he drove it straight down the lane with a slight curve to the left of the front pin, knocking down all ten with a sweeping carve.

In comparison his daughter rolled the ball slower, plowing through the pins in a crumbling strike much to her father's bitter fury. The mother had her own personal challenge, titled "how much can I drink before they throw me out?" as she popped open her flask.

She cast her eye towards Obara, giving a wink as she put a finger to her lips. He nodded and put his phone away, bowing respectful as they watched the father and daughter keep bowling. Clash after strike kept them equal, until they both took a moment to step back and take a drink whilst the mother slinked off to Gonkuro's lane.

"Enjoying the show?" she smirked.

"Um, s-sorry," he bowed again, "I won't tell about the flask, I cropped the picture without you."

"Hahah, that's fine, he deserves some humiliation. Your technique's a little off."

"Oh, I'm just cazh," Obara waved his hand, "I just wanted to busy my hands for a bit and I'd rather not be at the arcade after being on the PC all day."

"Hmhm, smart boy." She offered her winged hand. "Mazami Zandreyevski."

"Gonkuro Obara, wow that's a cool name, is that Russian?"

"Mmhmm, family came during the '40s. My grandfather was an arrogant bitch."

She smiled fondly as she tipped her flask between her teeth.

"Don't worry about Dayu-kun, he's all talk, and he hasn't brushed up his technique in years."

"He's pretty good though," Obara looked past her, "every ball he's thrown is a strike."

"Yes but he lacks finesse. Not every lane is going to be the same, he needs to feel the grain proper. He never did recover from when I beat him."

"Wait...you bowl as well?"

"In my youth." She waved her winged arm. "That's why my daughter's doing this, to put him down a few pegs since he's become insufferable."

"That seems a little mean," Gonkuro rubbed his ear.

"If you lived with him, you'd say otherwise. He brought that towel from home, having your own ball is fine, but he's touched that towel more than he's ever touched me the past five years."

"Alright, that IS kinda weird-"

"He took our daughter's crib," she scoffed rolling her eyes, "once she was old enough to leave it, he then put HIS ball inside where it sleeps every night."

"Oooof," Gonkuro cringed pulling his neck, "yeah okay that's really creepy."

"It's fucking sinister. He can't just have a fetish like everyone else, something normal like sniffing shoes or rubbing against those balls in yoga class."

"A-and why are you telling me all this?"

"Because I'm drunk," Mazami smiled gulping down a quart, "you have a cute face that won't judge me."

"So you're not going to rope me into some kind of wild scheme where I have to dress as a lady, and beat him in a tournament in order to stop him?"

"What? No, why would anyone do that, that's insane."

"I dunno, just seems like the conversation's going that way, it happens weirdly often to friends of mine!"

"Hahahaha, no." The gargoyle shook her head. "I came over here to kill time and bitch because I'm almost sixty and I stopped giving a shit about being nice."

"I know another sixty-year old like that too," Obara looked to the door, "you said my technique's a little off?"

"You want me to teach you?" She pocketed her flask and picked up the ball. "Come on, let's see if you can knock down twenty pins."

"Uhh, there's like, ten, ma'am."

"Oh, is there?" Mazami squinted down the lane. "Fuck I'm way more drunk than I thought, okay you hold the ball and I'll guide your hands."

"Wh-what, but your husband's right-"

"I'm not giving you a handjob sweetie, that shit was boring when I was your age, now follow my lead."

Blushing hard at her words, the young kaiju flattened his ears and let Mazami rove her hands over his, her large stony teeth glaring against his cheek as she pulled at his wrists. Gesturing how to throw to make it easy on his arms, the elder watched Gonkuro gently roll the ball down the lane, and curve slightly to the right where it plowed through all ten of the pins.

"Wha-...woah! Hey, I did it!"

"Mmhmm," Zandreyevski nodded, "feels better like that don't it?"

"It does yeah, feels less sore in my shoulders."

"You need to trust the ball to roll on its own, it's a sphere, you don't have to toss it...something a lot of males do."

"No comment," Obara put up his hands, "thanks for the lesson!"

"Thank you dear," she bowed, "you made an old lady smile again."

"WHOOOOH!"

The daughter pumped her fists as the father stomped his foot.

"Geeeeet DUNKED old-timer!"

"What the damn hell, how can you even match me?! MAZAMI!"

"Ohh, well." The mother gulped from her flask. "Back into the trenches, wish me luck."

"Hope everything goes well!" Obara bowed as he took his leave.

Out on the street once again, his arms slightly winded as he swung them to get the kinks out, Gonkuro wandered over to Theater Square which was surprisingly emptier than usual. Sitting up on the main partition, he struggled not to click the Eris app on his phone, instead moving to another messenger that beeped from a lone single name of "0roKEY".

_ 0roKEY - Good afternoon Go-san._

_ Bara-GO - hey kev!! i was just about to message you, i checked the paw patrol app and guess what?! the response rate is up 32%!!_

_ 0roKEY - Really? But alerts have gone down by 27%, how is that possible?_

_ Bara-GO - i think creatures are helping others faster than usual??_

_ 0roKEY - What is the average response time now between alerts and resolved status?_

_ Bara-GO - 3 minutes 34 seconds!! that's like a whole 2 minutes shorter than two weeks back!!!_

_ 0roKEY - 2 minutes 13 seconds precisely. Fascinating. At this rate of progress, in another two weeks, the response time could reach under 1 minute._

_ Bara-GO - hell yeah, you love to see it!!! howsit going kev?_

_ 0roKEY - I am well, thank you Go-san. The server's been running optimum, no glitches to report?_

_ Bara-GO - nope, been smooth as heck it's awesome! what's your secret?!_

_ 0roKEY - Math. How are you Go-san?_

_ Bara-GO - not bad, weather's pretty nice, you been outside?_

_ 0roKEY - Sadly no, still trapped in the office._

_ Bara-GO - aww damn, hope you get a break soon! it's weirdly quiet down in kaijurocho._

_ 0roKEY - The fire at the temple may have frightened many creatures. I noticed a sudden dip the past two days concerning alerts._

_ Bara-GO - really?? you think because of the attack there's been less crime for a bit?_

_ 0roKEY - Possibly. It would be prudent to keep track of data on future days after larger incidents._

_ Bara-GO - yeah...let's hope we don't get that, but you're right, we should track that if it happens. you need anything kev??_

_ 0roKEY - Actually, yes. I am missing a YM3780 chip from one of my devices, I thought I had one in stock but it appears not._

_ Bara-GO - oh, okay i'll check round the stores and see if i can find it!_

_ 0roKEY - Thank you, Go-san. Drop it in my locker, I shall retrieve it on my lunch break._

_ Bara-GO - alrighty!! hey, are you into dragon quest at all?_

_ 0roKEY - I do not play video games, apologies._

_ Bara-GO - just wondered, the new one's coming out this week so i'm super excited!!_

_ 0roKEY - I hope you enjoy it. In fact, allow me to purchase it for you._

_ Bara-GO - what?? really???? awww kev that's really sweet but i couldn't!_

_ 0roKEY - Consider it a reward for your hard work and diligence. I appreciate being part of this project, Go-san, it has offered me a fascinating cascade of data on the social paradigms of Kaijurocho._

_ Bara-GO - is it really that helpful to you? what's this data mean to you?_

_ 0roKEY - Everything. Investments, housing, infrastructure, the city's central economy may very well depend on that data from your Paw Patrol._

_ 0roKEY - For example, you have already ascertained which parts of Kaijurocho are the most dangerous, and you have strengthened the civil standing of local business owners._

_ 0roKEY - With this data, we not only keep the streets safe and welcoming, but can also advise new companies where best to situate their properties, for maximum profit potential that shall spread across the district, and uplift Kaijurocho to a higher quality of life._

_ Bara-GO - wow...i didn't realise that. and you promise all the data remains anon, right?_

_ 0roKEY - I promised you, yes. No one can access our customers' data, not me, not you, not even the authorities, with every hour flushing all but locational data from the servers._

_ Bara-GO - alright, awesome!!! when you put it like that yeah, i guess paw patrol could be a lot bigger than just crime prevention._

_ 0roKEY - Which is why I insist on paying you a small gift. I just sent you the funds for Dragon Quest XVIII, enjoy your new game._

_ Bara-GO - awwww kev!!!! thank you so much, that's super kind of you!!!_

_ 0roKEY - Have a good day, Go-san. I will talk to you later._

_ Bara-GO - you too!!! i'll grab you that YM chip soon as i can!_

"EY, Obara!"

He jerked up hearing a voice from the Stega arcade. Sano waved to him in his denim jacket, sauntering over with the swagger of a champion.

"Hey Sano-san! Howsit going?"

"Ohhh, yanno," Anguirou puffed on his knuckles, "just smoked a couple bitches in the ol' VF."

"Nice!"

"What you up to, on your lunch break?"

"I was just about to go find some electronic parts," the youth jumped off the partition, "you know what a YM3780 chip looks like?"

"Mmmmnope," the spikeback shrugged, "sorry I'm only a nerd about fighting games, not what makes them fight."

"Heehee, it's okay, you wanna come with and help me scope out some bargains?"

"Ehhh sure, I got nothing else."

With a new objective, Obara went straight for the closest electronics store and asked around for the chip. Sano joined him with a casual perusal, admiring the odds and ends from old angular consoles, to a thousand different wires strung up from the ceiling. The first store offered no such luck, as they walked along Shachifuku Street and down towards Zennyo Avenue in a wide cutting loop.

At the end of the avenue, near the exit to Showa Street, they found a tapir in a tropical shirt and a pair of straw sandals scanning the old dilapidated buildings. Sketching out the line of old apartments, a few of which had any business signs at all, he muttered to himself.

"Hmmm maybe this un? Might catch the street entrance best. Hmmm, that sports magazine place might tell me sumthin-"

"Hey there, you need help?"

Sano approached the stranger who turned with a start.

"OH, apologies, ah didn't mean to disturb-"

"It's fine, I just wondered if you were lost."

"Oh no no, not at all. Y'all local?"

"We sure are," Obara bowed, "you looking for someplace?"

"Sort of, I'm a realtor," the tapir offered his card, "Bakuzori, Beto Dream Realtors."

"I'm Anguirou Sano, this is Gonkuro Obara, Azumi Finance," the senior handed his card in turn, "gotta say, Zennyo's not the first place someone would pick for buying property."

"Not in the past month no, but I been watching trends an' this place might become a hot spot fer booming businesses!"

"Whysat?"

"Well, and please don't take this the wrong way, but this here place has a lotta crime, don't it?"

"Yeaaah," Gonkuro rubbed his head, "it sucks but that's the truth."

"Well, until recently," the tapir tapped his sketch, "Zennyo Avenue wuz one o' the most dangerous parts of Kaijurocho, but somehow in the past few weeks, it's cleared up a ton!"

"There was a police raid here a while back, maybe they cleared out the gangs?"

"Ah wuz thinking the same thing! Actually bought one o' them police scanners, been tracking down the number o' times every street an' avenue pops up in reports to know which areas're most unfeasible."

"That...huh." Anguirou crossed his arms with a grin. "That's pretty damn smart, what're your plans for this street?"

"Ah wanna buy up these estates," said Bakuzori spreading his arms, "fix 'em up, sell 'em off, see whut businesses bite an' take a portion from each."

"So you're a house flipper?" the junior flapped his ears.

"Exactly! Does your company manage estates round here, ah hope ahm not intruding?"

"Naah nah," Sano shook his head, "we're a brokerage company, we manage accounts of local businesses and help ease transactions."

"Ahhh y'all in the stocks?"

"Nah we're completely local, all our money flows around Kaijurocho, putting it back in the community."

"Really?" The tapir tapped his cheek. "That's mighty unusual fer a brokerage company."

"Our founder wanted to invest in the public. Kaijurocho's a good place with good folks, we wanna invest in the best and brightest."

"Our company's based in Kyushu, as you can tell," Bakuzori showed off his sandals and shirt, "found it's a good way to disarm folks when first meeting."

"Heh, pretty smart," Sano nodded, "well if you're helping to revive this place, I could help out as a local mediator."

"Would ya?! That'd be peach, thank you Sano-san!"

"No prob, Bakuzori-san. We got nothing to do right now so, if you want to talk more business at the office-"

"Absolutely! Lemme just note down these properties first."

"Why you drawing them?" Gonkuro peeked over his shoulder. "You don't got a phone?"

"Too often ah been approached by local miscreants if ah take pictures," the tapir rolled his eyes, "it's much less suspicious ifah draw, good thing ah studied architecture!"

"Hah, that's fair, uhh Sano-san will you be alright on your own? I still need to go find parts."

"Yeah no prob," the spiked kaiju waved, "I'll see you back at the base?"

"Sure, later!"

Sano went down to business whilst Obara continued his search. While not admitting their yakuza roots, the spikeback hammered out some agreements on the street, and helped him the tapir adjust to the local customs. Together they noted down the various Zennyo properties, and tallied costs for repair and maintenance.

With the evacuation following the recent raid, Sano and Bakuzori had almost free range to check over the properties, stepping inside with the tapir sketching out various problems, cracks, broken frames and rotting floors all of which were counted up into a final cost. Two hours passed before they had filed everything, returning back to the office where Anguirou scribbled away the estimate just in time for Obara to arrive.

"Hey Sano-san!" the junior waved. "I got the parts I was looking for!"

"Nice!" Anguirou fistbumped him. "Hey uh, how's your app thing going?"

"Oh it's doing awesome! I've really expanded my network, and it's doing a lot faster than before!"

"Siiick! Alright." Anguirou stacked the docs. "That should be everything, eight properties on Zennyo, keep us updated on the buyers and we'll mediate them locally."

"Right," said Bakuzori bowing to him, "thank y'all so much for yer help, Sano-san, ah hope we can bring great business to this place. For now ah should take off and catch the Kyushu train, ahll contact you further when-"

"Kyushu!?" The voice of Sanjin came from the stairs. "That sumbody from Kyushu I hear!?"

"Yes Varan-san!" Gonkuro piped up. "We have a visitor!"

"Awww well ain't that sumthin'!"

The patriarch lumbered through as he offered his hand, his head still bandaged that he occasionally scratched.

"Sanjin Obakimura, I'm thuh boss round 'ere."

"Kenshi Bakuzori," the tapir stood up shaking back, "ah wuz just finishing business here, ahm a realtor fer Beto Dream."

"Beto huh? You guys from Okinawa?"

"Yeah, y'all Okinawan too?"

"Born an' bred," Sanjin patted his belly, "I remember yer company down there actually, how's the ol' beach doing?"

"Splendid, business booming in the tourist trade but then when is it not, thanks to all them Americans."

"Hmhm, fair do's, glad to hear."

"I...sorry, ah heard your associate call you Varan-san?"

"Heh, yeaaah, just a nickname of mine."

"Have you...by chance heard of Varan the Unbelievable?"

A cool smile crept over Sanjin's face as he raised his arms and spread them wide, showing the thin membranous flaps that hung down from his arms as he put on his fiercest scowl.

"OHOH MAH GODS IT IS YOU!" the tapir screamed clapping his hands. "OH AH CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"

"An ol' fan of mine huh?" the patriarch flexed his biceps hard. "Surprised anybody remember me down there."

"Oh who DON'T remember you, ah loved watching your matches as a pup, oh this shines mah snout sumthin' fierce!"

"What do you mean matches?" Obara asked. "Were you an athlete, Varan-san?"

"He were a professional wrestler!" cried Bakuzori clutching his chest. "The Hero of Ryukyon, Defender of the Isles!"

"Wait, whaaaah?!" the junior shot up out his seat. "You were a wrestler, Varan-san, is that true?!"

"He fought against the vashers that plagued our island, terrible creatures who attacked innocents 'til Varan-san here set up a local protection league!"

"That...is SO, COOL!"

"Ehhh," Sanjin waved his hand, "I dun like to talk about it, but I ain't thuh kind to tolerate scum like vashers either, I just had thuh strength an' local popularity to do sumthin' about it."

"So you were like, a costumed superhero!?"

"I guess you'd say that. Well thank you fer usin' our services Baku-han-"

"No no, wuz all mah pleasure!" the tapir blushed rubbing his arm. "I...a-ah confess that you were one o' mah first crushes as a pup."

"Hah! No kiddin'!"

"Well, more than that, thanks to you ah came out about mahself so...you were a vital part of me growing up, both you an' Buster-Gon."

"Buster-Gon?" Sano scritched his head. "Who's that?"

"Varan-san's partner in the ring, the two were inseparable, the Heroes of Ryukyon and...well, heroes of mah awakening too."

"I don't remember hearing about Buster-Gon before, I knew about your wrestling past, Varan-san but-"

"He died." Sanjin crossed his arms. "Don't like to talk about it, hope you understand."

"O-oh, yes'm, sorry," Bakuzori rubbed his snout, "ah wuzn't gonna bring it up, the whole town wuz in mourning over-"

"It's fine." The patriarch hardened his voice. "Appreciate thuh thoughts."

"Well it wuz wonderful to meet y'all again, last time we met ah musta been about nine years old."

"Heh, did I give you an autograph?"

"Ah still keep it in mah room!" Bakuzori grinned.

"Keep fightin' thuh good fight," Obakimura took his hand, "keep our islands strong an' free, for thuh sea shall welcome all-"

"An' wash the hatred away." The tapir squeezed back. "You...you still remember."

"Course I do. Thuh sea's always been my home."

"Alright, ah best be off, ahll contact you soon when buyers come. Take care Sano-san, Obara-san...Varan-san."

They waved goodbye as the client headed off, Sanjin sitting down with a gentle sigh on the sofa

"You okay Varan-san?" the junior stepped over.

"Yeaaah," he rubbed his bandaged head, "just tired."

"You want some ice cream?"

"Heh...sure Gonji."

"Gonji?"

"U-UH, I meant, Obara-kun, hahah."

"Wow you must be tired," Gonkuro patted him, "I'll get you something, back in a bit."

The junior headed to the ice cream shop across the road whilst Sanjin put his hands together, turning quiet all of a sudden which worried Anguirou. He chose not to ask, filing reports for the end of his shift so he could get an early night's sleep. Once Obara had returned, the junior sat beside his patriarch and ate up some sorbet, with Sano getting a tub too that he greatly appreciated.

After their work was done, Sanjin invited Gonkuro upstairs to play some games, pulling out a beige rectangular console called a PC Twingine with a stack of cartridges. Obara sat quietly as he looked around the room where an old leather jacket hung on the wall, as well as a few posters including one of a boxing kangaroo with a chain collar.

"I haven't seen that one before," he pointed, "is that new?"

"Nah," Sanjin sighed, "wuz airin' out an old one, Vic Rookkala his name wuz."

"Big boxing champion in your day?"

"Ohhh yeah, kind of an inspiration to me. Boxer by day, crime fighter by night, tore down thuh streets of his native Australia beatin' thuh shit outta thugs an' vashers."

"Damn...so, you were like that too, back home in Okinawa?"

"Yep," Sanjin pulled out a blue cartridge, "ahh here's a good 'un, Lords of Thunder: The Death of the Sun."

"OOOH that sounds sick!" Gonkuro shuffled closer. "What kinda game is it?"

"A shoot-em-up, thuh soundtrack's metal as fuck but they improved thuh system a lot from thuh first one."

"Okay, sure! So Varan was your wrestling name?"

"Mmhmm," the boss loaded up the console, "surprised you never knew."

"I didn't really ask," Obara blushed, "wasn't sure how to, but that's so cool you were like some kinda superhero-wrestler!"

"I weren't no superhero, just your regular everyday wrestler."

"What was it like back in Okinawa?"

"Sunshine every day, golden beaches. At worse you get a couple o' storms, though there's not much stuff you get from thuh mainland, everything always took longer so you were behind on games an' manga. But thuh locals made it all worth it...I loved it back there."

"So why'd you leave?" Obara picked up his controller.

"Tell you whut." Sanjin picked up his. "When we out waitin' in line fer that there new Dragon Quest, I'll tell you all about it."

"Okay, sure! We're gonna need stories to pass the time anyway."

They sat down together to play, the shoot-em-up a vague story about fearsome wizards dressed in battle armour who tore across lands with liquid fire and toxic snow. Blasting dragons and demons, the two players kept each other safe against shining bullets, all to an exceptionally hard-metal soundtrack that made Obara's ears tighten with shock.

The first few tries were difficult, until the junior figured out the patterns and started keeping up with Sanjin as they hammered buttons and called out warnings. Bosses terrified them with brutal obstacles that savaged their health, to the point that Gonkuro would end up sitting out with no lives left and Sanjin brought it home.

An hour passed before they could finish the game proper, as the elder pulled out a more relaxing puzzle game called Tetris to unwind to. Half-an-hour later, they stopped playing and Obara returned home to a quiet suburban house, some few miles away from the city centre. It was a modern house on a quiet street, the sound of crows cawing in the sunset as they sat on roofs sharing beers.

The door opened to the living room, a kitchen through an arch whilst another door led to the bedrooms. At the living room table, on a pile of cushions facing the TV, a beige octopus sat with a dewrag and a pinafore round her body, scribbling on five different papers with her six arms. Oodaka Obara always had a tired look, bags under her eyes with her mouth covered in smaller tentacles, that parted in a smile at seeing her son.

"Hey mom!" Gonkuro waved. "How was school?"

"Lot easier one day, more rough the next," she shook her head, "students comin' off with thuh flu means I got less papers to do today, but next week'll be rough with catch-up."

"Ooof, sorry to hear," he hung up his bag. "Is it a bad flu running around?"

"Naw just one group who don't keep their distance, always the same with them idiots. How wuz yer day sweetie?"

"Ahh, not bad." Obara sat down beside her. "We got a new client in, he's thinking about reviving one of the streets with more properties."

"Oh that's good!"

"AND my Paw Patrol app is doing GREAT, it's super popular now, more creatures are helping each other out, and responding way faster to help!"

"Thas wonderful awww c'mere!" she wrapped two long arms round in a hug. "I'm so proud o' you Gonny, helping other folks with them big brains."

"Thanks," the junior blushed flapping his ears, "I'm hoping I can make this big enough to cross all of Tokyo, but it's gonna take a lot of work."

"Howzat?" she kept marking papers still hugging him.

"Having to make sure creatures in Kaijurocho don't get alerted to something in Ittangaya, for example, cuz otherwise that'll be confusing."

"Y'all gonna make sum kinda specialised server in each district?"

"That's what I'm thinking yeah, set up some kind of ghoolean gate process to say if the wi-fi code and the alert's origin don't match the same region-"

"Ain' that a li'l basic?" She leaned back her bulbous head. "Why not just use a register?"

"I don't want to store creatures' data," Obara shook his head, "I promised the app would be low-power, low-impact and would only save location data for like an hour before it's scrubbed from the system, Kevin's been helping me with that."

"Ahhhh, yer new boyfriend."

"Wha-no, mom we're just tech buddies!"

"Hehehe I'm just ribbin' ya Gonny," she pulled him close for a smooch, "Ya mind settin' up dinner while I sort out these tests? We're havin' spaghetti an' meatballs."

"OOOH, YES, gods this day keeps getting better!"

He rushed to the kitchen, a small square room with a wall of cooker, sink and fridge as he started boiling water. Oodaka the octopus cleared the table of her sheets as they sat together to watch TV, a news feed playing on a very familiar street.

"HEY!" Gonkuro gasped. "That's Theater Square!"

"Ehh?" the squid cocked her head. "Whut's going on?"

_ "The electoral campaigns have started here in Kaijurocho. Mirei Somatowa, already popular with the middle class and tourism industry, finds an unusual challenger this year in the form of Hideo Royama, the head of Kaijuro Waste Management."_

"Wait, WHUT?!"

The camera glanced over to a central stage where a soggy-haired sewer worker stood on the partition of the square. With haunting red eyes he threw his hands up high, beneath a fluttering banner of sky-blue as a crowd of kaiju gathered around with clamouring faces.

_ "Yesterday, we interviewed Royama at his rally, leading the 'Give A Hoot' Party as he found himself a surprising support base for a newcomer."_

_ "Royama-san, what inspired you to challenge councillor Somatowa?"_

_ "I had the pleasure of meeting her last month," said the gooey contender, "when we discussed the fact that she has put more money into the hotels for olympians and dignitaries, than the local community that all of us share. She's constantly poo-pooed me every time my department asked for more funding, because we're scraping the bowl for nuggets!"_

_ "Somatowa has said that your lack of experience will be your worst enemy, do you agree?"_

_ "Well, she's pretty experienced in peddling shit but I'm not gonna hire her in my company."_

"PFFFT, HAH!" Oodaka laughed slapping her knee. "Ohohhh this boy's a hoot, like his party says!"

"Is this about the pipe burst in Shachifuku?" Obara rubbed his head. "That was a few weeks back."

_ "My porcelain platform is this," continued Royama,_ "that our taxes go first and foremost to the public services, for the bog-standard everyday use of food, water, electric, and internet. The basic rights that every creature should have, should come first in ANY budget!"

_ "Rumours say that the Toho Clan is supporting your platform,"_ said the reporter, "do you have any comments for that?"

_ "I am absolutely not taking funds from those organisations, I know the law. I'm here because I'm tired of taking shit from the council who prop up their hotels, and leave the rest of our problems unflushed! I'll only take shit from the public, cuz that's my job dammit!"_

"Damn I'm liking this feller!" Obara's mother perked up. "I'll grab that food, lemme know if I miss sumthin'."

Lumbering off to the kitchen, the octopus started doling sauce and meatballs in spaghetti, returning with two plates as the news reel finished and it went back to some variety show of comedians discussing the bigger news of the world.

"You ever deal with Toho in your line o' work?" she asked.

"Nope," Obara lied twirling his fork, "we try to keep clear of shady stuff."

"Good," she wagged her tentacle, "them Toho're bad news, sure they cleaned up Okinawa plenty but...left a lotta damage behind."

"Really? Like what?"

"Ehhh, let's not get into that."

"You brought it up," he frowned slurping spaghetti, "they're not as bad as creatures make them out to be-"

"Nope!" she jabbed a meatball at him. "We ain't having that discussion Gonny, eat yer pasta."

They chewed in silence, chuckling occasionally at a passing joke on TV as Obara pondered to himself.

"Funny you mention Okinawa, we had a client from there today."

"Ohhh?" Oodaka slurped between her tentacles. "Got a name?"

"Bakuzori? He runs a realtors down in-"

"Ryukyon! Awww small world, wuz he a tapir?"

"Sure was!" her son grinned chomping a meatball. "He's buying some places up in Zennyo to give it a shot in the arm."

"I remember him," the octopus nodded, "he wuz a sweet li'l boy, his daddy ran the agency, used to come to thuh wrestlin' every night."

"Wrestling? Wait were you a wrestler?"

"Naw, just friends I knew."

"Did you go to watch Varan-san?"

"Who told you 'bout him?"

She suddenly scowled with a dead stare as he flinched.

"Buh, Bakuzori did, he sounded really famous."

"Mmm, not a fan of him myself."

"Okay...you know I always wanted to go to Okinawa."

"I had enough of it myself," Oodaka twirled her pasta in a ball, "it's a nice place, but too many things happened fer me."

"Did...did any of them involve dad?"

The look she gave him was one he had known a thousand times. And every time always came the same practiced answer.

"I never knew yer dad," she began, "college wuz a wild time, an' I did plenny stupid things that resulted in havin' you. Which I'm glad fer."

"I'm glad too," he hugged her tight, "shame we don't know who he is."

"Is it? He coulda been a real ass."

"Sorry, I've just always been curious, you know?"

"I know," she kissed him on the cheek, "it's only been us though, an' I wouldn't want it any other way, I love you Gonny."

"I love you too mom." He kissed her back. "Oh, uhh remember I'm camping out in line for the new Dragon Quest."

"I remember, make sure you got everythin' ya need an' don't talk to no strangers."

"No worries mom, the company I work for's nearby if I need any help."

"Good boy."

Oodaka gave him another smooch before they finished their spaghetti. The light comedy perked their spirits up before the end of dinner, as Obara helped his mother clean up plates as well as the house with him reaching up for the ceiling, and her covering all angles with four dusters, a brush and a pan.

Two hours of cleaning passed, with vigorous scrubbing down the sides until the counters squeaked, the walls were shining and the floors were spotless. With arms exhausted he fell into bed, curling up beneath his posters of K-Pop stars, fearsome warriors from games and all his consoles on the shelves. He thought too hard about Dragon Quest and struggled to sleep for two hours before his body finally gave in.

The next morning, Obara grabbed his backpack full of camping gear, stocked and ready with a big tent, boxed lunches, sleeping bags, his portable NeoGeoByte, and a fluorescent lamp. He lumbered into the kitchen carefully and smooched his mom who was making breakfast.

"Mornin' Gonny," her eyes creased at him, "look at you roughin' it out in thuh wild city."

"Heehee," the junior grinned, "you need anything else before I go?"

"Naw you done plenty fer me last night, thanks fer thuh help. Now you text me 'fore you go to sleep so I know yer good."

"Okay mom," he hugged her, "I'll be back in a few days."

"Hold up!" a long tentacle offered him toast. "You ain't leavin' this house on an empty stomach."

"Thankies," he grabbed the food, "I'll text you soon!"

"Be careful sweetie!"

Marching out onto the street, Gonkuro Obara chomped on his toast and made his way for the bus, feeling like it was his first day at school all over again. Kaijurocho was booming with excitement for the new game, where queues had formed three days in advance at every gaming store. Obara sat himself down at his favourite shop on East Shachifuku, some kaiju having already put down tents as the junior adding his own before calling up his fellow gamer.

_ "Yello?"_

_ "Hey Varan-san! I'm at the BladeStation, tent's all ready and set up!"_

_ "Aw shit, alrigh' lemme grab sum food' I'll be there in twenny."_

"Remember your NeoByte!"

Rubbing his hands gleefully, Obara got stuck in with his own NeoGeoByte, a handheld rectangular dual-screen console where he replayed an older Dragon Quest game. Thirty minutes later, Sanjin Obakimura arrived in a duffel coat and sweat pants, the junior waving as he scooted over to let him in the tent.

"Good morning!"

"Hey there kid," the old-timer groaned, "hoo, alrigh', glad our PTO got synced."

"I mean, you're the boss, don't you just choose that time off?"

"Shisa-han's thuh boss, I'm just a manager." Varan flipped open his NeoByte with him. "Back on DQ4?"

"Yeah I wanted to prepare," Obara nodded, "get all the lore fresh in my head."

"Fightin' Estark eh?" the patriarch leaned over. "Y'all know his weakness?"

"Sleep spells, yeah! I just wanna see Crocodyne again, that dude was awesome!"

"Gods he sure wuz...awww, memories of me an' my boy playin' all thuh way to thuh final dungeon."

"You mentioned him last time when we first found out about DQ18, who was he?"

"Uhhh...hold up, lemme get settled in afore you start bombarding me."

"Heehee, kay."

Inside the tent, which was just spacious enough for two kaiju and their beds, they sat together playing Dragon Quest IV with Sanjin starting up a new game as he looked over to Gonkuro. A smile came across his lips, his eyes wistful at the junior's ears flapping softly with excitement, that furrowed brow of concentration and his little gasps so strangely familiar to the old coot.

"Hey uh, whut happens if our NeoBytes run outta power?"

"I got a charger!" Gonkuro patted his bag. "Just say the word I'll bring it out, it runs on uranium batteries so it'll last a good while!"

"Helll yeah."

The sounds of muffled kaiju outside made the world feel a distant memory, as they sat in their tent lost in the depths of the sky castle Zenithia. Ambulance calls and police sirens turned to howling banshees and dreaded wyverns, as they started to form a routine schedule agreeing that one of them should always be in the tent, letting the other know in advance when they needed to go to the bathroom.

Food was provided by Obara, digging out a stack of bento boxes that were properly chilled in a small cooler bag within his rucksack. For most of the day they sat and played through a quarter of the game, easing themselves into the schedule amidst the hustle and bustle.

The first day went by smoothly, the two never out of the tent at the same time as sometimes one would leave to do a stretch, checking the outside world with eyes stinging in the sun. Whilst Obara took his turn to be outside, the queue still unmoving with another tent added beside theirs, he saw a familiar-looking reptile of red eyes and green bumpy scales.

"OH, hello!" the junior waved. "McCartin, yes?"

"Ah, yes, hello!" Gordon bowed wearing a black tracksuit. "How you?"

"Great, thanks! You not working today?"

"No, getting food. Is...Kiryu back yet?"

"Sorry," Obara shook his head, "he's still away on business, but he'll be back soon."

"Okay." The beast rubbed his arm. "Sorry, I worry, he not called a few days."

"I'm sure he's fine, don't worry, it's just a very sensitive mission and he can't be distracted, I bet he'll call you tomorrow."

"Thank you." Gordon pointed to the tent. "You, camping?"

"Oh, sort of," Gonkuro giggled, "I'm waiting in line for a new game, Dragon Quest 18, you ever played it?!"

"Mmm, no! Not many games back home, little island."

"Ohh, wow, you don't got like stores there?"

"No, have to go mainland."

"Now that's a mood righ' there."

Sanjin peeked out the tent with a smirk from his spiked-mohawk head.

"Hey there McCartin, howsit hangin'?"

"OH, h-hello, um...sir!" the beast bowed to him. "How are you?!"

"All's good, sorry 'bout Kiryu not calling."

"Is okay...if he call, please tell him to call me?"

"Don't you worry," the elder grinned with a thumbs up, "he'll call you, he ain't thuh type to forget, you need anythin'?"

"No thank you," McCartin rubbed his hands, "getting cold, you okay in tent?"

"Oh yeah we got a heater in here, Obara-kun's got thuh goods."

"I been super excited all month," the junior pumped his fists, "but if you need anything please just let us know, any friend of Kiryu-san's a friend of ours."

"Thank you, again," Gordon bowed, "I go now, need food, good luck with your game!"

"Thanks, stay safe McCartin-san!"

"Have a good 'un!" Varan called. "Alrigh' Obara git on in here, I need to piss."

As night started to fall, their camp-out went a little rougher. Sanjin struggled to sleep in the cramped conditions despite their comfortable space heater keeping out the cold. The roar of the traffic was less than usual with repairs on Shachifuku still going, but without the comfort of his home the screaming din of sirens rang through his skull. Obara was also trying not to complain, feeling more and more guilty for dragging the elder into this from hearing his shivering coughs.

The howl of November winds ripped against their tent, shrieking along the road as other tents rattled with excitement beneath a neon night. Obara was silently thankful his Paw Patrol app seemed to be working in reducing the crime, unnerved by the sound of passing kaiju with shadows drifting beyond the flap.

Morning came at last, the dawn creeping in with blood-orange cast after a fretful night of sleeping, that rewarded them with tired eyes and a few cracks. Sanjin groaned heaving himself out the tent and making towards the nearest public bathroom. Obara waited until his return so he could go next, the small queue of gamers organising themselves for day 2.

"Want some breakfast, Varan-san?"

"Mmmm sure," the patriarch licked his lips, "damn I miss greasy foods."

"I could get you some fried egg, the takoyaki place on Taihei's got some good stuff."

"Aww that'd be nice, thank ya Obara-kun."

As the junior headed south, Obakimura leaned back in his tent and pulled up his NeoByte to keep up on Dragon Quest. He wanted at the very least to catch up to Obara, and hopefully play alongside him in the same dungeons. Sometimes he peeked out towards the other tents, seeing mostly-young folks as two of them looked over to him.

"Sup?" a boar with four eyes nodded at him. "You uh, hanging out with your kid?"

"Oh, naw I'm here fer thuh game," Varan grinned.

"Wow for real?" a maneless lion leaned over. "How old are you?"

"Be about sixty soon."

"Shiiiit you're old-school, that kicks ass you still gaming!"

"Whut can I say," he shrugged, "gaming's my life, you don't miss out on DQ."

"Totally," the hog snorted, "whut you playing?"

"DQ4, my favourite, gets me all teary-eyed with Crocodyne's story."

"Awww shit me too!" the lion gasped clutching their chest. "He's so awesome, I'm SUPER excited to see him back!"

"Same," the pig huffed with a sigh, "really hope they don't mess him up, not like they did with DQ12."

"Whut you all playing?" Varan cocked his head.

"Just a couple MOBAs to pass the time."

"Moba? Whussat?"

"You never played one? Jeez you are old, your phone still got like that rotating thing on it?"

"Garo don't be mean," the lion petted his hand.

"I'm just ribbin' him Sim-chan."

"Yeah listen to yer boy," the reptile nodded, "gotta respect yer elders."

"Uhh, I'm non-binary, sir."

"Oh, sorry my bad, I meant you oughta listen to yer buddy."

"Haha, thanks," the lion hugged the pig, "Garo-chan gets hangry without his breakfast, kinda waiting for Geiger King to open."

"My boy's grabbin' takoyaki," Sanjin pointed down the road, "if'n ya want sum fried egg that's a good place to go."

"Ooooh shit that sounds nice," Garo licked his lips, "what you think Sim-chan? I know we said Geiger King but my stomach's going real hard."

"Yanno, yeah," Sim rubbed their chin, "we haven't had takoyaki in like, ever, the place isn't too far it's just next to the mall."

"You want I should go or-"

"No no, you went yesterday, I'll do this."

The lion stood up with a long stretch and heaved out on the street wearing a tracksuit. Taking their boyfriend's order, they walked off as Garo leaned closer to Varan.

"So if that dude wasn't your kid, who was he? The guy with the ears."

"He's a work friend," Sanjin nodded, "same office, we do a li'l gaming there too."

"Hahah, I bet your boss didn't like that."

"Nawww he's cool, I known him since I wuz your age, he said it wuz fine."

"Damn," the pig rolled his four eyes, "my boss is a fucking slave driver, I had to save up my days to time this right."

"Where you work?" the reptile closed his NeoByte. "I'm in finance myself."

"Marketing," Garo sighed looking at his phone, "fuck red team's kicking my ass today, yeah marketing sucks shit never go into it."

"Why're you there then?"

"Cuz I'm an artist and I need a job and they were hiring. Mostly just waiting for a better company to open up."

"Oh you draw? Got any work you can show?"

"Yeaaaah sure lemme finish this match."

His coming critique would have to wait when Sanjin looked past to see a motorbike come down the road. From the west a beautiful black machine came revving with two riders, a determined look in their hunched shoulders as the bike swerved round the construction pit in the middle of the road.

Slowing down in front of the store, both bikers wore brown jackets, one with a helmet shaped like a steel dragon, the other resembling an iron tiger. They stepped off and headed straight inside with a large bag, a bulge in the tiger's pocket sending alarms through Varan's head.

"That ain't normal," he shook his head, "hey uh do me a favour, keep my tent safe alrigh'?"

"Uhhh, kay?"

"An' if anythin' happens...you stay here, keep yer head down an' yer stuff safe."

A rising concern came from the tents in the queue, mutterings of discontent as Garo shuffled closer to move both their tents together. Sanjin stepped up towards the bike, the reptile driver turning to him and reaching into his pocket.

"OH, SHIT HE'S GOT A-"

"NOPE!"

The moment he pulled out his gun, the driver was clocked with a savage elbow that crunched into his helmet. Sanjin grabbed his arm and slamming it down on his knee to make him drop the gun, before hurling him over the shoulder in a judo toss. The other rider in the store turned on hearing the fight, and shot towards Varan's back, barely missing him when the bullet pinged off the bike.

"FUCK GET DOWN!"

"GET INSIDE GET INSIDE!"

Everyone in the queue tented up, zipping their flaps and cowering with muffled screams whilst the public on the street dispersed. Sanjin ducked behind the motorcycle, the tiger firing a few more shots before turning to the game store clerk, a terrified-looking catfish with knobbly knees.

"GIMME THE FUCKING GAMES!"

"WH-WHAT, WHICH ONES?!"

"THE DRAGON QUEST ONES, FILL THIS BAG UP NOW OR I BLOW YOUR FUCKING BRAINS OUT!"

"B-BUT, BUT THEY'RE NOT, W-WE DON'T HAVE THEM!"

"BULLSHIT!" the tiger fired in the air causing everyone to scream. "YOU GOT THEM IN THERE, I KNOW THEY GIVE YOU THEM EARLY FOR PRE-ORDERS NOW FILL UP THE FUCKING BAG!"

Sanjin contemplated the gun on the pavement, but instead kicked it away to the other side of the street and peeked out over the bike. The shooter fired at him with more screams ringing out, pinging off the steel chassis as the dragon rider stood up and came lunging towards Sanjin.

The patriarch blocked the heavy bootkick from the driver and guarded his head from a meaty left hook, before grabbing both arms and crushing his knee hard into the biker's ribs. A muffled roar came through his helmet before Varan picked him up over his shoulder, and threw him across the road to crunch against a pillar beneath the Millennium Tower.

The other biker in the store kept looking outside, firing anytime he saw Sanjin who ducked back behind the bike. Other clerks in the storage room were peeking out in fright, the catfish pleading to them as they gingerly put the freshly-sealed games in the bag.

"Oh gods, oh gods, I-i wasn't meant to come in work today, oh please-"

"You do what I want," the robber said, "you get to walk back home, ALL OF YOU! If the cops get here when I'm around, you're all fucking dead!"

Busy as he was in threatening the clerks, the tiger did not notice the shadow looming from the front entrance of the store, until the catfish screamed, pointed, then ran into the back storage. The gunner turned ready to shoot, then immediately dived out of the path of the entire motorcycle being hurled through the doors.

"SH-SHITTING FUCK!"

The tiger rolled as the crunching smash of the bike slammed against the front desk, scattering dozens of games with, shelf displays falling and empty console boxes crushed under the weight. Gasping with furious panic, the tiger barely noticed the hulking triphibian in the corner who came rushing towards him.

He fired his shot too late, startled by the thundering feet as Sanjin grabbed his hand and forced him to shoot in the air three times before the tiger punched the old kaiju's head. Still sensitive from his stroke-induced fall, he shuddered with a brief pause, giving the shooter time to pull himself back and fire.

Varan threw a copy of "Undying Ultimatum XXV" that spun from the bullet ripping through, before bonking off the tiger's helmet. But the biker flinched naturally from the projectile as Sanjin closed the gap again, grabbing the tiger's arm to swing his body round and slam the thug's back into a shelf, then kick him across the floor.

"GHAAAARGH! YOU FUCKING OLD BITCH, I'M GONNA BLOW YOUR HEAD OFF!"

"TRY ME YOU SUNUVABITCH!"

Grabbing a display stall, Varan lunged for the shooter's gun to deflect the bullet as something pinged above his head, swinging the rack like a two-handed club before shouldercharging the punk into a wall. Dozens of game cases clattered on top of them, the biker pistol-whipping Varan's face that sent him falling against the front desk. When he tried to shoot again, the robber heard a click.

"ARGH, FUCK THIS!" He pocketed his gun to pull out a wicked combat knife. "YOU WANNA BE A FUCKIN' HERO HUH?!"

"Yeah," Sanjin stood up cricking his jaw, "that's why I'm here fer thuh new Dragon Quest, you Hargon piece o' shit!"

"DON'T YOU COMPARE ME TO THAT FUCKING CLERIC YOU COCKSUCKING PRICK!"

The robber lunged with his knife trying to back Sanjin into a corner, the elder dodging aside to step into the centre of the store.

"If you'd have stayed the fuck outside you wouldn't be dead," taunted the biker.

"If you'd waited in line like everybody else, you wouldn't end up in prison."

"Like fuck I am, I'm taking these games and I'm selling them online for a cool hundred-thou!"

"So yer a scalper too?" Varan smiled stepping close to the bike on its side. "Aren't you a smart bitch."

"Smarter than you, cuz I won't be DEAD!"

The tiger slashed for Varan's head who swerved under to grab the robber's waist, lifting him up high to slam him down to the floor. Grappling both legs, he swung the robber in a wide half-circle to crunch his helmet against the damaged bike. Stumbling back up with a crack now forming through the headgear, the punk made a rushing stab for Sanjin's stomach who barely dodged the knife, cutting through his coat and grazing his abdomen with a cleaving slice.

Biting through the pain, Sanjin countered with a swing kick that slammed the back of the tiger's helmet, causing the robber to fall against the door before he turned and roared with a savage frenzy of slashing cuts. Varan stood waiting, motionless with a daring smile as the clerks from the back room screamed in panic watching what they thought would be a terrible murder.

But Obakimura honed his senses with a steady breath, waiting for the moment between the biker's slashes, the shining blade carving through the air leaving trails of white that inched closer towards his face. The old kaiju cracked his knuckles, lowered his spiked mohawk, and thrust his forehead straight into the cat's visor.

The tiger dropped his knife in shock, the old scaled head cracking through the plastic and snapping the visor into shards that ripped past his eyes with a shrieking howl. Staggering to clutch his face, the biker failed to notice Sanjin's other hand pulling back for a brutal uppercut.

_ _ "VAAAAAAAARYUKEN!"

Crunching into the robber's jaw, Sanjin's fist flew high and shot the helmet completely off like a rocket, bouncing against the roof before it snapped in half. The tiger fell with them, battered and scarred across his yellow fur as he collapsed from swollen bruises forming on his chin. But before Sanjin could rest, a bullet whipped past as he saw the driver from outside, stumbling across the road and limping forwards to shoot in the store. Screams turned louder with every bang, until Varan gasped when a familiar long-eared youth came rushing from behind.

_ _ "OBARA NO!"

In a desperate attack, Gonkuro clotheslined the shooter who rolled onto the tarmac and tried to turn and fire, but the junior grabbed his arm and piled on top of him in a frantic cry to pin the biker down on the road. The shooter punched for his eye as Gonkuro blocked with his ear, driving his fist into the leathery flap before it suddenly snapped open to parry his punch.

A belch of flame shrieked through Obara's throat to fog up the helmet, tarnishing the visor as the shooter was now blinded with hands thrown up. Gonkuro rolled off the attacker just before Varan came charging, carrying the tiger in both arms to toss him into his fellow cohort, knocking him down hard, and crushing his gun-wielding hand with a brutal stomp that broke his fingers.

"[i]AAAAAAAARGH! F-FUUUUUCK![/i]"

"Awww whut happen?" Sanjin breathed. "Can't ride yer widdle bicycle no more?"

"Y-YOU...FUUUUCK!"

"Yeah save it fer thuh police you sunuvabitch." The old kaiju sat on top of both robbers. "Hoo, you young'uns make comfy cushions, appreciate it."

"G-GET OFF YOU OLD PRICK, I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Whutever." He grabbed the gun to toss it away. "HEY, GARO-SAN, YOU KEEPIN' MY TENT WARM?!"

"UHH, YEAH?!" the boar gave a shaky thumbs up. "YOU ALRIGHT OL' DUDE?!"

"YEAH! Obara-kun." He motioned the young kaiju over who flapped his ears. "You alright?"

"Y-yeah," he nodded shaking, "I-i called the police."

"That wuz a damn stupid thing you did goin' up against a guy with a gun."

"I...I-i'm sorry, he was shooting at you, I-i had to do somethi-"

"Good boy." Obakimura took his hand. "You fought well, I'm real proud of you...even if you did gimme a gotdamn heart attack rushin' in."

"Tha...th-thank you," Obara bowed, "are you okay Varan-san?"

"Yeah, a li'l sore but these punks got nuthin' on me. Why don't you git on back to yer tent, I made a few friends over there who kept it safe."

"Yeah...I'm glad you're okay."

The junior squeezed his hand before heading off back to their tent. Sim-chan had also returned in horror of the scene, and not daring to step in until the carnage was over to, hug the boar tightly. The police soon arrived from the eastern street, Obakimura giving his statement with everyone else on the scene supporting the story of "the old-school gamer who kicked their asses".

After forty minutes of processing, removing the bike from the store, cuffing the robbers and making sure all the clerks were alright, the police departed with a small round of applause to Sanjin from all the gamers in their tents, as well as the clerks who bowed deeply to him. He sat back down nonplussed in his tent, Obara smiling with his central horn glinting in the sun.

"I can't believe you did all that," he started, "you were so brave Varan-san!"

"Heh, t'weren't nuthin'," the elder shrugged, "wouldya believe they were tryna scalp us?"

"I KNOW it's disgusting, I hope they get jail! Wait, we don't scalp do we?"

"Hell no, Toho ain't never robbed nobody in their damn life except thuh government, we bribe folks fair an' square!"

"Heehee, that's good...I think. Are the store clerks alright?"

"Yeaaah a li'l shaken," Sanjin nodded, "but no harm done, unlike thuh store."

"They weren't mad at you for the bike were they?"

"I offered to clean up most of it, is all good. Plus they said I'm guaranteed to get me one o' them DQs."

"NICE!" Gonkuro high-foured him. "OH, I got your takoyaki!"

"Fuck yeah gimme that fried egg, boy."

In a small box, the junior provided some tasty takoyaki balls, smothered in fried egg with welsh onion strips that added a biting cool flavour to the hot mix of spicy fish. It was a perfect fill for Sanjin's old belly, scarfing down half fhe box as Obara ate some cheese peppers, sour cream fries and a soda to cool off.

Once they finished eating, they laid back and let their bodies unwind from the adrenaline that filled the street. Creatures texted the news, including Obara to his chat who responded with half-serious jokes to help ease the tension, as well as calling his mother.

"Hey mooom! Everything's good, yeah! First night went okay, bit rough, sleeping out here. No it's good, my friend's with me, we're all cool out here! Nooo no was pretty boring, just cold but I'm all wrapped up warm. Alright, call me anytime you want, later!"

"How's she doing?" Varan asked when the call ended.

"She's fine! I was telling her about Bakuzori the other day and, she knew him as well!"

"OH! Good good, you uh you didn't tell her none 'bout thuh Toho stuff didya?"

"No sir," Gonkuro shook his head, "she doesn't like the Toho anyway, she said they were in Okinawa and did a lot of good but also did...some damage?"

"Mmmm, she would say that."

"...is...is there something I don't know?"

"Well, a lotta things and...I don't wanna open up any old wounds your mother might still carry."

"Did you know her, Varan-san?" Obara leaned in.

"Sorta," the patriarch rubbed his neck, "I mean, everybody knew me, I wuz famous back in Ryukyon. But when I joined thuh Toho with my best friend, things got a li'l dicey...an' yer mom wuz there to witness it."

"So what exactly happened? I'm super curious because you were like a famous pro-wrestler and you never told me!"

"Heh, well, I don't like to brag."

"Can you tell me all about it?" the junior sat up crossing his hands. "It sounds so cool, I just really wanna know."

"Mmmm, if you promise not to tell yer mother," Varan scratched his chest. "Sum creatures got scars from back then an' you wouldn't wanna upset yer mother now, wouldya?"

"No, of course not!"

"So promise me whutever I tell's you, you don't tell her a lick of it, understand?"

"Yes, Varan-san," Obara thumped his chest, "I promise."

"Good boy." Sanjin rubbed the junior's back, "welp...lemme take you back to thuh year of 1988...long, long ago in a kaiju's time."

"You're not THAT old-"

"UH-UH, don't interrupt!" he put a hand on the junior's lips. "It wuz around July I reckon, in the midst of summer. I wuz in thuh prime of my career an' the island isself shook with cries for their hero...thuh one, the only...Varan the Unbelievable."