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On November 12th, the day that two assassins arrived to the Millennium Tower, Gaho Murata was gathering a group of known associates in the Go-Wraths HQ. In the small basement on East Shachifuku, Sauressy and Durond kept watch at the door, whilst Zura, Monda, Majuma and several other concerned citizens were gathered round the ping-pong table.

"Your chief's working with yakuza?!" gasped the squirrel. "Fuck, that's crazy!"

"The Daiei Alliance," said the turtle, "a murderous group from Osaka, who are trying to start a war between the Toho and Jinuchu."

"Can't we just tell the Toho?" Zura scratched his head. "They seem decent folks, they might back down-"

"If they back down, the Jinuchu win," said Guy Durond, "yakuza never back down, they cannot afford to."

"I have good sources tell me the Jinuchu attacked the temple," said the walrus stroking her tusk, "after two failed kidnappings, so I agree with Durond-san that peace is no longer an option for them."

"So what do we do?" asked Sauressy leaning against the wall. "Gondo's probably keeping tabs on the media to suppress it."

"I've spent the last two days gathering information," Murata pulled out a map, "we're going to protest, and stop Gondo's police from making any moves."

The group gasped as he unveiled the map of the district and spread it across the table. Markings for banners and barricades covered the streets, marked for maximum visibility whilst several more creatures in the back shouting together.

"Are you serious?!"

"Yo, WORD?!"

"We gonna testify to fortify!?"

"I never thought the day would come," said Majuma trembling, "to think that of all creatures I, OH, COMRADE!"

"Wha-HEY!" Murata gasped.

"I KNEW YOU WOULD SEE THE LIGHT!" she grabbed him tight. "BROTHER, WE SHALL UNSHACKLE SOCIETY FROM THE GRIP OF OPPRESSION, BY ABOLISHING THE POLICE!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" he pushed her back. "I'm not going all anarchist here, this is a protest for calling out Gondo, not the police."

"But what if others are involved?! You know not how deep his corruption goes!"

"I know it's not all of the police, those in the same rank as me are oblivious to all of this-"

"Oh spare me that talk, a creature must accept the sins one commits by being part of the institution!"

"CAN IT!" Sauressy shouted. "You wanna talk about institutions, you do that on your own time, but right now our goal is to stop the Daiei."

"Thank you, Sauressy," said Gaho sighing, "I've made certain every barricade on this map is legal in its place, so it's not obstructing anything that is necessary for access."

"Ain't that the point?" A crab in a blue jacket raised his claw. "We gotta obstruct if we wanna construct peace!"

"Also the cops are just gonna go through," shrugged a horse in a green hoodie, "you just wanna be a public nuisance?"

"More or less," Murata nodded, "but one within the legal boundaries so they have no leg room to kick us out."

"You want them to blink first," said Durond the shark, "make the police attack first, then crucify them on the news."

"Exactly. I need all of you and your friends to band together, I want barricades built up slowly in different places. Follow the map exactly, the police are already stretched thin so they won't bother if it's not breaking any laws."

"This is a lot to take in," said Zura the mole-beetle, "never thought you of all creatures would be doing this."

"Well what's he gonna do?!" the blue squirrel Monda threw her hands. "Bad enough your boss work with yakuza, but murdering some girl and faking it like the Host, that shit's fucked!"

"I'm not saying I don't agree, it's just this is a lot."

"Don't worry," the turtle patted him, "I can't force any of you to join me on this. I brought you all together because I know you are trustworthy, and none of you are associated with the yakuza or the police."

"Uhhh, my mom's friends with Toho," a young moth raised his hand, "does that count?"

"No, you're fine. That said, are you sure you should be here, Shoji-kun?"

"Yeah I'm on break, and it's school holidays, besides I can fly so you need someone who has wings and a maintenance uniform."

"This is not a problem to your religion?" the knife-headed shark leaned over.

"Standing up to corruption isn't violence dude, besides I'm not a pacifist, I'd just never kill."

"Hah...enfant gentil, j'aimerais avoir ton innocence."

"Well since we are planning to rebel," the walrus cracked her knuckles, "I know all the best places with the most eye-catching features to display your voice."

"No graffiti," Murata warned, "you can spray paint on the banners, that's why I came to you."

"That is fine, but banners won't be enough. You need a voice that calls out to the city, something BIG like the jumboscreen at Nagamichi."

"What if we hack the station?!" gasped Monda. "Put out a message and blare it across the street?!"

"That's illegal," Gaho sneered, "we're not doing it."

"Aw come ON dude, you gotta do a little something illegal-"

"I don't want to give Gondo one INCH of legal precedent to stop us. The harder we make it for him, the more success we'll have, and I'm going to prove we can protest lawfully."

"And if we can't?" Sauressy leaned over to him. "What will you do?"

"We can, and we will. Like Durond said, they have to blink first."

"Hah, there truly IS hope for this one," the French chef clapped his hands, "I will help you choose the barricades, but as for the media, that is not my scene."

"Anyone know anybody who has access to TV?" the turtle looked across his group. "Any suggestions or favours just say."

"There IS one," Majuma raised her hand, "but I fear you won't like it."

"As long as it's legal, I don't care."

"Well...I recall that Zen Degoushi was very involved in media, he has several accolades and had many interviews."

"Are you shitting me?" Zura scoffed swinging his claws. "No way he's gonna help us, you saw what that bastard was like!"

"Wait, who's Zen Degoushi?" asked the frog in the back.

"I dunno," the horse shrugged, "you a dancer too?"

"Oh no, I used to be a stagehand but now I'm a dominatrix, I'm Ms. Ribette."

"Oh sick, I'm Umashi and this is Dan."

"Pardon, MISS Ribette?" Durond skirted round the group. "Parlez-vous francais?"

"OH, n-no I'm sorry," the sex worker bowed, "are you French?"

"Hmhm, ouais, Guy Durond, enchanté." He took her hand with a soft kiss. "Ribette is a wonderful name."

"O-oh, ohohoh thank you!" she blushed patting her chest. "It's only a stage name though, not my real one-"

"But are we not all on a stage, mademoiselle?"

"I feel that bro," Dan the crab shook his eyestalks, "everybody plays a part, but not everyone gets the same start."

"I'll contact Degoushi," said Murata rubbing his chin, "I managed to earn his respect, I'll get him to agree."

"You sure 'bout that?" Monda flicked her tail. "He sound like a real piece of shit."

"He was, but I can get through to him. In the meantime set up the barricades, no banners yet, but Majuma you get to work on them."

"Gladly," she pulled out her spraycan to spin in her hand, "time for the renaissance of revolution!"

"Shoji-kun," the former cop looked to the moth, "can we get any assistance from your employer's campaign?"

"I'll try," shrugged Leonardo in his sewer worker's suit, "but Royama-san's not going to come out and accuse the chief of police without evidence."

"We have evidence," said Reed scratching his snout, "we just have to show it to all of Kaijurocho at the same time."

"I could finagle some roadblocks," the moth plucked his antennae, "there's a couple roads that really need to be fixed, we can blockade them at any time."

"That would be perfect," said Murata nodding, "thank you Shoji-kun. Alright, let's get this done, and remember, no cops, no yakuza, that is final. We need to stop Gondo from taking this city for himself, and it NEEDS to be the public who stop him."

"Hell yeah!" Umashi stomped her hooves. "Start a revolution with our FEET, marching the streets and feeling the beats!"

"Ey-ey don't take my schtick," the crustacean wagged his claw.

"Sorry Dan, got excited, I'm just so hype to start!"

"By the way, Majuma-san." The turtle went over to the walrus and lowered his voice. "Are you still working the vending machines down at the precinct?"

"I am indeed," she purred with a grin, "why do you ask?"

"Well...can you do me a little favour?"

They all headed off to their various duties, Magumi sorting out her banners and thinking up new designs with Monda's assistance as a judge. Dan and Umashi headed out with Zura, Durond, Ms. Ribette and the young Shoji to set up barricades.

Over the course of next week, the small group became bigger with more recruits. Monda brought in her friends from skateboarding, Zura spoke to his workshop and Durond used his contacts in the sushi business for the most dependable drivers. Murata and Sauressy went dark, with Majuma still working as janitor in the police station to keep tabs on Gondo. She rarely had the chance to come close to his office, but whenever she did the walrus could overhear his conversations.

Two days after the meet, the turtle was driven up to a small but fancy apartment in a quieter part of Shinjuku. With only four bars in walking distance and a cinema across the way, it was a modest building with a dozen rooms laid out on the bottom floor. A large gate stood before them with a buzzer for the door, as Murata beeped Degoushi's name.

[i]"I'm not buying," snarled Zen.[/i]

"I'm not selling," said Murata, "it's Toto, I need help."

[i]"Whut? Help YOU?"[/i]

"It's a private matter, can I come through please?"

The door buzzed open as Gaho gave a thumbs up to Zura, the mole-beetle waiting outside in his car as he watched the turtle head inside. Down the single hall of several doors, he saw Degoushi with his beard of spikes lean out from his room.

"Not in your uniform, cop boy?"

"I quit, temporarily."

"Seriously?! The fuck happen, you piss off the chief?"

"Yes, actually."

Murata gestured to come inside as Zen let him through. His apartment was surprisingly modest but not especially clean with dust on the floor, a chair in front of the TV with bookcases on either side. A separate room showed the kitchen, with one more for the bedroom as Gaho noted the cleanest part of the house, were the shelves full of trophies.

"Your place is better than mine," the turtle sighed, "what sort of job do you do for a living?"

"Bridge construction," Zen shrugged in a baseball shirt and slacks, "you want a beer?"

"Mmmm...yeah, thanks."

The reptile walked to his fridge and grabbed two cans, tossing one to Murata as they sat on opposite seats.

"So what's your big problem?" his long thorny tail snaked between his legs. "And why should I care?"

"My chief is collaborating with yakuza," said the turtle drinking back, "I'm forming a coalition of public citizens to expose him."

"HAH! Fuck are you serious, you the goody-two shoes is rebelling?!"

"That's why I'm here to ask for your help, one of my ping-pong buddies said you knew someone in the media from all your interviews."

"Mmmm, I have a few," Zen took a big sip, "one or two fans I kept who love to interview me."

"I need to ask you a favour," Murata leaned forwards, "I need someone to help me broadcast a message, exposing my chief with evidence that he collaborated with a murderer, to incite a war between two yakuza clans and aid a third yakuza clan."

"...shit." Degoushi blinked. "That...that's a fucking lot."

"Do I have your attention, Degoushi?"

"Mmmm...I know you're not lying," the rival gulped down his beer, "you're too boring for that so...yeah. Alright, what're we doing exactly?"

"Setting up barricades, informing the public, and bringing the numbers in for a protest. If you know anyone who'd be interested just let 'em know, but no cops, no yakuza."

"Wow...you're serious about this. Well, if it means I get to fuck up some asshole's day then, sure." Degoushi cracked the can on his head. "I'll call up my fan and see what we get, you got a date for this thing?"

"Sometime in the next two weeks," said Gaho finishing his beer, "the sooner you can save us a slot, the better."

"I think she can squeeze your spot in the middle, she told me once they always have a dead-air space between ads for like a buffer, or if there's alerts they have to put out."

"Thank you, Degoushi-san. You have no idea how much this helps."

"Heh...no prob," the reptile showed him the door, "just promise that when the shit hits the fan, I get to be out there."

"Don't worry," Murata grinned, "I wouldn't want you anywhere else."

After taking his leave, Gaho drove back with Zura at the wheel. The mole-beetle sighed as they rumbled down the road towards Kaijurocho.

"How's your hands doing?" the turtle asked.

"Getting there," Zura sighed, "I'm having the treatment done, so if I get antsy or emotional, just bear with me."

"You need any help, maybe we can get you some hand braces?"

"I got them for when I sleep, can't wear them all the time or they make my hands stiffer." He carefully turned round the corner with laboured pace. "I'll be fine, but I'm worried about you taking on your chief, he's already threatened you."

"I've handled worse," Murata puffed his cheeks, "went through hell back in Osaka."

"What about that girl? You still gonna rescue her?"

"I have to. But Iris needs to be stopped, I know I shouldn't be telling this to civilians but...corruption of the law concerns everyone."

"I appreciate you telling us," Zura groaned shifting gears, "I got some old scrap I can deliver, make more barricades out of 'em."

"Thanks," Gaho smiled, "just try to keep Majuma's rhetoric down, she's all ready to start a riot."

"If your boss starts one, that'll be the only choice. Are you willing to fight officers to protect us?"

"If they're being ordered to act unlawfully...then yes. I am."

The days would pass as their organisation grew, with structures slowly appearing in the streets as odd random pieces of debris. Nobody took notice at first, too busy with their work as the police simply shrugged and moved on, just as Murata predicted.

In the backlots of west Kaijurocho, young Leonardo Shoji entered a grimy-looking warehouse with the words "KAIJURO WASTE MANAGEMENT" on its front. He always expected a terrible smell to come through when he walked in, but for all of Royama's traits, he was an exceptional cleaner. Through industrial corridors with twisting pipes, the moth in his green worker's outfit wove his way through to the campaign office, the sounds of trundling machines and slurrying sewage rumbling throughout the plant.

The upper floor of the building was all administration, half the offices now reserved for the political campaign. Banners for the "Give A Hoot" party festooned the halls in bright bathroom colours of blue and white. Some of the workers had been hired from public duty, whilst the regular staff carried on keeping the district clean and well-oiled.

"AHH, Shoji-kun!" his boss greeted from his desk. "Where've you been?!"

"Sorry sir," the moth bowed, "do you got a minute, it's something big."

"Bigger than the election?! That's quite a flush you're making, come on in!"

The head of Kaijuro Waste sat with with long red eyes from his gooey-haired body. He sprayed a deodorant can on himself, but the bottle somehow snapped in half.

"Agh, not again!" he tossed it in a pile of broken cans. "I need to stop buying these, I'm making a hole in the ozone by myself!"

"I'm sure they got better stuff in the newsrooms, Royama-san." The moth shuffled to his desk. "So I have something big to tell you, privately."

"Did we get a sponsorship?! Oh I KNEW it, golden showers at last!"

"N-no, no sir it's, something serious."

Grimacing as he stepped close, Shoji whispered something that made Hideo's eyes widen even greater.

"R-...really?!" he shuddered.

"We had a meeting and...I was hoping you could help out."

"Oh...oh well, this is very serious, I-i-i, I mean...I don't shovel shit out on the street, I keep it under pipes, you know that Shoji-kun."

"But creatures have to know," the student rubbed his fist, "you don't have to come out and say anything, you just gotta put down the roadworks to help with the startup."

"And you are certain about this?" Hideo leaned forth.

"I saw the evidence myself, from Murata-san, you remember him right?"

"I do...he's a good soul, listened with rabid attention to my explanation of the fluoride sewer system."

"I'm not asking you to come out and fight," Leo waved his hands, "just give us a hand, you can claim deniability or whatev-"

"No." The boss stood up with a gurgling body. "I know too much now."

"Um, s-sir?"

"The point of my running for office was to clean up the streets and make them safe for all creatures. It's not just the shit we're flushing down, it's the shit our superiors are flushing UP!"

The sewer worker grabbed Shoji's hand with a slimy glove and shook it hard.

"Tell Murata he has a friend in me, as an upcoming candidate, I will put my voice behind his evidence."

"Wh-what?!" Leonardo coughed. "Really, but, you could risk losing the election!"

"I don't care about winning the election! I'm not here to win, Shoji-kun, I'm here to make a stand, to piss up the wall of politics by making them hear what the public want! I can't just ignore one skidmark of society whilst cleaning up another, and if standing behind an ex-officer who's exposing corruption makes me flush away an election, then fine, I won't be joining the ranks of self-serving taints!"

"I-i...wow. I wasn't expecting you to throw your weight behind this."

"I'm not made of porcelain, my lad. I know what others think of me, some fecal peddler no one wants to acknowledge because I represent a disgusting truth about society, of a problem that must be solved yet no one wishes to speak about because it doesn't win brown notes."

"I know, but," Shoji sighed tensing his wings, "alright, if you're really gonna go all in on this, I'll let Murata know. Thank you so much for trusting me, and giving me a job."

"You're one of my best workers, Shoji-kun." Hideo patted him. "You were never one to poo-poo my ideas, you're in never any trouble and you never fart around the office, always working hard so I know I can trust you. Whatever Murata wants, let him know I'll be ready."

"Hell yeah, let's clean up this city!"

They bumped fists before Shoji went back to work, fluttering down the depths with a toolbox to refit and replaster the pipes. Once he was done for the day, he relayed back to Murata that he had another ally waiting in the wings as more barricades were set up. Slowly but surely they filled up the streets, as locals began to notice finally.

Creatures were forced to walk and weave through the piles of trash, with complaints starting to rise and the police searching for whoever placed them there. But bigger crimes were always occurring, and always there would be some business owner able to come out and say that it was their property, and it was in a perfectly legal space they could do nothing about.

All this left citizens befuddled, and even more frustrated at the slow but eventual decay of the city district. The temple explosion had already left many frightened, and despite a noticeable drop in crime, a tension was still in the air. But on this week, something dreadful would happen.

On November 16th, Sauressy and Murata sat up on the rooftops of Theater Square, looking out towards Shachifuku as the night turned quiet. The sky had turned black, a cold mistral come ruffling through their coats as they sat together sharing bottles of beer. Gaho wore a heavy black coat to mask his body, whilst Reed remained in his long trench coat with the police badge on its side.

"That thing's an eyesore," he pointed to the construction site, "what's it even for?"

"A casino hotel," Murata rolled his eyes, "as if we need another one."

"Tch...glad to hear Royama's on board, even if he's not in office yet."

"He's popular and the head of a public service, that carries a lot of weight in the end."

The sounds of sirens and pachinko parlours rang from beneath, despite the crowds clearing off to get home before the chill hit their bones. Sometimes they saw a police car patrol the neighbourhood as Gaho shook his head.

"They suspect you at all?"

"I haven't gone back," said Sauressy taking a drink, "I'm pretty sure I got clocked running out of there."

"Considering we're partners you would be the most likely suspect."

"Also being a foreigner."

"What?" Murata gasped. "No, come on don't say that-"

"You know how many times I've heard the phrase 'not bad for a foreigner'? Plenty."

Gaho frowned more than usual as Reed sighed waving his hand.

"I know that's not a problem unique to the police, but my point is, I was already under suspicion when you got pulled in. I'm not taking chances, if they call me rogue then so be it. I'm not leaving you, Murata."

"Thank you, Sauressy." The turtle nodded. "You're the best partner I've had, you've been through a lot just for me."

"You may be a joyless rigid ass, but by god do you care about your job. You're exactly who we should be, even when it was that kid on the roof, you stood by him."

"It's all worth it in the end," Murata smiled looking back, "Kumoto said he's going to be moved to permanent care, somewhere much safer to live."

"I'm glad to hear," the sea serpent bowed his neck, "I'm...I'm sorry I froze up on the roof, I just-"

"Hey, it happens. Was that a previous case?"

"No...it was my wife."

The monster gripped his bottle and took the deepest drink, gulping half in one go before he made a wretched gasp.

"Paula Behennoth...the most beautiful beast I ever met, came from Cornwall down in England. She was a sailor, we met by the lighthouse in Boon Island, Maine, after I moved up there from New Jersey. She was a fisher, diving for clams and all that, made a killing with the locals who loved their seafood."

"You got a picture of her?"

Murata watched his friend pull out a photo from his wallet, a long-necked paleosaurus with a smooth head, grinning beside a much-younger starry-eyed Sauressy.

"Damn, your scales were less bumpy back then."

"Heh, she loved them," Reed chuckled, "we were married a good while, she always went on about the sea and how she felt a part of it, all her life, her family were fishers since the old times. She even joked she had pirates in her family, had a father in the navy."

"Did she ever find any treasure?" Gaho grinned.

"Funny you say that, that was her side business." The serpent grinned looking up. "When fishing season was out, she'd drive her boat round with her crew and try to find loot. Sometimes there was an old sunken ship, sometimes a box someone had thrown over...one time she found a sword from the 1500s, it was beautiful! Gold-painted brass, a ruby in the hilt, some sort of ceremonial blade, god she didn't shut up for a month."

"That's incredible!" Murata chuckled. "A bona-fide treasure hunter, you almost never hear that happen in real life."

"Oh they're out there," Reed swept his hand to the world, "all across the ocean creatures are diving down, Paula always told me she wanted to have a house built under the sea. Us seabound folk never really left it."

"So what happened to her?"

"Well...she found a small cave one day, and found this strange box hidden away, she couldn't get it open. Never kept anything at home in case it was explosive but...then her scales started to fall out. Her arms and legs became thin, and...she couldn't stop itching, showing all the red."

"Wait...this, this sounds like," Gaho reared back, "is this some kind of radiation poisoning?"

"It was." Sauressy shook his head. "She accidentally found a box containing a flushed core of plutonium. Disappeared from a government base, either stolen or not disposed of properly, word got out and when the government came in, it turned into a nightmare. Gamma radiation burning her up inside, and my government didn't even pay to cover her hospital bills, just threatened her with silence."

"I...I'm so sorry. That's terrible, why wouldn't they help her?"

"Because they'd have to acknowledge some project no one was supposed to know about. Even when she was vomiting, her feet were all purple, they didn't fucking give a shit. It got to the point she wanted to die on her own terms but of course it wasn't legal where we lived, so she begged me to help her. I didn't want to. I couldn't.

"She was wasting away, dying from G-rads until this strong beautiful beast of the sea was just...a damn husk, and it wasn't her damn fault, cuz the fucking government tried to hide some shit they never should've made in the first place!"

"That's awful," Murata tightened his beak, "what...what happened to her?"

"She asked one day if...I could drive her up to the lighthouse where we first met. We rolled up to Boon, and she told me that if I wasn't going to kill her, she'd do it herself."

Sauressy trembled biting his fist as tears rolled down his eyes.

"The thing about light, is it can either guide you back home...or blind you enough that you never see it again. Paula told me that...right before she fell."

Silence drifted between them. The roar of the cars came from the distance as the turtle felt his throat turn dry, struggling to respond. Instead he took two bottles of beer, offered one to O'Sauressy, and clinked them together.

"To Paula," he said. "The best damn treasure hunter who ever lived...a star in the sky, and one who I wish I had the pleasure of meeting."

"Hah...hear hear." Reed clinked them back. "A toast to Paula. May she shine on forever...as she always does in my dreams."

As they drank up another bottle, they took in the skyline of the city for a few moment. But their moment of peace was soon broken by a beam shooting across the sky, a violente purple stream that blasted the windows of the Millennium Tower.

"//WHAT THE FUCK?!//"

"[i]GET DOWN![/i]"

Gaho leapt on top of Sauressy as the roaring shriek swept over their heads, tearing through Shachifuku and exploding several rooms in the Hotel District. Calls of panic and screams came from below, as creatures looked out in shock at the wretched beam from the construction site.

"What the fuck, WHAT'S GOING ON?!" shouted Reed.

"Some kind of fight but...whoever's out there has some insane power."

"No way they're getting out before the cops come-oh...f-fuck, OH GOD!"

They watched the site soon fall apart, crumbling in despair from the tearing scar of indigo that severed the struts and ripped through foundations. Other buildings would be cut in half, as creatures ran out in fright from the falling debris.

The entire structure came falling down across the length of Park Boulevard, as well as central Shachifuku in a great cloud of destruction. Horror filled the streets as medics were first on the scene, with Murata and Sauressy hurrying down to try and help anyone they could.

They kept out of sight from police and mixed with the firefighters, the block awash with screeching lights as the dead and wounded were carried out. Murata pulled debris from the rubble, whilst Sauressy snuck his way through to the remains of the site and caught up with one of the ambulances.

The next five hours was a nightmare, howling sobs filled the air as mothers and fathers pleaded for their lost children, whilst sons and daughters whimpered on the steps searching for their parents. Dozens of Kaijurocho citizens pitched in with food, water and hands to shift the earth and help their neighbours. By the time it was midnight, Sauressy and Murata almost collapsed back in the basement HQ of the Go-Wraths.

"Fuck," Reed sighed, "that...that was hell."

"What even happened?" Gaho slumped on a couch.

"The ambulances wouldn't tell me anything but, I saw a dead body. Obakimura."

"What?! You mean, the patriarch, he's dead?!"

"He sure looked it," Sauressy sat beside him, "there was another body too, I didn't recognise him, big red guy impaled from the fall."

"This is all Iris," Gaho shook his head, "a Toho patriarch dead, they...they won't stand for this. This war is happening, and we can't stop it."

"Best we can is stop Gondo, with our team. Should we tell the temple about this?"

"Shoji-kun will tell them if he has to, he's a good kid. Let's just focus on the Daiei, I'm going to sleep here."

"Yeah, same."

A pair of sleeping bags had been provided for them, as they tucked themselves in for a troubled sleep filled with dread for the coming war. Sauressy felt somewhat lighter in his chest, whilst Murata became wracked with increasing fear. His thoughts would turn back to Jin, the prisoner of Iris, as he hoped she was still safe.

Far in Osaka, on November 18th in the district of Shutenbori, Jin Gerumba was carrying a tray of drinks through the Grand Cabaret. In a long red kimono, the bronze triceratops scratched her nasal horns with a nervous twitch as her tray shook, the glasses clinking against each other with each step she took up the stairs.

Down the halls of the highest floor, she found Iris' personal quarters with a magnificent four-poster bed of satin sheets, draped like curtains with patterns of the moon in different phases. A grand dresser sat opposite with a mirror the length of the room, where her mistress sat in purple silk.

"What's the situation?" she asked.

[i]"There was an attack two days ago,"[/i] said Gondo on her phone, [i]"a construction site destroyed, a dozen dead, one Toho patriarch killed and a member in hospital. We found the killer's body, but we have no record of him-"[/i]

"He's Jinuchu, definitely." She beckoned Jin into the room. "Don't bother following up, they're wise enough to hide their tracks when hiring assassins."

[i]"I can't just ignore someone firing off beams that crushed half of Park Boulevard!"[/i]

"I never said ignore it, just don't follow it up."

Jin poured her mistress a gin and tonic, stirring them fresh with a lemon wedge as the silver-headed creature took a sip. The long diamond-shaped beak opened slightly to let the water through, as Gondo kept talking through her gold rotary phone with a thick pearl-grip receiver.

[i]"The Toho had a meeting, there was another assassin who nearly killed the Fourth Chair."[/i]

"That will mean war," said Iris smiling, "even better he survived, the battle will be far bloodier."

[i]"I'd rather not involve civilians in the crossfire."[/i]

"You can warn them best you can, but it will make good for the papers. Yakuza Bloodbath Destroys Innocent Lives, add some pictures of a burnt child or two and you have your platform."

[i]"Wh-what?!"[/i] the chief shuddered.

"Oh don't be so timid, you've seen much worse."

[i]"Yeah, thanks to your friend Kaneyama. Look, if we're going to do this deal, I need to lay down some ground rules, this is still my city."[/i]

"OUR city, Gondo." She took a nile fail from the dresser. "I keep the crime in the shadows and give you a sum, while YOU keep out the competition."

[i]"I know, but I can't just have Daiei running out in the streets doing what they want."[/i]

"Why not?" The lady scoured her nails. "You already let the Toho do what they want, the only difference is you'll benefit from it."

[i]"That...that's true but-"[/i]

"If you're worried about being caught, get rid of Murata. Speaking of which, have you found him?"

[i]"No, not yet. I know who he worked with, this American called Sauressy but he's gone too."[/i]

Iris looked towards Gerumba who suddenly looked away. Her mistress had seen that hopeful gleam in her eye and grinned like a sorceress.

"I underestimated how badly-staffed you were," she said filing her nails, "I have to arrive earlier than expected."

[i]"Wait, what? No, no I can handle this-"[/i]

"I don't have time for you to handle it, I NEED Murata dead. I don't care how, but if I have to come down and break his fat little neck myself, then I will."

[i]"I know, I know,"[/i] Baruti sighed, [i]"I don't know what he has on us, he said the numbers, the exact code on the moulds he-"[/i]

"Be QUIET!" she slammed her fist causing Gerumba to jump. "What is it with you police officers being so loose with secrets, first Zittelli now you! If you don't want to follow in his footsteps, you will keep your mouth shut about what we discussed."

[i]"Yes, sorry Iris-san."[/i]

"Ugh," the lady pinched between her eyes, "the plan is going ahead regardless, do you have a date?"

[i]"November twenty-first,"[/i] said the chief, [i]"overheard some Toho talking about gathering their forces."[/i]

"Good, then we are set," she kept filing away.

[i]"Any news from Kaneyama? I don't have jurisdiction in Kyoto."[/i]

"My Legion is dealing with that, if all goes well you shan't hear about it in the news, unlike the Meishin."

[i]"Alright, if you're coming I'll get you somewhere without being seen-"[/i]

"No need," she blew on her hand. "I will book myself a hotel under an alias and send you a note when I arrive. All you have to do, is keep me updated on the yakuza's movements, and bring me Murata."

[i]"Got it. Talk to you soon, Iris-san."[/i]

The call ended as she clunked the receiver down, leaning back in her chair and taking a long sip of her G&T.

"Exquisite," she remarked, "thank you, Gerumba."

"My pleasure," Jin bowed, "is there anything else I can do?"

"Yes, I will need your eyes to pick my outfit." The mistress brought out her make-up kit. "Have you been well?"

"Yes, thank you, just keeping all your soldiers happy with drinks."

"You make a good barkeep," Iris opened a bottle of silver polish, "your Devil's Whistle is the stuff of legend."

"I-i'm glad to hear!" she bowed again. "Have you had it yourself?"

"I don't do wormwood oil," the lady daubed her metal face, "gives me hives and a wilt in my tentacles."

"Ahh, makes sense, it was originally to remove internal...parasites."

"Yes." Her tentacle stretched to the wardrobe. "Pick something out for me, something that says 'I'm from an overseas company, do not look at me, you don't care what I do'."

The long tendril opened it up as Jin gazed upon her many suits. Fashionable, tailor-made, and all of exceptional material, there was her usual outfit resembling a naval officer's, as well as the compere's suit with sparkled lining and feathered imprints.

"Oh, I love this one," Gerumba pulled out a red cheongsam, "the flowers are so pretty."

"I look like a whore in that," Iris kept polishing her face.

"I-i wasn't suggesting, I just...I really like this one."

"Take it then. I hate it anyway, it was a gift from an admirer."

"Really?" Jin pulled it against herself. "I'm not sure it fits me."

"Get it redressed," the lady brought out lubricant, "you can find a tailor to fix that."

"Well...if you're certain then, thank you Iris-sama."

Folding it to put aside, the triceratops kept looking through the cupboard selecting various clothes. Iris herself brought all her tentacles forth across the dresser, glossing them up with a special oil that made them shimmer, as well as address the small cracks in the tendrils.

"Ugh, I use this one too often," she sighed, "must remember to prioritise two and four instead."

"That seems very difficult," said the servant, "what's it like, having tentacles?"

"Like having too many tails, I would imagine."

"What about this one?" Jin pulled out a yellow suit. "Reminds me of autumn leaves, it's lovely."

"It's also not autumn," said Iris waving her hand, "that's a golden olive, but you're onto something with the pales, try a cooler colour."

"What about this?" the trike brought a cyan blazer. "Bluebell is such a soft colour, like the morning sky."

"It also has blood on the back."

"Where, does it-AAAGH!"

She lifted the rear of the suit where a red stain draped the tails, causing Jin to shriek and drop it.

"Oh don't be such a prude, he died last week."

"Wh-who...who was it?!"

"A cabaret club owner, Yeti-something," the mistress kept glossing her tendrils, "suffice to say he's permanently retired, I was foolish enough to sit on the stool that Queen bludgeoned him with."

"Y-yes, Iris-sama." Gerumba folded it. "I'll put this in the laundry. Why not take your black suit? it's very modest."

"It also sparkles, you can't sparkle in Kaijurocho, I would blind every citizen in a two-mile radius."

"Alright...maybeeee this?"

She brought forth a maroon suit, almost brown with chocolatey-red, and black lines slipping down the hem.

"Mmmm!" her mistress nodded. "Yes. Very good, a tanny port, dark enough to evade looks but still warning others away. Good work."

The lady stood up and grabbed a sharp industrial razor.

"Have a reservation made for me at the Oleander, under the name Seiko Hirasaka and a plus-one, then pack my usual clothes along with that."

"Yes, Iris-sama," Gerumba bowed, "who are you taking?"

"You."

She scraped the razorblade on her chin, carving flecks of silver to dash across the dresser.

"Murata is still out there, and he cares about you, so you will be the bait."

"Wh-what?!" Jin gasped. "But, no, I-i'm not, I'm not even a lieutenant!"

"You have to take responsibility. If you had drugged him back in September, things would have been a lot easier so you only have yourself to blame."

"But he...he, no, it's not like that, he's not like that I-HRKH!"

A tentacle suddenly wrapped around her throat and pulled her towards the dresser. Gerumba was lifted up with a strangling cough, the tendril flexing on her neck as she stared at her mistress in the mirror.

"I am not having this discussion," snarled Iris, "that is beneath me, and it's also beneath you."

"[i]H-HRRRKH![/i]"

"You are coming with me to Kaijurocho, and that is final. Now get yourself a suit, something modest for the office."

"Y-yes...Iris-sama."

The tentacle released her as she coughed with a shudder, stumbling out of the room after grabbing both the cyan suit and cheongsam. Iris stared towards her reflection, her four eyes glimmering back with fingers tenting beneath.

"I will find you Murata...wherever you've gone, I will break you until you beg. I will not rest until your tears stain this earth, and your very last breath I shall witness...when Tokyo is mine."

On that same day at the Kaijuro Police Station, Gondo had just finished his call and sat at his desk in the evening. His face looked like a gambler on his last hundred yen, desperately reaching for a pack of cigs and lighting up with a shudder.

A shadow passed over the door, the toolbox and long tusks he recognised as some maintenance worker as he leaned back in his chair. Taking a few moments to himself, the chief of the homicide branch rubbed along his nasal horn that reached upwards, sliding fingers between his eyes.

"Sir?" a knock at the door. "It's Shinigawa."

"Huh?" he sneered. "Uhhh yeah, just...come in."

Entering the office was a raven in white polo shirt, with black wings tucked behind her back.

"Why are you up here?" asked the chief. "Where's your assistant?"

"Hanukkah," the bird rolled her eyes, "also most of your officers are out dealing with Park Boulevard."

A report was in her hands as she sat down at the desk, offering it to Baruti.

"Obakimura was beaten, but not restrained. He has defensive wounds and evidence of a fight, then his throat was slit open. Confirmation from three witnesses, two of which faced down the unnamed killer."

"Still no confirmation who he is?" Gondo read the autopsies.

"No identification, fingerprints turned up nothing, not a single hotel registered him so we have no idea where he stayed or who he was. Obakimura had a note on him, a ransom saying to come to the site alone or the hostages would die."

"And one of them was a junior in his clan." Baruti sneered. "Has to be Jinuchu then, who else is targeting the Toho."

"I don't concern myself with the why," she shrugged, "just the who, how, when and what. Gonkuro Obara, the other victim, is comatose still."

"What about the two rescuers?"

"Three." The raven raised her claws. "Oodaka Obara, the mother, said three creatures came to her rescue. Gen Ganbe, Meiji Garonba, and a tarantula who administered CPR to her son before disappearing."

"That's...odd," the horned chief shook his head, "how do you know that?"

"I corroborated with the hospital, in relation to Obara's condition should he succumb to his injuries, I opened a case file in advance."

"Hm, smart move. Did you find out where this Ganbe and Garonba are from?"

"That's not my jurisdiction," Shinigawa brought out a second report, "here's my findings on the massacre at Toho HQ."

"That was a lot of bodies," Gondo cringed at the thicker book.

"The killer had exceptional strength, fast and precise, killed seventeen Toho members, staff mostly."

"Makes sense, he was aiming for the Fourth Chair. I'm sorry about your department being stretched thin."

"I know it's not your fault, chief," she bowed sincere, "I do my job with what I have."

"Well rest assured," he stretched his arms, "I'm planning a big change that'll bring a windfall to us hopefully. I'll make sure you benefit with all your hard work."

"The council election I presume?"

"Mmmmyeah, you been keeping up on it?"

"I don't do politics." The raven crossed her legs. "I can't afford to be blinded by arguments, when I have to deal with the dead."

"What do you mean?" the chief sneered.

"Every creature that graces my slab deserves to be given a name and a date of death. Whether they are a child, or that child's killer, I give them all the same credence and respect. For the sake of my sanity, and not to exhaust what little empathy I have left, I need to stay out of politics."

"Hmm...fair enough. You're dismissed, Shinigawa."

The raven bowed and took her leave as Gondo flicked over the reports. Numbers rattled through his mind as a dreadful thought crossed his mind. Murata's voice taunted him with a combination that he knew, his hands gripping the papers so tight they nearly crumpled.

With most of the officers out or investigating the incident, the station was rather empty with the sound of fans humming above him, a quiet mundane sound that made his teeth shiver. Baruti left his office and went to the evidence room, having memorised the case notes to the point he saw the numbers in his sleep as he snuck past the register.

Amongst the cluttered storage full of drug samples, weapons and clothes, he found the teeth moulds of the original Host. To avoid suspicion of absent evidence, a copy had been made to give to Kaneyama. But now fearing the worst of what Murata found, his mind flickered with a desperate thought.

He put the moulds in a bag and hurried back, skulking through the halls and shielding himself from a worker fixing the vending machines. Down to the depths of the police station he went, through the underground parking lot and straight to the boiler room.

The source of the station's central heating was a huge furnace with many pipes, the face of a steel gorgon with a dozen serpents through the ceiling. Its eyes flickered with long red pupils ticking back and forth, the fires in its maw yearning for a feast as he tossed the moulds in.

"Not going to matter now," muttered the chief, "once the Daiei come in this'll all get buried...but what if he does something? Bastard'll call us out, he needs to prove it if the numbers match, but if there's no numbers...no teeth."

He watched the casts melt with a crackling spurt.

"Just closing that door...Murata's too fucking stubborn for his own good."

Closing the furnace, he wiped his hands clean of dust and headed back to his office, marching upstairs to wait for further news. Unbeknownst to him, a shadow peeked out from one of the parking lot pillars. A frightened smile came between her tusks.