Enid sat across from Nobuyuki in her school uniform. They were eating at one of the finer dining establishments in Naha. She looked to the twins on her left and Nobuyuki’s wife, Kitsume to her right. Everyone was enjoying themselves, but Enid was ill at ease. Evening had already fallen so the food had lost its flavor a while ago at least for her. She picked at it and tried to focus on why her gift was making her uneasy. Nobuyuki looked up to her.

“Is the food not good?”

“Oh, no Nobuyuki, it is good, I’m just not hungry tonight.”

The vision became clear suddenly. Men would come through the door of the private room guns out they would shoot the family. Enid would take one bullet and the children would die before she could cover them along with Kitsume. Nobuyuki would take a bullet to the head. She watched it happening in slow motion around her. She looked up at the clock. In her vision it said 9:05. When she snapped back to the currently timeline the clock read 9:02.

“Nobuyuki get your family down please. Now.”

She wrapped her hands around her chopstocks and slid them in her pocket and she picked up Kitsume’s, one in each hand. She said it again, more firmly, putting her power behind her words.

“Now Nobuyuki, danger is coming.”

He didn’t hesitate after her second warning and pulled his wife and children behind the benches and Enid dumped the table over towards herself then turned and crouched to the door chopsticks in hand. The door burst open and the room was showered with machine gun fire. Their bullets found no targets. The clock clicked over to 9:06. Enid stood up chopstick in each hand.

“Leave and you live, stay and you die. Your choice.”

The four gunmen had spread out and were struggling to reload their guns. One managed to finish and shot her in the shoulder. She looked down at the wound and frowned. She leapt at the nearest one using him as a shield. He struggled and she stabbed in in the ear with the chopstick. His body was still twitching when the first bullets struck it. Enid threw him at his nearest companion. Then threw the other chopstick at the one furthest away guiding it and speeding it up with her telekinesis. It smashed through his sunglasses and into his eye he screamed clutching his face, it was deep enough he would die soon. She pulled the other chopsticks out of her pants and started to move towards the last standing gunman his gun was empty again he’d used it trying to shoot her through his dead friend Enid punched him in the face and rammed one of the other chopstick through his carotid. The last one was struggling to get out from under his friend. She tossed the dead body off him and grabbed the man by his throat. He was struggling to reload his gun she grabbed his wrist with the other hand snapping it and she looked at the bullets in the clip.

Silver. They were after me.

“Who sent you?”

Then man struggled to escape clawing at her hand to try and free himself so he could breath. She tightened her grip. She slammed him against the wall.

“Who sent you?”

She dropped him and he slid down the wall and came at her with a silver knife. In his one good hand she grabbed his wrist and snapped it catching the knife with her free hand she stabbed it through his shoulder pinning him to the wall. She grabbed his chin and stared into his eyes.

“I will ask you again. Who sent you?

She could feel his conditioning trying to resist her, but whoever had done it was by far her inferior in age and power. He struggled to not say the name, but it came out anyway.

“The Dodomeki”

“Where can I find him?”

“Sakumura towers, penthouse.”

Enid pulled the knife from his shoulder and lifted him up again, slapping the chopstick she still had on his chest. She healed his wounds.

“Tell the Dodomeki that he has assaulted my family and I am coming to put this in his heart. Go now.”

She hammered the commands into his brain with such force his nose bled. He scrambled away. Enid turned to see Nobuyuki looking at her with newfound respect and fear. Enid bowed low.

“I am sorry Nobuyuki I have put your family at risk with my presence. I must address this attack directly. Please forgive me.”

“Daughter let me call the men. We will deal with this the Yakuza way.”

“No Nobuyuki, this is my fight, you must get your family to safety before the police arrive, call your men an ensure your house is protected I will come to you after this is over. Give them these guns and makes sure they use these bullets. They do not harm me, but the Dodomeki and his kind are vulnerable to them. They will give you an edge.”

Nobuyuki bowed to her and started gathering his family and the weapons and ushering them out the back door of the restaurant. Enid exited the back room slinging her pack over her shoulder. Cursing the Pugmentia under her breath the whole way. The front of the restaurant had already cleared, and she could hear police sirens in the distance. One of the restaurant staff tried to stop her but she pushed him out the way and hopped on one of the motorcycles the would-be assassins had rode. She revved it up and sped off down the darkened streets towards the Sakumura Towers.

She slowed as she approached the building pushing the face plate of the heavily tinted helmet up. She looked at the front of it.

Armed guards. He’s expecting a war. Well, he’s getting one.

Enid put the visor back down and revved the engine. She peeled out and drive straight up the stairs and through one of the guards sending him flying through the plate glass windows she jumped off the bike when she was in the building proper and watched it take out another three guards and it crashed. She only had two more to deal with. One she threw aside with her telekinesis sending him flying out of a glass window and skidding along the pavement. The other she reached out and pulled him to her. Held her hand up keeping him hovering in the air in front of her. She stared into his eyes.

“You will take me to your leader, now.”

She forced her will on him she could feel his mind breaking under the pressure and blood started oozing out of his nose. She wasn’t being gentle tonight. She wanted the Pugmentia of Naha to see just how strong she was so they wouldn’t ever try this again. She released the guard and he took her to an elevator and put the code in to get her to the top she stood to the side of the elevator and shoved him out. She watched him get riddled with bullets and shook her head. While the penthouse guards were reloading, she rushed out using her blood to alter time around her she snapped all six of their necks in the time it took one of them to blink. She used the telekinesis to blast the doors off their hinges. She didn’t even bother check to see if they were locked first. The doors turned into shrapnel pelleting the room behind them she’d killed several more of the guards. Behind a desk sat who she assumed was the Dodomeki. He was a pugmentia. A Japanese one at that. She saw the chop stock on the desk. She altered time again and before he could react, she had the chopstick in his chest and touching his heart the slightest shift and he would be paralyzed she sat on his desk and pressed her feet into his thighs. The heard his bones snap, to his credit he didn’t cry out.

“Let’s talk.”

The Dodomeki nodded.

“So, you thought you would kill me with silver bullets.”

She looked down at her blood-covered school uniform.

“You are a gaijin vampire in my territory you and your human pet were stealing out blood you deserve…”

Enid shoved the chopstick in piercing his heart. She cut him off mid-tirade and took her hand off the chopstick.

“You Pugmentia, you think you hold territory, it’s all so amusing. You are an insect compared to me. You are less than a mortal. They are of value. You are just a leech sucking off the world. I knew you were here. I let you have your little delusions of grandeur. I didn’t interfere with your little wars, or your politics. I went to school, got a bit of blood from my adoptive father, and everyone was happy. But then you realized I was a vampire. And how dare I do not grovel at your manly feet. Beg for your permission to exist.”

She reached down picking up some of his blood on her fingers she inhaled.

“You’re not even a century old. You need to learn your place in the big picture. I’m an ancient vampire. I’m so old your ancestors were using bronze when I was born. I am here to study Karate and go to high school. Leave me in a peace and I will leave you in peace. I’m trying to not bring so much violence into the world, and I had been succeeding until tonight. I had a bit of a back-slide. But still I’m trying to make a change. You’ve caught me in a benevolent mood. Do not try my patience further.”

She pulled the front of his pants out and dumped a hand full of silver bullets down then and stomped on his manhood bury some them deep.

“You might want to get some blood that looks nasty.”

She hopped up leaving him staked like that. She paused at the doorway and turned.

“Oh, and if a single one of my Yakuza family gets so much as a splinter, I’ll start sending couriers with heads of your vampires. Have a good night.”

She stepped over the corpses of dead bodyguards and heard the ding of the elevator in front of her. The last of his retinue rushed through and looked at the path of destruction she had left and held up her their hands and let her pass. She rode the elevator to the main floor took one of the motercycle’s that were hastily discarded as the men rushed to defend their leader. She pulled the helmet on and sped down the road towards Nobuyuki’s home. She pulled up in front and carried the helmet with her. She knocked on his door. Edo answered the door he was carrying one of the guns Nobuyuki had taken with him. Edo’s face was terse as he let her in. Nobuyuki was pacing with his arms crossed his wife and girls were likely in their rooms, his top Yakuza were here, all armed. He noticed her enter and rushed over to her checking her for injuries. The only one she had was the bullet in her shoulder, but that had long since healed.

“Are you alright Raijin-chan.”

He pulled her towards him and hugged her tightly.

“I’m fine. I delivered a very clear message to the aggressor. And killed most of his men, he won’t try again, or if he does it will take him months to gather the forces he’ll need. I also told him the Yakuza were under my protection. You and your family should be safe.”

He held her shoulders and looked at her up and down.

“Did Junpei teach you to do that with chopsticks?”

“No, just a weapon of convenience.”

“Anything is a weapon in the hands of a true warrior. Your legend is going to grow Raijin.”

“I don’t care about my legend. I am just sorry our celebration was ruined by such violence. Are Kitsume and the girls alright?”

“They will be fine. I am fine. Let’s drink to celebrate your victory! Sake!”

Edo poured out a cup for everyone assembled and they all drank.

“Will you still go to Tokyo?”

Enid nodded.

“Is it safe?”

“Yes. I was hoping you could have someone check in on my apartment, and Junpei-sensei while I’m gone?”

“Of course.”

He laughed.

“And could I store my new motorcycle in your garage, I took one, I figured they owed me for the ruined supper and school uniform?”

He laughed and pounded the table.

“Yes. Edo will put it away then drive you home.”

He motioned Edo to get to work and Edo bowed and left the house.

Enid leaned back on the couch and took another sip of sake. The alcohol did nothing at night, but the flavor calmed her nerves at least. She glanced up at Nobuyuki then leaned forward.

“Can your contact in Tokyo be trusted?”

Nobuyuki nodded leaning forward as well.

“He’s a good man. Trust him with my life.”

Enid nodded.

“This thing tonight, it might have alerted someone who is after me someone dangerous. I really need to make some friends that share your dark corners. This trip is very important now.”

He nodded, took as sip his sake. He leaned back and pulled out a cigarette.

“You make as many enemies as you do friends Raijin-chan.”

“This one is an enemy to every living thing. It’s Shinigami. In Japanese it would call itself Kuroi Taiyō, The Black Sun. He is seeking the death of every living thing. He has been hunting me most of my life because he is frightened of me.”

She pulled up her sleeve showing the scar from one of the arrows in her arm. The scar was faded but would never vanish. Nobuyuki put his cigarette down in an ashtray and leaned forward looking at it.

“It attacked you when you were a child, before you were given the power by your father?”

“No, this was after. I was shot six times with cursed arrows. I protected Eyre and her brother. Our brother. But I nearly died. It was the first of many attempts. I have moved often to avoid him finding me, he has no reach in Japan that I’m aware of, yet which is why I came. I thought I would be safe I would be able to gather myself, train before facing him again. This is why I must go to Tokyo. So, I can make contacts, so I can hear if it has shown up here yet. It never comes itself; It always sends members of its cult.”

“This is a lot of responsibility for one so young Raijin-chan. I think your father put too much weight on your back.”

“My father would not believe us. He said the Black Sun was dead. Refused to listen to us, refused to see evidence. I am not sure if he was just to old to see, or he did not want to admit the sacrifices he had made had been in vein.”

Nobuyuki nodded.

“Are you sure it still lives?”

“I saw it with my own eyes. Pierced it with my sword. I thought it dead as well. But then the assassins started showing up. Using magic only the Black Sun and his minions possess. The only other who uses such power is dead. My sister Mariana. Father had her executed for violating a sacred law.”

“He killed his own child?”

“My family is bound by sacred oaths. The penalty for breaking these oaths is death. She broke her oath, to save the family and the world. He said that the law is the law for everyone and it shall not be enforced differently based on who is related to who.”

Nobuyuki nodded.

“Your father sounds like a man of deep honor.”

“He was. I will admit I wanted to kill him when he made that choice. But I understand now. We cannot enforce different punishments for family just because we love them.”

“I see why you are the girl you are today. He taught you honor, and strength. The value of family. He sounds like a man I would call friend. I only hope I can teach my daughters so well.”

“He would have liked you.”

Edo approached and bowed.

“The car is ready Raijin-san.”

Enid downed her sake and stood up and bowed to Nobuyuki.

“Once again Nobuyuki-sempei I apologize for you and your family being endangered by my presence.”

“Enjoy your vacation Raijin-chan. We will watch out for Junpei and your home.”

*****

Enid relaxed in her seat. She was reading through the Japanese travel magazine she’d found in the seat pouch in front of her. She was dressed in a professional skirt and heels. She was still getting used to them, she went short. She also wore a nice white blouse. She looked like a travelling businesswoman rather than a fifteen-year-old high school student. Her demeanor carried the part, she was already fully fledged adult with four children it was nice to not have to pretend to be an idiot teenager for a brief few hours. As she leafed through the magazine, she came across a full spread image of Mount Fuji.

Fucking volcanos. I still have flashbacks from Pompeii.

She turned the page and started reading about the nightlife in Tokyo. In the year she’d been in Japan she’d mastered kanji and the spoken Japanese language, along with some of the Chinese languages and alphabets. It had been an interesting struggle at first, but she had always been good at picking up languages. She hadn’t even thought of how weird it looked for a gaijin to be absorbed in an article of Japanese writing.

“We have that in English as well. If you’d like, we just get many…”

Enid looked up at the stewardess.

“Oh, no it’s fine, I can read it. Thank you.”

She answered in English because it had been the language, she was addressed in. She spoke so many languages with so many accents she barely paid attention she just answered in the closest language and accent people addressed her in. Enid smiled at stewardess who nodded and went about serving other passengers. Enid went back to her reading then heard someone talking her again and looked up it was an older gentleman. He was also a gaijin as the locals called her and other white folks.

“Excuse me, miss, if I may, where are you from, I can’t say I’ve ever heard that particular accent.”

Enid looked him over closing her magazine but keeping her finger on her page. He was speaking in English, Ireland if she wasn’t mistaken. She had to admit that her English usually sounded like a mix of the three UK accents all in mishmash, she went with her Scottish accent.

“I moved around the UK a lot when I was younger. And I’m also a linguist and so when I don’ t pay attention my English can come out a bit muddled.”

“Oh, Scottish I thought I heard a bit of that in there. I’m a linguist as well.”

Well shit, should have said I’m something else he’ll never shut up now. Should I annoy him, so he stops pestering me? Yes, yes I should.

“So, are you studying linguistics here in Japan?”

“No, I’m just on vacation. I’ve already completed my formal language education.”

“So young? What languages do you specialize in?”

“Hmm, Latin, English, Greek, Hebrew, German, Middle English, Arabic, Egyptian Hieroglyphics, Babylonian (that is technically a mix of several languages), Italian, French, Russian, Czech, Romanian, Swedish, three dialects of sanscrit, I believe it would be called paleo-Hebrew, some of the dead sea scrolls are written in it. There are more but one loses track after so many. Of course, Gaelic, all variants, their proto version, once spoken by the picts. And most recently Japanese, I haven’t quite mastered the Chinese languages, but I’m working on that as well.”

He swallowed and nodded tugging on his collar. She could see him struggling to believe her and wanting to test her knowledge but was measuring if it was worth appearing rude. Also, a glint if curiosity about some of the later languages.

“That is quite impressive, where did you learn such an eclectic mix?”

“All over the place, I learn languages as I need them, or as I’m forced to. My father was a man who believed that is important to be able to communicate properly. And that if you’re going to read something you should do it in the original language and not trust someone else’s translation.”

“Your father taught you linguistics?”

“Well adoptive father, but yes, though I may have been a disappointment to him, I just didn’t have the mind for languages he had. He passed away recently and I fear that there are several languages that he never got to teach me that died with him.”

“You should consider publishing some books on the languages he did pass on, you could change the face of our whole view of ancient languages. I wasn’t aware we had any records of the Pict’s language. Or that the had any written record.”

“Oh, they didn’t. They had an oral tradition, passing one generation to the next. My mother taught me the language.”

“Could you speak some of it for me? I would love to hear it.”

Enid glanced around and gave a sigh. It made her sad that her people’s language had died without so much as a whisper reaching these far distant times. In spite of her better judgment she started to sing the lullaby that her surrogate mother Morag would sing to her to calm her at night when she was a little girl. The man stared at her enraptured. Enid whether she liked it or not had a very good signing voice, part of the transformation to vampire. Beautiful, charming, engaging, the perfect hunter. She finished the second verse then trailed off.

“That is beautiful. I can hear the influences it had on Gaelic. Amazing. And you sing so well. You could change the way we look at how languages developed on the isles. Could you translate for me?”

He held his hand to his chest. Enid nodded.

“Who is the one mother loves most. My curly haired little girl. With hair of red. Eyes of Green. Dark Mother, Dark Mother, protect my little lass. Mommas little girl, Mommas little curly haired girl, mistress of the blade, master of the storm. Death’s enemy…”

Enid trailed off. Translating the actual lyrics into English had just given her insight into the meaning of the song. She did a mental translation of the rest. It even had the Black Sun in it.

How would Morag know?

The man leaned closer thinking she’d just started speaking to low for him to here. Enid’s lips were moving as she translated it mentally. Enid snapped out of her realization to see him staring at her.

“I’m sorry I just realized something about the song.”

“Sounds like a song about a warrior woman. I wonder if the women of the Picttish tribes fought.”

“Not unless they had too.”

The man nodded.

“You should consider making some recordings of the language so they can be analyzed if some experts could verify, you would be welcome to any university in the UK.”

Enid laughed and shook her head.

“Please consider it. My tape recorder is in my checked luggage, but I would pay you for your time.”

He reached into his pocket and opened a small silver case pulling out a card. Enid read it, Dr Ian Sheppard, PHD, Linguistics, Dean of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, Cambridge. It had an address and a phone number. He’d hastily written the name of a hotel and a contact at the University of Tokyo.

“Dr. Sheppard, I will help you I am able to complete my business in a timely fashion. Otherwise you can find me in Naha, at the Junpei Dojo. If I’m not there they will know how to reach me.”

“Thank you, what is your name?”

“Melanie Stuart.”

“I am pleased to meet you Melanie, I’ll let you get back to your reading I apologize for disturbing you.”

Enid nodded and opened her magazine, picking up where she left off, she barely noticed when the plane started making its descent and landing. She finally realized they had landed when the Stewardess was tapping her on the shoulder. Enid acknowledged her in Japanese.

“Thank you, sorry.”

The airport in Tokyo was much larger then then the one in Naha. She disembarked the plane and made her way out. Having a dimensional space in a bag meant she only ever needed carry on. She slung it over her shoulder and started making her way through the airport. She made her way out to wave down a taxi then saw her currently identities name on a sign. She approached it was a man in a suit. He tugged down his shirt showing the corner of a tattoo, she smiled and nodded. He opened the door front door of his car for her and then got in. His English was terrible.

“First time in Tokyo?”

Enid responded in Japanese.

“Yes. I speak Japanese if you’d rather.”

“Yes, thank you. My English is bad. When the boss said to get you, I was worried.”

“Is the boss expecting me?”

He nodded.

“We’ve heard a lot about you. Did you really kill four men with chopsticks?”

Enid laughed and shook her head.

“Only three, I let one go so he could tell his boss what happened.”

His eyes went a bit wide at that.

“I don’t know why Nobuyuki would tell your boss that.”

“The boss was wondering how much protection you’d need. Nobuyuki said none, just a few rides and some information, and told him about that as way of saying, you can take care of yourself.”

“Well I appreciate the ride.”

“I am Yasu.”

“It is good to meet you Yasu-san.”

“I will be your driver while you’re in Tokyo, if you need anything just ask. Call me any time day or night.”

He handed her a card with his number on it. The drive was short to the office building where she was to meet Yasu’s boss. It was a far cry from the seedy pachinko parlor Nobuyuki called home. It was it least forty stories tall made of white concrete and so many windows. Yasu rushed around and opened the door for her and escorted her inside. He signed her in at the front desk.

“I will be here when you are ready to leave, Melanie-san”

Enid nodded and went to the elevators and rode it to the top floor. When she came out there was a nice waiting area and a secretary there to greet her.

“Please follow me.”

Enid followed her to a set of frosted glass doors which she opened for her and Enid went inside. The boss, she wasn’t sure of which faction of the Yakuza, sat behind a desk. He was a solid looking man who looked far more serious then Nobuyuki. But she saw similarity, perhaps brother. His suit was black, and she saw he was missing the end of his left pinkie. She approached is desk and bowed.

“Thank you for taking the time to see me sempei”

“Nobuyuki is my brother, and he said has adopted you as daughter, that makes us family. Raijin. Please sit.”

Enid bowed again and sat down. She had learned quickly ego would not get her far in Japan. Politeness and respect were the secrets. It chafed against her having to bow to mortals at times. But that was why she was here. To learn to respect mortals instead of thinking of them like food. She had to admit Eyre dumping her in Japanese secondary school had hammered the point home.

“You show me great respect for one with such power.”

“My power may be great, but I am a fifteen-year-old girl, you are my senior, it is proper to show respect.”

He nodded; She is pretty sure he saw the twitch of the smile at the side of his lips.

“Nobuyuki told me you were respectful, and that you honored your family. He tells me he owes you his life two times over. It is not a small thing to save a man’s life.”

“He has been a father to me since we have met. I respect him deeply and appreciate that he has taken me in, it is my duty as part of your family to protect him.”

“So, you have come to us because you need information.”

“Yes, sempei I do. It is very important to my safety.”

“If you are in danger, we can protect you. You are family.”

“I know you will protect me. But if I can prevent the danger from appearing then it would avoid anyone having to come to harm.”

“The people you are asking about are dangerous.”

“So am I Ojisan.”

He nodded, another twitch of the beginnings of a smile when she acknowledged their connection further.

“Nobuyuki has told me this. I thought he exaggerated until I received these.”

He opened a drawer and dropped seventeen folders on the desk. Enid quirked her head to the side and he motioned her to look through them. They were all copies of autopsy files. Broken necks, multiple bullet wounds, blunt force trauma, foreign object: chopstick. She nodded.

“All in one night. You aren’t dangerous, you are death incarnate.”

“In my defense they came after me.”

“I do not question your actions. I am in awe of your prowess. You are a master in the art of killing. I am both humbled and glad that your main prey is demons. Nobuyuki tells me you are trying to get out of the work of taking lives.”

“This is true. It is not the way to live a good life. I had intended to hang up my sword for good but then the slime thing was killing women.”

“There are dark things in the shadows of this world, the Yakuza know this better than most. Your duty is important. You must not give up on it.”

Enid nodded.

“I have gotten you a suite at the Tokyo Hilton. Your refrigerator has been stocked for your dietary needs. If you need anything else while you are here Yasu will provide it. He is my son.”

Enid stood and bowed. He offered her a piece of paper with an address written on it, and a name: Umibōzu.

“You will find what you seek there. Be careful, he is dangerous. We have few dealings with him, he has been untrustworthy.”

Enid bowed again.

“Thank you.”

He waved her onwards and Enid left the office and went down the elevator and met Yasu at the bottom. He smiled when she approached.

“Father wasn’t too much trouble, was he?”

“No, he just wanted to impress on me how dangerous the person we are going to see is. You should stay in the car when we get there.”

“Can’t do that, I’m your protector in Tokyo.”

“Yes, but when it comes to things like this, I’m everyone’s protector.”

“No, I promised my father and uncle I would not leave your side.”

“You may see some things you cannot unsee.”

“I am prepared.”

You wish.

He drove Enid to the address provided by his father. It was a very scuzzy looking bath house.

“I cannot let you go in there alone.”

Enid sighed.

“If things go bad stay behind me.”

She got out of the car on her own slinging her bag over her shoulder. Yasu rushed to keep up. Enid pulled the door open. Yasu did a doubletake Enid’s happy-go-lucky teenage demeanor had dropped again, she was all professional and had the look of a professional hitwoman who’d been on the job for decades. She walked to the desk. There was an old Chinese woman sitting there. Enid held up the hand-written note. The woman pressed a button and a mountain of a Japanese man came out of the back. He looked Enid up and down. Then mentioned for the pair to follow him. The walked past several older Japanese men enjoying the company of a variety of Asian women none of them Japanese. They were led past several massage rooms and into a back pool the stench hit Enid’s sensitive nose first. It smelled like week old corpse mixed with seaweed. The humidity was not helping it. Yasu gagged.

“It’s only going to get worse, are you sure you need to come with me?”

He coughed holding his hand over his mouth and nodded. Enid shook her head.

Kids.

The final doors were pushed open revealing an eight-foot tall being. It looked like the mythical Oni, save its flesh was the grey-green-brown color of a catfish. He had a towel wrapped around his midsection and was smoking a cigar. She could see gills on his chest, and he had catfish whiskers on his cheek and chin. Two black curled horns came out of his temples. He was wide. And though Enid hadn’t seen many Japanese style demons, she’d say he was fat? A stereo was playing Sweet Caroline and the Oni was singing along. He laughed when he saw Enid and Yasu. Enid glanced back at Yasu. He was looking greener than the Oni.

“Go back to the car Yasu, please.”

He was staring wide eyed at the Oni and started nodded very rapidly. And rushed back out.

“You don’t seem bothered by the smell little girl.”

“That’s because I don’t need to breath.”

The Oni laughed.

“They call me Taichi. My real name is unpronounceable with your tongue.”

“Everyone calls me Raijin.”

“Should I be worried about a storm?”

“Depends on how much you anger me.”

He laughed and took a long drag from his cigar.

“I hear you’ve come all the way from Okinawa to see little old me. What can I do for you little Raijin?”

“Do you know what the Black Sun is?”

“No.”

“Thank you.”

Enid turned to leave. She saw the oni motion to his thug to try and stop her.

“Don’t try it big man. You will regret it.”

The massive Japanese man ignored her and grabbed her arm. She let him grab it then showing little effort threw him into one of the concrete walls. She winced when he made contact and fell to the floor unconscious. She turned back to the Oni.

“Did you need something?”

He was looking at his unconscious bodyguard then back to Enid.

“I was just, umm, hoping the conversation would last a bit longer.”

“You should have just asked; I don’t like being touched.”

“I will remember that in the future, Raijin-san.”

Enid let her body language show she’d relaxed slightly now. She could see the Oni breathe a sigh of relief.

“What do you need from me Taichi?”

“Well I hear that you are a demon hunter. Does that mean I’m on your hit list?”

“You aren’t a demon. You are many things, but that is not one of them.”

He relaxed further and nodded.

“Well do you hunt other things?”

“Depends on what they are and what they’re doing, if they’re minding their own business and don’t make themselves obvious to the humans I could care less. If they are hurting humans or causing news stories, I generally want to put them out of our misery.”

“Please join me.”

He motioned to a seat near him. Enid sat down the offered seat and crossed her legs.

“I’m an information broker. I hear things. I also put people in contact with other people who can help them. I was wondering, if someone has a problem if I could help you broker contracts to umm, deal with the problem?”

“As long as doesn’t interfere with school.”

Taichi laughed nervously, seemingly unsure if she were joking or not.

“Excellent.”

He pulled a card out of a case on the table and handed to her. His fingers were much more dexterous then their thick and stubby appearance let on.

“Sorry about your man, I did warn him.”

“Oh, he’ll be fine, he has a thick skull. Considering what I’ve found out about you, he got off easy.”

“Oh, what have you heard?”

“That you wiped out a vampire’s entire pool of guards in one night with little to no effort. That you can turn into lightning. Before that not much. You have the whole of Japan’s vampire population running scared. They are calling you: Haha Ketsueki Megami. A blood goddess. I was curious what it meant I found out they have this mythology that the first vampire was a woman who spurned Izanagi, and in her rage at the disrespect of her father Amaterasu cursed her from her sight. That is the name the vampires give her, Mother Blood Goddess. They think that The Dodomeki has angered you and now you are coming for the rest of them.”

“What do you think?”

“I think they’re full of shit, it’s broad daylight outside, you’re no vampire.”

Enid laughed and nodded.

“Still, I saw video. Even when I slowed it down frame by frame, I couldn’t make out more than a blur on the film. I hope I never piss you off as much as he did. You just walked in there like you had the biggest dick in the shower, like they were insects to you. It was beautiful. No wonder the vampires are scared. You put on a good show, which is why I suspect there even are any tapes at all. You wanted them to know how insignificant they were to you, probably so they’d leave you alone. Well it worked. Then you staked him with a chopstick. Man, you are a real show woman. I’m guessing you’ve dealt with vampires before.”

“Yes, well they don’t always keep themselves concealed from the humans, and they’ve been known to kill a human or forty.”

“You even left him alive. Real class act. Look sometimes we have shit happen here in Japan that the police they can’t handle, the Yakuza try, but what are humans gonna do against shit like us? I try my best to provide the information they need to get the job done, but sometimes I’m wrong, they get pissed. I can only tell them what my resources tell me. And sometimes it’s folks like us, they got an even nastier thing then them getting all in their business and what can I do, I’m just an info broker, I put them in touch with the local Yakuza and they pay me.”

He shrugged.

“Here’s the thing though, I bet you know how to kill most things that go bump in the night. And if you don’t you can find out. Am I right?”

“That would be accurate.”

“So, what I’m proposing is this I pick up the phone and I call you instead.”

“How are the Yakuza going to feel about losing the business?”

“Its business they don’t want but feel responsible for because no one else does that kind of work. But look, you’re part of the Yakuza, they won’t get too pissed at you and it will save them men. A lot of men. The shit I get called in on usually killed dozens of them before they can manage to take it down.”

“I will speak my Uncle and allow him to bring it to the leadership. If they agree then I will accept your deal.”

“They are humans what are they going do to you?”

“It’s about respect. I’ll be in touch.”

He nodded. She’d guess the look on his face was one of disappointment but once you get of the realm of human or formerly human body language was anyone’s guess. Enid stood up and made her way out.

I’m going to need to burn these clothes.

She found Yasu smoking a cigarette by the car looking less green.

“Are you ready to drive me to my hotel?”

Yasu nodded and put out his cigarette opening the door for her.

“Did things go well?”

“He wasn’t of any use to me.”

“That is disappointing.”

“It was expected. He might have information in the future which was the point of the whole exercise. He had a proposal for me, I’m not sure the Yakuza will like it though.”

“What is it?”

“He wants me to hunt things he usually hires the Yakuza to hunt.”

“Well, you’re practically a member to hear Uncle speak of you.”

“Yes, but I’m a teenage girl, If there is one thing I’ve learned we are best kept safe and sound as opposed to being tossed to the lions.”

He nodded and laughed.

“Well, my father, could advise you.”