We were in a narrow one-way street with trees planted along the sides. It opened up nearby into a larger boulevard. A convenience store was lit up across the way. Other skyscrapers soared above our heads as we reached the corner. Rui pointed to the right.

“The tower is that direction. At the end of this block. There will be some people. So maybe he’ll restrain himself. Being seen using whatever powers he has would irrevocably damage his reputation.” Rui reached into her purse to present a camera. “This is backup plan two. I’ll snap a picture of him doing his thing if he’s foolish enough to use them. The photographic evidence might lead to his arrest.” Rui cackled.

“It’s a clever plan.” Natalia-sama nodded in approval. “Let’s not assume we’ll be defeated, though. We have my masterwork here!” She patted my shoulder. “We’ll win this!”

Akuchi leapt ahead of us and he complained, “Why did no one comment on my genius performance?!”

“It was brilliant, of course.” Rui smiled. “You did far better than I thought you would. I even have a feeling that you’ll do a job better than Reiko-chan herself.”

“Was it authentic?” Akuchi turned her gaze towards my noh-face helmet.

I tilted my head, laughing softly. “I cried a little. You’ve disturbed me by saying things I think she’d have said even though you never met her. She never could love me. Now I know why. It wasn’t my face. She loved women. She could have pretended like when she was with this Mitsuhiko bastard but I don’t think she would have done that to me.”

“I accept you, Susumu-sama!” Akuchi smiled warmly, closing the distance between us.

Rui intercepted her, hugging me first. “I accept you too.”

Natalia-sama and Ume-chan looked at each other with a shared warm smile. They rushed in on either side to embrace me. Ume said, “You’re one of us, a yokai. No matter if you’ve gotten your humanity back, you’ll always remain one. We accept you!”

Natalia-sama lit up the night with her smile. “I accept you too. You’re welcome to model my fashion from now on. I’ll even pay you for it. If you don’t mind using that fine butt for a billboard again, I’ll come up with brilliant new advertising angles!”

I wasn’t sure how to feel about her words, but Natalia-sama’s smile melted my heart along with what everyone else said. Everyone chuckled. Akuchi rushed the rest of the distance to embrace us all. “Best friends forever!” She bounced in a bubbly way Reiko-chan never would have.

“Let’s get going! Enough of this cuteness!” Rui announced, squirming out from the group hug. “We can’t pause any further. Akuchi needs to be in position as soon as possible.”

We nodded together as we separated and rushed along the boulevard. My heart hammered. Rui gestured to a large vehicle parked along the way. More trees were planted along the street. We took cover behind the vehicle, to crouch. Akuchi looked at us and took a deep breath. “Wish me good luck,” she murmured.

“Break a leg!” Rui called after. I watched her. Akuchi grinned broadly noticing my gaze and charged to the front of the building. Rui grabbed her camera as she scooched over as close as possible. She and Ume would be easier to conceal. Natalia-sama and I crouched.

Akuchi came to a stop on the decorative cobble pavement lining the street beside a manhole. She fidgeted as she stood, giving off an aura of docility and anxiety. Breathing softly, we waited to see what would happen. Akuchi’s fidgeting became more pronounced as nothing happened. The moon above us glowed brilliantly. Suddenly, Akuchi vanished.

I gaped, my eyes bulging. One moment she was fidgeting and the next she’d been erased right before us! Rui sucked her breath. “T-traitor!”

“Don’t be hasty!” Natalia-sama squeezed Rui’s shoulder. “A spell of concealment was cast. We have no choice but to sneak as close as we can. This man, Mitsuhiko is very cautious it seems. He must have some form of sorcery at his disposal. Move to the building. Do your best to go unnoticed.”

Rui nodded sharply. Ume smiled softly at Natalia. “You’re so perceptive.”

We slipped carefully around the back end of the vehicle to slink over to the building and sneak alongside the vegetation skirting its base. The moment we crossed the maximum range of the spell, something felt strange. I saw the man standing before Akuchi. She stood anxiously. The man wore an immaculate-looking expensive suit. It was as though he was attending a business meeting.

“I’m so sorry... can you forgive me for leaving?” Akuchi murmured.

“Of course, my dear. You’re forgiven your sins.” The man placed his hand on Akuchi’s head.

Something bothered me about the scene. I’d heard he’d have a car waiting, but I neither saw a vehicle ready to whisk them away nor did I hear a motor running. My hand rested on Rui’s shoulder and the fingers clenched. “It’s a trap! We have to save her!”

Rui looked at me, startled. The other girls looked my way, heads tilting. “I don’t think so... it seems genuine still..." Rui murmured.

I had a feeling that wasn’t the case. Something was going on.

I grit my teeth and launched myself towards Akuchi. Akuchi stiffened. She was terrified! Her eyes were wide in horror. She reached towards me. “MASTER!”

The man’s fingers seized Akuchi’s hair to haul her back as she started to bolt to my side. Pain blossomed on her face as she exploded into a cloud of dust. I halted before the man, my eyes wide. I took a fighting stance. When the cloud dissipated his arctic eyes unwaveringly stared in my direction. “Ah... so this was supposed to be a trap. I expected it to be so.” He laughed, relaxing his posture. “A strange otaku was behind this? How outrageous! Who are you? Do you know Reiko? Of course you do. If you were able to find a foolish tanuki who could play her part so well. Oh, yes. You must have known her very well.”

“You... how did you know?” I yelled, staring him down. “Her performance was flawless!”

The man laughed again. “Flawless, you say? You want me to explain my genius? Very well.” He clasped his hands with a derisive smile. “Firstly, Reiko’s breasts were never that large. That was the tanuki’s first mistake.”

I gaped. How well does he know Reiko-chan’s body? My mind shuddered away from the thoughts of them being intimate. I’d found out she had slept with him, but now I knew it was done despite her lack of an attraction to men. “The second mistake was her behavior. She’d never bow her head. Oh sure, after what I’ve put her through, she might have indeed broken, but given how she behaved the last time I saw her, I simply could not believe it. This tanuki didn’t know Reiko, and no matter how close you got to her, you still couldn’t know her heart or mind.” His dismissive laughter made me seethe with a desire to smash in his face.

“Enough of the tanuki. Let’s speak of your mistakes. I sensed you the moment you breached the boundary of my spell. I know you’re not alone.” He smiled. “The moment I was signaled, my suspicions of treachery were cemented. I thought about stringing that tanuki along tonight on that delightful date she proposed. Hahahaha... You forced my hand. What happened to that ridiculous yokai is on your head.” He pointed the object he held directly at me. “Oh, it is time to have a little conversation... why don’t I tell you the sad tale of Reiko... it’s so very tragic. I deeply regret it. She committed so many sins I couldn’t bear them any longer. She fought like a little demon, but it was to no avail..."

At that moment, the manhole erupted, throwing the heavy saucer flying high above. A gelatinous mass oozed from the sewer. It glowed brilliantly. I recognized the ambiguous form. “RICKEY! GET HIM!” I cheered.

Rickey positively snarled as it enveloped the man’s form in a blink. I saw fear ignite in his face when he was swallowed whole. The girls rushed over to us. Rui laughed softly while sniffling. “He... he really killed her..." Her laughing ceased as her expression was filled with hatred and blood lust. “Kill him, Rickey!”