Jiro, Yui, and the others rushed about the meeting room, opening windows and beating out flames with blankets. But when the fire was finally extinguished, there was nothing left of the creature but a charred lump of flesh. The tatami mat was covered in black scars where the nekomata had flailed and crawled in an attempt to put out the flames.

“Wh-what was that?” asked Jiro. He leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath. He could almost taste the soot in his lungs. “It tried to say the spirit’s name … and he … it ... just kind of exploded.”

“A curse,” said Sheena. Her blue scales were covered with soot and ash. She did not look pleased.

“A curse? What kind?”

Sheena shook her head. “Magic and curses … this is beyond my scope of knowledge,” said Sheena. “Tae? Yui?”

Both women shook their heads.

“It is beyond my knowledge as well,” said Kaori, pulling a strand of hair singed hair out of her eyes. “But clearly, someone … something is going around, manipulating spirits and yokai. Too much has happened for simple coincidence. And our mysterious actor is intelligent … It knows how to hide its identity.” She looked at the charred husk on the ground. “And it knows how to manipulate others for its own gain … Nekomata are normally harmless pranksters ...”

“But why Aya?” said Jiro. “Why attack us? And also the Spirit Council?”

“Perhaps it … or they ... are antagonists.”

“Antagonists?”

“Remember I said how some humans work towards positive human-spirit relations? Well, there are also groups that want the opposite. They want for humans and spirits not to live in harmony but mutual antagonism.”

“So a human did this? A spirit-hater? Cursed this creature?”

Kaori shook her head. “I don’t know. But it is unlikely to be a human. Most likely a spirit of some kind. Perhaps with a very, very large bone to pick. But there’s too little information to say ...”

Jiro nodded and looked at the black lump on the ground. The meeting room was covered in burns, soot, ash. Ken, Yui and the two kaiju were lying near the windows, trying to fill their lungs with fresh air. Well, he thought. That’s just one more renovation we’re going to have to do … Assuming we get out of this alive.

“Is it this easy?” Jiro said. “To place a curse and roast someone from a long distance?”

Kaori shook her head. “No. It would require considerable magical power.”

“So we’re dealing with some powerful evil spirit? Who wants to ruin my daughter?” Ken was leaning into the wall, trying to stand. All the anger had gone out of him, and now he just looked like a tired old man. His bad leg stuck out to the side at an odd angle. “But why Aya? What has she ever done?”

“It does not matter what she has done,” said Sheena, also rising. “It matters who she has associated with.” She pointed a finger at Jiro. “If our culprit wants to ruin human-spirit relations, then her association with Jiro is enough.”

“Why?”

“Because he is the proprietor of this bathhouse. And this bathhouse has long been a place where spirits and humans come together to share in the waters of friendship and mutual harmony.”

Jiro blinked. Sheena’s attack in the cave hadn’t exactly seemed like an act of mutual harmony. But now that he thought about it, she had been careful not to harm any of the humans that she ‘fed’ upon … Apparently this new spirit had no qualms about human injury, or even death.

Ken frowned. “Maybe so. But why not ruin his reputation instead?” He pointed at Jiro. “Why my daughter?”

Sheena shrugged. “I do not know. Maybe it was a matter of chance. Or maybe there is a reason that we do not yet understand.”

Tae, who had finished licking the soot and ash off her fur, stoop up next to Sheena. “All this philosophizing is wonderful, but we need to act. Any plans for stopping our mysterious villain before more humans are harmed?”

Sheena’s tongue lolled as she considered the options. “Let us do this. It is in our interest that kaiju-human relations do not worsen. Tae, myself, and the other kaiju will patrol the area around Koko Town to prevent other such attacks from happening. I cannot make any guarantees but we will do what we can.”

“And the rest of us?” Jiro asked.

“Someone will need to contact the other Spirit Council members. Warn them about potential future attacks.”

“I’ll do that,” Ken said. “I don’t know much about this world of spirits … but I know people. And how to talk to them. And perhaps speaking to these other council members of yours can help me prove Aya’s innocence …”

Kaori produced the bound paper book containing the names of Spirit Council members. It had survived the conflagration with only a few minor burns. “You’ll find the names, addresses, and contact details of the various council members written here. But be careful … make sure nobody gets their hands on that book. We do not want to make our culprit’s job even easier ...”

Ken nodded grimly. “Don’t worry, I know how to take care of myself.”

“Um,” said Jiro. “And what about me? And Yui?”

“You two come with me,” said Kaori. “With a nefarious spirit around, I don’t want to leave Yui alone. And Jiro … You’ve got a decent thinking head on you. You’re catching on quickly. It’ll be good to have you with us.”

“Are we going somewhere?” said Jiro, trying not to show delight at Kaori’s compliment.

Karo nodded. “We need information. We need to speak with an expert in spirit affairs. Someone with knowledge … and an extensive library.”

“A friend?”

“No,” said Kaori. “Not a friend. A family member.”