Chapter 1; God Hunters

The sky above you is a cool inky black, it covers everything above you. The stars are invisible because of the artificial light around you, city life blocking the light out. Work or life has brought you to the shopping district near Hisashiro station, close enough that you can hear the trains thundering past. Each time they do it causes the gravel in the gutters beside the road to rattle.

No one’s around, which suits you just fine. Why? Because you came to the district following that which was untoward. You first felt the presence of the mononoke while taking the train, but you recognised the danger it presented. As an awakened, you can sense the blood lust of a wandering god. You decided to investigate later on, personally, but you can’t quite put your finger on why.As you pass by shops you’ve never seen before, your thoughts dwell on how the world has taken a turn for the unusual. This isn't your part of the city. The eerily pristine streets, free of on street parking, are unfamiliar and you glance at your phone to see where you are. The screen flickers, and you notice something's interfering with the electronics. It's the same with the lamposts. A weird aura comes and goes with each flicker, and you’re just about to give up when something causes the hair on the back of your neck to stand up.

The roar echoes around you, and you wheel around to face the direction it came from. As you strain yourself to hear anything else, you catch the sound of odd laughter before the sound of a girl sobbing.

"Someone, anyone." She screams. "Help me!"

Akane stalks the streets of the city. The city which is not really hers, but which she knows quite well. She knows that she should have been back in Okamitaira at this hour, but the sense of the mononoke had distracted her, made her track it. Besides, who really cared about the rules anyway?

The streets seem empty. Cold even. As Akane follows the trail, the scent of blood lust she notices a blue car on the streets. All four doors are wide open, but there is not a person in sight. It's headlights illuminate the darkness and it's directional lights light the streets an eerie orange each time they blink simultaneously.

"Hello?" she says in a combination of a shout and whisper at once, hoping to attract the owner of this abandonned vehicle. She checks in the car. The keys are still in the contact. Who'd abandon their car like this? Why?

As she hears the screams, she realizes someone might be in danger. She hurries towards the cries. Her mind is already focussed on drawing Moonfang from her Barrier.

Tami stops her bike and takes off her helmet. She fixes her long hair and scans her surroundings. "You better not dragged me here tonight for nothing, mum..." she thought with a bit of anger. Half an hour ago her mother had a vision and called to tell her to check the shopping district for a Kami. She was at her boyfriend's home and it was a good night, but her role as an Awakened, and a protector of House Karasu, was more important. Or that's what her parents always said.

However this area tonight... something was amiss tonight. Maybe her mother was right, maybe it was her idea. Either way, she had to investigate it. She gets off the bike and starts walking down the road, the streets are familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. The shops she knows are there but someting is wrong with them, she cannot describe it but she feels it on her skin. She had the same feeling the other day at the train, but she paid no attention, her normal life was more important she thought.

Suddenly he hears a girl sobbing and then a scream. "There!" She does not hesitate, she holds her axe pendant and pulls it, thus activating her Spirit Barrier. A smoldering red hot bec le corbin manifests on her other hand. She starts running towards the area where she thinks the scream came.

Eun was just passing an alley as the scream came. She instinctively listened for the echo to try and determine which way to go. But... in all these buildings - hard surfaces, every one of them - there wasn't a single echo? It was as if something was dampening the air, making it too heavy to carry the smaller sounds of the echoes that should have happened. And then she noticed the shadows. Instead of being on the opposite side from the light, they were all off just a bit, as if they were pointing somewhere....

Did the mononoke want her to find it, or not? Was there more than one power at play here? She subconsciously dropped into a more wary stance, and her staff began to crystallize into her hand.

She had felt the presence while Mayumi had simply been tending the garden of the shrine. Then the stag slowly wandered up. It had been beautiful and, she was sure, it was a sign she was needed. The kami could be like that, sending nature to help do what needed to be done.

So, the young Miko rode a deer to get here instead of the train. She walked carefully through the changed district, her senses on high alert. The cry for help drew her off the deer’s back as she gave it a carrot, "Go, this is no place for you any longer. I will do what must be done." She ensured her bow was ready and began moving quickly to where the shout came from.

When Akane passed through the spirit barrier is hard to say. Logically, it must've been before she arrived in the shopping district, but nothing about the world before that car tipped her off. As she sprints toward the sound of the scream she begins to notice other things though. It's almost as though everyone who would've been there, not many at this time but some at least, vanished in the middle of what they were doing. An abandoned coffee cup sits next to a bench, gently steaming, or a phone lies discarded as though dropped on the sidewalk.

Not more than a few steps behind her, Tami charges with her weapon in hand. The two barely have time to acknowledge each other as they hare around the corner. They emerge onto a small patio at the rear of a Kombini, currently vacant except for a pair of bins. In front of them is a road leading under the rail bridge, a single pavement at the side. It all looks as though it should be shrouded in darkness, except for the unusual light source.

Something just beyond their sight, at the far side of the tunnel, approaches. It's giving off too much light for them to see what it is, and drawing deep black shadows that seem to point to it's presence. Closer by, a young girl stumbles out of the darkness. Her eyes are wide and wild, and she's slick with the sweat of panic and fresh blood.

She looks to be around sixteen to seventeen, and wears a school uniform. Her blazer is torn, and blood seeps down one arm. Dirt marks her skirt, and cuts and scrapes crisscross her arms and legs. She's running without coordination, and soon trips to fall against the wall of the bridge where she slumps down unable to run any longer.

As she does, two further arrivals make their way onto the scene. Eunbyeol and Mayumi arrive at the same time, drawn by the scream as well. Time for all four of them is running out, though, as the light source crosses the boundary beneath the bridge.

Tami acknowledges the other girl, was her name Akane? She never was good at remembering names. Two more girls follow, she remembers the one from the shrine but not the other. She understands that they are all together and nods at them as they follow through towards the tunnel. She feels the hair at the back of her neck stand up with what she sees. The shadows feel wrong to her, and what that girl is doing standing there of all places? She looks familiar and tries to remember, a friend of her little brother perhaps?

Eun hadn't been here long enough to recall all the uniforms the schools used, but something tugged at the back of her mind about this one. She should recognize her... It wasn't coming immediately.

Akane draws Moonfang. She eyes the girl, who seems only sligjtly younger than herself. She sees if she knows this girl, but doesn't give herself a lot of yime to do so. She tries to position herself between the girl and the mysterious light.

Mayumi acknowledged the others with a quick nod and then she takes out her bow and strings an arrow. She remembers her training, master Saito is in her ears, "Feel what is not natural, what does not belong, reach out with all of your senses." She does exactly that reaching out to try and sense what might be coming or even what does not belong.

The girl looks between you and the light source. She tries to stand, but it looks like her legs don't want to move any more and she falls back. She runs out of time as the creature causing the light steps into the open.

A massive silver wolf, one marked with black swirling patterns reminiscent of tattoos, of almost five meters in length pads along the road. Its lips are pulled back to bear a snarl of sharp, jagged teeth as thick as a person’s forearms. Above its eyes, in the middle of its forehead, a third eye darts around. It glows with spectral light and bears a spirit crest. Where its feet contact the ground, small pools of fire form and the concrete melts into a heat haze.

Your appearance makes the beast falter. In it's moment of hesitation you feel a wash of spiritual pressure radiating off it. With a snarl it turns its bared fangs to you all, and stars moving toward you. It doesn’t seem to look directly at you though, but rather it looks through you. You can tell there’s something wrong with the way its eyes move.

It lifts its snout, sniffing at the air, before opening its mouth to produce an ear-splitting howl. The sound is loud enough that it rattles through the ground and shakes the nearby buildings. The sound rattles up to a small cache of construction materials on the railroad and sends them tumbling, heading right for the girl.

Spirit dice

Akane looks in shock, noticing the wolf mononoke. Feeling the urge and the powers inside her.

Tami sees the wolf and feels rage and compassion at the same time. She feels the crow spirit mark burning on her chest, resonating to the presence of the kami. "What happened to you?" she thinks, as her clan respects the wolf kami. She gets on a defencive stance.

"The Mononoke is beyond, it is not this wolf and that girl feels strange. I sense no soul in her and yet there she is…" Mayumi informed the others as best she could while keeping an eye on the wolf and the girl. Her bow was still strung, an arrow was knocked but, she had not pulled back on the string. Best to save energy and keep a keen eye out for now.

"That's not a lot to go on! At any rate, we've got to get this thing to stand down. Any ideas other than just putting it down?"

Mayumi nods, "You are correct miss, it will not stand down so it must be put down. Some of us will face the wolf and the others must face the Mononoke that is controlling the wolf. I am Mayumi Seifun, Miko of the local shrine, I will face the wolf and ensure it does not harm the innocent. Those who wish to assist me may, the others must face the Mononoke quickly."

"So it might be, but I'd rather not fight it," Akane says with a sadness in her voice. She steps forward to the wolf, focussing on her own origins. She raises one hand to the wolf, partially to pacify it, partially to keep distance. "Calm there, big guy" she says, trying to soothe it.

The wolf growls at Akane, clearly intent on hostility for now. Seeing the opportunity for it's attention to move, the girl darts away from the wall to see refuge behind you all. The falling construction equipment catches her at an odd angle though, and you hear something snap. She screams again and falls to her knees.

The wolf's attention begins to drift back to her.

"I'd rather not fight the puppy but if needed I will take him down..." Tami says and plays with her weapon at hand, getting ready for a possible face-off with the wolf. She tries to get between the wolf and the girl.

"Calm now puppy..." Akane says, trying to think like her own wolflike self.

Eun watches warily for now, careful to make no movement that could be interpreted as a threat. If they can calm the wolf, that's one less problem to deal with. If not, then she's ready for what comes next. "We'll figure out which it is very quickly."

The others are dealing with the wolf. She moves back to the girl and slowly takes her hand she’s holding a spirit ward though. If this truly is not a real person it will burn.

Despite Akane's best efforts to calm the beast, whatever has gotten it riled up and angry is still having an effect on it. It's pause is momentary, almost negligible but it does provide an opening for everyone to react before it does. They see it's eyes snap to the girl, and are able to move before it lurches forward.

Akane stands in front of the wolf, defying it. While channeling her own wolfish essence herself. She seems to stare the threat down. Focussing on her own being. This could well be a battle of wolf versus wolf.

"Not on my watch!" says Tami and rushes towards the wolf, her spirit weapon at hand. She lets her spirit energy crystallize around her body and her skin frosts and sparkles under the lights.

The girl seems real enough and yet Mayumi sees no spirit within her. Is it possible that the Mononoke has stolen her spirit? If so, then the wolf must be defeated soon so that its master can be made to return this girl’s spirit. If not, well the wolf must still be dealt with and the Mononoke but, the girl will require spells or special treatment that will have to happen after the battle.

She turns from her position, raises her bow, then fires at the wolf.

Eun was caught off guard when this whole thing begun and hasn't had time to gather her spirit together as much as she'd have liked. It takes her a bit longer since she's an accidental participant in this whole thing. She thought when she was sent away from home that that would be that, so she's really not used to having this power yet. But there's no time for that now. The wolf is clearly not going to be pacified, so that's all there is to it. She leaps forward at the same time the wolf moves, and she strikes out with her staff.

Everyone rushes to their intended areas, except Mayumi who readies her bow. Taking a moment to brace herself, she fires but the arrow glances harmlessly off the wolf's fur. Eun has some more success, her staff striking the wolf with a dull thud. It's head whips round as thought it's about to counter attack, but something distracts it.

It shifts, pulling alongside the building to get past Eun, moving instead toward Akane.

"Woaw! Bad dog!" Akane yelps as the wolf attacks her and she tries to avoid it's attack by hopefully very gracefully jumping aside.

As Akane rolls alway from the attack, she stands up. Growling.
Her face has taken a fur-like shape, a snout, fangs, pointy ears. A big white tail comes from under her skirt.
She is just as wolf like as the beast they are fighting. She grabs Moonfang and swings it with extra force at the wolf.

---

Tami focuses to crystallize her spirit armour.

Mayumi’s first arrow misses and she takes a moment to breathe in, then out, focusing her energies as she’s been taught. Then she fires again.

Eunbyeol is still on the defensive, waiting for the wolf's response. If they're lucky, they've convinced it not to fight. But she has the feeling they won't get that lucky.

The wolf readies itself to attack again, not expecting Akane's counter stroke. Her sword meets resistance when it hits the wolf's fur, but once it's pierced it it feels as though it's cutting through air. Warm blood, with a consistency altogether different from a human's, gushes out of the wound and splashes over Akane as the wolf roars in a pained response.

A wash of spiritual energy comes with it, and it feels almost as though you're all plunged under water, until the wolf lunges. Eunbyeol pushes Akane out of the way, but takes a grazing impact from the wolf's jaw's for her actions.

Eunbyeol slides back, both hands on her staff. It crackles with power as she takes the hit meant for Akane, though the magical shockwave that results impacts her just the same. She manages to stand back up straight and wipes her mouth, leaving a red streak down the back of her hand. "So that's how it is. Come on then, pup."

Breath in, breath out, focus. She takes her time and sets her aim. She concentrates on on,y her bow and the target.

Akane is ready to catch the impact from the wolf as Eunbyeol throws herself in front of the blow.
"What? Uhm... hey thanks... but be careful!"

Then she glows at the wolf. Looking angry.

"Do not hurt my friends!" she growls, still being partially a wofl herself. And with Moonfang, Akane strikes.

---

Shot prepped she finally releases the arrow.

Tami is in full concentration to release her inner Dragon Carrier. Her skin sparkles and looks like it has a soft light blue hue. An imperceptible frost mist emanates from her skin.

The wolf growls and lurches, proving to be more agile than expected for something so big. As it continues thrashing, you all get the sense that something in the situation is wrong. Distances become longer or shorter at random, and lines that should end continue on into nothingness. It becomes harder to move, or hit quite where you wanted to. Akane is the first to learn that, when her swing goes wider than expected.

With her focus in place, Mayumi's arrow hits the mark this time. It digs into the beast's shoulder, causing it to growl and back away. As it does, it makes a swipe at Akane again.

Akane is focussed on the wolf and sees it's attack coming in.

She gracefully attempts to dodge out of the way, in half a cartwheel, her eyes on the threat.

Tami feels more sure for herself now and wants to attack the wolf with her hammer. She feels her heart beating fast with excitement, despite the fact that she is out of breath.

"Thanks Eunbyeol!" Akane smiles at the back up guarding her as she takes another swing at the wolf with Moonfang, looking more wolfish the second herself.

Mayumi focuses her healing arts and steps close to Akane. Her hands glow with mystical power as she covers the injury and says, "By the light of Amaterasu Omikami may your injuries be healed."

It is not enough to entirely void the damage done but, the injury does seal itself up somewhat.

Mayumi raises her bow and takes aim once more. Spiritual energy focuses on the point of her arrow and she fires.

The combined attacks of the group drive the wolf backward. Each one not giving it a chance to recover from the last. It doesn't take long before it's on the back foot, and as Mayumi's arrow sails toward it a hurricane of spiritual energy whips up. It increases in strength, dragging stone and grit into the air with a howl. As it seems like it's about to reach its crescendo it disappears, and the wolf along with it.

The stale, oppressive air fades soon after, and reality begins to correct itself. At first just a little bit here and there, until eventually something cracks and shatters. You're left with the sound of howling dogs nearby, perturbed by the supernatural, and the sounds of car alarms set off by the storm.

"Is- is it gone?" The girl asks, peering out from where she's been clinging to Mayumi. She’s as white as a sheet, but it looks like she’s no longer bleeding at least. "Are we safe?"

As soon as it looks like the situation is clear, she breaks into sobs again. She rubs at her eyes with the back of her hand. Her tatty uniform is even more soaked and dirty than when you’d first seen it, but it seems like the last of her concerns. She seems to be in so much shock that she doesn't even consider the group of strangers that came to her rescue.

"I didn’t think I’d ever actually see it. Why- why me?"

Eunbyeol furrows her brows as she looks back at the girl they were protecting. She lets her guard drop and as she does so, the blue shimmer around her fades as well. She mutters to herself before turning her full sights on the girl. "Hrm. Maybe that wasn't the wolf..." She moves closer and tilts her head as she asks, "So you know what that was, then. Do you mind explaining?"

Akane's own wolfish appearance fades as she turns back to normal and puts Moonfang away.

"Sorry about the appearance... we probably aren't related" Akane's says, refering to the just vanquished wolf.
"Either way, he shouldn't prey on the innocent... but it seems safe now. And Eunbyeol... thanks for the protection."

"Know what that was?" The girl shivers, and shakes her head enthusiastically. "No, no- I... I don't know what- there's a rumor."

She takes a moment, taking a deep breath through her hiccups and her panic. She stops shaking her head, though she's still white with panic. After a few more seconds composing herself, the girl replies.

"I've only heard about- about Hell's Jaws, from urban rumors."

She steps forward, putting her bow away. "Thank you all for your excellent work. The Kami above have surely blessed you this day. As for the creature, it was a servant of a greater Yokai. I am trying to detect if they are still nearby or if our defeat of their servant has caused them to retreat. Please give me a moment."

Tami "holsters" her regalia and goes with the other girls. She is a bit sad that she did not managed to do anything but she is also thrilled that she saw some action. Her dragon armor subsides, making a thawing effect on her body.

Eun nods to Akane. "We were fortunate that my father made me practice bongsul as much as he did."

"Bongsul?" The girl overhears, and glances around the group. "Who are you people?"

Tami goes near the girl and with a cheerful smile she says "I am Tami and I am a medical student. Are you hurt somewhere?

"You look vaguely familiar" Akane says. "Don't I know you from school?" Akane asks. "My name is Akane Kagerou... high school senior... and hey... uhm.... it'd be best if this story wouldn't go around at school, you know."

"Oh!" Eun hops to almost attention. "I'm sorry! My name is Eunbyeol Seung. Please call me Eun. I'm from Korea. I'm an exchange student in my final year. Nice to meet you!" Native speakers may notice that she may have gone a bit overboard with the formalness.

Continues to scan the area.

"You're..."

The girl begins to say, blinking a little, before she collapses. In the aftermath of the battle, her body has finally been given the chance to relax, and she's passed out. She falls onto Mayumi in the process, and Mayumi feels the weight of a human even if she can't sense a soul. Unfortunately, there still seems to be a background of spiritual energy from the wolf and so she can't sense anything specific beyond the girls lack though.

Before anyone can speak, their phones all receive the same message, whether forwarded from familiar parties or received from the source itself.

‘Calling all awakened in the Hisashiro area. Attend the Union building first thing tomorrow, 09:00 hours.’

She looks at her phone and frowns. "Someone important. I can sense no evidence of the greater yokai but, be warned I also sense no aura from the girl."

"We will call an ambulance for the girl?" says Tami as she examines the girl and then gets up to her feet.

Not long after the conversation begins to peter out, the group hears the sound of an approaching car. A remarkably beaten up looking family car pulls into the car park, and out of it steps a young woman. She's wearing a black blazer with a blouse, and a pencil skirt. Her dark hair is styled in a bob, and her face is covered by a facemask.

She gives you all a quick appraisal, and then glances at the girl.

She looks to the new arrival and asks, "Can we help you?"

The woman bows her head politely, her eyes flicking to Mayumi. She can see how sunken the woman's eyes are, and the thick bags underneath. After a pause, the woman speaks in a surprisingly clear voice though it's muffled by her mask. "The mononoke, it's dealt with?"

"Possibly. But not likely. There's some concern that it's hiding, using other spirits to do it's dirty work."

The woman sighs through her teeth, even if you can't see it the sound is obvious. "That makes things harder. Okay, I'll take it from here and get Kirino home. I'd recommend the rest of you get some sleep too."

Tami is a bit annoyed and she does not want to leave the girl alone with a stranger, especially in unconscious state. "And who are you? How can we trust you that you will take care of her?"

"Ah, yes, apologies for my manners." She bows again. "Masamune Yukari, exorcist."

Eun is a stranger here still, pretty much, so has nothing to base an assessment on. She looks to the others to see what they think.

Tami does not want to leave the girl with the unknown lady, even if she claims that she is an excorcist. "What that supposes to mean?" she thinks. However she does not want to fight the Yukari lady, she seems to have more experience with such situations. "What will happen to her?" she asks pointing the fainted girl.

"Maybe we should bring her along with us since we're supposed to go report anyway. If they trust this lady, then we can let her have her."

"We're going to take her home, after giving her a checkup." Yukari nods. "I won't personally, I don't have the skills, I'm here to act as escort though."

She sighs and runs a hand through her hair. More and more you get the feeling she's very tired, and doesn't entirely want to be where she is. With a shrug, she continues. "If you think you can get her home safe, though, I won't say no."

Tami thinks about a moment and agrees to leave the girl to the exorcist's aid. They may know better than her, even she is a medical student she still does not know what afflictions may the girl have nor how to attend to damage inflicted by Kami. "Ok..." she says reluctantly.

Tami drives her motorcycle lazily in the deserted road. Although she is curious about what they want her for, she is not in a hurry.

Eunbyeol is dropped off near the to by a taxi. The taxi driver turns around and leaves as quickly as possible. He's probably as unsettled as her. During the ride she noticed the way the houses stood quiet and devoid of life, but getting out and standing here in front of the school or whatever it was, the feeling really hit home even more. Someone wanted this place deserted for some reason. She hurried on to door, eager to see someone else, anyone else.

Mayumi arrived in a taxi as well. Enough people saw Shrine Maidens that, although the driver stared at first, he understood when she told him she was on shrine business. Indeed that was even true. She was the person from her shrine who travelled to fight when needed. The mistress of the shrine and other priestess were busy with the regular day to day.

While approaching the entrance, the Tami catches sight of an unfamiliar face. While this wouldn't be unusual normally, the sight is a bit more notable than just someone unfamiliar. A man wearing a police badge leans against the wall. He looks to be getting on in years, with flecks of grey in his trimmed moustache and short hair.

His suit jacket looks a bit ill fitting, and thick bags hang under his eyes. His shirt is well ironed, and his tie done up to his collar though. A cigarette dangles from his lips, unlit, and he holds a lighter in his right hand. Something must've distracted him before he got to lighting it, and now he's staring into space.

The others arrive soon after, but not before he catches sight of Tami and by extension everyone.

"Goodmorning..." Tami says to the others. "Ready to see what this fuss is about?" She watches the police officer with the corner of her eye.

Mayumi heads in with the others. "Agreed, let’s be about it."