Dōtonbori, Osaka — 9:50pm. Kishin had long finished his meeting with Zenkibō, taking the dossier given to flip through. Sure enough, the information listed detailed how a human teenager had contracted two Poachers from Goetia. For what reasons remained unknown, as did the human girl’s identity or what school she frequented. From the information Kishin already had, the killings took place in the city of Ema and only consisted of female students. Yet, they weren’t exclusive to a single school.

All he had to do was narrow down which school the killer belonged to and he could begin tracking down the girl. The fight Mura had with Shuten happened at Sekien Academy, but that wasn’t concrete evidence the killer attended that school. Pushing the matter into the back of his mind for the timebeing, Kishin had spent the last few hours mulling over the local nightlife establishments that were littered throughout the dense city.

Zenkibō was kind enough to procure the data, but with little leads to go on other than he was searching for a cabaret, the hunt was starting off slow. The lights in the city had become even more glaring and obnoxious now that the sun had set. People in varying attire and body types walked alongside Kishin as he made his way towards the first establishment on his list, a cabaret named SQUARE-Royal.

The nightclub was located down the busy streets, to the left before reaching a small bridge crossing over the location’s famous canal. Holograms of sultry women blowing kisses and inviting people inside were stationed outside the building. From what Kishin could gather, the cabaret had an android theme. It was perfect for those who had a fetish for the lifelike robots, all dolled up in kinky attire and alluring designs.

Activating his true sight, his vision shifted to encompass the supernatural. Taking time to mask his Tamashiryoku levels, he walked inside the club and prepared himself.

The inside of the establishment was lined in a metallic black, from the walls to the ceilings. It gave off a sleek, clean look that was complimented by an illuminated white floor and electric sconces that were hung about. The bass from music blaring within reverberated within Kishin’s chest as he peeked about, ignoring the employees at the front desk.

There was a couple of yokai hanging around the joint, taking advantage of their incorporeal state to enjoy a free show. This would be his tell if the place was governed by otherworldly influence.

Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, android entertainers walked the floor and sat with customers, entertaining them with programmed laughs and smiles.

—I can’t just up and ask anyone here for information. Grafters are skilled at blendin’ into human society. If that’s really what I’m lookin’ for, I’ll have to catch their lackeys off-guard instead. Other way around would be like findin’ a needle in a haystack.

One of the employees spotted Kishin trying to look inside the VIP area and called out to him.

“Excuse me sir, but is there anything I can help you with?” she asked the demon, still sporting his sunglasses even at night.

Kishin in turn played up his acting skills and turned to the woman with a drunken sway.

“Heeeeeey yes! You can do somethin’ for me, h-hon!” he chuckled with a slight slur. “Bar hoppin’ around town with my boys until I got here… n-now I need somethin’ stronger! Y-You got anythin’ like that here?” Kishin said, pulling out a clip of several thousand Japanese yen.

—Let’s see if they take advantage of an inebriated yet stacked man.

The employee looked nervous, believing that Kishin was a drunken yakuza by his garb and flashing of riches.

“I-I’m sorry, sir but I believe you’re too... um, well, you probably shouldn’t have any more to drink at this establishment. I’m afraid we can’t serve you.”

Kishin’s eyes relaxed behind his glasses.

—Looks like an honorable business. Lucky for them, but not for me.

“C-Can’t serve me??” Kishin said in a surprised gasp. “Fine! I’ll find a place who will!”

Kishin stormed out, making sure to bump into the wall near the door for added effect before leaving. Out on the streets again, he dropped the act and looked at the next stop on his list.

“Crap, that one’s a twenty minute walk from here…”

It was going to be a long night indeed.

❇ ❇ ❇

Katsukami Residence, Ema — 5pm. Kiriko was in her bedroom alone, having dismissed her Poacher compatriots so she could enjoy some private time after the day’s victory.

Her parents had just gotten home from their prestigious jobs. Her father was the manager for an automotive corporation while her mother worked in quality assurance. Their family was wealthy but choose to live at a modest home in the suburbs, valuing frugalness over opulence. They correctly predicted the next surge of a bubble economy following the advent of the flying car, wishing to maintain their wealth after its inevitable collapse.

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Kiriko never wanted for anything in her life. She was given a hefty allowance so she could look after the house while her parents were away. Every week she would spend the money on merchandise from the latest anime that tickled her fancy, or purchase an album from a band she enjoyed. It was an embarrassment of riches, never even having to work a job to afford the things she desired. However, it was also a very lonely life.

She didn’t have friends, primarily from a lack of trying. Kiriko instead would fill her free time buried in her e-reader, soaking in the latest chapters of a story or watching television. Despite this, the girl had an insatiable lust for romance. She desired the embrace of another man, just like the lovelorn protagonists in her comics.

Shuten and Kuchisake had been privy to this information through their experience with the human girl thus far. While Kuchisake felt some form of sympathy for her, they both desired to milk her desires for as many kills as possible. However, ever since the clash with Mura, things had hit a standstill.

The two Poachers sat in the guest room of the lofty home, their presence continually unknown to their master’s parents. Kuchisake was lying down on the futon, still dressed in her academy uniform and grin-adorned sick mask. Her freckles were highlighted in the beams of sundown leaking through the window blinds as she unbuttoned her dress shirt, slipping the tie around her neck off.

Shuten paced around next to her side, the bow on his head wavering with each turn.

“I can’t take much more of this, I need to leave this accursed house…” the demon whined in a soft moan. “Every day it’s been the same. We do her dirty work while she just lays in there and… plays with herself.”

Shuten grit his teeth as Kuchisake looked at him with sympathetic eyes.

“Don’t worry, Big Sis. You can’t help what happened?” Kuchisake said, her voice muffled but dripping with an ambrosial sweetness.

“But I could have! If I didn’t get lazy and treat that Jikininki pup like he wasn’t a threat… If I just took him seriously, we wouldn’t have to hide out in this boring house until the heat dies down.”

Shuten plopped on the bed next to his partner, rolling next to her. Kuchisake responded by holding his slender hand in hers, squeezing it tight.

“Give it some time, right? That’s what you always told me. It’s time you take your own words to heart, I think,” the masked yokai spoke. “We’ve already accumulated so many tokens from the girls she contracted out.”

Shuten smiled fondly, taking a dried beige object from his belt. It was the spinal vertebrae that formerly belonged to Junko, the atlas connecting her head to her backbone. As he tilted it like a pirate would to a gilded coin, the bone gave off a chilling aura in his grasp. The schoolgirl’s screaming pleas echoed out of the memento, yet were barely audible to the ear. Her soul was trapped in the bone, sealed inside by forbidden magic known only to the Goetia syndicate. The spirit-infused vertebrae of the other girls lined Shuten’s belt, all of them scared and petrified as they were in death.

“You’re absolutely correct, little sister~♥ I think these girls will make excellent Thralls in the future, don’t you?” he smiled sweetly, flicking the glowing bone in the air before catching it in his grasp.

“I do! See? I’m happy I could help restore your spirits, Big Sis Shuten!” Kuchisake’s eyes crinkled up in a smile. “Think I could take one out for a spin? I can keep running errands for us while you lie low.”

Shuten shook his head.

“Too much of a risk. That Tomoe girl has already had her Tamashiryoku awakened. If she senses her friend’s soul on your body, that’s it for us. Game over.”

The demon put his arms behind his head, crossing his legs as he laid back.

“I’ll take you up on that errand though~♥ The Jikininki don’t know about you yet, so keep up that great disguise of yours. Here, take these but don’t use them.”

Shuten took off his belted strap and stuffed the bones attached to a dirtied sack. He wrapped the beaded drawstring on the sack around the opening, tying it off to prevent spillage.

“I don’t feel comfortable holding onto these any longer. I need you to deliver them to Forneus in Dōtonbori, they’ll be safe with her.”

Kuchisake sighed loudly and sat up, giving Shuten a tired look. The yokai glared playfully at him, her narrow green eyes piercing like emerald darts.

“By an errand, I meant going to the market for some melonpan. I mean, Dōtonbori? That’s a four-hour aerotaxi ride, round trip!”

Shuten smiled sweetly at his partner, hugging her.

“Thank you, little sis~! I really appreciate this. Trust me, I’ll pay you back once this is all settled,” Shuten grinned, his chartreuse eyes glowing in the sunbeams. “That bag will keep the Tamashiryoku levels of anything inside it grinding to a halt. Won’t damage the goods, but it’ll be undetectable: even to a Jikininki.”

Kuchisake snatched the bag up, groaning. She stood up and walked across the room to the guest room closet.

“You’re lucky I love you.”

Kuchisake pulled the white shirt off over her head, throwing it to the floor. With nimble dexterity, she unzipped the plaid skirt and let it fall to her ankles. Rummaging through the closet, she found a pair of jeans and a casual shirt that wouldn’t stand out in the city.

As she got dressed, for a brief moment, Shuten peeked over and spotted Kuchisake’s mark of Goetia. It was tattooed on her flesh, branding the skin located on her inner left thigh.

“You’re gonna need a less conspicuous mask too,” he said.

“Really? But I like this one…” she said with a disappointed sigh. “Guess the punk look would draw too much attention.”

After pulling the new tee over her chest and slipping into her jeans, Kuchisake put on a black cap and pulled off the elastic sick mask she always wore. Her face was seldom seen without it, only being shown to Shuten and the people she murdered.

She was beautiful, with a pointed chin and white, sparkling teeth. However, the mask concealed something else. Something far more grotesque. Stretching from ear-to-ear were deep grooves that resembled a Glasgow smile. The symmetrical marks stretched across her normally flawless skin, like darkened wormlike strips.

“You think I’m pretty, right?” Kuchisake asked.

Shuten smiled fondly, not fazed of the sight so many humans had been terrified by.

“Always~♥” the demon remarked sweetly.