It was almost exactly eleven o’clock when the minivan, driven by Maaya, hit Tokyo traffic. For fifteen minutes they crawled through the streets, covering a few hundred yards at most. Akio sighed.
“How much longer mom?”
Maaya gripped the steering wheel just a tiny bit tighter than necessary, and took a deep breath to try and calm herself. She’d learnt to drive on the rural dirt tracks and country roads around her home, in a car that was older than she was. This rental minivan was strange to her, making her hesitant, and the city traffic was nerve wracking.
“Akio.. for the third time I tell thee, I do not know!”
Akio huffed, slouching down in her seat. As squad leader, and eldest, she’d claimed ‘shotgun’ and was in the front seat beside her mother. Sullenly she muttered.
“Paul-sama said we had to be there at noon, sharp! This is taking too long, we won’t be there in time.”
“You don’t know that Akio.”
“But I do! All three of us were stationed not far from here. I can see the roofline of what was Section 3 from here, I know where we are, and where we’re going. I even know what the traffic should be like this time of day, which is not this snarl-up, and I say we’re not going to get there on time!”
Without thinking Maaya snapped.
“Well, if you know so much young lady, mayhap you and your friends should get out and walk!”
“Alright, we will!”
Before her mother could protest, Akio had unbuckled her seat belt and gotten out. Chiyo nudged Dot awake and they both hurried after their leader, ignoring Maaya demanding they return immediately. Akio glanced over her shoulder at her two squad-mates.
“Chiyo, fly ahead and recon. Dot, with me. Something’s caused a traffic jam. Lets see if we can do something about it.”
They set off at a jog as Chiyo went airborne in an iridescent rainbow flutter of fairy-like wings. The throng of pedestrians parted in front of them, people turning to stare at the unlikely sight of a pair of young girls dressed in what could only be described as steampunk witches costumes crossed with combat gear, hurried past.
Akio stopped a couple of intersections further along as Chiyo fluttered down in front of them
“Report.”
“There’s an Tsukumogami holding up traffic two intersections ahead.”
Akio nodded. Tsukumogami were a sub-set of Yokai, specifically they were ‘haunted’ objects. Things that had absorbed so much mana they’d taken on a sort of pseudo life of their own. Really old or especially powerful ones even had souls, or so Inari had told them. Their behaviour was unpredictable, but only sometimes dangerous, mainly they behaved as their former nature dictated, in some way or other.
“Any idea what it was before it came alive?”
Chiyo nodded.
“It looks like it might have been one of those lucky cat statues once. It’s just sitting there, in the middle of the street, waving a paw.. but it’s huge! It almost fills the road.”
Akio mused aloud
“Right… maybe not dangerous but no-one will know what to do about it. Any police presence?”
Chiyo nodded.
“They’ve got the intersection sealed off, and are directing traffic around, slowly, but not much else. That’s what’s causing the traffic snark mostly I don’t think they know what to do either. Are we going to deal with it?”
Akio hesitated, they had a lot more equipment but they weren’t supposed to hurt yokai now. For a moment she tried to work out what the best course would be. Into the silence Dot spoke up.
“We could use a talisman to seal it. That would make it return to it’s former size and shape. Moving it should be a lot easier then.”
“Good idea… that should work. Ok lead the way Chiyo.”
In the end, sealing the Tsukumogami proved easier than getting past the police cordon, and that had been no more difficult than Dot and Akio distracting the police officers, while Chiyo had flown over their heads right up to the giant porcelain statue and slapped on it’s forehead the yellow talisman that Akio had drawn up after studying the Tsukumogami for a few minutes.
There was a soundless explosion of blue light that dissolved into a fluttering cloud of blue glowing transparent illusionary butterflies, that burst outwards and scattered in every direction. Each carrying their own small charge of mana in the form of a quanta of pure luck. Akio was glad there wasn’t any casino’s or Pachinko parlors nearby, she didn’t want to be responsible for bankrupting them.
While the police and onlookers gawked at the display, Chiyo flew back to where the other two stood. Moving aside her cloak she revealed a cheap porcelain ‘lucky’ cat statue, it’s paw waving up and down slowly as the sunlight fell on the tiny solar panel.
“That was it?” Akio said in disbelief. “ Tsukumogami are supposed to take centuries to form, that can’t be more than a couple of years old at most!”
Chiyo nodded, and turning it around took the back off as all three craned forward. Inside the statue was a tiny coil of hair thin copper wire with a mana crystal on top no bigger than a pea.
Dot deftly removed the miniature solar powered mana generator.
“Hm.. some craftsman made this, I’d struggle to make one this small.”
“But.. how could it accumulate so much power? And where did they get the crystal?” Chiyo asked, just ahead of Akio.
Dot shrugged.
“It was probably sitting on the dragon track or layline, right under our feet. Mana attracts mana, so it would act like a lightening rod every time there was even a tiny quake. I’m more worried about the crystal. Paul-sama is supposed to be the only one who has a supply of synthetic crystals, which this is clearly a scrap of, recut and polished.”
Akio nodded, it’s surface didn’t have the faint nacreous sheen to it that the natural mana crystals had. Looking around she spotted a senior police inspector, and tucking the statue under her arm, headed over to him, closely followed by the other two.
“Excuse me, Inspector.”
The man looked around, then down at the young girl under the leather witches hat. He raised an eyebrow, then frowned…
“I know you… you’re section three’s witch, aren’t you?”
Akio stiffened, inhaling sharply though her nose.
“Not. Any. More! Section three is dead, or in jail. I work for Inari now. Helping resolve problems with yokai peacefully if possible, instead of hunting them. We three are the Special Wands and Talismans squad.”
The inspector nodded.
“Good. Never did like those bastards. What can I do for you?”
Akio held the statue out to him.
“This was the cause of the Tsukumogami, ah.. the haunted object. It’s been modified with a mana generator which because it sat right over a layline picked up quite a big mana charge.”
“Okayyy… and you three dealt with it. What do you expect me to do, say Good job?”
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Akio shook her head… then nodded fractionally.
“Well, that would be nice for once, but no.. the mana crystal the generator used is synthetic, which is supposed to be a tightly controlled substance made by a single company.”
The inspector raised an eyebrow, and then nodded.
“Right, I get it. Somebody somewhere has been smuggling them out of the factory and selling them on the black market. I see why you’re handing this over to us.”
Akio nodded.
“Exactly. Tracking down the theft isn’t our job, even if it is of mana crystals. Dot, give the nice inspector the evidence.”
“Awww.. I wanted to study it… it’s really well made.”
Reluctantly Dot passed the inspector the mana generator, which he handled gingerly. Dot smiled at the inspector.
“Don’t worry, it’s harmless without power, and we already discharged the mana field. As long as you don’t hook it up again it’s safe.”
“Right, thanks… ah, were you all wearing those gloves when you handled it?”
All three glanced down at their dove grey silk and cotton gloves, and nodded as one. Akio spoke up.
“It’s part of our uniform, and a safety precaution.”
The inspector smiled slightly.
“Smart, that’ll prevent contamination as well. If we’re lucky we should be able to lift DNA and finger prints off it. That is, if they survived..?”
Akio nodded.
“They should have, the talisman returned it to it’s original state before it’s transformation. That would include anything on or in it.”
Just then Maaya came up behind them
“Girls.. we are going to be late!”
Akio took out her mechanical pocket watch and muttered an oath under her breath. The police inspector raised an eyebrow.
“Somewhere you need to be?”
“An important meeting at the Environmental ministry.”
“Would a police escort help? Returning the favour. Since you helped us out.”
Maaya stepped in.
“Thanking you! Yes, that would be most helpful!”
The inspector laughed, and gestured over a patrol officer.
“Right, lets get your squad underway again then.”
Ms Etsuko Fumi sat in the foyer of the Environmental agency, one finger tapping against the file folder she was holding. She was very far from happy, but she was also far too tired to be emotional about it. Her boss had handed her the urgent request to compile a dossier of potential hazard sites, for magic of all things, and formulate an action plan to survey those closest to residential areas.
She’d panicked at first, thinking that somehow the Ministry had heard about her late aunt’s fake exorcism racket, back when she was a child. But no, it turned out it was an actual legitimate order straight from the Imperial Throne itself…. Which had then ricocheted around the Ministry since no-one wanted to admit they had no idea how to deal with it, until it got stuck to her since she was too junior to refuse it.
So she called her landlady and asked her to feed her cat, before settling down to work all night and quite a bit of the morning after, in order to meet the noon deadline when she was supposed to present the data to some specialist team that was arriving.
Now here it was, ten minutes after noon, and no sign of the ‘specialists’. Etsuko felt very aggrieved, having sacrificed her sleep for this. But she told herself sternly, she was a professional so she wouldn’t allow her feelings to show.
The background hum of hushed voices suddenly went up a notch as something unusual happened near the front of the foyer. Etsuko stood up and made her way over, just in case it was her expected party arriving. What she saw, however, was completely unexpected.
Two young girls and a somewhat older woman, dressed in ridiculous costumes that made them almost look like witches, were arguing with the security guards. The older woman gestured towards the road where a minivan and police car were parked in the miniscule space reserved for visitors.
Etsuko Fumi experienced a sudden sensation akin to vertigo, her stomach dropping down into her office shoes, as she realised that she was holding a folder dealing with magic and the witches outside were more than likely the specialists she’d been told to expect.
With a leaden weight where her heart should be, Etsuko stepped outside and approached the trio.
“Um.. Excuse me. Would you be Ms Maaya?”
The older woman nodded, glancing at her.
“I am, are you Ms Fumi?”
Etsuko nodded, and bowing slightly, presented her business card. The security guards, realising that the suspicious looking persons were in fact expected, withdrew a short distance to stand darting distrustful glances at the small group.
Ms Maaya indicated the older of the two girls.
“My daughter, and squad leader Akio.”
Akio bowed fractionally, as Etsuko frankly gawked at her. Under her cloak the girl was wearing black combat gear, although the holster at her hip appeared to be holding what looked like a magic wand. The smaller of the two girls smiled up at Etsuko from under the rim of her broad pointy hat, and shouldering her staff, stuck her hand out.
“Hi, I’m Dot! Looking forward t’working with ya!”
Etsuko shook the young girls hand limply, finding the country accent slightly baffling but charming.
Somewhat dazed, and at a loss what to say, Etsuko asked;
“I was told to expect four of you?”
Before she could answer, Akio put her fingers to her mouth and whistling loudly as she looked upwards, waved.
There was a sudden rush of wind and in a shower of sparkling diamond bright points of blue and gold light, a third young witch descended upon actual fairy wings!
Etsuko stood staring, her mouth hanging open in shock, as Ms Maaya closed her eyes and hung her head while shaking it slowly.
Akio spoke while grinning.
“This is our aerial recon specialist, Chiyo. She’s part Yokai on her mother’s side. We’re 1st platoon Special Wands and Talisman’s squad. At your service!”
Ms Etsuko Fumi suddenly felt a very strong and utterly unprofessional urge to go home and pretend like this day had never happened. She had some beer in her fridge, perhaps after enough of those she might forget about all of this.
Taking a deep breath, she bowed fractionally and despite the reluctance she felt, she said.
“Please, follow me. A presentation has been prepared for you, along with information documents.”
The presentation went smoothly, much to Etsuko’s surprise. The girls were attentive, listened quietly while taking notes, and politely asked pertinent and quite intelligent questions. Really, thinking back to her meeting last week when the section head had been visibly bored and quite off-handed, she wished all her meetings were more like this. She was quite hopeful as they broke for lunch, until she remembered what was next.
The young.. specialists, as she refused to think of them as witches, were due to meet the field surveyor team. Etsuko groaned internally, she knew the team leader and rather wished she didn’t. Mr Ito Kage was … difficult. Hastily she amended her thought, honest even to herself as she was. Ito-san wasn’t a bad person, but he was a huge mountain of a man, or mountain man, with a loud boisterous personality to match. He loved being in the countryside, and was passionate about his work. But he had absolutely no patience for what he thought was foolishness, zero respect for common courtesy, and being summoned to head office would put him a terrible mood. Especially since after last time when he’d turned up in his overalls, the boss had insisted that from now on Kage would wear appropriate business attire to attend meetings.
Etsuko was sure that Ito-san would tell these witc… specialists exactly what he thought of them, and in none too polite terms as well if he didn’t like them. Her only hope was if he believed in magic… she stopped, thinking of the no-nonsense and practical-to-a-fault Kage Ito and shuddered. Perhaps she should consider looking for a new job? She’d certainly need to once Ito insulted the specialist squad and she was blamed for the mess.
“Etsuko!”
As if summoned by her thoughts, Ito appeared in the doorway of the break-room they were using. Inwardly Etsuko groaned, of course he’d be early, she thought. What have I ever done to offend the gods?
Kage Ito strode over, making the floor tremble under his feet slightly, which was how he earned the nickname of ‘Earthquake’ Kage.
“Afternoon Etsuko, are these the specialists I’m supposed to be babysitting today? They look like they need one.”
Before the wincing Etsuko could say anything, Dot jumped up and stuck her hand out.
“Hiya Mister! I’m Dot, pleased ta meetcha!”
Ito stared down at the small girl smiling up at him from under the huge broad-brimmed pointed hat, shouldering her over-sized staff. He grinned and engulfed her small hand in his bear-paw like work-roughened one and shook gently.
“Happy ta see ya too, little one! You a witch then?”
Dot nodded, then shook her head.
“Naw, we were witches. Me and the rest of ta squad are Paul-sama’s ‘prentices now, learnin’ magitech. We’re the 1st platoon Special Wands and Talismans, we’re here ta help ya!”
Ito laughed, shaking his head.
“Glad to see ya then! Been telling the idiots here there’s more ta working in the field than numbers! But do they listen? Naw, o’course not!”
Etsuko sagged in her seat in relief. There was definitely more to these girls than was apparent at first sight. Etsuko hadn’t missed the brief look that Akio had directed at Dot before she’d jumped up to greet Ito. Clearly she’d directed her squad mate to charm the mountainous man because they had similar country accents. Although as she thought about it, the youngest girls accent hadn’t been as obvious when she’d talked to her briefly.
Upon consideration, she felt guardedly optimistic about the next few days, She had no idea who, or what their master Paul-sama was like, but he’d obviously instilled some modicum of the social skills necessary for working life in his apprentices, namely, how to adapt to work with different people and meet them half-way.
Etsuko gave a tiny sigh of relief… now, as long as they were even as half as competent as they looked when it came to dealing with whatever unlikely monsters they’d meet, there might even be a chance they all might survive this. Although inwardly Etsuko resolved that she, personally, would be staying as far back from whatever they faced as she could, and would run at the first sign of danger.
She’d seen enough horror movies to know that it was always the office worker who refused to believe in magic, ghosts or yokai, that ended up dying first! Usually because they so busy saying ‘this can’t be real’ or words to that effect, when they should be running.
With that thought in mind, Etsuko decided to collect her running shoes from her work locker before they left. Right now, she was very grateful to her past self for resolving to get more fit by running on the treadmills of an evening in the Ministry’s gym. Granted it had only been since the New Year, but she’d already noticed improvements in her speed and stamina.
She hoped it wouldn’t be necessary, but had every intention of leaving any monsters eating her dust, unlike the women in the horror movies, and sensible shoes would be essential for that. Thinking a bit further on that she wondered if she’d have an opportunity to pay a brief visit to one of ubiquitous 100 yen stores, to pick up a few things like a torch and a self-defence weapon like a taser or a baton... just in case.
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the young witches. She just hated the idea of being the same as one of the helpless Orokana kūki atama women in the horror movies that always needed to be rescued, or ended up dying horribly.