The food was, as advertised, excellent. Paul and Inari had split up and spent the remainder of the afternoon carefully sniffing around for clues about Tamamo-no-Mae, if she had emerged from the Killing stone, and where had she gone afterwards.
They’d reconvened for dinner at hotel’s restaurant. Paul was still wearing his suit, but Inari had changed into a red silk sheath dress slit up one side to above her hip, that could only be described as slinky boarding on indecent. Paul was quite sure she wasn’t wearing much else under it aside from some perfume.
Inari appeared to be oblivious to the looks she was getting, some of jealousy or disapproval but mostly lustful admiration. However Paul could tell she was subtly preening from all the attention. Inwardly he sighed, Inari would be Inari, regardless of circumstances, and asking her not to attract attention was a futile exercise. So he made the best of it as he could, ignoring the looks as if they were alone in the dining room.
Once they had selected their choices from the menu, Paul having helped Inari with the menu, and they were afford the relative privacy of a discreet table in the corner, Paul murmured in a voice intended not to carry.
“Well, I have proof that Tamamo-no-Mae was indeed in the stone. There’s CCTV footage of her, or rather an unknown woman, in ancient garb leaving the area shortly after the stone split.”
“Hmm?”
Paul sighed, perhaps he should’ve waited until after they’d eaten. The dishes were all new to Inari, and she was dedicated to broadening the culinary horizons of her experience.
“I managed to get a look at the security footage for the entrance to the park, or rather the copy given to the police. Mostly it covers the parking lot, but just after the time it’s estimated the rock split in two, you can make out this figure drifting through the field of view.”
“Drifting?”
Inari looked at Paul, tilting her head slightly in puzzlement at his choice of words.
“Yes, drifting is the best way to describe it. The police think it was prank, or publicity stunt, but the woman in what looks like ancient robes was...well ghost like is the best description. Her body seems to sort of fade away at the bottom. The police seem inclined to think that the park management discovered that the boulder had split earlier in the day, and decided to use the myth to boost visitor numbers, which it has done by the way. They think that the park manger had someone on staff fake the footage. A view which is somewhat supported by the fact that it somehow ended up in the hands of some news reporters.”
Inari smiled.
“But of course you disagree Paul-kun.”
Paul nodded.
“I’m no expert on video trickery, but the park manager was livid that the footage leaked. I watched the footage of his interview. He was genuinely annoyed and embarrassed by the whole business, and not at all happy by the sudden influx of visitors. Looking over the police report, the park was doing fairly well before all this and had no need to increase visitor numbers. I mean, it’s not like it affects their funding really. So, he had no motive to create a fake sighting of Tamamo-no-Mae. I think we can safely proceed on the assumption that she’s still around...I’m not sure alive is quite the right word though.”
Inari shrugged.
“She may not be a ghost, there’s a number of ways she could be incorporeal and still alive. If she was a normal nine-tail, she could make herself immaterial. If she exists as a Spirit, she may not be able to fully manifest herself yet, and if she’s truly an Akuma, a demon, than she could be projecting herself into the mortal realm as a Reisu.”
Paul frowned.
“Reisu?”
“A shadow, or shade, a projection of a demon. Sometimes it means an angry ghost, but that’s not the case here.”
“Oh. In English we’d call that a wraith. Which is a type of ghost technically I suppose. Either way, she was here, sort of… but there’s no sign of her afterwards as far as the police know. I also checked for missing person reports, and there’s none of those.”
Inari paused to swallow, and then asked.
“Could she have left already? If she was invisible she could just walk onto a train and leave.”
Paul shook his head.
“No, because there are a couple of eye witness accounts of her in town, and fully visible. Some convenience store employees saw her. The police don’t know about those. I don’t think they’ve bothered to investigate this matter all that much. Although if they did they’d probably dismiss those eyewitnesses too. They still seem to be operating under the assumption that yokai and other magical phenomenon aren’t real, despite everything on the news. Old habits I guess.”
Inari nodded slowly.
“I have found in my experience that officials in every era are slow to change their minds, even in the face of overwhelming evidence otherwise.”
Paul chuckled and nodded.
“Truth! That’s the same everywhere I’ve been. Still, back to the point, if Tamamo-no-Mae was wandering through the streets late at night, fully formed, it would imply that whatever state she started in, she’s absorbed enough mana to be solid now. Which would mean she’s not leaving town, not without money or someone to give her a lift… and the latter is pretty unlikely all things considered. Most people wouldn’t be inclined to trust such an oddly dressed woman enough to offer her a ride. Although if they had, it would be all over social media by now, and there’s nothing of the sort I’ve been able to find.”
Inari nodded and paused in her demolition of the food.
“Agreed, and also, there’s a sighting of what might be her from yesterday, but wearing modern clothing.”
Paul took a sip of the wine before asking.
“What makes you think it was her?”
Inari grinned at Paul.
“There’s not too many kitsune wearing business suits around. A vendor of hot bread buns told me there was a woman at his stall yesterday, wearing a smart business suit, but with fox ears and tail, with black hair and fur. She bumped into someone behind her and they briefly popped into sight.”
Paul chuckled.
“Fair point, as you say, not too many black haired kitsune around. Although careless of her to let her disguise slip like that.”
Inari shrugged..
“That can sometimes happen if one is very low on magic. Anything that breaks one’s concentration can cause the spell to waver. Although, that would mean she doesn’t have a sufficiently large enough pool of mana to maintain a spell automatically, if she’s having to keep even such a simple disguise spell running by focusing on feeding it directly.”
Paul nodded slowly, thoughtfully.
“Okay then, the good news is she’s here and weak. The bad news is she’s already found someone to assist her.”
Inari raised an eyebrow, subconsciously mimicking Paul’s often-used expression. Seeing the unspoken question Paul explained.
“She’s using a disguise spell to hide her ears and tail but not her clothing, which appear to be real. So she has a source of modern clothing, and since I doubt she somehow suddenly acquired the ability to pick out a decent fitting set of business attire, not to mention the money for it, she had someone to help her do that.”
Inari nodded, adding.
“Also, she paid with something called a cash app on a smart phone. Or so the stall vendor said. I’m not sure I would know how to do that, not without your help Paul. So someone is helping her, for whatever reason.”
Paul considered for a moment, then slowly nodded.
“That makes sense, it’d probably be quicker than her memorising the various values of modern currency. Which more than likely means someone set up a smart phone with a pre-paid cash app on it for her, or at the very least explained how theirs worked before loaning it to her. Either way I don’t see her figuring that out by herself so quickly. So I agree, she’s getting help.”
Inari took a moment to swallow before answering.
“Hmm.. yes, and since the stall holder described her as ‘well turned out’ it might even be another woman… although there are some men with enough fashion sense to put together a decent looking business casual ensemble for a woman that fits her well.”
Paul paused mid-bite, nodding in agreement.
“That’s probably more common nowadays, but still not all that common. Still, given that she has assistance in blending in, that’s going to make finding her all that more difficult.”
Inari stared off into the distance for a moment, thinking.
“We did not part on the best of terms, but still, we were not enemies. Perhaps we could instead of hunting her down, arrange for her to come to us?”
“I’m listening, how would you do that?”
Inari gestured with her fork as she talked.
“Even if her magic is depleted, she would still be able to sense a certain spell I could cast, to let her know I was here and desired to speak to her.”
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“Something like one of your origami messenger foxes?”
“Nothing as showy, just a… ripple? Yes, a ripple in the local mana field as you would call it Paul.”
Paul smiled, albeit somewhat lopsidedly.
“So, tugging on a strand of the spiders web, sort of. Now why does that remind me of a certain someone...”
Inari rolled her eyes.
“You have still not entirely forgiven Arakune have you?”
Paul made a one handed gesture, as if tossing a small something away.
“Lets just say she’s on probation. Anyway, supposing we can attract Tamamo-no-Mae’s attention, then what?”
Inari looked down at her empty plate for moment, lost in thought. She sighed, then in a quietly pensive tone she replied.
“For the sake of our former friendship, I would at least like to hear her out. Perhaps she could be made to see reason… perhaps the rumours about her in the past were exaggerated by her enemies. Even so, I would like to know the truth of it from her own mouth.”
Paul nodded slowly.
“Fair enough… I am assuming that should you need to, you can at least bind her again?”
“If needs, then yes. I would prefer not to destroy her if possible.”
Paul nodded firmly.
“Agreed, that’s purely a last resort. There’s been enough of that already.”
“And yet, you have crafted and are carrying a weapon for that purpose?”
Paul shrugged.
“Pragmatism. Not all yokai are going to agree to live and let live, and it it comes down to a choice between either us or them dying, I chose them. However, I’d rather not kill anyone or anything, and the gun I am carrying should make that possible. I hope.”
Inari sighed, nodding.
“One may wish for peace, but only if one is prepared to fight. It is as it ever has been.”
Paul sighed, sadly nodding in agreement.
------------
Paul and Inari were making their way upstairs to their room, when the hotels receptionist approached Paul.
“My apologies sir, an urgent note was left for you at the desk.”
The young woman proffered a small tray with a sealed cream coloured envelope upon it. Paul thanked her, and waited until she was gone before opening it. His eyebrows shot up as he quickly scanned the letter inside.
“Well, blow me… she’s stolen a march on us!”
“Paul?”
“See for yourself Inari.”
Paul offered Inari the letter which she read.
Greetings Herald of Inari,
I address you in hopes that you may carry my words to my cousin. I am desirous of a meeting with you Herald firstly, so that I may plead my case to one who is impartial, and that you may state that case in fairness to Her. I ask that you intercede for me, in the name of the Kinship between your mistress and this humble one and for the sake of both of us, the daughters of foxes.
If you would agree, I wish to meet you at the stone that was my prison for so long. Come at the hour of the rat. But please, come alone, as I am afraid of my cousin’s temper.
Signed: the one whom you seek.
Paul raised an eyebrow.
“What’s your read on this. Is she on the level, or is this a case of; ‘won’t you step into my parlour’ said the spider to the fly.”
Inari looked up quizzically from the note.
“You think it a trap?”
“Hmm lets see, come alone she says, to somewhere she’s entirely familiar with, at an hour after midnight… to make it complete all she’d have to do is add ‘don’t tell anyone about this’ and she’d be done.”
Inari shook her head.
“She would never be so obvious if she intended you harm. Besides, what purpose would that serve?”
“I don’t know, maybe use me as a hostage to prevent you from interfering?”
Inari again shook her head.
“Paul-kun, sometimes you overthink matters. She would never dare harm a Herald. Not even she would be so foolish, especially if she desired my cooperation. No, I think her entreaty is just what it seems to be.”
Paul looked at Inari for a moment, unconvinced and dubious. Then shaking his head, he sighed.
“Riiight… Oh well, we wanted her to come to us. Might as well take advantage of it. Even if it is a trap, no reason why we or rather I, can’t pull a fast one and trap her instead.”
“We, my Herald. I shall be there too.”
“Not gonna argue with that, just hang back. I want her to think she’s got me right where I want her to be. All nice and confident she’s outsmarted us.”
“I… think I understand you Paul… you want her to think all is going according to her plan, so she does not notice yours, yes?”
Paul grinned.
“You know me so well Inari...yes.”
“Very well my Herald… although you realise that means she knows we are seeking her, and where we are.”
Paul grinned slowly.
“I was rather counting on that actually. I suspected that trying to hunt her down would be well nigh impossible, so I figured why not make a few waves, and see what turns up.”
Inari stopped and half turned to look at Paul.
“You.. were thinking of entrapping her even before we arrived?!”
Paul shrugged as they resumed walking towards the elevator.
“I write mystery novels remember… This sort of thing is my staple.”
Inari hung her head, laughing ruefully.
“In truth, I had forgotten! My efforts to help must seem childish to you!”
Paul took Inari’s hand, causing her to look up at him as he spoke.
“Don’t sell yourself short, you’ve been a great help. You can charm information out of people much better than I can, and your mind is just as sharp as the best detectives. After all, as the author I already know what the answer should be, so my detective skills aren’t as good as my creations make it seem. And besides that, you are always a lovely companion to have no matter what we’re doing.”
Inari smiled, blushing slightly.
“Silver tongued as always Paul-kun. But your sincere flattery is always welcome...and I am glad I am of use to you. Perhaps, once this is over, I might assist you more in your Magisterial duties as well?”
Paul grinned.
“Well, I won’t say that I wouldn’t welcome that, but it’s tedious at times and there’s an increasing back-log of cases to be investigated, that I just didn’t have time for. So be warned.”
Inari laughed, shaking her head.
“I suspect I will have cause to regret that offer then, and long for the tranquil yesterdays before you arrived…”
Paul chuckled, knowing full well Inari didn’t mean a word of it, judging by the look of eager relish on her face.
----------
Once Inari and Paul had changed into clothing more appropriate to sneaking around unobserved in the dark, they quietly left unobserved through the hotels garage. The volcanic springs park was a reasonable walk away, so Paul and Inari jogged the distance in silence. They did not look out of place in their matching track suits and baseball caps, running side by side. Paul smiled slightly as they passed some other late night joggers, pleased that their cover meant they did not look out of place. He even noticed one of them with small backpack not unalike the one he was carrying.
Once they reached the park gates, they paused. Inari for one didn’t need to fake being out of breath. She was bent double, hands on her knees, breathing heavily.
“Huff, ha... Paul-san… people do this… for fun?”
“Some people do. Granted, I’m not usually one of them, but I do a lot of walking to give myself time to think. People jog for health reasons usually, but yes, some do it for fun, enjoying the endorphins it produces. Runners high they call it.”
Inari stood back up slowly.
“There are some things I will never understand about modern society. In times past, running usually meant one was being chased. It was not done for fun.”
Paul chuckled.
“I know, humans are weird. I mean, what other species gets high off something that means your life is in immediate danger?”
Inari glared at Paul.
“I suspect you’re enjoying this all just a little too much!”
Paul shrugged.
“I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t, but it’s not my only motivation. I sympathise with your distress too, I’m a bit better at it than you, but I’m definitely going to pay for this tomorrow. Jogging isn’t my forte either.”
Inari sighed.
“Well, at least there’s hot springs we can soak in…one of the compensations for being mortal once more.”
Paul studied the park thoughtfully. Then nodded to himself.
“Alright, we’ll slip in, and then find you some where to hide and rest, while I head up the trail to the meeting. If I need help, I’ll call.”
Paul held up his cell phone, which had a ‘panic button’ app that would call a preprogrammed number if one double tapped a large red button icon on the screen. Inari took her phone out of her pocket, double checking it was turned on and had a signal.
Some minutes later, Paul was feeling rather less confident as he ghosted along the path towards the overlook point that was the closest part to the former Killing Stone. He stuck to the grassy verge of the gravel path, trying to remain silent. He thought his analysis of the situation was correct, but there was always the possibility of the unknown making a hash of plans.
Inwardly he sighed, there was not much he could do except trust his own judgement, which had always been something of an issue at times, as he was well aware depression could warp your perception of a situation, without you even realising it.
Shaking his head to clear it of distractions, Paul approached the observation point. Pausing he took out a small bird watching monocular he’d bought earlier in the day, and switching on it’s light amplification night sight mode, studied the surrounding area.
There was no sign of anyone, although the off-the-shelf monocular used light amplification, not infra-red and thus couldn’t see through things, so there was the possibility of a potential lurker just being really well hidden. Still, there wasn’t much cover either.
Carefully he approached, stopping when he noticed something resting on the railing in front of the viewing area. Paul frowned, the envelope propped up on the wooden railing looked from a distance to be similar to one the one at the hotel, inviting him here. However, it had all the subtly of a big X painted on the floor.
Paul slipped from his pocket a small black crystal bullet he’d removed from it’s casing, and flipped it across the distance to land near to the envelope. Anticlimactically, nothing happened. If there had been a spell of talisman nearby, the mana would have been shorted out and drained away by the crystal.
Paul picked up the crystal, and tapped it against the envelope, just to be sure, but nothing happened once again. Deciding it was probably safe, he opened it and removed the single folded sheet of paper from inside. He frowned, written on the sheet was a single line of Kanji: ごめんなさい
“I’m sorry. Sorry for what?” he mused out loud.
“This!”
Paul moved as fast as he could, springing to one side...only to slam into a wall that wasn’t there. He bounced, hard, and went flying back to crash onto the wooden floor. Head reeling from the unexpected blow, he stared dazedly as one of the trees nearby shifted, and became a smartly dressed women in a business suit, with black hair, fox ears and a fan of tails.
Her heels clicked as she walked over to him, and bowed fractionally.
“I truly am sorry, from what I can tell you are responsible for the return of magic, and my freedom. But I’m afraid I cannot have you interfering in what comes next. If it is of any consolation, you will soon be free of your enslavement to Inari.”
“Wait.. what are you talking about?!”
Tamamo-no-Mae shook her head.
“Again, sorry...I don’t have the time to explain. Please do not try to cross the circle, you’ll only hurt yourself again. Goodbye.”
Turning, she took a step, and her form flowed like water, shifting until Paul was watching his exact duplicate leaving.
“Well… bugger me! That’s how she does it. She can shape shift.”
Carefully standing up he tried reaching out and tapping at the air. Finding the edge of the circle, he stood in thought for a moment. He had some resources with him, it was matter of how best to apply them. He could just use his python revolver in ‘magic bullet’ mode and try to shatter the barrier with a concentrated packet of mana. However, that ran the risk of a ricochet, with him inside the rather too small area. Now that he thought about it, he no idea what something like that would do to a human, and had no intention of testing it on himself.
Paul bit at his bottom lip, thoughts racing. Tamamo-no-Mae had said he’d be free of his ‘enslavement’ soon… which did not bode well for Inari. Logically, she was the greater threat to whatever plans the black kitsune had, and Tamamo-no-Mae had a reputation for ruthlessness.
Glancing down in thought, he noticed that at this point, the pathway was wooden slats overlaying the ground, with bare dirt only an inch or so below the planks. In a flash of inspiration he saw how to get free.
He took out the small spool of plain copper wire he brought with him in case he needed to create a binding circle of his own, and looped the end around the reverse mana crystal, before unspooling a couple of yards of wire. Finally he pushed the spool though the gap between the planking, using his finger tips to bury it in the ground.
Making sure he was standing on the wooden planking, as far from the buried spool as he could, he laid the crystal on the ground, and flicked it, sending it sliding across the plank until it encountered the barrier.
There was fizzing crackling sound and the sharp smell of ozone as the crystal started to drain power form the magic spell, converting it to electricity which was ground to earth via the copper wire. Nervously Paul watched as the copper wire started to smoke, then glow red.
There was sharp crack, as the wire burned out, arcing across as it failed. But at the same time, the barrier failed with faint flicker of light and a shimmer like a heat-haze that dissipated almost as soon as it was visible. Paul reached out carefully, and found no resistance. Wasting no time, he set off after Tamamo-no-Mae at a flat out run.