Dawn found Paul in his workshop, the large mana generator running at full power and deliberately slightly out of alignment to create a sort of ‘white noise’ effect magically, by interfering with any magical construct.
Which explained Akio’s wince and stumble as she walked into the field…
“Paul-sama, what on earth are you doing?!”
Paul looked up from the work bench at her, and tossed her a pair of ear mufflers that had been butchered and recovered with a pair of complicated talismans. He motioned for her to put the contraption on. Akio complied and at once a look of wide-eyed surprise and relief crossed her face.
“How did you.. no why did you make that?”
Paul motioned her over, and keeping his voice down explained.
“We’re being spied upon. I can block it, but the de-tuned mana field has to be hellishly strong so it only really works inside these walls. So keep you voice down so it doesn’t travel. I modified the ear defenders to create a null-mana field, so people like you don’t end up with fried brains. Doesn’t bother me of course, but Shoko’s retreated to her home somewhere in the forest, as she’s even more sensitive. ”
Akio nodded indicating her understanding, then looked down at the work bench.
“Are those cartridges for a gun?”
“Yup, making some specialist rounds for Aimi-chan’s sniper rifle.”
Akio reached out to pick up and examine the black crystal bullets sitting in their box, but Paul caught her hand before she could touch them.
“Don’t. I’ve got those isolated from the mana field here, but if you take them out of the box they start converting mana into electricity and I’m pretty sure they’d produce enough juice to kill you stone cold dead.”
Akio stared at the innocuous looking cylinders, and slowly withdrew her hand.
“Desu christi! Why would you make something like that?”
Paul raised an eyebrow.
“Did no-one tell you what’s happened?”
Akio shook her head mutely, then adding.
“We just got back from Tokyo, been driving all night. What’s happened?”
Paul sighed…
“Inari has been killed…”
Akio sat down bonelessly, her face draining of colour and her eyes wide. Paul quickly reassured her, and went on to explain what had happened in terse sentence. She only spoke up as Paul started to outline his intentions..
“Oh… crap! And we just came from Tokyo. There’s a door into Yomi there! Ok, it’s held shut by a demon, but still had we known…”
Paul blinked, then slowly started to grin.
“Ok, I can use that. Means we have a back door into the underworld that isn’t controlled by you-know-who…”
Akio blinked, and then smiled.
“Yeah, it does… shotgun!”
Paul raised an eyebrow at her.
“Shotgun?”
“Yeah, you’re going to march into hell to rescue Inari, right? I’m calling shotgun for me and the squad! You’ll need us. Besides, you’ll need us to get past the temple guardian. She’s a friend of ours, used to be a witch like us until she was killed.”
“Until she was killed? Ok.. you’re going to have to explain that, but later when we have time. We need to hustle because if what Kiko has found out is true, if Inari is stuck in the land of the dead for more than three days, she cannot return. Ever.”
Akio bounced to her feet.
“Alright then! I’ll go tell the squad, and we can start getting ready… can you make more of those? I think we might need them.”
Paul shook his head.
“No, limited supply of crystals. But I can whip up something for you provided I can ahh.. ‘borrow’ some actual guns from the JSDF. I’ll have to find an actual gunsmith though to modifiy the ammo, I just don’t have the time to do it myself.”
Akio nodded.
“I can talk to Major Yagi, she’ll help. She might even know if the JSDF have an armourer who can make ammo.”
Paul nodded.
“Good idea… I’ll leave you to do that. I’m nearly done here, and then there’s the council of war. Oh, remember, don’t breath a word about anything outside these walls or Inari’s Inner Shrine, assume the enemy is listening all the time.”
Akio nodded.
“Got it senpai! Not a word. Are hand signals safe, or are we being watched too?”
“We’re probably being watched as well. Unless you can think of a way to do telepathy, or code talking, then assume it’s not safe to mention anything about any plans.”
Akio nodded, a look of determination on her face beneath the broad brim of her witches hat. Paul looked at her, once again struck by how young she was, thinking how unjust it was that she was grimly ready to quite literally march into hell alongside him, at an age when her most important concerns should’ve been whether or not her crush liked her, and getting good grades on her school work.
Paul sighed., rubbing his face with his hand and smearing gun oil across it.
“In case I forget to say it later… thank you Akio. You and the others are everything I could want in apprentices and I apologise in advance if my teaching proves inadequate, since there’s a very real chance none of us will make it back from this.”
Akio stood up, and bowed.
“No, thank you senpai. You gave us a better shot at life than we could ever imagine, and even if we die tomorrow, it will have been worth it. No one could have taught us more or better than you Paul-senpai, and if we fall, it will not be your fault. But I can say for all of us, we will gladly lay down our lives for you and Inari-Okami.”
Paul smiled slightly.
“Well, lets try to avoid having a Chinese ending to this story.”
“Chinese ending?”
“Hmm yeah.. Chinese dramas, everyone dies at the end. As opposed to Japanese ones, where only the hero dies, sacrificing himself, and the love interest spends the end credits crying at their graveside.”
Akio laughed, although shaking her head.
“I think you’re doing both movie industries an injustice, but lets try for an anime ending where everyone lives... except the bad guy!”
Paul chuckled tiredly.
“Yeah, that sounds like a better idea. Lets do that instead. You got that Akio-chan, no noble sacrifices right?”
“I hear and obey senpai!”
----------------------
Paul walked into the Shrine area around mid-morning, he’d gotten a quick nap and something to eat, and was feeling somewhat more confident in his plans as he stepped over the threshold into the inner sanctum… and abruptly stopped in surprise.
Normally Inari’s pocket dimension was echoingly empty, draped as much in shadows as silks. But not now, now it was almost crowded. Thronging was the most apt word that sprang to Paul’s mind.
He’d expected the three ‘daughter kami’ of Inari, Kiko, Katsu and Suzue or Suz-metal as she preferred to be called. He also imagined that they’d bring their Heralds. What he hadn’t expected, but should’ve was the JSDF commander from the contingent stationed in town, Col Yōji Itami along with Major Yagi who was their ad hoc liaison and general logistics expert. As well as the unexpected, but logical JSDF representatives, there were a large number of other people, humans and yokai, that Paul was surprised to see. He recognised the local yokai ‘lords’, Tatsuo for the Oni, as well as representatives for the Tengu, and Tanuki clans and the Great Boar Spirit for the various woodland peoples and a green-clad dryad for her people.
Paul even spied the behorned figure of a Krin off to one side, lurking in the shadows, who upon being noticed, dipped her head at Paul and winked. Paul was gripped by the conviction that no-one else here would be able to see her.
Akio bumped into him from behind. Paul looked back of his shoulder and saw that the entire SWAT team had come with her, including Maaya. Giving himself a mental shake, Paul continued into the hall. He came to halt in front of the chaise lounge that was acting as Inari funeral bier, and swept his gaze around the hall as a hush fell like thick velvet.
Taking a deep breath, he began.
“Ok… first things first. Not a word of anything said here can be uttered outside of this hall. This is one of the very few places I can be certain we are not being spied upon. Once outside, assume you are being listened to and scrutinised closely, and that no form of communication is secure. Because of this, I want everyone to listen carefully, and commit what is shared to memory. Unlike my usual meetings, I won’t be providing folders of documentation.”
A voice from the back of the hall rang out. “Good!” and a brief chuckle ran around the assembled people. Paul smiled ruefully, and nodded.
“Ok, small mercies aside… here’s the rough outline of what we know and what can be surmised. Izanami has taken Inari’s soul hostage, has probably already drained her of her Divine power and consumed that. If we do not get Inari’s soul back within three days, that is by sunset the day after tomorrow, then removing her from Yomi will not be possible. I believe that Izanami has been engaged in a long term plan to drain the world of mana, or at least hasten it’s natural and on-going diminishment, and her actions now are result of us reversing that trend. I have some speculations as to her ultimate goal, but suffice it to say her motivation for this is, and ever has been, the complete destruction of all life, everywhere.”
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Paul paused a moment to let that statement sink in, before continuing.
“Needless to say. I don’t intend to let this stand. Thanks to Kiko’s research we have a way to open a door into Yomai, and there are two main objectives. One, to rescue Inari, and if possible the other Okami held prisoner. And Two, to destroy Izanami utterly.”
There was a moments buzz of murmured conversation and then Col Itami spoke up.
“I have been authorised from the highest level to offer any and all aid in this endeavour. The Japanese Self Defence Force stands ready to assist!”
Paul smiled a small wintery smile and nodded.
“Thank you sir, I suspect I know who that order comes from. I’ll take you up on that, and you, me and Major Yagi can thrash out the specifics of your assistance in a few minutes time.”
Tatsuo interjected, although it was less a question and more a statement
“You have a plan Paul-sama.”
“I do… there are two broad parts to it. Katsu, Katsumi will open a portal into the lands of the dead, and lead the way. Together with the Yamato and whatever forces the JSDF can spare, you will lead the main assault upon Izanami.”
Katsu frowned.
“Paul-sama, I am honoured you’d entrust this task to me, but I fail to see how it’s possible.”
“The hull of the Yamato is probably the largest mana battery in existence at the moment. To charge that up we’ll be fitting it, her, with four of the large primary mana crystals. Suzue-san, I want you to whip up a thunder storm, the biggest you can manage on short notice and channel the lightening through those crystals, super-charging the hull. Katsumi, I’ve some spell designs I’ll need etching into your 16 inch shells, that will channel that power. Then it’s just a matter of picking the right spot to literally blow a hole in reality.”
Katsumi pumped her fist, exclaiming “Alright!” in delight. Paul permitted himself a smile at her reaction.
“The Yamato will also be fitted with a device I’ve been designing for a while now, which is the primary reason for super-charging her with mana. Somewhat fittingly the only spare space is the forward chain locker in the bow, with the exit through the hawser port below the chrysanthemum crest. You shouldn’t need to use the tow ropes anyway.”
Katsumi blinked, then excitedly exclaimed.
“You’re fitting me with a wave-motion gun?!”
Paul sighed.
“No, not exactly… but if you want to think of it as that, then I can’t stop you. It’s a one shot mana device that’ll channel power into a resonance chamber, amplifying it and tuning the field frequency so it interferes destructively, propagating a cancelling effect along the beam axis that’ll…”
Paul paused, taking in the blank looks on nearly everyone’s faces. He sighed.
“Umm... think of it as something akin to a magic laser that produces darkness instead of light. One that I hope will have enough ‘punch’ that it’ll destroy Izanami. Which is your primary mission.”
Katsu and Katsumi stood to rigid attention and saluted. Paul nodded at them and then continued.
“While Izanami is engaged in defending herself, myself and a small team of volunteers… yes, I see you Akio! No need to wave I’ve already included you and your team mates. Anyway, this team will infiltrate Yomi through a door located elsewhere. We will locate and free Inari, hopefully without a fuss, and remove her before Izanami tries to use her as a shield or something like that. Our secondary goal will be, to paraphrase General Dwight D. Eisenhower, to ‘fuck shit up’. We will sabotage whatever looks important, and free as many individuals as we can.”
Paul sighed, and looked around the hall, noting the eager faces.
“I would be remiss if I did not point out that Izanami is not to be underestimated. She is more powerful, cunning and dangerous than can be easily comprehended. Plus she’s had the benefit of having spent centuries preparing, and we’re somewhat on the back-foot, having not long found out. There is a very real risk that some if not all of us will not survive this. I am not planning on this being a suicide mission, but it could turn out that way. That said, although I have to do this I am not going to force anyone to accompany me that’s not ok with that possibility. So if anyone wishes to leave, they can walk out of here right now with no shame or dishonour...”
Paul paused, and there was silence as no-one said anything or even moved., he nodded, more to himself than anything.
“Right. Thank you all… Now, lets discuss specifics, and I would appreciate any input. I can’t think of everything.”
--------------
The rest of that day, and the following was spent in preparation. Although Paul was fairly sure that no amount would be sufficient to prepare them for the reality of what they were about to try and do.
Katsu, Suz-metal, her Herald Moeka and their backing band had taken the Yamato out over night, into what the meteorological service had described as a brief, localised but very intense electrical storm. When they returned at dawn on the second day, the Yamato was fully manned by the ghosts of it’s former crew.
Katsumi confided that although she didn’t strictly speaking need a crew, being a living entity in her own right, she very much appreciated having one! Paul wasn’t about to argue, if the haunted ghost ship wanted the equivalent of a security blanket to feel confident, then she would have one. The JSDF Marine contingent that was lined up on the docks, waiting to board the Yamato, looked a bit wild-eyed and spooked at the idea, but quickly setted down and treated the ship’s crew just like any regular navy ‘pukes’, I.e with good natured rivalry.
Paul was somewhat surprised when Amanda Fielding, the US.Navy engineer that Kiko had healed, turned up at the docks and volunteered herself to assist in installing the ‘wave motion gun’ as it had been code-named despite Paul’s protests. She’d said something about everyone else being busy and wanting to do something to repay a debt she felt she owed. Yuko loomed behind her and when Paul had looked at her with an upraised eyebrow, the massive green-haired Oni had just shrugged and offered that she was just there to help her friend move heavy stuff.
Paul had shook his head, passed Amanda the schematics, pointed her at the truck containing the blocks of crystals, heavy inductor coils and copper reflectors and told her she could work out how to make them fit in the chain locker herself and just as long as she got it all set up close enough to specs, he’d be back to do the fine tuning later.
Amanda had turned schematics upside down, and then right side up, looked up at the Battleship’s prow with it’s chrysanthemum crest above the tow hawser hole, scratched her head for moment then nodded.
“Yup, can do. Take me an hour with a plasma cutter to make the hole from the chain locker to her keel for this ‘mana wave guide’ thing, plus a couple of hours to get everything else in and set up. Come back in four hours, ok?”
Paul nodded and gave her a grateful smile.
“Thanks, that’s one less thing I need to worry about... out of several hundred others. I’ll see you in four.”
“Yup, promise we’ll be ready for you boss. Now go on, git. We both got work to do.”
Paul ‘got’, grinning and wondering if he could somehow steal her from the U.S Navy… Before all this had happened he had been thinking he needed a competent engineer or mechanic to handle the actual fabrication of the designs he came up with, now that more of his time was being eaten up by other less ‘fun’ duties such as acting as magistrate, diplomat and so on…
Paul snorted to himself, reflecting he’d been wishing before that something would happen to excuse him from those tasks… and now here he was wishing everything would go back to the way it was.
Biting his lip, he offered a silent prayer that Inari would be well, and life would return to normal… not exactly praying to any specific deity, more addressing it to ‘to whom it may concern.’ Despite everything, Paul didn’t really feel right relying on divine intervention. He figured it was probably better to rely on his abilities.
Although, now that he thought of it, he resolved to have a ‘little chat’ with Inari, and the rest of the kami, if things worked out well. They’d been entirely too neglectful of their worshippers and the whole business of prayers itself was woefully inadequate to modern needs… as evidenced by the fact they’d all gone missing and hardly anyone had noticed as the human world went on with it’s business without them. Stopping for a moment, he took out his notebook and leaned on a bollard, jotting down a note to himself as he added that problem to his ‘To-Do’ list of things for later consideration.
That minor task done, he flipped the notebook shut and went on his way, hoping there would be a future for all of them.
He hadn’t gone far along the docks when a small group of men in business suits approached him. Paul stopped and waited a moment as they approached, assessing the individuals. The four young men flanking the older gentleman were clearly carrying concealed weapons, subtly obvious despite the expert tailoring of their suits. One of them reached up to adjust his mirrored sunglasses, his fingertips apparently accidentality bushing his ear, where Paul rather thought a concealed communications device lay.
All four of them had hints of tattoos visible at their wrists and collar. Paul frowned, there was no doubt that they were Yakuza, the older man undoubtedly their boss, if not the boss of their family. However, he couldn’t think of reason why they’d approach him now. So, he waited.
“Good day Holmes-san.”
“Good day to you sir… if you’ll forgive me, I really don’t have much time, so could we speak plainly please? What does a senior member of the ah.. ‘gentleman's association’ want with me today?”
The silver haired man chuckled, and nodded.
“I thought your reputation was overstated, but it seems I am wrong. Very well then, on behalf of the Seven Families, I am here to offer our assistance. To that end, I bring a gift, one I think you might find useful.”
Paul’s eyebrows crept a millimetre or two up his forehead. The Seven Families were the Yakuza’s controlling council, the seven oldest and most powerful families. What they said, generally was law in their lawless society. They settled disputes between families and were said to control a sizeable fraction of anything criminal on a nation-wide scale. They also did a quite efficient job of keeping other international criminal organisations from gaining a toehold in Japan. Not entirely out of altruism, but also not entirely out of self-interest either. Generally the Chinese triads were ruthless and more chaotic than the Yakuza, who after all, weren’t that far from their roots as neighbourhood protection vigilante gangs.
Regaining his equilibrium, Paul nodded.
“Very well… I won’t be as crass as to refuse it, but I admit, I am curious as to why your families made this sudden offer.”
The gentleman smiled slightly.
“That is only natural, and simply answered. Inari is the Goddess of Prosperity. The Families have done well because of her, and especially since this new resurgence of magic, thanks to your efforts Holmes-san. It has not escaped our notice that you offered this new technology for free to some of our members, asking only that it was put to good use helping the people we helped to relocate.”
Paul nodded, in truth he’d almost forgotten that, but he had offered the designs on small mana generators to the yakuza engaging in yokai smuggling.
The Yakuza boss nodded as he saw Paul’s expression.
“Ah, I see you remember that. Well… we keep track of favours owed, both to us, and those we owe to others. Consider this a repayment on that debt, one I think you’ll find useful. If you would care to follow me and inspect the gift?”
Paul nodded slowly, he doubted it was trap, the docks were far too busy for that. He allowed himself to be lead a short distance to where a truck hauling a 40ft cargo container was parked, looking not out place.
One of the body guards opened the back of the container at the bosses unspoken order, and provided a set of steps for Paul to climb up and inspect the contents without stepping inside. Paul blinked as his eyes adjusted to the dark interior, and then widened as he made out case after case of ammo crates, packed to the top. Turning he looked down at the Yakuza boss, who grinned up at him.
“Some of us pay attention to the old stories. It is known that Izanami and her minions are weak against fire and light. So… that is every round that could be obtained of what is known as ‘dragons breath’. Rounds packed with titanium thermite. Which, in case you are unfamiliar with it, burns both very hot and very, very brightly. It should be quite effective against what you will be facing.”
Paul hopped down from the step stool, and bowed deeply.
“I am very grateful for your gift, Isao-san.”
Isao Seki chuckled, slapping his hand against his thigh.
“Holmes-san, you do not disappoint me. How did you work out my identity? I haven’t appeared in pubic in years.”
Paul smiled, although he didn’t miss the undertone of danger in Isao-san’s apparent amusement. The Yakuza took their secrecy very serious, and if there was even a suggestion that someone had leaked information to him, life would become very short and quite painful as they made strenuous efforts to find out whom.
“Logic. For such an important task, it had to be assigned to one of the top three. But the Yamaguchi-gumi syndicate wouldn’t risk their head, and as largest they would be able to make that stick. The Inagawa-kai family although they are based in the Tokyo-Yokohama area, are mostly focused on international affairs nowadays, and would not have a large stockpile of ammo readily to hand here. Hence, you had to be the head of Sumiyoshi-kai, which as a confederation of smaller Yakuza families and the second largest syndicate, would logically be the most heavily armed, and thus own a sizeable amount of what is a rather niche type of ammunition.”
Isao-san smiled, albeit somewhat selachian.
“Homes-san, may I say I am grateful you never felt the urge to take after your name-sake and become a detective.”
“Isao-san, if I did, I am sure you would present quite the challenge. But thankfully, that is something neither of us have to worry about today. If you’ll forgive me, I shall get the Marine Sargent in charge of the armory down here, and start getting your generous gift unboxed and distributed. Then I have..oh.. a thousand other urgent tasks to take care of!”
Isao-san chuckled.
“Your abruptness is quite understandable. You are after all organising a war in effect. Just rest assured, if it spills over into the streets, we will be fighting on your side.”
“Thank you, although I really hope that doesn’t happen! Now, if you’ll excuse me..”
Isao-san waved, dismissing Paul, who hurried off, already thinking of ways to explain the sudden windfall… and hoping the authorities wouldn’t ask too many questions. Best not to look a gift horse in the mouth, although checking for Greek soldiers was always wise.