The Tokyo Interview

Part 1: Gathering the guests

The JHWAB HQ in Tokyo was working as usual. The Culture Branch offices were most of the time the busiest of the departments, as they handled the day-by-day conflicts of Hidden World denizens in Japan, they handle anything, from listening to complains to diplomatic solutions between clans, families and dojos.

Now, in the middle of the large office area the Cultural Branch occupies there is surrounded by glass the office of this office leader and one of the JHWAB chairmen, Yukio Shiraginu, a tall and stylishly dressed young man with a charming smile and sparkling eyes. He is sitting on his favorite chair, surrounded by furniture as stylish as he is.

-So gentlemen, your presence here makes me think that my memo reached you. - Yukio’s guests were extremely important people in the JHWAB and the matter at hand could deeply affect the public opinion the Hidden World had about the organization for years to come.

Subaru Yukishiro, the leader of the Intelligence Branch, a white haired, white skinned and white clothed man with a constant expression of disgust on his face. Alongside him, standing yet showing clear signs of a flu or congestion of some sort was Norio Bushitora, one of the Intelligence Branch top inspectors.

-I have read this infantile piece of “advice” you sent to my office Shiraginu. - Subaru talked coldly and with plenty of malicious intent almost as if every one of his words were daggers aimed at the Cultural Branch leader throat.

–I might congratulate you for the proper usage of office supplies, but is a shame you followed the protocol just to send such idiotic idea to my office. Consider any respect I had for you revoked.- Yukishiro disliked Shiraginu, he considered the Cultural Branch Leader to be an useless playboy and womanizer that would be more suited working on a Host Bar than in the JHWAB.

-You break my heart Subaru-kun, you really do…- He faked being hurt, more for comedy than really trying. That humorous moment stopped when his face turned almost as cold as Yukishiro’s –I thought that to be the Head of the Intelligence branch you needed brains, but you’re clearly demonstrating that you only need connections… Talking about that, how’s Roshi-dono?-

The cold disgust only grew on Subaru’s face and akin to his expression the temperature in the room changed; the glass walls became suddenly fogged. The thermometer on the wall slowly but steadily showed a decrease of heat in the room, to the point Norio Bushitora started shivering quite noticeably.

-C-c-can y-y-you two s-s-stop this sc-sc-scho-schoolyar-yar-d p-p-pissing c-c-c-contest and w-w-work?- The Old Inspector of the Intelligence Branch was struggling to talk as the temperature had dropped into the -5 Celsius.

As fast as it started whatever influence Subaru had over the climatic conditions was dispelled by him and Norio fell heavily on a chair.

-Perfect, I knew Yasumori-dono sent me here to mediate for a reason, I don’t get why you two brats have against each other but it has to end, especially if you’re going to work together in this new initiative to change the interview process for new denizens. - Norio, getting a bit of dignity back after he stopped shivering put an end to their bickering.

Both Branches Heads sighed and realized that Norio was right and even if they disliked each other they would have to cooperate. Yukio was the first to speak. –My proposition was the result of hundred if not thousands of complains we received through the last decade, regarding to your Interview methods Subaru-kun.-

-What’s the problem with them? I have studied every mundane method and mixed them into one perfect method to discover spies, criminals or potential felons. I don’t see how anybody would complain. - Yukishiro replied with the hint of a smile, he was deeply proud of his proven method to detect threats, which clearly was, according to statistics quite effective.

-You water board people until they confess any misgiving…- Yukio replied with tired voice. Subaru face finally showed something else than disgust as he was clearly offended by the accusation, but not why one would think he was.

-I don’t just water board everybody, some of them are aquatic creatures and I shock them, don’t think I never considered that. My interview system has alternatives to work with anybody. - Subaru added with a professional tone.

Both Norio and Yukio contained the desires to facepalm. Subaru was extremely smart, but he lacked a lot of tact. The Old Investigator decided to talk. –That’s part of the problem Subaru-kun, the interview should be more informal and less…intrusive. We want to identify them and establish relations not scare them.-

-But my system is…- The Head of Intelligence tried to talk but Yukio stopped him. –Your system maybe effective to find the guilty ones, but it makes the rest of the JHWAB look bad and as the leader of the Cultural Branch, in charge of PR, I cannot abide your methods. Yasumori-dono himself has given me the authority to change the interview methods-

-Father did? Tsk… if he said so then I’ll do the changes you’re requesting.- Subaru showed an opening for the first time, most people knew that the leader of the Intelligence Branch was the adopted son of the JHWAB venerable Leader, Roshi Yasumori.

-Perfect, do you have any requests?- Yukio asked, trying to be polite, as he always knew winning an argument was half of the diplomatic battle, the other half was making the other cool with it.

-Yes, I want people I can trust in this, I’ll be the one directing the interview; Norio will be the one to talk to the new denizens, with his assistant as support. - He looked at Norio that nodded with the head. –Finally the exercise part will be covered by Norio’s Son, Shin.-

Norio stopped nodding, with his face showing clear terror. Every time he was placed in an assignment with his son two things always happened. 1. Things went out of control quickly. 2. He had to call his ex-wife and apologize for letting Shin get hurt after he was reckless. This Interview wouldn’t be fun at all.

-I’ll take my leave to prepare for the next interview.- Subaru bowed as he spoke, even if he still thought Yukio seemed more a Host than a diplomat he had to admit he felt a bit more respect for him, if his father was okay with the Cultural Branch head ideas. –Good luck Yukishiro-san, try not to torture them this time.-

-

1 week later

-Sir, we found several new denizens popping up, mostly foreigner that just arrived to the country. We also have one we detected some days before, we will add him to this group- An operator in the Intelligence Branch Main Office informed Subaru who took quick and decisive action.

-Send the teams to bring them here.- The Operator started to inform the away teams but Yukishiro interrupted him –And… tell them to be nice, invite them to come, don’t force them here, use force only for self defense.-

-Yes Sir!- The operator confirmed the orders and started transferring them to the teams that would meet the new Hidden World Denizens in need of registering.

---

It took Vyc an extremely long and excruciating time to convince his parents to go to Japan on vacation this year. They only really agreed because Vyc doesn't ask for much...ever. Vyc was extremely happy about this since for the longest time he as been intrigued by the culture of japan and as always wanted to see the ancient temples.

Vyc was scheduled to leave for Tokyo in a week and his excitement was overwhelming. His parents had decided to let him go alone and meet a friend of theirs who was on a business trip for his fathers company there. Vyc was excited to explore Tokyo to the fullest especially now that he doesn't have the boundaries of his parents.

When Vyc arrived in Tokyo he was immediately greeted by his father's business associate when he got off the plane. Gerard Greenberg was his name and his smile and greeting were probably the most fake Vyc had seen,and Vyc as seen a lot of fake smiles from business associates.

- Hey kiddo ready to head to your hotel? Gerard said as if talking to a child. Vyc stared at the man for a little bit.

- Yeah...Sure.

Vyc was dropped off at his hotel by Gerard who quickly drove away. Vyc checked in to the hotel and quickly went up to his room on the 8th floor. After putting his things in the hotel he decided to head into town and shop. He wanted to see the Nintendo store really bad. He headed quickly onto a bus to get downtown and shop.

Ji'tal had just enough time to grab his gear and give the wreckage of the farmhouse one last look before he heard an approaching vehicle. An instinct inside him begged he flee, but he knew that things were bad enough without inciting further chaos by running away. Instead, he pierced the ground with the tip of his scabbard, sat down on his knees, and began a meditation ritual.

In the lower reaches of his consciousness, he began recapping the events leading up to his current position.

On the Noble Intent, he was stationed alongside the Narul, who were famous for their spellweaving. Unfortunately, he only had time to learn one spell before he was sent off via drop pod to one of the nearby star clusters.

Something hit his pod, and hit it hard. He went veering of course and before he knew it, his pod yanked him into artificial hibernation.

Most recently, he woke up just in time to notice his pod tearing through a structure, wood, he had unconsciously noted, and make rather violent impact with the ground just beyond. It was a farmhouse, and he estimated anywhere from three to ten casualties during his landing, and he didn't know the ratio of injured and dead.

His meditation concluded, he retrieved his blade and sat patiently for the arrival of whomever represented this world's law. Unlike the Khas'rah, he would stand trial and own up to his mistakes, like any honorable warrior should.

Maya felt a sense of unease in her gut as the plane lifted off towards Japan. Then again, she had been feeling it ever since that day when her ability turned her world upside down. As the G-forces temporarily made her ears feel like she was in the depths of the ocean, she stared at the sky that was just as blue. Soon enough the sensation went away and she could relax a little more. As the hour went on, she found it hard to keep her eyes open until she finally fell asleep.

-- Sixteen days ago. --

The carnage that she had witnessed repeated inside of her mind over and over again. The hand going through bare flesh, encountering no resistance. Not even the sensation of flesh was present. The baffled look on the assailant's face as his body ceased to function. The same body that split apart when he fell down, its insides splattering all over the ground like rotten fruit. But what was even more disturbing was the black gash that had appeared, something that had apparently cut open the belly of the universe itself. But it closed up soon enough, followed with air being sucked into the absolute emptiness, as if stitching up a wound. At that point she had almost gone insane. No, it might be more accurate to say that she had indeed gone insane for the briefest of moments. She couldn't even remember when she had arrived at her apartment or when she had fallen asleep. While the comfort was minimal, it was like an anchor for her. An anchor to her sanity.

It took her a few days to recover her thoughts. To feel like a person again and not just some corpse washed up on the shores of reality. While that sight would forever haunt her mind, it wouldn't do to endlessly lament the results of it. She took efforts to wash herself and get dressed. As she ate breakfast, one consisting of poached eggs and toast, she saw a flyer that advertised a trip to Japan. That was her opportunity. An opportunity to refresh herself and attain a peace of mind. She glanced at the newspaper. ''MAN MYSTERIOUSLY SPLIT IN TWO'' was written on the very front. Weapon and assailant was unknown. No fingerprints or DNA was to be found at the scene.

Yes, it was an opportunity to get away from this madness. She looked at her hand. As if flipping on a switch, she turned ''it'' on. Immediately, what had been a hand was now merely empty space taking the form of one. She waved her hand briefly and an arc of black followed, tearing through the air like a finely honed blade. The effect was only momentarily as the same phenomena happened again: Wind, atoms as well as matter seeped into the cracks as to repair them. The very fabric of space and time closing it up. She turned it off.

She needed to discover how she became like this and why. Japan was only her first step. She looked outside the window. Her apartment was one of luxury and class, as it gave her a view of the city below matched by few. Her eyes fixated on her own reflection. She saw a woman with voluptous curves that could only be described as a blessing of nature. She saw a woman that had temporarily been broken by the absurdity of life. She saw a woman with a goal. A woman whose flame had been rekindled.

She picked up the phone and typed in the number for the airport. ''Is this Miami airport? I would like to purchase a ticket to...''

The next few days was spent making sure she had everything packaged and the funds necessary to live in Japan for a while. While it wouldn't be too far from the truth that her economical issues were practically nonexistent, she was the kind of person to constantly keep an eye on her surroundings. Something her parents had drilled into her from a young age.

She took one final look at the view outside. As always, the glass reflected her visage as well as a mirror would. She was dressed in a pair of pants, blue in colour and a grey t-shirt that draped loosely over her upper body down to the beginning of her hips. For her feet she wore medium heels, black in design.

-- Present Time --

''... Japan. We have arrived.'' Maya could feel her shoulder being lightly shaken as she opened her eyes in a daze. Blinking a few times, she looked up to see a waitress, smiling at her. Although it was easy to see that it was one born out of practice and not sincerity. She was simply doing her job. Having succeeded with her task, the waitress proceeded to check if there were any other heavy sleepers.

''Thank you. I'll get myself ready,'' Maya said as she stood up, yawning. She walked outside and was greeted with the sound and bustle of what seemed to be thousands, if not more. She was truly in the heart of Japan, Tokyo.

When she got hold of her suitcase, she felt that sensation of unease once more. Furrowing her eyebrows, she looked behind only to see the usual mass of people coming and going. Maybe she was just hallucinating after all? That hope quickly died out the moment she arrived at a hotel she had paid room for. One that had beeen crushed the moment she entered the room.

Katsuo Takashi stood on the roof a tall building in Tokyo, leaning on a railing and watching Japan's tireless, hardworking men and women scurrying around like ants, going to work, going home, to shops, for walks and the like. The city was always so lively regardless of the time of day and Katsuo enjoyed watching the crowds moving about with so much energy. It almost always put a smile on his face that not even the sharp wind on top of the building he was standing on could remove it. This was one of those times, not that the swordsman could really feel the wind through the brown trench coat he was wearing to hide the traditional clothes which would have made him stick out in even the thickest crowds.

Sticking out was not something Katsuo minded, but it was not something he could afford for the last couple of weeks since a bounty was placed on his head by survivors of the massacre of his old Yakuza family. One would assume that rather then wear a trench coat a person would simply wear clothes that don't stick out too much, but Katsuo liked the comfort and mobility his clothes provided way too much to change them. Besides, he would still have to wear the coat to conceal the katana he always carried with himself and which was now resting next to him on the railing, unsheathed. To further hide himself from hostile eyes, he usually wore a surgical mask, but the mask was absent today.

"So, Shi," Katsuo spoke seemingly to himself and turned to look at the sword, "how do you like the world outside your prison? Everything you thought it'd be? Or are you still deciding?"

A soft wind blew past Katsuo's ear. "It's wonderful to be free." It whistled past the other. "But anywhere would be wonderful with you, Kat." The disembodied voice was warm and kindly, sounding like it was imbued with springtime sunshine. What passed for her body, while simply wind at the moment, was similarly warm. She sought to touch him more thoroughly, but the wind up here dispersed the ethereal mist that could allow her to do so. "We can see so much from up here. Sure must be cold though." The warm breeze infiltrated his coat and played with the kimono underneath. A sigh of contentment that was almost a purr came from all around Katsuo. "If we go inside, I have something special to show you, honey. I think you'll like it."

Shin is walking the streets of Tokyo with both hands behind his neck and glaring up at the sky in his typical outfit. He wasn't thinking about anything in particular, but a single thought kept reappearing in his mind, I'm so bored right now. People walking by him continue to give him strange looks, after all it wasn't everyday someone sees a teenager wearing a kimono, but no one said anything to him. Shin eventually finds himself walking into somebody, which Shin gets quickly annoyed by, and was about to yell at whoever was in front of him, but stops once he sees who it was. Shin was a tad bit confuse to see some girl wearing what appears to be a sailor outfit with a short skirt and a tiara on her head. The girl was around Shin's age maybe a bit older and was standing a few inches shorter. She gave Shin a death stare like she was about to kill him. Shin doesn't feel the need to apologize, but he wasn't about to get into a random fight with some weird girl. He really wasn't in the mood, plus fighting a girl with nothing special about her was not something Shin feels like doing, so he simple tries his best to ignore the girl, even though he still manages to hear the gist of her story. Apparently she was going to go to some event with someone, but the guy never showed up, so she was already upset, then Shin bumped into her.

The girl looks at her watch and starts screaming how her Tuxedo Mask wasn't showing up. Shin wasn't sure what a Tuxedo Mask is, so he simple asks, more to himself than anything, "What's a Tuxedo Mask?" The girl's response was nearly instantaneous. She went from screaming about her terrible situation, to grabbing Shin's by his clothes and yelling at him, "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY?!" Shin responses in a casual tone, "What's a Tuxedo Mask?" The girl's heart skips a beat at the thought that someone didn't know who her favorite male character of all time is. She grabs a poster from her massive bag, and shows it to Shin, while pointing at the guy:


"ITS NOT A WHAT! ITS A WHO! AND THIS IS TUXEDO MASK YOU FUCKING NOOB!"

Shin looks at the poster and just shrugs, "That guy doesn't look impressive at all." The girl went completely white from Shin's most recent comment. For someone to not know about Tuxedo Mask was one thing, but to disrespect him, now that was crossing a line for the fangirl. She grabs Shin once more, and head butts him in the head, which knocks Shin out cold. The girl looks down and inspects Shin to make sure she didn't kill the unconscious idiot, and it was at this point she finally takes a good look at Shin. She suddenly realizes that he was a pretty cute guy when he wasn't talking, and as she was thinking this, her phone begins to go off. She reaches into her pocket and answers her phone, "Hello" she said. "Hey, Listen..." The girl hangs up her phone and begins to panic like never before. The guy on the phone was suppose to be her partner for the cosplay tournament, but he got sick and can no longer make it. Now, she needs a new partner for her cosplay tournament. She begins to brainstorm, while at the same time cursing her idiot partner. "I knew I couldn't trust that fucking fool. I couldn't even trust him enough to take care of his own costume." She looks into her bag to see the Tuxedo Mask costume that she had carefully taken care of for the purpose of looking as good as possible for the tournament.

"What am I going to do!?" she kept saying. She takes a look at her watch again. She only had 30 minutes left before the tournament begins. She looks around, trying to see if she can spot a solution, then an idea pops into her head, and she looks down at the unconscious guy she just knocked out. "I guess my Tuxedo Mask is going to have white hair." She grabs one of Shin's arms and begins to drag Shin across the ground at incredible speeds, as she takes herself and Shin to the event. Shin continues to earn the stares of the people around him, but this time they were concerning ones.

---

As soon Vyc got in the bus there was somebody already waiting for him. The JHWAB had one of the squads track him silently from the airport, where he was detected, until he reached the Hotel and the orders to interact with him arrived just as he was leaving the building.

The JHWAB agent was a member of the Intelligence Branch, Hayato Okamimori, one of the seven heirs of the Okamimori Ninja Clan, known through the Japanese Hidden World as famed trackers, thanks to their secret training that enhances their sense of smell to untold levels.

Hayato was a young man dressed in a light grey suit and blue shirt. His long hair was tied on a tail behind his head and his glasses seemed to reflect the light. With almost inhuman silence he strode through bus and sat besides Vyc, without even making a sound as his places his weight on the chair.

-Vyc Terrarum, I’ve been sent to meet you in representation of the JHWAB, as your “oddity” interests us.- It was clear to see that Hayato was making an effort to look amicable, as he usually tended to break a couple of bones before taking whoever he was asked in. Damn office politics.

-I assure you, nor I, nor my employers, desire to harm you, I’m just here to extend a cordial, but firm invitation for a simple interview in our HQ here in Tokyo, after it you’ll be free to leave.- The Okamimori Shinobi didn’t want this to turn ugly, but thankfully hopes didn’t interfere with his planning.

All the people in the bus were low-level agents, most of them Omnyo Apprentices; ready to cast constrictions spells if the combat started, as well to create a barrier around the bus to hide the Hidden World Activity from the Mundane people.

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The JHWAB wasn’t accustomed to deal with aliens, they usually didn’t land on Japan, and it was more a concern of the Western Powers, not to mention they already had their hands full with the internal conflicts between Yokais and humans.

Yet in recent years they ended up finding an alternative for this cases if ever happened. One of the senior inspectors of the Intelligence Branch gave his apprentice a relic passed through his household since the Muromachi Era, a strange Crystal, usually know as Midorisei (Green Star)

This apprentice discovered the secret of the Crystal and activated its powers. Seemingly it was some kind of advanced Alien Weaponry that fell to Earth, surely lost in a fight or some similar disaster. The Apprentice, with time took the job of his mentor.

Dansei Kiken was his name and dealing with Alien incidents is his game. Using the Midorisei he summons a powerful suit of armor with multiple useful features, that allows him to exit and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at will, not to mention greatly increase his physical traits.

After the sensors set to detect any off-world intruder flared up in his small office he used the armor to fly directly to it. –Julia-san, I’ll do the remaining stretch on foot, maybe is one of the pacific ones and we could avoid a useless fight.-

Dansei spoke through his communication device (standard issue JHWAB coded to the user biometrics and connected to the Mahoreiko) to his assistant Julia Pond, who also served as his liaison to NASA in case of emergency.

-You’re taking too many risks Mr. Kiken, you shouldn’t remove your suit so carelessly, what if is a hostile invader? - The assistant asked coldly. Dansei laughed through the line as he walked towards Ji’tal’s crash site only dressed with a simple black yukata and sandals.

-Danger is my second name Julia-san. How sweet of you to worry so much for me…- He said carelessly. Still the light tone stopped when he noticed the destroyed farm ahead. - I’ll cut the comm. right away, we don’t know if our guest has any technology that can trace of intercept the comm.-

-Wait a minu----Bzzt! - Julia’s voice was cut short as the comm. channel was deactivated. Dansei decided to activate the translator function that passively came with his armor, rather than just suiting up. Hopefully whatever was inside the house would reply to his summon, if it had a mind for the telepathic translator to latch on.

-Welcome to Earth, my name is Dansei Kiken, I represent the organization that deals with…”Inmigration” in this region of the planet.- Kiken took a couple of steps forward. –Please exit the structure with any appendixes you may have up in the air, unnarmed. - Hopefully whatever was inside would be rational and reasonable.

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-Hello! How’re you doing Ms…- A young woman with golden hair and a Chinese dress was sitting on the bed with a big smile on her face and her big brown eyes filled with sparkles. In her hand she had a tablet and besides her, lying on the bed was a soubo, a staff usually used by Monks.

She checked the tablet in a rush and finished the sentence in perfect English. –Ms. Verity! Yes, that’s it! - She leaned backwards and then sprung up the bed. She stretched some of the wrinkles on her dress and took a bow. –Welcome to Japan, my name is Eiko Kitanegami, I’m with the JHWAB.-

The young woman took a couple of steps forward, to a zone with better lighting and some extra details were available to Maya, the most important being that Eiko had animal-like ears popping up her hair, the same blond color on the fur as he impressive mane.

–I don’t want to hurt you, I just want to talk, do you have a moment? – Eiko moved to sit on a couch and made a gesture to Maya to join her. - I represent the Japanese authority when it comes to…ehem… weird things and we want to invite you to an interview, just a matter of routine.-

As she talked Eiko released pheromones that would calm a regular human, part of her inheritance as a Half-Kitsune was godly charm, something really useful for her as member of the Culture Branch of the JHWAB.

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-Oy, oy, oy!- A voice came from atop the water tank, two figures just materialized there, their silhouettes cut against the starry sky. The one talking was fully dressed in Samurai Armor, and carried a couple of blades hanging on his sash. –Nice night, don’t ya think…Tamashi-san.-

The second figure, a head taller than the first, with longer hair and a mixture between western suit and Japanese formal wear, sighed in frustration and slapped the nape of the first one. –For God’s sake, shut up boy or I’ll hit you again. - The second figure seemed a bit older and wiser than the other.

-What did I do wrong? - The first one shouted as he jumped down to the structure that housed the door towards the stairs. Now, closer to Katsuo his appearance was more visible. He was around his early 20’s carried a full red armor and had short spiky black hair.

The second figure descended to ground level slowly, with some sort of luminescence on his soles, as if he was magically levitating. He was a man on his mid to late 50’s with long black hair and an unkempt beard. –You said forgot his name, that’s what happens when you have muscles instead of brain…-

The young man snorted to that insult and abruptly sat at the edge of the structure. The older man approached Katsuo and Shi with his hands up, clearly unarmed. –Katsuo Takashi I presume… Let me introduce myself.-

The old man bowed. –My name is Norio Bushitora, I’m a member of the JHWAB, an organization working for the government that investigates and catalogues odd or inhuman occurrences.- He pointed behind him without much enthusiasm. –The idiot up there is my son Shin, ignore him, he just here as my bodyguard, just protocol.-

-We approach you today to extend a formal invitation to a registration interview in our HQ, here in Tokyo. – Norio proceeded to explain. –Is our desire that you accept this invitation and I assure you no harm will be done to you…- The Old Investigator tone changed, becoming ominous. –Or to your lovely partner.-

-Partner? I ain’t seeing anyone else here old man, did senility finally got you? - Shin mocked his father, who clearly was able to notice the living blade. Norio contained the desires to punch his son and hoped for the best.

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-Sorry, but we need that guy to join us.- A duo of a man and a woman walked right in front of the running cosplayer. He was tall, handsome, with dark hair and sported a stylish vest and shirt combo. She was even taller than him, with fiery red hair and dressed on office clothing.

The man flashed a badge and talked with authoritarian voice. –We are with the Tokyo Police Department and that young man is a vital part of an open investigation. Please release him to our custody. - The woman sighed in frustration for her partner’s attitude

-You have the modals of a drunken sailor Gara, why don’t you let me handle this. - The woman turned to the girl and scanning her and Shin with her eyes. –For the looks of it you are going to a cosplay convention… I used to go when I was younger.-


-Hum, but if he goes as Tuxedo Mask. - She quickly added after noticing a bit of the costume out of the bag, surely a result of her mad dash. –You are going to lose…- She was talking in a very kind and amicable way.

-Yuki, is there a point to this? - Gara, the Military Branch Officer, was impatient, but his partner shut him up with a single glare. –There is, so shut up. - She whispered, out of the girl’s hearing range.

-Tell you what, I’ll exchange that scrawny kid, for my pal Gara, he will surely do a better Tuxedo mask than this kid. Deal?- She extended her hand while the Military Officer did a lot of effort not to grab his weapon and kill the girl and his forced partner, Yuki Minato, from the Economy Branch of the JHWAB.

---

The girl studies Gara with a careful eye. Making sure that he can fit into the costume, she pulls out measuring tape, and begins to gather information on Gara's measurements. "Alright, everything seems to be in good size." She drops Shin's arm, and grabs Yuki's hand. "You got yourself a deal." The girl was happy with this new development. She now has a man with the ideal figure for Texudo Mask to compliment her. With him as an asset, there was no way that she was going to lose the tournament now. She grabs Gara by the hand and pulls him with her towards the convention saying, "Come on already. At this rate we are going to miss the damn thing."

Shin remains on the floor, and peeks up once the girl was out of sight. He gets off the ground and begins to wipe the dirt of his clothes from being dragged across the streets. After a while of his head hitting the ground over and over again he slowly regain consciousness, yet afraid of what would happen if he tried anything else, he pretends to remain unconscious until he could find a way to escape from his kidnapper. However, as luck would have it, some random people were willing to do all the work for him, perhaps his luck has turned around for today. Either way, Shin was now free to do whatever he wants to do again.

"Thanks Red" said Shin. "You have no idea how forceful that crazy girl can be." Now thinking about it, maybe her partner was lying about the being sick part, and was just afraid to go the tournament with her. "Anyway, I need to get back to finding something entertaining to do." Shin nods his head to the officer as another form of appreciation and as a goodbye. Then he turns around with his back facing the officer, and he begins to walk away, while he scratches his head, trying to figure out what he should do next.

Weren't it for the pheromones that the woman was releasing, Maya would have either ran out or attacked her. Her violet eyes widened when she saw that the woman had ears like that of animals. She found herself wanting to ask questions, but they were quickly shot down in advance as the woman, whom introduced herself as Eiko Kitanegami, continued to talk. Maya, whom had been standing there dumbfounded during the exposition, when she heard the words ''I don't want to hurt you'', she finally began to relax. Although most of it was due to the pheromones that were bombarding her senses, giving her an unnatural sense of calm. Obliging, Maya sat down in the chair opposite to the couch, legs crossed and arms folded under her large bosom.

''Very well then,'' Maya cut to the chase as it were her style. ''Would you please explain to me how you knew about my...'' She took a short pause, closing her eyes for a brief moment before continuing to speak. ''... oddity?'' Her facial expression, contrary to how animated it had been during the first few seconds of walking inside the room, was remarkably stoic. Charming fellow or not, she wasn't one to express herself vividly.

Had she had the time to take in her surroundings, she would see that the room was clearly one that was suited for the rich. A large queen-sized bed that was tucked in the middle of the room, the walls as well as floor were covered in some form of red mat and the bathroom had enough space that it could fit four. The lightning was dim, almost erotic in how it illuminated the room. In the furthermost corner, just to the left of the window in the middle that would give one a view of Tokyo, there was a small bookshelf filled with classic literature ranging from Shakespeare, Mark Twain and to some authors of home like Kenzaburō Ōe. A library fit for connoisseurs of literature. As if the designer of this room didn't want to make the right corner lonely, there was a wardrobe placed there with a small selection of clothes. They were, naturally, of japanese design. Several kimono that were designed to match the four seasons and a yukata here and there. Seems like the designer had a taste for the traditional and perhaps a bit pretentious.

There was no clock in the room and nothing could be heard from the outside. The walls were soundproof so as to give a sense of peace and quiet. But with the everyday ticking of the clock being gone and little to no movement, it was almost like time had stopped in the crimson room.

Ji'tal heard the voice on the other side of the structure. Standing up and strapping his Ku'lan to his hip, he removed his helmet and rested it in the crook of his arm. Taking a deep breath of the mana latent in the air, he felt revitalized thanks to his meditation. Circling around the structure, he approached the strange man, raising his chin to reveal a device attached to his collar, comprised of a strange band that likely interacted with his throat in some way, and a dial. After fiddling with the dial for a moment, he spoke up.

"I can understand Japanese just fine, it's speaking it that gives me hastle." He replied, "As for unarming myself, I'd be more than happy to keep my Ku'lan in its scabbard, on the other hand, only two things can get an Eldar'aan to let go of their most sacred weapon: necessities like sleep, and death." He paused, the thought that maybe a human might take that as a challenge only now appearing in his mind. "However, as compensation, I will remove my armor in its totality. Is this agreeable?"

As he made that inquiry, he began removing his armor, revealing a light jumpsuit beneath that was more for comfort than actual protection. He then gestured at the farmhouse, "As you can probably tell, wood is not an effective kinetic dampener for metal travelling at terminal velocity, so I'd advise immediately contacting the emergency medical services. The lives of innocents are worth more than the life of a soldier." He said. He turned towards the house, leg bending as if to walk towards it, but he stopped moving mid-lift.

Vyc sat calmly in the bus praying that no one would sit next to him as to avoid awkward small talk. Of course immediately after this thought crossed his mid a young man with long brown hair sat next to him. Vyc was about to say hello when the man cut him off explaining why he was there. Vyc stared at the man not sure exactly what to say. At this point Vyc had his reasons to be be skeptical about some "interview" with a company he as never heard about.

- I don't know... Vyc said, he had a bad feeling about this, but for some strange reason he wanted to see it through.

-What do you mean by "oddity": Vyc asked as quietly and nonchalantly as possible.

Before Katsuo could deny Shi's request, he was startled by a voice coming from behind him. He reflexively grabbed Shi Kaze while turning around and got into a fighting stance. He cautiously watched the two strange men arguing. They didn't seem like yakuza hitmen, they didn't act like it nor did they look like it, and Katsuo had to hand it to them, they had a good taste in clothing.

When they introduced themselves, Katsuo couldn't believe what they were telling him. He couldn't believe that they were from some secret government organisation, that they were investigating "odd and inhuman occurrences", and especially not that they were father and son with all that arguing even though he could see a slight physical resemblance when he squinted. Of course, he soon realized that he just saw one of them float down from the sky and that he himself was holding a sentient sword that could make otherworldly mist and warm winds.

Well, the government organisation he never heard of was still suspect, but at least the men didn't seem to want a fight so Katsuo relaxed.

"A registration interview? I do suppose the spirit in this sword counts as an oddity, but I am curious as to how you found out about it? And how you can see it."

"I've been working on it since you-" She tensed and poured from his coat when Katsuo grabbed her hilt. Light objects began to get picked up and orbit the swordsman and the wind spun around him. Shi remained in this tight cyclone as Norio and Shin spoke, withdrawing to her usual light breeze so her whisper could be heard in Katsuo's ear and no others. "Don't trust them. Don't let them take me..." She whimpered, sounding on the verge of panic and tears.

---

-Sorry kiddo, but I can’t let ya go so easily. - Yuki pulled her real badge as she spoke with a thick Kansai dialect, usually connected with Osaka. –My name is Yuki Minato, I’m an Investigator of the JHWAB, the organization this country has to control, monitor and observe Hidden World Denizens and conflicts. - She put her badge away and gets a small gizmo from inside her coat pocket.

-Our scanners indicate ya’re part of the Hidden World kiddo, and I must extend an invitation for a registration interview here in our Tokyo HQ, I assure ya we won’t harm you, but we would deeply appreciate if ya came to the interview. - She stopped talking for a moment and the gadget in her hand started blipping when pointed at Yuki. –Yes, ya are the guy, ya should try coming with me, and I assure you it will be… amusing at the very least.-

Yuki Minato waited for Shin’s response, it was a gamble to come this unguarded to a meeting, especially considering she wasn’t a muscle headed Military Branch member, but gambling was a proud and infamous tradition of her family.

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-Oh how? - Eiko cutely scratched her head and added. –I don’t really know… eto…eto…- She started browsing on her tablet while she hummed. Her childlike face went bright with happiness for a second when she found what she was looking. –Here it is! Sorry, I’m not the brainy type, I work on the Cultural Branch of the JHWAB.-

-According to this the organization detects individuals “Through…uh this is cool, I didn’t knew this…- She stopped to look at Maya with a bit of embarrassment after realizing she should have studied a bit for the assignment and resumed reading. –Sorry, I was here…”Through a network of devices linked by the Mahoreiko, the private communication network of the Bureau”-

-And here is the rest. - She said after swiping her finger over the screen to pass the page of the manual. –“The devices can detect irregularities on human beings, like for example high levels of Ki, Magical Energy or any strange biological alteration. It also detects the complete lack of this elements as it would signal an electronic entity or some kind of cloaking.-

-I don’t know the specifics, but the boys in the office were pretty interested on your…ehem, this is going to sound weird now that I know you in person. - Eiko tried to be as innocent as possible, blushing furiously as she did. –Your…eh…”gifts”.- The Half Kitsune contained a fit of laughter. –Sorry, but now I understand when they laughed before sending me here and saying that… those guys have dirt inside their heads.-

-Well the gist of it is the following, we need you to come to our main office so we can do some tests, get some basic contact information, for yours and this country protection, test your gifts so we have them in record and you can leave.- Eiko added. –You can also avoid replying to any question that makes you uncomfortable.-

The Culture Branch Agent, after looking Maya from toes to tip, finished with. –And I’ll make sure you get a female doctor on your med exam. So, what do you say? Wanna go to the Office? Pleeeeease…- She begged cutely.

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-From what HQ scanning equipment indicates you posses a foreign substance, at least foreign to a regular human being inside your body. - Hayato spoke without lowering his voice with forced “natural” tone. He didn’t like being in the open, but the HHRR of JHWAB told him he should try to increase his social skills if he planned to become an Investigator in the Intelligence Branch.

-We aren’t sure about the nature of said substance, nor what it could represent in the Hidden World scene. - He pulled a tablet from his jacket. –We only desire to do some preliminary texts and get some of your contact information, not only for own mission, but also to protect you if it ever got to that… thinking it twice protecting you in Japanese soil is part of our mission.-

The Okamimori Shinobi finished with. –I hope you comply peacefully with our invitation, think it as a “customs office” for people with oddities.-

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-Nah, you can keep your armor, no problem, if it’s a cultural imperative you don’t need to bother disarming. - But Ji’tal already removed it when Dansei finished speaking. It was quite weird that the alien could understand Japanese, or even know what Japanese was, the Intelligence Investigator would inquire further.

-The emergency services will be here in no time, don’t sweat it. - Dansei Kiken was legendarily laid back, to the point that he usually frustrated more “intense” Intelligence Agents and Investigators.-What I’m interested in is your knowledge of the language, I take it this isn’t your first time in Earth, and in the case it is, would you mind telling me what brought you here?-

-I presume you crash landed, but I could be wrong, maybe you aren’t a good driver, no offense if that isn’t the case… - Dansei Kiken continued with his really chilled tone. –Would you mind accompanying me to my Organization HQ, we are sort of the immigration office for this region of the Planet, so we would need you to come for an interview and registration.-

-Just basic stuff, like place of origin, reason for your arrival and how much are you going to stay.- He took a tablet from inside his plain black yukata. – Ahh and also a medical checkup and small physical text to see if you don’t bring any pathogens with you… I almost forgot about that one and that’s the important one.-

-You don’t need to worry about me in the front, I’m inoculated already- Dansei’s Armor already took the measures to protect him from otherworldly diseases.

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-I dabble a bit in Omnyo Magic, so my eyes are open to the mysteries of the spirit realm.- Norio tried to sound wise an enigmatic but it’s difficult when your son, that knows how to recognize your bullshit, is around. From above them Shin mocked his father. –Laaaame! But still that explains why you couldn’t notice that mum was about to leave you… to focused on the Spirit Realm…- The young swordsman knew the weak points of his progenitor

Norio turned in anger to face his son and shouted at him. –For once can you behave like an Agent and understand that in the field I’m your superior, don’t go behaving like an animal as last time!- The Old Investigator returned to face Katsuo and apologizes with a much diplomatic tone. –Sorry for that, but if I don’t put a leash on him he might think he needs to fight you or something like that.-

-About we located you it’s simple, imagine a network of magical and technological sensors through all of Japan detecting anything different from a baseline human or basic technology and that’s how we found you, in fact we located you and your beautiful partner the moment you awoke her.- Norio explained with a professional tone.

-You keep talking about a partner, but I don’t see what the hell you’re talking about old man.- Shin rudely talked as he jumped down to the rooftop, landing besides his father.

-His sword is alive brat, I don’t know the details but I can see an spectral visage floating around him, not to mention the spiritual signature coming from the blade.- Shin looked at the sword with shiny eyes and he opened them even more widely as he noticed the seal at the base of the blade.

-Holy shit old man! That’s a Muramasa Blade! I totally want to get my hand on one of th- Norio hit him in the back of the head. –Shut it brat, that sword is off-limits for us.-

The Old Investigator turned to face Katsuo, or better said he turned to see Shi no Kaze and bowed. –Do not worry oh esteemed spirit residing inside the blade, we won’t separate you from your partner, and we won’t harm him either, we only want to know more about you two and how your partnership came to be, nothing more, nothing less.- Norio spoke as politely as humanly possible.

-For that purpose I…- He looked at his son and grabbed the back of his head and made him bow alongside him. –We… request your compliance for this interview, both of you, if you could be so kind.-

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Meanwhile in a Cosplay Contest, Gara, the gruff Military Officer grumbled curses and insults. –The moment I leave this place I’m going to bash Yuki’s head in. - Those were his thoughts as he forced a smile on his face besides the girl he was loaned to and graciously proclaimed making the crowd go wild.

“A Serenade fits a beautiful moonlit night! Noise that is painful to hear will disappear immediately!”

-I’m going to kill her for this-

---

Shin turns around picking his nose, and flicks a booger on the ground. "Listen Red, I appreciate what you done for me, but I'm not really in a mood to be interviewed. Last time I did an interview I was so bored, I went to sleep during it. Also, I have no idea what a hidden world is, nor do I really care about that. I'm just a regular person." said Shin looking across the street while he tells an obvious lie.

Shin then turns around waving at the officer again, "If you excuse me officer, I got to do some normal teenage stuff now." Shin continues to walk away, worried what would happen if the officer was planning on following. Shin really didn't know about this hidden world thing, but he couldn't let anyone find out that he is a member of a secret clan that has long ago left the world for thousands of years, and only keeps to themselves now for the most part. If they learned anything about his background, Shin couldn't imagine the following outcomes resulting in anything good for both him and his family back home.

Shin takes another step before noticing a car spinning out of control, which was heading towards a mother and her little child that was only a few feet in front of him. Without a moments hesitation, Shin pushes off the ground, and grabs both of them, then with a single high jump, he jumps over the out of control car as it smashes into a side of a building, luckily no one got hit by it. Shin lands on the ground with the mother over his shoulder with one arm on her, and the little kid wrapped around his other arm by his hip.

He puts them both down gently, and the mother grabs her child and starts crying in joy and gratitude. She wouldn't stop thanking Shin for saving her, and more importantly her son's life. Shin just smiles, and tell her that he's happy that they are both alright. Shin then remembers about the officer, and looks up to see her standing there. Now there was no way in hell that he was going to be able to pass off as a normal teenager, he thought. Shin quickly rans away, moving almost as fast as the car in the streets, towards an alley way to escape from the officer's sight. He had no choice now, but to run away and escape.

---

"It is my first time on Terra, yes, but not my species' first time." He paused, "You do not call it Terra?" He asked, collecting his armor again. "As for what brought me here, my drop pod was knocked completely off course by something. They don't have propulsion, they're completely mag-catapult reliant. However, I suppose this works out for the better, ultimately. I am a reconnaissance trooper, so if I can accelerate my king's search in this..." He broke off mid-sentence, "Sorry, it's a little too early for me to be going into detail."

He blinked as the human asked him to come to an interview, standing up to full height again. "Of course. The less trouble I make for humanity, the better off it'll be when the fleet arrives." He said. After a pause, he added, "I should probably warn you... once the fleet arrives, any attempt to hide its existence will be an exercise in futility. Two planet class ships, three massive flagships, and more carriers, corvettes, and frigates than I can count? From the records, the last Terra we visited..." his voice trailed off, but it was clear there was a panic.

He shook his head, "Anyway, I have no way of knowing how they'll approach this Terra. Maybe they'll only send a single corvette to pick me up? Maybe the whole fleet will come to survey Terra..." he shrugged, "Regardless, I have reason to believe your public will become privy to extraterrestrial life. But again, we'll have to discuss this back at... what was the Terran word for it again?" He paused, "Oh, right, the station. Why do you Terrans have to have so many words for the same thing anyway? It makes language studies way more involved for us Eldar'aan you know..." he said in an almost chastising tone.

---

Vyc looked at the tablet and the man and decided he was trustworthy enough to believe.

-So you guys know about...my...gift?: Vyc said the last part in a hushed voice as the bus stopped. Vyc was intensely curious about the man and whatever this "company" was.

-so... Where should we get off at? Vyc asked the man uncomfortably. Vyc did not like sitting on a bus for long periods of time since he gets car sick often

Throughout the chatty woman's explanation, she nodded here and there, although her mouth temporarily formed a sneer when she heard about words that were right out of fantasy like magic, ki and other things of a similiar nature. Then she reminded herself of the situation she was in and that sneer was abruptly gone. As for the men Eiko was referring to, the voluptous woman didn't even bat an eyelid at this. It wasn't rare for her to receive such attention, but if there was one thing worthy of raising her eyes at, it was how everything seemed to fall into her lap.

''How convenient. But sure, I will accompany you to wherever this is.'' True to herself, Maya responded immediately without any further questions. She stood up and walked over to the door, having a firm grip on the handle. There was no time to waste nor was there a need for it. Or for the woman to beg for that matter. This was what she had been looking for. She turned around and gave the woman a cheerful smile. ''Thank you,'' whereas she then proceeded to turn the handle, expecting the fox-woman to follow. And to lead as things were.

Time had seemingly returned to the crimson room. Or perhaps it had simply been illuminated by a cheerful spirit, as it seemed a lot more lively than before.

Katsuo saw nothing wrong with the explanation provided. There was no reason for him not to trust the father-son duo, even if Shi was worried.

"I humbly accept your invitation." Katsuo bowed. "But Shi will stay by my side at all times and if I sense any treachery... I will not take kindly to it." Hopefully, those conditions were acceptable to both the men and to Shi Kaze.

Shi fluttered uncertainly round Katsuo's head. "If you want to, Kat. I still don't trust them." More accurately, she didn't trust one of them. The warm wind lacked a warm voice when it whispered in Shin's ear. "You will not lay a finger on me, or I will carve your hands and cock off and shove them in the hole I tear in your guts." A more light and playful wind spoke for everybody to hear. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

---

-Tsk, what a pain in the ass, kids these days don’t respect authority.- Yuki took a coin from her jacket and flipped it as Shin was doing his heroics. –Sigh, he really is bad at hiding his stuff…- The Economical Officer Yuki Minato had a skill that was extremely rare, a trait that followed her family’s bloodline for centuries.

Somebody on her family had a run-in of the sexy kind with a God of Fortune, Daikoku-ten, and from that point onward Good Fortune runs on her family. Better put, the “Theft” of Fortune, as she can alter the odds of situations by leeching good luck from others, in this case from the fleeing Mizakura clansman.

-Heads up kid- Yuki whispered as she flung her coin with her thumb. The golden coin spun through the air in an arc until it landed inside a car, through the open sunroof. The coin entered into the back of the driver, in-between his neck and shirt making him have a sudden reaction to the coldness of the coin.

The car executed a violent turn hitting a lamppost that in consequence fell against a building hitting the edge of the roof. The sudden impact loosened the bolts of a fire-escape over the alley way chosen by Shin to escape through. The whole structure collapsed in front of the Mizukara Clansman blocking the path.

During all this Yuki advanced calmly until she was behind Shin when then path was blocked and said. –C’mon Kiddo, don’t make me do this again, I don’t like ruining so much infrastructure… I promise you aren’t going to get hurt… in fact I give you my word.-

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Dansei heard Ji’tal’s speech and exposition with a vacant expression. After having met more a dozen different aliens you lose the sense of wonder and curiosity and the tedium takes hold of you. –At least I’m not fighting him… that would be a total drag.- He thought as he scratched the back of his head.

-Well… Follow me I have a “beacon” that will allow us to travel instantaneously to the Office.- The Intelligence Investigator glanced the ship. –And don’t worry about your ship, we will take it to the Office and you will be able to retrieve it afterwards… is part of the protocol for this situations, you know?-

The Host of the Midorisei led the way to a small clearing nearby with several paper charms forming a makeshift circle in the ground. –When we step on this together we will be sent to the Office. - Dansei explained as he entered the circle, making the charms take a faint luminescence.

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-Rightttttttt- He started speaking but slowly his speech was blurred as the outside the bus a cacophony of sound and lights formed a vortex. The vehicle started spinning, or at least seemed to spin, Hayato seemed unaffected by the sudden lightshow, but if Vyc normally got carsick this could be pretty brutal.

-Hhhhhhhhhhhere.- Hayato finished his sentence as the bus landed in a strange chamber, clearly and underground location with tall concrete pillars holding a ceiling cloaked in shadows. There were some lights placed inside the floor aiming upwards, lighting up the place.

If Vyc looked around he would be able to see the wreckage of what seemed to be a Spaceship and many circles in the floor made with paper charms. –Welcomed to the Kanto HQ of the JHWAB Terrarum-Dono, if you could follow me I’ll take you to the Interview Office.-

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Eiko walked to stand just besides Maya, less than arms length and suddenly from her lower back 3 golden tails popped out, enveloping her and Maya in a soft and fluffy cage. –Sorry about invading your personal space, but I can teleport people in a small area. My Fox Powers are kind of limited, after all I’m only 60 years old.- She smiled as energy started to build up inside her.

A blast of golden powder filled the room and slowly increased in brightness. In a flash of golden light they vanished from the hotel and appeared in the same place Vyc landed, in fact if Maya looked around she could spot the bus inside the chamber. –Here we are, please follow me and try to avoid getting lost, if I didn’t have powers I would get lost all the time.-

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Norio and Shin walked towards him as the Old Investigator threw paper charms around them. –Don’t worry.- He said he continued his work. –I’m only setting a onetime only portal back to the Office.- Shin laughed out loud as he extended his hand in comradeship to Katsuo. –I must warn, as you’re a fellow swordsman and deserve the heads up, that what you should worry about isnt the destination.-

Lights started to flicker around them as a buzzing sound filled the air. –You worry about the travel…and keeping your breakfast on its right place.- the mayhem of lights surrounded them and they teleported into the same room as Maya and Vyc, surely Katsuo and Shi would be able to see the others, as there wasn’t much else in this gigantesque chamber.

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When the bus started spinning Vyc could already tell he was going to be sick. The landing was rather abrupt and seemed to take forever to get to. Vyc looked around and everything was blurry and looked double. When his vision cleared he looked at the man who seemed completely unscathed. Vyc wanted to pass out or just lay down for a little while, but instead found himself mesmerized by the room they found themselves in.

All Vyc could possible say was -Woah.

Shin stops himself before smashing into the rusty fire escape. Just my luck, thought Shin. He turns around to see the officer approaching him. "Sure..." said Shin as he was walking casually away from the broken fire escape debris, and moving towards the officer. Shin suddenly makes a dash towards the side of the building next to him. He rans up on its walls, and jumps to grabs a window edge from the second floor, while continuing to move without skipping a beat. Shin uses a what could be seen as almost superhuman level parkour moves to quickly make his way to the top of the building.

Shin looks down and waves,"See you later, Red." He turns around, and as he does so, Shin somehow ends up losing his balance, and he falls over. He begins to grab at the random objects, in an attempt to try to stop his free fall and climb back up, but everything he touch would just break or was to slippery for him to grab onto. Shin slowly makes his wall back down to the ground level in just a few seconds after failing to stop his fall.

Shin lands pretty hard on his ass, and he mumble in pain a bit before saying, "That hurt a little more than it should have." He slowly gets back up and rubs his backside, while turning around to face the officer. "I hear people say that third times the charm. Shall we put that theory to the test?" Shin pushes off the ground one more time in the direction of the street, but when he takes his first step, his front foot gets stuck inside a decent sized crack in the floor, which was just big enough for his foot to get inside of, but too small for his foot to get out off easily.

"You got to be kidding me!" Shin begins to try to pull his foot out, but his foot would't budge even a little bit. No matter how hard he tries to pull his foot free, he couldn't make any progress. "How the hell didn't I notice this stupid crack" complained Shin as he continues to struggle with his current situation.

Ji'tal stepped onto the circle hesitantly, not sure what to expect on the other side, his training quickly took over and he dropped to a low squat just before the characteristic yanking sensation of being teleported hit him. However, he noticed he didn't feel the usual "snap" of the second phase of teleportation. So, he surmised, only objects were moved by the circle, not the space around the objects. However, until Dansei gave an all clear, or he was certain there were no weapons aimed at him, he remained tensed and ready to lunge. He took a deep breath, calming his nerves as he recovered from the yank of teleportation. The mana in the air around him was more, raw, like he was standing in a nexus of pure mana, rather than the usual ambient, elemental mana. This usually meant the veil was thinner in the area around him, but he wasn't sure if the veil even existed in this world.

"You said my pod would be recovered, right? Well, then I must demand that you press the blue button right next to the door." He paused, wondering for a moment if he should tell them what the button's function was, and finally, decided that if he didn't he'd just create problems for his species when, and if, they arrived. "It'll vaporize any tech I'm not permitted to let fall into another species' hands. And, if in range, it'll send out a ping to the fleet. And given how long I had been floating through space, I don't think the fleet is in range. Yet." He stated, "Laws exist for a reason, and while I can understand you'd be frustrated by not being allowed to examine some of our technology, there's a reason my species can't share." He concluded with a sigh. He was a soldier, not a diplomat. He was trained to observe, not to interact.

And any idiot with eyes could see that Ji'tal was miles out of his comfort zone.

Katsuo listened to Shin's warning and braced himself. It didn't help much. The lights still left him dazed when they disappeared and the contents of his stomach started rioting, but he managed to keep them inside. Well, it could have been worse. He blinked a few times to clear his head and looked around. While the room they were in was fairly huge, they wasn't anything particularly eye-catching about it. On the other hand, the fact that the swordsmen weren't the only people in the room surprised Katsuo.

The two men on the bus weren't particularly interesting, but the two women definitely were, what with one having animal features and the other spine-crushing breasts. Katsuo's mind wandered for a second before a mental smack set it back on track. After clearing his throat, he looked at Norio and said: "I see we're not the only ones here. Are they here for an interview, too?"

Having no stomach to upset, Shi just spun in agitated circles as the charms entered the air. When everything became light and they were in the new, massive room, she immediately scanned her surroundings. Pillars. Pillars and... underground? She didn't like underground, but at least it wasn't enclosed. The room was massive. There was a long car thing containing two men not far from them. Strange. Cars did not go inside as far as Shi knew. But that was overall not important, what with the two women not far away. Look at them. Seductive and foul whores. The kitsuai slut with bright eyes and shining fur was all for eyecatching. The other was worse. A figure that was ridiculous in all ways. Breasts bigger than any decent being's head. Lucky that the disgusting creature must spend most of her time on her knees, because standing looked painful. Shi let loose a growl and slunk low, whispering around Katsuo's neck. "Talk quick so we can go."

It was a strange sensation. It wasn't so much space being warped around her as it was like a camera switching pictures: It happened immediately. As her brain tried to cope with the assault of information, she staggered a bit, as if she had lost her sense of balance. To be precise, it was more like she had temporarily lost her grip on reality, like sand trickling through an open hand. The sensation was just like that time with the assailant, only more... real and less dream-like. As she knew very well that the supernatural existed toe-to-toe with mundane reality, it allowed her to cope with the nausea.

Managing to stand up straight, she found herself taking in the massive vista of marble that were the headquarters. Pillars simply too large to be described as ''enormous'' and more comparable with the ancient trees of the rainforests, giants of stone holding up the roof. The floor had a polished look to it and made for quite the confusing view as it reflected the floor, giving it the illusion of the pillars even descending into the ground itself. Taking a deep breath, she allowed herself one comment: ''Reminds me of the Parthenon.'' While the feeling of grandiosity was certainly there, it bore little resemblance to the temple of old that resided in Greece.

The memory of wandering in that temple of marble was as vibrant as ever, her parents holding hands and grinning like newlywed, the sun shining just as bright. As were she, enamoured with the ancient piece of history she was looking at and wandering inside of. At that day she was no more than the age of seven. Maya's brief foray into the past was disturbed by the feeling of getting glared at.

While she was unable to determine the source, she did see a few candidates. One among them a tall, ridiculously so, redhead that seemed just as confused as her with the spatial dislocation. He didn't seem quite human either, but that might just be a trick of the brain. Then again, he was wearing quite the odd clothing. No, it was more like armour. A clear sign that he was an oddity as well. Indeed, it didn't take long for her to realize that this was literally the place for where people like her, were to be shepherded into the fence like sheep. A grim analogy to be sure, but one that felt fitting nonetheless.

Folding her arms, Maya simply asked one question: ''What now?''

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-Yes, they will be joining you and your partner for the interview.- Norio told Katsuo with calm and poise, both broken by his son Shin who added. –And you will also team up with them for the physical examination… How much fun are we going to have with that….- Shin rubbed his hands with faked malice as he left. –I’ll leave you in the capable hands of my father, you check for his pulse from time to time, the old fart ought to die someday.-

-Don’t worry about it man… or alien…or alien bro… whatever…- Dansei pointed at a group of black clothed workers who were placing charms in the pillars around the wreckage of the pod. –After a couple of very nasty accidents before my time the official protocol is locking the technology and never touch it unless something is either beeping or seems to be about to blow.-

-It makes everything easier. - He said as a golden force-field like barrier surrounded the vehicle. –You will be able to retrieve it after the Interview.-

-What now? We just wait for the big headed gray skinned tiny men to come with their probes.- Eiko looked at Maya with seriousness, that only last for 5 seconds before she bursts into half contained laughter. –Sorry I always wanted to make that joke… We will wait for some big wig to make the introductions and then we will go towards the offices.-

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-Hello and welcome to the JHWAB Kanto HQ. - A voice echoed in the room and even if it tried to sound welcoming it the coldness on his voice was apparent, as if he was a pastiche of a host. Even worse was his forced grin, an awkward smile for the age. He continued talking. –I’m Subaru Yukishiro, Head of the Intelligence Branch of the JHWAB I will be head Interr…-

The Leader of the Intelligence Branch was about to say something he shouldn’t, so Norio, moving towards him took the word. -…head Interviewer for your registration, he will be the head interviewer and I, Norio Bushitora, Investigator of the Intelligence Branch will assist him.- The Old Investigator contained a sigh, as he knew that Subaru wasn’t suited for this at all.

He only could hope that his boss didn’t lose it mid-interview and went back to his old bag of tricks, a bag filled with things that made the Spanish Inquisition look like toddlers with tickling feathers. –We also will have the help of the Agents and Investigators that brought you here, either as Interviewers or a security detail.-

-Yukishiro-dono, please go back to the control room, I’ll guide the newcomers and start the process, you can monitor from there. - Even if he didn’t like to delegate Subaru admitted that Norio was better on all the social interaction. He was ready to leave when, as he gave a last gaze to the people that just came in noticed something.

-Wait a moment, I think we are missing one guest Bushitora-san…- Norio heard his boss and looked around, suddenly sharing on the revelation. –You’re right Yukishiro-dono, Yuki Minato and the white haired swordsman haven’t arrived ye- The Old Investigator was interrupted by the sudden flash of light, sign of a teleportation with two silhouettes inside the glow.

Yuki Minato, Investigator of the Economy Branch had Shin Mizukara in a headlock, as she cursed. –Godamnit Kiddo! Why did you made me do that? Now the subway repairs will come from my payche…- She looked around noticing many people in the hangar were looking at her.

She quickly released Shin as tried to awkwardly laugh it off. –Hehehe…. We weren’t fighting… we didn’t destroy anything important… I hope.-

Norio sighed and hoped that this wouldn’t turn sour. –Please follow me to the main offices, we have much to discuss…- The Old Investigator marched onward towards a door at the distance that was easily visible as blinding white light came from inside.

---

Shin makes a few funny faces at Yuki as she walks away from him. But truth be told, he was just hiding his real feelings, and intentions. Shin didn't want anyone to see him look worried and confused with his current surroundings. Shin didn't want to appear weak at all, that would make him a target somehow he imagined, which he was able to hide pretty well under his childish demeanor.

He then tries to to examine the massive room around him as casual as possible. Trying to appear more curious rather than planning to make a move, but his eyes give away his purpose as he carefully looks for signs of an exit out of this place, yet none were found, or at least he didn't know which way to go. There seems to be a couple of other officers here, and if there were even as half as strong as Red, then i'll probably wouldn't even be able to escape. Hell, with Red here, I might not even be able to escape. After a while with struggling with his attempts to evade Yuki Minato, Shin has come to the conclusion that she is has some super power, which gave her control or influence over Shin, or his environment in some way. But what was it? Without knowing the reason, Shin might not be able to escape properly, and even if he knew, there was still a chance he couldn't do anything about her ability.

Shin turns around to take a look at some of the people who felt out of place here, as if they were just like him in some way. Perhaps they are here for the interview as well, he thought. Either way, I need to get out of here, but how. After a few seconds, Shin decides to just ask a single question to Yuki. "Hey, Red. Where are we?" he asks in a somewhat relax tone of voice, which only had the finest bit of a threatening edge to his question. Shin didn't even mean to ask the question, the whole scenario of the situation just kinda made Shin ask without thinking. Shin didn't like his odds, but that wasn't going to stop him from trying. Once he sees his chance, he was planning on taking it.

Shin remains standing in the same spot with one hand rubbing his neck, and the other by his hip, where his swords in their sheath would appear when he chooses to summon his weapons to him. Shin was again trying to look easy going, but in truth he was rubbing his neck because it kinda hurt a bit from the previous headlock, and his hand was by his hip just in case he needed to defend himself.

Ji'tal stood up, satisfied with Dansei's declaration. he noted the other individuals in the room. When his eyes fell on Maya Verity, his guard instantly rose again, his eyes practically becoming saucers. He began to dash at her, drawing his sword and pointing his free hand at her. "Zio!" Came his panicked shout. Lightning cascaded downward from the ceiling, aimed slightly to Maya's left, missing her by several inches. He cursed his haste. But even more, he sought to close the gap between him and her, and sought to strike her with a concussive blow to the head.

The sight of a pitch-black space, a void where mana should have been, scared him. He had witnessed an exception to the rules he had been taught his whole life, and his body reacted the only way it knew how. It lunged forward and sought to disable the target. His sword came forward in a streak, blunt side aimed at the side of Maya's head.

Following Norio's speech, Katsuo was ready to follow the investigator to the offices, but, as he will soon learn, nothing in the Hidden World is simple, without complications and everyone who is part of it is at least a little bit crazy. In this instance, the complications were caused by one of the men from the bus attacking the well endowed woman.

The swordsman's principles would not let him stand for that. He rushed between the two and blocked Ji'tal's sword with the side of Shi Kaze's blade. He pushed the sword away and got into a fighting stance.

"You dare attack a defenseless woman without provocation? Such sickening disrespect! Have you no honour?" He all but shouted the second question at the man before him.

Maya had the time to see the redheads eyes slowly widening in shock, only for him to suddenly charge her and scream a word that held no meaning to her ears. As her eyes were fixed on the bizarre scene before her, she saw lightning strike unto the ground in the far corner of her vision, an explosion of blue and white. That alone made her jump, but she also didn't have the time to react to the fast charge of the man, whom was wielding something that looked like a flash of silver in her eyes. It was probably just the light playing tricks with her, but nevertheless the inhuman speed made it impossible for her to react or even process a thought.

As the the two swordsmen clashed, she felt a shockwave that made her back off a step or two. Her ears felt like they would burst from the sonic boom that had just occurred. She recovered soon enough, but a dull ache still remained. What had once been silver was now a sword. She then realized that it had been the streak of silver and couldn't help but shudder at the thought of it passing through her.

The scenario looked like something out of medieval stories; the knight protecting the princess from the villain. Only with a japanese influence, as the man before her looked more like a samurai than a knight. While his remark at her being defenseless would've irked her at any other moment, she was just grateful to have survived.

Shi perked up with interest when the red haired one(a strange sight indeed to a being who only knew the isolation of ancient Japan) lashed out at the foul cow. What was hid problem with her? She was content to sit back and watch, but Katsuo dove immediately to the whore's aid. An unimaginable hate shuddered through her form as blade met blade, coalescing in her steel heart as a great dark cavity that released the white fog to do her will. It poured from her blade, forming pale hands that lunged like tigers for Ji'tal's throat. They were shimmering and transparent, looking incomplete in their transparentness. They seemed to curve to fit his neck as they closed in.

The mist continued to spread across the floor, a thin haze rising to form something that could be a humanoid form or just a random shape. "This is what I wanted to show you, Kat." That same warm voice seemed to purr from every inch of the fog. "Aren't I beautiful?"

---

-We’re in the JHWAB Kanto HQ Kiddo.- She started talking without looking at Shin, but when she turned around she instantly noticed his contained nervousness. Her whole family was really good at noticing the state of mind of whoever they talked to, useful skill for a whole range of Merchants as ancestors.

-Calm down Shiro-chan, don’t get scared for this quiet underground and heavily fortified Headquarter of a shadowy government organization.- She started talking with a conciliatory voice, almost maternal, but slowly she got more sinister, jokingly, with a big smile on her face. –I don’t know what you’re hiding, but you don’t have to worry, we won’t interrogate you.-

-If you don’t want to tell us we won’t pry, the people is allowed to get privacy, who do you think we are, the Americans?- She joked heartily trying to calm down the young Mizukara but as she was to resume talking the sound of metal clashing against metal made her turn around and exclaim. –A fight already? Damnit! I lost a bet to Hyoron… that Afro bastard will be happy.-

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As the events unfolded, Norio, a bit ticked by the sudden fighting, sighed. He was planning to leave the other agents deal with it… but he remembered who he had down here. Yuki would surely cause collateral damage, after her lover’s death Eiko wasn’t in a very sound mental state; in fact he had his doubts allowing her back to active duty.

Hayate didn’t have the firepower to stop them and finally Dansei would probably take them out and the HQ after he transformed. The Old Investigator sighed and moved to action as Shi No Kaze materialized into the plane. Norio threw a paper charm, almost like a throwing knife, to the floor between the Alien Warrior and the Former Yakuza.

-KATSU! KOGANE SHOHEKI!!! (Release! Golden Wall)-

An undulating barrier of golden energy surged from the charm forming a wall between Ji’tal and Katsuo. The defensive measure carried a Spiritual Charge that surely would force a spectral creature like Shi No Kaze back to the object in which it resided. –You two! Break it off!-

As Norio ordered them to split up the other JHWAB quickly took positions. Dansei placed his hand over Ji’tal’s shoulder trying to calm him down and Hayate was already behind Katsuo with a Kunai on his nape. Norio walked towards them and looking at the Alien Warrior he exclaimed.

-Why did you attacked Verity-Dono?- He looked at him strictly and added. –Consider that your reply will be the defining point between considering you a guest or a hostile.- As Norio spoke Dansei, who was behind Ji’tal, released a fraction of the power inside him. The Midori Sei energy made his eyes, for the first time not showcasing laziness, shine with a green light.

Eiko placed herself between Maya and the others and while keeping her guard up, without looking at the Avatar of Nothingness, she asked. –Are you alright? Did he hurt you?- She sounded distressed as if something more than just her duty was making her protect Maya.

---

Katsuo nearly deflected Ji'tal's blade, but Norio was quicker. As the golden barrier sprang forth, Ji'tal felt his blade rebound, and his every nerve told him that a full-on battle was on the verge of breaking out. He recuperated as fast as he could, knowing he couldn't fight with blind fear alone. However, soon, he felt Dansei's hand, and heard Norio's words... shame filled him as he realized what he had done.

Ji'tal took a moment to breathe, startled by the wall, Katsuo, and Maya, he wasn't able to speak up immediately. Upon regaining his breath, he spoke, "Black spot. Nothing there, just... there's no mana, no matter, it's just... empty." He said, while pointing at Maya. "That shouldn't be possible. That cannot be possible. It is an observed and documented fact that mana exists everywhere. But now..." He paused, shuddering, taking another deep breath. Looking straight at Maya, it was clear his fear was still going strong, "What... what is it? I can't see anything but black..." His grip on the Ku'lan tightened, "And it's not doing my anxiety any favors." He explained. The hand on his shoulder seemed to help him collect his thoughts and prevent himself from acting on his fear.

Those who were sensitive to spiritual energy would most likely feel his very essence in turmoil, as if mirroring the fight-or-flight struggle he was having within himself. "Please, forgive my ignorance and rash behavior. What I did was dishonorable, and I will face any punishment you deem fit." He concluded, bowing his head as he spoke.

"Hey! I'm not scared!" said Shin. He was very close to go on a rant about of awesome he is, but before he could every get the chance, a battle emerges. "Damn, relax dude. No need to attack a woman, who is gifted with..." Shin couldn't help but to stare for a little bit, before his regain his senses as the mist beings to emerge on the floor. This could be my chance to leave, he thought. The young swordsman shakes his head for a bit, before he takes a step backwards, yet before he could go further, out of nowhere a golden barrier appears, which separates the two swordsmen.

Come on. They got someone who can make barriers. Shin gets slightly more depress at the chances of him escaping go from slim to none. I'm going to end up doing this stupid interview at this rate. With bend knees to his chest, the teenager begins to make small circular motions with his finger against the floor. Daydreaming about being somewhere else and experiencing more pleasant circumstances. Eventually he looks up to see Ji'tal. Looking at him closely, he could tell that the man's apologize was genuine, yet he still was feeling the urge to do something about the uncertainty he was dealing with.

*Yawning* "Can I go home already? I kinda need to do something..." lied Shin.

Katsuo gladly stood down when the golden barrier appeared. He never wanted to fight, all he wanted to do was to protect the big-breasted lady. As such, he felt that the kunai on the nape of his neck was completely pointless and even slightly rude. But such is the way of things. Regardless of his feelings, he put Shi Kaze back into her sheathe.

"Sorry, Shi, but we have to show them that we are not hostile. I will let you out once everyone calms down again."

The swordsman turned towards Dansei. "I am sorry for that. I do not wish to fight. Is she okay?" He nodded towards Maya.

Shi Kaze yelped as her mist was dissipated and she was forced back into her body. Pale hands were gone before they could even grasp Ji'tal's neck at all. She wanted to wail at the injustice when Kat put her back in her sheath, as everybody who had attacked him was still unharmed. She bristled with rage at the monster holding his little knife to Kat's neck. He would die. The sow would die. The one with firey hair would die. She wanted this room to be flooded with the blood of these whores and monsters, littered with their parts. She wanted their gore on her misty lips when she kissed Katsuo.

But when she spoke, it was with her usual warmth. "Please don't hurt Katsuo..." She spoke directly into Hayate's ear. "We were just trying to protect the lady." Hatred boiled beneath a beutiful surface like the volcano under Yellowstone. It made her voice almost split in two- the warm, inviting surface of the river and the terrible undercurrent rushing underneath both simultaneously audible to a good ear.

---

The golden barrier erecting itself out of the ground firmly established the fact that she had left the boundaries of common sense, a boundary that was outright shattered when she saw the mist rising out of nowhere, feeling a chill run down her spine. It didn't help that the talk of mana and the look of horror upon the mans face was something that Maya found perplexing. Was she truly something that horrifying that he'd try and kill her on the spot? While she waited for this awkward situation to resolve itself, she found herself simply standing there like a scarecrow. Cursing herself for looking so stupid, she decided that this wasn't the time to gawk like a fool.

''I am fine. No injuries or anything. Just a bit unnerved by what happened.'' She didn't take notice of Eiko's distressed voice, distracted as she were with the current state of affairs. While the tension had dissipated to a degree that one wouldn't be able to cut it like a hot knife through butter, it was still palpable to someone with no experience in combat like her. Of course, anyone with half a brain could figure that out just by looking around.

She closed her eyes and sighed. This was turning out to be one hell of a day. While Maya's face had been unusually animated during these strings of happenings, she would return to normal once she had gotten accustomed to the abnormal. Having calmed down somewhat, she folded her arms once more, which produced some... interesting results.

Yuki looked at Shin with a clever smirk. –So you want to leave, right? - Yuki didn’t wait for his reply and whistled. A figure dressed in full black robes suddenly appeared kneeled besides Yuki. –Hold your horses Kiddo.- she said anticipating a reaction. –He is just a shikigami, our boss creates them in bulk to help with basic tasks- She looked at the Kage-Nodo and continued talking. –For example fetching your “ticket” out of here.-

The Kage-Nodo nodded and vanished. Almost instantaneously he returned handing Lucky Yuki a package covered by fabric. –Here is your ticket out. - With a sudden twist of her wrist she uncovered the packaged object and it fell with a metallic rumbling in the concrete floor as it bounced. –Here you go Kiddo, use it wisely you will need it to use it a lot and you only get one, don’t waste it in a single place.-

It was a shovel…

-We are approximately 10 Km underground, before we occupied the place an old Dragon called Ryumajin lived here, our boss had a minor disagreement with the Dragon.- Her tone was awfully light. –Ryumajin wanted to rise up to devour mankind, he was a corrupt dragon or something like that and Yasumori-sama was a tad against it.- It was clear that her easy going tone was on purpose, as if she was trying to intimidate Shin. –They had a brief…brawl.-

- Well a brawl here… in the surface it was called the 1978 Miyagi Earthquake it was kind of a big deal.- She scratched the back of her neck non-chalantly as she added. –Ah! And before you start digging remember we are under the ocean floor so you might have to swin…. Like a lot to get to the surface. - Yuki’s face sported the same clever smile as before. –So, do you want to dig up or have a nice chat, with refreshments and everything, your choice… -

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Norio walked towards the guests with a stern look in his tired face but he was sidetracked as he saw Eiko, almost about to cry, stuttering apologies to Maya. The Half-Kitsune suffered the tragic loss of a very dear friend not long ago, and her actions were clear evidence that she wasn’t alright, not even close. The Old Investigator moved closer to them first and snapped his fingers twice, summoning two Kage-Nodo.

-Sorry….Sorry… I should’ve reacted faster.... I wasn’t fast enough to block the first attack, I should’ve been. - She kept whispering sorry with her head down and her arms hanging lifelessly besides her. Norio looked at Eiko with sadness in his eyes and gently placed his fingers on her forehead. She instantly fell asleep and the Kage-Nodo caught her.

-Excuse miss Kintategami behavior Verity-san, she has been through a lot lately and we thought she was up to the task of doing field work again.- He looked at the Half-Kitsune, as the Kage-Nodo took her, with concern. –At least we found out about this in a more controlled situation that out in the field. - Norio bowed. –Once again I beg your forgiveness for her behavior and our mistake in realizing it earlier.-

Without waiting for a response from Maya, Norio turned to face Ji’tal. This time around he spoke loudly so everybody could hear him. –Everybody but him. - He pointed at the Alien Warrior. –Follow Yuki Minato. - He pointed at Yuki. –Towards the interview room, there will be more agents there and some refreshments. She is in charge from this point onward until I return or any higher ranked JHWAB officers relieves her from that position.- He glanced around. –Understood?-

All the JHWAB staff present nodded. Hayate, who felt goosebumps after hearing Shi No Kaze, guided Vyc and invited Katsuo to follow him –Takashi-san please follow me.- Yuki walked to Maya and asked her to follow her. Curiously even Yuki had a rough time trying not to sneak a peek at Maya’s rack –Verity-san…eh… please follow me.- She turned around a bit flustered and repeated the question to Shin. –So Kiddo, do you want to mine or do you want to have a chat?-

Norio waited for the others to leave and gestured at Dansei that was following them. –Stay Kiken-san, I might need you if things get… interesting.- The Midorisei Host nodded without much enthusiasm and leaned nonchalantly against one of the pillars.

-Tell me one reason why I shouldn’t threat you as a hostile element and throw you in the deepest and darkest dungeon we have available. - Norio looked at Ji’tal with something almost beyond rage. The Old Investigator would usually be more diplomatic, but after the events of last month’s all the JHWAB High Ranking members were a bit on edge, waiting for the worst to happen.

-You better reply quickly dude, I haven’t seen him this angry since he…- Daisen started talking but was cut by Norio’s shout. –KIKEN SHUT THE HELL UP!- The Midorisei Host was startled at the violence of the reply and noticed that Norio’s fingers were fiddling over one of his charms, almost as if he wanted Ji’tal to be hostile. Maybe what happened to Eiko breaking down was as well a breaking point for the usually cordial investigator.

-So, give me an answer… or there wouldn’t be a place in this planet…no… place in this universe you will be able to hide from me.- Norio was dead serious as he spoke, even if he was trying to bite more than what he could chew.

---

Shin somewhat jumps back from the surprise appearance of the random man dressed in full black robes. These people are too weird and violent to be legal, thought Shin. Maybe I'm inside the lair of a supernatural cult... Perhaps they are trying to recruit me! What I'm I going to do? Form what i hear, cults are FULL of ruthless, evil, and twisted individuals. Looking back at Yuki and the person in robes, the teenager continues to think that he was among a dangerous cult. As these thoughts were going through his mind, he sees the shovel drop on the ground. Oh no! If I don't join, they are going to bury me alive! he yelled in his own mind.

I need to get out of here, before the creeping guy in robes fulfills his duties and tries to bury me! But, before Shin was able to try something stupid, he realizes that Yuki was offering him the shovel as a means of escape and not some warning that if he refuses to do the interview that they will kill him. Releasing a breath of relieve, the young swordsman just smiles at the thought that the they were given him a means of escape.

Yet, as Yuki continues to speak in her own matter-of-fact/warning/condescending tone, Shin begins to lose hope again at his chances of surviving his escape, if he manages to get out of this place. His face goes from almost complexly relieve from right before when Yuki mentions that they are currently 10 km underground, and from that comment on, his face slowly processes to look more worried and ultimately sad when she finishes describing the ocean above their head. With his spirits hanging low at the odds of him using the shovel to get out of here, the white haired teen begins to enter a state of depression.

He walks slowly to the shovel with a disappointed look on his face from recently hearing about the challenges he would have to face if he was even dumb enough to attempt to dig his way out of here. Picking up the shovel, Shin starts to wonder how useful would this tool really be at breaking through the walls of this place. Still, even with disbelief of his chances to break free, he lifts the shovel and strikes at the ground. As soon as the shovel makes contact with the ground, it snaps into two solid pieces as if he just hit the ground with a soft cracker.

This causes the young man to shift his previous facial expression from being one that reflects a person being in a somewhat depress mood, to a completely hopeless one. He falls on his knees in complete defeat. Only when Yuki asks Shin again if he wanted to try to dig his way out of here, did he finally speak, "I'm willing to chat for a while longer." he said getting back on his feet with another smile on his face as if he was never in a bad mood to begin with and walks with the others to the room.

Looking back, he wonders what they were planning to do with the guy, who they separated from the rest of the group. Letting his curiosity once again take control of his actions, Shin asks Yuki, while he points with one of his thumb backwards, in a serious tone, "Yo Red, what going to happen to him?" Then immediately afterwards he pokes Maya's chest and he continues to ask, but this time in a somewhat innocent childish voice, "And why did looking at this make you look even redder?"

Ji'tal was silent for a moment, trembling. He muttered something under his breath, too low for the human ear to pick up, but it was clear that it was a sorrowful whisper.

"Because there is no honor in suicide." His tone shifted drastically, rising, scornful and full of shame. Not towards them, but towards himself. "If I started yet another fight here, I'd not only dishonor myself further, the resulting outcome could be achieved just as easily by driving my Ku'lan into my gullet. There is no honor." He repeated that phrase in self-deprecating hatred, as one would call themselves a fool. His fist clenched, he sheathed his Ku'lan and drove his fist into the ground and knelt, falling into some kind of mantra, as he just kept repeating, "Wise King Auron, guide my hand, for I have lost the way."

It was as if Ji'tal had blocked out all else, and began praying desperately for guidance. But his mantra suddenly broke and he stood up abruptly. His eyes knitted with fury as he heard Norio shout for Dansei to shut up. "Do not dare to take that tone with an honorable warrior." Ji'tal spoke with cold anger. He knew that if he started a fight with Norio, his honor would dwindle to nothing as he was summarily massacred. But he felt that, if it was for another man's honor, one whom has been kind to him thus far, it may just be worth it. "There is no honor in suicide. But there is even less honor in standing inactive while an honest man's honor is attacked. So, I will say again... Do not dare to shout at Dansei Kiken again." He stated. It was both a warning and a firm request.

Katsuo was glad to hear that Maya was okay. He was also curious as to what would happen with the man who attacked her. Unfortunately, before he had the chance to find out, he was asked to follow one of the men from before.

As he followed the man to what he assumed was an interview room, the shouting from the room they left behind surprised him. "What is going to happen to that man?" Katsuo asked Hayate. "He isn't going to be killed, I hope."

Shi rather liked the idea of the redheaded fool's death. "It's okay if they kill him. He tried to hurt you." Warm arms of wind flowed over his shoulders. She still kept her eyes tightly on the flesh hill walking beside them. She was neutral to all others besides the fox- even Yuki didn't set her off for reasons she couldn't describe. But still, the crowd was putting her on edge. She kept circling him, eyes always drawn to Maya like a black hole, the most massive objects in the room. A cold wind blew spiraled softly away from Katsuo outwards.

As there wasn't much Maya could do in this situation, she simply nodded. ''It is fine. No need to apologize.'' Having said that, she followed Yuki to the next room, not caring about her occasional downwards gaze. It wasn't anything new to her after all. Given her impressive assets, she'd be a bit surprised if someone didn't. Then again, it was precisely because of that she had picked relatively tame clothing as anything more daring would just gather more attention.

Just before entering the second room, she took one last glance towards the redhead, whom had just taken a position of kneeling. As much as she would have preferred to see how it would go, she felt the interview was more important at this time. After all, it would hopefully help her get the answers she wanted.

---

-You’re making a great mistake if you call me an Honorable Warrior dude… You’ don’t know me at all- Dansei chuckled as he spoke. –I’m just doing my job, if I need to I’ll put you down.- His laid back demeanor suddenly stopped as said those words, finally being serious. -And I won’t think it twice when the time comes to play any cheap trick in the book if I need it to take you down.- Dansei’s eyes sparkled with green energy and a light rumble make the pillars tremble as the energy of the Midorisei leaked out of him.

Norio turned around trying to stop Dansei, but it was too late. A blinding flash of green light enveloped the Intelligence Operative, surrounding him with emerald lighting the light rumble, thankfully localized, turned into a small tremor, just affecting a 30 mts area around them. The vibrations were the product of the Midorisei, as it forced molecules out of their rightful place allowing entry of the interdimensional energy that would materialize around Dansei.

The shining light receded into a light glow around a magnificent high tech armor, mainly white and red with yellow details. The green visor obscured Dansei’s face, only showing his eyes. He lifted a strange dual spear with dented edges. <Bushitora-dono is allowed to shout at me if he pleases, he is my superior, or do you lack the understanding of such concept.> His voice lost any of the “good vibes” he had before, sounding cold and robotic.

<You also lack the basic courtesy of replying to a question when asked> A small pulse of green energy expanded around them, blocking any sound from going in or out the area. <Will you comply to a friendly interrogation or do you prefer dealing with me one on one, I have much to show a “Honorable Warrior” how a fight really is.> He glared at Ji’tal with the utmost intensity. <First of all apologize to Bushitora-dono and then answer his questions if not…>

Dansei left the last part in the air, so Ji’tal could feel free to fill it with whichever threat worked the best with him. Norio sighed in frustration, why everybody needs to be so damn stubborn and stupid these days, there is no time for this kind of dick measuring contest when the real danger is outside.

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-None of your business Kiddo. - Yuki quickly replied to Shin’s question, a bit flustered. –None at all. - The Fortunate Woman led the group forward towards the lobby, where the first part of the interview would start. She hoped nothing as dangerous as Ji’tal sudden nervous breakdown would happen, because they didn’t have the firepower of Kiken-san to stop it.

As they walked towards the second room Hayate replied to Katsuo’s inquiry. –No, I do not think they will kill him, at least not without establishing and evaluating his motives.- A hint of the rumbling reached them that were the last in line. The young Shinobi tone lost some of its confidence. –But I’m sure Bushitora-dono can handle this without violence.- The rumbling stopped, exchanged places with the green glow. –I think everything might end up well… I hope…-


Finally they arrived to the first Step to acquire the Japanese Hidden World Identification Document or JHWID for short. The rectangular room was about 10 mts X 14 mts and it was completely white, except for 4 cameras in each upper corner and two metallic tables. One was in the corner and had plentiful Japanese snacks and thermos with tea and coffee, the other across the room, blocking the path to the next room had many chairs and had many paper forms with pens.


The only one in the room was a man in his late 50’s, clearly not Japanese that was standing with a smile on his bearded face. He was sharply dressed and seemed to have an air of mischievousness and youth behind his eyes. With curiously accented Japanese the man greeted the group. –Irashai! Irashai! Welcome to this first step for your registration, I’ll be the supervisor for this section, my name is Iosif Zvezda, I serve as one of the JHWAB many international liaisons.-

-The first step is quite simple ladies and gentlemen; you only need to truthfully fill this form. - He lifted one of the many copies in the table to show them. –There are some spaces that are optional and you may fill them if you please, but the ones marked with an asterisk are the ones you must truthfully answer.- He smiled as he left the paper in the same spot from where he took it from. –You might enjoy some snacks before filling the form, but I must be adamant about something…-

He looked at them with almost overwhelming intensity as he uttered. –Please don’t eat in the form filling table, I repeat, do not consume any food or ingest any drinks while you’re filling the forms, I utterly despise stains on the paper work I handle.- After that the tension dispersed as suddenly as it appeared and Iosif concluded. –Please take your time to read and don’t worry about the language, write it in whichever language is more comfortable to you, we will translate it.-

With a gesture he invited the group to fill the forms or take the food. In case of taking the forms, they would need to fill out this form.

JHWID FORM

1.A (Basic Information) Fill the blanks

· Name* (Or preferred denomination):

· Race* (If Genetically different from Humans also complete 1.B):

· Age*:

· Gender*:

· Country of Origin* (In case coming from different planet or dimension mention them):

· Approximated Height:

· Approximated Weight:

· Current Residence*(No need to be specific):

· Method of Contact*:

1.B (Non-human) Pick one

· Origin*: Mystical/Artificial/Alien/Divine/Other (Specify)

· DNA compatibility with humans: None/Minimal/Medium/High

· Racial Denomination* (Fill the Blank):

· Are you: Unique/Last of your Kind/One of Few/One of Many/Member of a large society

· Can you pass as human: Not at all/With help/With some effort/Without any effort

2.A (Powers)

Please do a short description of your powers and skills*

---

Shin looks at the form paper near the snacks table and eats a few sweets as he reads over all the question. He doesn't know how to answer most of them, but he tires anyway. He goes over to the table and sits down as he begins to go to work. After a while reading, he knows exactly what he is going to put down. After he is done writing, he ends up getting a few crumbs on the sheet of paper. Well, hopefully the guy doesn't lose his shit over a few crumbs, thought Shin. He walks back to the man and offers him his paper.

SHIN'S JHWID FORM

1.A (Basic Information) Fill the blanks

· Name* (Or preferred denomination): Shin the Badass

· Race* (If Genetically different from Humans also complete 1.B): Super Awesome Human

· Age*: 15

· Gender*: Male

· Country of Origin* (In case coming from different planet or dimension mention them): Japan

· Approximated Height:

· Approximated Weight:

· Current Residence*(No need to be specific): Japan

· Method of Contact*: Verbal communication

1.B (Non-human) Pick one

· Origin*: Mystical/Artificial/Alien/Divine/Other (Specify)

· DNA compatibility with humans: None/Minimal/Medium/High

· Racial Denomination* (Fill the Blank):

· Are you: Unique/Last of your Kind/One of Few/One of Many/Member of a large society

· Can you pass as human: Not at all/With help/With some effort/Without any effort

2.A (Powers)

Please do a short description of your powers and skills* Ability to be great, good looking, funny, and charming all at the same time. Also I can summon two badass swords, and make another me, because two is always better than one.

Maya was almost a bit disappointed when she entered the room, as she had been expecting something a bit more grandiose. Then again, it just goes to show how quickly she adapted to the absurdity. But if she had to voice an opinion, it would be that the room was fairly drab in terms of colour. As far as she could see, it only consisted of white and the occasional furniture. Alongside a few cameras. The old man, however, was cheerful although seemed prone to sudden changes in his mood like a certain redhead. But that change lasted for mere seconds and he was back to his usual self. Or atleast what Maya assumed to be his usual self.

Having received the instructions, Maya set off to write the form, sitting down at the table. She could always eat the snack later on. She briefly looked through the paper and found it to be fairly simple in nature, although the questions made it look like a sheet for a fantasy game character. She let out a brief chuckle at the thought.

Having filled all that was necessary, she walked back to Iosif and gave him the paper. After that she would grab a snack or two if she felt like it.

JHWID FORM

1.A (Basic Information) Fill the blanks

· Name* (Or preferred denomination): Maya Verity

· Race* (If Genetically different from Humans also complete 1.B): Human

· Age*: 23

· Gender*: Female

· Country of Origin* (In case coming from different planet or dimension mention them): United States Of America.

· Approximated Height: 5'9''.

· Approximated Weight: 135lbs.

· Current Residence*(No need to be specific): Currently residing at Imperial hotel in Tokyo.

· Method of Contact*: Mobile.

1.B (Non-human) Pick one

· Origin*: Mystical/Artificial/Alien/Divine/Other (Specify)

· DNA compatibility with humans: None/Minimal/Medium/High

· Racial Denomination* (Fill the Blank):

· Are you: Unique/Last of your Kind/One of Few/One of Many/Member of a large society

· Can you pass as human: Not at all/With help/With some effort/Without any effort

2.A (Powers)

Please do a short description of your powers and skills*

Unknown. It seems to involve the annihilation of matter and energy.

I majored in physics, but I haven't really picked a field to specialize in, so for know one can simply call me a jack-of-all-trades.

Edited 1 day, 4 hours ago
Post by ChronoWolf (2,336 posts) See mini bio Level 12

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@justalittlegirl: Kuma_From_Argentina:

The man in charge of the first step seemed pleasant enough and the first step itself seemed quite easy. Katsuo wasn't hungry and he was sure that Shi wasn't hungry either so he just sat down in one of the many chairs, left Shi resting on the table next to him and grabbed two forms.

JHWID FORM

1.A (Basic Information) Fill the blanks

· Name* (Or preferred denomination): Takashi Katsuo

· Race* (If Genetically different from Humans also complete 1.B): Human

· Age*: 33

· Gender*: Male

· Country of Origin* (In case coming from different planet or dimension mention them): Japan

· Approximated Height: 187 cm

· Approximated Weight: 81 kg

· Current Residence*(No need to be specific): Tokyo, Japan

· Method of Contact*: Mobile Phone

1.B (Non-human) Pick one

· Origin*: Mystical/Artificial/Alien/Divine/Other (Specify)

· DNA compatibility with humans: None/Minimal/Medium/High

· Racial Denomination* (Fill the Blank):

· Are you: Unique/Last of your Kind/One of Few/One of Many/Member of a large society

· Can you pass as human: Not at all/With help/With some effort/Without any effort

2.A (Powers)

Please do a short description of your powers and skills*

I was thought the art of swordsmanship by my parents. They also thought me how to control the chi inside my body to temporarily grow stronger and surpass human limitations.

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After finishing his form, Katsuo looked at the sword. "You're going to have to tell me what to write down for you, Shi. I can't even tell if I should circle Mystical, Artificial or something else entirely as your origin."


Shi nodded invisibly and blew a paper over to Katsuo, purposefully attempting to blow Maya's off the table as she did so. She settled next to his ear and began to speak.

1.A (Basic Information) Fill the blanks

· Name* (Or preferred denomination): Shi no Kaze

· Race* (If Genetically different from Humans also complete 1.B): Tsukumogami

· Age*: Old.

· Gender*: Girl.

· Country of Origin* (In case coming from different planet or dimension mention them): Japan.

· Approximated Height: 80 cm.

· Approximated Weight: Ask Kat.

· Current Residence*(No need to be specific): Kat's place.

· Method of Contact*: Talking.

1.B (Non-human) Pick one

· Origin*: Mystical/Artificial/Alien/Divine/Other (Specify) Mystical artifact.

· DNA compatibility with humans: None/Minimal/Medium/High Trying to find out.

· Racial Denomination* (Fill the Blank): Sword.

· Are you: Unique/Last of your Kind/One of Few/One of Many/Member of a large society One of Few(as far as I know)

· Can you pass as human: Not at all/With help/With some effort/Without any effort Not at all

2.A (Powers)

Please do a short description of your powers and skills*

Do I have to? Don't write that down, please. Okay, people can't see me unless I use my mist, and my mist can grab stuff and and feel and hurt people.

"If that's all, Kat and I should get going." She pushed on Kat's chest with as much force as she could in her sheath in an attempt to make him move. His kimono fluttered slightly.