Tokyo
My name is Kou Nephrite. I was content with my lot. I had plenty of money; lifestyle was good, and my interest in a pretty chef by the name of Kino Makoto my latest personal investment.
As I drove along one of Tokyo’s busy multi-lane highways, passing through several prefectures, the traffic heavy, but not sluggish, I listened to the radio. The announcer’s voice, Misao Bioko, introducing a Rurutia song, Hoshi no Tamashii, one of my favorites, had brought a smile to my lips. Nearing my destination, I lamented the encroachment of the cloud-shrouded skies upon Tokyo’s skyline.
---
The rumbling thunder continued to accompany me as I entered the massive warehouse. However, The Yakuza’s imports or exports were of no interest to me: that was, aside from the obvious pay check these surreptitious enterprises provided. The large truck, the length of two shop fronts, perhaps three, backed into the loading bay. I wiped the sweat from my brow, sat back against the plush leather seat, and sighed. Being a transport driver and courier for one of Japan’s most powerful underworld organizations sure had its benefits.
I rarely got curious about the goods locked away in huge crates I would assiduously catalog and inspect for damage and such whenever unloading a consignment. However, something about the strange container compelled me to dispense with the usual policy of unshakable detachment. Why I kept my nose out of Yakuza affairs? For one, it kept me alive, and second, whatever the Yakuza did was their business, not mine. I liked my job and most certainly, my life and wanted to keep both. Why the compulsion drew me to break my self-imposed code of conduct I did not know, but draw me, it had.
I had seen some strange things over the two years of my tenure, but tonight would prove to be the most surprising. I would send the usual coded message to the manager of the Yakuza’s Old Quarter division when the current shipment was unloaded and tabulated.
I sighed, and thought of Makoto, turned down the radio and closed my eyes to collect my thoughts. Upon opening them again, everything looked the same. Something had piqued my interest though. Leaning forward, I looked up and noticed the large hole in the warehouse ceiling. It was uncanny and bizarre.
“Whoever or whatever did this must have used C4 to blow that hole in the roof and a winch to get in here, but why leave this mess and take nothing?” I mused, chewing my bottom lip.
I shone my torch from my vantage point through the open window of the semi-trailer’s cabin and examined the rent in the roof then turned my attention back to the chamber itself. There wasn’t a single sound, nothing out of place. I wasn’t sure, but everything appeared normal. I shrugged.
Opening the glove compartment, I pulled out the oozy machine pistol and fed it a fresh clip. Speaking into my cell, I ordered the men to begin the unloading operations and get a crew onto the roof to tie a tarp over the whole. A storm was brewing and I didn’t wish to chance any damage to the stock by the elements.
The wind was funneling into the almost empty chamber as my men drove the forklift trucks into the concrete clad loading bay, the pallets stacked with contraband, likely weapons, drugs, electronic or print materials, these legal and illegal, no doubt.
Soon the forklifts had done their job. I checked my wristwatch, climbed out of the cabin, and sniffed the air. The moisture upon the warm gusts made me feel alive, the smell of the earth I found most invigorating. For a brief moment, I let it take me to the cubby house of my childhood, where a seven year-old Kaori, my little sister and I played and did our homework, a workable arrangement for all concerned. I smiled at the memory.
Ace was about to say something when I raised my finger to my lips, cocking my head to listen. “Shush a moment, Ace, I think I hear something!”
“What is it?” he said, feeling a little uneasy.
“Not sure, hold on…”
I walked away from the man in white overalls until I was standing directly under the hole in the roof.
“Hmmm.”
The dancing leaves and other debris having found their way into the warehouses interior gave it an eerie atmosphere that seemed to swirl around me as if I were standing in the eye of the storm. Only the sound of my footfalls came back to me from the darkness.
"What the hell?"
The screeching sound that met my ears was unlike anything I’d ever heard before. As a bizarre winged she-creature descended from the hole in the roof, her feet touching down as if she were a ballerina. She looked grotesquely pretty and dainty, yet freaky. I glared at this winged woman with a head of long, glossy teal hair, green skin and fiery red eyes, and surprisingly hot but for the claws and fangs that could retract giving her an almost human face.
“By the kamis Neph, what the fuck is that?”
“Youma, they call these youma. Seems the bloodletting of the last year has a basis in fact. And no, not dressed up ninja or clowns in suits, this… is the real deal!” The female youma struck a battle stance and raising her arms launched a violet beam towards us. “Get Down!” I screamed.
As I stared into the hellish eyes of this vixen, she was both salivating and measuring me up with deadly intent. She wanted to suck the life out of us both, that much I didn’t have to guess.
Death in a short skirt and glittering armor was staring me down. She growled like a dinosaur, moved like a siren. The youma was well over eight feet tall, perhaps ten.
The storm broke high above the warehouse, the lightning from the hole in the ceiling illuminating the strange entity standing before us.
Ace pulled the machine pistol from its holster strapped under his arm, crouched in a firing position, took aim then fired. I knew that it would do no good, but I followed suit anyway, the sound of weapons fire almost deafening in the cavernous interior must have pissed her off big time, I winced knowing her response would be swift and deadly.
She sighed with impatience. But for her spiky appendages and the huge bat-like wings, what was especially eye-catching were the colorful webs covering her arms, legs and abs, even her upper chest held some elaborate floral motifs that contrasted nicely with the silver-gold armor she wore. The webs were red, indigo, and blue to violet creating an eerie effect. If that didn’t sell you on the notion of her otherworldliness, her blazing red eyes that shone like halogen lights would certainly clinch the deal.
Shimmering teal locks swam around her graceful figure as she moved, giving her the countenance of a deadly siren about to whisper her tune of fatal seduction. She was nothing if not alluring. The armored revealing top and short flared black skirt was a winner.
She almost seemed a caricature of herself, a youma, Fae and humanoid, designed to beguile and cache you off guard, a pair of teardrop amber earrings dangling from her lobes, the necklace of silver skulls with their onyx eyes gaped at nothing in particular rested against tanned breasts barely covered by her armor.
Aside from the fangs, claws, the glowing red eyes and her wings as opposed to her lithe body and pretty face, she was a welcome distraction after a long drive. In short, she was hot.
Let’s put it this way, if beauty and horror were to make love and produce a child woman, she was definitely it. Yet, despite her green flesh tones, she was quite becoming, in a creepy kind of way; that is if you like your women like that.
“You are weak, humans. Come to your senses and join me. I shall not disappoint, Nephrite, I know you from long ago!” she said, her tone warm and sensual.
“Hey Neph, is that chick for real?” Ace said, unsure how to react.
“Yeah, I think so, but be careful; she means business…” I said, not taking my eyes off the youma for a single second lest I become a kebab.
I thought her the perfect addition to the Pussycat Dolls but for the youma appendages and the fact, she'd likely eat the band. Yeah, probably not such a bad thing after all, and then maybe throw in Brittany Spears, Paris Hilton and a dozen other one-dimensional divas, even that guy called Juts Butthead, or was it, Raccoon, or Chipmunk? Something like that; my English is terrible, but so was that whiny wanna-be exponent of mediocrity. She’d likely feast upon them all and make herself ill given the quality of the meals, makes one shudder at the thought.
I actually chuckled despite myself. She misinterpreted the gesture, favorably, laughed herself, and winked at me coquettishly. Can you believe it? I recoiled from the vision of those massive, yes, perfectly sculptured thighs locking me in a vice-like grip and having to suffer a toxic kiss from this dark faery as she had her way with me. I tried not to think about that and shook myself like a terrified cat, cornered by a saber tooth in heat. I recovered myself.
I noticed that the metallic white crate behind me started buzzing and rattling upon its pallet throne, this was getting weirder by the second.
‘Shit, was it a fucking bomb in there?’
“Nephrite, former guardian of Endymion of the Terran Kingdom, I call upon you to stand by my side, Shitennou. Hmmm, you’re not Jadeite, but…” I straightened; lowering my weapon, for it was useless against her anyway. “He is sworn to that fire priestess, Mars. But no matter, you’ll do, or perhaps…” she sauntered over towards Ace. He was a man not easily frightened by much of anything, usually. But this was an encounter with the supernatural we were dealing with, or at least trying to deal with right now.
Ace was a hardhearted killer, a sniper, and assassin; take your pick. But on this occasion, he was well out of his league. In fact, so was I.
The powerful female creature grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and lifted him high off the concrete floor. She laughed as she tore off his overalls and drew him to her. I could do nothing to help. The youma seemed to have hypnotized him. Ace was responding to her ministrations as if he wanted her as much as she seemed to desire him.
Licking her lips, moving seductively over his body with alien hands, or paws, at that point I didn’t bother with distinctions; she kissed him.
Ace peeled off the straps from her smooth shoulders and began kissing her breasts. She laughed once more, her clawed hands holding Ace in their vice-like grip, her long hair flowing over his head and back as he worked his way down her body to pleasure her, as she demanded.
“Oooh, that’s nice, now pleasure me in other ways…”
I could only stare at her disbelievingly. I had to keep my wits about me. I could only watch in horror as Ace had sex with the winged girl from only the Kamis knew where.
He was not in his body, I could tell by his staccato movements as she clenched her thighs about his waste, growling with every involuntary thrust he made taking her to orgasm and soon after he too had climaxed. I closed my eyes and covered my ears, it was all too much, too private, yet it was also a violation, a crime of sorts, how ironic given our occupations.
He collapsed in a heap as she knelt over him, her body naked and glistening with sweat, wings moving rhythmically, as she swayed in rapture.
She dressed in haste, stood up, straightened her clothing, and stalked towards me.
“Stay back…” I knew it was hopeless, but was relieved to learn she had no appetite for me in terms of an erotic sense and I visibly relaxed, she was spent.
“I call you to my service. I am Tetis, queen of youma and somewhat pissed off with your Yakuza brethren, and that,” she almost spat out the name, “Shachihoko…. I offer you power, glory and more than that slut Beriru offered you and the Shitennou in the Dark Kingdom of the Silver Millennium.”
“Sorry lady; no thank-you, I’m doing very well without anyone using me as a pawn, thank you, but that is my final word on the subject.”
“Come now, Nephrite… I won’t… eat you, a little sex is good for the soul, but I know you are not fated to be mine. Besides Neph, you’re not my type.”
I laughed, and she shrugged and to my surprise, picked up Ace’s limp body and carried him to the forklift truck, carefully placing him in the driver’s seat and turned to face me, grinning.
“Then a working alliance perhaps, no strings, just hear me out. I will make it worth your while.” I sighed in relief. “Come on now, you could at least sound disappointed, I am a good fuck, Ace can certainly vouch for that…” She laughed, winking at me.
I had to admit, Tetis had a nerve, but I also admired a straight shooter and a girl with a good sense of humor. I began to think about her offer more seriously. She waited, whistling, a youma whistling a happy tune; she was very different to any youma I’d ever heard of before that was for sure.
If I persisted in refusing any association with her, she might just behead me and stick my skull on a power pole or something as equally distasteful. I had to turn this into a positive – somehow. I began to think fast. But Tetis had a wicked glint in her eye as she opened her hands revealing a gemstone, jade I thought, the blinding flash sent me back, right back to the Silver Millennium.
---
I screamed. I had thrust a spear into Makoto’s heart. I heard the bones crack, her bursting heart thudding against the ravaged ribcage, blood pouring from her lips as she both cursed and proclaimed her love for me.
“Bastard, but why… I know you’re not the man I love, for Metallia has taken you from me. That witch has done something to you, all of you. I die now, but Nephrite… I know… we shall be reunited one day!” she coughed violently, collapsed, and died.
I wept. “No…!”
Tetis spoke as if from far away, “Remember…”
I saw Beriru, and others: Jadeite, Zoisite and Kunzite, we were all under the spell of Metallia and Beriru. I knew Jad, and the other two. I also knew I would meet them once again and soon.
Tetis was not evil, a more accurate description of her would be she was more self-motivated, a little desperate and depraved, but she had opened up Pandora’s Box, for good or ill; it was too early to tell.
---
I came back to myself, tears pouring down my cheeks.
“I have no quarrel with the senshi, or your former prince. He is well, and Serenity, she has returned. I serve no one but my own agenda, and this time, I will work with anyone opposed to Metalia, but on my terms. Got it?”
“Yeah, I hear you, Metalia, you know where she is?”
“I do, and let me tell you, she is more of a slut than Beriru. Let’s just say, Metalia is no match for that fool, Beriru. That feisty redhead holds a deep seated desire to unseat her, but she has no direction, quite the canoe with no paddle up shit-creak, as the Australians put it, such colorful euphemisms don’t you think?”
“Yeah, colorful…” I said, deadpan and shrugged.
She offered a wry grin. “Soon she will fall to my youma legions. Metalia is so full of herself!”
Although a chill of fear raced up my spine at the sound of her name, Metalia, I felt myself becoming faint as her hellish image appeared in a swirl of blood red cloud, a gorgon could not be more hideous. I had to remain in control. Thus far, Tetis hadn’t struck us down, well not yet anyway. As she pirouetted upon her tiptoes, like a macabre ballerina, I actually burst out laughing as she twirled and sang a tune from an Asian drama I loved. Fuck. She could have easily scooped us up and crushed us without breaking a sweat, but she hadn’t although she’d ravaged Ace.
“Oh, by the way, there is another player in the game. I have nothing much to tell you but, strange mirrors are being reported all over the place, and these are very big. So, life is anything but dull, gentlemen, is it not? I will be in touch.” With that, she launched herself towards the ceiling, flew through the hole into the raging storm outside, and was gone.
Ace was coming around. He sat up and zipped up his overalls then began to laugh uproariously; I could only stare at him in bewilderment.
“She fucked me, ha… all the bitch had to do was ask, and it wasn’t so bad.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, Ace?”
“Don’t knock it till you try it, sex by remote control is pretty satisfying.”
“Fucking odd-ball,” I chuckled.
I didn’t believe that guy, he was terrified, but I suppose after she began to weave her spell he had lost his fear and at least part of his mind had been experiencing the sexual encounter. Truth be known, he’d probably make a pass at her next time they met knowing him: crazy bastard.
He took a shower, cleaned himself up, and waved on his way out as I sat staring at the crate Tetis hadn’t bothered checking for a time.
“What are you hiding?”
I wondered what this game was all about, it was bigger than the Japanese underworld, and these people were playing for much higher stakes. Apparently, our old nemesis was re-incarnated and a prostitute. Yeah, that would be right, she always was a voyeur, but now she’s getting it rather than watching it. Yet Kunz did bed her, or was it the other way around back in the Dark Kingdom.
She is known as Beryl Aikido according to Tetis. Wonder if she knows anything about the Shachihoko. I think I’ll go looking for that gemmy now, what do ya think Neph, ol’ boy, as I’m alone here now and see what I can see ne?
