Guardians Gaiden 1 part 4

Mimi pulled a slip of paper from her bag as she slipped her sandals on. As the paper burned, the embers formed into the shape of an oni. 'Remain here, and guard this home.' The oni grunted and sat in the entranceway, its club resting in its lap. Mimi nodded and followed Tsukiko out of the house. 'Why do you believe we should go to Tokyo Tower?'

Tsukiko grinned. 'So, for the first time in this adventure, I get to be the smart one!' Her ears flicked a little. 'What is Tokyo Tower's main purpose?'

'A television broadcast tower.' Mimi blinked. 'Ah.' Mimi summoned the raiju and climbed onto its back.

'Right.' Tsukiko grinned and climbed up behind her. 'And, of course, we saw a temple in the background when Michio and his brothers were fighting Kuroi.'

'Zōjō-ji.' Mimi patted the raiju's shoulder. 'Fly.'

'Exactly.' Tsukiko gripped Mimi's waist as the raiju took to the air. 'And besides, the tower is a total weirdness magnet.'

Mimi frowned. 'Do you know if they are finished cleaning up after the last time?'

'I think so. The tower's open to the public again, anyway.' Tsukiko chuckled. 'I guess we'll be making a whole new mess.'

'Wonderful.' Mimi sighed.

Tsukiko leaned her chin on Mimi's shoulder and grinned. 'You're too serious sometime.' She chuckled. 'But, then, if you weren't, you wouldn't be Mimi, would you?'

Mimi smiled and squeezed Tsukiko's hand, as Raiju descended. The pair slipped off the creature's back at the base of the tower, and Mimi dismissed him. Some nocturnal bird cried in the distance, but otherwise, the night was silent. Tsukiko wandered toward the edge of the parking lot and looked out.

'OK,  Zōjō-ji is over that way.' She squinted briefly, then closed her eyes, opening them she spun on her toes, and began walking. She stopped just before reaching the FootTown building. 'Ah, bad news, Mimi...'

'They are under the building?' Mimi joined her, pulling her Ōnusa from the bag at her hip, and peering at the building.

'They're under the building.' Tsukiko's ears flicked. 'I wonder how the construction team didn't find them when they broke ground.'

'Michio said that they sealed him, keeping the tengu from finding him. Also the cleft he created was mystical in origin. Perhaps they are not truly within the real world, simply connected enough for Michio's spirit to reach out.' She tried the door, and nodded as it was locked. 'Or else, they are simply deeper than the building's foundation.'

'Yeah, that makes sense.' Tsukiko leaned on the wall of the building. 'So, I guess we wait for him to wake up. I wonder how long it will...' She jumped aside and began to laugh as the doors of the building were blown outwards. 'Well, I should have seen that coming.' She leapt across the parking lot to stand beside Mimi, and both took up a fighting stance.

With a roar of pure, inarticulate rage, Kuroi shot into the air, his wings spread wide against the starry sky, then, folding them, he dove toward the ground near the tower. As he landed he spread his arms, breaking the mummified remains of the three brothers away from him. He strode forward, muttering quiet curses against them, then suddenly drew up short, and narrowed his eyes at Tsukiko and Mimi.

'You... I know you.' He shook his head. 'You were in my head. With that damned sorcerer. Digging through my memories.' He held out his flame-enshrouded hand.  'An unwise choice.'

A ball of flame flew toward Tsukiko and Mimi – or at least where they had been an instant before. Tsukiko had grabbed Mimi and leapt to safety, before the attack. The two stood, Tsukiko still holding Mimi, several metres away.

'Thank you, Tsukiko.' Mimi reached into her bag and withdrew two slips of paper.

'You're welcome, Mimi.' Tsukiko set Mimi down. 'Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go kick somebody in the face.' With a brief running start, she leapt at Kuroi, and brought her foot forward. It connected with Kuroi's face with a crack that echoed off the walls of nearby buildings. 'Ah! Ow, ow, ow! It's like kicking a tree!' She bounced off the sorcerer, and dropped to one knee, hissing between her teeth.

Mimi tossed the slips of paper she was holding. One formed into a large cat with two tails – a nekomata – the other into an oni. 'Tsukiko...?' She turned toward Tsukiko, who waved her off.

'I'm OK. I'll be fine.' Tsukiko pulled herself to her feet and hopped, favouring one foot, cracking her knuckles. 'Or, at least I can keep fighting.' She leapt into the air, as another fireball cut through where she'd been standing. Landing next to Mimi, she leaned in toward her. 'So, do we have a plan?'

Mimi nodded. 'Try to restrain him.' She pointed toward Kuroi. 'Futaba! Banrai! Go, hold him!' The two beasts snarled and charged forward, while Tsukiko bolted to the side.

There was a sound of splintering wood as the nekomata's jaws clamped around Kuroi's flaming arm. As he attempted to shake the beast off, a noise came from behind him, he turned and raised his other hand, webbed fingers wrapping around a massive wrist, just before the oni's iron kanabō connected with his head.

'You send these creatures? You clearly have no idea who I am.' Kuroi spread his wings, and flapped them hard. 'I am Shin Kuroi!' Another flap, and he started to rise into the air, pulling Futaba and Banrai off their feet.

'And I am Tsukiko Suzuki, and I'm really tired of you!' She leapt at Kuroi from behind. Wrapping her arms around the base of his wings, she pulled herself against them.

The four landed in a heap, as Kuroi dropped out of the sky, his wings fouled. Still trying to shake Futaba free of his flaming arm, he reached for Tsukiko with the other, earning Banrai's fist across his jaw. He spat and cursed, grabbing the oni's arm and twisting it.

'Mimi, whatever you're going to do...' Tsukiko pushed back, as Kuroi's wing pressed into her face. 'Do it quickly. Please.'

'Yes.' Mimi stepped forward. 'Hold him, please.'

Futaba sank to the ground, clutching Kuroi's arm tightly in his mouth, while Banrai clutched the other arm in his free hand.

'I will have your hides.' Kuroi struggled against his captors, and craned his neck to look, sidelong, at Tsukiko. 'Especially you, girl. Those ears intrigue me.'

Mimi's eyes narrowed, and she strode forward, her steps measured, but quick. With a quick motion, she placed a strip of paper against his chest, chanting in a strained voice. Pale blue flames traced her words onto the paper as she chanted. As the flames died, leaving the words on the paper, the flames of Kuroi's right arm died, his third eye closed, and his wings went slack. 'Shin Kuroi. Your stolen powers have been sealed, and you will face punishment for your misdeeds.'

Kuroi sneered, and begin chanting in a language which made Tsukiko's skin crawl.

Mimi's eyes went wide, and she looked toward the oni. 'Banrai!'

Banrai lashed out, Kuroi's jaw shattering against his fist.

'I thank you.' A voice came from above them. 'Now I would thank you to step aside.'