Beast

“We requested that you be brought to Japan because of your exceptional abilities and track record. It is for those two reasons alone that I have been so lenient with you up until this moment. However, you are starting to test my patience.” NN sat atop an office chair, directly before a man with square glasses, his body covered in a two-piece suit and his short hair well-gelled and combed. A brown desk separated them, an open file atop it, and sitting beside a blaring computer screen. A tall woman stood beside him with her hands clasped behind her back, in the same suit as he. Her skin was pale, her eyes were golden brown, and her blonde hair was tied into a ponytail.

“At this moment, it should be no mystery as to why I must now conduct this interview.”

“Right,” NN answered.

“For my first question.” Takeba adjusted the glasses on his nose, “Did you or did you not contact Himeno Takeba?”

“I did.”

“And for what purpose?”

“She has an exceptional record, clear motivation. I believed that she could be a great asset to my team here in Japan.” He calmly stated.

“A greater asset than those provided to you by the Takeba group? We have given you access to some of the strongest dungeon crawlers here in Japan, and yet you are not satisfied.”

“With all due respect, most of your operatives are second-rate. I know what strength looks like, and Himeno Takeba possesses the strength I need.”

“I can understand your intrigue considering her quick ascent within K-Corp; however, I don’t believe you have revealed your true motives. So for my second question, I must ask: what is your real goal?”

“My goal has been and always will be the destruction of the shadow beast. You might not agree with my methods, but I assure you that I will kill it.”

Takeba turned to the woman at his side.

“He’s been telling the truth so far.” She spoke almost robotically.

“Ok then. Next question, do you believe the rumors regarding Himeno Takeba and me?”

“What rumors?”

“Don’t play coy.”

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t see the resemblance.”

“Don’t talk around the question.”

“I do.”

Takeba let out a heavy, irritated sigh.

“So then, you won’t deny that you were, even if just a little, ‘motivated’ by this rumor to specifically seek out Himeno Takeba?”

“I won't.”

“And what was her response to your attempted recruitment?”
“She outright refused, and she also denied the rumors of you being her father.”

“And for my final question.” He paused, propping up his head with his folded hands. “Are you operating with the Takeba group's best interest at heart?”

“My best interest? My best interest is the shadow beast and nothing more.”

“I see.” He let out a huff, “I won't deny your usability and strength; however, if your antics prove to impede our pursuit in any way, I’ll be forced to drop you from the Takeba group. I’m being much more lenient with you than I would any other member of my group, so keep everything I’ve stated in mind as you operate through Japan.” He slammed the file on his desk closed, “You are dismissed.”

“Right.”

He stood and took his leave, the door gently shutting behind him.

Takeba let out a heavy sigh and slouched down in his chair.

“What do you make of him?”

“His record is nothing short of impressive; the same goes for his combat abilities, physicality, and magical ability. Out of the entire Takeba group, there are very few I believe would stand a chance against him. Which is the exact reason we need him to fight the shadow beast.”

“At its current strength, do you believe someone like him would be able to defeat it?”

“I’m unsure, we’ve yet to see the shadow beast itself in action, but if I had to take an educated guess…” her voice began to trail, and a soft groan escaped her lips, “He would likely lose.”

“Good.” He stood abruptly, “but just in case, when the time comes, you must ensure that he doesn’t defeat the beast. If that creature dies, everything we’ve worked toward will amount to nothing.”

“Yes, sir.”

|

Evening had come. Yuya, Junepai, and NN sat across from each other at the booth of a small cafe, with tiny cups of coffee before them.

“I’m still not too sure about bringing the weakling along.” NN bluntly spoke, “How well can you even use magic?”

“I only know the basics from what they teach in school; beyond that, I can’t do much.” He answered.

“So you’re practically useless on this team.”
“Hey! I’m sure we can find a use for him, don’t be so harsh.” Junepai cut in.

“I’m simply stating the truth, but if you’re so desperate to keep him on, who am I to object?”

“Can we get back to the question at hand? How are we meant to capture a monster in all of Japan that can shape-shift? What are we meant to go based on?” Junepai tapped his pointer finger on the table impatiently.

“Himeno Takeba,” NN answered plainly.

“What? That girl from the other day?”

“Yeah, I told you I met her before I met you. When I spoke to her about this strange creature, she accidentally let something slip. She called the creature a she rather than an it. Based on that alone, I’m led to believe that she knows about the creature's whereabouts. Not only that, when I was near her, I could smell it.”

“It?” Yuya repeated.

“There’s no point in trying to explain it right now; all I can say is that my nose is never wrong about these things. She’s definitely the only lead we need.”

“So then, what’s the plan?” Junepai questioned.

“It’s simple, we follow Himeno Takeba, and in one way or another, she will lead us to the monster.”

|

Himeno stepped onto the dirt lot, head hung low, the moonlight projecting her shadow below her. The white grocery bag in her hand shuffled as she approached the front door. She barely managed to put the key into the door before it swung open, two sets of fair-colored hands stretching outward and wrapping around her.

“Himeno!” The girl spoke in a high-pitched tone. She wrapped her arms tightly around her upper back, pressing her head into her chest and sobbing. As she parted herself from her, Himeno could see the tears in her eyes, twinkling in the moonlight. The girl looked just like her, except her hair was longer, and she was six inches shorter, standing at five-two.

“We shouldn’t be outside too long, Sylvie.”

The two stepped inside, and Himeno slipped off her shoes and stared onward at the dimly lit living room. It was small and cozy, a small TV sat before a beige couch, a table at its side with an unplugged lamp resting on it.

The wood floor-boards creaked beneath their feet, the two of them stepping into a smaller room with nothing but a singular table atop a green floor-mat.

“Come here, I’ve got some more stuff for you.” She took Sylvie's hand and led her to the table, kneeling and setting the grocery bag on the table.

“I got you those potato chips you love, and a soda.”

“Himeno.” Her voice cut in sharply, “You were late this time, I was worried, you didn’t even call.”

“I-I’m sorry, Sylvie. I messed up. A strange foreigner approached me about a contract.” She paused, a pained look in her eyes, “He’s picked up the bounty K-Corp has on you. I think he knows I know something.”

“I thought that they put a pause on finding me.” She spoke with a sad tone.

“He’s with K-Corp international, I guess he has the leisure to investigate other things, even with the shadow beast being top priority for K-Corp.”

“I see.” She looked down at the floor with an empty gaze. Hamano's eyes fell on a patch of gray on her skin, partially hidden beneath her long hair.

“Sylvie.” She stretched her hand outward and brushed her hair back, cupping her face with one hand and examining the gray skin. It appeared scaly, and the skin surrounding it looked like the peeling of paint off a wall.

“It’s wearing off.” She frantically spoke, “Here, let’s get this over with as soon as possible.” Himeno pulled a small knife from her back and placed it in her palm. She held it down firmly, winced, and sliced, deep red pouring from her hand.

Sylvie took her by the wrist and held her palm to her mouth, drinking the blood directly from her palm. Himeno grit her teeth at the pain until finally, it was over.

“I also managed to get some of this.” She riffled through the grocery bag and pulled out a wad of sliced hair tied with a rubber band.

“Thank you. You should wrap that up.” She pointed to her hand, taking the wad of hair and chewing on it like a horse chews hay.

“I’ll do it later.” She took all the contents from their bag and set them on the table.

“Sylvie, it may take even longer for us to meet again after this. If K-Corp really is on my trail, coming back here will surely put you in danger.”

“I see.” Sylvie finished eating the hair and scooted closer to Himeno until she was sitting right beneath her. She wrapped her arms around her, their bodies practically morphing into one.

“Can you at least stay with me tonight, to make up for how long you’ll be gone?” She partially joked.

“Sure.” She ran a hand through her dark hair, tilting over until they both fell to the ground in each other's arms.

“One day, you won’t have to hide anymore.” Himeno reassured her, “Once I’m done here in Japan, we can go as far away as we want. I’ve saved up enough for us to have a fresh start.” As she continued to comb her hand through Sylvie's hair, she could feel her drift off. Soon, she began to feel herself drift as well.

In her dreams, the same dream that haunted her for as long as she could remember, Himeno sat in a cage. In her dream, the same thing would always occur, and she was too weak, too frail. The cage bound her in its black bars. Her hands were too small to part them, her body too weak to break free. She was small, smaller than ever before, and standing before her cage, taunting her, was a man with a face she couldn’t make out. His features changed frequently, but one thing remained consistent. The smile on his face, the perfect white teeth, the pure bliss on his face. At the man's side stood a woman with an exaggerated figure, her waist impossibly thin, and she too, would smile. Behind them was one more person, a person she could never forget, whose appearance always stayed the same.

She wore a hospital gown around her frail body, a frown on her face, and tears stained her cheeks. Her hair was long and healthy despite her physical body, her eyes a beautiful golden-brown.

The man turned away from the cage with that woman at his side. She pulled a blade from nowhere and planted it in the man's hand, boisterous laughs escaping their lips as they approached the sickly woman.

“No!” Himeno's cries would fall on deaf ears: “Someone help her!” She stretched her hand through the cage, reaching outward toward the three figures.

“Leave her alone!”

They continued to ignore her, the blade in the man's hand glinting as he raised it into the air, the sound of whooshing slicing through the air as the man's hand flashed downward. Crimson exploded into the air, the light in the woman's eyes giving out as she fell to the ground, lifeless, blood pouring from the open wound on her neck and stretching toward her cage.

“Mom!”

Himeno awoke screaming, as she usually did, her heart pounding out of her chest and tears welling in her eyes.