Pumpkin

Pulling up to the supermarket, I immediately find myself wading through police tape to get into the damn place. ...This in the latter category of onryō, then? I approach a nearby officer to get the lay of the situation.

"DUSK-sensei, right?"

"Yeah."

She offers a hand to shake. ...Not that it matters, but she's taller, and more on the heavy side than me. If not for my somewhat toned physique, you'd swear she could pick me up and snap me like a twig. Her dark brown hair is tied up into a ponytail-- probably would be longer than DAWN's if she let it down. "You can call me SWEETS, by the way."

"That's in katakana, yeah?" I squint my eyes. A codename...? Those are usually reserved for the top in the division. "I've not met you before-- have I?"

They pause, stammering for a moment before lowering their head as they laugh in embarrassment. "Alright... you got me. Officer Bunko, reporting for duty. I'm your backup for this one."

"This one's dangerous, then...?"

She rubs the back of her neck. "They saw how late you were taking and assigned me in case you took too long to get here."

I wasn't that late getting here, was I...? I was driving as fast as I could.

"Well, alright then. Let's get it over with." I make my way into the building, Bunko-san following my lead.

Inside the supermarket, well... everything is in shambles, as you'd expect. Products of all types are strewn across the floor, and at the center of it all is a writhing mass of vines, connected to and holding up a giant, angry-looking pumpkin.

I ready my finger-gun; this shouldn't take too long. Officer Bunko shoots me a strange look.

"What?"

"You're... not going to try talking to her? At all?"

"Why should I? We're just going to end up killing it." I lower my hand, incredulous. "That's the whole point of our division, Bunko-san." Must be a new recruit. That's probably why I hadn't heard of them, as well as why they thought they could just choose a codename.

She shrugs her shoulders. "I'd just figured disarming the situation would be-"

"Watch out!!" I shove her out of the way as the pumpkin monster shoots a blue fireball our direction.

...Nnngh. The flame nearly singes me-- if I'd been a moment later...

It prepares another blast of flames, but this time I'm prepared. Pulling deeper into my mana reserves, I snap my fingers in the direction of the yokai. The flames they were ready to shoot out at me fizzle out into mere cinders, causing them to react in confusion.

"How did..." Bunko-san asks.

"Magic cancellation. It takes more out of me than the finger blasts, but it's handy." ...Pun unintended. "It's standard procedure-- how new are you to the force...?"

Before they can respond, I quickly act upon the opportunity I'd made for myself, sending out a volley of energy blasts toward the pumpkin-- with one goal in mind.

One of the shots makes direct contact with the stem connecting the pumpkin to its vines. The hands struggle to hold the severed head in place, trembling, before eventually giving up-- dropping the head to the ground as it pathetically rolls away.

That... was far easier than I'd expected. Why did we need so much pre-caution for something like this, exactly...?

...

"Well, uh..." Bunko-san starts to approach.

I raise my hand, gesturing for her to stop. "Hold it-- we need to stay on alert." I was careless earlier today with the umbrella-- I can't afford to keep that kind of behavior up, especially with a rookie observing me. I keep my firing hand at the ready as I approach the pumpkin.

"Y-you bastard..." A third voice rings out, cursing at me. It's... the pumpkin.

"You're alive?"

"As alive as the ghost of Kabuchamura can be." Spoken with as much bile as a pumpkin can hold. 'Kabuchamura,' though...

"How old are you... exactly?"

"Old enough to remember when this was a village of plentiful harvests. Now look at it, it's a monument of greed!!"

I tilt my head. "A supermarket."

"Exactly." She closes her eyes in a huff. "Have you seen the working conditions for the people here? It's abhorrent! Fehh!"

I guess I don't disagree with her, but I don't see how tearing up the damn place is accomplishing anything. "Whatever. Any last words?"

She looks to me, squinting her eyes as she seems to study me. After a moment, she speaks up. "...Fehhh. I only hope there's a special kind of hell for traitors like you."

"Huh-- traitor...?"

Before I can ask them what they meant by that, I catch a glint in the corner of my eye. A knife presses against my throat as the vines that make up the monster's body managed to get the jump on me.

"Nnnnghh, dammit! Bunko-san, give me some help, here!"

Bunko-san has her finger pointed at the mass of vines, trembling. "I-I-I don't want to shoot you, DUSK-sensei...!"

I'm getting flashbacks to my first day on the job, here. Well, I need to think of something, and fast. Looking around, I notice there's some propane tanks that have rolled nearby in the scuffle. Bit bigger than what I wanted, but it'll do...!

Making a mental apology to the store manager for the incoming collateral, I throw my hand in the direction of the tanks, firing as many shots as I can in the hopes at least one makes contact. Thankfully, I'm able to-

!!

The sudden eruption of fire is enough to knock both me and the pumpkin's body to the ground. Thankfully, they took the brunt of the explosion, giving me the opportunity to shove them off of me before I catch alight.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUHHHHHHH!!! MY BODY!!" The pumpkin screams out in horror, voice getting more and more distant. Wait, distant?

I realize all too soon that another yokai has snuck in-- some... snake of sorts? Short and stout, they've managed to pick up the pumpkin and have begun carrying them away. They blow a raspberry at me as they run off for the back door. Quickly, I point my hand at them, only for nothing to come out. Dammit-- not now! I must've fired out more shots than I'd thought. I look around quickly for something to restore my mana with-- only to come up empty.

Bunko-san rushes over to me, to check if I'm alright.

"N-no, not me!!" I growl at her. "The others, dammit! Stop them from getting away...!"

...

...

Too late. I've already lost visual contact with them.

It's not going to be too hard to find them, right? I tap the side of my ear, running over to get a fire extinguisher to clean up after my own mess.

"DUSK here. Pumpkin onryō has escaped the supermarket-- I'd severed its head from its body but some sort of bipedal snake yokai snuck in and retrieved them during the firefight. My reserve has been depleted-- please advise on how to proceed."

"Operator 134 here, roger. All available units, be on the lookout for a bipedal snake yokai on the loose-- potentially carrying a pumpkin yokai alongside them. Assume the suspects are magical and dangerous."

"What about me, 134?"

"Take it easy for now, DUSK. Your shift's nearly over, yeah? Go out for drinks, or something. Maybe get some mana tablets while you're out, too."

I dryly chuckle. "Roger."

Having put out the fire, I turn to Bunko-san, ...seeing her bow apologetically.

"I am... so sorry... DUSK-sensei."

"Relax. I was like you when I was new, too, so I get it. The others'll handle it now."

"Right... right." They look to the door. "What're they going to do, exactly?"

"Probably set up checkpoints and patrols to make sure they don't leave town. Standard procedure... as I've learned from experience. Like I said, I was new once, too."

She nods. "Say... want to get drinks together? I'll treat ya, as compensation for how I botched it just now."

Great, more social interaction with co-workers. Well. At least she's more personable, and she's paying.

"Sure, why not."

"Alrighty then. ...Just let me call my roommate and let her know I'll be out late, and we can head out."

I nod, sighing as I mentally prepare myself for having to call in cleanup once more.

...At least this pain-in-the-ass day's almost over.