[Phantom Pain of Rousoku Himawari] Embryo of War

Manami and Yoko sauntered out of a movie theater in downtown Kyoto, groggily stretching their arms and rubbing the tears out of their eyes. They had watched a sappy romantic drama about a girl suffering from memory loss who was slowly losing her recollection of her passionate and devoted boyfriend. It was the pinnacle of corny, but Yoko especially loved movies like that.

Manami stopped in her tracks as they descended the steps of the movie theater. She stood there staring at a group of young men in the distance, all of them chatting in a circle together. Yoko called out to her, snapping her out of her momentary trance.

"You okay, Mom?"

Manami smiled. "Perfectly fine! Did you like the movie?"

"It was okay."

"Just okay? You were bawling towards the end."

"No I wasn't."

"Yes you were."

"...Tell no one of this."

Manami snickered. "So you like the sappy stuff, huh? Well, I'm glad you had a good time."

"So, did you want to go anywhere else?"

Manami stole another glance at the men in the distance before returning her gaze to Yoko. "Actually, the sun is starting to set, so I shouldn't keep you out any longer. I've got some business I need to handle as well. You know, exorcist stuff."

"Oh, I guess you're right. I was going to help Gekko make fried chicken sandwiches for dinner tonight."

"Ooo, sounds delicious! How are you getting home? Do you take the bus or something?" Manami asked.

"If I'm going downtown, I usually do, but my friend Rei said she'd be nearby, so she offered to give me a ride home once you and I were done."

"That's very kind of her. You have good friends, Yoko. Want me to walk you over to her?"

"No, it's fine. I'll be okay. You go ahead and do whatever you need to, Mom."

"Okay, my love. Text me when you're with your friend so that I know you're safe."

"Will do." Yoko said, giving Manami a quick, gentle hug. "See you later, Mom."

"See ya, honey."

Walking off, Yoko turned around to say a few more words. "Hey...I'm really glad you came back. And thank you for telling me the truth."

Manami closed her eyes. "No, I don't deserve your thanks. I still have a lot more to atone for before I can be thanked at all. Thank you though, Yoko. Go on and get home now."

Manami watched as Yoko departed the theater entrance, walking off towards the setting sun and disappearing into the shifting sea of pedestrians stomping the streets. The fading light of the sunset shimmered across the wet, thawing streets, the city cloaked in a thin veil of golden-orange haze. It was like Kyoto was drowning in a golden ocean.

It was all hauntingly nostalgic for Manami. She once stood in that very spot, before the very same movie theater with Lucrezia, the real Lucrezia. Manami closed her eyes and found herself back to that time and place, standing at the bottom of the theater steps with her hands stuffed into the pockets of her brown, leather jacket.

Lucrezia's unbound, chestnut colored hair was blown back by the wind, her wavy locks desperately reaching towards Manami. Lucrezia spun around in her white, kitten heel shoes that matched with her white jeans and contrasted against her black, floral blouse.

"Don't look so down, Manami." Lucrezia urged, her smile wilting into a frown. "I'm not dead just yet."

"I was always hard on you as a teacher, Lucrezia. I pushed you to become the best exorcist in the nation. You were just a kid, and I stole your childhood from you. And now, all you have to show for it is...this. I'm sorry. I'm really, truly sorry."

Lucrezia's eyes narrowed and glistened with tears. "You didn't steal anything from me. I'm glad I was born as who I am, and I'm happy that I got to have such an extraordinary teacher."

"I don't understand why this had to happen..."

Lucrezia shrugged her shoulders. "I'm still trying to figure that out myself. Manami...there's something you should know. I might not get another chance to tell you this."

"What is it?"

"I was in charge of putting together a covert operation to search for Inari Okami. Until I got sick, that is. Since I've only got a few years left at best, I suspect they'll transfer that task over to the next capable operative. I can't imagine they'll pick anyone other than you."

Manami's eyes widened in shock. "Hold on, Inari Okami? She's been missing for centuries. Why are the exorcists suddenly interested in her now?"

"There was a sighting of her in Okinawa just a few months ago. In fact, it wasn't just a sighting. It was a confrontation. Two of our men died as a result. It's weird though. According to their teammates, the two casualties took each other out."

"Our men...turned against each other?"

Lucrezia nodded. "Strange, isn't it? They were supposedly best friends, too. It didn't make any sense that they would suddenly turn their weapons on each other. Lady Uzume briefed me on the Okinawa incident when she assigned me the mission, and she also told me something else. She had an explanation for why those two men killed each other."

"So? What was it?"

"Blood magic. Apparently, Inari can possess people with just one look into their eyes. Not only that, but there's speculation she can control multiple targets even without possessing their bodies herself. Uzume said that Amaterasu herself was a victim of this, so we know that it even works on gods."

"I've never heard of any god or exorcist able to control people's bodies like that. How did Inari even get that kind of power?"

"I don't know. It's not important, either. What matters is that the exorcists are changing their tactics. They figure they'll have better luck tracking Inari's movements if they only send one highly skilled operative after her. Considering Inari's abilities, she can use the manpower of the exorcists against them."

"Damn it...so I'm gonna have to do it?"

"Inari is the greatest threat to national security, even more so than Bishamon or Magatori. But...something doesn't feel right about this. How did Amaterasu know that Inari had that ability? Amaterasu's role is in Heaven, so how is it that she came across Inari?" Inari wouldn't have gone back to Heaven if she was a wanted fugitive. It would be suicide. That means Amaterasu stepped outside of her role somehow, went down to Earth, and encountered Inari there."

"Lucrezia...what are you trying to say?"

Lucrezia sighed. "What do you think happened first, Manami? Did Inari attack Amaterasu and make herself a wanted goddess? Or did Amaterasu attack Inari and label her a criminal after she failed? Of all gods who could've witnessed that ability firsthand, why was it Amaterasu, who supposedly never leaves Heaven? I need to find out, but I won't be here by the time you find the answer to that. That's why, when the time comes, I want you to accept the mission and get to the bottom of this."

"Are you listening to yourself? Even if there's some shady business going on with this whole Inari thing, why should we butt in? Let them have their secrets. It's not our job to uncover the truth all the time."

"I'm disappointed in you, Manami." Lucrezia chided.

"Lucrezia..."

"Ever hear the saying, 'Absolute power corrupts absolutely'? If a power like Inari's ended up in the hands of Heaven, then the very laws we've all given our lives to protect will be meaningless. They could simply manipulate anyone they want into doing their bidding, laws and ethics be damned. That would actually be the worst case scenario."

"...Is there a best case scenario?"

"Yes, there is."

Lucrezia's glare narrowed, becoming cold and focused. "...There's something else I have to tell you. I need you to promise to keep this a secret."

"Of course. I won't tell a soul."

"...I spoke with the Shoku Twins. I have a pretty good idea of how I'm going to die. It won't be pretty, Manami. I still haven't quite made my peace with that. However, it seems you're going to have a very powerful ally working with you after I'm gone. From what I hear, she's even more devoted to finding Inari than I am. That's perfect."

"An ally? Who?"

"They didn't tell me, but I trust their judgement. You're going to accept the mission, and this person will be there to help you. I've thought a lot about how things might turn out when the day finally comes when we find Inari. If things go south and you suddenly find yourselves in danger, I've prepared a way out for you guys. The only problem is...if you take it...your lives as exorcists will be over. I'm praying that things won't have to come to that."

Manami opened her eyes as she felt a hand plop onto her right shoulder, snapping her out of her flashback. The three men she spotted earlier stood around her, each of them aiming their icy glares at her. They each stood close to six feet tall and had muscular statures.

"Manami Akiyama." the man touching her said. "We have orders to escort you to see Lady Amaterasu."

"You're so transparent." Manami sighed. "You tried to hide in plain clothes, but I know Black Squad exorcists when I see them. At least you had the decency to wait until my daughter was out of the way."

"You were due to arrive in Kyoto more than a week ago. Not only did you return late, but even two days after you got here, you still haven't reported back to Lady Amaterasu." the man said. "Why didn't you return?"

Manami shrugged her shoulders and let out a loud groan. "Well, I was totally planning on coming back, but then I ran into my daughter and we got to making up after so many years apart. Really, it was an emotional roller-coaster for me. I couldn't even focus on the mission. My bad. I didn't mean to make you wait."

The man hesitated, glaring at Manami in silence as she stared back in return. It felt as though the two were going to try and kill each other at any moment. The heat of their anger rose like steam from their bodies, and the atmosphere between them grew heavy and serrated. The man let go of Manami's shoulder as a black sedan with dark, tinted windows pulled up in front of the steps.

"Well, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to come with us, Manami."

"...Of course you're afraid."

Manami offered no resistance. She got in the car with the other exorcists without word or incident. Little did they know they were being watched. Cyanide sat in his black car in the parking lot across the theater entrance. He saw the whole thing. He put out his cigarette and lowered his driver side windows to air the interior out before whipping out his cell phone and making a call.

"Boss, it's just like you thought. They came to take Manami herself." Cyanide said.

Taeko sat at the desk of the bookstore's office, Shinju leaning against a book case off to her right hand side. "That means we have a two day head-start."

"Should I follow?" Cyanide asked.

"No, that's all right. We can't risk you being noticed. Manami bought us some valuable time. Let's put it to good use. I need you to begin searching for Inari. Shinju and I will wrap up this Rousoku business."

"Understood." Cyanide said. "I'll start looking in places where a wanted fugitive would want to hide from the exorcists. I'll keep you posted, Boss."

"Thank you, Cyanide. We'll have this wrapped up shortly." Taeko said, hanging up the phone.

"I can't believe it's almost time..." Shinju said, crossing her arms. "Are you sure I shouldn't back him up?"

"A little birdie told me that Inari can use teams of exorcists to her advantage. I can't risk you both getting killed when we find her." Taeko said. "She probably won't understand that we're on her side when we first encounter her. If she's really killed as many exorcists as I've been told, then she might be far different than the Inari I used to know back during the Warring States era."

"A two day head-start isn't exactly a lot of time, though."

"Manami warned us as soon and as safely as possible. We have to make do with what we've got."

"I just hope everything goes well..." Shinju said. "Taeko...you never told me what 'the way out' that Lucrezia made for us was. Now that we're this close, I think it's time I know."

Taeko smiled as she twirled her phone between her fingers. "She really thought things through. However, it's more of a gamble, not a way out. And we're only supposed to use it as a last resort, in case this whole thing goes belly-up. The worst case scenario was that Heaven got a hold of Inari's blood magic powers and had free-reign to use it upon people, exorcists, and even other gods. Free will would cease to exist, and the Shinto pantheon would have the most powerful weapon in divine history."

"And the best case scenario?"

Taeko put her phone down and leaned back in her creaky, wooden chair. "Our worst enemies get a hold of that power instead.”