The soul of a yakuza ( 1/2 )

“I wasn't expecting that much of you, you fill me the joy!”

     Ling couldn't take her eyes off of Kiseki felling to his knees, twitches racking his whole body. It was unlooked-for to see him react that madly to her disclosure, nonetheless greatly welcomed!

     To the Players's surprise, inspector Idonosoko wasn't eager to calm down. Overcoming his pain, he lifted up between two jolts. Filled with fury, he directed an arm towards the woman who trapped him, gritting his teeth. A tremendous wave of gloomy red feathers shaped then and surged on Ling Zhen.

“Crimson… Feather!!!” he shouted.

     Catching sight of the threat, the latter squinted her eyes. To be honest it was the first time she saw Kiseki using his supernatural ability. He never employed it in public, nor hinged on such capacities during his investigations. So here it was. The power of Crimson Feather.

     She instantly drew out of her deck four cards in each hand, crossing her arms. Heart cards. Whilst the wave was about to devour her, she cast them on the feathers. In one fell swoop they caught fire, deflagrating the feathers, reducing them to ashes.

     Nevertheless, the inflow of the crimson projectiles was that intense that the flames strengthened continuously, growing into a grand fire ball. The heat was unbearable and made Ling step back, protecting herself with her arms.

“Damn it… That won't hold long…” grumbled Ling.

     Reaching its limits, the fire ball flared. The untamed flames spread in an enormous blast, sending Ling away in the air, smashing against the wall on the other side of the room. A deafening sound followed.

     Kiseki's facial features distorted into a mad grin from ear to ear. He was already invoking a new gush of feathers, ready to launch it on that appalling woman. He wanted her dead, mercy was out of question.

     Though out of a sudden, he widened his eyes, an extreme surprise displayed on his face as a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his lips.

“Don't be so lovey-dovey, I hate to be left behind.”

     From Idonosoko's back, Koff wore a sullen face as he had pierced the forgetful man with his saber…

     Meantime, the police squad in the casino finally managed to regroup the androids in the room and enclosing them, several police officers shot on them with particular guns. The bullets unleashed metallic nets on their targets.

“Keep on firing, don't grant them taking any breath!!” shouted the officer responsible of the team.

     In this hodgepodge, no one noticed a zealous man who rather than fleeing irrupted in the casino. Frenziedly glancing here and there, he ran to the closed doors, tried to open them one after another.

     He finally froze as he had overheard huge clangor from behind the door he faced. Unfortunately, it was locked. Moving a few steps back, Kazuya Idonosoko displayed a ferocious expression as he tried to break in the door once, twice… Alas it didn't work.

     Once more, he moved a few steps back, though this time he didn't race immediately. Instead of this, he clenched his fists, grunting. Strangely, his growls became more and more savage, less and less human.

     Fur began to spread all upon his body in a crimson tint. His muscles, his fists tripled of volume soon followed by every part of his body oddly twisting. As he knelt on the carpet, prominent claws grew out of his hairy paws. A tail emerged at the back of his body, growing as a plant which flourished in a scorpion's sting. His back also warped as something was about to erupt out of it. Two excrescences appeared, becoming way more enormous, flattening, until shaping into bat's wings. The fur grew even longer round the beast head, in a darken tone. Soon a majestic lion's mane hovered around its face, the only part that remained somehow human. Somehow, though Kazuya's mouth had extended and, as he loosened it to roar savagely, three rows of teeth were actually visible.

    Mantichora was Kazuya's power, and described what he had become.

     Folding his wings, scraping the ground with his right front paw, the beast hurtled into the door.

     Breaking through it.

     Attending the scene through the hologram, Reisig Meisenwick seemed particularly tense as he beheld the severe wound inflicted by Koff. While Kiseki's blood was dropping on the floor, the door shattered out of nowhere.

     The old-timer half-opened his mouth while Woodle frowned, leaning forwards to witness what was happening.

     The manticore growled as entering the room, one gigantic paw after another heavily treading on the ground.

     Both Koff and Ling, getting up, looked at it with utter disbelief.

“What the heck is this?…”

     Removing his blade from Kiseki's low back, Koff prepared himself to face the unexpected threaten while the inspector fell, inanimate. Fresh blood dripped along Koff's saber, a rusty smell overflowing in the room.

     Beholding that sight, the pupils of the legendary creature contracted. Was it too late?

     With a grim rumbling, the manticore stepped forwards, soon engaging an approach in circle together with the red-haired man.

     Ling was already preparing another card, regaining her senses.

     Though, at the moment the beast was by Kiseki's side, it kicked an armchair on Koff and lowered his head to grab cautiously the inspector in his maw. Then it instantly backtracked, cutting and running out of the VIP lodge, out of the casino.

     Koff barely had the time to first get rid of the armchair slaying it in two pieces that he noticed the disappearance of the manticore and the inspector.

“Crap… He did-”

“Never mind, we have obtained what we wanted.” Ling ensured, her face smeared with blood. Before proceeding, she lifted her head towards the camera.

“Let's withdraw for now. We've got no more business in here.”

     On the other side of the screen, Woodle nodded to that statement, though she couldn't see it.

“Off we go, Reisig.” he commanded, but got no reaction. “Reisig?”

“Um… Uh, oh! Yes!!” the oldster rather enthusiastically replied, emerging from his thoughts.

***

An interminable grey and white corridor roamed by an aseptic scent. No one happened to get through the hallway. A deafening silence held back even the single man in the area from emitting a sole word.

     Seated on a cold steel chair, his hands interlocked were moist because of sweat. Woefully, the seat didn't even have armrests.

     Yet, Kazuya Idonosoko had been waiting for hours, anxiously. He raced to the hospital earlier, soaring through the air until the destination. Despite this, when he entrusted his son into the hands of the medical staff back to his human form, Kiseki was spookily pale. As Kazuya laid him down on a stretcher, he remained with a puddle of blood dribbling on the floor from his arms. Indeed, his sleeves were gorged with the gloomy liquid.

     His eyes were sealed upon his interwoven hands.

     The sound of a pushed door. It felt like a gunshot for Kazuya who stiffened, tightening his hands. Footfall echoed for a while, then interrupted. As he lifted his head it resumed, getting closer. His gaze filled with apprehension caught sight of a doctor in her light green uniform, in a bland tone. She came from the operating rooms zone.

     The steps ceased when the doctor faced Kazuya, her face deprived of emotions. Looking closer, he realized it was an android.

“…How went the operation?” he barely dared to ask.

“We did our utmost. Unfortunately, we weren't able to save him. My apologies.”