The sun had set some time ago. The air was cooler, filled with the scent of damp grass and fading hot asphalt. Kiko walked alone, upright, bag in hand. She was approaching the place Ryu had mentioned. An old building on the outskirts of town, half swallowed by thorny vines. An abandoned warehouse, sunk a bit into the woods.
She stopped a few meters away. Not a sound. Not a light.
She checked the message on her phone. This was the place.
— Good evening, said a voice behind her.
She turned immediately. It was Ryu, hands in his pockets, a relaxed smile on his lips.
— I saw you coming from a distance. You're right on time, perfect. Come on, the others are inside.
He led her through a rickety side door. The inside was dark, but dimly lit by LED lanterns hanging here and there. In the back, some tables had been improvised with planks. There were bags of chips, cans, and even bottles of hard liquor.
— Want something to drink? asked Ryu. We've got a bit of everything.
— Uh… I'll just take some water, if there's any.
— Good call, chimed in a girl. You've got great skin, if I were you I'd drink only that.
Kiko smiled politely and sat down without really joining the conversation. They asked her a few questions: where she was from, if she had siblings, what she liked to do.
She answered carefully, steering clear of sensitive topics. She said nothing about her clan. Or what she really was. She just said her parents were "in business."
Her gaze drifted over the crumbling walls, the rusty pillars. A strange tension hung in the air.
— Hey, why's this place abandoned? And… why doesn't the city do anything to fix it up?
One of the boys chuckled.
— You haven't heard the story? You'll see, it's creepy.
He grabbed a flashlight, turned it on under his face, and spoke in a raspy voice.
— They say there used to be a guy here. A psycho. A real mental case. The kind who wanted to kill… but didn't have the balls to go after humans. So he stole animals. Dogs, cats, rabbits… He'd bring them here and torture them. Slowly. Until he got bored. And then, he'd kill them. One by one.
A few girls grimaced. Kiko didn't react.
— He got caught after someone saw him carrying a dog in a bag. Straight to the asylum. And since then… people say this place is haunted. Weird stuff. Noises. Shadows. A city crew tried to renovate the place a few years back. But the workers quit overnight. That's why the city gave up.
Kiko remained silent.
If that story's true… then…
Silence fell again. Then a nervous laugh broke the tension.
— Come on, it's just an urban legend! Nothing real! There's always one in every school or creepy spot.
— Totally, you're freaking out over nothing, said another.
The mood lightened again. The alcohol kept flowing. Laughter got a little louder. Ryu had moved closer to Kiko, now sitting beside her. He was staring a bit too intently.
— You're really pretty, you know that? You've got this subtle charm… it's rare. I like it.
— Thanks, she replied, turning her eyes away.
— You're shy, huh? Even better. I'm into that kind of girl.
He put a hand on her thigh. Kiko gently pushed it away, without force.
— Ryu… I'd prefer if you—
— Oh relax, he said with a smile. You're all tense for nothing.
The other guys laughed, started moving in. The girls circled around her too.
— Seriously, just loosen up a bit, one of them whispered. You've got nothing to be afraid of. We're all friends here.
— Yeah, come on, it'll help you unwind, added another.
Two hands grabbed her arms. Kiko frowned. A hand touched her hip.
— I'm asking you to stop. Right now.
— Oh c'mon…
But suddenly, her eyes changed.
Her expression hardened. Her gaze turned sharp, icy. An invisible chill swept through the room.
Just as she was about to react, a window shattered into a thousand pieces.
— YOU FILTHY HEAT-DRIVEN DOGS!
Kouki had just landed in the room, launched in by his rollers. He braked with a sharp slide across the floor, one foot planted, the other bent.
— EVERY WEEK IT'S THE SAME WITH PIGS LIKE YOU! YOU REALLY DON'T GIVE A DAMN, HUH?!
The boys jumped. The girls screamed and backed away.
Kiko, seeing him, blinked. Her face returned to calm, almost instantly.
— You okay? Kouki asked, more serious now.
She simply nodded. Ryu, furious, stood up.
— What the hell do you want?! Who the hell do you think you are, barging in like that?!
— I mind my business. Except when I see disgusting assholes trying to force a girl.
— You're just a wannabe justice clown. Get the hell out of here.
— Not happening.
Kouki lowered his head, slid one foot back. He pressed the sides of his sneakers.
Click.
His roller wheels deployed. He leaned forward slightly, shifting his weight.
— Alright then… I'll beat the crap out of you, and bounce right after.
Ryu charged at him. Kouki dodged with a half-spin to the side and drove his foot into his ribs. The guy crashed into a table.
Another tried to grab him from behind. Kouki ducked, swept him off his feet, and slid across the floor, picking up speed again.
— You wanna act tough? Come on, then.
He used a wall as a springboard, launched into a reverse jump, and slammed one of the guys in the temple. The dull thud echoed through the warehouse.
The others were hesitating now.
— COME ON, YOU DAMN COWARDS!
The girls screamed and ran for the exit.
— I'm sorry! shouted one of them. We didn't know they were gonna do that, I swear!
The guys on the ground scrambled up, groaning, then limped out in retreat.
Kouki stayed in the center, out of breath, hands on his knees.
— Damn… I almost messed up my ankle…
He straightened up, looked at Kiko.
— You okay? I had a bad feeling, so I followed those bastards.
She stared at him, mouth slightly open. And then, suddenly, she exploded.
— WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!
— Huh?!
— Why are you all the same?! Why does there always have to be some guy showing up like a damn hero to "save the poor girl"?!
— Wait, what?! You were clearly in trouble! They were about to—
— I WAS HANDLING IT! I WASN'T IN DANGER!
— Pfff! You're trippin'! I saw you! They were already touching you!
— SO WHAT?! I could've killed them myself if I had to!
— WHAT?! Are you serious right now?! You want me to just leave you next time?!
— LET ME LIVE! she screamed.
Kouki pointed a finger at her.
— You're losing it! I was just trying to help! You've seriously got a problem!
— YOU, SHUT UP! she snapped, slapping a hand over his mouth.
He stared at her, frozen. The touch of her palm was ice cold.
— …There's something.
She slowly turned her head.
— There are… multiple presences. We're surrounded.
She bolted outside, Kouki right on her heels.
— Wait! What are you talking about?!
Outside… nothing remained. Just clothes. Torn. Sneakers. A shattered phone. The boys' stuff.
— …This isn't normal, Kiko whispered.
She rummaged through her jacket. Pulled out an oval talisman, black, etched with animal runes. In the center, a white feather suspended in a droplet of translucent pink resin.
She then unsheathed a kyoketsu-shoge — a curved blade attached to a metal chain.
Kouki blinked.
— What the hell is this?!
— They're back. And they're not human. Listen to me. Get inside the building. I can protect you while you're in there. I'll explain later.
— No.
He stepped in front of her, arms open.
— No way. It's a man's job to protect young girls.
— …Excuse me?
— I said: it's—
BAM
She smacked him behind the head.
— YOU DAMN SEXIST PIG!
— WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!
They were about to keep arguing. But then something lunged out of the darkness.
A mass. Huge. Fast.
Kiko's talisman lit up. A pink light burst around her. Wings of pure energy flared from her back. She dodged the strike, grabbed Kouki by the collar, and yanked him out of the way just in time.
They rolled across the ground. Kouki got back up… and saw it.
In front of them, a creature. Huge. Twisted. With cat-like paws—too long. A deformed face. A collapsed muzzle. And empty eyes.
Behind it, more were coming.
A dog with a split tongue.
A turtle with claws like blades.
A mouse the size of a goat.
A snake with no skin, twitching.
— Zohōn… Kiko murmured. So… that story was true.
Kouki stood frozen.
— What are these things…? And you… who the hell are you really?
Kiko exhaled.
— …I'm Kiko Karasuma. Zoopsychopomp of the Bird Clan. And those creatures… are the tortured spirits of animals who died in pain. We call them Zohōn.
Kouki looked down.
One of the Zohōn… was wearing a collar.
An old red collar.
With a name faded on it: Snow.
His eyes widened. And then, the memories came flooding back.
A garden.
A rope toy.
Laughter.
A food bowl.
Kibble.
And him… holding a white dog tightly in his arms.
Kouki looked up again.
His expression had changed. More serious. More focused.
He stepped up beside Kiko.
— I'm staying.
He pressed a button on his shoes.
Click.
The wheels popped out, aligned.
He bent his knees. Took his stance.
— These things… I have no idea what they are, but I'm damn sure gonna find out.
— Get out of here! Kiko shouted. Are you completely insane?!
He turned toward her, face dripping with sweat, fists clenched.
— I told you, I'm not leaving you alone! I may not be a zoopsycho— whatever—you guys' Zohon stuff, I don't know jack about it… but I'm not the kind of guy who runs away when a girl's fighting in front of me! I'll protect you, even if it means dying!
Kiko gritted her teeth. Her lips trembled slightly. Then her eyes widened.
Again…
A memory surfaced. Blurry, fast, but clear.
Her, as a child. An alley. Blood on the pavement. An older boy, wounded, smiling weakly at her.
"I'll protect you, even if I die doing it."
He collapsed right after. And she… hadn't been able to do anything.
Why? Why do they all want to protect me? I never asked for it...
A deafening sound erupted — one of the creatures had launched a blast of energy. Kiko didn't even have time to react — Kouki had already grabbed her by the waist and slid backward at full speed on his rollers, just barely dodging the impact.
He stopped a bit farther, setting her down.
— Damn, you almost died there. Stay behind, seriously.
Kiko took a deep breath and stood up, more composed.
Her eyes went cold. That same sharp, unshakable expression returned.
She tied up her hair in a quick motion, hooked her talisman around her neck, and murmured something in an ancient language.
Pink markings appeared on her hands and along her face. The same energy she had summoned earlier burst from her back like two translucent wings — long, white, their tips tinged with rose. Like those of a royal crane.
— Back off. Now.
She dove into the fight. A dog-like creature lunged at her. With a perfectly controlled jump, Kiko slid underneath, spun, and whipped her chain around its legs. The weighted end of her Kyoketsu-shoge wrapped tightly. She yanked hard. The beast crashed to the ground.
She raised her right hand, placed her left over her heart.
— "Rest. Find the light."
The center of her palm shimmered. Symbols spiraled around the creature. The energy dissolved it slowly, revealing the glowing shape of a kitten. It meowed softly, then faded.
— I don't need protection. Because I'm not a weak woman.
Kouki froze, mouth slightly open. He had never seen anything like that.
But he didn't have time to speak.
All the creatures charged at once.
One leapt toward him. He barely had time to shout:
— OH SHIT!
And the creature was knocked back by a heel strike to the ribs. Kiko had saved him again.
She chained her movements together. Fluid, precise, acrobatic. Her weapon sliced, trapped, toppled. Each defeated Zohōn was purified by her ritual. One by one. Dozens. The kittens, snakes, birds, and mice became ethereal forms. And vanished.
Kouki did his best to avoid the blows. He rolled, jumped, slid. Multiple times, he disrupted attacks by slamming into creatures at full speed, like a maniacal roller derby player.
At one point, he saw Kiko surrounded. Two creatures attacked her at once. One was about to hit her from behind.
— HEEEEEEY!
Kouki charged in, wheels screaming under his feet. He leapt and delivered a massive kick to the face of a feline Zohōn. The beast staggered back.
— I'm here, I'm here! he shouted, panting.
Kiko narrowly dodged another attack. She turned her head briefly toward him. Just a glance. But intense.
…He's fast. With those rollers… he's quick. And he hits hard…
She turned back to finish the ritual for another spirit. One more.
But she was exhausted.
And that's when one of the last Zohōn pounced on her.
The one with the red collar.
She tried to dodge, but it was too fast. The attack slammed into her side, hard.
She collapsed to the ground, a trickle of blood trailing down her flank.
She tried to get up. But her breathing was ragged.
Only three Zohōn remained. Including that one.
She pinned one down by chaining it to the ground, placed her hand, recited:
— "Rest…"
But her voice was trembling. She managed to purify the beast, but stayed on the ground.
Kouki rushed over.
— KIKO!
She clenched her teeth. Her face was pale.
The Zohōn with the collar leapt at her. Kouki stepped in immediately, arms raised. He took part of the hit, then shoved it away with a shoulder strike.
— DAMN IT, GET LOST!
He helped her up.
— You okay?!
— Go…
— You're bleeding! That weird glow thing's leaving you!
Another creature fired an energy blast. Kouki dodged, but she didn't. The purple energy struck her shoulder. A sticky, living effect latched onto the wound.
— Tss… this… thing…
She dropped to her knees. Her wings vanished. The markings faded.
— KIKO!
— It's… nothing… I'll… I'll…
— No. Stay put. I'll handle it.
He picked her up gently and carried her back inside.
— You seem tough… but right now, that's not pride, that's just stupidity, he muttered.
She opened her eyes halfway.
A face. Blurry. But… familiar.
— You too… want to protect me…? she murmured.
Her mind fogged. In her gaze, Kouki's face overlapped with that of the bloodied boy.
She closed her eyes.
— You'll die… if you do this…
— Maybe. But like I said… I'm not leaving you.
He laid her down against a wall, safe, in the shadows.
Then he stepped back out.
Silence had nearly taken over.
He walked forward a few steps.
The Zohōn with the collar was there. Watching. Crawling.
Kouki clenched his fists. Cracked his neck.
He took a slow breath. His rollers creaked.
— Just you and me.
Silence fell again.