"UH-3, avoid the obstacle ahead!"
"UH-3, avoid the obstacle ahead—Fuck!"
After a sudden flash on the monitor screen, it went dark. In the Yokosuka military base, the black American lieutenant general commanding all of this couldn't help but let out a 'national curse', a layer of cold sweat appearing on his dark face.
The monitor screen in front of him had already gone black by half; the rest... were frozen in a sea of blood and flames.
"Lieutenant General, the target area is shrouded in thick fog."
"The drone swarm is under unknown attack, number of losses 24... 25, 26!"
"The airborne squad..."
The last violently shaking image spun around amidst a scream that came to an abrupt end, and then stopped moving.
A blood-soaked, backward-curved hind leg flashed across the screen, and the splattered blood flew onto the camera, forming clumps of brown spots.
Wiped out!
Slap.
The man fell back into his chair, powerless. A touch of 'paleness' appeared on the lieutenant general's dark face.
It's over.
Such heavy casualties.
Not only his career, but the military power of the 'black' community in America would also suffer a huge blow.
Although many people like to talk about 'Black Lives Matter', in fact, when faced with the 'classic skin color', American police almost always empty their magazines first. At the same time, in all walks of life, whites still hold an absolute advantage in power. For blacks to break the ceiling, the difficulty is unimaginable.
The so-called 'political correctness', more often than not, is a means for whites to deliberately disgust people.
After confirming the appearance of the 'supernatural' in the island nation, this black lieutenant general immediately took radical measures, trying to obtain a first-hand sample.
It was all because he... wanted to advance too much!
However, the facts proved that he still underestimated the power and intelligence of the 'supernatural'.
The other party was not a beast that only knew how to roar and charge in movies, but a supernatural... human who could use strategy, knew how to dodge muzzles, use soldiers as shields, and even 'call for support'!
Yes, in the black lieutenant general's view, the supernatural being that appeared this time was definitely not just one person. That 'werewolf' clearly did not have the ability to create clouds and mist.
Dog-food-fed bastards, how could such important information not be passed on?
On this matter, the black lieutenant general had wronged the high-level officials of the island nation they had bribed.
Let alone those high-level officials hiding in the safe conference room, even 'Iori Ichika', who was on the front line, was completely bewildered.
This fog...
I'm tired, let's just destroy it.
Hiding next to a car engine, Iori Ichika, holding a pistol, peeked out her head and cautiously observed ahead.
In the thick fog where visibility was no more than two meters, the gunshots and roars had stopped, proving that the American soldiers were all wiped out.
As for the situation of 'Tanimura Wataru' being killed...
Although it wasn't impossible, as a citizen of the island nation, Iori Ichika was more willing to see America suffer a setback.
"Tsk, besides transforming into a yokai himself, can he also turn a dog into a humanoid form?"
Her gaze fell on the Shiba Inu not far away, entangled in a metal net with more than a dozen tranquilizer darts in its body. Ichika's eyes flickered.
In the current situation, Tanimura Wataru was most likely uncatchable. But if she could get this Shiba Inu... no, it should be called a 'dog yokai', that would also be a great achievement!
To avoid being criticized for 'being as still as a mountain' on the battlefield.
"Can you hear me, Superintendent General? Please respond if you receive—"
"Ichika, what is it?"
Her superior's dejected voice came from the earpiece. Iori Ichika didn't rush to report, but quietly confirmed.
"Superintendent General, are you... safe over there?"
Safe?
Far away in the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters, Takeya Haru.
His personal safety was naturally fine, so Iori Ichika's meaning could only be... is there a traitor nearby!
The American soldiers had arrived so quickly. You could guess with your knees that there was a traitor inside.
"Speak."
A few seconds later,
having cut off the other receivers and maintaining a one-on-one communication, the Superintendent General Takeya's voice sounded again.
"Superintendent General, the mission failed."
"The American soldiers are most likely finished too."
"But Tanimura Wataru's dog was left at the scene. I guess this Shiba Inu was also eroded, or rather assimilated, by the 'supernatural' power. You see..."
"You did a great job!"
The voice in the earpiece suddenly rose by more than ten decibels. Just by listening to the voice, Iori Ichika could imagine her superior's joyful expression.
"Quick, get that Shiba Inu... no, that supernatural creature out!"
"Superintendent General, this thick fog..."
"I believe in you, Ichika!"
The Superintendent General far away in the Metropolitan Police Department swung his fist heavily.
This is a great victory!
...
"Tsk, really knows how to order people around."
Hanging up the earpiece, Iori Ichika moved in a semi-squat, came to the front of the Shiba Inu wrapped in layers of metal net, and grabbed the metal net to drag it to the side.
As a front-line police officer who often 'handled cases' in Adachi Ward, she was all too familiar with this area. Even if it was shrouded in thick fog, she could still easily retreat with this 'supernatural Shiba Inu' without a sound.
As for Tanimura Wataru and this inexplicable fog?
Heh, whoever has the ability can go deal with it!
She was just a 'delicate woman' and wouldn't get involved in the fights of these supernatural beings.
"Huff, huff, huff~~"
Dozens of meters away from the corpses and severed limbs, at the entrance of a clothing store.
Tanimura Wataru, maintaining his 'werewolf' form, was panting heavily while 'looting'.
"AN/PVS-14 night vision goggles,"
"Laser rangefinder, stun grenades, M16A4, Interceptor Level IV body armor..."
It had to be said that the American soldiers were well-equipped. This set of gear was worth far more than one hundred thousand US dollars, which was almost twenty million yen. If they were given another chance to fight at a distance, Tanimura Wataru would never have been able to wipe them out so easily.
Regardless, now he was the victor!
I have to leave quickly...
Swoosh—
Squelch.
With a soft sound,
a line of blood suddenly shot out from his arm.
Are there still enemies?
He instinctively rolled to the side, and a series of 'squelch' sounds landed where Tanimura Wataru had just been leaning, shooting finger-sized holes in the glass!
A gun?
No...
While rolling and dodging,
Tanimura Wataru could clearly feel that on the arm that had just been shot, there was only a hole half a finger deep.
No bullet!
With the intense battle, Tanimura Wataru's mastery of the 'demonic power' in his body became more and more proficient. He could clearly perceive the bullets that had penetrated his body, and naturally he could also sense that the attack just now was not a physical bullet.
"Who's there?!"
Twitching his nose, Tanimura Wataru turned to look at the fog.
"I'm very sorry."
A distorted voice came from the fog, as if it had passed through something before reaching his ears.
"I'm going to take the 'Killing Stone' from you."
?!
Could it be that some 'lord' had sent him?
No, it's only been two days. Since that 'lord' had bestowed power upon him, there was no reason to take it back so soon!
"Who... are you with?"
Although his vision was obscured by the thick fog, with his excellent sense of smell, Tanimura Wataru could still locate the other party: at the 11 o'clock direction, about twenty meters away!
"Me?"
The person in the fog seemed to be thinking about how to answer, but Tanimura Wataru had already pushed off with his legs!
Swish.
He landed on all fours and lunged forward like a beast.
The little 'demonic power' in his body was squeezed out, as if burning his life, launching a desperate attack!
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.
The fog was disturbed, pulling out long trajectories as finger-thick 'bullets' shot towards Tanimura Wataru. If not for the fog, these 'bullets' would have been both fast and hidden, making them difficult to detect.
Swish.
He leaped left and right while speeding, charging in a standard 'Z' pattern.
A 'bullet' grazed Tanimura Wataru's face, leaving a scratch while making his pupils shrink.
It's water!
The other party was using water as 'bullets' to attack.
Sure enough, the fog was also the other party's doing. Although Tanimura Wataru was very grateful to the other party in his heart, if it weren't for this fog, he might have been turned into meat paste by the helicopter above.
But if the other party wanted to kill him, then they could only rely on their own skills!
Swish—
With Tanimura Wataru's speed, he quickly closed in to within a few meters of the other party, and could vaguely see a figure holding an umbrella.
And the other party's other hand was raised, with the index finger making a shooting gesture.
D-rank Water Release: Water Gun Jutsu
Swoosh.
A bullet made of water shot towards Tanimura Wataru.
He suddenly tilted his head and dodged the blow.
The other party was not idle either. With a push of their foot, they floated backwards, and their blurry figure instantly disappeared into the thick fog.
"Don't even think about escaping!"
The other party had the ability to create fog and use water as bullets... it should be some kind of water-type yokai.
And Tanimura Wataru, as a 'wolf yokai', naturally had to close the distance for melee combat.
Otherwise, he would be shot to death!
The two of them, one chasing and one fleeing, quickly passed through the thick fog.
There's no escape!
The figure holding the umbrella continuously attacked with water droplets as bullets.
But for the thick-skinned Tanimura Wataru, the other party's attacks were not fatal. And his speed was obviously faster than the other party's, and he would soon catch up to them.
The distance between the two continued to shorten, and he could already see the school uniform under the other party's umbrella...
I'm about to—
Splash.
The sound of water being trampled on from under his feet made Tanimura Wataru's wolf face suddenly change color.
Could it be?!
"You fell for it."
"Water Snake Bind."
The water under his feet seemed to come alive, coiling up like a python and firmly binding Tanimura Wataru in place.
?
Looking down, Tanimura Wataru finally realized that he had actually chased into a river.
And the mysterious person holding an umbrella opposite him was standing on the surface of the river!
I was careless...
The water climbed and coiled up.
No matter how Tanimura Wataru struggled, he couldn't break free.
In the blink of an eye, it had spread to his chest, and was about to pour into his mouth and nose—
"Hee hee hee~~"
Just as the outcome was about to be decided, a string of bell-like laughter sounded from the side, making the figure holding the umbrella pause their raised finger.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.
Several paper cranes flew past, their wings as sharp as knives, actually cutting open the water stream that was binding Tanimura Wataru.
?!
Taking this opportunity,
Tanimura Wataru suddenly pushed back with force.
He rolled out of the other party's main battlefield, covered in mud and water.
"Who are you?"
Kishida Jun, whose face was covered by an umbrella, turned his head with an ugly expression. In mid-air beside him, a... girl was floating?
No.
This was no human.
This 'girl' had charming features, wore a Heian-period 'kosode', and had bare legs, but it didn't give off any ambiguous feeling.
Because her entire body was made of paper!
A face drawn on paper, clothes cut from paper, and legs folded from paper...
"You can call me 'Kamimai'."
The 'girl' yokai, floating in the air, dancing lightly in the breeze, smiled charmingly.
Kamimai?
As a top student, Kishida Jun, holding the umbrella, had a flash in his eyes.
"I see."
Silently, he sank down and disappeared into the river water.
Kamimai.
Thin paper is heartless, and when its edge is revealed, it is like a blade. Paper is folded into a heart, and once it is drawn into the world of all things... Kishida Jun, who had read the classics, knew that this kind of yokai hated two things most.
Heartless flames, and sentimental tears.
And he,
was the object of Kamimai's disgust.
Since the hunt had failed, there was no point in saying more. He would just find another opportunity to strike.
Kishida Jun, who had sunk into the river, left without any hesitation.
"Phew, I'm saved."
Tanimura Wataru, who had almost drowned, looked at the river in front of him with lingering fear. Unknowingly, he had been lured by the other party to the side of the 'Arakawa River'.
"Thank you very much, this... Miss... Kamimai?"
"Hee~~ Don't get the wrong idea, dog yokai."
"I just hate water yokai, I'm not helping you."
With those words, the wind blew, and the being named 'Kamimai' floated away.
"Thank you anyway."
Facing the empty fog, Tanimura Wataru thanked him again.
And—
Am I a dog yokai, not a wolf yokai?