Ch56: Demon From The Past
Demon From The Past
Kanagawa hydropower plant complex, Gunma Prefecture, Japan.
February 19
8:50 AM
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Tamamo POV
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It had been a long time since I had seen warriors rise up in arms. It's incredible how time has changed so many things, yet not everything. Sometimes, many things stay the same. A thousand years ago, I saw the greatest warriors of Japan rise up in arms to hunt me down, giving their lives in the belief that they were protecting their homeland. And now, so much later, I'm seeing new warriors rise up in arms under the same words. Now the humans have mastered the skies with what they call helicopters, and from them come those who could be considered the best warriors in all of Japan, moving in precise numbers. Their weapons are no longer swords or spears; firearms have taken their place. But their uniforms, shields, and armor remain the same. According to Okaa-san, these warriors are the Tokushu Kyūshū Butai, the best soldiers who train their entire lives to maintain security and order. To see them here means that the threat in the tunnels of the power plant is indeed a very serious matter for the government.
But they weren't the only ones to arrive. Next to them were a large number of vehicles with lights on their roofs to prevent people from entering or leaving - a huge police support team to back up the main assault that was already underway. A heavy black truck began to move slowly, followed by the heavily armored warriors, trying to shield themselves from any attacks with the metal beast. Their progress was slow but steady; each step was ground gained.
When Inspector Yamamoto arrived in his car, I came out of the woods and handed Haru over to him. She had been sleeping with me the whole time. I told him a little white lie, saying that we had stayed in the bathroom with Elise and Maria, so Haru was saved from being kidnapped as well because we were hiding together. I did mention, however, that Haru had fainted from the stress. Several paramedics came to check on her, but they gave us the all-clear a few minutes later. Haru woke up after I removed the cursed talisman from her back. Meanwhile, I was bombarded with questions, mainly about where the terrorists were, if I had seen them, and what they were wearing. But soon Haru's grandfather arrived and managed to stop them from harassing me.
Just as he spoke, the school bus driven by Xian emerged from the tunnel, accompanied by several warriors. One by one, they brought out the students, who were immediately taken care of. As I counted the number of freed hostages, I noticed that one was missing - a girl named Utagawa was nowhere to be found. My dear Goshujin-sama, who had gone in to rescue them some time ago, was also still missing. It probably won't be long before he comes out and I can finally rest.
But despite the time that passed, César did not appear, while the police seemed to be focused on checking each tunnel for possible enemies or hidden traps. The phone in my pocket began to ring, and when I answered it, I realized it was Okaa-san. She told me that she was already near the site, as she had personally come in one of those helicopters to pick up Maria and get us out of here, as any mother concerned for her children would do. Not long after that, I saw a helicopter that was very different from all the others I had seen today - much larger and more heavily protected. It landed nearby on a part of the road that had been evacuated for this purpose. Several armed men stepped out of the vehicle to secure the area, and the next to step out of the helicopter was my beloved Okaa-san, with Maria behind her, waving to me. I tried to wave back, but the noise from the vehicle was so loud that I couldn't even hear myself. However, she handed me a pair of headphones, and as soon as I put them on, she spoke loud and clear.
"These headphones are for communication, they're for the helicopter crew."
"I see things have really gotten busy around here."
"Do you know where the hell César is?"
"He should be out there before the police arrive."
"No, I'm sorry, I have no idea where he is."
"He told me that he would try to rescue the other students, and it seems that they've already escaped with Xian's help."
"However, one student is still missing. Utagawa wasn't with the rest of the group."
"He's probably still inside trying to find her."
"Interesting vehicle, by the way. I was quite curious to see the soldiers arrive in one of these, but how did you get permission to use it?"
"Well, believe it or not, I'm still a high-ranking Alliance officer."
"So I called the US Army base to borrow a helicopter to pick up Maria."
"They were very kind and understanding when I explained what was happening.
"Besides, we can use the helicopter as an excuse to pick up my daughter and get César out of here as soon as possible."
"If the police catch him, it will be a big mess."
"Hey, you told César to come to the helicopter when he got out, right?"
"Yes, I used the two message talismans to tell him about your plan. But as you can see, he still hasn't come out of the tunnel."
"Do you think something happened to him?"
"The police are reporting the discovery of more dead armed men at the scene," I heard the voice of one of our daughters, although she was not here thanks to the headphones.
"Damn, I don't like this at all."
"Cesar doesn't seem like the kind of soldier who would disobey orders without a good reason".
"Something must have happened"
"......" Okaa-san quickly considered her options.
"There is no other option"
"Tamamo, I need your help"
"Is there any way you can help Cesar out of this?"
"Preferably without causing too much fuss"
"Well, if that's the case, I think if I transform into a fox, I could go through the tunnel without the police paying attention to me."
"If I find it, I could get much bigger and run through the exit."
"If the police see a three meter tall fox running towards them, I am sure they will be distracted enough not to notice Cesar on my back."
"Well, it would be like robbing a bank to hide the theft of a phone, but it can work."
"Okay, we will do that."
"Pay attention."
"Get in there and get Cesar out right now, okay?"
"Everything else doesn't matter anymore, time's already up."
"Don't save anyone else, even if they are dying and there is a chance"
"Understood?"
"OK"
Just as I answered, the ground began to move violently, and everyone screamed in panic. But as suddenly as it began, so suddenly did it end. It did not seem to be an earthquake because it was too short.
"Police report collapse of Exit Tunnel 2"
"It seems that it was the explosives planted by the terrorists."
"Dad wasn't there, according to the cameras."
"The police also report no casualties on their side."
"Cesar!"
"Tamamo, go and save him now"
"When you are done, come back here immediately"
"I'll keep the helicopter waiting, as soon as you arrive we'll leave immediately."
"Don't let anyone see you transform"
"All right!"
"This is finally my chance to save my beloved Goshujin-sama this time.
"I will not fail.
I quickly went into the forest and changed my form. Then, as fast as my legs would allow me, I entered the tunnel to save my love.
"Hey, what is that?"
"It's a fox!"
"Wait, it goes into the tunnel"
"And who cares!"
"Surely the tremor has frightened it and it is seeking refuge"
"Stay focused, you dumbass!"
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Cesar POV
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First the damn terrorist group, and now a goddamn demon is in my way. Why the hell am I so unlucky? First of all, what is she doing here? What does she have to do with me, since I don't remember doing anything to them or their faction?
I was near the damned tunnel, the same one that led to the outside and freedom. But now I was in a deadly fight against a new enemy, one I was completely unfamiliar with despite my long history of dealing with the crap of the past. In front of me stood what appeared to be a beautiful girl. She had an incredibly alluring and well-endowed lewd body, only accentuated by her lusty, revealing way of dressing. But on that same body were the marks of the evil she truly was, with the horns on her head, her light blue skin, her violent black wings, and her cursed eyes, completely devoid of color except for the black and two bright black pupils that stood out, as well as her devilish smile that never stopped showing, along with her split tongue. She was just there, laughing creepily, enjoying the fight and the trouble she was causing with her taunts.
"Today will finally be the day I kill you, Elise!"
"You'll pay for everything you've done to me and him!"
"Sorry, but I don't even know who you are."
"I don't remember ever doing anything with a crazy demon."
"I'm sure that would have made a serious impression on me to forget."
"Damn it, stop faking it!"
"Shit! She's fast!"
A police assault team had run head-on into us, and surely seeing us fighting, they decided to shoot first and ask questions later. I dodged quickly and got behind Avalon, I could hear the bullets ricocheting to the other side. Hell, this is not like the police. Normally they would try to arrest suspects, even in situations like this. After all, they want to have someone to question and blame later. And especially when they see almost two girls fighting without weapons. They are definitely in a bad mood. Damn, I'm not in the mood for this shit.
"Weak fools, don't get in my way" The girl would giggle now if she used her old pirate flincklock pistols and shot the police.
Because the first policeman had a bulletproof shield, the shot bounced back, then the three behind him responded by firing again. The blue girl, apparently responding to the provocation, rushed at them. For my part, seeing how bad my situation was, I decided to throw a smoke grenade in their direction. Due to the enclosed nature of this place, the entire room quickly filled with smoke, making it impossible to see anything. With that and a hand to guide me, I went into a corridor that led further into the complex.
If the police were already here, it meant that I had to run now. My time was up, and they must see me as a threat. It's only a matter of time before they send more to my position. But there is only one way out of here and the police are already protecting it. I'll have to force my way through. Damn, there are two groups in this tunnel! Fuck them, I pass here!
There were two groups of 5 men each, separated by about 10 meters. As soon as they all saw me, they raised their guns and told me to stop trying to make an arrest. I did not want to give them the pleasure, so I threw another smoke grenade, stolen from the terrorists, into the middle of the groups and ran closer to the first group. I kicked the first one in the chin, sending him flying toward the other two who were behind him, then jumped to the left, where another of the cops was, and delivered a direct punch to his face, shattering the protective glass of his helmet. I picked up the rifle that had just been dropped on the previous man and threw it at the last one who was still standing. Taking advantage of the fact that everyone was now distracted, I ran into the smoke to get to the next group and get out of here.
Although killing them would be much easier, it would only cause me more problems in the future, so it was better to just hit them and leave them behind at the slightest opportunity. The other group I was able to dispatch just as quickly and without any major problems, I continued towards one of the corridors that led me to the exit tunnel. But as soon as I turned, I saw a scythe coming at me at full speed, and I immediately fell to the ground, managing to avoid it. I turned my head to see the girl in blue across the hall, still waiting for me to fight again.
"Can't we save this for another day?"
"I don't have time for this right now."
"You won't see another day, bitch."
She put her hand in a dark part of the tunnel and took out the scythe that must have been behind me again, then she lunged at me to attack me. I dodged her attack again and tried to hit her by throwing my knives at her, but she made another one of those strange movements and when she reappeared she was in front of me again with her fist just inches away from my face. I resisted the blow, but it threw me off balance. She tried to make me see that trick again, but stopped in the middle when she seemed to hurt herself again with it somehow.
What a pathetic fight we were having. It seemed like we'd never end if I just ran away and she just tried to hurt me. If I wanted to end this, I would have to get serious again, but if I did that now, I might get excited again and kill a policeman by mistake. But she didn't leave me any other choice. But then a sound flooded the corridor, it was footsteps, the footsteps of a beast, it seemed to be the footsteps of a running dog. Out of the darkness, at the end of the corridor, I saw a small fox running toward us. Seeing that there was a good chance that it was Tamamo, I moved away from the blue girl, knowing that my wife would surely try to do something impressive or strange.
The fox jumped quite high, smoke came out of her, and when it dissipated, she appeared in her place, holding a hand fan, one made of metal. It looked more like a weapon than a utensil, it seemed to be another of Tamamo's goddess weapons. She used her fan with one hand, but the amount of wind that came out of it was not comparable to her size. The gust of wind was so strong that it sent both of us flying down the hall. Tamamo grabbed my hand in the air and pushed me away from where the demon had fallen.
"Cesar, you have to get out of here."
"Grab me by the neck and hold on tight."
"I'm going to get you out of here now."
"Okay"
I did exactly as she said and suddenly there was another explosion of smoke. When it was finished, it was sitting on the back of a giant fox. But even though she looked fierce, I was not afraid because I knew that she was Tamamo and that she would do anything to protect me. After seeing that I would not fall easily, she started running at full speed through the exit tunnel. The speed we had was alarming, as she was undoubtedly faster than the car I came in, and her size was now considerable, as she covered almost a large part of the tunnel. As we approached the exit, I could hear the police being surprised by the giant fox running at full speed towards them. Some screamed in terror and others ran for the exit as well. When we passed a group of several men, I threw the last smoke grenade I had gotten from the terrorists back at them. This way the policemen we passed could not see us because of the smoke in the tunnel.
When we finally got out, there were several police patrol cars and more police waiting for us. Tamamo did not stop at all and ran even faster, and when we reached the street and everyone was alarmed by the appearance of the giant fox, she jumped fearlessly into the forest. I don't know how we didn't hit a tree, but once we were in the forest, she just kept running, climbing up the mountain. Shortly after I heard the sound of a waiting helicopter, Tamamo stopped, returned to her normal form, and walked toward the helicopter. Inside, Maria and my mother were waiting for me, the latter angry about my actions. Tamamo stood up and sat down next to me. And to my surprise, other armed men came out of the same forest and also got on the helicopter that was taking off.
Wait, what is Cedric doing here? where is he coming from? Wasn't he supposed to be in Europe or something?