Chapter 43: 42. Okami road trip

The countdown on Paul’s to-do board stood at 14 days when Rin came to find him in the workshop. Ash’s bike stood almost completely repaired, all it needed was some final adjustments. Ash had worked on it most of the night, but even dullahan needed to sleep now and again apparently. She intended to take it for a trial run today.

Paul had the forge going, and was hammering away on a bar of iron, although Rin couldn’t tell what he was making. Still Rin thought, you didn’t need to know what he was doing, to enjoy the sight of Paul stripped to the waist, glistening with sweat…

“You going to stand there all day Little Fox, or are you coming in?”

“Sorry, didn’t want to break your concentration at the wrong moment Paul-san!”

Paul put the iron bar back into the hot coals, grabbed a ladle of water from the nearby bucket and poured it over his head, cooling down before walking over to where Rin stood.

“Ok, what can I do for you Rin?”

“Umm... it’s more the other way around actually.”

“Oh? So, what have you in mind?”

“Ok. I have a friend in the music industry that owes me a big favour, because I took a pass on managing a certain group of three young girls, and pointed them in his direction. They’ve done very well under his guidance.”

“Hm… go on.”

Rin leaned back against a work bench, looking at the chalk board, and the frowned at the diagram. Paul, seeing the direction of his gaze, slid one of the sliding boards across it, obscuring the design.

“Hoi, Paul-san was that…?”

“Just a contingency plan. In case we tangle with anything too nasty. No need to mention it and worry people.”

“Okayyy...”

“You were saying?”

Rin had the feeling that Paul-san had more than one iron in the fire, figuratively as well as literally speaking. Rin shook their head.

“Ah, well... Anyway I got in contact with my friend, just putting out feelers for Yokai Metal. Turns out, we’re in a position to do each other a favour, and I thought it might also be helpful for your plans too. You see, the band he manages is putting on a labour day concert, at the Tokyo Dome, which is a big deal, but their opening band has fallen though at short notice.”

Paul nodded.

“You’re thinking of suggesting Yokai Metal open for them, right?”

“Yes… many of the fans would overlap, it would be at most three numbers, starting at six pm. The ceremony takes place at sunset at eight. The concert ends at ten.”

“Ok, but how is that helpful for the plans for that night?”

“I know where I can get a lot of kitsune masks at short notice, enough that when the concert’s over, they’ll flood the surrounding streets.”

Paul ginned.

“Ok, I like that idea… But if I might suggest a modifier, sell the masks on line, so the fans flood the streets before as well.”

“We won’t sell as much that way.”

“I meant as well as.”

“Oh, right, yeah. That’ll get us a syngenetic effect, the fans see other fans with the masks and will want to buy them at the concert. Smart.”

Rin hesitated, and Paul raised an eyebrow quizzically.

“Ok, there was something else, wasn’t there?”

“Yes, I wanted to suggest an idea to Inari. But… I don’t know if I dare.”

“Ok, run it by me first.”

“Right. So… I was thinking of asking Inari if she’d put in a Divine Appearance at the concert. The band my friend manages, they’re.. well they’re fans of hers. Sort of.”

“Hmm, this band wouldn’t have a rather similar name to Yokai Metal would they? Might have inspired Shoko in the first place.”

“Yeah.”

“And you’re not thinking of telling those girls what’s about to descend on them, are you?”

“Well…. He and I both thought it would be more effective if they didn’t know what was coming. So their reactions would be more genuine. Which would convince their fans Inari was the real deal.”

“Right.”

Paul considered the matter for a few minutes, staring thoughtfully into the flames of the forge.

“Ok. Leave it with me, I’ll talk to Inari. But I’m going to suggest something. Come up with a new song, one not released… and teach Inari it. So she can sing it on stage, with one or both bands.”

“Oh? But wouldn’t that make the fans think it was part of the show…?”

“Not if she teaches it to the band, on stage, live. Think of it as a direct form of Divine Inspiration, stright from the Fox Goddess herself. Which I’m given to understand they claim is their source of ideas, right?”

“Ah. Yes! That’s brilliant! And yes, they have this thing where they claim inspiration by the fox god.”

“Uh-huh… your friend wouldn’t happen to be a kitsune, Rin?”

“Mayyyybeee…a half-breed possibly I think. We’re not that close.”

“Ok, well, that’s not relevant anyway. Yokai Metal as the opening act, that shouldn’t be a problem. That gives us a base of operations as well… I presume accommodations and changing rooms are part of the deal?”

“Yes. We’d have rooms, enough rooms, at the Tokyo Dome Hotel itself. Changing rooms are at the dome. We’re covered by their security detail too. There’s even an underground walkway between the two. The dome and hotel are quite close to the palace like you asked for, with a direct line of sight so with a powerful enough telescope you’ll be able to see what’s going on. We also get 7.5 percent of the net gate, and whatever merchandise we sell.”

“Not bad. Hotel sounds top notch, better than we could afford otherwise. The after show appearance by Inari is going to be dependent on how she feels on the night and how the magic holds out. So, we’ll keep that under our hats, and then no-one gets disappointed if we call it off.”

Rin hesitated… Paul raised an eyebrow.

“Something else?”

“Yeah… not sure if it’s my place to say anything though.”

Paul sighed.

“Spit it out Rin, you know I’m not going to chew your head off.”

“Are you and Inari..ok? You’ve been avoiding her.”

“Rin, she sleeps in my bed every night. I don’t think that counts as ‘avoiding her’...”

“And you’re in here or doing something else every other hour..”

“I’m busy Rin.. that’s all. She knows that.”

“Maybe… just, don’t forget she’s a woman too, as well as a goddess. She has her own pride.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Rin?

“You’re a smart man Paul-san. You’ll figure it out, just don’t take too long.”

Rin turned and left, leaving behind a puzzled and perplexed Paul.

Paul was no nearer to understanding Rin’s cryptic comments the next day, when Rin and Ash departed for Tokyo on Ash’s motorbike. Their objective was two-fold; firstly to survey the ground and plan out Inari’s grand entrance, procession and subsequent audience with the Emperor… as well as their getaway afterwards. The second objective was to set up for Yokai Metal’s first true gig, opening for the Kawaii metal band that had started it all.

After which, the days mostly passed in rehearsals and practice.

Paul had visited Saori a couple of days after the Halloween festival to find out how the young Naga was doing, and to bring her a mana battery pendant and a small mains powered convertor to charge her pendant. He explained to her guardian, the Buddhist monk Isumai, that he suspected the low levels of mana in her surroundings were acting like a low level vitamin deficiency, causing health problems.

In follow up visits, it rapidly became apparent that Paul’s intuition had been on the mark, as Saori’s health improved markedly over the subsequent days. She had more energy, more ‘vim’ as Paul put it. The last bits of her moult went better than she ever recalled, and her new skin was glossier and healthier looking. Her asthma improved as well, not completely healed, but greatly reduced.

Paul found that word soon got around, and a steady trickle of Yokai of one sort or another started turning up. Most were a matter of poorly understood health issues, stemming from different metabolisms and dietary needs, brought about by the loss of cultural wisdom regarding their nature. Paul did the best he could with Inari’s help.

However, there were cases like Saori, where the restriction of mana itself was the problem. Paul spent an afternoon running a power cable up to the onsen and installed a secondary, smaller, mana convertor there specifically to ‘charge’ the water. It wasn’t long before the ‘magic spa’ became popular, and the Yokai visiting it showed genuine health benefits from literally soaking in a concentrated mana field. As Paul explained to Inari that evening, the idea had come from the case he’d arbitrated between the Dryad and the Tengu, over a natural spring with healing properties. He’d just replicated it with what they had to hand.

The days counted down, filled with activity, until it was two days before the ceremony, Nov 21^st. Paul and everyone else was up in the pre-dawn light, Inari yawning mightily and looking as though she might fall asleep standing up as she leant on Kiko. Rin had hired a bus for the band and everyone else, one with darkened windows and curtains that could be pulled across them. The plan was to load up and drive to Tokyo, and spend the day tomorrow getting set up.

Rin had also purchased new instruments from the money brought in by advance sales. They had only arrived a few days ago, so the band would need time to get used to them.

The band itself had grown… Tatsuo had joined, playing the koto, but he’d also persuaded Katsu to join as she was proficient on the piano. That had sparked considerable discussion among the rest of the band… as she would be the only non-yokai member. Katsu herself had settled the matter by pointing out they were all what could loosely described as ‘monsters’… and did anyone disagree that humans in general, and she in particular, could justifiably be called that?

Paul suspected that the fact she was the only one of their little ensemble that could read and play a piece of sheet music on sight probably had more to do with it. But they’d agreed that Katsu could be part of the band. Her costume would be a plain white mask, a blank, and they’d leave her identity as a mystery. As far as her family were concerned, she was meeting Tatsuo's family up north for a couple of days.

It was a ten hour drive, with stops, or 650km from the temple to The Tokyo Dome hotel. Paul had brought his laptop to get some writing done, and had plugged a small portable mana convertor into the 12volt power socket of the bus, so everyone was at least untroubled by dead spots en route.

For the first few hours, everyone except Paul and the Tenuki driver slept. Katsu and Tatsuo were curled up together in the back seat, with Yuri and Yuko one row ahead of them, pretending that they knew nothing. Jiao and Shoko were flaked out together, holding hands. Paul was a little startled that the irrepressible Shoko was asleep, but Inari had remarked that both the young girls has been so excited at the prospect of their first trip away from the mountain, that they couldn’t sleep the night before.

Inari herself dozed, leaning on Paul’s shoulder, with Kiko stretched out, her head resting in Inari’s lap.

Around about mid-morning the driver took a break, since the law mandated that he was only allowed to drive for four hours at a stretch. Those still asleep woke up and everyone piled out of the bus into the small picnic area they’d pulled into overlooking a lake that was picture postcard worthy.

The rest of the day went very much the same; they kept themselves entertained by composing more music and playing a variety of word games. Paul told stories, weaving tales out of pure imagination for them, sitting there, eyes closed, holding them spell bound by the power of words alone. But even he tired.

Inari discovered vending machines at one of the roadside stops, and the endless assortment of sodas, snacks and other things that could be bought with a few yen, so much so that Kiko wondered aloud if Goddesses could get diabetes from so much sugar. Although it was at a roadside stop just outside of the outskirts of Tokyo that Inari found herself utterly perplexed.

Paul spotted her staring at a vending machine with a look of bewilderment on her face, her coins in her hand.

“Stuck for choice Inari?”

“No..just.. look at this Paul-san!”

Paul wandered over, stretching his legs, and peered at the vending machine. Inside it, instead of the usual knick-knacks, sodas or snacks, were sealed plastic packets, each with a photo of a young girl upon it. Paul blinked, then shook his head.

“Well, I’d heard these existed but I never thought I’d see one.”

“What is it?”

“Umm.. oh dear… how shall I put it. It sells panties.”

“Oh? Oh, clean clothing! That’s clever!”

“Ah… no Inari. Used panties.”

“Used? You mean... second-hand?”

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Paul sighed.

“Not.. quite. They’re used, and unwashed, supposedly worn by the young girl on the packet. Please don’t make me explain further.”

Judging by the blank look, Inari still didn’t understand. Paul sighed.

“Hey Kiko, come over here and explain something to Inari will you… I need some fresh air.”

Paul had gotten as far as the bus when he heard Inari’s shout.

“They WHAT?!”

Inari stormed onto the bus, red faced. She glared at Paul.

“Men!”

“Don’t blame me.. I think it’s kind of creepy and disgusting too.”

“Hummph!”

Inari flounced to the back of the bus, still glaring. Kiko slipped past where Paul sat, giving him an apologetic look. Paul shrugged, he doubted Inari’s temper would last. Although he did notice as they drove out of the stop, that the vending machine in question was now dark, with trickles of smoke seeping out of the cracked glass front.

Once they’d arrived at the hotel, the bus drawing up in the underground car park below the hotel itself, they swiftly disembarked and headed up to the floor reserved for them and the other band. Rin had asked the other band’s manager for the rooms facing south, which over-looked the Imperial Palace grounds.

Paul headed straight to the windows and stared out. It was already twilight, the palace grounds and parkland around it were a sea of darkness dotted with a few lights, against which the city core of Tokyo shone brightly, like a galaxy seen edge on.

Inari came up and stood next to him.

“I remember.. there used to be a grand castle there, the most magnificent in all the lands.”

“Yes. It was destroyed in 1868 when the Shogunate fell. They tore it down and built the Palace instead.”

“Ah, yes.. I remember that. The Imperial Residence was built on top of the throne room. A point that was not missed at the time.”

“The point we’re interested in is the Three Palaces shrine, which is just to the right of that tall skyscraper in front of us.”

Inari looked at him, curiously.

“You can see that in this light?”

Paul chuckled and shook his head.

“No, I checked on line. There’s maps, you can even call up a 3D model of the entire city and virtually fly around. All I did was put the point of view just in front of where our rooms are, and ‘look’ using the computer. Of course, all the photos they build the maps out of are taken during the day, otherwise it’d be a bit pointless.”

“Ah… so useful this technology. Like Amaterasu’s mirror, you can use it to see places from a distance, to watch and listen to what is going on.”

“Sort of, they’re only still images though, and there’s no sound. But anyway, we have a perfect line of sight. Granted, we’re a bit further away than I’d have liked, but not impossibly so.”

“Are you sure of the timing and place of the ceremony?”

“It hasn’t changed in the last fifty years Inari, I doubt it will now.”

“And.. the other matter?”

“I think we’ll have enough mana, but it’ll drain your main Sakura battery. We’ve the wearable reserves and the portable mana convertor as well as the bomb generator, but those will take time to recharge your sakura branch.”

Inari nodded pensively.

“Is it worth it though? … To appear before this concert as well.”

“They could feasibly cover-up you appearing in front of the Emperor and half the government, but not a few thousand people with cameras… and that’s not even mentioning the live feed going out to TV networks worldwide, and streaming on the internet. The concert is our back-up plan.

“I don’t think I have ever appeared to so many before now..”

Paul looked at Inari, reading the way she held her arms around herself.

“Scared Inari?”

“Yes… a little… I’ll get over it. With one’s Divine Power comes confidence.”

“Not too much I hope Inari. It wouldn’t do to get cocky.”

Inari smiled slightly, and leaned against him.

“That is what I have you for, my Herald. To remind me that even Goddesses have limits, and can be mistaken.”

“And I have you to remind that there is magic and wonder in this world… Speaking of which, I’d better get Aimi-chan’s mirror unpacked and set up, the sun will be down any time now.”

Paul headed back to the main rooms, and looked around. The suit cases and aluminium flight cases of equipment were present. But there was no sign of the long narrow case containing the mirror.

Paul checked each of their rooms, annoying Tatsuo and Katsu in the process, but it hadn’t been brought up to one of the others.

He was on the internal phone with reception trying to work out what had happened, when there was a piercing shriek from outside. Hastily he told the young woman on the phone; “Never mind, think I found it!” and hurried outside.

One of the doors across the corridor was wide open, and Paul could see the mirror, Aimi-chan, and a tallish young girl with her hair in bangs, wide-eyed and trembling, backed into a corner by the outraged ghost.

Paul sprinted into the room, his long legs eating up the distance, hurdling over the prone body of a large man in a suit. Aimi-chan whirled around as he came up behind her.

Paul didn’t blame the others for being afraid, her appearance was enough to give him pause. Her eyes were literally deep dark holes into her skull, her teeth were yellow and shark-like in a mouth that was inhumanly wide. Her hair and clothing floated as if she was submerged underwater, and her feet hung limply several inches off the ground.

Aimi-chan hissed at him, holding her hands out like claws which, with the long black talon-like finger nails, they rather resembled.

Paul came to a deliberate stop in front of the furious Yurei-onryō. He crossed his arms and stared at Aimi-chan, tapping his foot.

“Young lady, you will stop this nonsense right this instant.”

Aimi-chan paused. Her voice when she spoke echoed as if from the bottom of a well.

“Paul-san? I was alone, in the dark… I thought I’d been abandoned. Then..then..”

“There was a mix up, your mirror went to the wrong room, that is all. You know I’d never abandon you.”

“I...I was afraid, Paul-san. I didn’t know anyone and.. and.. that person opened the box, and for a moment she looked like one of the girls that drowned me!”

“Oh, dear, that’s unfortunate. But it’s ok now.”

Paul held out his arms to Aimi-chan, who drifted into them, losing her ghastly appearance until she appeared to be just another school girl, dressed in an out-of-date uniform. Aimi-chan buried her face into Paul’s chest, sobbing slightly as he rubbed her back.

“There there Aimi-chan, you’re safe now, it’s ok...”

“S..sorry.. I made a fuss...”

“It’s ok...”

Paul glanced over at the other girl, who had stood up straight again and was staring in sheer disbelief at them. Looking over his shoulder he spotted the rest of his friends, even the dishevelled Katsu and Tatsuo, trying to stare around the door into the room. Oddly enough, they didn’t seem to be looking at himself or Aimi, but at the other girl... who, now that he looked again, did seem rather familiar, as if he’d seen her somewhere else.

“Ah… sorry for the um..mistake, Miss..”

“Ah… Suzue Nakamoto… that… that’s a ghost!”

“I suppose there’s not much point denying it. Yes she is. This is Aimi-chan. Aimi-chan, do you want to say hi to... wait, Suzue? I know that name?! Oh, right! Suz-metal, yes?”

“Yes… um. Aimi-chan? From Yokai Metal?”

“Yeah. We’re opening for you...ah… would you like to come and meet the rest of the band?”

Suzue looked doubtful, but Aimi-chan pulled free of Paul’s arms, and took a step towards her, and bowed, deeply.

“I apologise for frightening you Suzue-sensei. I did not realise at first where I was or who you were. Emerging from my cursed mirror is like waking from a deep sleep, it is disorientating when one is not prepared for it.”

Suzue swallowed, and nodded.

“I.. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have opened the box… just, fans send us presents all the time.”

There was a groan from behind them, as the security guard began to stir. Paul shot a look at the crowd in the doorway.

“Hoi, you lot, back to your rooms or at least put your disguises on!”

There was a general stampede as everyone scrambled back to their rooms, leaving those in the room alone. Paul shot a look at Suzue.

“I’m sorry to be a bother, but could I ask for your cooperation please? We don’t want everyone knowing...”

“Say no more! I would be honoured. I’ll tell everyone it was a misunderstanding, a stage effect delivered to my room by mistake.”

“Ok… thank you. Please, drop by when you’ve a minute. I think the girls would be thrilled to meet you and Moe-metal too if she’s around.”

Suzue giggled, hiding her mouth with her hand her eyes shining.

“Moeka wouldn’t believe it even if I told her, so... could you please surprise her too!”

Aimi-chan’s mouth stretched wide as she grinned. Paul put his hand on her head.

“Hoi Aimi-chan, no. Nice surprises only, remember. Save it for the concert.”

“Awww…. Must I?”

“Be good and I’ll send someone out to McDonald’s to get something for you.”

“I’ll be good Paul-san!”

“Ok, scamper now… the rooms across the hallway are ours.”

Aimi-chan scampered, or at least drifted right through the walls, making Suzue go wide-eyed again. It only took Paul a few minutes of verbal gymnastics to convince the guard he hadn’t seen what he thought he had, after which he wheeled the mirror still half in it’s packaging into their rooms.

Suzue peeked into the rooms while he was doing it, and spotted Tatsuo who was talking to Jiao. She went wide-eyed, again, and blushed red at the sight of the half naked Oni before ducking back to her own room.

Paul chuckled to himself, hoping she wouldn’t be too disappointed to find out she was a bit too late for that boat.

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