• Kiku walked through the village examining the terrain with Hanna by her side. A lot of people were gone this village was practically a ghost town.
    “Do any of you guys know how this got started?” Kiku asked.
    Hanna shook her head. “Non. None of the villagers could give us a clear picture of what happened here. But they began to notice when the whole noble household commited suicide”
    Kiku grunted knowing people always notice when someone important does something like that. A young boy came out of hiding wearing a brown worn out yukata. He looked at the two Yokai detectives with wide eyes then his gaze went back to Hanna.
    “Excuse me Miss Hanna, the Yokai detectives: Kensei, Kikyo, and Ren wishes to see the both of you at the elder’s house” he informed.
    Hanna nodded her head and looked back at Kiku. “Shall we?”
    Kiku said nothing but followed Hanna. From left to right frightened people coward in their homes. Who wouldn’t be scared of something like this? Kiku thought to herself. Everyone has a right to be scared especially when it’s from that man. Both of the women came to a medium sized house with palms sticking out of the roof and entered through the door covered by a hanging cloth.
    “Everyone I brought her just like you asked” Hanna announced. Kiku followed after Hanna looking from side to side then what lay before her. There were three other people in the room at least another woman and two men on younger than the other.
    On of the men had gray hair but a remarkably young face and looked muscular. He had black grip gloves on him and wore a skin tight sleeveless shirt and a black hakama. Kiku recognized him as the man Kensei. The other man was a lot younger about Kiku’s age. He wore a green bamboo print kosode and a strand of his black hair covered his right eye. He was Ren on of Kiku’s close friends and partners. The last one was Kikyo in a Miko’s uniform. Her black hair was tied in a braid almost looking like Hanna but she was older than Kiku and Hanna but looked good for her age. She sat over a corpse examining it. When Kiku came into the room she placed a cloth over its face.
    “Welcome” Kikyo greeted in a soft voice.
    “Sorry if we couldn’t meet more on friendlier terms than this” Ren said. Kensei said nothing. He rarely spoke unless if he needed to. Kiku understood though after all he was one of her many senseis. Hanna and Kiku sat down in front of them. Kiku sat in a more complex position than the others.
    “What did you find?” Hanna asked Kikyo.
    Kikyo shook her head. “As always there’s this strange thorn butterfly mark on their chest. Other than that I found nothing”
    “It’s quiet alright Kikyo you did your best” Ren said trying to reassure her.
    “We have never heard of any kind of Yokai or Obeke that does this sort of thing” Kensei finally said. “It’s completely unknown”
    Hanna looked at Kiku with a worried expression on her face. “Kiku you said you faced something like this right?”
    All eyes fell on the youngest member of the Yokai agency who was biting harder on the wheat stalk. Kiku looked up at her fellow detectives through her near sighted glasses with her black and white eyes. She sighed then rubbed her forehead.
    “That’s because…” Kiku began. “That’s because this is no ordinary type of Yokai that we’re dealing with”
    The whole room gasped then leaned forward confused and speechless.
    “Wait a minute what in hell are you talking about?” Kensei growled.
    Kiku reached into her pack and pulled out a folded piece of paper and opened it. On it was a giant demonic looking oven with hellfire spilling out of it and demons dancing around it throwing both Yokai and humans into the oven. Kiku pointed at the picture. “Yomotsumono, that’s what it’s called. A legendary Yokai that is fueled by human souls and Yokai alike to create an army of demons. But it was lost during ancient days”
    “Yeah but it doesn’t explain why people are committing suicide” Ren said.
    “I have an answer for that too. Have any of you heard of a Katsura-Otoko?” Kiku asked.
    All four people nodded.
    “Of course we do they’re a race of Tennin (heavenly being) from the moon” Kikyo said. “But they aren’t that violent”
    Kiku sighed then touched the eyelid just over her white eye. “I know one who is”
    Before Ren could asked her how she knew all this, an old man burst into the room.
    “Yokai detectives!” he cried then pointed out the door. “T-there’s s-something y-you all n-need to see! Q-quickly!”
    The five Yokai detectives stood up then rushed out of the room and poured into the streets. Kensei was the first to point up at the sky.
    “What in god’s name is that?” he demanded. Up at the sky the black clouds formed a spiral shape. Kiku’s eyes fell blank and her expression remained unmoved.
    “So you’re willing to go this far?” she mumbled. “Damned accursed freak!”
    Kensei glanced over at Kiku then grabbed a hold of her shirt collar and lifted her up the ground.
    “You know something now don’t you? What the hell is going on you little brat?” he demanded impatiently. Ren and Kikyo ran up to him begging for Kensei to put her down. Kiku looked at her comrade with blank eyes both a different color.
    “Do you really want to waste all your energy on me?” Kiku questioned. Kensei gritted his teeth then dropped Kiku. She landed on her rear end and grunted. Kensei stormed off and took out his dagger as Kikyo approached Kiku.
    “How do we defeat this thing? This Yomotsumono, how do we stop it?” she asked in a gentle voice. Kiku stood up and walked over to Ren.
    “Ren do you still have that silver cross?” she asked him.
    Ren reached into his sleeve pocket and pulled out a chain with a silver cross on it. “What do you plan on using it for?”
    “Kiku, I asked you a question” Kikyo repeated.
    Kiku picked up a sheathed sword that was exposed out in the open and tied it to her waist. “You don’t stop Yomotsumono, you stop the person that is trying to summon it, and I’ll do the honors. You all just need to stall the demons coming this way”
    “Demons?” Hanna questioned.
    “Aye” Kiku said. “Kato is sending them to destroy the village, getting rid of any witnesses and eliminate every survivor”
    “Kiku how do you know so much?” Ren asked her.
    “I didn’t Nui did” Kiku said walking off. “I’m going to defeat the Katsura-Otoko”