Pure × Isaac Lahey

49.

X X

       Katashi stood at his desk in the dimly lit warehouse, composure solid as the small group entered his domain. His lips remained firmly pressed together, eyes focused on the brunette leading. His silver prosthetic gleamed on his pinky as the light slowly shifted from day to night. "You did not say you needed to bring friends."

      "The situation made it too important not to," Elora replied before sinking into a low bow, showing her respect for the Yakusa boss. "I followed Kincaid's rule."

       Katashi himself bowed to Elora, a smile reaching him as he rose. "I was watching on the security camera. Their faces were priceless."

       Allison, Isaac and Chris watched in mixed awe and horror as both Elora and Katashi laughed, the Yakusa boss crossing from behind his desk to embrace her in a hug.

       "You're looking well," Katashi said to the witch with genuine pleasure, letting go of her shoulders. "Who have you brought with you?"

       Elora motioned to the trio as Katashi slowly rescinded into his closed off demeanor. "This is Chris Argent, his daughter Allison and Isaac Lahey. We could use your help."

        Chris stepped forward, removing a wrapped cloth from his jacket, placing it on Katashi's desk as the man himself stood to the side.

        Although hesitant, Katashi unfurled the gray cloth to reveal the shattered mask. His breath pulled in, recognizing the fragments.

        "24 years ago," Argent said, unsure if Katashi remembered or not. "You know what they are, don't you?"

        "They're called Oni," Katashi darkly said, looking up from the remainder of the mask. "They are demons. And they are unstoppable."

       "Fantastic," Isaac muttered.

       "What do you mean unstoppable?" questioned Allison over Isaac's low grievance. "They can't be killed? There has to be something."

       Katashi softly shook his head, "Nothing. At least no man made weapon. The Oni are a force of nature. You don't fight a tsunami. You endure it. You can only hope you are not destroyed by it."

       Isaac's eyebrow raised, "Then how do we endure it?"

       "One of you already has," said Katashi as he stepped up to the beta, turning his head to the side sharply. His thumb traced along the mark etched behind Isaac's ear, "That is the Japanese kanji for -"

       "Self," interrupted Elora, her eyebrows furrowed slightly with surprise in herself. "It means he's still himself. The Oni are looking for the one that is no longer themselves."

       Katashi understood the look in Elora's eyes, "Do not be afraid of what you do not understand. There is much you have forgotten, but it is not your fault."

       "What do you mean 'no longer themselves'?" Allison asked with a softly raised brow.

       "Possessed," replied Katashi. "By a dark spirit. There are thirteen kinds of kitsune. Celestial, wild ocean, thunder. But there is one, a dark kitsune. They call it void, or nogitsune."

       "The kumicho," said Chris.

       "That's right," Katashi agreed. "He was possessed by a nogitsune. It's what helped him rise through the ranks of our Yakusa family. Nogitsune draws its power from pain and tragedy, strife and chaos."

       "Sounds like high school teachers to me," mused Isaac quietly as he stood behind Elora's chair.

       Isaac was ignored, Katashi continuing. "Do you know why I'm missing this finger?" he asked as he held up a silver pinky.