Timeline: Nearly 7 years before the cataclysm.
Characters Involved: Tajima Suzu
Tajima stood outside a Ginza district club in Tokyo with another man, a man named Nashio. Nashio explained why they were there, “[Alright, Tajima-chan. Expect a couple’a bouncers to prevent us from takin’ what’s owed.]” He explained, twirling a baton in his hand. Tajima nodded, “[Got it.]” he said as they strolled into the front entrance. Taji slipped on a pair of brass knuckles as a bouncer stopped Nashio, only to be tripped and met with a dress shoe to the teeth.
Two more bouncers ran in, One swung at Nashio while the other charged at Tajima. The bouncer threw a punch, The Calm Pheonix grabbed the bouncer’s wrist and the back of his head. He slammed the thug into a nearby wall face-first, as he fell to his knees Taji kneed him in the back of his head. “[Are we really neglecting the fact we could of talked to him?]” Nashio cackled at his comment, as he kneed the bouncer in the face. “Heeheehee! [It isn't as fun, dear Tajima-chan!]” He teased as Taji rolled his eyes as the two continued into the club.
A good half dozen thugs, looking to be rival yakuza and bouncers are ready to fight, many of them armed with bats, golf clubs, and a couple of tantos for the rival Yakuza. Many of the civilians have already ran or are in the process of leaving through the back. Save for a woman sitting at the bar, wearing a green snake-skin jacket. “[Nashio’s always the forward one…]” She mumbled as she got up from her seat. Tajima looked over, “[Imada’s here, Looks like she had the right idea of negotiating first.]” Nashio cackled once more, “[She always had a stick up her ass!]”
Nashio stepped to the side, as a bouncer swinging his bat down. He cracked the baton across the bouncer’s jaw, causing him to drop his bat. Scooping up the aluminum bat by the top end, he shoved the bottom into the Bouncer’s mouth once he stood up. Nashio brought the bouncer back to his knees before kneeing him in the jaw, breaking several teeth with a nasty crunch. He tossed the bat in the air, catching it by the grip and gripping it with two hands as rival yakuza with a knife ran at him. He was met with an aluminum bat to the face.
Nashio’s eyes widened at the knife the Yakuza was wielding, “[They’ve got knives! All bets are off!]” Tajima turned, “[Rea-?!]” He was interrupted by nearly getting stabbed in-between the ribs, being saved by a kick across the jaw by Imada. “[Did Nashio-sama get you wrapped up in this again?]” She teased before Taji gave a glare, “[Now is not the time, Imada.]” He said as he dropped the brass knuckles and drew his own Tanto.
Meanwhile, there is a discussion inside the owner’s office. The large fireplace inside roared “[Oh dear. Looks like the other racketeers are coming to collect.]” The rival Yakuza boss said, his sickly pale face turning towards the noise. “[Wh-what’re we going to do?]” The owner asked nervously, “[You said you were going give me benefits the Yuchi family couldn’t!]” The Shateigashira took out a golden chalice and set it against the mantle of the fireplace, “[Don’t worry.]” He said all too calmly as he took out a small cooler containing a blood bag, and his dagger. Skewering the bag, he emptied the contents into the chalice, one of the men guarding the door gave his boss a concerned look.
“[B-boss? What’re you doin’?]” He nervously asked, before the rival grabbed his shoulder and gave the shorter man a unsettling smile. “[Don’t worry, I’m just much stronger than you are now…]” The thug widened his eyes, “N-nani?” He said before the dagger skewered his jugular and was tossed into the fireplace. The man screamed and gurgled as the fire charred his skin and bones. “Sit hoc esse necessarium vulnus in Velum…”
The others stood, fixed by horrified confusion as the man was engulfed in flames, of such intensity that it obscured the grisly sight with a white-hot glow, and filled the room with unnatural heat that made every breath utterly stifling. It was only when the flames died down and the screaming ceased, that the boss' actions became clear. Instead of a charred corpse, something was scrabbling and clawing its way out of the flames, shedding embers and strips of burnt flesh as it crawled out out the fireplace.
As it stood, the unnatural proportions of its muscular, towering humanoid form became apparent. It had the head of a bull, partially-burnt fur as white as the flames were at their peak, and its leathery skin bore distorted parodies of the tattoos that covered the thug's body. Much of the outfit had burned away as well, or seemingly been ripped by the unusual contortions of its body. The man's shirt, jacket, and shoes most notably had been reduced to burning scraps. What remained of its outfit, though scorched and charred, at least endured the form it was forced to fit.
The second guard drew a gun, a small snub nose. “[The fuck did you do to Suto?!]” He barked, the boss simply smiled again and gestured at the Gozu who let out a huff in acknowledgement and charged at the guard. The ox tanked a shot in the side before grabbing the Guard’s wrists and yanking down roughly, the arms letting out a sicking pop as they were yanked out of their sockets. Those massive hands gripped the thug’s head and began to squeeze, and he began to scream in agony.
Tajima drove his tanto into the last of the half dozen thugs’ gut, kneeing the knife to drive it in deeper. That was before they all heard the scream, “[The fuck is going on up there?]” He wondered aloud, “[Nothing good. We need to move.” Taji answered as Imada looked wearily at where the scream came from, “[I have a bad feeling about this…]” She said, grimacing.
A mutilated corpse with a caved in skull was thrown through the wall, the Gozu stepped through the hole in the plaster and looked at the three. “[What the hell is that?!]” Nashio exclaimed. “[I don’t know, just keep it busy.]” Tajima said calmly, sheathing his tanto and tossing it to Imada.
His eyes locked onto something, an antique sword. An old worn katana in a display case, he sprinted towards it and the Gozu turned towards him. The creature was met with an aluminum bat to the back of it’s head and the beast swung blindly at Nashio. Taji grabbed a barstool and threw it at the display, breaking the glass and sending the sheathed blade clattering on the floor.
The gozu was stabbed in the side by Imada, followed up by a bat to the back of it’s head. The minotaur swung it’s arm at Nashio, sending him flying and the baseball bat clattering on the floor. A fist was sent at Imada, who dodged to the side and stabbed through the bull’s wrist. The blade was pulled out and driven back in-between the Gozu’s ribs. Tajima gripped the katana with one hand, and with a flick of his wrist, the scabbard was removed. With two hands on the handle, Taji was ready to get back into the fight. Nashio was back on his feet and took off his suit-jacket and jumped onto the Bull’s back, putting the coat over it’s head, blinding it and disorientating it. The Pheonix remained dead calm, running towards the gozu and slashing open it’s gut. It’s insides nearly spilled out, but Imada slashing it’s open it’s throat certainly didn’t help matters.
The minotaur was brought to its knees and Nashio got off it’s back. Tajima rose the blade over his head, and brought it down onto the back of the cow-man’s neck. It’s head was severed from it’s shoulders and on the floor.
A gunshot was heard from the other room, and the three couldn’t even get a breather in before they ran through the hole in the wall. They found the rival Yakuza boss standing above the dead owner of the club, a single gunshot to the head. “[Can’t have him blabbing about what he saw. Neither can you three.]” He said in a monotone, aiming the gun at the three. It was the guard’s snub-nose. Imada stepped forward, “[What the fuck did you d-]” and in response she was shot in the head. “[Stupid bitch.]” The boss said coldly, and Tajima was livid. “[Imada! I’m going to fucking kill you, bastard!]” He growled at him, the usual calm mask he being shattered as he ran at him.
The boss aimed the gun, but as it was being fired, Nashio tackled Taji out of the way. However, he caught the bullet in the eye. “AAAGGGHH. [CRACK THIS BITCH, TAJI.]” He screamed out, and Taji obliged. He opened up by grabbed the boss by the arm, and kneeing the elbow. The rival yakuza let out a scream before Tajima put his hand to the back of his head and slammed it hard into the hardwood desk. The Shateigashira cupped the blood coming from his nose with his good hand before Taji grabbed him by the hair and cracked him square in the face. As he was on his back, the fuming phoenix stomped on the man’s ribs. He struggled to get back up, but he was only met with a stomp. Tajima ground the sole of his feet into the man’s face, before letting out a deep breath and sliding the gun away with his shoe.
He helped Nashio up, and let him brace against his shoulder. “[We need to leave.]” Tajima said coldly, as the remaining two made their exit through the back, police sirens rang ever closer.
The two of them were sitting at the desk, an older man rubbing his temples in frustration at the story relayed to him. He believed them of course, but that honestly was more of a headache than if he hadn’t. “[Even if the others buy this, what happened is going to cause quite a disturbance..]” the man muttered. “[It will take time to smooth things over. This is a bit beyond just keeping a low profile for a while. Beyond even the kind of discretion that killing one of the family heads would already warrant.]”
Taji bowed his head, “[I understand, sir.]” He said solemnly, taking out his own tanto from inside his coat. He set his right hand against the desk, “[Taji-]” He said, only to be inturrupted by the family head. “[Tajima, stop. No need. You two have lost enough. I’d say Nashio’s eye is enough.]” He said, glancing over at Nashio, who looks away.
“[It might be prudent after all this to move somewhere quiet in the meantime. I’ve already made arrangements, if you two find it acceptable. A contact who’s worked with associates here and in the states on multiple occasions, most notably after that incident with the Path of the Sun, couple decades back.]” he added. “[Brings back memories, though back then there were never stories of strange creatures like that, spiritualists or not...]”
The family head sighed, “[I’m not going to let you stay here and look over your shoulder for the rest of your lives. How’s your english?”]” Tajima nodded, “Fluent. [Are you sending us to america?]” Nashio cocked a grin, “You tell me, boss-man.” Taji shot a glare, “[Nashio!]”
Their boss gave a little chuckle at that. “[You can be such a little shit sometimes, Nashio.]” he remarked, before regaining his composure. “[Our contact will be here within the hour to finalize arrangements. He has a few ideas for suitable work already it seems, should keep you both busy and out of trouble. Assuming I can trust the both of you not to accidentally stumble into any more cultists?]” he joked.
Nashio let out a snort, “[We’ll try, boss.]” Tajima nodded, “[What’re we going to be doing over there, sir?]” He asked, hands settling on his knees. The boss gave a nod at that. “[For Tajima, the family under one of my associates has some work for him. As for you Nashio, it might be best to space things out a bit so that the two of you attract less attention. There’s a local business they’re running, a small hostess bar. It’s Something relatively low-key but shouldn’t bore you to death, as you’ll be the manager.]”
Nashi rolled his eye, “[‘course, ‘The customer is king’. Right?]” The boss nodded at that remark, which caused Nashio to grumble. Tajima bowed his head, “[Thank you, sir. When will be leaving?]” He asked, which cued the boss to slide two plane tickets ahead. “[Had to bribe the right people for these, you can bring whatever you’ll need. Plus.]” He tapped them, “[First class, ‘eh? Fancy, fancy. You two’ll be leaving tomorrow.]” The head said, smiling at him. “[I couldn’t ask for better Yakuza, although I could do without Nashio’s attitude at times…]” he teased, which caused Nashio to chuckle. “[Love ya’ too, boss.]”
As the two were dismissed, they went to their separate homes to pack their bags. A certain uncertainty gnawed at the back of Taji’s mind, and a frustration at Nashio’s. A frustration at being reduced to being a civilian, he grumbled before sighing. On his way home he spotted that small clothing store Imada went to, always had all sorts of tacky leather jackets. Snake-skin, alligator. He stopped inside to get a tan python skin coat, and head home.