[IC] Spirit Hunters ( Darog x Foxxie)

[Darog the Badger God]

"We are the first and last line of defense against the Berserker problem. Our job is simple; hunt them down, take them out. - Tokyo Branch Commander, Kazama Chosokabe

"Hattori? Hattori?! WAKE UP, YOU LAZY BUTT!" A voice shouted from behind Hattori's door followed by a few bangs. The alarm blared at the side of his bed, with him stretching his arm over and shutting it off. More shouting could be heard, as Hattori sat up and gave out a yawn, a dazed look followed. "You know, you don't have to shout so loud, sheesh!" Hattori replied. "OH I'M SORRY IF YOUR ALARM WAS DRIVING ME CRAZY! WHY HAVE AN ALARM IF YOU AREN'T GOING TO GET UP HUH?"

Hattori was out of bed, stretching lazily as he headed towards the bathroom, getting ready as quickly as possible. Fully dressed in a simple T-Shirt and Jeans outfit, Hattori headed into the kitchen grabbing a slice of toast that his older sister made. "So, do you know anything about your new partner?" she asked, moving a few strands of her dark brown hair out of her face. "Other than he's known as a "Delinquent" by the top brass, nothing really." Hattori replied as he took a last bite out of his quick breakfast. "Who knows? He may just be the perfect partner for you! To keep that bighead of yours down a little." His sister giggled. Hattori rolled his eyes, letting out a "whatever" as a response, grabbing both his pair of headphones, his parker coat, and the helmet. Hopping onto his scooter, Hattori made sure he was on time.
“I need to get there by Nine Thirty. And its Eight Fifty right now…shouldn’t be too much if the traffic is okay at least.” He stated as he then grinded to a halt. “Well…god damn it” he huffed as the traffic moved at a slow rate. Checking his watch every two minutes, Hattori became increasingly more inpatient as he waited for the traffic to actually speed up more than the current snail pace. He then looked slyly to his left and right. “I could use an Express way, nobody here is paying attention anyway” Hattori explained to himself as he weighed his options. Clasping both hands together, Hattori closed his eyes. “Tenso!” he uttered, disappearing from the spot. As he opened his eyes, he noticed he had entered the spirit realm, noticing the rather dark, and vivid green and blueish colours that painted the world he was currently in. Spirit Flies moved around, giving light to the darkened realm. “Right, let’s get to the Academy”

Hattori managed to move at a much faster speed than before, a grin etched onto his face. The Spirit Realm wasn’t much different, aside from more vivid colours and contrasting darker places. Whenever it was day in the human world, the spirit realm was night. “Looks like the residents are all asleep right now…” he thought, looking around the streets as he weaved through alleys and roads. “Tenso!” he said as he approached the Academy. “WOAH!” he pushed down on the brakes immediately, not expecting a car to park as he entered the human realm once again. Daigo and Miko walked on by, seeing the young Yokai’s scooter and Hattori in a pile. “You really gotta stop using the Spirit Realm as some fast travel option.” Daigo commented. Hattori stood, dusting himself off from the near accident. “Hehe, at least Headmaster Chosokabe won’t know” He laughed it off knowing full well Chosokabe would somehow know. “Good luck today, Hattori. Let’s hope you have more success with your new partner!” Miko smiled to Hattori. “Yeah, hopefully he isn’t useless” Hattori joked.

The Academy itself was very much hidden as a typical university campus, but underneath the façade hid a powerful order specifically built to police both the Spirit and Human realms whilst hunting down Berserkers, powerful out of control monsters of varying size and power. Hattori enrolled, not liking the backdoor politics his parents played to have his older siblings become ranked Hunters, He wanted to truly test himself and learn more about his peers. Hattori entered the main building, heading towards Kazama’s office. “Hattori! You must sing first before you enter Headmaster Chosokabe’s office” the Secretary stated. As he entered the office, Hattori noticed the large man sitting down, waiting and looking directly at him. “That’s the 25th time you’ve entered the Spirit Realm as a means to travel here on time, you know that’s against Academy Policies” Chosokabe stated as the young Hunter sat down himself. “Yeah, yeah. You would’ve given me the whole “It is unruly of a hunter to be late” speech if I didn’t, so damned if I do, damn if I don’t right?” Hattori asked with a slight grin. Chosokabe was seething. “Well, let’s cut this short shall we? Firstly; a sighting of a Berserker within the human realm, I want you to investigate its supposed lair. Secondly; Let’s introduce you to your new partner.” Chosokabe grinned. “Ogata Yonnosuke….familiar with him?” Hattori’s eyes widened. “Are…are you joking?” Chosokabe’s grin grew wider. “Miss Satomi? Call in The Delinquent…”

[Foxxie]

Mornings were, oddly enough, Yunosuke's favorite part of the day. In his past experiences, mornings were quiet. They were the fleeting still moments before the shitstorm of his daily life. As he sat on the fire escape and watched the warm orange glow flooding the narrow alleys that gridlocked his neighborhood. It was hardly a slice of paradise, but before everyone else was awake, it wasn't half bad. He flicked the ashes from his cigarette over the rail before tossing it to the concrete below, stretching and yawning before ducking through the window back into the mess they called their living room. Based on the lingering scent of stale, almost day-old coffee, he could tell his father wasn't home yet from his night shift to attend to the brew he'd concocted for himself. That meant he was alone with his sleeping mother at the moment, and he bore this in mind as he prepared his stuff so he could head to the Academy.

Today was the day he'd finally get a partner. He'd been more or less dreaming about this day since the moment he set foot in the Academy. Gifted humans got matched up with oh-so-talented yokai so they could keep monsters from devouring everything in the two worlds. Most of the yokai he'd met during his time there had rubbed him the wrong way. He was an outsider among them, but that was nothing new for him. The thing that really pissed him off was the overwhelming sense of superiority a lot of them gave off. Sure, some of the yokai were no better than down and out bums like him, but even the lowest of the low exhibited powers beyond that of the average human. Yokai had the edge in the other world, and for good reason. It was theirs. Humans that made the grade were a fantastic exception, and Yunosuke knew it from the moment he arrived. He may have been exceptional among his peers back home, but to yokai, his kind had to look like a dog in clothes. It burned his ass, it really did.

He gave the door a gentle tap behind him to ensure it was firmly shut before he took off.

The train station was about a block from his building, which was a relief when trying to get to the Academy, but a fucking drag when he couldn't get to sleep at night, listening to a parade of late night cargo charging by. Taking a look at his beat-up MP3 player, he was relieved to find he would have time to sit down for a real breakfast like he'd planned. He had made a tentative arrangement with Shige to share a meal with her, once they'd found out they frequented the same small cafe outside of Aridakawa station. He got off the train at 8:15 as per usual, and made eye contact with the Academy, or more accurately, the unassuming human world building that, beyond the veil, housed a truly impressive campus. He'd have to cross over a little closer to his destination, as there was way too much foot traffic crossing his path right now to do it subtly. The delinquent noticed his friend at the cafe and took long strides to meet up with her, so he could attempt to be on time for his new assignment.

Dropping his bag in the chair across from Shige, he smirked as she looked up at him. "You look depressed as hell," he teased, noticing that she looked a bit out of it. Shige was usually pretty much sharp and attentive at all times, and that was what made her a well-respected B Rank Hunter and not a frowned-upon C Rank punk. The two of them had a fairly similar outlook when it came to solving problems: beat them until they can't move. However, and it might have been the three year age difference, but Shige always carried herself with more maturity than Yunosuke could muster. Unless, of course, she was in battle. He'd heard stories about her letting a bit of street gang slang pass through her iron clad filter when her blood started to boil.

"Depressed?" Shige finally answered and shook her head, "Just tired, is all." She gestured towards the counter to a light-haired young man he couldn't recognize from behind, "I'm not alone today. My partner's here, too. Don't make an ass of yourself in front of him if you plan on sitting with us." She gave him a mocking smile and Yunosuke rolled his eyes. Tsuga Teijo may have been the walking embodiment of yokai-human class discrepancies, but at the same time, he didn't know the guy all that well despite having met him and even spent time with him quite a lot, thanks to Shige. He kept to himself. The Tsuga name was really well known in the Academy, but it wasn't exactly for the best of reasons. For his classmates, the name Tsuga could be equated with the fat, ineffectual king in storybooks. Yunosuke could appreciate that Teijo wanted to prove that his family had some backbone and talent after generations of coasting along, but he wished he didn't have to do it with such a stick up his ass. Still, if Shige could put up with him and even show some genuine care for the guy, then Yunosuke figured he could do the same.

He got his usual white rice, pork and egg bowl with a side of miso soup and joined the partners. He tried not to judge Teijo's traditional taste in breakfast, natto galore, and proceeded to fill in the silence that had settled between Shige and Teijo. In his mind, that was why they were perfect for each other. The yokai was quiet because of his proper upbringing, and the human kept her mouth shut because she wasn't much for small talk. They must have been the most efficient duo. No awkward icebreakers upon first meeting, zero counts of foot-in-mouth syndrome, and no way for them to argue if neither makes a peep.

"Hey, Tei-chan," he started, giving him a friendly jab on the shoulder, "I know you've got friends in the headmaster's office, so tell me something. You got any idea who my partner's gonna be? No luck that he's gonna be a quiet guy like you, is there?"

Teijo's lips twitched into a smirk, which he quickly suppressed, "Quiet? For you? Hardly. Chosokabe wouldn't subject anyone like that to someone of your countenance." His fingers laced together and he rested his chin on the backs of his hands, "And I've heard rumors of who you've been assigned. Shige asked me the same thing yesterday."

The young woman seemed to blush ever so slightly, caught off guard by Teijo disclosing such an uncharacteristic show of concern, but she cleared her throat and clarified, "I was curious, yeah. I haven't seen many of the newbies who can keep up with Yunosuke... and don't get cocky, that's not necessarily a good thing." The young man snorted. Leave it to her to muddy up a compliment with a stern glare.

"Spill it, then," the C-ranker demanded, excitement mounting.

The yokai's brow twitched in slight bewilderment and then he laughed dryly, "You shouldn't be so anxious. I know you think I'm a purebred killjoy, but trust me when I say you're not gonna find this guy much better." He and Shige departed soon afterwards and that left Yunosuke scrambling to make it in time for his appointment with the headmaster. He hoped his partner was going to be late so he could look like a regular well-behaved geek, showing up right in the nick of time, but if Tei-chan's words were anything to trust, he was headed for a world of trouble.

One of Chosokabe's assistants was waiting outside of the door for him, and she held up a hand to indicate he shouldn't barge in without her. However, she did seem glad to see him. "You're just in time, Ogata. Your partner and the headmaster as just finishing up now." Yunosuke quickly craned his neck around Ms. Satomi's frame to try to glean anything from the slight crack between the doors. It was then that he was tapped on the shoulder and sent inside the office.

He'd been summoned a couple of times before to this office, stuff ranging to a greeting within the first week of school to a few reprimands and even a congratulations on that one exam they took that he'd managed to ace, but each time, it managed to look a little different. Sure, big ol' Chosobake still made up the focal point of the room, a giant of a man confined to a an equally grandiose desk, but there was always something else to catch one's eye upon first entering. The office was sparsely decorated, but the trinkets and furniture that did make it in were always worth ogling. Today, though, a certain something seemed to be covering the room in a thick, grey mist. It was almost as though there was a pollutant among all of the luxuriousness. And hell, there was.

His name was Ryo Hattori.

Wearing a jacket indoors and a pair of nice headphones, right in the center of the room, stood the plague. If ever Yunosuke had made fun of Teijo for being an imperialistic bastard, he took it all back. He'd take prim and proper over raging egomaniac any time. While some would take it as a compliment to be assigned one of the best students in the whole class to work with, he was having a hard time seeing it as anything other than a punishment. Hattori was good, sure, but he was also a stuck-up prick. He'd rather he had to work with a yokai that was dumb as shit, at least then they might have something in common.

Ah, wait, that didn't come out right. Dammit, this is going to be hell on earth, I can tell already.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets with a scowl and played up the part of the delinquent as best he could. The Natural was gonna get a taste of something natural, alright. Natural like the taste of blood when somebody knocks your teeth out. He grimaced. He'd have to brush up his insult game, fast, or actually be nice to the guy.

"Deadly serious, I'm afraid," Chosokabe replied, obviously in response to something Hattori had said before he'd come into the room. Yunosuke turned his attention to the headmaster instead of his new partner and awaited an introduction. "Ah yes, and Ogata Yunosuke, I'm sure you know Ryo Hattori. It's my firm belief that you two are going to be a good match, and definitely an interesting one to watch," he concluded.

"Hey, are you sure you didn't just do this to us for a few good laughs, Chosokabe?" he couldn't hold that back and he silently prayed he wasn't about to be banished to some yokai pocket dimension that wasn't mentioned in the orientation packet.

Chosokabe was visibly annoyed by that and he drummed his fingers against the desk, "With Berserkers threatening both of our kinds, do you really think I'd send out two of my most promising hunters in a mismatched pair just for fun?"

Yunosuke fidgeted a bit. Great. He'd done enough damage to last a whole week and it wasn't even time for lunch yet. He decided he'd shut up, just until after the mission details were all hashed out.

[Darog the Badger God]

Hattori had heard many stories about Yunosuke, but out of all them one thing did ring true; he was a very skilled fighter, would be at the top if he wasn't as confrontational and rebellious as he was. He noticed the Delinquent's stance and posture, he wondered if he was just playing up to his reputation or if he actually held himself like that. It did not matter to Hattori, he preferred to see Yunosuke in action before judging him on hearsay and rumours. That's when it hit him, a smirk almost creeping out of the corner of his mouth. He stood up, turning his head towards the young fellow C Rank Hunter. No doubt Yunosuke would've heard some rumours and hearsay of "The Natural" a title that really irked Hattori more than he let on.

Chosokabe stood, his towering height and form in full view this time than before behind a desk. “You two are my best rookies. Yunosuke; your prowess and skill is amongst the best of the humans that I’ve seen in a while, but you’re lacking in discipline and a work ethic. Hattori; you’re a natural Hunter Yokai if I’ve seen one, however you don’t value partnerships and see yourself as above those who are. I feel this collision of personalities if you will, might just shock the both of you into gear. “Chosokabe explained. “And now, for your assignment.” He turned to look out of his window, seeing the students heading to class, and the older hunters heading to get their assignments. “There’s been some strange activity near a bunch of abandoned warehouses, a few civilians even claimed to spot a weird, large creature. We believe it may either be a hive or a lair for a Class D Berserker.” He explained as he then turned to face the young Rookie hunters. “I know you both will do fine”

Hattori held his hand out for a handshake. “Well, we’re both in this boat, so why not try it out?” He said, with a sly grin, as if challenging his peer. Hattori wouldn’t mind a partner for sure, but he wanted a rival.

[Foxxie]

His phrasing had been indelicate, sure, but it turns out he was more or less on the nose. He and Hattori had been thrown together for the express purpose of ensuring they'd butt heads. According to Chosobake, it was an attempt to bring out the best in both. Yunosuke shrugged, and then accepted the handshake from his new comrade, "So long as you don't mind me rowing."

The punk had finally been able to pinpoint what it was exactly that bothered him about Hattori. He hadn't had much in the way of personal interactions with him before, but a single word trailed the guy around like the most faithful of shadows. Every breath that mentioned Ryo Hattori had to contain the word "natural". He was a natural. His talents came naturally, and, naturally, he could have his pick of teammates if only he thought to cooperate. But teamwork, well, that's just not natural. He had the attitude of someone who believed solely in himself and nobody else. Yunosuke briefly considered that he was quite a dark pot throwing accusations at a kettle like this, but despite his own independent nature, he realized the importance of having friends that can help during the worst of times. So this? This was the ultimate challenge. Sure, yeah, the job was really about keeping the Berserker from ripping apart a bunch of low-paid warehouse workers, but it was also a shining opportunity to show the Natural what exactly everyone meant when they called him the Delinquent. He broke rules and defied expectations whenever he could.

Plus, he always thought his power was kinda cool. He liked showing it off.

"We'll wipe it off the map, hive, lair, hotel, brothel, whatever it may be," Yunosuke said with a grin, "Where exactly are we headed?"

Chosokabe seemed to let his loose tongue slide, this time, but his countenance was still fairly severe, "Not too far from here. Beyond the veil, of course, but you should be somewhat familiar with it, Yunosuke. The unused set of track behind Aridakawa station is the boundary of the warehouse row, as it were. We have confirmation of sightings in numerous buildings in the district, but the majority of reports come from this one, here." He handed a slip of paper to Yunosuke, and he quickly glanced over the information. It seemed to be an unused warehouse meant to store merchandise for the big chain furniture store, Hayashi Co., that never got its permit to set up shop in the area. The headmaster continued, "Since most people claim to see distinct shapes in this location, we have reason to believe this is the source of the nest, if that's indeed what we're dealing with." Another pause, "But you'd do well to survey the surroundings, as well. We don't want to have to tackle the same job twice." The warning seemed pointed, but Yunosuke just nodded.

He stretched and looked past Hattori towards the door, "Well, if that's all, we should probably get a move on. I'm sure we'll be back sooner than any of the other teams you've dispatched today." With that, he glanced at the yokai and made his way out the door. He didn't wait around to see if there was anything else that might be relevant before taking off. Hattori surely wouldn't leave without the go-ahead, so he'd fill him in. But really? How hard could it be to track down a hulking demon and chop its head off, as well as making sure that there was nothing else creeping around the corners?

[Darog the Badger God]

As the two rookie hunters left the office, Chosokabe sat back down, leaning back as he crossed his arms. He smirked, knowing they would probably have a harder time taking out this creature compared to the collective berserkers both Yunosuke and Hattori had taken out before teaming up. "You sure letting the both of them team up is a good idea? They do have the potential to become Shinigami Level, but you seem to have a rather unusual amount of hope for these two" A Voice echoed through the room before revealing itself to be a cloaked figure, standing to the left side of the Headmaster. "I believe that those two rookies can do almost together if they can learn to work well. Sky's the limit for them" Chosokabe replied, followed by a belly laugh.

Hattori followed Yunosuke down the hallway from the Headmaster Office. "I'm sure this guy has a cool ability of sorts, can't wait to see it in action" Hattori thought. Aridakawa Station was very near by, strangely so, he thought. He rushed slightly, catching up and walking at the same pace as his partner. The two Rookies didn't speak for a few minutes as they headed outside to the campus courtyard, at this time of the day was almost empty, with the odd one or two students and rookies catching up on revision and studies. "If you don't know the art of entering the Spirit World, You can count on me, it's a simple trick Yokai know off by heart." Hattori's face was etched with a grin, despite him not thinking he was being patronising and a little egotistical. He tried to play it off as a joke. "Obviously you wouldn't be a top C Ranker if you didn't, eerrr, no offense" Hattori stumbled over his words, wondering if he was digging himself further. It was then a saving grace arrived in the form of his two friends; Daigo and Miko. They both waved over the two Rookies. "aaah, I see the pairing they are trying to achieve here!" Daigo commented. He tapped Hattori with a playful pat on the back, almost knocking him over, taking the wind out of his lungs.

Daigo's reputation was widely known as a human hunter that fought on par with some of the stronger Yokai Hunters. As Hattori gasped for his air and tried to get some semblance of composure, Miko shyly looked at Yunosuke. "H-hi Yunosuke, l-long time no see!" she responded quietly. They had both attended the same classes before she was promoted to a B-rank Hunter. It was also during her C-Rank time that Yunosuke stepped in for her during her first days when she was a target of bullying from other Yokais. Ever since she's been grateful to him. Daigo noticed the Delinquent, marching up to him as he left Hattori to cough up more. "So you're the infamous Yunosuke, huh? I wouldn't mind goin' a few rounds with ya at some point! Would be interesting to see your limits and strengths." Daigo challenged the Rookie, a fire burning bright in his eyes.

[Foxxie]

Their first attempt at a real conversation was quite the jarring one. Yunosuke raised his eyebrow and gave an unamused smirk, "Yeah, it's a real good thing that there's so many yokai around or else I'd never be able to get into school in the mornings." He could tell that Hattori was only trying to be friendly, but he had no use for it at the moment. His new partner would have to prove himself just a bit more before Yunosuke was ready to push past that hard-earned prejudice he'd built up. Thankfully, the pair was interrupted before Hattori had to spend too long squirming in uncomfortable silence.

The two that came over to greet them were two sorts of people Yunosuke never would have expected Hattori to befriend. Sure, Miko and Daigo were partners, but he couldn't imagine that they both found this arrogant asshat to be good social company.

He addressed Miko first, more warmly than he'd had the chance to be yet today, "Hey, Miko. You're looking especially cute today." His blatant flirting seemed only natural with the yokai because, for some reason, seeing her get as embarrassed and tongue-tied as she did kept him from feeling the same way. In fact, if he could be nearly half as calm when issuing snappy comebacks, he'd probably be a much more convincing street punk. He had always been nice to her when she was a C-Rank rookie, especially since she put up with more crap from her fellow yokai than most humans did. That was the behavior inherent in their kind that really pissed him off, so of course he'd stand up for someone getting abused by some creep on a high horse. "I didn't know you were working with an A-ranker," he added with a hint of slyness, clearly picking for any interesting story on how that came to pass. Yunosuke was starting to wonder about Chosokabe's matchmaking ability. Shige and Teijo were a match made in silent heaven, Miko and Daigo seemed like the perfect yin and yang, and he was stuck with Hattori because the big guy saw potential in the way they would undoubtedly almost kill each other a few times per mission?

Tuning back into the rest of the conversation, he realized that Daigo, the towering hero that all human hunters looked up to, figuratively and literally, was actually challenging him. Well, a friendly challenge, but a chance to duke it out nonetheless. He scratched his chin and tried to look nonchalant, "Any time, Daigo, but it's gonna be hard for you to administer a test on someone you can't even touch." He felt a strange mixture of pride and scared shitlessness being in the brawler's presence. Big talk aside, he'd likely be able to cream a rookie, and for all Yunosuke knew, he might already have had experience with some creature that shared his same ability.

That's when it dawned on him. He'd been able to see Miko's powers first-hand several times before, same as Teijo's, and he knew that both Shige and Daigo fought primarily using human methods. Hattori's skills were still a mystery to him.

He titled his head in his partner's direction, noticing that he was still hunched over, and asked, "Yo, what exactly is it that you do, besides using your yokai-powers to ferry yourself to and from the Spirit World?" Looking back at the the other pair of hunters, he chuckled, "People keep saying that they get where Chosokabe's coming from with the two of us, but frankly, I think he's nuts. If he really thinks we could be one of the best teams out there, then why's he having us play exterminator for a nest of small frys?"

Honestly, he wasn't sure if he should be divulging information like that. Rules and guidelines were never his specialty, so he often went ahead without thinking. Missions, especially given to higher ranks, were a matter of stalwart secrecy and such, thanks to the multifaceted nature of Berserkers. If overheard by human passerby, some unfortunate incidents may occur when mortal curiosity mixes with demonic intentions. Besides, it just seemed more professional to keep everything hush-hush. Otherwise, they may come off like geeky school kids, comparing notes and grades in the halls between classes.

In order to smooth over that slight faux pas, he added, "What did you two do for your first mission? I don't think Miko told me she was working with you last time we spoke." He moved towards the slight yokai and teasingly put an arm around her shoulder.

[Darog the Badger God]

"I-I...Uhhhh, Th-thank you..." Miko replied with her eyes wide and her face bright red due to Yunosuke's comment. Daigo smiled, giggling at the sight of Miko becoming all embarrassed and shy. "Daigo was my mentor, Chosokabe thought that I could use some help in gaining some confidence. Daigo willingly offered to help, and since I've risen in rank" she laughed nervously before she looked down and started to twiddle her fingers. "Daigo got into a "Scuffle" with his former partner and then chose me himself as his new one. I mostly support him and heal him during or after a Berserker fight...He can sometimes get a little too reckless."

"Gonna be hard to touch, you say?" Daigo cracked his knuckles as his expression quickly turned to sadistic and evil in a heartbeat. "I'm the Beast Monk and dontcha ever forget it!" sighed. "He also gets fired up too quickly as well" Miko turned to him. "D-don't force my hand, with you know what, okay?" As Miko said those exact words, Daigo calmed down, taking on a more calm composure than before. "kay, okay? don't be cruel like that" he muttered. Hattori had managed to gain his composure again, looking at his partner.

"Yo, what exactly is it that you do, besides using your yokai-powers to ferry yourself to and from the Spirit World?"

Hattori grinned as he straightened up. both Daigo and Miko knew exactly what this meant, rolling their eyes at how Hattori started to grin happily. "As the youngest son of the Ryo Family, and the youngest between a family unison, I have two rather cool nifty tricks up my sleeves" He replied with enthusiasm. Firstly, he snapped his fingers creating a small dark red flame from his thumb. "The Orochii Flame; a powerful curse power that burns anything to a cinder." he said as the flames quickly dissipated away. He then lifted his left hand, glowing a bright light and transformed to rather large blade. "The Muramasa Blood Gift; a power that allows the Ryo Bloodline to transform parts of their body into chained blades" He enjoyed showing his array of powers. He smiled proudly. "It's about the only damn good thing to come from being part of my family, honestly" He thought to himself.

Both Daigo and Miko were shocked to hear exactly what their mission was. Daigo had heard of the Berserker residing within the Warehouse row, he was surprised that they were given such a tough assignment straight away. "these two are definitely going to get their work cut out for them, that creature is no joke." Daigo pondered. Miko was visibly worried, after hearing some of the gossip and stories coming from the Rank A Recreational Room? She wondered if it was the same creature. The two seemingly contrasting partners looked at each other worryingly. "I wouldn't go writing off this assignment just yet, You know how Chosokabe loves to give little to no details about a particular assignment. Keep your head on and don't throw it away." He retorted, as Miko nodded silently.

Miko felt like she could crawl into a ball, into a corner far away from the hunters from how embarrassed she felt when Yunosuke put his arm over her shoulder, he face once again went as bright red as a tomato. As both Hattori and Daigo exchanged a few words, mostly about sparring schedules and the next time they both had some time to kill. "Errrm, I need to speak with Yuno privately okay? okay!" she stated authoritatively. She quickly held his arm and dragged him a few feet away from Hattori and Daigo. "I hope Hattori isn't as much of a pain as you probably initially thought, Yuno." she stated in a whisper. "I know how you must've thought about him; since he's pretty the textbook Yokai that annoys you."

Miko shifted smiling at Yunosuke. "He won't like it if I told this...but... He originally was given the offer to go straight to A-Rank, his family having a serious big political influence in the Academy. He chose to enroll and start from the bottom like everyone else." she explained Hattori's situation to him as best as she could. "I'm not expecting you to cut him some slack. I just want you to know that he isn't like most Yokai...and he's one of the few that don't treat me like a traitor as well." She smiled at Yunosuke hoping he would understand. "Please though, try to cut his ego down." she laughed.

[Foxxie]

Yunosuke couldn't help but to be impressed. Two yokai powers complete with their own fancy names. He quickly thought about his own gift and wondered why he hadn't given it a name. It was like a superpower, after all, and every hero had to name his signature attack. He paused that train of thought for a second. So long as I don't get any ideas about calling out my signature attack names in battle, like those dumbass shonen heroes.

Any lingering thoughts he had about having to trademark his one-man smoke machine ability were quickly dispelled when Miko took up the initiative and dragged him away. He resisted, with every fiber of his being, the impulse to waggle his eyebrows and wolf whistle. The whistling was suppressed, the dancing pervert brows, however, could not be contained.

He was surprised to hear that her concerns were about Hattori, of all things. Yunosuke sighed and gently pulled his arm free, scratching the back of his head, "He really ain't that bad, I have to admit that. He's arrogant, though, and he's been putting his fancy shoes in his mouth so far all day by saying stupid shot before he realizes how bad it sounds." Admittedly, he could overlook that. He'd met some rich humans with the same problem and they turned out alright once they looked past the sheltered little Fabergé eggshells they liked to dwell in. Maybe Hattori would come around. Hearing that he turned down A-rank just to be a little guy filled him with conflicting emotions. The guy wanted to prove himself on his own merits, and that was cool of him, but at the same time, he felt that passing up such an honor was kind of stupid. After all, if someone were to give you the chance to sign for the major league right away, why would you turn it down to be a triple-a batboy?

Must be a power play. He must know he's good enough to climb up to A sooner or later. Or maybe, he glanced at his partner, rolled his eyes for even thinking this, and conceded, Maybe he's not a piss-for-brains yokai after all.

Hearing Miko laugh brought a smile to his face and he set his hands back in his pockets, offering her his elbow so they could walk back all chummy-like. He chuckled, before getting back into Hattori and Daigo's hearing range, "Even if I end up being Hattori's buddy, I'm always gonna want to show him up. That makes us rivals. His ego is as good as crushed."

Not long after being reunited, Yunosuke was certain he heard something that sounded like a scream. Not one of those horror movie, shrill lady screams, but definitely a male's voice calling out. It wouldn't have been able to travel very far, but gauging how close they were to their mark, it wouldn't have to.

"D'you think...?" the punk couldn't get the rest of the words out to the yokai. He was too excited. Well, nervous, too. He was man enough to admit that. He turned to Miko and Daigo and gave a reassuring thumbs up, "It's probably just some guy who dropped a crate on his foot. But if it's our big bad, wish us luck!"

[Darog the Badger God]

Miko smiled, knowing that both Yunosuke and Hattori would get along, if only for their rivalry. Daigo noticed her improved demeanor and much more relaxed attitude. He grinned. She really looks up to him. If only others wouldn't treat her as harshly towards her." he thought. It was no lie that Miko's family were disgraced a long time ago, during the Second Berserker War for retreating from a large scale battle, and since, in Miko's case, descendants have been treated with contempt and anger. He looked at Hattori. "I'm free this friday, we can grab a bite to eat and catch up, eh?" Daigo responded to Hattori. "Sounds like a plan" Hattori nodded.

"Hey, Yun, you in? Wait..." Hattori heard the scream too, something he did not expect so suddenly. The shrill was of male origin and not too far either, in fact, Hattori swore it was just outside the Academy. If it was indeed the creature they were sent to take out? It must have been over confident to even get so close. He was both excited and cautious, pumped yet not entirely sure he understood what this could mean. He looked over to his partner, and smirked, following his lead. Hattori turned to face his friends, giving them a thumbs up. "We'll be done before lunch time!" He said, confidence oozing from his words as he picked up the speed and followed Yunosuke.

It did not take the pair long to see the young man who gave out the scream, seemingly down on the floor with his arms up in the air. Hattori headed to the bystander. "Did you see anything?" Hattori asked. "It! it was huge! This thing looked like a giant frog with sharp teeth!" The man panicked. Hattori looked at Yunosuke. "I think it’s retreated to the spirit realm, we need to follow it." Hattori advised before bringing his attention to the man. "Don't worry, everything is in order" Hattori calmed the man down, before placing him under a sleep talisman. "He'll be fine, placed a Sleep and Memory wiping Talisman on him. He will wake up and not remember us or the monster." he explained, looking at Yunosuke. "Hold my shoulder" He said, preparing to teleport themselves into the Spirit Realm. clasping both hands together, Hattori yelled "Tenso!"

As they entered the Spirit Realm, sounds of a croaking like growl could be heard. The beast showed itself; much bigger than a D-Class Berserker, and much more cunning, possibly more sentient than others. The beast was oozing a black, thick sludgy like substance, as if its entire body was mostly made of tar and slime. It's frog like features were adorned by a row of razor sharp fangs and a giant red eyes. It twitched and jerked as it crawled near to Hattori and Yunosuke. The creature's eyes moved around, before focusing on the two hunters and giving out a deafening screech. Raising it's arms above its head to slam down onto Hattori and Yunosuke, the Yokai managed to move out of the way. "Yunosuke! let's take out this ugly frog!" he shouted, a smirk etched into is face.

[Foxxie]

His stomach was in knots as the pair ran towards their first mission. It was a combination of overt adrenaline and a nagging sliver of common sense, instilling him with just enough fear to render him cautious. However, they reached their mark too quickly for that seed to take root in earnest. Seeing the scruffy warehouse worker crouching and caterwauling like that made him somewhat giddy. The Berserker had to be truly horrendous to wind a guy up like that. Once he was placed into a talisman-induced sleep, Yunosuke took care to drag him by the shoulders to an area just behind a few tall crates. He didn't want anyone discovering this guy, unconscious and unresponsive in the street, and complicating his life even further by shipping the otherwise perfectly healthy man to a hospital ward. It'd be hard enough for the guy to wake up with just enough of a hole in his memory that he wouldn't be able to fill easily.

Yokai didn't quite understand how terrifying it could be for humans. As a demon, it's easy to accept the existence of other, more terrifying beings, and the darker worlds in which they roam. For most humans, the safety of their well-policed daytime hours and the vaguely threatening but ultimately harmless shadows of the post-dusk were the norm. Being rudely awakened to the omnipresent twilight in which the world actually exists, where the creatures and terrors of an unending night are free to cast shadows under even the most brilliant lights, was an absolutely unenviable experience. He didn't wish it on this poor guy.

It was then that Hattori declared that they'd need to enter the spirit world to find their quarry. He nodded and grasped his partner's shoulder loosely, awaiting swift deliverance into the in-between realm. Though the journey, so to speak, was short, it became clear that they had traveled quite a distance.

The spirit world always seemed a shade or two darker than the human realm. This, though, was something else entirely. As Yunosuke looked around, he noticed the abandoned equipment and stacks of wooden boxes, and watched with interest as they warped. It was a subtle change, one easily missed if scrutinized. Their shapes had become distorted, almost as though they had been pinched and stretched. Some appeared taller than they originally had, lording a few extra inches over the pair, while others had begun to lose their shapes altogether, blurring as though they were in his peripheral vision, even though he was looking them dead center. A chill hung about his shoulders and kept him on alert. With so many things so slightly skewed, there had to be a powerful force at work. Probably nothing they couldn't handle, but powerful nonetheless.

It didn't take long for the beast to show itself. It arrived on the scene with a flourish of syncopated movements, and Yunosuke's lip curled in disgust. He was transfixed by the motion of its bulbous eyes as they churned in their sockets, seeming to be doomed to a state of perpetual motion. For a brief moment, he realized that he seemingly intuitively recognized the monster's eyes as red, but could note no such color when actually surveying its face. He'd heard about this phenomenon before.

Humans who were attuned with the spirit world tended to be colorblind. The correlation wasn't immediately clear to experts, and research on the topic was admittedly threadbare, but as Yunosuke felt his eyes and intuition feed him different stories, he thought he was able to piece it together. Seeing the world in tones of grey was a necessity as far as the spirit world was concerned. Humans were usually too preoccupied with vibrant visual stimuli to really take the time to focus in on their surroundings. There was a sharpness inherent in being so otherwise undistracted. As for why and how his brain was filling in the rest, that would remain a mystery, as the frog swung its arms down on them.

They both jumped out of the way, and the human had to marvel at the fact that a creature seemingly made of tar could move so quickly and efficiently. Hattori seemed fired up, and Yunosuke felt the same thing flare up within him.

He decided he'd make the first move. The delinquent charged ahead, telegraphing his movement to make it painfully clear to the frog that he was coming. The Berserker reacted in kind, taking a large bound backwards. That, at least, was something. It showed a modicum of intelligence on its part or, rather, a preference towards striking from a position of great potential energy. Yunosuke figured that meant they'd need to corner the beast. Trapping and immobilizing it would be the best case scenario, but failing that, backing the toad into a corner and limiting its movements would be best.

"Hey, Hattori. You any good at catching frogs?" he looked around the large space and tried to spot strategic advantages. The walls and corners were mostly obstructed by boxes and two forklifts. Besides that, they were pretty far away. It was a spacious warehouse, and it seemed impractical to play towards the natural barriers. They'd need to make their own.

Yunosuke had dawdled for too long, and the frog took a mighty bound in his direction, crashing down beside him, tongue wavering between shark like teeth. It drew an arm back for a well-aimed punch, and Yunosuke dodged by means of a fairly sloppy roll. He needed an opening, a distraction to make this a bit easier on them both.

A brilliant idea dawned on him. He climbed atop a crate, one at the base of a small mound, and called out to his partner, "Keep him busy a sec, would ya?"

[Darog the Badger God]

"am I good at catching frogs? of course! spending most of my time at my family's countryside residence, was probably the most fun I had." Hattori responded in kind. The large, frog like Berserker was already showing itself to be a rather troublesome creature. He watched it it move, carefully observing the creature for any weaknesses, weak spots or openings, but sighing at Yunnosuke's sloppy dodge. He noticed it's erratic movements and jerking twitches, something seemed off about this beast to him. as Yunnosuke asked him to keep the beast busy, Hattori gave him a thumbs up and started to move towards the Berserker. "Hey! big, slimey and ugly! You want to fight right? Well let me show you just how I deal with insects like you" Hattori stated, arrogance mixing with his already confident demeanor. The Berserker took notice of Hattori and carefully watched him move in. Hattori smiled, both his palms erupted into red flames. "Orochi Flame burst!" pushing both palms forward, Hattori generated a blast of red fiery flames at the creature. By surprise, the creature narrowly moved out of the way, one it's arms getting caught in the fire as it was burnt to cinders. Hattori smiled as he then moved in, the Creature in a panicked frenzy started to flail wildly. Effortlessly, Hattori dodged each swipe from the claw, tail and kick. His right arm changed into a crude, scythe like blade. "Muramasa Blood Gift: Shinigami Slice!" He stated once again before quickly shooting forward from mid air, slicing off the other arm of the Berserker. Hattori smiled. "This thing is a walk in the park."

Hattori turned around. "Looks like you've got no one to, give you a hand I see" Hattori mocked the armless monster. However, the Berserker grinned, it's shoulders twitching rapidly and very erratically until it produced newly regenerated arms. Hattori stood there, not sure what to say. "Well...okay...shit..."

[Foxxie]

Yunosuke had to collect his jaw from the metaphorical floor after seeing Hattori chop up that Berserker like it was cheap meat at the butcher's. The actually action wasn't exactly what had drawn his attention. He'd seen enough movies to know what slicing the limbs off a giant frog would probably look like. No, it was more to do with the brazenness of calling out attack names as though he was a half-cocked young hero in an anime. Yokai could get away with that shit. Their ancestors passed on the names, and generations upon generations added the subtitles, and even that still didn't diminish the coolness of the technique. He smirked a little bitterly.

Credit where credit's due, I guess. He did turn his arm into a scythe.

Regardless, he didn't have time to think about it. Unfortunately, though not wholly unexpectedly, the Berserker was able to regenerate after the attack. That suggested some really inopportune stuff about their opponent's physiology and levels of power, but the delinquent was still sure his plan would work. Brute force wasn't gonna win the battle today, so he had to be a crafty underdog tactician, which was a phrase he sort of wanted tattooed across his chest.

He reached the top of the stack of crates and pulled a cigarette from his pants pocket with one hand and his lighter from the inside of his jacket with the other. He lit the cigarette as he surveyed the battlefield, taking a few deep drags upon watching the frog beast regrow its arms. They were covered in some sort of slime like you see in bad horror shows, and it twitched even more erratically than before. That might become a problem, honestly, but he figured they'd see in time.

"Alright, Hattori. Thanks for the distraction!" he called out to his partner as he pulled the cigarette from his lips and raised it above his head. He tried his best not to sound too condescending, but he was full with a cocky eagerness to see this plan finally come into action. "You've chosen a fine tomb, beast," he addressed the Berserker with all the menace he could muster, "And it's time to lay you to rest." With a flick of his wrist, Yunosuke concentrated on the thin trail of smoke produced from the burning tip of his cigarette and managed to extract a plume, burning up the rest of the cylinder and sending the smoke skywards into the sprinkler system up ahead. The detectors sensed what it mistook as fire, and soon the whole warehouse sputtered to life under a curtain of artificial rain.

"This is the Rain-Slick Gambit Number One: Industrial Coffin!"

Or something.

It had looked a lot cooler in his head. He didn't end up resembling a drowned rat in the conceptual trial runs, but it seemed to be doing its job so far. The Berserker hadn't expected it, clearly, and it began to frantically jump around the enclosed space. Yunosuke wasn't sure how long that'd last, so he leaped down from his perch and addressed Hattori as he ran.

"While this thing is freaking out on us, I want to trap it. Get to one of those forklifts, if you can. I'm going to lead it into the center of one of these stacks, and if you topple some of these boxes onto it with that lift, we can see what sort of damage we're able to do to it while it's pinned," he was headed into the direction of the convulsing frog while he shouted, and thought to add one useful tidbit, "Don't worry about catching me in the avalanche. Just give me a heads up and I'll turn myself to smoke and slip right outta there."

He slid to a halt in front of the Berserker, taking into account just how slippery concrete got against his worn-out sneakers. Yunosuke cracked his knuckles and stared down his foe before punching it right between the eyes. He was surprised he managed to get in a hit. Admittedly, the monster looked rather taken aback, too. The shower was definitely having an effect on the creature, slowing its reaction times in favor of more mindless hopping. That seemed to end the moment his fist made contact with its skin. Skin? Face. The Berserker narrowed its eyes and let out a monstrous croak, leaping forward in pursuit of its prey. Yunosuke ran as fast as his legs would take him, and it still wasn't fast enough. He expected as much. He took a hit to his back, which sent him stumbling onto his hands and knees. Trying to keep his composure, he scrambled and did his best baseball slide under the beasts' belly and managed a two-legged kick which sent the Berserker back to bounding.

It was good timing, too, because Yunosuke was starting to feel the effects of the spirit world once more. That overhanging sense that everything was monstrous and inhumane was messing with his head a bit. He wasn't entirely sure if the water was throwing him off his game, or if the subtle differences between this reality and his own were causing him problems, but he knew he was faring much worse against the Berserker, physically, than his partner. It didn't seem like poisoning or blinding was really gonna do any good against a demon frog, and that was what he was best at. Pulling himself back to his feet, he took a small box and threw it in the direction of the monster, trying to buy Hattori a few more moments to get situated.

[Darog the Badger God]

"This is the Rain-Slick Gambit Number One: Industrial Coffin!"

Hattori stood blankly as the sprinklers sprung to life, drowning the sludgy tar slime covering the berserker. "I...I'm not going to question the name, just going to roll with it" Hattori muttered, as he looked on, observing the creature. It twitched and convulsed more wildly this time as if the water was burning it, steam rising from it's body. Hattori listened carefully to the plan from his partner; get a forklift and proceed a warehouse style avalanche of boxes upon the berserker to trap it. Hattori nodded to Yunnosuke.

The Berserker itself could feel the burn, especially after the kick from Yunnosuke that exposed its belly. He quickly moved back to an upright stance, taking a box directly in the face. The creature gave out a blood curdling roar, flailing and sprinting towards the delinquent with rage and pain filling its ever pore.

Hattori had managed to find A Forklift not far from the center. He looked around for keys but to no avail none could be found. Taking off the front panel, Hattori began to hotwire the operative machine towards a stacked pile of boxes. As the forklift smashed into them, the boxes began to topple quickly, bringing down more of the stacks than Hattori first initially thought. Hattori smirked and soon moved back around the center to meek Yunnosuke.

The creature had leapt mid air at the young hunter, too late in claiming him for his next meal he was piled upon by box after box, the piles narrowly missing Yunnosuke. "Hey, Yunnosuke? You okay?" Hattori asked, seeing his partner and the berserker trapped underneath the toppled pile. "Glad it missed you, huh?" He stated, placing both hands in his pockets as he marched towards the frog like berserker. "A D-class Berserker with regenerative healing capabilities and a thick slimey coating to boot. I guarantee the slime was helping it heal." He explained as he knelt beside, watching the steam slowly dissipate as the sprinkler system began to wane. "It hates water. Seems to wash away the slime and burn it's skin. We should have a better chance at it now though." Hattori smirked, his left hand changing to a rather crude looking sickle, and his right holding an orb of red flame.

[Foxxie]

The fact that his on the fly strategizing had actually managed to turn the tide of the battle had admittedly gone straight to Yunosuke's head. Had they not needed to finish off the beast, he knew he would be smirking like a fat cat in a tuna factory. As it stood, his heart still hammered rapidly as he pulled himself free from the one crate that had gotten a little too close.

"Do you want to do the honors or should I?" the punk cracked his knuckles and scowled at the Berserker, ready to finally grind it into a fine paste.

As he said that, the massive creature shifted under the weight of the avalanche and slowly rose to its full height. Yunosuke noticed a change in its demeanor. Its eyes had lost the crazed swivel and it seemed wholly incapable of recapturing its former frenetic pace. However, as the human soon found out, looks could be deceiving.

The Berserker bellowed and lashed out with its massive forelegs, causing Yunosuke to duck for cover and crow, "You've gotta to better than th-"

His sentiment was cut short as he felt something sickeningly warm and moist above his foot. With a disgusted grunt, he looked down to find its tongue wrapped around his ankle. Maybe standing directly in front of the beast wasn't exactly the best course of action. I'm just an unarmed human, though. You'd think it would be more worried about the yokai with a bladed hand and a fistful of fire, he grumbled. Without wasting another second, Yunosuke stomped directly down on the mucus-laden tongue that had made itself a soggy manacle and leaped away the moment it retracted with a shriek.

"Come on, Hattori. Let's put an end to this clown!"

Admittedly, he wasn't sure how much more help he could be, seeing as his normal tactic of blinding and gassing wouldn't work too well here, but he knew if Hattori started swinging that edge around, he could sneak up behind for some close quarters finishers.

[Darog the Badger God]

The Frog Creature couldn't help but thrash about as the human Spirit Hunter held its tongue underneath his foot. After a rather mindless few seconds of frantic thrashing though, the Frog managed to retrieve its tongue, flipping Yunnosuke from under his feet. The Berserker knew this was its chance to go in for the kill, leaping towards him, his mouth drooling the same thick slime as before. Hattori met the creature with a smirk. "NOT TODAY, UGLY!" he roared, throwing a hard roundhouse kick to the face of the Frog, propelling it backwards.

Hattori helped up Yunnosuke to his feet. "I got your back" he said, with a thumbs up.

The Frog Berserker managed to pick itself up, readying itself for a charge at full power and speed. Hattori didn't know what he could feel, but a presence had entered the warehouse, something very familiar.

"Psycho Barrier initiate Stage 3:Dissolution" A voice was heard throughout the Warehouse, as Hattori looked around him, wondering where the strange voice was coming from. The Frog Berserker charged forward, only to slam into a purple tinted energy like barrier, surrounding it. As the Berserker once again thrashed, the energy barrier started to slowly create a net within, holding each limb and even its head in place. The barrier broke apart at that second separating the Frog Creature's limbs into separate smaller barriers. Each of the barriers imploding one by one, seemingly destroying the creature completely. It was then two hooded figures appeared in front of Yunnosuke and Hattori. To the left of them, the figure was of average height and seemingly average build, whilst the figure on the right was much taller and bulkier. "Kazuya...lets return to the Academy with these two" The voice was very familiar to Hattori, gritting his teeth in anger. The larger of the figures seemingly named "Kazuya" nodded, clasping both hands together in similiar fashion to Hattori did. The phasing was almost instant, as well as the teleportation. the Figure to the left revealed his face. He looked a lot like Hattori only more rugged, and with a stubble. "Good to see you again...brother" the man spoke. Hattori held back his anger. "Shima....what the hell was that?" he asked. Shima seemingly grinned. "our newest Shinigami; Kazuya. The first human Shinigami" he explained. The large hooded revealed his own face, hidden behind a faceless mask that resembled that of a Kitsune. "If you can even call that a human" Hattori muttered.

"Let's get this over with, time for you to report your mission's "Success" to Chosokabe, right?" Shima said with a mocking tone.

[Foxxie]

His body felt like lead after going toe to toe with the creature for as long as he did. As a result, he was more grateful than concerned or skeptical when a fancy light-show completely obliterated the Berserker that had been giving them such hell. The two figures were welcome sights in his best estimation.

That was until Hattori's grimace told him that they weren't. He had yet to see his partner give a disdainful look like that, as though something truly disgusting had crawled up and died in his favorite pair of headphones. The hand-sign used by one of the men looked familiar, but it wasn't until Hattori flinched at the word brother that all the pieces finally fell into place. Well, almost all of them. Sibling rivalry didn't explain where Shima and Kazuya had come from. More importantly, would unrequested outside assistance count against the victory?

"I don't want to sound ungrateful, so let me be the first to say thanks," Yunosuke started, slowly rising after he had put his hands to his knees in an attempt to catch his breath, "But did somebody send you guys to fetch our asses from the fire?" He chose his question carefully to hide his overwhelming ignorance on the matter. Taking a few steps forwards towards the Academy that they had just been unceremoniously dumped in front of, he glanced between Shima and Hattori. The last thing he wanted was for the yokai to start going at each other. He would be put in an awkward spot, should that happen. It wasn't completely clear if Hattori would expect or welcome assistance, if this was a "blood bros before bickering bros" type scenario, or if he was going to end up right in the middle of it. Worst of all, he didn't like the looks of Katsuya. Even though there weren't any discernable features under the mask, he still gave off the aura that he potentially ate kittens for breakfast just for kicks.

He was glad to hear Shima mention Chosokabe, no matter how much shit-eating sarcasm was barely contained in his tone. It left him thinking there might yet be a means to escape the tense reunion.

"You know what? Good plan. I'll run ahead to tell the old man we're alive and kicking. If you need a couple of minutes, Hattori, that's cool. You know the way to the office probably better than I do," the human inched away as he spoke, but in his mind, it seemed more like he was dashing off in an outright sprint. He passed a few quasi-familiar faces of classmates whose names he ought to know by now, and successfully slipped into three building.

"How's Hattori?" came the voice of Teijo from atop the staircase that led to the headmaster's office. The yokai peered down at Yunosuke, leaning against the railing and smiling with as much good-will as he could muster.

Yunosuke struggled to match the pleasantries, "Actually, not too bad, but I worry he's going to be getting into some sort of fist-fight outside with his brother."

That caught Teijo's attention. His brow wrinkled and he pursed his lips with a dissatisfied noise, "Was anyone with Shima?"

It took a couple of seconds for him to recall that Shima was the name of the brother, but he responded, "Yeah, actually. Some human Shiningami? Kazuya, I think."

The yokai's expression was hard to read, "Well, Chosokabe is in a meeting right now. It seemed like something of a surprise, because he had sent for me just about twenty minutes ago. I'll let you steal my spot in line." He looked a bit distant as he said that, and he passed Yunosuke in order to check what was going on outside.

[Darog the Badger God]

"It seems the Berserker you created didn't quite last...next time try harder" the voiced echoed within the warehouse, as four hooded figure stood where the battle took place. "Those two Hunters...they possess some interesting abilities, we should try and capture them alive, especially that human."

Shima and Hattori stared at one another for a while. Kazuya stood like a statue watching the two brothers carefully. "You both did pretty good, you know? handling that D rank Berserker effectively, no doubt if we weren't sent in you-"

"Don't give me that crap, Shima!" Hattori interrupted, his anger overflowing, flames slowly gathering around his shoulders. "I should've expected that response honestly. You always had a stick in your craw about me. Especially since I became a Shinigami." Shima replied, the same snarky smile from before. This only fueled his anger more, his eyes like daggers towards his older brother. "So are you just going to look angry at me? Or are you going to actually take action?" Shima said, pushing Hattori slightly towards the edge. Kazuya looked at Shima, leaning in close. "Is that wise?" he asked. "Probably not, but I want see his power, and allow him to let off some steam, its been months since we saw eachother" he replied back, no worry behind his expression.

Miss Satomi saw the young delinquent approach, waving at him with a friendly smile. "Chosokabe told me to send you in when you got here, Miko is currently talking to him. head on through" Satomi stated, as the doors opened for Yunnosuke to enter.

"Daigo's investigation brought some interesting results indeed...Oh! Yunnosuke! I take it your assignment was a successful? Of course it was! I saw everything play out!" He expressed with pride and some admiration. Miko tilted her head and smiled at Yunnosuke. "You were great! always knew you had the brains to be a leader." she added. Chosokabe stood up from his chair and moved around to the front of his desk. "This test was not just some random assignment to see if both you and Hattori could work together, my boy." he stated, with a wide grin. "I have the authority to decide on those ready to take on Rank Challenges. Rank Challenges are specialised tests and assignments regulated to decide whether Hunters will move up a rank. Both you and Hattori showed enough individual prowess to be put forth seperately, but I saw something in you both, that would make you two a splendid Hunter duo!" Chosokabe added, as he continued to give Yunnosuke and Miko a speech on what makes a great Hunter Duo, unaware that just off in the distance two figures were close to crashing through his window to his office.

Miko's eyes were wide. "Errm, sir...there's something you should-" Miko was abruptly interrupted with the sudden loud crash, as both Shima and Hattori bowled through the office window, part of the wall cracked at the force. Hattori had both his one blade and flame powers active, looking like he went through hell and back as he panted heavily. Shima on the other hand only had minor marks, his smile still shining. "I'm going to wipe that smirk from your face, Shima! get ready!" Hattori shouted. " Dual Blood Gift: Flaming Bloody Axe Murder!" He leapt into the air, his leg transformed into a axe like head that burst into flames. He spun around about to strike his brother head on. Shima stood just laughing. "ENOUGH!" Chosokabe shouted, grabbing Hattori from behind, as he pulled away. "SHIMA! leave now, I'll deal with Hattori." Chosokabe relayed.

Shima turned around, as Chosokabe struck the back of Hattori's neck, rendering him unconscious. "I hope you can handle my brother, kiddo. He despises most of our family with a passion for a good reason." he stated to Yunnosuke. "you better keep him out of trouble and harm's way. or else..." His expression changed, more crazed and serious than before, as black flames pooled around his palms. "Or else I'll burn you. Real bad" Shima laughed, as if he was just joking. Shima quickly left the office, heading back to Kazuya.

Chosokabe sighed. "Miko! Yunnosuke! take Hattori to the medical quarters, he's going to need a rest for a while. You and Hattori are dismissed for the day. tomorrow we begin your Rank Challenge training!" he explained.

[Foxxie]

"Oh, hey Miko," Yunosuke said, smiling warmly. Hers was always a welcome face, no matter the occasion. However, he was much more interested in Chosokabe. The headmaster was practically beaming, going on excitedly about the ability to engage in a Rank Challenge. Not only that, but to be tested as a team with Hattori. Frankly, he wasn't even sure that was a thing. He always thought going from rank to rank had to be done on an individual basis, and potentially in a small, dark chamber with torches and trap doors. There wasn't a lot of time to bask in the praise, though, especially when glass shattered almost in his face.

Pure instinct drove him to dive to the side, tackling Miko out of the way with him, careful not to hit her too hard, but attempting to keep them both out of the line of debris. He ended up on the floor with her, doing his best not to look directly into her eyes as he quickly stood up, brushing himself off and working down a small, embarrassed blush as he sought the cause of the disruption. Unsurprisingly, it was Hattori, hands aflame and blades out, grappling with his smarmy older brother. The only thought racing through his mind at the moment was, oh fuck, this had better not screw us out of our little try-out. Well, that and he hoped against hope that he wouldn't get stuck cleaning this shit up.

He watched Hattori go down like a wet rag doll and felt his jaw hanging down. That was brutal precision, and it was amazing. Terrifying, too, of course. Yunosuke watched Shima as he showboated his way through his threat. It was rather funny, actually. Much as he was warming up to Hattori, he could definitely see the smart-ass family resemblance.

"Look, Shumai, I'm gonna take good care of your precious little brother, but I can guarantee I'll wipe the goddamn floor with you if you pull something like that again," he said, with a sneer. He felt confident in making such a presumptuous bluff with the headmaster in the same room with him, but deep down, he meant it. Shima and Kazuya both rubbed him the wrong way, and Shima had just come in raising hell and endangering his friend and partner. That was two strikes in rapid succession.

With that, he hoisted Hattori, slinging his arm around his shoulder in order to help drag the slightly taller guy. He gestured to Miko, "You wanna lend me a hand?" He would definitely appreciate the company.

"Don't mind if I do," Teijo smiled as he crept up beside the human, seemingly from nowhere, to carry his half of his fellow yokai.

"Weren't you...?" he began, stunned.

"I told you the headmaster summoned me. I came back to see Hattori down and thought he wouldn't mind if I stopped to give you a hand," Teijo looked to Chosokabe who nodded in approval. Miko giggled slightly.

"Don't worry, Yunosuke, I'll come with you," she chuckled, following behind the pair of mismatched guys. She had been impressed, of course, with Yunosuke's performance with the Berserker, but perhaps most of all, with the fact he was starting to feel more at ease with yokai. It had been a huge obstacle for him to overcome and he was blossoming as a result. They walked quickly and got Hattori in an examination room with the staff. Miko had hoped for a moment to be alone with Yunosuke, but Teijo struck up the conversation once more.

"Before I get going, I want to tell you to watch your back," he said, deadly serious, hardly making eye contact. It appeared to be bad news, whatever it was, but he was having trouble putting it into words, "You're good at what you do. That's going to make you a target, especially if you keep running into Shinigami with such spectacularly destructive results."

Miko's eyes darted between them as Teijo once more made an exit. She approached Yunosuke, who was ruffling his hair with a frustrated sigh.

"Man, every time I think I'm starting to like the guy, he gives me bullshit like that," he shook his head and then turned his attention to Miko, "It's been a crazy day. Do you want to wait with me here for the dumbest yokai alive to wake up? I can really use a break."

[Darog the Badger God]

Miko laughed, sitting on the chair new the bed that Hattori was placed on. "I will gladly give you some company. Daigo is currently training." she replied, her tone was calm and sweet to the ear. In truth, she had not seen Shima for a long time since his Shinigami qualifying test. She did remember that Shima enjoyed poking Hattori's buttons, especially since Hattori himself decided to go from stage one in terms of being a Spirit Hunter. What she never told both Yunnosuke and Hattori was Shima's role in her past. It wasn't exactly common knowledge to know that Miko's clan was going through a hard time of restructuring ever since their head gave in to power and became a Class B Berserker. Shima was the one who hunted him, and subsequently hunted down her close family for conspiring against the Organisation. Ever since that event, she has been afraid of Shima.

"I think you and Hattori make a good team!" she randomly blurted out. "Chosokabe was keeping an eye on the both of you during your task. He never sent in Shima and his partner though and was surprised just as you were to see them getting involved." she explained to the best of her ability her point of view. "And then of course, this happened." she sighed looking at Hattori.

"SHIMA! YOU IDIOT!" Hattori suddenly sprung forward into a seated position, catching Miko off guard and almost scaring her to death. He looked around, seeing both Yunnosuke and Miko. "Hey Miko...where am I?" Miko composed herself. "You're in the infirmary, having a rest from your recent spat with Shima." she explained to the awoken Yokai. Hattori rubbed the back of his neck. "No doubt Chosokabe was the guy who interfered. Damn jerk needs to butt out of family matters." He said under his breath. As soon as Hattori looked up towards Yunnosuke, he was suddenly struck with great force by a book. Miko struck him hard. "Chosokabe did what he had to! You two would've destroyed the school and thus ruined both you and Yunnosuke's chance at raising your ranks! Don't be so dense!" Miko exploded at Hattori. "Okay! okay! geez. Hey Yun, what is she talking about?" Hattori turned towards his partner, rubbing the back of his head in pain.

[Foxxie]

At first, he didn't realize what the yokai was asking him. Had his brain got all scrambled from one too many hits in that squabble? Then he realized that Hattori had come crashing through the window just a few moments too late to hear the good news.

"We're being treated to a Rank Challenge tomorrow," he explained as he stood against the wall, arms folded, "You were out cold while he was telling me about it." Actually, he would have liked a little more information about the process because it felt abrupt. He hadn't been a C rank for long, and part of him wondered if the Shinigami's appearance had had anything to do with the decision. It didn't sit right. In fact, it made him even more uneasy to think that Chosokabe hadn't called in backup to save their asses. People like that didn't show up to do favors and goodwill projects. Shima was the type of guy who took orders about shadowy problems and made them disappear. A low class Berserker wouldn't be a blip on his radar, and based on the not so friendly greeting, neither would his kid brother. At least, not on a normal day.

"I'm proud of you both," Miko added, clutching the book in her hands with a clear look of repentant bashfulness, "It's a good sign that the headmaster is noticing you. There's so much talent here that it's easy to blend in... which would be a shame for you guys."

Yunosuke playfully nudged her shoulder, "We don't know the first thing about subtlety." That seemed to cheer her up a little, but he couldn't help still feeling suspicious. "Truth be told, though, I don't like this at all. I have a bad feeling that something unpleasant is coming." The last thing he wanted to do was point fingers, so he quickly removed a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, taking a deep drag to signify he was not in the mood to elaborate further.

He felt furious currents of wind and glanced up to see Miko waving her book at him, more accurately at the tiny orange glow that gave the cigarette its soul, with a horrified expression. "Not in here. What is wrong with you?"

That drew out a chuckle, but he still remained resolute, "I've had a long day, and I want to clear my head to make sure I'm not getting paranoid." Yunosuke looked back at Hattori, "How are you feeling? Are you gonna be able to take such an important test tomorrow?" Admittedly, he asked as a means of introspection. He'd absolutely love to hear his partner say he was a little caught off-guard, because it would make him feel a little more comfortable with the whole thing. He didn't want to push the yokai with questions or his outlook on today's events while they were in the building. In fact, he wanted to be on the other side of the veil as fast as he could.