Red: 004

Of all the AAA killers, my relationship with Tetsu was the most distant. Mostly because of the arrogant way he treated my master. They had some sort of rivalry within the Association and were similar to the north and south pole. Or rather, Tetsu was the one with the rivalry in mind. My master was quite cool about this personal competition his colleague insisted on making official. And although there is age difference and experience, Tetsu never shuddered or hesitated in front of my master.

The boy had courage.

He was obviously qualified.

He was a rare prodigy, same as Yuna.

Known by the supernatural's followers as the Untouchable Killer, he was the only one of the assassins found and trained by the boss herself and to gain a title before accomplishing a position. He joined the Elite at the age of ten and initiated simple assault operations. His goal was never to kill anyone, but he often left victims on his missions and was never recognized nor injured. Since the beginning, he lived up to his legend's title;

The legend of the Untouchable Killer.

It didn't take long for rumors and more rumors to pop up on the internet regarding the boy; mysterious meticulous murders without traces or suspects. The boy became AAA's sniper. When I joined the Association, he was fifteen years old and already was an Elite's emergency resource along with my master. If there was a distant target needing to be annihilated without knowing why, it was Tetsu Tetsuya's chains that were released.

The boy had a relationship with the missy for a while. At the time she was fifteen and he was seventeen. She hadn't yet joined the Elite as a Youkai slayer and he was in charge of her training in several martial arts. There were no feelings in that relationship. If I may say, I'd say they hate each other. They only stuck together to meet each other's sexual needs. But my canine instincts suggest that overtime the Untouchable Killer was enchanted by the Youkai slayer. And I'm not implying he was caught by the missy's beauty and grace. He's also a hanyou and the reactions Yuna causes have no effect on him. Anyhow, I reckon Tetsu ended up being involved by her charisma and personality.

The most curious of all is what DID Yuna saw in him to give away her purity...

Tsc, purity.

I forgot I'm referring to Yuna Nate.

I don't doubt that driven by curiosity and influenced by internet videos, the missy manipulated him to have her purity taken just to experience the sensation.

They dated for a few months, so the sensation must've been good.

Well, congratulations to those involved and luck of the manipulated, but the sex life of two teenagers isn't the focus here.

But concerning their relationship as individuals…

"It's really him, douchebag."

"I told you so, my nose never fails, missy."

Peculiar, but the place where Tetsu's scent drew us to was closed and empty. Specifically, the place was the Saitama Memorial Gymnasium, exactly why it's so peculiar. The Untouchable Killer, missing until then, showed up alone in an empty gymnasium at dawn, quite intriguing to my canine senses.

"He seems... weird…"

The missy said weird, but it's not the best definition if we were to consider an ordinary person. Although, in the case of Tetsu Tetsuya, wearing a mask on the lower half of the face was as unbelievable as unprecedented. And since some people in Japan often wear these masks, we're not surprised. On the other hand, it was weird to witness the individual in question wearing one.

I'm pretty sure a hanyou is quite resistant to airborne diseases.

"Hey, douchebag, it's time to come back. Take this thing off your face and teleport us back to AAA."

He didn't answer.

He stood motionless on the court's opposite side, just staring at us with his red eyes, as if stained by blood.

"Hey, kid, aren't you listening, huh? I'm in charge of taking you back and as a shikigami I'm bound by that order until my master is satisfied. Don't make me drag you by force. If so, I won't hesitate to leave the missy here and carry you with my teeth on your leg."

"What? And I'll go back alone?"

"You shouldn't even be here to begin with."

And the killer didn't answer me.

He stood still staring at us. His current aspect seems intimidating. In fact, he was actually intimidating. After all, that pair of rubies belongs to the one known as the Untouchable Killer. But that specific situation was more than this. Beyond the mask, his clothes were torn as if he had survived a struggle for life as well as his blond hair, which usually resembled a hedgehog's back, now looks like a bunch of broken branches.

"Okay." Yuna sighed.

"What you're gonna do?"

She hopped off my back and released her determined steps towards Tetsu, stopping at the center of the court. The missy propped her hands on her hips. The pose of someone about to discuss the relationship.

"Listen, I don't know what they did to you and I don't care. You went after me and ended up being kidnapped, that's why I thought it would be my responsibility to bring you back. You've been weird for a few days now. Since when are you concerned with what I do or the time I leave and arrive? And don't tell me it's your father's fault. You followed me because you were worried and it profusely annoys me."

Confirming her words, the missy's fingers unconsciously pressed her waist while she spoke.

"What's your problem, you douchebag? Do you think I require assistance? Do you think I need you to care about me, do you?"

He insisted on giving no answer.

"Well, stop with this stubbornness and answer something!"

After the missy raised her voice to the Untouchable Killer, she got some reply. Nonverbal, but physical. Normally in smaller spaces Tetsu was able to be more unpredictable with his teleportation ability, surpassing Yuna's supernatural reaction time. The killer was barely gone from his previous spot and all darkened, was within inches of the Youkais slayer. She was striked with a straight kick on her solar plexus, throwing her back to the court's extremity.

The miss collapsed on the floor.

With a cough, fresh blood streamed down her mouth.

"What do you think you're doing!" I growled at Tetsu.

And he didn't answer.

Damn, something wrong wasn't right there. As a wolf, pack leader and also an inugami and a good shikigami, my mission has become something more complicated than bringing the kid back to AAA. Given the circumstances, I'd have to beat him and carry him with my teeth to the Association. And the tricky part was; how do you beat the Untouchable Killer?

Despite that deplorable state, Tetsu appeared to be in full combat conditions. His greatest weapon is teleportation, but other than that he still has a hanyou supernatural abilities and impeccable mastery in martial arts. Even against me, he could handle the conflict with a few moves.

I must behave as the missy. I need to anticipate his decisions and come up with a countermeasure to compel his unconsciousness at once. If I overdo it, I could end up killing him. In that case, it's best to use my sound manipulation until he passes out. My hope is Yuna comes up with a better plan and handles the situation. But it's not like I'm counting on it either. After all, the mission is mine.

As soon as I decided what to do, I took the initiative and shifted near Tetsu. I approached him in an instant, but for the Untouchable Killer the matter of time and space are a small detail. At first, my intention was to knock him with a head butt in the abdomen. However, it wasn't him I ended up hitting. Faster than the blink of an eye, Tetsu's body was replaced by Yuna's.

"What?"

There wasn't time for me to break or for the missy to dodge. It was an inevitable collision. In my failed attempt to avoid the impact I twisted my head a little and took my paws off the floor, as if I wanted to leap to the side. My snout collided with the missy's breasts, but even so, we were thrown together on the floor.

"You only made things worse, you douchebag." She lifted her torso and sat down to adjust her bra.

"You rather me to harm where you were before, huh?!"

"If you wish to lie on my boobs all you had to do was a hungry dog ​​face."

"That sounds really awkward!"

As if closing the dialog box, Yuna got up straight and spreaded her arms as if she were stretching. And sprawled on the floor, the view I was having of the missy's back was a little delicate, a crucial factor in reminding me I should stand up too.

"Do you need to raise your butt when stretching?"

"So, you noticed, huh?"

"Did you do it on purpose?!"

With her eyes fixed on the Untouchable Killer, the missy kept on stretching. By the sense of humor contrary to the current law in Saitama, she was apparently regenerated from the blow she suffered.

"Maybe you don't know, Ulim, but my body is more fit than an Olympic athlete."

"Thank your genetics, You're not human."

"But my body is."

"Listen, I'm not trying to be annoying, but ahead of us is my mission's goal. Don't you have any plans?"

"He looks harmless."

"What? You know you're brutally bombarded by this person, don't you?"

"Hmph, I was testing him. The real clash starts now."

And suddenly the missy stepped forward. No, not herself. From her body another Yuna emerged as if her soul leapt from the attacking shell. She was her perfect clone already facing the Untouchable Killer.

I thought I assumed the missy's scheme; to use a clone to force Tetsu to teleport in a counterattack on the original. And what happened next, somehow was exactly what my canine brain calculated. The part I didn't imagine was the clone was fake. Or rather, the clone was the original and the original was the clone.

When the Untouchable killer popped up in a hop, drawing an arc in the air with his leg in a kick, he was just as caught off guard as I was. His shin tore the clone's body like a sword at chest height and the snow in which it was undone covered the entire leg of Tetsu Tetsuya, freezing it.

The boy touched his feet on the ground, staggering to keep his balance. He glared at Yuna over his shoulder.

"It's disappointing. I honestly can't believe you fell for it. In addition to stopping talking, you also quit reasoning, huh?"

At the missy's teasing, Tetsu shuddered, suggesting he was about to act. A teleportation. But something stopped him from that. Something prevented him from reacting.

"You didn't think I was only immobilizing your leg, did you?"

As soon as the frozen foot landed, the ice rooted into the ground, pinning him to the floor and to the whole gymnasium. Knowing the Untouchable Killer's Mystical abilities, it was possible for him to carry out his teleportation despite being connected to the entire structure. However, in the situation he was in, with one leg fused to the floor, depending on how he did his displacement of space and time, he would end up severing his frozen leg.

This time, the missy relied on Tetsu's lack of reasoning and leaned on the extreme of her abilities to place him in a trap using his own powers as raw material. Therefore, Yuna crossed off the list the kid's biggest weapon.

All that in my mission.

"Now, Tetsu, be a good boy and let's talk." She approached him. "Tell me, what did they do to you?"

As we expected, he didn't answer.

"What are you implying, missy?"

"Isn't it obvious? Tetsu isn't behaving naturally, both socially and rationally. If you look deeper, he can be compared to a Berserker."

"Hmm, from that point of view... but what're you suggesting?"

"I suppose he's being controlled. Mentally controlled, equally to Lion Aiolia."

"And would that be possible?"

"Of course, Fleas Empire. As he was kidnapped by the Tengu who owns the Kagami shield, he may have used its magic to control him and use it for his purposes. Perhaps it was that group, NIP. Originally, they were the ones who were after the Kagami, resurrecting Obake and Tengu to catch it. It's possible Tetsu was taken to them, along with the Kagami. Either way, the means lead to the same end, where our buddy is mentally controlled by the magic shield. Earlier, that detective mentioned something about a masked guy who battled Suny. I'm pretty sure he and Tetsu are the same person and if the mysterious masked guy is involved with this NIP, it's almost certain this group used the Kagami to control it.

"Your deduction makes sense, missy, I didn't expect any less from you. But, why are you so sure about mental control?"

"That's my only certainty here, Ulim, and the answer is quite stupid. Tetsu would never strike me the way he did. To be honest, maybe Tetsu wouldn't confront me even if I attacked him. A mind control procedure would be the only way to explain his demeanor against me."

"Hmm, perhaps it is. The kid's being manipulated. And now comes the important part; how are we gonna release him from this restrained intellect?"

And then a new smell came into my nostrils.

Somebody else was inside that gymnasium.

"Bravo, bravo." Along with the congratulations, the clapping resounded from the stands. The voice was familiar as was the odor. A scent and sound I had experienced not so long ago.

"I hoped never to see your face again." commented Yuna.

To whom she spoke to was no stranger. At least not in a deep sense of the word strange. Detective Doz was sitting in the bleachers celebrating as if he had finished watching a great play.

For my canine eyes that was considered acceptable. I didn't know if that man had all of his mental functions operating properly, so I decided to refrain from judging what might be brain damage.

The missy, on the other hand, didn't ponder the same way.

"What does a stalker like you doing here? Don't you have anything else to do, for instance dragging kids into a van?"

"What am I doing here? Oh, I'm looking for him. But besides that, I came to declare my love for you, young lady."

"What?! Get away from me, you pedophile!"

"I'm not a pedophile! You're getting it all wrong!"

"I have no interest in men more than five years apart, I pass."

"That's not what I'm talking about here!"

"Don't insist, You're not my type."

"I'm just trying to change the subject!"

The detective got tired of spinning around the dialogue and the expression of satisfaction on Yuna's face was undeniable.

Although Doz apparently was an ordinary human and a generic character, something puzzled me beyond the abilities he displayed in the abandoned house. Also, beyond my knowledge. How did that man reach us so fast?

He didn't come at high speed.

He just showed up.

Suddenly, he was there.

"Well then." The detective stood up and strolled down the bleachers. "The reason for my presence is the same as before."

"Squeezing boobs at an affordable price?"

"N-No, no. I'm here to help you, my Knight. I detect you need help to solve this mystery."

"Are you some sort of Wizards' Master or some random mysterious guru?"

"I suppose. Most of all, I'm investigating the NIP and supposedly you captured the masked man. I'm enchanted by the way you strategically perform to defeat more powerful enemies. I never thought I'd contemplate such a graceful and cunning girl just in one body.

"Thank you for the honesty, douchebag, but I'm not the type to melt into elegant adjectives. If you have any useful information for this situation, speak up now or forever hold your peace."

"That's funny, I thought you wouldn't accept my support."

"I'm the one who thinks it's funny. First of all, YOU came after me to offer help. And secondly, don't play this type of cheap psychological game against me, you won't drag me to your ice cream truck."

"Ice cream truck?"

"Exactly. The place where you abuse your victims."

"I don't own such a truck!"

"Yeah right…"

"..."

"Anyway, what kind of help are you talking about?"

"Well, a little bird told me there are two ways to cease mind control. First, the easy way; You just need to call on Gungnir and touch its tip on this little dude's body. Then, there's the hard way; In order to set him free from this mental control, he must be submitted to a tough emotional charge such as a loved one's death."

"Hmm... surprisingly that bird had all this information. And how do you manage to communicate with birds?"

"Well... actually, it's just an expression…"

"..."

"Missy," I meddled the conversation. "I guess it's viable to get this over with soon. Call for the spear and try the process."

"No. The spear isn't mine; I have no reason to call it."

"The spear is entirely yours, my Knight, just call on her. Or perhaps you're frightened."

"Tsc, I already told you psychological tricks won't work, douchebag." She crossed her arms. "I actually thought of calling this thing, the spear, but now I said that and have to hold my pride until the end. The lesson for you to learn is you have to wait for the right time. Or, in a way for you to understand, it will take more effort to touch my breasts."

"I suppose I can release this poor young man from mental control by provoking a very tough emotional load on him."

"Oh, yes..." The missy lowered her arrogant shoulders, but still, she answered convicted; "Well, I can, yes. Wait and see."

"Missy, what are you wondering about?"

She rotated to me. Her arms crossed free, one shifting to her waist and the other raised at face level, her index finger pointed upwards in an explanatory way.

"You see, my dear Ulim, I wouldn't be keen on showing the world my greatest secret weapon downwards in an invisible way no one has beholden, but apparently I have no choice."

"Is all of that a name?!"

"Don't be concerned, Fleas Kingdom, the chances of me walking out alive are ninety-nine percent, but I can't guarantee anything on behalf of you both."

"It only worries me more!"

"Crystal Knight, if you intend to cause pain in this young man, notice in advance it won't work."

"This mystery isn't about hurting and I'd appreciate it if you stop calling me that franchise name. Tetsu's movements and decisions are too slow, very unusual. For me, he's internally struggling with the controlling magic. And, unfortunately, I'm sure about the reason."

"Which would be?"

"As I mentioned, Tetsu would never freely assault me. That's because he fell in love with me."

And so, my canine instincts were correct. Tetsu Tetsuya, known as the Untouchable Killer had been enchanted by the Youkai Slayer's charisma and personality. But giving a second guess perhaps for other stuff as well. They had a kind of relationship and serious things happened. But wait, as senpai of both, shouldn't I scold them in some way?

Nope, I guess I should just ignore it.

"Hmm, I have to recognize this isn't too hard," uttered the detective. "Anyone would fall for her charms."

"In his case it's not so simple. Evidently, he has no feelings for me. He hates me but loves my taste, similar to someone trying to quit smoking."

"Right. To him, you're just a way to be satisfied, I got it."

"It's mutual. I initiated the deal with this idea, he ended up getting attached."

"I thought you enjoyed men at your feet, young lady."

"Deep down, I would rather be alone. I consider it the best way to deal with the world around me."

"Kinda sad."

At that point, I couldn't disagree with the detective's comment. Since I arrived at AAA, Yuna has always been very unsociable, regardless her personality in society is very outgoing. The reality is it's just one of her pragmatism pieces. You can say the missy is pragmatically sociable. Most of the time outside of meetings, missions and training, she hangs out in her room or strolls around the winding streets alone.

For me, it's as if she escapes possible emotional ties so her mind persists to function as a machine. On the other hand, the missy has always been very human even in situations that required her to be the Youkai slayer. In the end, I reckon she just wants to keep a balance between human and youkai.

"Anyway, I'm curious to know about your secret weapon, my Knight."

"Don't even imagine you'll only observe, douchebags. Both of you shall hold his arms."

The detective and I exchanged glances and without questioning, we approached Tetsu who remained immobile with his leg melted in ice at the gymnasium. When we were closer, the boy circled his arms in an attempt to hit us but incapable of balancing or spinning around properly. It wasn't difficult to catch his arms.

I bit his forearm while Doz fully hugged him.

He still had a free leg but as the missy faced him, furiously stomped on his foot steadying him on the floor. With that, they came nearer each other's bodies.

"It'll be the last time, okay? I hope you enjoy it until it ends." The missy's hand moved to the mask covering half of the boy's face then harshly tugged it, ripping it off his face. "If you bite me, I'll kill you."

I was guessing what would be the missy's biggest secret weapon, but waited quietly to see it for myself. She wrapped her hands around Tetsu's neck while still stepping on his foot, which helped considering their small size difference. At that, the Untouchable Killer's red eyes lowered, aiming directly at the Youkai slayer's pink lips.

And so, the missy smiled.

She smiled to show she got what she wanted from the boy, a mere moment before their lips met. And in the next second the pair of rubies closed, Tetsu's shoulders relaxed. Magical to witness the murder legend being totally taken by something so silly.

Or maybe, the missy's kiss is a brain command technique.

While her fingers caressed the back of the boy's head, he opened his eyes slightly, as if to confirm who he was and then parted his lips, lowering them to the missy's neck resembling a vampire, at the same time she hugged him closer pressing her breasts against Tetsu's body.

"Hey... " she smoothly uttered.

Was she getting horny?!

Not expecting an answer, I instinctively released the kid's arm and let out a bark that woke him up from his trance.

And I barked two more times, just to reassure.

The Untouchable Killer stopped kissing the missy's neck and darted his red eyes to me, as if I interrupted something very important. With the hand I released he put his fingers on Yuna's abdomen and gently pushed her away.

The missy moved her hands behind her back and glanced away.

"What the f...?" Tetsu addressed the detective next to her, who still held his entire arm. "Who is this commoner?"

"Ah, yes... " And his arm was finally set free. "I'm Doz, Detective Doz."

As customary, the boy disdained the detective's presentation contemptuously and eyed down at his frozen leg. Then he scanned around him.

"I suppose those mutts managed to control me."

Yeah, he was back.

My mission was complete.

It was necessary for a pack leader to narrate a kiss scene by two teenagers who don't truly appreciate each other. At least I expect as the first time I narrate this type of fact it's been pleasant for you, despite coming from an inugami.

"Well, it seems we can go back now," said Yuna, and Tetsu's leg was thawed.

"Why did you kiss me?"

"Uh, why?" She was uncomfortable for a moment. "Tsc, it's just a standard procedure to break mind control, nothing more. I'm the one who should be asking how you gave in so easily. Did you fall in love with me, you douchebag?"

"Hmph, never. I would never build up feelings for such a bitch."

"Yeah, good. I wouldn't want anyone so dependent growing any feelings for me."

"Be careful with what you imply, mutt."

"Let's head home, fake blonde." She ignored the boy's last comment. "You're the special object to decrease my punishment time. And don't get excited about that kiss, no. I hope you heard it would be the last one. In other words, we won't shower together anymore."

"Well, then," the detective interrupted the debate. "I don't wanna be the mood breaker, but I believe my Knight won't be able to go back home anytime soon."

"What you mean?"

"I received some messages while you were in this discussion. Doz pulled out a cell phone out of his shirt pocket. "Let's see, let's see... here. It seems there's a pretty big youkai in Ibaraki. Specifically on the Tsukuba Circuit."

"On the motoring track?" I asked.

"Not the traditional one. Apparently, he was summoned there. It's in the middle of the oval track.

"It's not an official mission of mine, so I'll leave it for the next time," replied the missy.

"Are you sure? Because it's one of the greats... I think you should be more concerned. As far as my knowledge takes me, isn't Yamata no Orochi the youkai who could only be killed by a god?"

At this sudden information, the missy's eyes shone in a mysterious way for the detective.

"Hmph, good luck to those involved but I'm not interested." And the Untouchable Killer vanished with his teleportation.

I hope he departs the Association.