Chapter 97 - Tiyanak
Flashing through the city, Ryuu soon arrives at the parking lot where he breezley passes through the police blocking the way where Trese along with the twin seemingly investigating a death of a woman who had her body gruesomely disemboweled.
"Whoever did this surely had sharp fangs and claws."
"E-Eh!!"
The twin screams in surprise as he has been beside them this whole time only to notice when he spoke. Trese heard his voice turn to see him not wearing the mask.
"Oh Lord! Why the hell did you sneak up on like that!"
"You almost gave us a heart attack!"
The twin exclaimed glaring towards Ryuu who ignored them. He only inwardly chuckled at their reaction.
"Yaldabaoth, I'm surprised you didn't wear a mask."
"Well I just thought it was entertaining. Anyway, I've received the payment and the reason why I'm here."
Ryuu learned from the books that every known superstition of his region was true. He learned the races or rather tribes living in Manila and made him aware that there is a treaty among the races made by the Lakan who is Trese family title who maintain peace among them.
However, from what he can see that it is currently tipping over and would eventually cause large scale war from each race due to a prophecy for told that shall end one world and destroy the rest.
The sixth child of the sixth child was known to be as Alexandra Trese. The young woman before him. Ryuu frowned upon the prophecy, finding how cliché it was. Like hell he let it happen!
"Then do you have any suggestion of how she died?"
"It's clearly not human….and it left a trail over there."
Ryuu pointed at the blood stain and followed it where the track stopped towards the drain that leads to the sewer. He spread his vision to find the creature but it had already escaped far.
"That's too small to fit anyone."( Guerrero )
"What about the CCTV footage?"( Trese )
"Don't bother, they'll likely didn't want it to become a scandal. Anyway, I've used my ability and found that whoever did this already escaped. Is there another way to get the CCTV footage?"
"There is…."
Trese was reluctant but decided to head towards a certain place. Ryuu was surprised to learn that their car was destroyed the other day, which is why their car was only a rental car.
They walk their way to a computer cafe and arrive in a dimly lit room where there is almost no monitor. Few minutes later, a chubby ghost appeared playing a game. He was only watching at the side when Trese threatened the ghost using her dagger.
"Who's this new guy?"
"Nothing important, just show my CCTV footage."
"Ouch…"
Ryuu wryly smiles being called nothing important but dismisses it as they watch the security camera finding that she was in a call by a rather famous actress, Nova Aurora but he hardly cares about showbiz since they are more fake than fiction.
"My intuition is that this woman did something horrible for her career. Does Tiyanak exist?"
A Tiyanak, a creature that is from infants that died and abandoned by their mother that normally has not been baptized by the church. He asked, making them confused and curious as to why he was asking but Trese could feel that he's into something.
"They exist, can you explain why you are asking?"
"A woman in showbiz with a child usually doesn't mix. From what we found, the woman has a connection with the missing actress…she probably has the one task to kill the infant."
Ryuu words were spot on precisely what the truth was. Trese frowned from his word and disturbed that someone had the guts to kill an innocent infant. Seeing her aura fluctuating felt compelled to pat her head but resisted.
"Let's see if that holds some truth."
"My intuition may be wrong but it always has 70 to 80% certainty."
He shrugged since there's time it doesn't work leaving him stupefied by the outcome. Trese told the ghost to uncover the security camera feed while they headed to pay a visit to the actress.
Walking their way to the dressing room of the actress, Ryuu spread his vision to search for the cause only to find an energy hiding in the plants and watches as Trese called out. Soon a golem formed and with its palm was a Duwende, a Filipino gnome and introduced itself as Amang Paso or translated to "Father Pot".
"How peculiar, who is this young man?"
"I am Yaldabaoth, I'm only here to assist and perhaps find something that I am seeking."
The Duwende seem intently stared at him trying to find something when the sound of woman rushing in. Ryuu frowned upon seeing the woman and spread his senses to find what he was looking for.
"Where are you going?"
"Trying to find the creature. That woman has sinned and it confirmed that she has done something. Her Aura reeks of guilt and that Duwende is hiding something."
He could see the [ Aura ] around the woman and vaguely guess his theory was true. Behind Ryuu's trench morphs and stretches to form a small arachnid creature.
Frowning toward Ryuu who ignored him while the woman screamed upon seeing his creation. Her lies would have worked if not for the fact she's an actress.
"My eye could see the creature around the building. It appears like what the book about tiyanak is."
"Tell me the truth, have you ever had a child?"
"Y-Yes but he died in an accident."( Aurora )
"Iha, it would be better if you look for the creature rather than question her. She's been troubling that creature ever since."
The Duwende tried to dodge the question as Ryuu doesn't have the luxury of waiting to move his way to her and use [ Hypnosis ] without hesitation.
"What did you do to my Familiar!?"
"Trying to find the truth, Now tell me everything."
This causes Duwende to try stopping him only to find him bound by tendrils. Ryuu glared at the little creature with intent to kill but was stopped by Trese.
"Enough, Yaldabaoth! We should not cause too much trouble as it might go against the accord and cause a war."
"Very well, now tell me the truth…."
Soon the woman told everything to Ryuu along with Trese and the twin. It was rather disturbing that she left her child to die in the environment when she took the one that the Tiyanak killed from the parking lot to leave it to die.
Trese was furious that Duwende let it happen as he tried to twist his word and manipulate her.
"I can't say that kind of stupid action for your familiar. The child could have been left in an orphanage without anyone finding out his identity but no…you have shed an innocent blood."
Ryuu said find his plot hole too foolish and made the Duwende to fall into silence never taking into account the other methods.
"You speak far too many riddles. Well my creature found the Tiyanak. Follow me."
They left the dressing room while Ryuu glanced at Trese who was having an inner turmoil.
"Are you alright? Don't think about his words too much. Enemies are always brewing everywhere, the best thing you need to do is be prepared and grow stronger."
"Right bossing! We would never betray you!"
"Yeah, you're like our family."
"....Thanks, boys, Yaldabaoth."
"Pleasure, I think a smile suits you more than being too serious."
Ryuu smiled and walked past them while Trese was taken aback by his compliment much to her annoyance to the twin as they started to tease her.
Soon, they arrive where his creature held in place a terrifying infant with elongated arms and arachnid legs. Ryuu fascinated by the creature until it stops moving upon seeing him.
'Why did it stop moving? Is it because of some sort of charm in this type of creature?'
Ryuu thought while he moved closer then saw the twin was about to shoot the Tiyanak and opted to stop them.
"Don't kill it….I have a plan for it."
"What are you planning on doing to the Tiyanak?"
"Evolve it."
Ryuu encass the Tiyanak in biomass to use for experiments later. Trese wanted to test a few things about what would happen if he made a Oni from the Tiyanak that was naturally made by nature.
"The case seems to be close. I'll go ahead and visit once more. Here she is to communicate with me."
He gifted her a small bracelet made out of his flesh to look like metal. Trese reluctantly accepted as their investigation ended much quicker than normal.
"Then farwell."