Detective Yuki

13. Guksae

1. Guksae

Over the next day, Yuki worked at a wooden desk in her hotel room using the mechanical and technical supplies she had bought in town, such as a vacuum tube radio, a disassembled rifle, and electrical wiring to create a new device that she would exhibit sooner than she thought was possible. Despite the presence of martial law, evening curfews and increased presence of policeman and the imperial Japanese colonial forces, Aibo went out to the police station again to see how things were going in the aftermath of the Korean nationalist attack that had left several officers injured. 

As he was nearing the station, he saw the familiar mask of Senbi, holding a red file and entering the station with it. Aibo crept closer to the station, hoping to apprehend Senbi, but the masked saboteur walked gracefully out of the station again, making Aibo's chance a lost one. With the sighting in mind, Aibo sped back as quick as he can to the hotel to tell Yuki about what he had seen. During the previous night, police were called to the city center, where a huge black bear and orange striped tiger had been sighted attacking each other in the square.

In the fighting, several houses were seriously damaged by the two predators, but the locals took it upon themselves to dispose of the creatures destroying their city, eventually managing to shoot and spear the animals to death. Both the bear and tiger had a special significance in traditional Korean mythology, dividing the community over the treatment of the urban adversaries. After leaving the police station, Senbi met his right hand man Namida on an intersection of two streets during the afternoon rush hour. 

"the urban mission is going according to plan, my friend. If they actually believe the information in that document, this plan will succeed brilliantly" Senbi told Namida as Korean civilians were beginning to be rounded up by Japanese soldiers in large numbers for questioning on suspicion of supporting the rebels in and around the city.

Threatening the young and old at gunpoint, the soldiers in their puttees and green uniforms led people to the government buildings to be interrogated. On the way through town on a leisurely stroll, the two could still see police automobiles patrolling the roads, the occasional gunshot for the non-compliant subject.

 As they turned down a cleared neighborhood strewn with belongings from the surrounding houses, Senbi and Namida heard "you there, stop where you are!!" a voice called out. 

The two stopped as footsteps grew closer, so that upon turning around, Senbi and Namida saw three Japanese soldiers restraining three dogs that literally oozed fire from their skin, the Bulgae. 

"who are you three?" Senbi called out to the soldiers. 

"not sure what it is to you mister, but we just came from a military base outside the city. these things are with us" one of the soldiers pointed to one of the Bulgae.

"well then, perhaps you might be willing to hand them over to someone who is a little more qualified to deal with such dangerous animals as these" Senbi approached the soldiers and the barking dogs.

 The three soldiers scoffed at what they deemed a pathetic offer.

"what makes you think we are just going to hand over these dogs to you?".

 While they continued their laughter, Senbi held out his right hand and clicked his fingers, inducing a transformation on the soldiers. Their eyes became green, and their hands became loose, dropping the leashes they had kept on the Bulgae. The hounds were raring to leap at Senbi, but before they could, he took off his mask revealing to them his true face and making all three stop in their tracks immediately. Again, Senbi snapped his fingers, recolorizing the eyes of the soldiers now oblivious to their fate. 

"what did you do?!!" one of the soldiers shouted at Senbi. 

"oh nothing, just took away your secret weapons" Senbi whistled in his mouth, by which merit the Bulgae turned around to face their former masters and proceeded to brutally maul them in broad daylight, much to the displeasing mood of the nearby Namida.