Detective Yuki

18. Kavalan

1. Kavalan

With his adversaries watching from a weed covered alcove of the old temple and his golden bull secure, Senbi saw his human henchmen morph into a hoard of his ghastly demonic minions whispered amongst themselves, at a pitch difficult for one to hear. 

"I guess we are all in agreement then" Senbi proclaimed before walking into the center of the temple and holding out his hand, uttering words in a unknown language spoken by inhuman beings from another world, marked by the interior of the building becoming darkened and lightened only by dim torches held by the encompassed minions.

 From Senbi's hand grew a long white glowing claw, which he held out in front of him and scratched into the space in front of him, dragging the claw down to reveal a luminous white orb floating and snuffing out the established darkness.

The minions soon began to heave the golden bull across the room towards the floating white entity. Yuki and Aibo could not believe what had happened but took a moment to calculate their next moves carefully.

 "very good, Namida. And now begins the final phase of my plan" Senbi oversaw the proceedings.

 "Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most." Namida replied, his cryptic messages being understood by his master.

 "how are we going to get in without attracting their attention?" Aibo wondered as Yuki looked up to a skylight at the side of the room emanating from a hole in the roof. She climbed onto the roof on Aibo's back, annoying him, but helping him up in return so they could find an alternative way to infiltrate the temple. The vine covered roof churned and creaked, with the two on top trying desperately to omit the noise. 

"Aibo, over here!!" Yuki whispered to her colleague, who came to the skylight almost directly above the glowing white orb, precariously above the enemy.

However, the temple roof could not bear the weight of two bodies near the hole, which started to form small cracks that gradually grew larger, louder and more noticeable. Suddenly, the roof caved in, and the duo fell onto the floor of the temple, crushing the demons meant to be pushing the golden bull towards the orb. Senbi gazed over the damage, realizing the unwelcome guests had been seen before by him, not the several pudgy gray mountain demons and minion creatures who had clustered around and inside the temple before the glowing orb. 

"well, is this not a surprise?. Miss Yuki and you there, nice to see you once again, alive" he begrudgingly said as the two emerged from the rubble of the roof. 

"the feeling is mutual Senbi. What are you up to now?" Yuki sparked at her foe. 

"I am glad you asked. It is a surprise, a surprise that you will not be alive to enjoy. Get into position!!" Senbi told Yuki before picking up an army telephone to direct someone along the line.

Yuki and Aibo were prevented from reaching the masked maniac by a wall of demons barring their path while Senbi and Namida pushed the golden bull through the orb and disappeared, showing that it was a portal of some kind. His demon companions followed suit through the portal, leaving the native mountain demons left behind to do as they wish to the human hostages.

 "why was Senbi talking on a telephone, and where is he going?" Yuki asked Aibo. 

"I am not sure, but I am not staying here to find out. We need to follow him through there" Aibo pointed at the portal. Little did they know that just off the coast within view of the wooded temple was the source of the call made out to Senbi. It was a Japanese iron hide colonial gunboat, "acquired" when he arrived in Taihoku, now draped in the red, white and blue of the nationalist Chinese flag, commandeered by a crew of tall red demons with long arms and legs. Its side on approach commenced the mobilization of two artillery turrets on deck, pointing around half a mile out to sea on a cloudy afternoon towards the temple.