Detective Yuki

19. Tao

1. Tao

As the phantom ship readied to fire on the temple, Yuki and Aibo began to fight their way across the ancient temple towards the fledging portal in pursuit of their enemy. The path before them was paved with the menacing moonlight smiles of white eyed shadow demons lurking around the shaded walls of the temple, with no color to them except the color of death and darkness. Yuki knew they had little in the way of weapons to fight off the beasts, except for one thing: the sound machine in Yuki's pocket, waiting for usage. Thinking light on her feet, she took out her device and switched it on at the side, sending out sparks of electricity before an ear-splitting wave of pulsating noise that sent the demons into a frenzy of worry and annoyance.

Aibo readily took his fingers to his ears at the mere sight of the sound machine Yuki was handling. 

"come on!!" Yuki mouthed to the deafened Aibo, who came to her side and walked with her around a circle of demonic creatures that were scurrying around the walls and floor of the temple, searching every nook and cranny for any hole leading to the outside world in hopes of escaping the noise. 

The closer they came to the portal, the more the demons became wiser and bolder. One grabbed a hold of Aibo's left leg with its small sharp claws, causing Aibo to kick at the demon before Yuki pointed the device at it, causing it to flee in despair into the deep mountains surrounding the coastal temple. Yuki and Aibo quickly avoided being sacrifices to the demons by chucking themselves through the shrinking portal, which vanished the second Aibo appeared on the other side.

Through the portal, the duo had landed on a ground of polished stone in a public square in an unknown location guarded by soldiers from a different country. 

"Yuki, where are we?!!" Aibo said as he looked around at the new scenery that appeared to be very urban and congested.

 "I am not sure, but this is where Senbi is. we have no time to lose, we have to find him and that bull of his!!" Yuki directed still lying on the floor of the unknown square, knowing full well that the actions of Senbi could have far reaching implications to the empire, or even the wider region if he plays his cards right.

Back in Taiwan, the ship draped in the Chinese colors opened fire with two large side cannons manned by demonic minions of Senbi. The shells sped through the air, heading up to the clouds and then down onto the temple, tearing it apart in a shower of fire, metal, stone and wood. Several rounds of heavy artillery had left only a stone pedestal where the temple once stood, encompassed by the burning forest around it and chunks of the former shrine. The ship out to sea then bellowed with steam and changed course, charging at speed towards the coast. With no one to initially witness the ship or its intended course, the attacking vessel beached herself onto the yellow sanded beaches, the demon crew inside abandoning ship and heading off into the hills.

This is NHK radio in the evening, August 25th, 1925

Tensions between China and Japan are reaching new heights after the discovery of an abandoned Chinese naval vessel beached on the western coast of the Taiwan colony, connected with the destruction of a hillside temple that appeared to have been fired upon by the ship before beaching itself. The crew may have left it then retreated into the jungles, yet their whereabouts are unknown at this time. The Chinese ambassador to the empire has denied all knowledge in solidarity with the Chinese government in saying there were no ships on patrols around Taiwan at the time the rogue ship attacked the temple. In the last hour, the imperial Diet has issued a final ultimatum with royal ascent at this act of aggression. The Chinese have twenty four hours to apologize for the attack and claim responsibility, or Japan will enter into a state of armed conflict with the western republic.