Chapter 4: NEKOMATA III
Difficulty level: four
Status: Target located
The team followed the path they saw the previous branch run towards, maintaining the same formation, except Yves was standing behind Fuyu now. This is to ensure the safety of the team's healer from any attacks from the rear. They were on high alert and watched out for any sounds that could indicate motion.
It finally came; bushes around them started to shift and rustle. They quickly formed a circle with their backs facing each other, weapons pulled out and ready to attack.
The rustling of leaves got closer and closer, the creature approaching headed straight for Harper. He quickly transformed into a giant cat and puffed up, his tail raised, his body leaning forwards.
As the sound got nearer he jumped out of formation and snatched at the approaching target, but instead of a giant cat, the thing in his paws was much smaller.
"What is it, Harper?" Timothy ran to him, the rest of the team stayed in formation. Harper opened his paws to release a female human, who was injured and covered in blood.
She let out a sigh of relief upon seeing their faces. Timothy shone his flashlight at her face. It was the Giant Earthlings' team leader.
"Identify yourself." He demanded.
"Julia Hitch, leader of the Giant Earthlings team, officer number GE-1001."
"Timothy white, Leader of team Alpha, officer Alpha, status report?"
"All my subordinates have been scattered around while chasing the Bakeneko. I fought it alone, but had to abandon the situation due to being overpowered. I can lead you to the target."
"Does anyone in your team have a locator?"
"No, I didn't expect us to be separated."
"Wait here." Timothy and Harper returned to the team.
"Anything fishy?" Johnny asked.
"A little. It has been three days since the chase. How come they didn't think to regroup at the clearing?"
"Wasn't her status report a bit short? Why is she leaving out so many details?" Harper said.
"I agree, I was listening. No statements were made regarding the beast itself or on the fight. Also, if it's been three days, how can she be sure the Bakeneko is still at the same place?" Mark stated.
"Alpha, has there been any more reports on missing people since the Giant Earthlings branch was dispatched?" Harper questioned.
"No, it could be that the Bakeneko itself is injured and unable to travel long distances, but still, it should be finding targets to eat and heal itself."
"Didn't you say Bakenekos could transform and speak human?" Dominique asked.
"She knew her officer code and was speaking in english, I doubt Bakenekos are that intelligent based on historical reports."
"Okay, but what if she really is it? We still need to locate the target anyways, so even if we follow her and she transforms, wouldn't that help us?" Johnny shifted his gaze to officer Hitch.
"It could be leading us to an area where it's at an advantageous position." Harper analyzed. They stood still and thought for a while.
"The forest is all the same anyways, it's either a clearing or full of trees. Bakenekos don't live in packs, and we only saw one in the footage." Dominique commented.
"What do we say team? Do we follow her?" Alpha asked, Fuyu shot a concerned look around the group. This was the reaction most of the time, because the healer is almost always the first target in a fight due to their vulnerability.
Yves turned to face Fuyu and put a hand on his shuddering shoulder. Fuyu shifted around unnervingly, but calmed down when he was given a reassuring look from the team's most reliable member. The team observed this and nodded.
"So it's decided then." They made their way over to officer Hitch and started walking through the forest. They ascended its height little by little, making occasional turns. The forest remained silent. Too silent to be comforting.
Finally, they arrived at a torii gate. It was worn down and gave off a negative sort of energy, like a grave of someone who has passed without any family left behind.
What is this place? Timothy thought. Torii gates symbolize the transition from realism to a sacred space, so he expected a shrine to be hidden some distance behind the entrance. However, after a short while of walking, he found that it wasn't a shrine that lay behind the gate, but a huge, abandoned graveyard that was overtaken by plantations.
"So…" They were all thinking the same thing. It seemed they had arrived by the way officer Harper stopped walking. She stood still, winds blowing past her body. Timothy was the first to notice something wrong and ran ahead.
The moment his finger came in contact with her skin, she collapsed to the ground. He crouched down and put two fingers at her pulse; there was nothing.
"Fuyu-chan! Come quick!" He called over, Fuyu came running from the back of the line and placed both hands on her chest. His body jerked up by instinct and he quickly backed away.
"She's been dead for a long time." He told them, his body shuddering. The team raised their weapons; this wasn't in the information they were provided.
Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet seemed to shake. Dirt splashed from places where gravestones were placed and skeletal hands raised up from the soil. They gripped onto the ground and pushed their decomposed bodies up. Not even a minute later there were at least 50 skeletons standing in front of them.
As they were about to attack, the body of a gigantic cat emerged from behind a large tree. It menacingly walked towards them, stopping abruptly behind the army of skeletons and let out a deafening growl.
As they saw the beast, they knew why they were sent to handle the situation.
Instead of one tail hanging up from its rear end, there were two. The Bakeneko had already evolved into something much more dangerous; a Nekomata.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone