# Web of light. Part 1. part 31

Аноним Plotnikov_Sergey

Ageha and Sasa watch the departure of Tsuchimikado from the hill. The militants of the Social Committee are examining Yuto's retinue.

Interlude 24. The top of a forested mountain, about 100 kilometers north-northwest of Takamiya. Air Spirit (Hinoyonma) Ageha, the One-eyed Blacksmith of Sasa and hidden in the stone of Daydarbotchi

"Haha, as expected!" Ageha, clutching the trunk with her hand, looked out from under her arm at the distant ribbon of highway from a thick branch.

According to her senses, the three powerful auras stopped approaching and began to move away. Three auras of magicians, three auras with the distinct scent of the Tsuchimikado exorcist clan.

"Sis, you can't know that they're gone forever," The one-eyed Blacksmith tried to imitate the voice of reason from a nearby branch, but received only a dismissive gesture from the blood lover. However, Ageha deigned to explain:

"The police combat team must remain in the city to which it is assigned, or leave it no further than the border of its area of responsibility, at least if a replacement has not arrived. The exception is emergencies related to the appearance or aggressive actions of very strong Yokai. You can't find idiots to attract Tsuchi's attention during the day."

"But they could have just left... or for a while, since there hasn't been a job for a long time anyway..."

"No, the duty was lifted, just like in those two cities where we had such a nice rest last year. It was there... Mm-hmm... Delicious! The main thing is to get ahead before the main crowd attacks, otherwise you won't get anything. Stupid idiots! I've milked some weak magicians three times, but these... So much power was wasted. Pay attention, the same picture is here - the combat squad was removed, but the incompetents from the Committee remained."

"Ageha, there are not only incompetents! You said so yourself..."

"Well yeah. But they don't have the strength to do anything to me."

"That's if the militants don't come back..."

"Sasa! Don't be boring! Extrapolation of the events gives exactly the same picture as before."

"Extra... what? What if they come back?"

"That's why I'm saying that we'll wait in the mountains for five days and only then go to harvest."

"And if... ugh!"

It was Ageha, whose eyelid was already twitching, who caressed the cyclops blacksmith with her fist on his blond head. Slightly. I didn't raise my hand to beat the two jerks from her entourage seriously, although sometimes I really wanted to!

If Ageha were asked to describe herself in a few words, she would probably choose the phrase "advanced spirit of the air." It was "advanced" - hinoyonma couldn't exactly be called a weakling, but in terms of her ability to get out of any situation, she surpassed many yokai from those who were an order of magnitude stronger than her. Considering that there were at most two thousand such strong spirits in all of Japan, and most of them were quieter than water, under the grass, it is not surprising that the bloodsucker felt quite confident in her native country. The specifics of her abilities, on the one hand, and her rich and versatile experience, on the other, allowed Ageha to effectively hide and evade enemies who were too strong, as well as skillfully destroy opponents of her level. And if it weren't for the entourage hanging around her neck like a heavy weight, she would have shown more! But you can't. Once you've picked it up, you can take it with you.

As long as the girl could remember, and this period was not that very long, but it was two hundred years anyway... So, for as long as Ageha could remember, she had always been hunting for power. They say people like her are born where a lot of men have shed their blood to no avail. Maybe so. Maybe those who say that some yokai are born from human souls who have lost everything are right... Who knows? In any case, it was quickly proved to the little girl that strength is the main criterion of freedom. And freedom - what could be more important for someone whose element is air? However, Hinoyonma turned out to be smart enough to understand that strength is measured not only by the level of available magical energy. And that was the only reason she was able to escape from an Island Empire engulfed by an invisible war of annihilation with the exorcists, which began immediately after the end of the Great War at Sea. For fifty years, fifty delightful and terrifying years, she had been wandering around the World. She passed through the war-ravaged country of the Soviets, where neither the supernatural officially existed, nor the detachments of special commissars, who translated this supernatural into the non-existent format established by the Party. She traveled through China and Cambodia, the steppes of Mongolia, and even managed to get to India, but I ran away from there without looking back until the locals ate me! She spent ten years in Europe (Her especially liked France). Then there is America, with its strange ways and complete lawlessness among the crazy melting pot of the mystical population of this continent, which once belonged to wild zoomorphic spirits. Australia, New Zealand... And now the circle has closed.

Has she become stronger? Not so many times, but I've grown up. But the character has changed globally. Many ideas, one way or another adopted from people, took deep roots in her soul, forced her to look at the world differently. For example, she had a completely official passport... more precisely, passports with five different names. She also had a "house in the village," where she visited at least once a year, and a cell phone. And other modern technologies of communication and information exchange were not alien to this remarkable personality in many ways. However, in addition to useful skills, close communication with people also brought a lot of strange, in Sasa's opinion, hobbies, such as using cosmetics, following fashion (and crazy, extremely dangerous trips to Tokyo to buy newfangled rags from the "new summer collection"), reading blogs and e-mail correspondence with many acquaintances, not very familiar and completely unfamiliar people (and non-people). But the One-Eyed Blacksmith's opinion about the nature of his activities did not interest Ageha at all. At least as long as he prefers to walk around among people in a skirt and blouse, the pervert sucks!

Then, fifteen years ago, upon returning to Japan, Hinoyonma discovered that the old ways had changed significantly. Yes, it's still better for a hunter and a yokai not to meet, yes, it's not worth shining your aura right and left... but if you don't get into trouble, it turns out not life, but just raspberries! Unfortunately, French clothing collections arrive in Japan almost a month after the start of sales on the Continent... but she was willing to put up with that for now. Although-ah... If it weren't for these two blockheads, who knows, maybe Ageha's new journey would have already begun. And if not for the internal friction in the Clans, which led to the emergence of sources of free "pumping".

Sasa and Daydarbotchi appeared in the bloodsucker's life because of her manner of getting to know other yokai - to come up close under disguise and ask in a friendly way, "hi, are you busy?"or "do you know how to get to the library?" After that, they usually tried to impale her on claws / fangs / wrap tentacles / crush and even shoot her with a bow (yes, yes, there are also yokai in Japanese villages that carry bows!). But about one and a half percent of the interlocutors who showed an adequate reaction became a pretty good source of information about local realities, especially when they found out that this strong air spirit did not claim their territory. But Sasa distinguished himself by taking his "little sister" to the library! And not in any one, but at the ruined Kamisakura temple. It's not like there's much left... but Ageha appreciated the application and decided to take the lonely Blacksmith under her metaphorical wing. And the Daydarbotchi that Sasa brought.

They tried not to touch the one-eyed craftsmen - the strange guys had incomprehensible abilities and, most importantly, they were able to do very difficult things. For example, weapons. The most serious groups of spirits on the territory of the islands necessarily acquired, by hook or by crook, loners from this small tribe: of course, such a status indicator! It is said that blacksmith communities live under the mountains, from where, together with daredevils from among the yokai or humans, unique things like "Blessings of Spirits" or without any magic of stone-cutting blades sometimes come to the surface. Of course, the Blacksmith obeys her alone, it's cool! How many times they tried to steal/ lure/ persuade him to switch from the service of a restless bloodsucker to "serious inhumans", Ageha had already lost count - and had no doubt that once she left Japan, the Stone Spirit and the One-Eyed Blacksmith would have a hard time on their own. It wasn't that she was going to rush abroad right now, but the very realization of the limitations of her priceless freedom was itching in her ear like an undead mosquito in her bedroom at night. So the girl was happy to imagine another adventure that would make her forget about all the problems for a while and pleasantly tickle her nerves... the main thing is not to get caught up and miss the start of sales of Yves Saint Laurent's winter collection in Tokyo in early December!


Interlude 25. Office of the Social Committee, small conference hall on the 3rd floor. A group of six relatively strong magicians (compared to the rest of the "magicians"), a newly formed Sugowarokouji "defense squad" of gifted employees from different departments [looking through the window at the square in front of the main entrance to the office of the Social Committee]

"Damn, look at how calmly he's walking!"

"This is Amakawa."

"Exactly? He's not a magician himself..."

"Idiot, he's under the seal of suppression! Or under the amulet."

"Crazy! At this distance, he won't even have time to move, they'll just rip his head off!"

"Does he really know what he's doing? Does he know exactly who these people are? Damn, how can he even be so calm? Maybe under control?"

"Don't mess up, what the hell kind of control?! His mana seal is eating him up. How do I know? From the camel! Unlike you, I manage the building's security system... managed it."

"You have to be full of shit to be around these creatures at all!"

"The main thing is to control yourself if you find yourself next to these, as you put it, creatures. They were brought to you under your nose so that you would remember them..."

"Sugowara is fucking fucked up! It's like putting out a fire with kerosene!"

"Koyama, shut up! Or do you want to repeat again, where did those amulets come from? The boss knows what he's doing. Or are you completely tired of living? Or the smartest one, like Sora?"

"So! They forgot about Sora. The woodpecker decided that he was the smartest, let him beg for treatment from the master now. Maybe it will be his turn... in about ten years. Spinal fracture with displacement... What an unexpected end to a brilliant career."

"Br-r! Let's close the topic, guys. Maybe these two lovely girls will save our lives... on the orders of his master."

"Fuck! This kid makes me nervous! What can he do?! And even under seal?!"

"They say this "child" opened a "Mystical House." And then, you see, they obey him..."

"Tame dogs, yeah."

"The dog is the one on the left... seem. The aura is characteristic, I would say..."

"And on the right?"

"He...fuck knows, it doesn't seem to be "brutal" at all..."

"You damn Japs, you've got a whole zoo!"

"Zack, shut up! You're accepted, now you're a fucking Japanese too, even though you're half fucking Korean and half..."

"Shut up, everyone! Kouji-dono came out to them."

"Damn it! The boss has balls of steel!"

"Bullshit, Su-senpai is too much for these two cuties. Slabosilki."

"I think Amakawa brought just the weakest."

"Why is that all of a sudden?!"

"If you try to analyze the situation a little bit and if the guy Amakawa is not a fool, and he is not a fool, because Kouji-dono decided to establish a full-fledged interaction with him..."

"And simpler, for morons?!"

"Zack... self-critical..."

"To put it simply, the guy came to probe our attitude towards his vassals. Each Clan keeps its secrets carefully, but considering that, except for these "nuts", no one has learned how to use the services of yokai..."

"Ah-ha, you've got it all screwed up, Shiro!.."

"..Don't call me Shiro..."

"... use, oh, I can't, use!"

"Zack! Damn, someone shut the asshole up... Thank you, Sh... that is, Katsume!"

"But the Amakawa are really crazy. He won't even be able to defend himself, if anything."

"He doesn't need to, right?"

"How he does it, I wish I knew... No, it's better not to."

"What, you don't want to be a Hell of a Summoner?"

"I don't want "girls" like that wandering the streets of Takamiya. Maybe they won't touch Amakawa, but the others?"

"Sugowara is not an idiot. If you let them bring them here, then they won't be touched."

"...or it's just that in a pile of corpses it will still be impossible to make out where whose fangs worked..."

"Spit it out! Spit it out, damn it! Idiot! You're screwing up!"

"What are you worried about? You're just as "decommissioned" as I am. Promoted, damn it..."

"Shut up! They're coming here. Come on, damn it, everyone's standing up straight, and if anyone even pulls a finger, I'll bury him in concrete before the boss. And remember your appearance, you giants of thought! Surely the boy has several more amulets in his cache. You never know what can happen..."

[*Shiro is Japanese for "White", "blond", in this case a nickname because of the color of his hair.]